8mm Forum: Is a silver projection screen better than a wall?

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Topic: Is a silver projection screen better than a wall?

Gerry Groeber
Junior
Posts: 22
From: Mesa,Arizona,USA
Registered: Jun 2012

posted July 18, 2012 08:01 PM

I found a new Da-Lite projection screen for $20.00

Gerry

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Can’t wait to show some movies:)

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted July 18, 2012 09:28 PM

Yes. You will get a brighter and clearer picture. The silver helps the light radiate. Especially in a room that is not totaly dark. [Wink]

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Gerry Groeber
Junior
Posts: 22
From: Mesa,Arizona,USA
Registered: Jun 2012

posted July 18, 2012 10:02 PM

Great thank. hope it is still at the thrift store.

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Can’t wait to show some movies:)

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008

posted July 18, 2012 11:45 PM

Gerry
make sure you open the screen up in the store because some screens have sat for so long (and in warm conditions) without being opened they might have visible creases that will still be viewable when you are watching a film.

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Bryan Chernick
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Bothell, WA, USA
Registered: Mar 2010

posted July 19, 2012 10:25 AM

Another good thing about silver screens is you have to have one to watch 3D. I have a Viewmaster stereo projector that will not work on a white screen. The polarized light gets broken up with a white screen and you lose the 3D effect.

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Thomas Murin, Jr.
Master Film Handler

Posts: 260
From: Lanoka Harbor, NJ, USA
Registered: Sep 2009

posted July 19, 2012 04:26 PM

IT's true that you need a silver screen for polarized 3-D, however, you can use a matte white screen for other types of 3-D projection.

I've been using my 80" matte white screen for DLP 3-D projection and have had no problems. Nice, bright picture with stunning depth.

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My crummy Deviant Art account. Read my poetic tribute to the internet comic strip Ozy & Millie and view my crappy attempts at art.

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 19, 2012 04:33 PM

In general you are better off using a matte white screen, unless you really need the extra brightness of silver.

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted July 19, 2012 04:43 PM

A thing I've noticed with a silver screen is that B/W film seems
to have greater depth and looks better.

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Vincent Zabbia
Master Film Handler

Posts: 372
From: Montrose, NY
Registered: Feb 2011

posted July 19, 2012 05:33 PM

I have both...I use the silver screen for B&W and White Matte for color...Silver screens hold up better and are easy to clean..I prefer screens that hook up to the ceiling rather than a tripod screen, and also prefer a screen that has a locking mechanism on the rear of the screen. Take the wave out of the screen..

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Vincent Zabbia

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted July 19, 2012 05:38 PM

Vincent,I think you've got it covered.I wonder if the two coloured
anaglyph prints have a better 3D effect on the silver as opposed
to matt white?

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Vincent Zabbia
Master Film Handler

Posts: 372
From: Montrose, NY
Registered: Feb 2011

posted July 19, 2012 05:44 PM

the only 3D print i ever had was The Creature in 3D and it looked much better on my Silver Screen until the colors faded. then it looked poor on both...

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Vincent Zabbia

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009

posted July 19, 2012 07:30 PM

I had a silver screen once labled "lenticular"...I no longer see these advertised...anyone know the story on these?

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 19, 2012 07:46 PM

The fold-able (roll) silver screen always has a problem that the up and bottom side get wrinkled. It is distracting my eyes when the light projection touches that part.

Beside the tripod version always has a problem with the flatness against our position. It sometimes turning a bit left or right depending on the center bone of the screen.

How do you guys deal with that.

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Winbert

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Bill Phelps
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1482
From: USA
Registered: Jan 2009

posted July 19, 2012 07:47 PM

Don't use a tripod screen.

Bill [Smile]

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted July 19, 2012 07:53 PM

As I understand it Thomas, It refers to the shape of the indentations on the screen material itself,there were lots of
different patterns and names for them,apart from the various names for the white screens like Polar White,Arctic White,Da- lite
there was probably even Snow White, but I never saw her.

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Ken Finch
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 543
From: Herne Bay, Kent. U.K.
Registered: Oct 2011

posted July 20, 2012 10:48 AM

Hugh is absolutely right with his descriptions of the different types of screens. From within the dark recesses of my brain I have recalled that there are basically 3 types of manufactured screen surfaces, Silver, matt white and beaded (thousands of tiny glass "beads" glued to a white backing. Silver screens reflect the light straight back so are necessary for polorised 3D, and also make the most of the contrast of the film. They were popular with the older low wattage projector lamps. The disadvantage is the the picture appears dimmer for those seated to the side of the screen. Matt white screens reflect the light in all directions so everyone sees the same brightness of the picture but it can affect the contrast if there is too much ambient light. Fine with modern projectors with the higher powered lamps. Beaded screens combined the advantages of both but need to be kept perfectly flat and are difficult to keep clean. The undulations on the silver screens decrease the dimmer picture effect for those sitting to one side of it. Hopr this helps. Personal, I am quite happy with Dulux Brilliant white emulsion paint, however they have now produced one which is more reflective and there is also something called "Screen Goo" mentioned in a "Home Cinema" type magazine a little while ago. Has anyone on the Forum tried any of these? Ken Finch.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted July 20, 2012 11:34 AM

That's very true Ken on the beaded screens being directional,
one of their problems being that they used to shed the little beads after a time.There was a great company in the UK called CLEAR VUE and they specialised in all the various screen materials that you could purchase from them,and they supplied very large sizes and would weld together lengths for particularly big screen.They also made rear projection screen material,of which I did have a piece that was like flexible ground glass that I was going to use in stop motion back projection.The prices were very agreeable and I used to have a swatch book of the materials that they sold.They also sold lenses and films,again at bargain prices.They were still trading in the early eighties,and I wonder if anyone else on the forum remembers them.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 20, 2012 12:44 PM

Dino's right about those old screens, they tend to have creases and there's nothing more annoying than those creases. That, and those old screens are never big enough for me!

I would suggest that screen paint for walls that Steve Osbourne of "The Reel Image" sells, as it is very reflective and gives a very bright image.

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Ken Finch
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 543
From: Herne Bay, Kent. U.K.
Registered: Oct 2011

posted July 27, 2012 08:38 AM

It is amazing what coincidences turn up on this forum. I have a roll of CLEAR VIEW silver lenticulated screen mterial purchased many years ago. This was to enable me to project 9.5mm silents in 3D using the SPACIAL system, which could turn any film or slide into 3D using poloroid specs, and a poloroid beam splitter fitted over the projector lens, as one does with an anamorphic attachment. The drawback was loss of light when viewing the image. Does anyone else remember this? it used to be advertised in A.C.W. (The amateur film enthusiasts bible).

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David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

posted February 01, 2013 11:51 AM

Clearvue Projection Company based at 92 Stroud Green Road in London. Yes I remember them well, lots of lists both 8mm gauges, screen material, 35mm slides, the job lot.

On a major sort out at the moment looking through all my boxes in the loft, wonder if I'll find some lists from them or even some samples of the screen materials they used to send.

Those were the days, plenty of small businesses dealing for the film collector.

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Timothy Ramzyk
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 220
From: Milwaukee,WI,USA
Registered: Nov 2006

posted February 01, 2013 01:56 PM

So silver is good for a brighter image, but does it hen increase contrast and compromise light detail. I've also heard it's less desirable for color?

I'm considering a a new screen for both film and video.

I did the Screen Goo thing once, and found it hard to work with and rather pricey.

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Janice Glesser
Film Goddess

Posts: 3468
From: Sunnyvale, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted February 01, 2013 06:47 PM

My screen is silver but it's not a conventional screen. It's the screen that came with my Sony projection TV that I bought about 30 years ago. I was just about to replace it with a big LCD TV when I tried projecting my 8mm & 16mm films on it. It works great. I just bought a 25mm lens for my Elmo 16-CL and now the picture covers my entire screen.

You can see pics of it in this other thread:
http://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000842#000011

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Janice

"I'm having a very good day!"
Richard Dreyfuss - Let It Ride (1989).

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Timothy Ramzyk
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 220
From: Milwaukee,WI,USA
Registered: Nov 2006

posted February 02, 2013 02:16 AM

Very nice

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Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003

posted February 02, 2013 04:59 AM

Just a note to the uninformed... the Matt White screen surface Thomas mentions works with DLP 3D because basically the projector flashes alternate L/R 2D non polarised images (120 per second if the source is 1080/60) in very quick succession and the DLP glasses only allow the relevant eye to see it's intended image via LCD 'shutters' in the DLP glasses. Therefore each eye sees a 2D non polarised image and the brain 'interprets' these as a 3D image (due to information overload [Big Grin]

) hence it works on a Matt White screen.

Silver screens are needed for Polarised 3D because the surface is directional (Matt white scatters the light when reflecting it back) and does not destroy the polarised L/R light sources. However a silver screen surface can also enhance 2D images because they bounce the light back to the source/viewer in a more concentrated and directional manner.

BTW I use a Matt White painted wall with a fixed (painted) masked 2.40:1 screen surface area of 4m across and it works 'brilliant'. I've also just talked my local community music hall/theatre/cinema into doing the same on the back wall of their stage for DLP projected HD movies because they can't afford a screen of 4m across. I've just finished supervising the change and the image now looks stunning and for very little money.

Brilliant Matt White paint does the trick. Try tester pots from various paint manufactureres painted side-by-side in large areas on your intended wall and project your image onto these to determine the best of the bunch.

Screen Goo manufacture a 'silver' screen surface paint intended for polarised projection, if you need it.

Best,
Rick

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Andy Katz
Junior
Posts: 17
From: Madison, NJ USA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted February 06, 2013 12:13 PM

Is there any way to straighten the creases on an older silver screen (DaLite)? Heat gun maybe?

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