Projector screens which would you buy?

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purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,024
5,905
126
When did you buy yours? I bought mine in 2012. Yeah it was expensive but I really wanted a nice fixed screen. I bought it on Amazon too. $315 is a rocken deal for sure.

View attachment 7378
Yeah your is the ezFrame, that's different than the Sable. I ordered mine in November of 2012. I have no clue what the difference is lol.

ji487U5.png
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
154
106
Does anyone know if my BenQ HT3550 projector is a UST projector or short throw projector?

The screen I want says normal throw projector so want to make sure I don't get a bad screen.

Can you even return a screen ?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
136
Does anyone know if my BenQ HT3550 projector is a UST projector or short throw projector?

The screen I want says normal throw projector so want to make sure I don't get a bad screen.

Can you even return a screen ?

UST = ultra-short throw. Basically a shoebox that you put up against the wall

ST = short-throw, basically one you put on the ceiling within a few feet of the screen, has a fattening lens on the front so you get a big picture from not too far away

Your HT3550 is a standard projector (normal throw).

Which screen did you buy?
 
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pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
136

I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SLMTWLC/

It is pretty awesome, but unless you have a big house or a barn, it's really meant for outdoors. The pull-up one you got is nice because you can drop it down & hide it whenever you want.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
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How long does it stick out with the legs ?

Yes it is nice that you can pull-up or pull-down when you want but I worry how long it will last :(

I believe the legs are 36", so 18" in front & 18" in the back.

I have a 100" pull-up screen & have had it for awhile with no issues. If you treat it like an adult would & don't manhandle it & yank it up like a kid would, it'll do just fine, plus it has a pretty decent warranty!
 
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pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
154
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I believe the legs are 36", so 18" in front & 18" in the back.

I have a 100" pull-up screen & have had it for awhile with no issues. If you treat it like an adult would & don't manhandle it & yank it up like a kid would, it'll do just fine, plus it has a pretty decent warranty!

Yeah I like the 2 year warranty. I will be very careful with it. Still worry. Is it a Elite?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
136
Yeah I like the 2 year warranty. I will be very careful with it. Still worry. Is it a Elite?

No, it's some cheapo brand that I tote around for Powerpoints for work & the occasional random movie. I do a lot of birthday parties & game nights for my friend's kids, haha.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
154
106
Does anyone know if there any other way to have a projector screen to setup like a wall one without drilling any holes or creating any holes in the wall?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
136
Does anyone know if there any other way to have a projector screen to setup like a wall one without drilling any holes or creating any holes in the wall?

You basically have 3 options:

1. Ceiling-mount an electric or manual pull-down screen, or put some hooks in the ceiling to hang a screen
2. Paint the wall
3. Use a pull-up screen (like the one you got)

Or, punch some holes in the wall, and then when you move, put some putty in them, sand them down, and repaint with a roller...takes an hour.
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
154
106
You basically have 3 options:

1. Ceiling-mount an electric or manual pull-down screen, or put some hooks in the ceiling to hang a screen
2. Paint the wall
3. Use a pull-up screen (like the one you got)

Or, punch some holes in the wall, and then when you move, put some putty in them, sand them down, and repaint with a roller...takes an hour.

I have another option. This is not my first projector or projector screen. Tell me if this is a good idea or bad?

I could order just the screen material and make my own screen! The problem is it would need to be lightweight. Less than 4 lb. Mainly because I would want to hang it up on the wall maybe upside down big maybe. Depending on where the black part is for the no screen is. Then use command strips to connect it to the wall without holes.

Then when I don't want it out roll it up like a big tube all the way to my ceiling in the media room. Then when I need it roll it back down.

The problem is what is the best projector screen material to buy ?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,704
5,456
136
I have another option. This is not my first projector or projector screen. Tell me if this is a good idea or bad?

I could order just the screen material and make my own screen! The problem is it would need to be lightweight. Less than 4 lb. Mainly because I would want to hang it up on the wall maybe upside down big maybe. Depending on where the black part is for the no screen is. Then use command strips to connect it to the wall without holes.

Then when I don't want it out roll it up like a big tube all the way to my ceiling in the media room. Then when I need it roll it back down.

The problem is what is the best projector screen material to buy ?

The problem with all screens is that they need to be held taut to prevent sagging & wrinkles, which means you need either a framing system to stretch it or some kind of anchor system to hold them in place. Command Strips do work pretty good, I use them all the time, and with enough of them, you'd be able to distribute the load pretty well, in theory. For a lightweight application, I'd look into Spandex (DIY). Alternatively, you could get a lightweight sheet & paint it on a thin 4' x 8' board & that hang that up on the strips:

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-...asy-ambient-light-rejecting-screen-paint.html

Or you could build a fixed floor frame & wrap the screen around that instead, similar to your lift-frame screen, but in a fixed position all the time. But, you also mentioned that you wanted something ready-to-go, not DIY earlier, so depends on if you want to put something together yourself or not. Although I think you'll be pretty happy with the Elite screen!
 

snoopy7548

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2005
8,126
5,151
146
IMO, if you're going with a projector it's best to make it all or nothing, especially if you have a dedicated media room. The only time it makes sense to get a drop-down screen is if you've got a living room setup and watch TV during the day on a regular TV.

Get or make a fixed screen and hang it in a good position. Even if it only weighs 4lbs., you're not going to want to move around a 130"+ screen every time you want to watch a movie.

If you're concerned about 1.78:1 vs. 2.35:1, check out the screen section on AVSforum, specifically the constant image height section. Or you could go with a masking system.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
68,459
12,613
126
www.anyf.ca

Wonder what he's watching? ...Probably a trailer. :p


I've kind of toyed with going with a projector instead of a TV myself. I think I would go the cheap way, and just paint part of the wall white. Is that a bad idea? I imagine the type of paint matters too, probably want flat. Though the advantage of a screen is that you can have it cover something, so like instead of having a wall that's always plain you can still have decor and then have the screen come down as needed.
 

WhiteNoise

Golden Member
Jun 22, 2016
1,075
186
106
Yeah your is the ezFrame, that's different than the Sable. I ordered mine in November of 2012. I have no clue what the difference is lol.

ji487U5.png
Yeah you are right! They look the same to me. You just saved a bunch of money....lol
 

pcslookout

Lifer
Mar 18, 2007
11,958
154
106
Just got my BenQ HT3550 setup. Is it normal for the screen to look washed out if you enlarge the pic with zoom on the lens?