Question:
OK Guys,
Have decided to take the plunge and get myself a budget projector, a Panasonic AE100 from Sevenoaks in Bedford provided they can source stock.
In the short term I intend to continue with my Sony DAV S550, but will introduce a progressive scan player in July when Sony launch their new players.
I guess all I need now is a screen. Anybody care to recommend a screen (and perhaps more importantly a screen finish). I would prefer that it were not fixed.
Scott
You can buy blackout curtain material for £10 which works great, and then hang it as you see fit. I have mine attached to a wooden frame that I can then fit over the door frame and hang like a normal screen.
It has a shinny side that is a lot like a proper screen texture, works very well for budget.
Otherwise you are looking for £200-300 for a manual pull-down screen of a good size. But then it will have to be attached to the wall or ceiling.
Finally, you can get a tripod screen but they are limited in size. I have seen them relatively cheap £100-£200, but they are usually 4:3.
Have a look on www.direkt2u.co.uk for screens. I use a Da-Lite 16:9 80"x45" which I got 2nd hand for £175. I think you'll probably want a matt white finish.
The other alternative is a large piece of MDF painted with Dulux IceStorm.... it's slightly grey in colour so it can improve the black levels. Have a look on www.avforums.com for more info.
"Projecta" screens come highly recommended. Here (http://www.audiovisual.co.uk/products_projectionscreens_viewbytype_homecinemascreens.htm). Thinking I'll get one of these myself.
Thanks for the comments chaps. Unfortunately it seems that AE100 is no longer available from Panasonic :( - so may have to go for the AE300. Of course this means the money I had budgeted for my screen has gone. Guess it'll be the MDF and deluxe Ice Storm :(
Scott
I'm very happy with my Grandview screen (from www.intoav.com).
Looks splendid with my little PTAE100. I went for the 200cm Matt White 16:9 version (although they don't have a choice of finishes). AFAIK, a matt white finish would usually be adequate for an LCD projector.
Came to £260 incl delivery.
Scott,
Whatever screen you choose, you must try and get the room as dark as possible.
Remember, the greater the difference between percieved black and white, hence contrast ratio, the more "3 D like" your image will appear. White is easy as it can be acheived with a £2 torch. Black is tougher. In effect, you need to make the white screen look black.
As there is no such thing as a projector throwing "black light", what you should be trying to do is to make the room as dark as possible so that the screens white surface appears black. The slightest ambient light will effect this percieved black and wash out the image resulting in a sharp drop in contrast ratio.
Don't normally post Ebay stuff, but this is a company doing 'Buy it Now' auctions, and look OK (ie not billy bloggs in his garage).
Have a look here : http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=av-now&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25
They look cosha, have 50 positive feedbacks, and are cheap!
1.75m x 1.75m manual wall or ceiling mount = £60
1.5m x 1.5m = £45
Other sizes/ config also listed
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has dealt with them about their service and quality of product as I am looking to buy one of these in preperation for a projector :clap:
Originally posted by cgcrute
Don't normally post Ebay stuff, but this is a company doing 'Buy it Now' auctions, and look OK (ie not billy bloggs in his garage).
Have a look here : http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=av-now&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25
They look cosha, have 50 positive feedbacks, and are cheap!
1.75m x 1.75m manual wall or ceiling mount = £60
1.5m x 1.5m = £45
Other sizes/ config also listed
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has dealt with them about their service and quality of product as I am looking to buy one of these in preperation for a projector :clap:
This looks very much like a screen that I bought from Ebay (different company same product) and I can honestly say it was total poo!! The company I bought from had 100+ positive feedbacks.
The casing was plastic and so were the workings inside the casing. Basically I put it on the wall and the bloody thing fell apart. Very poor quality and materials!
I bought one from here:
http://www.direkt2u.co.uk/
and I can honestly say the service was superb and the screen is fantastic!! In the end I had to pay £200 for my screen but I wish I had done that in the first place instead of trying to save money (would have saved me a lot of time and faffing about!!)
Originally posted by SShaw
Thanks for the comments chaps. Unfortunately it seems that AE100 is no longer available from Panasonic :( - so may have to go for the AE300. Of course this means the money I had budgeted for my screen has gone. Guess it'll be the MDF and deluxe Ice Storm :(
Scott
Looking at the website empire (http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/productdetailsnew.asp?modelcode=PAN-PTAE100EC) have it in stock.
Thanks for that Paul. But what happens if something goes wrong. Have ordered an AE300. Hopefully it will be here at the beginning of next week :)
Scott
Family Man,
No disrespect but I chose to try one anyway (limited budget and all that), glad I did. It arrive extemely well packaged and is metal cased. I have yet to mount it but it has mountings for wall and ceiling straight out of the box. The action seems good too (I have yet to mount it).
I think maybe a few people (albeit lurkers) decided to get one of these as the guy (when I phoned to give credit card details) said for some reason he had be inundated with ebay orders that day, perhaps I should have stung him for a discount?.
Trialing a couple of projectors this weekend, a visit to the pub on the way home precludes any attempt to install the screen tonight. Will report back when I have tried it out!:norty:
Just to let ya know that I'm running an Ae300 projected onto blackout cloth (from Alders) stapled to a wooden frame I made, and I'm very happy with this!
But definitely agree about trying to get the room as dark as possible. Just waiting for those winter evenings again.... :p
cgcrute - how did you get on mate.
Scott
SShaw,
Pretty good, mounting was simple enuff and the screen action seems solid.
Projector borrowed from work for the weekend didn't show any noticable flaws in the screen.
I am very pleased with my screen, now all I need to do is find a new job so my redundancy doesn't get spent paying the mortgage and I can blow it on a projector!
I would highly recommend anyone how wants to save money to get one of these from them.
Courier delivered my projector this morning. Still haen't decided on a screen yet so I have been projecting onto the wall. Have spent most of the day watching a few 'reference discs' (LOTR:FOTR, SW EP I & II, Matrix) in open mouthed amazement. Wow! Should have done this a long time ago. I guess my TV set is a redundant (or will be when I buy a freeview box tomorrow).
Scott
Have decided to take the plunge and get myself a budget projector, a Panasonic AE100 from Sevenoaks in Bedford provided they can source stock.
In the short term I intend to continue with my Sony DAV S550, but will introduce a progressive scan player in July when Sony launch their new players.
I guess all I need now is a screen. Anybody care to recommend a screen (and perhaps more importantly a screen finish). I would prefer that it were not fixed.
Scott
Answers:
You can buy blackout curtain material for £10 which works great, and then hang it as you see fit. I have mine attached to a wooden frame that I can then fit over the door frame and hang like a normal screen.
It has a shinny side that is a lot like a proper screen texture, works very well for budget.
Otherwise you are looking for £200-300 for a manual pull-down screen of a good size. But then it will have to be attached to the wall or ceiling.
Finally, you can get a tripod screen but they are limited in size. I have seen them relatively cheap £100-£200, but they are usually 4:3.
Answers:
Have a look on www.direkt2u.co.uk for screens. I use a Da-Lite 16:9 80"x45" which I got 2nd hand for £175. I think you'll probably want a matt white finish.
The other alternative is a large piece of MDF painted with Dulux IceStorm.... it's slightly grey in colour so it can improve the black levels. Have a look on www.avforums.com for more info.
Answers:
"Projecta" screens come highly recommended. Here (http://www.audiovisual.co.uk/products_projectionscreens_viewbytype_homecinemascreens.htm). Thinking I'll get one of these myself.
Answers:
Thanks for the comments chaps. Unfortunately it seems that AE100 is no longer available from Panasonic :( - so may have to go for the AE300. Of course this means the money I had budgeted for my screen has gone. Guess it'll be the MDF and deluxe Ice Storm :(
Scott
Answers:
I'm very happy with my Grandview screen (from www.intoav.com).
Looks splendid with my little PTAE100. I went for the 200cm Matt White 16:9 version (although they don't have a choice of finishes). AFAIK, a matt white finish would usually be adequate for an LCD projector.
Came to £260 incl delivery.
Answers:
Scott,
Whatever screen you choose, you must try and get the room as dark as possible.
Remember, the greater the difference between percieved black and white, hence contrast ratio, the more "3 D like" your image will appear. White is easy as it can be acheived with a £2 torch. Black is tougher. In effect, you need to make the white screen look black.
As there is no such thing as a projector throwing "black light", what you should be trying to do is to make the room as dark as possible so that the screens white surface appears black. The slightest ambient light will effect this percieved black and wash out the image resulting in a sharp drop in contrast ratio.
Answers:
Don't normally post Ebay stuff, but this is a company doing 'Buy it Now' auctions, and look OK (ie not billy bloggs in his garage).
Have a look here : http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=av-now&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25
They look cosha, have 50 positive feedbacks, and are cheap!
1.75m x 1.75m manual wall or ceiling mount = £60
1.5m x 1.5m = £45
Other sizes/ config also listed
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has dealt with them about their service and quality of product as I am looking to buy one of these in preperation for a projector :clap:
Answers:
Originally posted by cgcrute
Don't normally post Ebay stuff, but this is a company doing 'Buy it Now' auctions, and look OK (ie not billy bloggs in his garage).
Have a look here : http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=av-now&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25
They look cosha, have 50 positive feedbacks, and are cheap!
1.75m x 1.75m manual wall or ceiling mount = £60
1.5m x 1.5m = £45
Other sizes/ config also listed
I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has dealt with them about their service and quality of product as I am looking to buy one of these in preperation for a projector :clap:
This looks very much like a screen that I bought from Ebay (different company same product) and I can honestly say it was total poo!! The company I bought from had 100+ positive feedbacks.
The casing was plastic and so were the workings inside the casing. Basically I put it on the wall and the bloody thing fell apart. Very poor quality and materials!
I bought one from here:
http://www.direkt2u.co.uk/
and I can honestly say the service was superb and the screen is fantastic!! In the end I had to pay £200 for my screen but I wish I had done that in the first place instead of trying to save money (would have saved me a lot of time and faffing about!!)
Answers:
Originally posted by SShaw
Thanks for the comments chaps. Unfortunately it seems that AE100 is no longer available from Panasonic :( - so may have to go for the AE300. Of course this means the money I had budgeted for my screen has gone. Guess it'll be the MDF and deluxe Ice Storm :(
Scott
Looking at the website empire (http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/productdetailsnew.asp?modelcode=PAN-PTAE100EC) have it in stock.
Answers:
Thanks for that Paul. But what happens if something goes wrong. Have ordered an AE300. Hopefully it will be here at the beginning of next week :)
Scott
Answers:
Family Man,
No disrespect but I chose to try one anyway (limited budget and all that), glad I did. It arrive extemely well packaged and is metal cased. I have yet to mount it but it has mountings for wall and ceiling straight out of the box. The action seems good too (I have yet to mount it).
I think maybe a few people (albeit lurkers) decided to get one of these as the guy (when I phoned to give credit card details) said for some reason he had be inundated with ebay orders that day, perhaps I should have stung him for a discount?.
Trialing a couple of projectors this weekend, a visit to the pub on the way home precludes any attempt to install the screen tonight. Will report back when I have tried it out!:norty:
Answers:
Just to let ya know that I'm running an Ae300 projected onto blackout cloth (from Alders) stapled to a wooden frame I made, and I'm very happy with this!
But definitely agree about trying to get the room as dark as possible. Just waiting for those winter evenings again.... :p
Answers:
cgcrute - how did you get on mate.
Scott
Answers:
SShaw,
Pretty good, mounting was simple enuff and the screen action seems solid.
Projector borrowed from work for the weekend didn't show any noticable flaws in the screen.
I am very pleased with my screen, now all I need to do is find a new job so my redundancy doesn't get spent paying the mortgage and I can blow it on a projector!
I would highly recommend anyone how wants to save money to get one of these from them.
Answers:
Courier delivered my projector this morning. Still haen't decided on a screen yet so I have been projecting onto the wall. Have spent most of the day watching a few 'reference discs' (LOTR:FOTR, SW EP I & II, Matrix) in open mouthed amazement. Wow! Should have done this a long time ago. I guess my TV set is a redundant (or will be when I buy a freeview box tomorrow).
Scott
1 2