[mbroder]

Okay- time to ask the experts for my specific setup. I've been reading aout BW for 2 weeks now and I think it will be good for me, but now I'm a little concerned about brightness.

I have a Sharp xv-z12000mkII with about 400 hrs on the bulb. It's rated at 1000 lumens with the iris open, and I think about 600 with it closed down. My current screen is a Parkland plastic approx. 84"x47" painted with Behr SilverScreen. I'm projecting from about 14.5'. My walls and carpets are a medium to dark tan. I have very good light control in the room. We mostly watch at night, but sometimes have a spot halogen on for reading.

My PJ has a manual iris. I'd like to set it to high contrast mode because I like the black levels, but I find it to be way too dim. In high brightness mode, the colors and whites look good, but the black levels are lacking. I want it all!!!

I'd like to increase my screen size to approx. 94"x53".

So do you think BW is right for me? Will the aluminum in itgive me the extra brightness I want or should I be looking at C&S or perhaps just some Wilsonart DW?

I really like my blacks to be black.

 

[jsegura3]

The fact you have good light control and watch TV mostly at night, to me, is good enough reason to go lighter than BW. I've been playing with C&S and it's pretty good. I also bought a 8x10ish sample of DW off their website, it was OK, but the blacks were lacking. I've never sampled BW, but it seems it would be too dark for my setup, which is similar to yours. I have an HD1000, it's plenty bright and black levels are just OK. Your PJ would be fine with C&S, at least that's what I think. Let us know what you end up trying.

 

[Harpmaker]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the Shack!

I'm going to get a little technical here, but it will explain your options much better than words alone.

Your current screen (SilverScreen) is about a Munsell N8.3 shade of gray (N0 = pure black and N10 = pure white).

The original BW mix is about a N7.6 gray, but the aluminum in it makes it reflect similar to about what you are getting with your SilverScreen (maybe a bit brighter). If you went with BW you would probably get better blacks (because it's a physically darker paint), but your image would probably not be much brighter than what you now have. If you move to a larger screen the brightness will, of course, drop.

C&S is about a N8.9 or 9.0 that behaves like a screen just a bit lighter (it matched or exceeded the brightness of Kilz2 in my testing). C&S would give you a much brighter image, but at the cost of black-level.

I can't really comment on DW, I've never seen a screen made of it. Wbassett can tell you a lot more about it.

I know you "want it all", I think we all do , but it just isn't available yet.

Lighter versions of BW are currently being beta tested, and if they work well for the testers they will be published for public use; if not, it's back to the drawing board.

I wish I could just give you a single recommendation, but I can't do that in good conscience; there are simply too many variables at play. So instead I hope I have given you enough information so you can choose what mix YOU think might work best for you.

If possible, I would suggest making some test panels of the mixes you are interested in and seeing what they look like in YOUR HT. Most people don't want to expend the money or the time such personal testing takes, but it really is the best way to get a screen YOU like.

 

[mbroder]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've been a member over at AVS since 2002 and thought it was time to expand my horizons.

So I had kind of already guessed what your the answer might be... try it and see if you like it...

I actually really like my Behr SilverScreen. You seem to have some knowledge of it. Do you know if anyone has tried adding AAA to it? Perhaps that would bring out more brightness. Or do you think it would end up too dark by adding 8 ounces to a quart of Silverscreen.

I'd like to experiment, but my spare time is very limited and I have a wife that just doesn't get my addiction to home theater...although she does tolerate it:T. She did let me pull the trigger on the mkII after being very happy with our Infocus 4805 for 4 years, so it's not all bad.

 

[Harpmaker]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've been a member over at AVS since 2002 and thought it was time to expand my horizons.

So I had kind of already guessed what your the answer might be... try it and see if you like it...

I actually really like my Behr SilverScreen. You seem to have some knowledge of it. Do you know if anyone has tried adding AAA to it? Perhaps that would bring out more brightness. Or do you think it would end up too dark by adding 8 ounces to a quart of Silverscreen.

I'd like to experiment, but my spare time is very limited and I have a wife that just doesn't get my addiction to home theater...although she does tolerate it:T. She did let me pull the trigger on the mkII after being very happy with our Infocus 4805 for 4 years, so it's not all bad.

Behr SilverScreen is an almost neutral OTS (Off-The-Shelf) gray paint and can make a very nice screen; especially if an enamel paint such as Behr #1850 is used. However; when AAA-F is added to a paint it makes it too blueish and therefore must be color-corrected. That is why the base paint of the current BW mix must be tinted PPG-Bermuda Beige; that is pretty much what white paint looks like after it has been color-corrected to be neutral after adding AAA-F. AAA-F would also darken SilverScreen considerably.

I understand the lack of time to try different screen solutions. With your current HT setup and desire to go to a larger screen one of the lighter BW mixes now in testing might be the answer, but "they ain't soup yet".

 

[kingjamez]

Right there with you. I've come to the conclusion that N7 is just a little too dark for my setup. After viewing the differences between a standard N7 grey and BW, I'm sold on the effectiveness of the BW design. The aluminum really does enhance the whites. So when the mythical lighter BW is ready, at least for my setup, I believe it will be the best of both worlds.

-Jim

 

[mbroder]

I have been using a Behr Silverscreen (w/enamel base, over a kilz2 primer) screen for the last 4 years, and have been very satisfied with it for the most part. I would like to go a little brighter without losing my black levels on a slightly larger screen.

After further reading, I feel that BW may be too dark for me, but I will reserve judgement.

I've decided to paint some drywall as a test screen. After priming with the Kilz2, I'll try the traditional BW mix w/AAA in one section. Behr SS, WOP w/poly in section 2. Behr SS w/poly in section 3. I'll place the board against my current SS screen and let the chips fall where they may.

I would like to see what the lighter versions of BW will be like. I'm ready to start this project next week, so any chance of that happening?