Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: I'm looking for a used screen

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Posted by Paul Eckhardt (Member # 6591) on 07-07-2012, 06:11 PM:

I've got a friend who wants to have an oversized home theater, and wanted me to find out if he could get an old theater screen.

Would screens be usable after they're retired?

Would anybody happen to have any contacts who are dumping any screens in the upper midwest, or could a screen be shipped?

Thanks!!

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-07-2012, 06:34 PM:

Most cinema screens are perforated, to allow the speakers to be behind it and let the sound through. So, you might have to be careful that if the seats are too close, you'll see the perfs...

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 07-07-2012, 09:37 PM:

Here are some big cheap screens avaliable on ebay.
carls place

Posted by Paul Eckhardt (Member # 6591) on 07-09-2012, 11:56 AM:

The 22x9' screen might just work! Thanks guys!

Also, I just wanna give a shoutout to all y'all theater folks out there who present films with respect and showmanship. I really appreciate a good screening.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-09-2012, 12:50 PM:

I have a few that I've got due to the silver screen changeouts. PM me if interested. I also sent you a PM - look in your profile for the msg. thx.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 07-09-2012, 07:14 PM:

Theatre perf'd screens tend to have holes that are to big for home use, giving you that "screen door" effect.

There are home theatre screens that have micro-perfs designed specifically for home theatre use where you want the front speakers behind the screen, and to eliminate the "moire" effect caused by the larger holes.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 07-09-2012, 07:33 PM:

Paul, be aware that the screens in Cameron's link are NOT perforated (even though they appear to be, they are not, they are textured.) So the speakers cannot go behind one of those screens. That said, they look to be very nicely made and would be great for outdoor uses as they show on the site.

I just picked up a Stewart microperf (about 16'6" x 7') that was removed from a home screening room. It is in great shape despite being over 12 years old. It is safely rolled up in the replacement screen's shipping tube awaiting my own screening room to be built. [Smile]

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 07-09-2012, 07:58 PM:

Actually, these woven screens do let sound thru very nicely.

It's a whole different way to do it. Not that I'm endorsing it overall.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 07-10-2012, 09:41 AM:

Having tested this woven material -- "acoustically transparent" as it's called -- I agree with you, Sam; it does what it's designed to do quite nicely. It let's you put your speakers behind the screen AND it does eliminate moiré problems -- a great advantage. I am thrilled that it will allow three IDENTICAL speaker systems to be used rather than two normal sized and then those compromise under-the-screen center channels that most people are forced to use in most home setups if they decide to with a non-perf screen because of viewing distance or moiré distortion.

We found the alteration of sound in frequency response and amplitude is not really zero, but the slight changes are very round (no serious dips or spikes) and they can easily be corrected with EQ -- just voicing the room and you've corrected anything the screen added.

The one thing I did observe, but didn't test, is that the material seemed not to be absolutely pure white -- it has just the slightest hint of warmth -- yellowish tint, but again, that was solely by eye, not tested. And if my eyes were correct, it was nothing any different than you might find between one projector bulb and the next. It did nothing at all to compromise real life viewing when we put a picture on it. In fact, the projector we were using at the time had at least four pre-programmed color "settings" that changed hue much more drastically than anything this screen would do, and yet the Sharp projector instructions seems to encourage the end user to choose the color settings that "best suited" their taste. So much for worrying about what slight tint the screen material will do to any sort of white balance reference.

I am going to use this stuff in the home theatre I am installing and expect it will be a very positive change from the "speaker under the screen" syndrome.