For any home theater application
Posts tagged Projectors and screens
How one element can ruin your projection screen’s performance
01 year ago
How ambient light effects a projection screen
A lot of projection screen manufacturers give you data about their projection screens: gain, viewing angle, surface type and aspect ratio. This can trick you into focusing on these elements first. But despite their best intentions to give you relevant info, your first task is not related to the projection screen.
What you need to do before you buy a projection screen
The first task you have is to learn about ambient light. Ambient light is all the light that doesn’t come from your projector. This includes sunlight from outside, but also light from lamps in your room. There’s also secondary ambient light, which is the light that’s reflected by white walls and shiny objects, like mirrors and metal or glass surfaces.
In a home theater environment, any light that’s not coming from your projector is unwanted. And that’s because a front projection screen can not “see” which light comes from the projector and which light comes from another source. The result: The screen will reflect everything that reaches it. And that’s not what you want, because the ambient light will wash out the light coming from your projector.
As the effect of ambient light outweighs all the other characteristics of a projection screen, such as the gain value and the surface type, you need to control the ambient light first. Then you can start refining your home theater by selecting a screen.
Projection screen ambient light control
Now that you know what ambient light is, I’ll show you some ways to control it. Not everything will be suitable for your budget or the design of your room, but it’ll give you a great blueprint. I’ll discuss the different methods by ambient light category: sunlight, interior lights and reflected light.
1. Sunlight
The sun is incredibly powerful, so it’s the source that can have the biggest influence on your projection screen image. Especially when you watch a movie during daytime (like the weekend) or in Summer (when the days are longer), the sun is likely going to interfere with your projection screen setup.
The best ways to keep the sun out are roller shutters, which completely darken the room. They also add benefits like security and insulation to your home. But, they are not cheap. Another good option are black-out blinds. These are roller blinds that come with a special fabric that doesn’t let the sun through. They are available in manual and electric versions, so they can suit different budgets. Make sure they come with guiding rails on the sides to avoid like leakage. A third option is a heavy curtain. Regular curtains are often too thin to keep the sun out on a bright day, so you need thick fabric. Check a sample with a torch to ensure they’re as opaque as you need them to be.
2. Interior lights
It’s hard to move in a room when there are no lights, so you need to have them. There’s always a point in the movie where you want to get a drink or a snack. You don’t want to have to stumble through your room to get it. Your interior lights should be placed as far away from the screen as possible. This will minimize the potential interference with the projection, while at the same time keeping the room well-lit when needed.
Lights that can be controlled (dimmable) are preferred, as these give you the option to control light levels that match the use of the room. Control systems allow you to pre-set these, so you can get the room in home theater mode at the press of a button.
3. Reflected light
To limit the amount of reflected light, white walls and shiny surfaces are best avoided. If that’s not practical, then you might want to think about creating a home theater with a feature wall. A feature wall gives your room a natural focal point and reduces reflected ambient light at the same time. This allows you to have the best of both worlds: a great-looking room during day-time and a well-performing home cinema when needed.
Conclusion
Before you dive into the specs of the projection screen you want to buy, make sure you have the ambient light under control. Keep in mind that ambient light can come from the outside, light sources from within your room and from reflective surfaces.
Once you have reached the limit of your control over the ambient light in your room, you will not only have created the best possible environment for your room. You’ll also have a much better understanding of what you will need from your projection screen.
If you have questions about your particular situation, let me know in the comments and you will get personal advice.
More on home theater projection screen setup.
Fixed projection screens
41 year ago
Fixed Projection Screens:
If you’re planning on using a fixed home theater screen, you will need to be prepared to spend at least $250 -$600 for a decent fixed projection screens
Fixed Frame Projection Screen, 16:9 Aspect Ratio – 165in. (Cine White)
fixed home theater screens can get more expensive that motorized home theater screens… Generally, their construction is designed for a specific application therefore technically more goes into the construction of a fixed screen over the motorized home theater screens. If you have a dedicated room for your home theater, I highly recommend installing a fixed screen over a motorized screen.
Hand-made fixed projection screens
Home theater’s can get very expensive and if you are on a shoestring budget, you may want to consider looking at building your screen. I did and it cost me about $75 for all the Screen Materials. You can buy all the materials from your local hardware and fabric store. If done currently, a hand made home theater screen can easily look and perform as well as any production screen on the market. It all depends on the quality of your workmanship (pride) put into it and of course, the screen materials used create it.
Many people look at this as a daunting task and immediately shy away because generally they have more money than time. If this is you and you have a custom install, I recommend using this free service to find a local reputable contractor that can create and install your home theater screen for you.
Production fixed projection screens
There are many companies producing fixed projection screens and if you choose to just go out and buy one. In some cases you could spend as much on just a screen as one would pay for a high end television! Obviously home theater projection systems can get expensive, but the benefits are much greater now that high definition 1080p home theater projectors are being produced.
.One thing to think about, if you are going buy a manufactured home theater screen, you may want to look at either a “pull down or motorized projection screen. these types of screens can also get a little pricey, but you can find some great deals out there, you just have to do a little research in the right places.
If you decide that you will go with the fixed home theater screen, be sure to research your available options. You may even be able to pick up a second hand screen by searching online… For instance eBay. Often, you’ll fine amazing deals on used and new home theater screens and other home theater equipment as well.
My first Home theater projection equipment consist of everything except the projector, screen materials(screen fabric purchased from eBay) and cabinet were purchased from eBay. You see, you can find some amazing deals when it comes to buying second hand equipment, you just have to know where to look.
Here are the most popular home theater screen aspect radios to consider. Generally speaking the the wider you want to go, the more you’re going to pay for a projector that can handle the width. Just keep that in mind when you’re choosing your screen native aspect ratio.
On that note, here are the most common screens that are being used many home theater enthusiasts from all around.
Most Popular Home fixed projection screens
More information on building fixed projection screens.
Motorized Home Theater Screens
5Motorized home theater screens & equipment
Motorized home theater screens are not as simple to setup as it may seem. Just like other home theater components, there are many factors that you must consider before choosing one from many motorized home theater screens.
Before you choose your screen, you must first decide over the best room taking ambient light into consideration. More on ambient light and motorized home theater screens here.
For example, if you’re dedicated to purchasing your home theater system, a fixed home theater screen would be the ultimate choice. When you decide where to install your motorized screen, you will need to provide electrical power, control wiring and any other electrical upgrades to enhance your home theater experience.
Anywhere your home theater system is installed, most motorized home theater screens if installed correctly will not interfere with the harmony of your room. Depending on which electric screen you buy, there may be extensive sheet-rock and electrical work done to complete the project. Many motorized home theater screens do require the former, and if this sounds like too much fun, you might consider hiring out? Here is a free service that you can use to find a reputable contractor in you area.
One thing to consider when mounting your motorized home theater screen, you will want to pick an interior wall to mount your screen. This will make installation much easier because of the access to the top of the walls through the attic. Exterior walls tend to have less access because of the roof line resting on top of them.
Also you will need to know how much electrical current to screen the motor draws when considering a motorized home theater screen. You will need to check the breaker load on the particular electrical supply line you plan to use. Most electrical breakers or 20 amp, so if the breaker you plan to use is at capacity you will need to install another power line and a new breaker. I would highly recommend seeking professional help because this can be very dangerous if you do not know what you’re doing. You can find a reputable electrician in you area here. And you may consider installing a higher load breaker. Otherwise, you don’t want to turn on your motorized home theater screen and come to find that it only makes it half way down before it overloads and pops the circuit breaker. That could be a very unfortunate event with front of family and friends.
Other types of motorized home theater screens
If your home theater is in your back yard, you’ll want to look into one of these… Its a slightly unconventional motorized home theater screen and although this a inflatable home theater screen, we call it motorized because it uses an electric air pump to inflate/deflate it. As you can imagine, these inflatable home theater screens work very well in this type environment.
Motorized home theater screens & their characteristics
Motorized home theater screens are quite a bit different form a fixed home theater screen. Be sure that you choose one that will best match your projector output range and if it has the top blackout section for wide screen viewing. Study the output performance characteristics of your projector. For instance, if your planning on hanging a 2.35:1 aspect ratio motorized home theater screen, your projector will need to be capable with this 2.35:1 aspect ratio otherwise your picture will be short width-wise and tall height-wise.
One thing you you should keep in mine is that in general, the greater the screen aspect ratio, the more expensive the projector will be. If you’re on a budget, I would suggest sticking to 16:9 aspect ratio motorized home theater screens. You’ll get the best image quality at an affordable price in that range. So pick and choose your home theater projector and screen wisely because these are the most important aspects of creating a quality home theater experience.
On that note, I am working on a fixed & motorized home theater screens calculator that will remove all the guesswork. You’ll simply have to input the projectors output range, room size, etc. and it will tell you the maximum size and aspect ratio you can run with the amount of cash you want to spend. Perfect for planning a new home theater installation…
More on Motorized home theater screens here.
HTPC
3Ever wonder how you could record your favorite shows even when not at home for free? Or how about free TV altogether? An HTPC can do that for you and much more!
For years, people have been trying to figure out how to connect their PC’s to their home theater systems. There is no doubt in my mind that you’ve heard of this concept of multimedia PC that have the ability to play and record videos, MP3s, movies etc. these types of media and the truth is, some PCs come preinstalled with the necessary hardware and software components needed for an HTPC application.
Most electronics/home theater enthusiasts have been waiting for is a logical way to bring the PC and home theater together and now it’s completely possible with an off-the-shelf computer purchased from a local electronics store.
In a nutshell, a HTPC connects your home theater system to your home network which is connected to the Internet and adapts the digital audio and video signals so they can be displayed on your home theater system. This is a where a service like “freeTV4me” comes in to play; we’ll get about that shortly.
Bringing Video and Music into Your Theater system
If you use digital cable, it’s easy to turn your PC into a full-fledged video recorder also known as a PRV. Although it’s a very neat idea, HTPC’s can be problematic. If you plan to use a windows machine, keep in mind that only Windows Vista and later operating systems with a cable-ready video card can support encrypted digital cable.
If you’re thinking of pushing satellite TV, you can forget about trying to bypass the box… you will have to use the external satellite receiver and connect it to the video inputs of the PC’s video card.
Setting up a PC is a lot of work if you plan only to use it as PRV, but you’ll find that a PC is worth incorporating for the simple fact that not only can it play DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, but also adapt Free digital TV (software required), music, photos, and access Internet-based video and in many cases, movies too. My point is that the PVR functionality is mainly useful if you’re going to use it to watch or record digital Internet TV or from a digital cable network.
The Home Theater PC can do it
If you plan to build your HTPC, high end PC components are the way to go. You can create a Home Theater PC that can pipe higher quality audio and video into your home theater system at a higher quality than that of most “above average” media components that can be incorporated into your home theater system. An HTPC can be that good.
Building an HTPC will take a fair amount of computer know-how, including knowledge of installing new hardware components
and software. Unfortunately I don’t have room to give you all the little details, but I’ll try to you the essential information you’ll need to build your own HTPC. If you don’t want to build your own, I suggest having a look at these off the self HTPC’s…
- Thermaltake DH 202 VJ80011N2Z Digital Home Series HTPC Case with Built-in Media LAB LCD and Remote Controller
- Wireless Mini Kybrd with built-in Trackball for Htpc By Ergoguys
- SilverStone GD02B-MT Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX Media Center/HTPC Case – Retail (Black)
those are just a couple to choose from… there are many others. But I would suggest doing a little research before you purchased an off-the-shelf HTPC. One thing to keep in mind, the system are proprietary to the manufacturer and generally do not allow you to install third-party software so you will probably not be able to install your desired software as you would on a custom-built HTPC.
Depending on what you plan to use your home theater PC for, it should be able to do at least these processes especially deliver digital content via the internet…
Digital audio and video: the Internet is a great place for getting free content. Why sit in front of your computer when you can enjoy at its full quality through your home theater system?
Get high quality progressive video output to your home theater screen: All PCs have a built-in video system that’s designed to display on a PC monitor which is inherently progressive scan, meaning very high quality video. By using an HTPC with the right hardware, you can bring this high quality content to the big screen.
Using a HDTV-capable video card, HTPCs can provide you with a cheap way to decode Internet content through your HDTV receiver and send it to your home theater display.
With a service like “live TV for me”, You get over 1000 channels worldwide including local channels for, news, sports, movies, etc. and all the above for a onetime fee of about 30 to 40 bucks. All you have to do is install their software on your HTPC and you have instant free television for life via the Internet.
As you can see there are some very strong benefits to having an HTPC. The possibility of getting over 1000 channels worldwide for free was enough for me.
On that note, whatever your favorite thing you like to do with your PC, whether it be listening to MP3s, live radio, watching YouTube video clips or watching movies an HTPC can bring it to your home theater screen.
look for my post on “building an HTPC for your home theater system”
Home Theater Screens
4Home theater screens & equipment
Home Theater screens are a wonderful investment for the home entertainment experience. Many memories await you and your family. You can design a custom home theater projection screen to fit almost any installation and budget. It means planning, researching and purchasing your home theater projector, audio/video receiver and DVD/Blue-Ray player and either a fixed (you can build your own fixed home theater screen for a fraction of the cost of a purchased screen) or motorized home theater screen that will meat your expectations and more importantly, not breaking your budget.
But where do you start? That is a question that constantly comes up all the time… You see, I’ve had a couple home theaters of my own that I set up and built my own fixed home theater screens from scratch… The screen materials I picked up from the local fabric and lumber store. At first I thought about having one custom built by a professional, but learning the cost was more than my budget could bare… So I decided to try it myself… It worked out well and I continuously get compliments on the performance and workmanship.
Home Theater Screens
A knowledgeable enthusiast can do a great home theater installation and achieve a phenomenal image with sound qualities that will blow you away even in a small family room and many will tell you that you need a dedicated room (miniature movie palace) to get any kind of quality from a home theater. This is simply not true… With today’s technologically advanced Screen Material, HDMI 1080P Projectors and Audio/Video receivers, it’s easy to achieve a great image and totally awesome sound from a simple home theater system that you can assemble yourself. You just need to know a few details on setup and what home theater equipment products to buy that fits your application and budget.
One point I will be hammering home any chance I get is that it is very important to know your projector output range before picking one from the barrage of home theater screens available! Don’t just run out and buy the first home theater screen and projector you see, otherwise you’re in for a big disappointment.
For instance, assuming you have the average budget to work with and you run out and buy a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen… Then you pickup a projector that matches your budget… what you’ll find is that you’ll probably wind up with a home theater screen that is too large width-wise and too short height-wise for the native aspect ratio of the projector. why? Because only the more expensive home those screen aspect ratios. I suggest sticking to a 16:9 aspect ratio screen because you’re more likely to find a home theater projector that can produce a 16:9 image with 1080P quality at an affordable price than one of the larger screen aspect ratios.
Home Theater Screens
So to make a long story short, After the long anticipated home theatrical experience you’ve been waiting for, to end up with the above results is enough to ruin your day. So do your homework before buying any home theater equipment. You’ll save yourself a huge disappointment in the long run.
More Information about motorized and or fixed home theater screens.