jdm56 Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I realize this may seem to be an incredibly stupid question (I would prefer ignorant), but here goes: Why couldn't I use a big, framed piece of sheet rock (drywall) for a projection screen? Does anyone make a specific paint for this purpose, or are there certain shades or types of paints that would work well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 You COULD, but here are a few problems associated with that approach. First, if you just paint the wall, there are the inevitible nail dimples and waves and paint globs found in drywall. Same thing even if you hang a fresh sheet. One approach I've used in temporary situations is a sheet of Gatorfoam. It is a very still 3/16 board used for mounting photographs and is extremely flat and stable (not prone to warpage) Heres what you gain from using a professional screen. The ability to choose a 'color' to suit your viewing room. Some prefer a 'brighter' screen for more contrast, some prefer a more grey screen. Also the brighness (reflective cooefficient) of the screen and the angle at which the screen may be viewed are inversley correlated. That is, a screen that has highly reflective particles (looks like glass beads) cannot be viewed well from the sharp side angles. A screen that may be viewed well from side angles will not be as bright. So there is a little shopping to do here. You also gain the aesthetic advantage of being able to have a normal furniture and wall hanging layout in the home (think of the spousal approval factor) and just pull down the screen (or flip a switch if you have a motorized screen, some $$$) when its SHOWTIME! Have fun. You might checkout projectorpeople.com or the dana or dalite companies for more info. Happy viewing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted March 6, 2004 Author Share Posted March 6, 2004 Thanks for the input. I'm just trying to save pesos. And see if I could put together a decent 16:9 hi-def capable front projection rig for less than a LCD rear projection set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 James... I would put my screen up against any pro screen any day. In a price for performance war, I'm rather convienced that my DIY screen would win. I have a sheet of material called "DoAble". Basically it's the exact same material that peg board is made of, it just does not have holes. One side has some kind of a plastic coat on it. Price was some $13.00 or so. Basically you want somethign that is flat and will hold it's shape. colterphoto1 mentioned gatorfoam. I have no reason to believe that it would not work just as well as what I used... Just make sure that you do some research to find out if paint sticks to it. As far as paint? Yes, there absolutly is some paint. I bought some ScreenGoo from goo systems. I think the base coat and top coat combined cost me some $130.00 (well worth it). You can paint this right onto your wall if you wanted. BUT... If there are imperfections in your wall, they will be seen when watching a movie which is why i suggest getting something flat to paint it onto and then mounting that to your wall. Don't use a sheet of parkland plastic unless you plan on glueing it to something solid to keep it straight. It was what I used for my first screen. I saw all the imperfections from it not laying perfectly flat on the wall. I reaplaced this stuff with my DoAble board. This stuff is firm but you easily can roll it up which makes it kind of a pain to keep flat. My 2 cents is this... If you have to glue it to something to keep it flat, whats the point. You have just spent money on the parkland plastic, then you have to by a sheet of plywood or something to keep the parkland plastic flat... You have just doubled the cost. Just get something like the DoAble board or the foam that colterphoto1 mentioned and paint it. This is just the world according to m00n's experiance with his 2 DIY screens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 JD - Spend some time at the "Screens" forum at www.avsforum.com. They've got all kinds of DIY info. If you search on Do-Able, as m00n suggests, you'll find out all about it. I'm planning to use that for my first screen as well. There is also discussion of using different paints. It depends on your projector, and if you're trying to enhance contrast or deepen the blacks, or whatever. For example, Glidden Misty Evening paint will tend to enhance contrast. It's a whole 'nuther world of stuff to think about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted March 6, 2004 Author Share Posted March 6, 2004 Moon & Doug, Thanks a bunch. You were both very helpful. I had thought I would get a 50-60" LCD RP in a year or so, but the prices are not coming down far enough or fast enough - yet. So, I've been considering the front projector approach - if I can do hi-def 16:9 @ 60-90 inches for under 3k. Whaddya think? Can it be done? I really know next to nothing about projectors and screens (obviously), and have not considered myself to be the front projector...type, whatever that is. But it is starting to look pretty good in many ways: My room is in a baesment and has no windows, therefore allowing me to contol the lighting easily; The screen could sit down real close to the top of my belle center speaker; The screen could sit back further from the front of the belle; No shelf or stand to build to support a TV over the speaker; and IT COULD BE BIGGER THAN AN LCD RP!!! Thanks Again, JD -When will I ever learn to keep my big yap shut- McCall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Panasonic PT-AE500U (aka PT-L500U) or Sanyo Z2, both available for under $2k, will rock your world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrench_peddler Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Just picked up a Sony VPL-HS20 today. I had no idea what I was missing. Picked up a 4'x8' sheet of .090 Parkland plastic and some brick molding for a frame. Don't have the Parkland up yet but played with the projector on a white painted wall and was impressed. I backed the projector about 20' back and the picture was about 13'x6' and still looked good. Can't wait to get something that will give the projector an HDTV signal. I was just using a $39 dvd player I got at Sams, mostly as a joke but was shocked at how well it worked. The proj. was $2900, the screen with trim was $76 and the dvd was $39. I am a happy camper with enough money left over for a movie or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Share Posted March 7, 2004 Doug, The Sanyo on ProjectorPeople.com looked real good. I also saw an $1800 Sony that looked to be a good machine. Geez, though, I have a hard time looking at these little 5-10 lb. plastic boxes and thinking, "Yeah, that's worth two-thou". Ya know? Wrench, Looks like you've got a real good video rig for a reasonable price. Is the Sony quiet enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrench_peddler Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 The $39 dvd player is louder than the projector. I think the projector is listed at 26 or 27 db. If the room is dead silent, you can hear it but that is the only time. I am really impressed with it all the way around. Today I moved it to do some work in the room and as I sat it down I commented to my son, "can you believe that is 3000 dollars?". When compared to projection TV's there is no comparison. The picture is great no matter where you are in the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 JD - You can read all about this stuff at www.projectorcentral.com. It's got reviews of these 3 units (the Panny, the Sanyo, and the Sony, plus lots more) as well as some basic information about front projection in general (like screen format, size, etc...). The key thing is to get a projector that will give you the quality of picture you want at the distance you'll be viewing from, and that will fit into your viewing area. For example, the Sony is a longer-throw projector so does not work well in small rooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 JD- Follow Doug's advice and visit the Screens forum on AVS. I have spent a great deal of time there over the past couple of weeks getting info on screens, as well as CRT projectors, for my HT. Folks talk highly of Parkland, and there as also several DIY paint schemes with high regards. I think I'll go with a professional screen, but much cheaper than the big guys, Stewart, Dalite, Draper, etc. Check out Carada, www.carada.com. Great customer service so far (haven't bought yet, as I want to finish the basement first) and the prices are very reasonable. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Like M00n, I did a DIY screen project. It turned out so well compared to my old Stewart screen, that I sold the Stewart. In my case, I went the Parkland Plastics route per the AVSForum. Very simple and cost effective. I am using a Sharp Z9000 DLP projector. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrench_peddler Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I played with the DIY Parkland plastic screen this weekend. My local Home Depot didnt' have the .060 but did stock the .090. It is sturdy and has a bit of splotchy sheen to the back side. I took 150 grit sandpaper and sanded a test spot. The color stays the same but the sheen is gone. No reflection at all. I will be laying the screen on its back in the next day or two and taking the orbital palm sander to it. If I am not too busy enjoying it, I will report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 Parkland manufactures several items that are similar. The Parkland that is mentioned on the AVS Forum is matte on both sides. One side is smooth and the other is very slightly textured. The textured side is the one to use. If you had to do anything to the Parkland, you did not get the right stuff. I found mine at Lowe's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I found a copy of the label on the correct Parkland product for those interested in this screen. Others have tried other Parkland products, but this is the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
007 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 it will work, you just have to be good with teh mud, it will take at lest 5 coats of mud to get that wall smooth. It would be best to hire a dry wall guy to come and float the wall for you, just tell him you want smooth wall and its got to be perfect. Each coat get sanded after it drys, you can get a wall VERY flat this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 This info is great - I'm really getting intrigued by the possibilities. Now another dumb confession: What IS "Parkland Plastic"? Polyethylene? I kinda like the idea Doug mentioned about "DoAble" board (don't know what that is, either I'm assuming it's some kind of masonite type stuff.) Maybe that, with a proper paint, matted in a shadow box type of frame...Geez, when I'm not daydreaming about audio, now I can daydream about video! -And that Sanyo Z2 projector looks real nice. Lots of raves about it. THANKS ALL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 The Parkland in question is a plastic product that is designed for protecting walls in wet areas. See their web site for specifics. http://www.parklandplastics.com/index.htm AS I said, I compared it with several commercial screen products and it was equal or better in performance. For the money, you can't beat it as far as a plain white projection surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 JD - DoAble is a composite (like particle board) with a white vinyl coating on one side. You can paint it, but I'd start with it just as it comes and see how it looks. It costs about $13, though, so feel free to play with it and pitch it out if you don't like it. That's my plan, anyhow. It's at Home Depot in the section where they have all that wood shelving stuff - melamine, particle board. Probably laying in sheets on the bottom shelf, like they would store plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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