Another screen color choice question

[cdcstl]

I'm about to get an Elite Silver Screen. It looks like they have been discontinued & the prices are good. My question is about screen material. I have the Benq W5000, with light walls & carpeting. I am thinking about the Power Gain for a brighter image but am afraid of visible grain. I watch mostly movies, very little sports.

Any opinions about Power Gain vs Grey vs White ?

[AH Theatre]

When choosing a screen color theres 3 main factors that need to be taken into consideration; projector lumen output, image size and ambient light. A common misconception is that a higher gain (brighter) screen will look better with ambient and while there are exceptions generally as screen gain goes up contrast goes down along with a narrower viewing angle, contrast is what compensates for ambient light. Assuming your going to have a screen size of 106" or smaller you might want to consider a grey screen around 1.2 in gain for that projector your using.

[Harpmaker]

Mech is the one for answers on Elite screens since he has a number of samples of their actual screen material. I believe he also has a Benq W5000. The problem is he is away again for a few days literally trying to put meat on the table so you will have to wait a bit for an answer.

In general, with light walls and floor I would go with a gray screen. As Zman pointed out, a bright screen isn't the answer for ambient light. About the only time that works is with the Da-Lite High Power glass beaded screen because it is retro-reflective (the light is reflected straight back at the source), and only then if the ambient light isn't coming from the same direction as the projector beam. The cost for this high gain is a narrow viewing cone.

[wbassett]

It sure is nice to see someone talk about gain that seems to know what they are saying.

[mechman]

cdcstl,

Go with the CineGrey. It's close to Black Widow and has no graininess issues. I just replaced my screen with an Elite EzFrame CineGrey. It's a very nice product and I intend to have a review up for it when I get all caught up.