Black Widow vs Ready Made screen from Elite

**Harry Muscle** · **10-30-08, 01:11 PM**

I'm goining back and forth in trying to decide wether I should go with a DIY screen painted with Black Window or if I should just spend an extra $100 or so and just get a Elite Silver Frame screen in CineGray. I was wondering if anyone could comment on how these might compare.

Since not many people might have used both screens, I'm also open to general comments ... ie: a certain DIY painted screen outperformed a ready made screen that you have tried, etc. Basically looking for any comments that will help me decide if I should bother spending the time to create a screen or if I should just spend around $300 to $400 and buy a screen. Money is an issue, but currently I'm looking at spending around $200 for a DIY screen so jumping to $300 is not too bad if it saves me a day or two of work.

Thanks,
Harry

P.S. Black Window ingredients might be hard to find in Canada, so in case I can't find it, I would probably go with what I currently have which is one of the external Behr paints formulated to neutral gray (I think it was FNEasy or something similar). How would that compare to a bought screen?

**tonyvdb** · **10-30-08, 02:05 PM**

If you have a flat wall to work with where you want the screen why not just try this mix by just painting it directly on that surface. you would then only be out $50 at most and if you dont like it you just repaint over it and go a different route. I had very good results with my mix and its easily available in Canada at Home Depot.

**Harry Muscle** · **10-30-08, 02:31 PM**

Quote:

tonyvdb wrote:

If you have a flat wall to work with where you want the screen why not just try this mix by just painting it directly on that surface. you would then only be out $50 at most and if you dont like it you just repaint over it and go a different route. I had very good results with my mix and its easily available in Canada at Home Depot.

Unfortunately I don't have a full wall to work with, so I have to either build a full frame and screen or buy one.

Thanks,
Harry

**mechman** · **10-30-08, 11:15 PM**

Quote:

Harry Muscle wrote:

I'm goining back and forth in trying to decide wether I should go with a DIY screen painted with Black Window or if I should just spend an extra $100 or so and just get a Elite Silver Frame screen in CineGray. I was wondering if anyone could comment on how these might compare.

Since not many people might have used both screens, I'm also open to general comments ... ie: a certain DIY painted screen outperformed a ready made screen that you have tried, etc. Basically looking for any comments that will help me decide if I should bother spending the time to create a screen or if I should just spend around $300 to $400 and buy a screen. Money is an issue, but currently I'm looking at spending around $200 for a DIY screen so jumping to $300 is not too bad if it saves me a day or two of work.

Thanks,
Harry

P.S. Black Window ingredients might be hard to find in Canada, so in case I can't find it, I would probably go with what I currently have which is one of the external Behr paints formulated to neutral gray (I think it was FNEasy or something similar). How would that compare to a bought screen?

Harry,

The Elite Silver Frame series are excellent screens for the money! The PowerGain material that they shipped to me was a very good screen! If they would have sent me a 100" screen I'd probably be using that right now. If you look at the spectral curve, the Power Gain is lighter than BW. And during my preliminary trials for checking gain, they're numbers seemed accurate. So if you can get a CineGray with a 1.0 gain, it will undoubtedly be better than BW. If I were a guessing man, I'd guess BW's gain to be around 0.8. I may know more in a few weeks. That's when I intend to finish up my projects. I intend to either debunk or prove light fusion. And I also intend to figure out gain once and for all. The second one may be a tad bit tough, but I intend to finish it anyways. And Kydex has been pestering me quite a bit lately to look at their stuff. I guess they may want to break into the screen market as well.

What can you get one (a Silver Frame) for? Price-wise? If you can get one for the cost of building a BW, I'd go for it! If it's a decent enough price I might even pick one up.

I can try and get in touch with my contact at Elite if I still have his address.

mech

**wbassett** · **10-31-08, 11:50 AM**

Don't mean to go off topic...

Kydex- if they can deliver and at some reasonable prices they do have some interesting material. It does let light pass through though, but it is very thin yet looks like it would lay flat pretty easily. It is also extremely light weight and can be cut with scissors! It could be an excellent over size paintable substrated and a few do look interesting for screens, but the light leakage would need to be checked out.

When I spoke to them and got my samples they aren't readily available in all areas, but they will ship, just expect appropriate charges for something oversized like that. At the time I talked to them it was right around the same price as a 5x10 laminate sheet depending on what they charge for shipping. It is good news that they are interested in you checking them out!

Back to our regularly scheduled program!

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **10-31-08, 12:01 PM**

Quote:

mechman wrote:

Harry,

If you look at the spectral curve, the Power Gain is lighter than BW. And during my preliminary trials for checking gain, they're numbers seemed accurate. So if you can get a CineGray with a 1.0 gain, it will undoubtedly be better than BW. If I were a guessing man, I'd guess BW's gain to be around 0.8.

Mech,
Could you expand as to why you would prefer the CineGrey 1.0 to the BW 0.8 if price was equal?
All of Harry's posts have gotten my interest piqued as I figured I'd have to spend big bucks to get better performance.
Thanks.

**mechman** · **10-31-08, 03:03 PM**

Quote:

E-A-G-L-E-S wrote:

Mech,
Could you expand as to why you would prefer the CineGrey 1.0 to the BW 0.8 if price was equal?
All of Harry's posts have gotten my interest piqued as I figured I'd have to spend big bucks to get better performance.
Thanks.

If price were equal, there would be no doubt that I would choose the Elite Silver Frame. The Power Gain material out performs BW hands down. And there's very little work involved with an Elite screen as opposed to a diy project. Elite makes a great product. The church I gave my 92" screen to loves it.

As for the CineGrey, I haven't seen it. They only sent me PowerGain with a 2 foot square sample of the CineWhite.

What are these things going for? Are they under a couple hundred or something? I may have to look into this as I'd replace my BW for a PowerGain if the price was right.

mech

**Harry Muscle** · **10-31-08, 03:30 PM**

I haven't been able to find the PowerGain for a super low price (under $300), however, I did just get my hands on the Elite EzFrame CineGray 106" for $160 shipped on eBay. Can't beat that.

Thanks,
Harry

**E-A-G-L-E-S** · **10-31-08, 03:44 PM**

Otherwise they run $300-$400.
I may have to look into this "PowerGain" material. It is a high gain screen so you must project from below center point correct?
Perhaps I can ask for a sample of the High Power and the CineGrey?

**mechman** · **10-31-08, 06:14 PM**

Harry - Wow! $160 shipped is an excellent deal! Kinda puts the diy side of things outta business! I may have to look into this. Give me a good review of it when you get it!

Matt - the PowerGain material is angular reflective and IIRC the gain is about 1.8. So it's not high power type gain.

mech

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