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any projectors that work well in ambient light?
#148310 09/27/06 12:26 AM
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jhunt17 Offline OP
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I was wondering if there are any projectors around the price of the panasonic PT-AE900U that handle ambient light in a room. I don't want to have a situation where the picture looks washed out. The room is not very bright. There is a shade tree outside and there is never any direct sunlight into the room. What ansi level will be bright enough to snuff out that type of room?


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Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light?
jhunt17 #148311 09/27/06 05:44 AM
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http://www.guidetohometheater.com/screens/705sonyscreen/

this is one way you can go, if you want...

Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light?
jhunt17 #148312 09/27/06 01:58 PM
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OK, just picture this. Put a white sheet, cloth, pillow case, whatever, on the wall where the screen would go. How "dark" is that? The reason I ask is because when you project an image on to that color, the blacks and grays from the image can not be any darker than that white sheet (or whatever) is. Remember, a projector can only ADD light, but it can't REMOVE light, so your blacks will be only as dark as the screen with the projector off.

That is why the screen is probably more impoartant than the projector, as dakkon already mentioned.

Now, there are 2 schools of thought here. Get a grey colored screen so that at least the black levels are not "white", and the other is to get a higher gain screen that is a little more "focused" so that some of the stray light is reflected off of the screen and not to the viewer, and the projected image really "pops" with much brighter colors/whites which you brain automatically, to some degree, fools you into thinking that the blacks are really darker than they really are.

No matter what you do, ambiant light is the biggest killer of front projection systems. So much that when I was set up in a room with a lot of ambiant light, my wife (yes, my wife!!!) told me to move it to a dedicated room so that I can control the light. And that was with me taking the ambiant light into account for the best image I could get in the price range (which was similar to what yours is now).

Good luck, but you may never be happy with the image during the day once you see it after the sun goes down. At night you will see what you have been missing during the day.


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light
nickbuol #148313 09/27/06 02:13 PM
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Blackflame is a DIY paint mix. It is designed to bring out the best colours from your projector in an ambient light setting.

If you read through a bit of the link you will see that there are some testimonials and there should be pictures too.

Below is a picture of black flame being used in ambient light:




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Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light
Hutzal #148314 09/27/06 02:41 PM
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Just to let the other members know I've spent months/years testing the various flavors of Light Fusion. Although, I have not attempted the Blackflame mentioned, be prepared to spend a lot of time/money perfecting the end result. At one time or another I have used all the products leading up to this current invention, it will not be a cheap venture.

Good luck to all that take that path down the yellow brick road. For me it is all about enjoying my HT room/family now versus finding vendors for affordable surface mirrors and spending money on HVLP equipment, etc. The end result is not much better if any than a standard matte white screen with a high gain.


M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350
AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85


Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light?
jhunt17 #148315 09/27/06 02:58 PM
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I recently purchased and setup an Optoma H31 in a high ambient light room. I have a huge bay window 6 feet to the right of the screen and a foyer with a large door and window 6 feet to the left of the screen. My situation is further complicated in that I have a bright white coved ceiling and light yellow walls. I talked to techs at two local big box vendors about the room and was told to forget about ever using a projector in the room. When the H31 price got below $600 I decided to buy it and if it didn't work out convince my family to do some remodeling in our basement and set it up with no ambient light. I initially set up the projector and threw the image on the yellow wall (throw distance about 11" 6" giving about a 72" diagonal picture). Out of the box the picture was adequate for Sesame Street with all the window shades up, but not too good for any High Def viewing. Calibration with Avia gave a much better picture with high ambient light. I then turned my attention to a screen. I wanted to go the DIY route so bought a 4' X 8' sheet of plastic wallboard from Menards. It gave a better image in low light but the image was pretty well washed out in high ambient light conditions. I then painted the screen with 2 coats of Behr Silverscreen and 1 coat of a blend of 2 parts Silverscreen and 1 part Behr Pearl Opulescence. I couldn't believe the difference in high ambient light. Blacks are a deep black-it's a little difficult to get the whites absolutely perfect but they are pretty close. The colors are great. Night time viewing with a reading lamp or 2 on also is great. I would think that the Panny projector should work well for you. Compare the specs on Projectorcentral and see what you think. If I'm able to do what I did with the "little" Optoma you should be able to find a projector within the Panny's price range that will serve you well.


M22's, VP150, QS4's, HK 630, HSU VTF3-MKII
Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light
SirQuack #148316 09/27/06 05:43 PM
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I was just researching some other alternatives for a DIY screen because I have no totally screwed up my DIY screen by trying to fix very, very small mistakes that only I could see. Each attempt has yielded significant gains towards an unwelcomed result. Plus I want a bigger one anyway…..

Then it struck me, what in the hell am I doing?? Why not just buy a damn screen and be done with it? I hate painting, so why am I screwing with it? Well, the answer to all that is that it’s more of a matter of doing / making something myself.

I think I can settle for making the frame and stretching manufactured screen material over it……..

So Randy, what manufactures of screen material should I be looking at? Also, you mention matt white, is that for both light controlled or ambient light conditions or both? Or do you just prefer a bright screen over one that aids in color enhancement?

Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light
michael_d #148317 09/27/06 06:19 PM
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If your looking for an affordable mfg's screen, Carada makes some very nice screens with velvet borders. Nickbuol enjoys his very much. I think there is one out there called the Greywolf also, by Optoma I think Best Buy carries that glass beaded screen.

Matte White, is basically flat white, or 1.0 gain. It has been around the screen industry as long as theaters have been in existence. My experience is that gray enhancing screens are not needed as much anymore, since projector contrast ratings are much better than a few years ago. Also, the more you try to screw with contrast, color vibrance can suffer. On the flip side, a nice high gain screen can give you lots of punch and great colors, however, contrast can suffer.

For me, I have no issues with lighting. My room is totally controlled to be as dark as I want, or if I want a little ambient light in the background, I usually leave the bar area light on. Heck, I've even had a pool match going on and a HD football game on the big screen with no problems.

I used Dazian as a source for my screen material, they have been selling material to professional theaters for years. They also have an Ebay store. The frame I used some good quality boards from Menards and some corner braces, and a middle support. I think I have like $100 total in my 51" x 120" screen.

I also think some of the other manufactures like Dalite and others will sell you just the fabric, not sure. You can also use "BlackOut" cloth, which is basically drapery lining to blockout the sun. The rubbery side works great for screens. Some people even add paint on top.

If you have a Menards or Home Depot, see if they have any Parkland DurothermLite panels in their paneling aisle. Standard size is 4ft x 8ft x 5/16 core. The smooth side is great for screens, just hang and enjoy.

So many options.


M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350
AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85


Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light
SirQuack #148318 09/28/06 02:06 PM
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Randy,
Copy / Paste from Dazian’s web sight below. Yours is the White Matte Non-Perforated, correct? Did you ever look into the coated fiberglass material? I’m surprised that all these are a 1 gain or less, seeing how that make movie house screens. Most of the other manufactured screens I’ve look at are all above 1.
I’ve also found that there are not that many 2.35 screens available other than Stewart.

How'd you make the boarder? or did you even bother with that?
-------------
Home Theater Screen Material – Front Projection:
This is value screen material that has a 1 gain with a fairly wide uniformity.
If you are on tight budget you will not go wrong with this projection material.
It comes in two widths: 54” and 110”, so you can choose the width that best suits your
screen. This material is non-directional so that you can use the material either horizontally or
vertically.
54” wide $9.50 per linear yard
110” wide $22.50 per linear yard
White Matte Non-Perforated – Front Projection:
This is the same material we build our theater screens with. It has a 1 gain and a very wide
uniformity. This material is perfect for large and small rooms since its projection cone will
allow 180 degrees of viewing surface. The clarity and contrast are up to theatrical standards.
54” wide $28.50 per linear yard
White Matte Coated Fiberglass with Vinyl Backing – Front Projection:
The many values to this material start with the highly reflective surface that has a fiberglass
core and is bonded to a vinyl backing that creates stability in the material making it an easy
to build screen. The 1 gain screen will diffuse projected light in all directions allowing for
viewing at any angle. The material has superior clarity and accurate color rendition.
84” wide $36.00 per linear yard

Re: any projectors that work well in ambient light?
jhunt17 #148319 09/28/06 03:16 PM
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I just saw this review on the new Pannasonic 100. I’m wishing I had waited for this projector instead of the 900.

http://www.projectorreviews.com/Manufacturers/panasonic/PT-AX100U/index.asp


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