Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Preferred Screen makes and models

This is topic Preferred Screen makes and models in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-26-2016, 06:36 PM:

I'm curious what makes and models of screens everything likes to use AND WHY.

In the USA, MDI, Harkness and Severtson are the most popular makes for cinemas. For high end/screening rooms, Stewart.

My personal favorite for flat screens (or very shallow curved) is Stewart's Ultramatte 130. It is a 1.3 gain screen that has the maximum gain and still meet SMPTE/DCI specs for distribution of light. It is seamless. It's perf pattern breaks up Moiré. It's gain is as published (and can be specified to whatever gain you desire). Images just pop on it like no other I've seen.

My second favorite is the Stewart Snomatte 100...as its name would imply, it is a 1.0 gain matte-white screen and is about as uniform a distribution as I've ever seen.

I've seen some screens as of late that had me scratching my head as to why they were chosen so I figured I'd ask the forum what they like and why.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-28-2016, 10:51 AM:

For 3d we used Severtson for our 2d we use MDI or Lesna

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-28-2016, 11:38 AM:

What scale of price difference per sqft/sqm do you see between e.g. similar Harkness, MDI, Stewart and Severtson screens? I assume Stewart is the most expensive, so, usually out of the question for larger cinema screens?

- Carsten

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-28-2016, 02:05 PM:

Yeah...Stewart is crazy high...4-5 times as much as a North American sourced MDI, Severtson or Harkness...which all seem to be close enough to each other.

Gord...which models of screens AND WHY?

Posted by Jason Metcalfe (Member # 5739) on 03-28-2016, 08:06 PM:

Bit of a tangent, but have you ever had issues with screens showing up that have a very uneven/splotchy coating? Specifically MDI Northview

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-29-2016, 06:03 AM:

I have not seen that from MDI, personally. I have seen uneven coatings from Harkenss (tiger striped and on a silver screen where it almost looked like their paint gun ran out it was so uneven on.a silver screen). Silver screens are generally everyone's worst screen...they are just awful for showing movies and near impossible to not show up every flaw.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 03-29-2016, 06:18 AM:

We are also using MDI or Lesna for 2D, various for 3D.
Why?
Stewart are crazy expensive. For a screening room - and a client with high standards and matching budget - Stewart screens are unbeatable for image particularly in a small room where seams are hard to hide. No normal cinema I know of is willing to pay for a Stewart screen.
Lesna and MDI/Strong screens are made in Canada so shipping is less grief for us.
We will probably try a Severtson "foldable" 3D screen-in-a-box to see how it looks... dealing with large rolled screens is a PITA.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-29-2016, 12:52 PM:

Northview 1.8 for most screens

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-29-2016, 01:43 PM:

quote: Dave Macaulay was the last to post
Why?

We don't normally put in screens but do specify them. As I see what people have put in and how they have performed, I've been curious as to WHY they chose a particular company/surface. Was it cost, or did they like its look.

For instance, Gord just mentioned that he normally uses a Northview 1.8. Okay...so we are talking about a gainy screen with a hotspot (if it is flat and a band of light if curved)...why all of the 1.8 gain screens? Please don't say so you can use less lamp power because that doesn't work. Teh 14fL spec only applies if you are at 10.5 in the corners (or at least sides) and a 1.8 flat screen just won't do it. Anything over 1.3 won't do it. So if you are at 14fL in the center your overall image brightness is going to be just over half as bright as a matte-white screen running at 14fL in the center. Even a 1.3 gain screen is down to about 75% of a matte-white screen with 14fL.

I have not tried or seen the results of a foldable silver screen from Severtson though I'd be curious.

I don't know if I've seen a Lesna screen but I've seen their frames.