# Carada New Masking System



## buddahead

Carada has just introduced a new auto masking system that will fit over any of their screen's.Check their website for details,It really looks good.BOB


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## porsche951

Thanks, for the news. I will check it out.


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## porsche951

I love my Carada Criterion 100in. screen, but, they are asking four times the cost of the screen for their masking system. I will keep looking...


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## mstevens372

My thoughts exactly, Porshe. I have not yet purchased a Carada screen, but I will be doing so before the year is over and I've already priced it. With shipping, it'll cost $1,050 for the 134" BW Criterion 1.78:1 screen. The masking system for the screen of my size is very nearly $3,000. Three times the price of the screen itself!


While I think it's an ingenious invention and I would kill to have it... I'm not about to pay 3x the price of the screen itself for a tiny bit of black velvet to cover a portion of the screen to hide the black bars. Leave the black bars there for free, I say! As much as I would love this invention for my future screen from Carada, I wouldn't even pay $1,000 for it (which is what the screen itself costs). I would however be willing to pay half of what the screen costs, or $500.


I think they need to re-evaluate their prices on these masking systems.


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## rboster

In the world of masking systems, the price they give as example is reasonable. Compare their (masking) pricing to Dalite, SMX or Stewart....they are the bargin leader in comparison...similar to the prices of their screens vs the others.


Ron


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## buddahead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/11784873
> 
> 
> In the world of masking systems, the price they give as example is reasonable. Compare their (masking) pricing to Dalite, SMX or Stewart....they are the bargin leader in comparison...similar to the prices of their screens vs the others.
> 
> 
> Ron



You are so right Ron.Carada's masking is quite cheap compared to the others by far.Their is alot to a masking system with all the motors and parts and remote control.Maybe they can design a screen with the masking together and get the price down.But look at a stewart screen with masking $15k,So $3.5K is not bad really.Myself I use a $25 piece of black velet and mask the top part of my 110inBW carada and move my image down to the bottom.So their are no black bars.I know I am cheap.But it does look good and I saved $2.5k


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## Sherardp

its a very trick setup, but agreed its expensive, I would love to own it though but I cant see that kind of cash for it.


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## Hughman

This system looks really good, where are you guys finding the pricing I can't seem to find it on their site.


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## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Hughman* /forum/post/11790711
> 
> 
> This system looks really good, where are you guys finding the pricing I can't seem to find it on their site.



Within the description page is an example of what it would cost for a 110" diag. masking system....no other prices are given.


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## Hughman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/11790956
> 
> 
> Within the description page is an example of what it would cost for a 110" diag. masking system....no other prices are given.



Excellent! Found it, thanks. Price appears more than reasonable for what appears to be an attractive functional product, I especially like the flexibility of the preset and variable masking feature.


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## Monger

It's a nice looking setup and I like the price compared to others. I'd like to see them do a horizontal masking system for CIH at the same price point. While nice, paying that much for a masking system that just covers the black bars and ends up with an image smaller than the previews/menu seems sort of anti-climactic.


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## Don Bond

What ever happened to HTIQ? Didn't they make inexpensive masking systems?


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## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Don Bond* /forum/post/11800752
> 
> 
> What ever happened to HTIQ? Didn't they make inexpensive masking systems?




Yep. Take a look at their new CIH masking system:

http://htiq.com/ 


I'm considering one myself. Although I have to say, as someone who appreciates masking, that the Carada system is lust-worthy.


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## caesar1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buddahead* /forum/post/11776533
> 
> 
> Carada has just introduced a new auto masking system that will fit over any of their screen's.Check their website for details,It really looks good.BOB



Real pricey though. That's as much or more than another projector.


But I like it -- very cool.


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## David Giles

Hey guys, thanks for all the compliments! We put an enormous amount of time and energy into the design of the Masquerade (not to mention money), and I'm glad it shows. We figured there might be some sticker shock, but only for customers who haven't shopped for masking systems before. Granted the Masquerade isn't cheap by any measure, but as others have pointed out, it is *extremely* competitive when compared to other masking systems on the market. When another company recently announced their masking system, naturally I wondered what kind of competition they would prove to be. Needless to say, any concerns I had fell by the wayside when I saw that their systems would START at 9 GRAND! And even that is chump change when compared to Stewart's and Screen Research's very nice top-of-the-line systems which are in the range of *$25,000-$30,000*!










By the way Richard, you win the prize for the coolest tag-line:


"The Carada Masquerade: Lust-worthy" Can we use that?










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## kjohn

Ok I think it is a very reasonable price and intend to be the first guinea pig.


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## Hughman

David,


What are the overall dimensions of the system for a 110" screen?


Thanks


Edit: Intuition now tells me about 12.5 inches larger than viewable dimensions of the screen.


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## David Giles

Hugh, the outside dimensions of a Masquerade made to fit over a 110" diagonal 16:9 screen would be 108.4" wide by 66.5" high by 3.75" deep.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/11814671
> 
> 
> 
> By the way Richard, you win the prize for the coolest tag-line:
> 
> 
> "The Carada Masquerade: Lust-worthy" Can we use that?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



But of course. Feel free to send me a Masquerade system in lieu of my usual fees.










Seriously, I find your system very exciting. I'm so in to the visual benefits of masking I bet I'm the only guy you can find who has been masking his _plasma_ screen for 2:35:1 content for years.







I knew that when I moved up to front projection there was no question I'd go for a masking system of some kind. Then of course there is the heart-stopping prices of the typical masking systems from you-know-who. Sort of reminds me a little of how I feel when I go to buy pop-corn and a drink at the movies:


Cashier: "_That will be $27.00 sir._"


Me: "Y_ou know, next time you ask for that kind of money, would you mind holding a gun on me? It would just make the transaction feel a little more rational on my end, thanks_."


I am considering some more do-it-yourself versions, but yours is a very slick solution for avoiding truly insane prices while getting a professional aesthetic. As it happens, Carada is in my top 2 screen manufacturers I'm likely choosing between for my new HT, so to see Carada introduce a masking system is great.


My only issue is I've been looking at a Constant Image Height set-up, so masking from the sides is also an issue. Any plans to introduce CIH-style side masking? Also, can your current masking system work on non-Carada screens?


Cheers,


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## David Giles

You're right Rich, I haven't heard of too many folks masking their plasma. But hey, you obviously understand the benefits of masking!










Yes the Masquerade will work with most fixed frame screens on the market including Stewart's Luxus and Luxus Deluxe Screenwall; Da-Lite's Permwall, DaSnap, and Cinema Contour; Draper's Cineperm and Clarion (but definitely NOT the Onyx); and Vutec's Silverstar, Vu-Easy, and Vision XWF. Basically the screen's frame members need to be no wider than 3.25" and protrude from the wall no more than 2".


We don't have a CIH system in the works right now, but we're getting a LOT of questions about that, so there's a good chance we'll focus on that at some point in the future (couldn't begin to say when it might happen though).


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## buddahead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/11817099
> 
> 
> You're right Rich, I haven't heard of too many folks masking their plasma. But hey, you obviously understand the benefits of masking!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes the Masquerade will work with most fixed frame screens on the market including Stewart's Luxus and Luxus Deluxe Screenwall; Da-Lite's Permwall, DaSnap, and Cinema Contour; Draper's Cineperm and Clarion (but definitely NOT the Onyx); and Vutec's Silverstar, Vu-Easy, and Vision XWF. Basically the screen's frame members need to be no wider than 3.25" and protrude from the wall no more than 2".
> 
> 
> We don't have a CIH system in the works right now, but we're getting a LOT of questions about that, so there's a good chance we'll focus on that at some point in the future (couldn't begin to say when it might happen though).
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Don't forget that Carda curve screen David.Heck I come down and bend the metal for you.







BOB


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## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buddahead* /forum/post/11819624
> 
> 
> Don't forget that Carda curve screen David.Heck I come down and bend the metal for you.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BOB



Don't worry Bob, we won't forget. Just gotta decide whether we work on the curved screen or the 2.35:1 masking system first. So much to do....










By the way, for any AVS members in the central Florida area, we've got two Masquerades set up for tomorrow's Audioholics' "State of the CE Union" Event in Clearwater. Stop by if you're in the area! And if you let Rex Bittle or myself know you stopped by to see the Masquerade and give us your mailing address, we'll send you a Carada hat.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## rboster

I vote for the curved screen. I'll even offer to beta test


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## pocoloco

David,


another vote for a CIH masking system. It only makes sense since you sell 2.35 screens.


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## Baggy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *pocoloco* /forum/post/11830044
> 
> 
> David,
> 
> 
> another vote for a CIH masking system. It only makes sense since you sell 2.35 screens.



Another vote for a CIH masking system from me.


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## buddahead

How about a 2.35 CIH curve screen.That would be nice.BOB


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## klemsaba

I vote for CIH masking for my wonderful 2.35 Carada BW screen! Thank you.


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## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buddahead* /forum/post/11832034
> 
> 
> How about a 2.35 CIH curve screen.That would be nice.BOB



Yes, I should have specified scope curved too. I'll be the first customer....even put down a deposit today.


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## elmalloc

Comon, bring on the 2.35 masking system!!! =(


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## David Giles

Looks like it may be awhile before I get that little vacation I was hoping for!










Seriously though, we'll work on all these other goodies in the future. But I have to be upfront and warn you guys not to hold your breath. I'm an obsessive perfectionist, which is a GOOD thing with respect to the quality of the final product that is going to bear the name Carada, but is a BAD thing when it comes to product development lead times. My nature won't let me "whip out" a quick and dirty design just to get something on the market. For example we started the design process on the Masquerade in early spring of 2006 and we're just now bringing it to market.







Having said that we've learned a lot, and have significantly upgraded our capabilities as a company, in both the manufacturing and in the product development disciplines. So maybe we can bring some of these other cool products you guys want to market a LITTLE faster this time around. And Bob, if you have seriously have experience with *accurately* bending LONG aluminum extrusions on a shallow radius, please feel free to send me a PM. Maybe we can do a tradeout for some consulting work.







We have an awesome Italian-made computer-controlled dual head miter saw that allows us to cut the Masquerade extrusions with incredible precision, but what we DON'T have is the tube bending equipment that we'll need to do curved screens (with or without masking). And before we invest in that kind of equipment I'd love to talk to someone with experience in that field (other than the sales rep trying to sell us the equipment). Any other AVS members that might have some relevant experience that they would like to share, please don't hesitate to contact me.


Anyway, speaking of what we *currently* have to offer, the constant-width Masquerade was a BIG hit at the Audioholics show in Clearwater Florida yesterday. We had two Masquerades in action that wowed the crowd all day long. The system is smooth and pretty darn quiet for a motorized masking system, and the frame is unobtrusive enough that most people just thought it was a regular projection screen up there. It was funny how many people thought the projector was just doing something neat when we punched a button on the remote (without telling the audience) and the masks deployed. All they knew is that the image suddenly *jumped* off the screen when the black bars were eliminated. When we turned on the lights and explained what was really happening, the common word was simply COOL!!







And there were several AVS members that got a good look at the systems, so hopefully they'll chime in here with their impressions.


Thanks again for the comments guys AND for letting us know what you want Carada to work on next. Now, back to the grindstone.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## bobpaule

Kudos to Carada, my 110" with thick borders and Brilliant White (high gain) looks as good as when i got it 3 years ago.


I want to use this opportunity to vent frustration with magazines like TPV and Electronic House for failing to include Carada in their comparative reviews. The reason is obvious, at 100" Carada was only 1000 dollars shy of the closest competitor










Keep up the good job Carada folks, don't let greed get the better part of you!


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## craig john

I attended the Audioholics event in Clearwater, FL last weekend. I was fortunate enough to spend a fair amount of time with David checking out the Masking System, (so much so that I missed the Dolby talk







but my time with David was well spent). He actually open up the Masquerade and showed me the inner workings. It's an ingeniously designed and engineered piece, slick and quiet in operation.


The benefits of masking are impressive. I initially stuck my head into the Emotiva room to check out their speakers, saw they had a 2.35:1 screen, and immediately went looking for my friend, Jeff, to show him. When we got back to the room, the image was 16:9. I was like... WTF??? I knew I had seen a 2.35:1 widescreen with no visible gray/black bars. I thought I was going crazy. I asked the Emotiva guys what was up and they pointed to David Giles. David stepped forward and demo'ed the masking system.


It's really impressive to see the widescreen image with no distracting black bars. It makes the image much more immersive. It also seemed to improve the in-scene contrast. In my HT at home, I have a PJ with a DI. The intensity of the gray/black bars is constantly changing with the scene brightness. Being able to mask them off would improve my enjoyment of the movie significantly. Also, having a remote to adjust the position of the masking is really cool!


The Carada system was also impressive with the lights on. I have seen a Stewart masking system a few years ago in a showroom. The Carada system is a more elegant solution than that Stewart system. On the Stewart, you could see a lot of the mechanical bits sticking out here and there, and it made lots of mechanical noises when it "shifted". With the Carada, it's all hidden behind the beautifully finished framework, and it's virtually silent in operation. Very nice! Also, David demo'ed how easy the system is to install. Basically, you mount the overhead piece, hang the side peices, which slip into close tolerance guides and attach the bottom piece. (I remember something about the sides folding out, but the details escape me. David could you fill in, please?)


David is as nice and as knowledgeable and as helpful in person as he comes across on the internet. Congratulations on a beautifully executed product, David. I'm sure you'll sell a bunch of them. You'll need a bigger marketing department!










Craig


PS. For those who think the price is too high, especially relative to the cost of a Carada screen, I can say that this product is "worth" it's price. Look at the cost of a motorized screen, or any other masking system. This one is a bargain, especially when you look at the overall quality of the piece, the level of engineering and the precision of the manufacturing.


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## R Harkness

Sounds awesome!


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## buddahead

Thanks for the review Craig.Sounds likeyou had fun.BOB


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## rboster

Craig: Thanks so much for the well written review. I'm looking forward to 2.35:1 masking. David and Rex keep those great bang for the buck products coming.


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## David Giles

Hey Craig, you weren’t the only one that thought the Masquerade was just a native 2.35:1 screen when you first walked in the room. It’s a good thing I had retracted the masks by the time you and Jeff came back or you might not have ever realized it was a masking system.







Anyway, thanks for all your wonderful comments about the Masquerade! I had hoped that you or Jeff or one of the other AVS members I met at the show would come back to the forum and give your general impressions, but I wasn’t expecting such a glowing review.


You got very close on your description of the installation process, but the order is a bit different. After mounting a single wall bracket, you simply hang the top assembly on the wall bracket and then anchor the structure to the wall at each corner. Next you mount the bottom assembly by hanging it off the top piece. As you mentioned, the two side slide-shafts fold out of the bottom assembly kind of like a Swiss Army knife, and they have an eyebolt at the top of each shaft that slips over a 5/16” bolt embedded in the top assembly. You put a nut on the two top bolts, and at this point the bottom assembly will be “free-swinging”, so you simply square it up with the top assembly and anchor it to the wall at each corner. Next you pull up the bottom masking bar, loop the straps around each end of the bar, and put a single screw through each end of the bar into the machined slides. Next attach the motor wire to the control board and plug the system into a regular wall outlet (or have an electrician run power directly to the unit from behind for an ultra-clean installation). Then you slide the side fascia in place and you’re done! We worked hard to make installation straightforward and require only a few common tools (a couple of which we will provide). And we’ll have photos up on the website (along with the installation manual) in the next couple of weeks showing the entire installation process in detail, but that pretty much describes the basic process.


Anyway, thanks again everybody for your compliments and encouragement!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## gsearles

I'm very interested in this as well, and sounds like it will work with my Da-Lite Cinema Countour 106" diagonal, very happy about that. When will this be available to order? Also, it might be a good idea to show a video of the masking in action on the Carada website if that's possible...


Greg


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## elmalloc

we need 2.35 CIH masking...


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## gsearles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *elmalloc* /forum/post/11900458
> 
> 
> we need 2.35 CIH masking...



That would be a nice option to have with this system too. At present, is there anything that does electronic horizontal masking at anywhere near this price???


Greg


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## jprescott

I have to say that system looks pretty sweet. I never posted anything to compliment Carada after I received my screen, but everything has been top notch. I too had a sticker shock when I saw the price (although I have never shopped for a system like this). Would love to have it but, like most will have to settle for the lines, or some black velvet and velcro


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## helmsman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/11817099
> 
> 
> But hey, you obviously understand the benefits of masking!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.




David (or anyone else), I'd be very interested in getting your take and explanations on the real cost vs. benefits on masking. I currently have a 123 inch 16:9 screen that I'm very happy with but I'd really like to move to a 2.35:1 screen. Now, when viewing 2.35:1 material on my current screen the black bars on the top and bottom don't really bother me, and I don't even notice them after I dim the lights. Since nearly all the BR/HD movies I buy are 2.35:1 (except for those titles where the OAR was less than that) and I don't really use my theater for HDTV, I figure most of my content won't require any screen masking. So for the content that would, how would I truly benefit from masking the black bars on the side, especially in a darkened room, and is it worth the added cost for say 25% of my content. Without masking I'm figuring that I'm changing from 75% of my movies having black bars on the top and bottom to 25% of my movies having black bars on the sides, plus I get the wow factor of a cinemascope-type screen.


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## David Giles

Hi Helmsman,


The "is it really worth it" question is asked many times each day here on the forum with regard to just about every class of product available in the home theater market. Is a scaler "really worth it"; is having a separate subwoofer "really worth it"; is the extra cost of subwoofer A over subwoofer B "really worth it"; is the extra cost of projector Y over projector Z "really worth it"; etc. And I have no doubt that as more and more people look into masking systems, the inevitable question will come up - "is Brand X’s masking system *really* worth 2-4 times the cost of Carada’s Masquerade?" I feel pretty good about our chances in that debate.











In any case, the bottom-line answer to *ALL* "is it really worth it" questions is the same – it is strictly a matter of your personal opinion and your personal budget. You said the black bars don’t bother *you*, so the investment in a masking system (whether constant width OR constant height) might not be "really worth it" for *you*. Then again, you might feel differently if you actually saw a masking system in action.







Seriously though, it sounds like you will be totally content with a 2.35:1 screen without masking. But if you ever decide that the side bars *DO* actually bother you, you may find that a masking system really is worth it. Of course whether that masking system costs $20,000, $10,000 or $2,500 will probably have a significant impact on your personal value judgment, but regardless of the price it will still just be a matter of personal opinion.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## R Harkness

To me, the "why would I need masking, the black bars don't bother me?" question is similar in nature to "why would I need movies in high definition when I'm happy with SD DVD."


It can come down to simply _viewing the difference in action_. Then you _may_

get that "oh, _now I see why people like this_ answer to your question.


I thought the black bars on my plasma were dark enough. It's not like they bothered me particularly. But, always being a tweaker, I tried masking them briefly. Once I _saw_ the difference masking made first-hand - the way it made the image pop off the screen, and added a further dimensional through-the-window vibe, and even seemed to increase a general sense of color intensity, I was hooked. It bugs me to watch my plasma without masking now (or...it did, now I'm doing the projection thing).


So this is why I knew I'd desire masking in a projection set up.


Recently I viewed the Stewart electronic masking system in action again. The projector was the new Sony Black Pearl (which I was auditioning) - known for deep black levels. Most people would likely believe they were not conscious of the black bars. But when the vertical masking was engaged, and mask slid down making only the picture information surrounded by _true black_ the difference was, to me, significant. It just had a vibrancy (bright areas look brighter against the true black masking), cleanliness and window-on-the-event vibe that

the unmasked image didn't quite achieve.


And that's why I figure I'll be going with the new Carada masking system...at a vastly lower price than the Stewart systems.


Obviously not everyone who sees a masking system in action and sees the price will think it's worth it. But I doubt anyone would say there isn't an appreciable difference the masking makes to viewing the image. I know that all my friends who have viewed my plasma with the masking on, vs off, have all found the masked image preferable.


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## nathan_h

helmsman:


A masking system is second only to the screen/projector/room combo in terms of impacting image quality and immersion, in my opinion. I've got a temporary setup right now while I build out my room, so I'm using the DIY felt+velcro solution on a pulldown screen in the living room. Try something like that and even with that hokey a setup, you can see the advantage. I've got a broken-down 4 way HTIQ system in storage (won't work with a pulldown screen; will be too small for my new 2.35:1 screen) that I cannot give up -- though it really should have a new home. (One develops an attachment.) And I'm on the hunt for a nice-but-not-bank-breaking horizontal constant height solution.


Which is a long way to say: Once you try masking, you'll probably never be able to stop using it. The Carada solution looks like a great deal for what it is. But if that's too costly for you, I still urge you to try some other method to experience masking. Then, if you want something with more fit and finish, you'll look around and realize that while it's not pocket change, a good masking system is not as extravagant a purchase as you might have thought.


(FYI, before going "constant height" like you are thinking, go ahead and browse the forum topics on that, to get an idea of the pro's and con's. Honestly, I think it's a separate decision from deciding about masking, for the most part.)


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## helmsman




David Giles said:


> Hi Helmsman,
> 
> 
> You said the black bars don’t bother *you*, so the investment in a masking system (whether constant width OR constant height) might not be "really worth it" for *you*.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> So my wife's strategy will be to make sure I never see one in action!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nathan_h, I;d agree that the constant height is a separate decision to the masking system, and I like the suggestion to try the screen first, and do a manual DIY setup to see if I like masking before even thinking about investing in a masking system, maybe taping some black felt strips to the screen frame sides when viewing 16:9 material to see how that compares to the black bars. I'm presuming you can always add a side masking system later to a fixed frame screen.


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## Haroon Malik

David,


Congratulations on introducing Masquerade at a very competitive price.











My question to you is that you might eventually introduce a 2.40:1 CIH masking system as mentioned. So will it be a stand-alone system like Masquerade where consumers with existing 2.40:1 screens can purchase the2.40:1 masking system later on or will it be a one box solution like Stewart VistaScope with BRIC?


I think the approach of providing a masking system as an add-on is a better solution that reaches out to more customers. Obviously, the choice lies with you on how you go about it.



P.S Do you ship products to International customers?


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## buddahead

Once you try masking you will never go without it.Be it a DIY or one from Carada ect.

The Carada system is a great system for a fair price compared to the others on the market.


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## R Harkness

It looks like I'm likely going to buy a Carada Masquerade system for my set-up. I'd been considering some of the DIY options for motorized masking, but began to get the cold sweats from all the issues and complexity, especially given I'm the least handy-dude on the planet. The Carada looks like a beautifully crafted device that should be classier and (hopefully) more problem free than anything I could pull off. And

via email Carada has been extremely accommodating in trying to come up with a system that will work for my somewhat idiosyncratic criteria

(I want a variable image size, using zoom, using the Carada for vertical masking and remote control curtains for side masking).


I've got a lot of work to do in my HT room so I can't order it immediately, but I'll let people know what I think once I have it in action.


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## nathan_h




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/12128951
> 
> 
> ...remote control curtains for side masking...



Can you describe this a bit more. I was disappointed to see that Carada didn't introduce a side-masking system, so I'm looking for an alternative.


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## R Harkness

Nathan,


Check out Home Theater IQ - HTIQ:

http://htiq.com/ 


They have remote control HT curtains that can be programmed with up to 10 preset stopping points or widths. I intend to use those for the masking the sides of the image.


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## nathan_h

Thanks for the link. Actually I have an old manual 4-way HTIQ system I bought from them a few years ago that is sitting in my storage shed. It had to be a bit hacked to work for me, and has spent more time in its box than on my wall. I'll probably buy my own track with motor, for some black velvet curtains I have.


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## David Giles




> Quote:
> Congratulations on introducing Masquerade at a very competitive price.



Thanks Haroon!



> Quote:
> will it be a stand-alone system...or will it be a one box solution"



I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine at this point.







We've been working so hard on the current Masquerade that we haven't had any time to do any serious thinking about a CIH version. I certainly agree with you that an add-on system will have wider market appeal and that will most likely be the direction we go. But I couldn't say for sure at this point.


We do ship the Precision Series and Criterion Series projection screens internationally, but at this time we're not shipping Masquerade systems outside of North America (thanks for asking though!)


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

David,


Thanks for replying to everyone's questions here. We all appreciate it. My 110" Carada screen is set to be delivered *today* to my house! I will not be installing it for a bit though because I still have to finish up some minor framing and then drywall, etc. I figured I would buy it now while I had the money lying around (i.e. before the wife could spend it at Target ;-). Which brings me to my question...


1.) I have already placed cross blocking between my studs where the screen brackets will go on both the top and the bottom. Is this enough to support the weight of the masking system or do I need more support in the framing? I am still at bare studs so I can change things around if need be.


2.) If I was going to think ahead (daring concept I know) and wire in a recessed 120 volt outlet for the masking system where is the best place to put it? Top right of the screen? Ideally, can it be placed behind the screen so it remains hidden? I like clean installs.


3.) How far will the masking frame be beyond the frame of the Carada screen? I would like to put my center channel as close to the bottom of the screen as possible but yet don't want to have to move it later for the masking system.


Thanks again. Now I will have to save up my pennies so I can mask away.


- Brian


----------



## Jon V

Hamster,


I can answer most of your questions since David answered them for me before i ordered my Masquerade, which i hope to have next week. From emails David sent me:


"The width of ALL four sides of the Masquerade frame are 6 1/4”, so the vertical height of the top frame piece (from top edge of the frame to top of the screen in 16:9 position) will be 6 1/4". And FYI, you will have to mount the top of the system approx. 5/8” below your ceiling or any crown molding at your ceiling/wall junction. This is because the lip on the back of the top structure has to be lifted up and over the wall bracket in order to hook onto it.




The wall bracket that you hang the top structure on is 84” long by 1 5/16” tall, and protrudes from the wall 1/4". The TOP edge of the wall bracket will be 5/16” below the TOP outside surface of the Masquerade frame which puts the BOTTOM edge of the wall bracket 1 5/8” below the TOP outside surface of the frame. So wherever you want the top of the Masquerade to be, just measure down 1 5/8” and that’s where the BOTTOM of the wall bracket will sit."


There are holes drilled every 4" along the mounting bracket (the 84" bracket is for my 100" diagonal screen, so yours might be different) and you can move it right or left to center the holes on studs - i don't think you will need the blocking for mounting the mask. The Masquerade frame for my 100" screen will be 99.8" wide and 61.8" high (outside dimensions). Dimensions for the 110" may be on Carada's website.


For center speaker placement, the mask frame will extend about 6.25" below the bottom of your actual screen surface. The mask frame covers the existing screen frame on all sides.


For the electrical connection:

"The electrical connection is at the very bottom-right corner. You will just need the wiring to exit the wall directly behind the right fascia about 2 1/2” in from the outside edge and about 4” above the bottom of the frame."


The Masquerade frame is 3.75" deep, if you need that dimension for planning. Also, the way you assemble the frame, you will need to have no obstructions to the immediate right or left of the screen that would be in the way of hanging the two side pieces.


For what it's worth (a lot to me), buying this masking system has been one of the best purchasing experiences i have ever had. David is very attentive to details and completely explained everything i needed to know about the construction of, and installation of the masking system. It's really nice to be able to get clear, straight answers from the person who knows the most about the product.


i'm sure David will correct anything i got wrong or left out of this post


----------



## Monger




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jon V* /forum/post/12154989
> 
> 
> Hamster,
> 
> 
> i'm sure David will correct anything i got wrong or left out of this post



I did notice one thing you left out.


Some pictures.










Edit: I missed the part about next week.


----------



## R Harkness

Since I intend to buy one of these systems, I eagerly await your impressions Jon V!


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome Brian, and I apologize for the delay in responding. Busy day around here! Anyway, I hope your screen arrived safe and sound today and that you're enjoying a good movie as I type.


Jon, thanks for the compliments on our service and for posting the info for Brian. I didn't see anything that needed correcting but I thought I'd offer a few more specific answers to Brian's questions.


1.) Brian, the framing that you have already in place will be more than adequate. A 110" diagonal Masquerade will weigh close to 90 pounds, but of course that weight will be spread out over the length of an 84" long "Z-bracket" attached to your wall. In attaching the bracket to your wall, you should be able to hit 4 or 5 studs, and 2" wood screws in studs will be *plenty* strong enough.


2.) As mentioned in Jon's post, the electrical connection for the Masquerade is at the bottom right-hand corner. We can ship the system with a 3-prong power cord pre-wired in place (with appropriate strain relief where the cord exits the framework). Or we can ship the system without a power cord for customers who want to run power directly to the system (i.e. "hard-wire" it). This will obviously have the cleanest look since no power cord will show, but for people who have a 120V outlet nearby and want an easy "plug-and-play" installation, the pre-wired power cord is the ticket.


3.) The bottom of the Masquerade frame will be 3" lower than the bottom of your Criterion Series frame (and the same would be true for a Stewart Luxus Deluxe or a Da-Lite Cinema Contour). You can put your center channel speaker under the Masquerade frame OR you can put the speaker partially in front of the frame. In my theater, the top of my center channel speaker is in front of the bottom of my Masquerade (the overlap is about 3").


Now Brian, start saving those pennies, and keep your wife as far from Target as possible!










By the way Jon, if everything goes according to schedule, your Masquerade will ship out Friday, so you should have it by the middle of next week.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

David and Jon V,


Thanks for answering my questions about the masking system. It saved me a lot of headaches down the road. One final question though is since I am planning on hardwiring the system to romex (i.e. no plug) what level of amps can I use? The nearest power to the junction box I have planned for the mask is the 20 amp line running to my AV cabinet. Is this ok to use or should I bring a run from my nearest 15 amp line?


Thanks again!


----------



## Jon V

i'm just using the nearest outlet. this thing probably draws about 2 watts when operating. i can't imagine it makes any difference (unless you ordered the model with 200 watt per channel, powered speakers built into the frame)


----------



## buddahead

You guys who get this new masking system please post pics and reviews please.THANKS


----------



## elmalloc

i wish the maskingsystem came with the screen. =(


----------



## David Giles

Hey Brian,


The system draws 1.3 amps and consumes approx. 150 watts when in motion (similar to a window box fan). I suspect any circuit in your home will be fine, but if you're not sure you might want to check with an electrician.



> Quote:
> i wish the maskingsystem came with the screen. =(



The Masquerade was specifically designed as a stand-alone masking system so that it can be used by customers who already own a projection screen (whether Carada or some other brand). But the system can easily "come with" a screen if you simply order a screen at the same time that you order the Masquerade.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.
www.carada.com


----------



## Driving_Hamster

Thanks again David. I made a short jump over from my AV cabinet's 20 amp line to where the bottom right hand corner of the screen will be. I left a junction box there with the wire in it so when the time comes I can directly hardwire the masking system right in.


Just need to get some things finished first and then it's on to the masking system. Hopefully in the spring!


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome Brian and we'll be ready when you are!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Jon V

My kids used to like to do Mad Libs on long car rides when they were younger. Here's one (you fill in the blanks): "Fed Ex ____s (verb) a big wet ____ (noun)." My masking frame was supposed to arrive yesterday. The local guys put it on the wrong truck and just drove it around all day - guess they knew i took the day off to wait for it and wouldn't be able to do that today. Of course they should have no problem dumping it off in the rain today


Rant over. I expect to put the frame up this weekend. Can anyone tell me exactly how to upload pictures to this thread? i emphasize exactly because i really have no clue and won't be able to manage without a cookbook. I will put up pics as soon as i am finished, assuming i can figure out how to do it.


Thanks,

Noob


----------



## SirJohnFalstaff

I love this idea and I think is speaks highly of a company that makes a product that's used in addition to their exisiting product. I've had an 118" Carada BW for over a year and am always commenting that it's the one piece of my home theatre that won't need to be replaced unless it get damaged. This is a great product that I'll probably add to my system in a few months.


----------



## cheld

The promo on this states:

all of your movies can now be watched without those often annoying black bars.

_All_ of my movies? Even *Casablanca*?


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> The promo on this states:
> 
> 
> all of your movies can now be watched without those often annoying black bars.
> 
> 
> All of my movies? Even Casablanca?



We certainly don't say that anywhere on our website (at least I *HOPE* not!) If we did slip up and print that please let me know and I'll change it ASAP. Obviously this is a two-way horizontal masking system, and it does NOT have side masking, so it clearly can't mask black bars on 4:3 source material.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## cheld

OK - it was actually the promo for the Audioholics review.


----------



## Jon V

My Masquerade system is now up. Since Mr. Nomas reviewed the system on Audioholics, i'll limit my comments to the following:


It works quickly and quietly -so it does what it's intended to do. It is built with amazing precision and care and looks great on the wall. Everything fit together exactly, with no gaps or overlaps. And compared to its competetion, it's a terrific bargain.


It took me about 1 1/2 hours to put it up, including unpacking and carting the pieces in from the garage. I got the hardwired model and was able to do the basic wiring myself, although i will need my electrician to do the final wiring run to the nearest connection point. [Hamster - I put a switch in the hardwired line so i can disconnect the wiring if needed in the future without having to shut down the entire circuit. If you have a convenient location you might consider this].


I am using SMX AT material for my screen, stretched over a home built frame. It took more time to get my screen exactly flush to the wall and take down the wall mounted left and right speakers which are immediately adjacent to the frame than it did to put up the Masquerade frame.


For those looking for a masking solution that looks professional and truly first class in every way, this is going to be your most economical solution as far as I can see. In addition, working with Carada has probably been the single best experience i've had in DIY home theater. I'm too old to be a fanboy, but you can call me a fanman


----------



## curtishd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jon V* /forum/post/12250553
> 
> 
> My Masquerade system is now up. Since Mr. Nomas reviewed the system on Audioholics, i'll limit my comments to the following:
> 
> 
> It works quickly and quietly -so it does what it's intended to do. It is built with amazing precision and care and looks great on the wall. Everything fit together exactly, with no gaps or overlaps. And compared to its competetion, it's a terrific bargain.
> 
> 
> It took me about 1 1/2 hours to put it up, including unpacking and carting the pieces in from the garage. I got the hardwired model and was able to do the basic wiring myself, although i will need my electrician to do the final wiring run to the nearest connection point. [Hamster - I put a switch in the hardwired line so i can disconnect the wiring if needed in the future without having to shut down the entire circuit. If you have a convenient location you might consider this].
> 
> 
> I am using SMX AT material for my screen, stretched over a home built frame. It took more time to get my screen exactly flush to the wall and take down the wall mounted left and right speakers which are immediately adjacent to the frame than it did to put up the Masquerade frame.
> 
> 
> For those looking for a masking solution that looks professional and truly first class in every way, this is going to be your most economical solution as far as I can see. In addition, working with Carada has probably been the single best experience i've had in DIY home theater. I'm too old to be a fanboy, but you can call me a fanman



Thanks for the comments. I have a few questions: How is it mounted to the wall? How heavy is it? Where on the masking system is it mounted to the wall? Can it be battery powered?

I have a theater with cloth walls (tention mount) with 1 inch deep insulation before the drywall. My current screen is wall mounted with brackets with stratigically placed MDF (wood) for the screen mount at the top of the screen only. Depending on how heavy I could place a 2x4 on the other side of the dry wall but not exactly sure how this will work.


----------



## joerod

I think I will get one and try it out. SOunds like a fun project.So for my 120.5" screen I should get the 118" version? Does that sound about right? Also, do they have a simple one that does not need hard-wired so all I have to do is plug it in and go?


----------



## Jon V

curtis:

The mounting bracket is a thin aluminum strip 84" long and about 1 1/2" high. It has holes every 4". You can position it with at least some of the holes over studs. The bracket holds the top rail and everything else hangs from the top rail. It's the same as for Carada's screens and a full description is probably on their website. The whole thing (for my 100" diagonal 16:9 screen) weighs maybe 40 pounds. I'm sure David will let you know precisely for a given size. I don't think there's a battery powered option but you can order it with a plug and just plug it into the nearest outlet.


My front theater wall has 1" of OC 703 covered with GOM. I put a 2x4 hoizontally above my screen to attach the mounting bracket and a couple of short pieces of 2x4 where the bottom rail rests to keep it the same distance away from the wall. I stapled the GOM to the 2x4 to keep it in place.


Joerod, these things are all built to order so you should just give Carada the outside dimensions of your screen so they can make the mask the right size. I would email them with the specifics - i'm sure they'll get back to you quickly.


----------



## joerod

I just measured around my screen and I have 117" wide by 71" tall (until my center speaker starts) which fits pretty close to the 118" size. I did have my studs turned inward so my screen is recessed back into the wall. Will this be an issue?


Also my screen viewing area is 59" tall by 105" wide. I realize the viewing area of the 118" Masquerade is 57.9" tall by 102.9" wide. I'd only lose about 2inches of screen. If they could custom build one with those dimensions that are in my measured area then great. Here's a pic or two of my wall...


----------



## curtishd

Just so I understand, NOTHING mounts to the wall at the bottom of the masking system, only at the top?


----------



## David Giles

Hey guys, thanks for all the questions (and answers!)


Jon I'm glad to hear your installation went smoothly and that you're so pleased with the results! And that's great that it only took you an hour and a half to do the entire installation! I honestly figured it would take most customers at least 2 hours or maybe even 3.


Joe the bad news is that it sounds like you won't be able to accommodate the Masquerade system primarily because you don't have enough space around your screen's frame, but also because your screen's frame is too wide (based on what you said in your PM).


The Masquerade fits around the outside of the existing screen-frame (and completely covers it) and the maximum WIDTH screen frame that can properly fit inside the Masquerade is 3.3" which includes the following frames: Carada Criterion Series and Precision Series, Stewart's Luxus screenwall (both the Deluxe and non-deluxe model), Da-Lite's Permwall, DaSnap, and Cinema Contour, Draper's Cineperm and Clarion (but definitely NOT the Onxy) and Vutec's VuEasy and Vision XWF. The Silverstar comes in at least two different frame styles and I'm not sure what they're called or of their dimensions. But in effect, ANY fixed frame screen should work as long as its frame members are no wider than 3.3" AND as long as they protrude from the wall no more than 2.25". Joe in your PM you mentioned that your Silverstar's frame is 3.5" wide so it wouldn't fit properly. Technically we COULD build a Masquerade to fit around a 3.5" wide frame, but the inside edges of the Masquerade frame (i.e. the system's "aperture") would be slightly outside the edges of the screen's viewing surface.


As far as determining the amount of space you need for a Masquerade, as long as your screen's frame is no wider than 3.3" and no deeper than 2.25", then it is actually easier to think in terms of your *viewing surface*. Once installed, the Masquerade will be larger than your viewing surface by 12.5" in both height and width. So for example if your screen's viewing surface is 59" by 105", then your Masquerade's outside dimensions would be 71.6" x 117.6" (by 3.75" deep). And Joe unfortunately you can't just "lose" viewing surface because your screen's frame would still be in the way. Now if you're willing to take a chainsaw to that Silverstar frame then we might be in business...










Another thing to consider is that you also need some extra space beyond the final installed dimensions. At the top you need 3/4" of clear space because of the way the top structure hooks over the wall bracket (you have to lift the structure 3/4" to clear the lip of the bracket, then lower the structure onto the bracket).











*(the photo above was taken with no screen frame in place for the sake of clarity)*


And on the sides you need to have a couple inches of clear space in order to slide the side fascia in place (which is the last step in the installation process). So if you wanted to install the Masquerade in the example above, which had outside dimensions of 71.6" x 117.6" your "free" wall space would need to be 72.4" x 121.6", and the top of the system would be 3/4" below the ceiling after installation (of course it can be MORE than 3/4" below your ceiling but 3/4" is the minimum). Technically AFTER you've completed installation of the side fascia, you could put something (like a speaker) directly up against the side of the system, but you would then have to remove that speaker first if you ever needed to take the Masquerade down.


Curtis, as Jon mentioned, the primary mounting structure for the Masquerade is a long wall bracket that you mount behind the top of the system. But you also anchor the system at *all four* corners (roughly 1" in from the sides and 2" from the top/bottom). So yes you would need to attach the system to your wall at the bottom at each corner. The system requires 120V AC 60 Hz power and the weight depends on the size of course. I'm afraid Jon wouldn't win the "guess my weight" game at the fair.







His 100" diagonal system weighed 81 pounds as installed and the whole crate ready to ship weighed 111.


In the near future we plan to get some nice drawings up on the website that will show all these dimensions and mounting details.


David Giles


----------



## joerod

I guess I am out. I could comply with almost everything. I was wrong on my frame measurement. It is actually 3 1/4" (vutec XWF) and not 3.5 though. I do have just enough to get 1/2"over the top by the ceiling. I mean I am at around 72" tall. So I know I could make that work. Here's the thing though, I do not have any of my screen sticking out at all. It is flush with my wall...


----------



## joerod

Also, upon measuring again I do not have the necessary 121.5" wide to get the sides on. I only have 119"... Oh well, it would have been a fun project. I watch a lot of football and DirecTv anyway so there is a lot of 1.78:1 on my screen anyway. I just was looking to "enhance" my HD DVD and Blu ray titles that are in 2.35:1 and so on... Damn, always something...


----------



## Jon V




> Quote:
> I'm afraid Jon wouldn't win the "guess my weight" game at the fair. His 100" diagonal system weighed 81 pounds as installed and the whole crate ready to ship weighed 111.



The shipping bill from FedEx said 40#. I was starting to think i need to ratchet up my exercise program.


Joerod, not trying to spend your money, but when i looked at the Silverstar a couple of years ago, i thought the basic frame was only 1 1/2" wide. Also, isn't it a rigid screen? Seems like you could either get the thinner frame or figure out a way to mount the screen without a frame, if a masking system appeals to you enough to go to that trouble. Since you are width limited, you might end up having to sacrifice a couple of inches of screen width, but it could be worth it to get rid of those annoying bars.


----------



## joerod

My screen is recessed into the wall so its frame does not matter. We are working on a gameplan to "squeeze" one in.







I hope this is worth the effort...


----------



## joerod

Alright, I am excited to post I will be getting one! It will be custom fit to meet my needs which means I may lose a couple of inches but I am fine with that. My backrow has always been hindered because the screen starts so low and my platform should have been 2 inches taller. So this will help that out to.







I will post a pic of it when it is completely set up... Wish me luck!


----------



## R Harkness

Good luck. Although I don't think you'll need much as Carada takes care of it's clients.

I can't wait to read your report.


I'm planning on getting a Masquerade system myself. This process of planning the HT is killing me - let alone getting it started or completed. I just wanna start watching movies!


----------



## David Giles

Hey Jon, if you lifted the Masquerade in its crate all by yourself, I'd say your exercise program is working pretty well!










Joe I'm glad we were able to come up with a solution for you! And I think you'll find it is definitely worth the effort.










By the way, here's a photo showing how the side fascia are installed (again this photo was taken with no projection screen in place for the sake of clarity).











Although in this photo the side fascia is being held about 4" away from the top and bottom structures, you actually only need 2" of "clear space" on each side of the frame in order to slide the fascia into place.


David Giles


----------



## joerod

My order is officially placed now. I look forward to "reviewing" it soon... David has been very helpful and I appreciate it...


----------



## buddahead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/12271915
> 
> 
> My order is officially placed now. I look forward to "reviewing" it soon... David has been very helpful and I appreciate it...




Congrats joe.Can't wait to see it up.Please post pics.


----------



## buddahead

For David. My screen hangs from j bolts installed in top of screen,your criterion 110in.It is about 6in from back wall.I assume from looking that your system it will not fit my setup.Would the bolts on top be in the way.Also does the top part need to be fasten to a back wall.My screen freehangs from ceiling.Thanks BOB


----------



## joerod

Thanks Buddahead! I will post some pics with a report as soon as I get it installed.


----------



## David Giles

Hey Bob,


The Masquerade is designed to be fastened to a wall and it can't be hung *directly* from the ceiling (I doubt very seriously if any masking system on the market could be hung from just the top frame member). Now I suppose you could build a "floating wall" structure the exact same size as the Masquerade, mount your screen to that structure first, then mount the Masquerade to it, and hang the *entire* structure from the ceiling. But that would be one seriously HEAVY structure (probably 200 pounds or more with the masking system, screen, and the wood itself) and you would have to be VERY careful about hanging something that heavy from your ceiling. Of course the CRT guys do it all the time, so it isn't impossible.







You'd also have to provide power to the structure, and you'd have to figure out how to make it hang perfectly plumb. If you install J-bolts in the structure, with the Masquerade mounted to the front of the structure, I suspect the bottom of the system would want to tilt backwards (away from the projector) because of where the center of gravity would be for the whole structure.


My point is that it isn't *IMPOSSIBLE*, but it would be quite an undertaking and would probably require 3-4 strong guys to get it done, whereas installing the Masquerade on a wall is quite simple, and MOST of the job can easily be done by one person.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## curtishd

Does the masking system cover the entire frame of the original screen? Is the masking system a black cloth?


----------



## David Giles

Hi Curtis,


Yes the Masquerade covers the entire frame of the existing projection screen (although as I mentioned above, the individual frame members can be no wider than 3.3" and protrude no further than 2" off the wall).


The moving masks themselves are made with a relatively heavy vinyl substrate (that provides some stiffness) with our Black Hole trim on the front, so that the masks match the frame perfectly.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## heja

When will you start market it outside the US? I think there will be a market for it also in europe....


----------



## David Giles

Hi Heja,


I have NO DOUBT that there's a market for the Masquerade outside North America. In fact, I bet we've gotten more questions from foreign customers than domestic. Probably has a lot to do with the weak dollar. The Masquerade may be a bargain here, but for Europeans it would be an absolute steal.










I'm afraid I don't have a clear answer to "when" it will happen, but I'm fairly certain that we *will* ship outside North America in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for checking and don't give up!










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## buddahead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12280874
> 
> 
> Hey Bob,
> 
> 
> The Masquerade is designed to be fastened to a wall and it can't be hung *directly* from the ceiling (I doubt very seriously if any masking system on the market could be hung from just the top frame member). Now I suppose you could build a "floating wall" structure the exact same size as the Masquerade, mount your screen to that structure first, then mount the Masquerade to it, and hang the *entire* structure from the ceiling. But that would be one seriously HEAVY structure (probably 200 pounds or more with the masking system, screen, and the wood itself) and you would have to be VERY careful about hanging something that heavy from your ceiling. Of course the CRT guys do it all the time, so it isn't impossible.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You'd also have to provide power to the structure, and you'd have to figure out how to make it hang perfectly plumb. If you install J-bolts in the structure, with the Masquerade mounted to the front of the structure, I suspect the bottom of the system would want to tilt backwards (away from the projector) because of where the center of gravity would be for the whole structure.
> 
> 
> My point is that it isn't *IMPOSSIBLE*, but it would be quite an undertaking and would probably require 3-4 strong guys to get it done, whereas installing the Masquerade on a wall is quite simple, and MOST of the job can easily be done by one person.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Thanks Dave,Sounds like I need to wall hang,Which one day I will do,The wall my screen hands in front of has a door jam right in the middle leading to a garage.I have another door going to my garage so I just need to get rid of the old jam and make a nice flush wall then hang my screen wall mount style instead of from the top.Thanks


----------



## David Giles

For anyone interested in seeing how the Masquerade is installed, we have the installation document on our website now:

Masquerade Installation Instructions 


We've tried to make the document as complete and as easy to understand as possible, but I'm sure it will continue to evolve as we get questions, comments, and suggestions from customers. So please don't be shy with your suggestions!










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## MGNiko

Any chance of a video showing actual deployment, jog, ect? I think it'd be nice to see the speed, noise level, and jog movements in real time VS only pictures. I sure like it though!!


----------



## David Giles

We'll try to get a video posted on our website at some point. To give you an idea of the speed, my 116" diagonal takes 1.8 seconds for the masks to go from 16:9 (fully open) to 2.35:1.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## levansoft

Dave, Thanks for your quick reply to my questions in PM last night. I have another question for you. Do you have any holiday discount on Masquerade for the forum members?


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome. No we don't have any discounts available (but thanks for checking though!)


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## joerod

Just a quick update, I plan to have the Masquerade System installed by mid next week. I am looking forward to giving a full report with a few pics!


----------



## buggdog

Cant wait to see your review...Im trying to talk my wife into letting me spend the money on one of these.


----------



## R Harkness

Awesome joerod. That's some system you are putting together.


I'm planning on getting the Masquerade system too.


----------



## scottyb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buggdog* /forum/post/12474270
> 
> 
> Cant wait to see your review...Im trying to talk my wife into letting me spend the money on one of these.




Your sig says the Corsinima is complete, I take it this is a LIE!!!

















Do people ever contribute to your website.??


Scott


----------



## buggdog

for me it will never be complete but in most peoples eyes it is complete.


i get a donation every once and a while from friends and family. I did that because they always feel bad eating all my popcorn candy and soda for free. I have a donation jar at the concession stand also. Ive raised 240 dollars so far.


----------



## levansoft

I received my Masquerade on Saturday. I installed it over my 92” Da-Lite Imager screen. Here is my first impression of the Masquerade Masking System.


First, I want to say that they probably over engineered the packaging of the Masquerade.







I’ve never seen anything that packaged this well. Every piece is protected.


Masquerade is a very well designed system. The build quality is great. Everything fit together every well. The installation is pretty straight forward.


The frame has a beautiful Black Hole trim. I didn’t know what it was before I ordered the system. It feels like fabric. It is pure black with every little reflection on the light. The masking panel is made of the same material. When it is down to 2.35:1, even when lights are on, I couldn’t tell it is not part of the trim from my sitting position.


The remote control works well. The masking panel moves very fast. It takes a couple seconds to change from 16:9 to 2.35:1. I wish the Jog button would move it at a slower speed. Because the panel moves so fast, it is hard to fine tune it with the Jog button.


Now for the effect of masking, what a difference it makes! I used to hate watching 2.35:1 movies because of the not so black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Let’s face it. How can your projector make those bars black on a white screen? With Masquerade, for the first time, I really enjoy watching 2.35:1 movies at home! It makes the picture stands out. Actually, the 6” Black Holy trim enhanced 1.85:1 movie too! My Da-Lite has only 2” trim.


Masquerade also reduces the light spill to the ceiling by quite a bit because it hangs in front of the existing screen. The downside of that is that I can see the shadow it casts on the screen. I learned to ignore it quickly.


Another thing that I want to mention is that if you hang your screen on a white wall, make sure you put a black fabric behind the screen. It stops the light from reflecting back to the screen. This improves the contrast a lot.


Masquerade is an expansive system although it is cheaper than other masking systems. But to me it is money well spend. It makes my new Panny 2000 projector looks a lot better. Dave and other people at Carada are clearly customer oriented. They are very quick in responding emails. Thank you, Dave!


----------



## R Harkness

Thanks for describing your new Masquerade system levansoft. I can hardly wait to order mine (but there are so many details to get right in my new HT before I do).



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *levansoft* /forum/post/12513294
> 
> 
> 
> The remote control works well. The masking panel moves very fast. It takes a couple seconds to change from 16:9 to 2.35:1. I wish the Jog button would move it at a slower speed. Because the panel moves so fast, it is hard to fine tune it with the Jog button.



I hope it's not that hard to fine tune because I'll be using the jog a lot! I plan on a variable size system.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *levansoft* /forum/post/12513294
> 
> 
> Masquerade also reduces the light spill to the ceiling by quite a bit because it hangs in front of the existing screen. The downside of that is that I can see the shadow it casts on the screen. I learned to ignore it quickly.



I find that odd. How is it the Masquerade frame casts a shadow on your screen? If the picture you are projecting is _within_ the screen frame I don't see how a shadow could be cast.


Unless you have some other light sources on, for some ambient light perhaps?


----------



## R Harkness

Next up: Where's *joerod* with his user report?


----------



## joerod

Coming soon. Should have it up and running by Wednesday.


----------



## buggdog

sounds good so far. I do hope that the jog function is not that bad. is it really that hard to make small adjustments to get it just perfect?


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/12521437
> 
> 
> I find that odd. How is it the Masquerade frame casts a shadow on your screen? If the picture you are projecting is _within_ the screen frame I don't see how a shadow could be cast.
> 
> 
> Unless you have some other light sources on, for some ambient light perhaps?



It all depends on how far your screen sits behind the masking panel. My screen is at least 1 behind. Given the size of the screen, unless I sit 20 ft away and look at the screen dead on, I will see some area behind the masking panel on the sides. If I project within the screen frame, I can see the thin (not so) black border that the projector produces. If I project over the screen frame, I see shadows. Either way, they look the same to me.


Along the same line, if I could, I would order a Masquerade frame that is 1 smaller than my current screen frame so that I don't see both frames.


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buggdog* /forum/post/12521852
> 
> 
> sounds good so far. I do hope that the jog function is not that bad. is it really that hard to make small adjustments to get it just perfect?



It's not easy for me to make small adjustments. I suggest Carada to make Jog button operates at a different (much slower) speed. When I jog, I want fine control and I have patient to wait for it to move. Actually, if it is hard to separate jog with other movements, just slow down all operations. Maybe a firmware upgrade?


----------



## buggdog

the jog function may be a deal breaker for me until it is fine tuned.


i know the system is reasonably priced but a jog function should allow you to fine tune the masks easily. Hopefully they can take care of it soon.


----------



## joerod

Yesterday my home theater had one of its most significant upgrades ever. And as some of you know I just added the new Sony VW200 but that is not what I am talking about. The Carada Masquerade Masking System is designed to subtract those black (really gray) bars when watching most HD DVDs and Blu rays (2.35:1 to 2.70:1) but it also adds something. I call it pure eye candy!










Unpacking the Masquerade was easy and only took about 10 minutes or so. It is packaged very well (as been reported) which is a good thing. I was going to post a few shots of the screen during installation but quite frankly you could barely see it! More on that soon.


After getting it up and running (the instructions are very easy and every single detail is explained from unpacking to plugging it in) I exercised or had the drapes JOG all the way from the 16:9 to the 2.70:1 setting. I have always felt anything mechanical (or with a motor) should be exercised fully when first tested. No problems here. The JOG button makes the drapes move in 1/2 inch increments which I think is perfect. I know it has been brought up before but I think if it went in 1/8 increments it would take longer to set it the way you want it. For example if the movie had an aspect ratio of something slightly different and you need 1 more inch it would take 4 taps on the remote instead of just 2. And lets face it a 1/2 inch is definitely good enough for making adjustments. I also thought the motor was not loud at all and when I had my sound going I could hardly even hear it. As for the remote, I really found it nice. Having the 16:9 direct button and 2.35:1 is very nice. More nice however is being able to JOG up or down an adjust as needed. The response is also very good. Other screen companies should take note on how well this remote masking system works!


So how well does it work with the movies? I first put in Riddick HD DVD then Casino Royale Blu ray. My Wife who usually does not have much interest in my electronics habit first word was WOW! When showing her what the bars looked like in 16:9 then letting the Masquerade do its magic was an eye opening experience. She later told me she never realized the bars were not really black. I had to admit I was very impressed at what this did to the image. The Masquerade literally puts you in a real movie theater atmosphere.


I have a Vutec Silverstar 120.5" screen with their visionX black frame. As the Masquerade was being installed I was shocked to realize the difference in the black velvet trims. The light was absorbed much better with Carada's Black Hole trim. This Black Hole trim does an amazing job of making your eyes just focus on the image. Whatever they do to achieve this TRUE blacker than black (BTB) look must be a secret because I have not seen another screen trim look this BLACK before.










So now I think I can say my home theater is complete (at least for awhile).









With the Carada Masquerade and my Sony VW200 combo I have achieved the level of performance I have been on a quest for. I should point out that the Carada Masking System will compliment any PJ nicely. I think one of the reports above was using the new Panny 2000. It does not matter if your PJ is 1,000 or 15,000 or 50,000 being able to completely make those black (gray) bars disappear will benefit any set up. If you want to SEE what your theater is really capable of try the Masquerade. Your EYES will love it!










Pics: 1 is the Masquerade at 2.70:1 and 2 is showing it in 2.35:1 and then 3 is of course is in the 16:9 aspect ratio... Note how deep the Black Hole trim looks. True blacker than black!


----------



## joerod

A couple more pics of the remote and then the Masquerade unpacked.


----------



## R Harkness

Very cool. Thanks joerod. Having played around with lots of masking, I knew the Masquerade system would be a wonderful impact, which is why I plan on getting one.


One thing caught me by surprise in your descriptions: the jog feature.


It sounds from your description that pressing the jog button moves the screen in discrete 1/2 inch steps. In other words, you push the button down and hold it, but the screen only moves 1/2 inch. For each 1/2 you want to advance the screen you have to press "jog" again. Is that correct?


If so I'm surprised. I'd figured the jog button would work more like remotes for remote controlled curtains: that holding down the jog button would cause the masking to role continuously up or down and you simply stop the masking where you want by releasing the button.


But if it's as you seem to describe - requiring many discrete button pushes - hmm...that could be good or bad for my use, since I'll be adjusting image size a lot. Having to press the jog button many times could be a bit annoying if I'm adjusting image sizes on the fly. On the other hand, it could be good if those discrete steps allow macro strings from my remote to cause the masking to end up at a variety of pre-programmed image sizes.


----------



## joerod

To clarify only if you tap the JOG buttons it moves in half inch increments. If you hold them the masking drapes move continuously without stopping until you let go. I hope that makes sense. The JOG feature works flawlessly and I have absolutely no issues with it.


SOME PICS... Notice you can see below the screen area where the pause symbol is at in pic 1. Then in pic 2 you can see where the Masquerade does an exceptional job. I left part of the pause symbol so you can tell even easier!


----------



## R Harkness

Oh, ok thanks joerod.


I _think_ that could be the best of both worlds. Holding down continuously would work for adjusting image size on the fly. But if short signals to the "jog" function reliably move the masking in 1/2 inch increments it suggests I could set up pre-set image sizes with macros on my universal remote.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/12544086
> 
> 
> This Black Hole trim does an amazing job of making your eyes just focus on the image.



I just wanted to add that's one of the benefits of masking, I find, and it's hard to appreciate until you actually see it in action. You don't _think_ the not-really-black bars being projected are any issue. It's only when they are completely removed that you realise it changes the look of the image.


There's a sort of delicious purity to an image that is completely masked by neat, black borders. It lets your eye travel all around the image, all the way out to the edges of the image without ever being distracted by extraneous competing hues (e.g. gray bars) or backgrounds. It's just addictive once you've done it.


----------



## rboster

Joerod: Thanks for taking the time to give us a very desriptive detailed review. I appreciate the feedback.


Ron


----------



## joerod

Hey no problem. I enjoyed posting my thoughts.










I would also like to point out how wonderful the staff is to work with when choosing a product and having it custom built. David Giles, thanks for being a part of AVS Forum!


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *buggdog* /forum/post/12532181
> 
> 
> the jog function may be a deal breaker for me until it is fine tuned.
> 
> 
> i know the system is reasonably priced but a jog function should allow you to fine tune the masks easily. Hopefully they can take care of it soon.



Do I feel like the way Jog works now is a deal breaker for me? Absolutely not. I mentioned my suggestion to Carada because I was trying to help them to build a perfect system. I can live with the way Jog works now. If I need to jog down 1/4" and it moves down 3/4", it is okay. Because, like I said, the panel reflects little light. Missing 1/2" of the picture is no big deal for me. I wouldn’t let that stop me from buying a Masquerade.


The WOW factor of Masquerade is so obvious. My wife was very insensitive about the picture quality. She told me that my new Panny 2000 looks the same as my old VW10HT. But after I installed the Masquerade, she admitted that she could see a big difference in picture quality. She was so happy about it that didn’t even ask me how much it costs.


----------



## joerod

And I think it is cool that the Masquerade may have cost more than your PJ. I believe the days are coming sooner then we think when the majority of home theater owners will add a screen/masking system into the cost with their PJ decisions. After having mine now set up for just over 24 hours I honestly don't think I could go back!


----------



## joerod

Wow again was what I heard when we started POTC: 3 At World's End tonite. My neighbor said the theater screen looked very commercial like. Whatever that is supposed to mean?







Anyway, I started the movie and as the 2.35:1 aspect ratio went into effect I then hit the 2.35:1 on the remote and everyone's jaw dropped.









It reminded me of the first time I had a movie night and at the end when the credits rolled I had my remote lights come on half way (for effect) which added that real theater-like feeling. Same here.










As I posted before I can't go back... Once you go black...







Anyway, you get my point!


----------



## Gorgewinds

I have had the "Masquerade" 102" setup for a little over a month now, and thought I could stop enjoying it for a moment to post a comment. I have made several home theater changes this year but, while I’m happy with all these upgrades I would say the best upgrade was the screen change.


Infocus 7210 to JVC RS1

Snell to Paradigm S4’s

Stewart Grayhawk to Masquerade


The Masquerade is amazing, now every time I switch from HDTV to any aspect the picture frame is amazing. Also, I think it improves the perceived contrast opposed to having black bars. The picture jumps off the screen when viewing all formats now.


One thing mentioned in a prior post was the jogging, and I agree a smaller jog adjustment would be nice to fine tune, but I would not let that keep me from this upgrade. The jog adjustment always seems very close and I don’t miss the ½” or so.


Lastly, my only real complaint about the system is that it wasn’t available sooner. I would be kicking myself if I had just got it and it had been out for a long time.


Very happy customer

Thanks Carada


----------



## joerod

I am looking forward to getting my Wife's family's opinions sine they are all due in today.

I know for the little ones we are planning Ratatouille blu ray then A Christmas Story and Polar Express HD DVD. Adults, who knows. I will let them vote but I was already asked if I could do Transformers... If that is it the HD DVD kicks butt with picture and sound. So maybe that one and a newer recent release. Either way I am looking forward to seeing their reactions to the Masquerade. Should be a fun couple of days...


----------



## buggdog

Well my opinion on the jog feature has now changed. I thought that it was only continuous and slight adjustments were hard to make. But now you say that adjustments can be made in 1/2 inch increments....thats great!! Especially if macros would work with this to get other aspect ratios.


Im going to work on my wife immediately to approve the purchase!! haha. Im going to show her these reviews. Im definitely sold on it.


Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the system. It really aids in the decision making.


----------



## joerod

My Wife loves it! Which is a shocker because she really does not get into any of my electronic habits (as she calls them). We were starting to watch a movie last night and she instantly reminded me to use the black drapes. I was going to but it cracked me up that she was all over it. I gave her the remote and she really liked removing the gray bars herself. She thinkis it is the coolest purchase I have made in a long time.


----------



## joerod

So far so good. All of the relatives think it is really cool when I "adjust" the screen. They are taking turns (changing the aspect ratio with the remote) when we watch movies!


----------



## buggdog

do you guys know if carada makes sizes other than what is listed on the website? I have a 120" diag stewart screenwall deluxe and i dont see a 120" option.


i need to directly contact them but was wondering if any of you got a custom size from them?


----------



## R Harkness

Carada will do custom sized/shaped screens for you. No worries.


----------



## sauroneru

Can you take pictures of a 2.35:1 movie with and without the mask deployed? I don't have my system yet and I'm curious to see the difference. I know you can't take a picture to show the awesomeness of your screen changing sizes at the push of a button, though







.


----------



## joerod

I doubt a picture could show the effect it has like being in person...


----------



## Nasty N8

Now how about a side masking system for a 2.37:1 screen?


Nate


----------



## mlang46

David,


Im just putting in another vote for a Carada CIH system.


----------



## joerod

We did The Kingdom lastnight and everyone freaked out when I started the movie then as it began (got thru the Universal screen) applied the masking. I did not tell them I even had the Masquerade system. One of the couples thought my screen was falling!







They all thought it was amazing how much better the picture looked to their eyes with the Masquerade doing its job...


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sauroneru* /forum/post/12590884
> 
> 
> Can you take pictures of a 2.35:1 movie with and without the mask deployed? I don't have my system yet and I'm curious to see the difference. I know you can't take a picture to show the awesomeness of your screen changing sizes at the push of a button, though
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .



The pictures do not justify the amazing effect of masking. You have to see it in person. Having said that, here are two pictures that I took.


----------



## joerod

Nice pics!







I stand corrected...


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *levansoft* /forum/post/12649223
> 
> 
> The pictures do not justify the amazing effect of masking. You have to see it in person. Having said that, here are two pictures that I took.



Interesting pictures. Thanks.


It would have been best to keep the same exposure, though, for each picture, because as it is the image looks richer on the masked image because of a different exposure.


----------



## Laserfan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/12653551
> 
> 
> It would have been best to keep the same exposure



Yeah I for one do not trust digital camera images at all--there's just too many ways the images can fail to represent what the human eye detects. Not to mention of course this computer display I am viewing them on!


Having said that, I can readily accept that masking has a (great?) impact on perceived image quality. I'm a brand-new FPJ owner experimenting with screen size using a 10' wide piece of gatorfoam, and have been thinking "I don't need no stinking masking!"










But there's so much talk about the impact of proper masking here, including "black velvet works much better than black paint"-type comments, that I must concede my simple gatorfoam screen will not live unchanged forever...


----------



## joerod

Which is why I have always refused to take pics. I even picked up a Canon G9 for my PJ shots but most don't trust them so I figured why bother.










The Carada Masquerade is definitely a HUGE upgrade to anyone's set up. Now that I have had it a couple of weeks I know if I were to take it down I would truly MISS it!


----------



## oliverg

I would love to see a masking system/screen that could handle 2:35/2:40 as well as 16:9 - masking both horizontally and vertically.


IE you have your anamorphic lens (1.33 X horizontally) and a really wide screen - but with the lens off, the masking adjusts to maximise 16:9 as well. Best of both worlds.


Obviously, the screen would need to be able to handle the extra width as well as the height too


Does the Masquarade do this?


----------



## R Harkness

The effect of masking could be more accurately portrayed by taking levansoft's first shot, in which you can see the gray bars, and simply cropping out the picture (cropping out the gray bars) and placing the picture against a black background. That way it's the same image/exposure, the only difference being in one the gray bars are removed, as happens with the Carada masking system. (Of course the effect on a real screen is more significant - when you mask away the gray bars on a projected image this really cool 3D, looking-trough-a-window thing happens, with more image pop too, that is hard to convey until you see it).


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/12653551
> 
> 
> Interesting pictures. Thanks.
> 
> 
> It would have been best to keep the same exposure, though, for each picture, because as it is the image looks richer on the masked image because of a different exposure.



Sorry that I uploaded the wrong pictures. Here are the two of the pictures that have the same exposure. Both were taken with Tv 1/8 and Av 4.0. I only resized the pictures in PS. I didn't do any adjustment to the contrast or level.


The point I was trying to make was that it is hard to see the gray bar in the picture. We all know how the gray bar looks like on the screen no matter how good your projector is. If the gray bar doesn't bother you at all, maybe you don't need a masking system.


You can do an experiment yourself when you watch a 2.35:1 movie. Try to cover the lower gray bar with a dark colored bed sheet. It doesn't have to be a black sheet and you _will_ see the difference.


----------



## joerod

Awesome job with the pics! The Masquerade is looking good (when you can see it)...


----------



## DonnerHead

Sory fellas, but the pricing of all these masking systems is just rediculous. Sure the Carada pricing is MUCH better than the competition, but that does not mean it is a good deal. It is only a relatively good deal. I am seriously shocked at the pricing of a motorized masking system.


As impressed as my wife would be with this type of thing, I will tell you what impresses her even more. I can achieve the same effect for a grand total of $20. The only difference between my system and these motorized systems is just that. I have to get up and manualy put the velcroed black velvet from one side of my screen to the other. Takes about 2 minutes. So basicaly I turn everything on, and by the time the HD or BR player is ready to go, the projector is at full light, my mask is up. I would honestly have a hard time enjoying the movie knowing how much I spent so I could push a button from my couch to achieve the same affect.


On top of all this, it only masks 2:35! It cant even do a side mask for 4:3, or do a 1:85 mask, etc.....If I were somebody who would pay this kind of money for a masking system it better be able to mask ANY AR. Unbelievable!


Bottom line....When the lights go out and the movie starts, the affect between the $20 method and these stupidly priced motorized versions is 100% identical, but I can enjoy the movie much more knowing I did not throw money at something that is nearly double the price of my Stewart Luxus Deluxe screen.




Just my opinon, flame on.


----------



## joerod

No flames needed. You get what you pay for.











My Wife and friends are more impressed with being able to push a button from my seat after previews then watching me have to jump up and apply the black velvet. Even if it only costs $20.


And remember, prices are relative... What is expensive to you and "overpriced" may not be to others... Besides, a good home theater set up adds value to one's home...


----------



## DonnerHead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/12829144
> 
> 
> No flames needed. You get what you pay for.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My Wife and friends are more impressed with being able to push a button from my seat after previews then watching me have to jump up and apply the black velvet. Even if it only costs $20.
> 
> 
> And remember, prices are relative... What is expensive to you and "overpriced" may not be to others... Besides, a good home theater set up adds value to one's home...




I have a phenominal HT setup without a stupidly priced motorized masking system that adds value to my home










Joerod and others who own one of these, glad you enjoy them, but even though I can afford one no problem and do have money to burn, there is no way I am paying nearly 2 times my screen price for something that I can do (and am doing) for $20 and get 100% the same effect. Not to mention I can also mask for 1:85, 4:3, etc.....


I dont watch previews by the way.




This is the most rediculously priced area of HT I have ever seen by far.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12829004
> 
> 
> 
> As impressed as my wife would be with this type of thing, I will tell you what impresses her even more. I can achieve the same effect for a grand total of $20.



And did you know that you could probably also cover your window by plastering it with a copy of the New York Times (or failing that, a bath towel or old blanket)? And if your wife is mostly impressed with price vs aesthetics and convenience, make sure to tell her it'd be cheaper too!


But, for most of us, aesthetics and convenience have their place. Which we understand will cost more. (I use commercially built blinds







)




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12829004
> 
> 
> The only difference between my system and these motorized systems is just that. I have to get up and manualy put the velcroed black velvet from one side of my screen to the other.



I've been manually masking my display for years. I can do it quickly too. But it's precisely because of having to mask manually for years that I want to _quite having to do that manually_. That's why a remote controlled system is so appealing to me. I mean, I could also walk over to my audio receiver and adjust the volume manually. But I'm certainly willing to pay money for a remote control so I can do it from the convenience of the viewing seat.


Same with Constant Image Height systems. You can always just zoom your lens (as I intend to do for now), but most opt to pay thousands for an anamorphic lens especially for the convenience of not having to manually adjust. People are willing to pay for convenience, especially if it's something they do a lot (like watch movies, for some folks).





> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12829004
> 
> 
> On top of all this, it only masks 2:35! It cant even do a side mask for 4:3, or do a 1:85 mask, etc.....



Most people don't have constant image height projection systems, so no side masking is needed or desired. Nor do most people watch many movies in 4:3 (and even if they do, it's likely not often enough to be hot and bothered by side bars). With the exception of the old 4:3 AR, the Carada system can be adjusted to mask for the vast majority of film formats.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12829004
> 
> 
> Bottom line....When the lights go out and the movie starts, the affect between the $20 method and these stupidly priced motorized versions is 100% identical,



Bottom line: whether you drive to work in an old Yugo or a spanking new Ferrari F355, once you're at work what does it matter how you got there?


Oh...that's right...one of those ways would be more enjoyable.










And some people find that worth paying for.


There's always a cheaper way of doing something. But people are not silly or stupid in paying for:


1. Professional Aesthetics.

2. Professional Reliability

3. Convenience.

4. Cool grin-on-your-face-factor.


You can see from the experience of those who own the Masquerade (and from the reports from AV reviewers) how much a factor even #4 is. All reports are that using the Masquerade is grin-inducing "wow" factor - a combination of aesthetics, convenience and coolness. How much would I pay to make the process of masking - something that is in no way fun now and which I have to do every time I change movie ARs - into something that is actually in of itself "cool" and fun?


About the price of a Masquerade system










I can't wait to get one.


Finally, your complaints about the price and Carada not being a 4 way masking system do not factor in how really difficult it is to build a professional, reliable, aesthetic *4 way* masking system. And how relatively small the market is (at this point) for them (hence have to charge more...remember your economics). It isn't for nothing that Stewart, who offered one of the very few possible such systems to home users, charged so much for them.


I'm extremely excited that a masking system has come into an affordable range (and it's something I'm willing to spend some money on, just as I have with my other components).


Cheers,


----------



## Gorgewinds

The Carada masking screen does 1.78 on down to 2.70 and anything in between using a jog button.







I love this screen, but it is not for the person who would rather make their screen or velcro pieces on the wall to save money.


----------



## DonnerHead

Sorry guys I went off on a tangent, but I am shocked by this personaly.


Thanks for the correction that you can step the mask system. Now the only problem is no side mask for 4:3. I still watch a LOT of native 4:3 material in my theater and if I was one who would choose to pay this kind of money for a masking system it sure as hell better mask 4:3 as well.


I will gladly stick with a manual mask system which like I said is 100% identical when the lights go down. It is realy not any harder to get up and apply the mask as opposed to pushing a button from your seat, but there is a HUGE price difference. You guys enjoy.


----------



## David Giles

You say that you are "seriously shocked" at the pricing of a motorized masking system, yet you own a fixed frame screen which has *no motor, no electronics, and no moving parts whatsoever*, but which costs *almost* as much as a similarly sized Masquerade. You didn't mention what size screen you have, but let's just assume it is a 110" diagonal (very common size). The last time I checked, the price for a 110" diagonal Luxus Deluxe was well over $2,000. So I don't understand your math when you claim that the Masquerade costs "2 times my screen price". In fact if you bought any Stewart Luxus Deluxe screen for *half* the price of a similarly sized Masquerade masking system, then it sounds like you bought the screen below dealer cost (congrats!)


But I'm not sure why you would expect a complex product like a motorized masking system to cost LESS than a fixed frame screen anyway. If you get a chance to really look at a motorized masking system, I think you might change your mind about the "stupidity" of the pricing. But just for kicks, what do *you* think the price SHOULD be? Let me guess - twenty bucks, right?







In any case, at least you were nice enough to point out that the pricing of the Masquerade is "MUCH better than the competition", so thanks for that!










You also said "If I were somebody who would pay this kind of money for a masking system it better be able to mask ANY AR. Unbelievable!" What's so unbelievable about it? Most of the other screen companies offer two-way horizontal masking systems as well (Stewart's runs about $6K-$8K the last time I checked). We could have offered a full-blown 4-way masking system right off the bat, but if you don't like the price of our 2-way system, you *definitely* wouldn't be happy with the price of a 4-way system.







We felt that a good looking, reliable, easy to install and use, 2-way system at a great price (or at least a "relatively good" price in your opinion) would make the vast majority of home theater enthusiasts VERY happy. Those who want motorized side masking as well will no doubt be willing to spend what they need to spend to get it (at least three times the cost of a 2-way Masquerade). BUT regardless of how much you're willing to spend, I'm glad that you at least are enjoying the benefits of masking anyway.


It sounds like you're simply ranting because you feel that motorized masking isn't worth what it costs (even when it is a "relatively good deal"). And you are certainly entitled to that opinion, although I'm not sure why you felt compelled to come *here* and use words like "rediculous", "stupidly", and "unbelievable". Masking systems have been around for a long time, and you've had ample opportunity to bash Stewart, Screen Research, Da-Lite, Draper, Vutec, etc. for their "stupid", "rediculous", and "unbelievable" pricing, but for some reason you waited until a "relatively good deal" came along to speak up. Strange timing...


In any case, if it's okay with you we'll keep right on building the Masquerade for the folks that DO want them.










David Giles


----------



## DonnerHead

David no offense was ever intended toward you, and the whole reason I have not made mention of this until now is because I was unaware of the whole pricing structure for masking in the HT market. I saw the "masquerade" banner at AVS here and was curious, clicked on it and went from there. You guys certainly have the best bang for the buck masking system, but it is still at a price that is WAY beyond the people who buy your Carada screens that run close to a 1/3 the cost of a mask system. I would assume these are not aimed so much toward your screen customers, but a different market all together which is fine.


My Stewart screen pricing in relation to the Carada mask system was a bit off as I paid just under $1500 for my luxus deluxe screenwall 94"diag. But certainly the masking system is atleast as much as my screen for my size (maybe more) which is just insane IMO. Also I did not say "2 times the price" but "close to 2 times the price" and there is a difference, but it is wrong either way. The point is it costs more than the actual fixed frame screen.


You are right that there are those who have throw away money who will buy something like this, I just dont get it when the same effect can be had for pennies of the cost. I was just shocked learning about all this and the pricing.


Just my personal feelings which last time I checked I could express being that this thread is a general discussion on the matter, and this is what we do here at times. I would not come into an owners thread and express these opinions which this thread is not.


----------



## oliverg

Don't worry David, I'm sure a lot of people zoned out when they saw the word "redeculous"











If people want to spend money on a masking system, good luck to them. If people want to spend $20.. that's fine too - but Donnerhead, please don't pronounce/label other people solutions the way you have .. it comes across as you are belittling other's choices.


Some people spend 100k on a PJ and their purchase is no more 'redeculous' than those that spend 2k... you are talking about value judgements that are totally subjective and IMHO should have no place here other than as points of reference.


----------



## DonnerHead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oliverg* /forum/post/12832254
> 
> 
> Don't worry David, I'm sure a lot of people zoned out when they saw the word "redeculous"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If people want to spend money on a masking system, good luck to them. If people want to spend $20.. that's fine too - but Donnerhead, please don't pronounce/label other people solutions the way you have .. it comes across as you are belittling other's choices.
> 
> 
> Some people spend 100k on a PJ and their purchase is no more 'redeculous' than those that spend 2k... you are talking about value judgements that are totally subjective and IMHO should have no place here other than as points of reference.



My spelling mistake was as "redeculous" as the HT screen masking price structure.







I am sure you have always proof read everything you type and never made a spelling mistake, right?


----------



## oliverg

A single typo can be forgiven, but multiple instances of the same word, combined with the way you deride other member's personal choices and a product's pricing structure (when you have no notion of its R&D, marketing etc costs..) well, that just begs for comment. I found it quite ironic, considering the word in question and your observations had a lot in common.


----------



## DonnerHead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oliverg* /forum/post/12832403
> 
> 
> A single typo can be forgiven, but multiple instances of the same word, combined with the way you deride other member's personal choices and a product's pricing structure (when you have no notion of its R&D, marketing etc costs..) well, that just begs for comment. I found it quite ironic, considering the word in question and your observations had a lot in common.




If you are going to quote my mispell, atleast dont mispell it










My mispell was "rediculous" and you quoted me as "redeculous" when the word is spelled ridiculous.


Point taken either way as I dont know how to spell ridiculous which I do now. Do you spell every single word correct?










My spelling issues are not relevant to the topic at hand anyway. Like I said these are just my opinions you guys dont have to like them. I just personaly feel the pricing structure for a mask system is ridiculous in the HT market







Just because Carada is the best does not mean it is overpriced.


----------



## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oliverg* /forum/post/12832254
> 
> 
> \\
> 
> If people want to spend money on a masking system, good luck to them. If people want to spend $20.. that's fine too - but Donnerhead, please don't pronounce/label other people solutions the way you have .. it comes across as you are belittling other's choices.
> 
> 
> Some people spend 100k on a PJ and their purchase is no more 'redeculous' than those that spend 2k... you are talking about value judgements that are totally subjective and IMHO should have no place here other than as points of reference.



+1. I held off commenting on Donnerhead's posts earlier today...but I agree. The tone he took was really offensive. I think if the roles were reversed and member's were belittling his choice in masking based on price it would be similarly offensive.


Donnerhead has had his say, it's time to move on. We understand his position....to continue to force the point borders on threadcrapping.


Ron


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12832076
> 
> 
> Just my personal feelings which last time I checked I could express being that this thread is a general discussion on the matter, and this is what we do here at times.



Absolutely! As I said before, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, although some of the words you chose to use seemed a bit harsh (again though, you certainly have the right to use them). I suspect it's a classic case of internet behavior that doesn't reflect the true personality of the person doing the typing. If Joe invited you to his home and you saw his Masquerade I seriously doubt you would turn to him and use words like "stupid", "rediculous", and "unbelievable". Who knows, maybe you would still feel that way, but I suspect you would be a bit more diplomatic about it.











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12832076
> 
> 
> You guys certainly have the best bang for the buck masking system, but it is still at a price that is WAY beyond the people who buy your Carada screens that run close to a 1/3 the cost of a mask system.



First let me say that I sincerely agree with the first part about best bang for the buck!







But in saying that the Masquerade is "WAY beyond the people who buy your Carada screens" you are (wrongly) assuming that people who buy a Carada screen can't afford the Masquerade, which is simply not true. I'm very proud of the fact that at least MOST people who buy a Carada screen aren't doing it because they *can't* afford a more expensive screen. Of course we LOVE to sell the Masquerade to customers who own more expensive brands of screens, but in fact we've sold more Masquerade/Carada screen combinations so far than stand-alone masking systems.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12832076
> 
> 
> I would assume these are not aimed so much toward your screen customers, but a different market all together which is fine.



Wrong again. If that were the case, exactly who would be buying Stewart's masking systems? Since you can buy a nice Stewart fixed frame screen for $1,500, then why would *anybody* be so stupid as to buy a Stewart masking system for SEVERAL times that price?


Look I can understand your shock. Happens to most people when they first become interested in a masking system. And for some reason they always seem to think that a motorized masking system should cost less than (or at least not 2-3 times the price of) a fixed frame screen. But the reality is that a motorized masking system is simply much more expensive to manufacture. Your 94" diagonal Stewart Luxus Deluxe weighs 23 lbs (give or take a half pound) completely assembled and ready to hang. A 94" diagonal Masquerade system would have over 50 POUNDS of pure aluminum in it. And a motor. And a specialized electronic control board. And a spring-roller mechanism. And a remote. And various custom brackets and machined parts. And building the Masquerade takes MUCH more labor than a similarly sized fixed frame screen (and we're not making them by the millions in China).


So again, I understand if you feel that a motorized masking system simply isn't worth what it costs. But your saying that a Masquerade system is "overpriced" is where I have to shout *redicurus*!










In reality though, it's probably a good thing that you aren't the ONLY person here that feels the way you do about the price, because if EVERYBODY wanted a Masquerade system, we'd never be able to keep up with the demand.










David Giles


----------



## DonnerHead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/12832656
> 
> 
> +1. I held off commenting on Donnerhead's posts earlier today...but I agree. The tone he took was really offensive. I think if the roles were reversed and member's were belittling his choice in masking based on price it would be similarly offensive.
> 
> 
> Donnerhead has had his say, it's time to move on. We understand his position....to continue to force the point borders on threadcrapping.
> 
> 
> Ron



I understand what you guys are saying, and if I came across the way I did I am sorry. I should have paused before making my comments as I was shocked learning about the pricing for a masking system. I still stand by my opinion that just because Carada is the cheapest does not mean it is a good deal, but only a relatively good deal.


My only point, and I am done posting here as I have stated my opinion, is that the HT masking price structure is insane considering you can get 100% the same effect for pennies in comparison. Manualy switching a masking system is not a big deal at all as most the time my setup stays in 2:35 form any way so it is not something that has to be dealt with every day. When I do watch in another AR it takes all of 2 minutes or under which can be done while the PJ and other equip warms up.






I have stated my opinion and will now leave. Take care guys.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12832849
> 
> 
> I still stand by my opinion that just because Carada is the cheapest does not mean it is a good deal, but only a relatively good deal.



Virtually *EVERY* decision you make in home theater is relative! I guarantee you I could find countless guys with home theaters as nice as yours who would say that masking isn't even worth $20 and the trouble it takes for you to install your homemade masks. But fortunately you're enlightened.











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DonnerHead* /forum/post/12832849
> 
> 
> I have stated my opinion and will now leave. Take care guys.



Fair 'nuf! If you ever change your mind, check back here. Maybe some day we'll have that 4-way system that you just won't be able to resist.










David Giles


----------



## DonnerHead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12832973
> 
> 
> Virtually *EVERY* decision you make in home theater is relative! I guarantee you I could find countless guys with home theaters as nice as yours who would say that masking isn't even worth $20 and the trouble it takes for you to install your homemade masks. But fortunately you're enlightened.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Fair 'nuf! If you ever change your mind, check back here. Maybe some day we'll have that 4-way system that you just won't be able to resist.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



Sounds good David










You guys truly are in a class of your own though with customer service and word of mouth from what I hear. Like I said my clients/friends love your product (screens) and obviously your internet rep is incredible. These other companies could take this page out of your book as some of them could learn a lot from you guys in this way










Take care all.


----------



## joerod

I think I am going to PM Art S. and tell him he waaay overpaid (with a redeculous price) for his 3 chip 1080p Sim2 pj...







Sorry, I couldn't resist.










Back on topic, I really like my Masquerade and after having it for almost a month now I could not watch a 2.35:1 movie without it. I guess if I had to I could go to a Joanne Fabrics or Michaels and buy my own material but that to me would not be convenient. I have to many guests over and the last thing I want to do is Velcro velvet around my screen before a movie starts. Or have to change it for the second movie we happen to watch that may have a different aspect ratio. I understand what $20 gets you but it is well worth it for me to do it by remote from my seat. Not only convenient but cool as well.


----------



## Axel

_Guys;

Sorry to interrupt the whole cost/pricing/value discussion you have going here....







_


--------------------------------------

David;


I was wondering if Carada had any plans to offer a masking system for the more and more popular CIH setups - preferably as an upgrade to an existing (Carada) screen.


Also I would appreciate if you could tell me what the distance is between masking and screen material. Reason I ask is if this is too much, the masking casts an undesired shadow on the screen. (I looked at your website and browsed through this thread but came up empty.)


Thanks!

____

Axel


----------



## David Giles

Hey Axel,


We don't have a CIH masking system in the works right now, although we do hope to at some point in the future. But I couldn't begin to tell you when it might be available.


Even though we don't have a system to fit your CIH screen, your next question is a good one and I'm sure others have the same question, so I'll give you the long answer. The distance between the screen material and the back of the masks depends on what screen you are using. The back of the masks will be approx. 2 1/2" from the back wall that the masking system is mounted on, so with a Criterion Series frame like you have (in which the surface material sits approx. 1/4" in front of the wall) the back of the masks would be approx. 2 1/4" in front of the viewing surface.


Aesthetically, a masking system/screen combination does look its best when the masks are close to the viewing surface. But in a darkened theater, from a PERFORMANCE perspective it makes little difference if your projector is basically inside the boundaries of your screen. The projector will shoot the light directly at the viewing surface (within the boundaries of the Masquerade's viewing aperture), and any "shadows" will be behind the masks and will have little impact on the viewing experience. Now if your projector is OUTSIDE the borders of the screen (and you're using lens shift to get the image back inside the screen-frame), then this would definitely be more of an issue. But if your projector is within the boundaries of your screen-frame (or at least very close) I don't think you would be unhappy with the results. I know that Joerod is using his Masquerade over a Vutec Silverstar whose viewing surface is INSET in his wall, and his masks are *more* than 2.5" from his viewing surface, so he can give you a firsthand opinion about shadows. Based on his posts here, he seems to be pretty happy.







And levansoft who posted earlier is using his Masquerade with a Da-Lite Imager screen (on which the viewing surface sits about 1" off the wall if memory serves me).


Now I'm not saying that having the masks sit as close to the viewing surface as possible isn't *desirable*, because ultimately that IS the sweetest looking setup aesthetically. When a customer buys a Masquerade AND a screen from us at the same time, we build a custom version of our Precision Series frame where we mount the viewing surface to the FRONT of the frame, and this configuration allows the masks to sit just 1/4" from the viewing surface. It makes the system look more like one integrated unit and less like a masking system mounted OVER a separate screen.


But when you mount a masking system over a pre-existing screen in which the viewing surface is mounted to the BACK of the screen-frame (like most nice screens on the market), obviously there is no way that the masks can sit extremely close to the viewing surface because the screen's frame is "in the way" and the masks have to clear that frame during deployment.


So if you want the slickest looking setup, you will need to buy an "integrated" screen/masking system where the screen is made specifically to fit up tight behind the masks (most manufacturers offer an "integrated" system like this). But for those who already *have* a screen that they want to keep (whether Carada, Stewart, Da-Lite, Vutec, etc.) an *add-on* masking system is an extremely nice way to get the same masking performance as a fully integrated system (and it still looks quite nice).


The cool thing about the Masquerade is that we offer it both ways - integrated with a custom-made Carada screen for the tightest possible appearance, OR as a stand-alone system that will fit the majority of fixed-frame screens on the market.










David Giles


----------



## R Harkness

As David knows I plan on buying a Masquerade system to do my vertical masking.


But I also have what I think might be a pretty cool idea for integrating side masking which, if successful, should provide some smooth blended aesthetics with the screen frame as well as getting the side masking as close as possible to the screen surface.


I'm going to make some visual sketches (via google's Sketchup) soon to show this idea and get comments.


----------



## Axel




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12838607
> 
> 
> Hey Axel,
> 
> 
> ....
> 
> David Giles




David;

Thanks for your comprehensive reply - much appreciated!

_____

Axel


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome Axel.


That sounds very interesting Rich. I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with.


David Giles


----------



## paulromi

Hello David, having the "eye" for the IR remote on the bottom right hand corner may not work for me. Would be it be possible to have this moved to a different location? I was thinking the upper right hand side.


----------



## joerod

If you don't mind explaining, why would that location not work for you? It is easy to hit from almost any location in my theater...


----------



## SOWK

Dave...


I plan on purchasing a 96" mask and matching screen



What are your turn around times?


Also what are some good Gift Certificate Codes I can use at the Checkout... hehe











Feel free to PM some anytime soon.


----------



## ericsilv

Dave any thought on making a less expensive frame like permwall for those who want to purchase a masking system and screen. No need for a nice frame covered in fabric if you’re going to cover it with the masking system


----------



## David Giles

Paul,


It is possible to move the IR sensor to another location on the *bottom* frame member, but *NOT* to any of the other frame members. When you get ready for your system send me an email and we can discuss your specific needs.




SOWK,


Right now we're quoting lead-time-to-ship on Masquerade systems of approx. 3 weeks, although that could certainly change in the future depending on demand.


Talk your sweetie into buying a Gift Certificate for you and you'll be all set.













Eric,


We're considering other frame options but at this point I couldn't say when something else might be available or how much it might cost.




David Giles


----------



## RONM

David,

I second Axel's idea of a 2.35:1 screen with integrated side

masking.Heck,make it a manual system to keep cost down.

When you think about it anyone who wants CIH wants/needs

side masking for 16:9 material.

I have no idea how many 2.35:1 screens you sell but I bet

a scope screen with built in side masking would be a big seller.

At the very least I know of one sale I could guarantee.


----------



## paulromi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/12842396
> 
> 
> If you don't mind explaining, why would that location not work for you? It is easy to hit from almost any location in my theater...



The config in my theater has a low ceiling, followed by a screen that I can't get any higher and a front row of seats. I'd like to be able to point my remote straight across at the screen instead of over the front row heads and down. - Unless it is very forgiving????


----------



## paulromi

Can somebody please you tube a video on this thing...I hate buying something site unseen. Especially for this many $$$$


----------



## levansoft

Looks like most people compare the price of Masquerade with the price of a screen. Let me explain my thoughts on the pricing from a different angle.


I would have spent another $7K (the cost of my old VW10HT) when I upgraded to a new projector. Instead, I picked up a Panny 2000 (


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for the additional votes for a constant-height system guys! I discussed that possibility briefly, but it was a few pages back so I'll address it again here for newcomers to this thread. We certainly hope to offer a CH system with side masking at some point in the future, but it will likely be quite some time before we have such a system ready for market. The Masquerade was specifically designed and optimized to be a native 16:9 2-way horizontal masking system (which covers about 90% of the home theater screens currently in use). Of course even though CH screens represent a relatively small percentage of the overall projection screen market, a large percentage of CH screen owners are obviously looking for the *ultimate* home theater experience (i.e. motorized masking)










Unfortunately the highly optimized Masquerade design isn't readily modifiable for side masking, so we'll have to basically start from scratch in designing a constant height system with side masking, and honestly right now we're too busy with scaling up production on the current version of the Masquerade to devote any significant time to R&D/engineering on a new version. I'm incredibly proud of the end results of all our hard work on the Masquerade and as mentioned earlier I'm an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to product design/engineering, which translates into looonnnggg product development lead times (we spent 13 months refining and perfecting the Masquerade AFTER we had the first working prototype). The fact is we need more engineering manpower!! Any *top-notch* mechanical engineers out there that would like to help design your dream constant-height masking system?







(*seriously* - any highly skilled ME's out there who love home theater and would like to work for a great company, send me a PM)


Anyway, again thanks for all the encouragement for a CH system and it's definitely at the top of our to-do list. Just please don't hold your breath waiting for it.










We hope to have a basic video available in the next week or so showing the Masquerade in action. Please don't expect Hollywood production quality, but hopefully it'll let everybody see with their own eyes what the Masquerade's all about.


David Giles


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *levansoft* /forum/post/12844278
> 
> 
> David offered to fly to my home to do it. But I insisted that I could handle it myself... Thank you for the offer, David!



You're welcome Levansoft! But did I forget to tell you about my $2,000 fee for in-home service??







Seriously, just so there isn't any misunderstanding, the Masquerade does *NOT* come with in-home service or installation. Levansoft lives in the northeast and I was really looking for an excuse to hit the ski slopes after a brief visit to his home.










David Giles


----------



## levansoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12844495
> 
> 
> You're welcome Levansoft! But did I forget to tell you about my $2,000 fee for in-home service??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously, just so there isn't any misunderstanding, the Masquerade does *NOT* come with in-home service or installation. Levansoft lives in the northeast and I was really looking for an excuse to hit the ski slopes after a brief visit to his home.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



I should have taken your offer so that you would have an excuse to fly here to ski. Don't worry about it. I'll see if I can try to break the system so that you can find another excuse to fly here.







Seriously, you are always welcome to visit my home when you come to NH.


----------



## paulromi

We hope to have a basic video available in the next week or so showing the Masquerade in action. Please don't expect Hollywood production quality, but hopefully it'll let everybody see with their own eyes what the Masquerade's all about.


David Giles[/quote]


I'm willing to wager it will boost your orders when you do....at least one from me!


----------



## oliverg

David, what do us poor Aussies do when we want to buy one of your masking systems??







On the website, "no international shipments"


----------



## David Giles

Oliver I'm afraid I don't have an answer as to "when", but I'm fairly certain that we *will* start shipping the Masquerade outside North America in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for checking though and don't give up!


David Giles


----------



## Spizz




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oliverg* /forum/post/12846779
> 
> 
> David, what do us poor Aussies do when we want to buy one of your masking systems??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the website, "no international shipments"



Get it shipped within the US to a reshipping company and then onto Australia if Carada haven't implemented International shipping yet. As long as it can be used on 240v power?


----------



## joerod

That's exactly what I would do.


----------



## paulromi

Do they annoy me??? You bet they do! I just placed my order yesterday and had the pleasure to speak with David. The customer always comes first with this company! I placed my order yesterday and am counting down the days until the masking system arrives. This will be my second order from Carada and the quality is the best I have ever seen, I'm sure their masking system will be the equally as good.


By the way this does seem to have the "Wife acceptance factor" as she thought it looked cool on the website. She didn't even ask how much - bless her soul.


----------



## R Harkness

There is a certain irony to the desire for a masking system, and even Constant Image Height systems, among AVS members.


Whenever an unfortunately newbie makes a post, in any forum, about "*Why do I have to put up with those annoying black bars?*" there is the inevitable pile-on the poor person. The poor, naive, HT-heathen is told how it preserves the aspect ration and "_why are you watching the black bars instead of the movie in the first place?_" is a common refrain.


But, aspect ratios aside, we can see those pesky "black bars" *are* annoying to many of us. They _do_ have a distraction/aesthetics factor to a smaller or greater degree. Once you see them banished, then you realise you don't want to live with them anymore than that newbie did.


That's what you get with a masking system, and being rid of the black bars is also a highly touted benefit within the CIH community (and AV writers) as well.


Just musing...


----------



## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/12868139
> 
> 
> There is a certain irony to the desire for a masking system, and even Constant Image Height systems, among AVS members.
> 
> 
> Whenever an unfortunately newbie makes a post, in any forum, about "*Why do I have to put up with those annoying black bars?*" there is the inevitable pile-on the poor person. The poor, naive, HT-heathen is told how it preserves the aspect ration and "_why are you watching the black bars instead of the movie in the first place?_" is a common refrain.
> 
> 
> But, aspect ratios aside, we can see those pesky "black bars" *are* annoying to many of us. They _do_ have a distraction/aesthetics factor to a smaller or greater degree. Once you see them banished, then you realise you don't want to live with them anymore than that newbie did.
> 
> 
> That's what you get with a masking system, and being rid of the black bars is also a highly touted benefit within the CIH community (and AV writers) as well.
> 
> 
> Just musing...



As with many things in life there are compromises. Many that want to preserve OAR "put up with" the black bars. If you gave those same ppl a choice with compromising the image vs black bars they support OAR.


My belief is if digital projectors provide deep inky blacks similar to CRT, I think many would be less likely to pay for masking...it's the difference between the black felt frame, the lessor black letterboxing that draws attention to itself and thereby providing a need for masking. If the letterbox bars were truely black then the eyes wouldn't be drawn to it and there wouldn't be an issue.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/12869702
> 
> 
> 
> My belief is if digital projectors provide deep inky blacks similar to CRT, I think many would be less likely to pay for masking...it's the difference between the black felt frame, the lessor black letterboxing that draws attention to itself and thereby providing a need for masking. If the letterbox bars were truely black then the eyes wouldn't be drawn to it and there wouldn't be an issue.



The only problem I see with that is: The Room.


Admittedly it's been many years since I've seen a CRT projector, but whatever the technology, I'd expect the room to be a factor: i.e. as more bright area appears on the screen reflections of light surfaces in the room back to raise the black levels, hence the black borders would fluctuate in level - sometimes pitch dark, other times not. Hence even with CRT I'd presume masking could be a benefit. Or with digitals if they get to those black levels. The vast majority of people don't create bat-caves and will not have a room that would make for consistant black levels/black bars.


If the above is somehow not the case in practice, I'd be curious why. (And I'm sure there must be cases of CRT projector owners who feel perfectly happy without masking and that the black bars are plenty "black enough"...but since I'm so used to masking I might disagree if I watched the same images).


----------



## gooomz

How come Carada does not make high gain screens like 2.8 Da lite?


----------



## paulromi

I still remember the wow factor when watching movies at the theater and the motorized masking moved into place when the feature started. As silly as it sounds I want that in my theater! I also added the remote control dimming lights The motorized curtains might be next. The same principal applied when I got rid of my microwave popcorn and bought a $400.00 popcorn machine.

I want to enjoy the entire experience and am willing to pay for it. The biggest compliment I get is when my guest say that my basement is just like the movie theater.


----------



## joerod

Same here.










My goal is to deliver a true movie theater experience with better popcorn, no people on cellphones, more comfortable seating and of course better sound and picture Q.


----------



## paulromi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/12873567
> 
> 
> Same here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My goal is to deliver a true movie theater experience with better popcorn, no people on cellphones, more comfortable seating and of course better sound and picture Q.




Thank you - I'm glad there is someone else out there who has the same goal. All the constant back and forth theory about which speaker wire is better, Blu Ray or HD, CIH, or whatever is getting a little old.


----------



## joerod

That's why frequent breaks from AVS is sometimes needed...


----------



## paulromi

But where would I find out about all the new toys that are available for me to buy










My wife would love it I never cruised the forums.


----------



## levansoft

I stayed away from AVS for a long time after I finished my home theater 7 years ago. My wife was very happy during that period.


----------



## joerod

I'm next!


----------



## Chuck1906

Paul you should have gone to the CES show in Las Vegas. You would have seen all the new "toys" up close and personal. You can find the same things online. Theres a ton of websites out there...


----------



## paulromi

You don't think I work all day do you??? There sometimes has been a litte surfing done during the day.

I was thinking of going to CES next year & probably drive back with a semi trailer full of stuff. lol


Well it's been 6 days since my order was put in. Everybody please don't bother David while he is building mine. lol


----------



## R Harkness

*Question for Masquerade owners or anyone from Carada:*


Can you _fully close_ the masking all the way, so the masks come together covering the entire screen surface...or do the masks not extend that far?


(That may seem like an odd question, but it relates to how I may set this screen up decor-wise when not in use.


Thanks.


----------



## joerod

It actually goes to 2.40:1... Not all the way...


----------



## R Harkness

Ahhh...drat. It makes sense of course that it wouldn't close all the way.


Ok, that's what I needed to know. Thanks joerod.


----------



## David Giles

Actually it goes all the way to *2.70:1* but no further. Early in the design phase we considered building the Masquerade with the capability to close the masks all the way together (covering the entire screen surface). But there just weren't enough pros to offset the cons - additional raw material cost, larger frame dimensions needed to accommodate all the extra masking material rolled up on the rollers (which would limit installation flexibility), extra shipping weight, etc. etc.


Sorry Rich!











David Giles


----------



## Chad T

Can you mask Ben-Hur? I believe that movie is 2.76AR.


----------



## David Giles

No, on Ben Hur with the Masquerade's masks fully deployed, you would still have very tiny black bars above and below the image . For example, on a 110" diagonal screen, the un-masked black bars with Ben Hur should each be approximately 3/8 of an inch tall.


David Giles


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12933031
> 
> 
> Actually it goes all the way to *2.70:1* but no further. Early in the design phase we considered building the Masquerade with the capability to close the masks all the way together (covering the entire screen surface). But there just weren't enough pros to offset the cons - additional raw material cost, larger frame dimensions needed to accommodate all the extra masking material rolled up on the rollers (which would limit installation flexibility), extra shipping weight, etc. etc.
> 
> 
> Sorry Rich!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



No problem. That's what I figured and it makes sense. As it turned out, after responding to joerod's post I went back to my room and cogitated some more. It's been incredibly difficult balancing the demands of getting "high performance" from my projected image with integrating it into a living room.


But I finally had my "aha" moment and figured out a solution that, if it works, will be the best solution to practically every concern I've been having.


Which makes my original question about the Masquerade moot (I still plan on

getting one).


----------



## joerod

Sorry, I left and while I was driving I wondered if I typed 2.40:1 or 2.70:1. Damn, I did type the wrong one!







It closes far enough so protecting my screen has never been an issue here with my two Germans... Rocco & Duke...


----------



## MGNiko

My Masquerade arrived last Friday and I love it! Setup was fairly easy but I had trouble with the directions as one set arrived with my screen and another with the Masquerade. I sent an IM to David for help and he called me right back.....at 9pm on a Friday night! Carada is fixing the instruction issue and once we made adjustments all is well.


I had NO IDEA that the mask would make such a big difference on the picture. Yes I had learned to ignore the grey bars. BUT the POP that the mask gives the image where the bars would usually intrude is just amazing. Watching 2.35 movies has never been better and I'm loving it










What I will be most curious about is how long the motor will last, and when it does wears out, can it be easily fixed? With such a big investment you definately want the product to work as advertised for a decade; not just a year or two. I watch a lot of movies & the motor will get quite a work out.


----------



## paulromi

I had the same questions about the motor and David assured me that if you are a handy person it can be replaced easily. I believe he mentioned that it is the same motor manufacturer that stewart and da-lite use as well. I personally was comforted from the conversation I had with him. I did proceed with my order after that. Should be shipped tomorrow hopefully.


It kind of made me think of my garage door opener - it gets used all the time and its still going after 9 years of use. I don't think this will give out.


----------



## David Giles

Hey Niko I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying your Masquerade! It *is* amazing how much difference the masking really makes isn't it?







Again I apologize for the confusion with the instructions, and we'll definitely refine those a bit to make them more clear.



> Quote:
> What I will be most curious about is how long the motor will last, and when it does wears out, can it be easily fixed? With such a big investment you definately want the product to work as advertised for a decade; not just a year or two. I watch a lot of movies & the motor will get quite a work out.



That's a fair question because the Masquerade is a new product for us and it clearly doesn't have a long track record that we can point to. *But* we use a Somfy motor in the Masquerade and Somfy has an *excellent* track record. Somfy is the industry leader in tubular motors and their motors are used in the vast majority of high-end projection screen products on the market, including masking systems costing 5-10 times as much as the Masquerade (not to mention millions of window shades, blinds, awnings, and other high-end motorized home automation equipment) and they're known for being highly reliable. Obviously I can't say that the motor in your Masquerade will *never* die, but I seriously don't think you need to be overly concerned about it. Hopefully by the time that happens you'll be ready to upgrade to the Carada Personal HolodeckTM anyway.










David Giles


----------



## paulromi

My masquerade arrived yesterday









I was up late installing it and got to play around with it a bit. Going back to work today on 5 hours sleep was hard.









I was blown away by the masquerade. I absolutely love it!!! My wife was impressed by the difference in the viewing experience as well. (That is a big statement coming from my wife).


David's help throughout the buying process was great as always - I was also very impressed with the great customer service Rex provided. This is a great company to deal with. I will post a full review in a couple of days along with pictures.


----------



## R Harkness

Hey Masquerade Owners (or David Giles)...


Just out of curiosity, is the masking material that slides down to change aspect ratios the same "black hole" material used for the screen frame?


Thanks.


----------



## paulromi

I'm not sure what it is made of inside but it is covered with the black hole material.


----------



## joerod

It sure is. Which is another reason why it has such an awesome effect!


----------



## R Harkness

Thank you.


I'm so insanely jealous and impatient when reading about all you folks who have a Masquerade screen and a projector.


This process of getting my HT project even started is just torturous. It's like a rubics cube of complexity, every step taking so looooong. I'm already out of patience and that's not a good thing...


----------



## paulromi

I know what you mean...It has been about three years now and I told my wife I think I am JUST about done. I don't want those words to haunt me on future purchases because my wife never forgets a word I say.










This masquerade changes the whole look of my theater room when watching a movie. It is an awesome effect.


----------



## R Harkness

The thing is I've made it extra hard on myself. I'm trying to put all this into a front living room, yet I'm trying to end up with a room with maximum performance characteristics (lack of reflectivity etc), so that's a tough nut to crack right there. Then add to that the fact I want 4 way masking because I'll be varying my image sizes! The Masquerade takes care of the vertical masking but I've gone through many contortions trying to work out the side masking (many limitations in my room make it hard). I think I've just worked out a side masking system, with pre-sets, that will integrate aesthetically with the Masquerade. Now it's time to go from drawings to reality...


A few times I've thought of throwing in the towel, that I'm asking too much, and knocking back my criteria and expectations. But if I'm going to as much trouble as it already takes to wire up and prepare the room to become our Home Theater, it would likely eat away at me if I didn't try to get all I want at this crucial period of putting it together.


----------



## Mit07




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *paulromi* /forum/post/13063672
> 
> 
> This masquerade changes the whole look of my theater room when watching a movie. It is an awesome effect.



WOW, I'm glad I found this thread.










I recently painted my screen wall flat black and the impact it made on my viewing experience was unbelievable. When I watch HD material in my room, the image seems to float on the wall. Without a doubt the best inexpensive tweak I have ever make to my system/room.


Yesterday I watched a 1.85:1 aspect ratio movie with my daughter (Daddy Day Camp). OK...the movie wasn't geat - but I truely look forward to Friday night watching movies with my daughter regardless of what we watch.







After she went to bed I watched 3:10 to Yuma. Loved the movie...but something was missing.


Well...Yuma is a 2:35 aspect ratio movie. The black bars meant that my image wasn't floating on the wall...it was projecting between the black/grey bars










I NEED a masquerade!







Thanks for the mini reviews by Joerod, Jon V, levansoft, paulromi and others.


Now I just have to come up the the $2500 or so.


I have a 106" Dalite perm wall with HCCV material. Please let me know if the Masquerade is easy enough to install, or should I be looking at getting professional help?


----------



## paulromi

Install was very easy. I took about 1 - 1.5 hours. Make sure you have someone helping you as it is a little difficult to hang in place and to connect the bottom piece to the top by yourself. The hardest part was unpacking it because trust me - this thing is well packed. It travelled thousands of miles to Calgary Alberta without a scratch.


----------



## Mit07




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/13064008
> 
> 
> Then add to that the fact I want 4 way masking because I'll be varying my image sizes! .




Rich, I thought you were planning on a CIH system. I'm confused, why is vertical masking needed with CIH? I guess I have much more to learn...


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mit07* /forum/post/13102829
> 
> 
> Rich, I thought you were planning on a CIH system. I'm confused, why is vertical masking needed with CIH? I guess I have much more to learn...



I _was_ planning on a CIH system, but now I'm on to something crazier.

















I plan on a variable image size system (closer to a Constant Image Area concept...although more variable). So I'm planning 4 way masking. The Masquerade will handle the hard part - vertical masking. Now I'm trying to come up with the best solution to integrate masking from the sides.


I'll be buying a rilly, rilly big screen so hopefully I'll never feel like "I wish I went bigger." I'd like to watch movies at whatever size looks good for that movie/source quality, and have the mega-size image available to me as needed too.


----------



## Mit07




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/13103150
> 
> 
> I _was_ planning on a CIH system, but now I'm on to something crazier.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .



So, I am right in assuming that vertical masking is not needed with CIH?


Your "crazier" concept sounds interesting. Essentially project any size image the source demands and mask to suit?


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mit07* /forum/post/13103646
> 
> 
> So, I am right in assuming that vertical masking is not needed with CIH?



Yep.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mit07* /forum/post/13103646
> 
> 
> Your "crazier" concept sounds interesting. Essentially project any size image the source demands and mask to suit?



Yep.


I think Constant Image Height set ups are an incredibly cool concept. Essentially, though, it's my view that in going CIH from a Constant Height (typical 16:9 screen) set up, you end up switching compromises to a certain degree. In one you are optimising the visual impact for 16:9/1:85:1 content, in the other you are optimising visual impact for 2:35:1 CinemaScope content.


I'm trying to optimize for both.







Closer to a Constant Area approach, although more variable - I'd like to be able to vary the image size for whatever will get the best experience out of a particular film (e.g. if it's a poor transfer I can watch it smaller for a better picture; if it's an excellent transfer/HD source I can watch it much larger, or vary the image size depending on whether I want an "epic-size" experience or a more intimate

size. The price I'll pay for this is having the extra steps of zooming the image in and out.


In my case the Carada Masquerade will do the harder-to-achieve vertical masking. The side masking is somewhat simpler from a DIY perspective.


----------



## Mit07




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/13109662
> 
> 
> Yep.
> 
> 
> I'm trying to optimize for both.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Closer to a Constant Area approach, although more variable - I'd like to be able to vary the image size for whatever will get the best experience out of a particular film (e.g. if it's a poor transfer I can watch it smaller for a better picture; if it's an excellent transfer/HD source I can watch it much larger, or vary the image size depending on whether I want an "epic-size" experience or a more intimate
> 
> size. The price I'll pay for this is having the extra steps of zooming the image in and out.
> 
> 
> .



Are there any AVSers doing this? Please point me toward the forum discussion if one exists. Thanks.


----------



## tds1

When is the Masquerade / Carada screen AVSForum group buy/discount planned? Would love to buy the combo but trying to stretch the budget as far as possible.


----------



## barryle




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tds1* /forum/post/13114424
> 
> 
> When is the Masquerade / Carada screen AVSForum group buy/discount planned? Would love to buy the combo but trying to stretch the budget as far as possible.




That would suprise me if they do a group buy discount. I have been doing a lot of research on screens and masking systems and without a doubt Carada offers an exceptional screen at a great price.


There masking system is only $2500 while others start at $9000. A quality screen is an investment in your home and adds value. A good screen will last you many years and is not subject to obsolesence like a projector. Put your money into a good screen. The way technology is you will be changing projectors many times over the life of your Carada screen.


Carada sells direct and thats how they are able to sell such high quality screens at unbelievable prices. No additional dealer and or distributor markups. Also when you buy Carada you get the expert knowledge, help and experience of David Giles and Rex Bittle.


Now those are two quality individuals.


----------



## joerod

And for their 2500 Masquerade you get what looks like a nice commercial product. Everyone is still stunned when they see it go into action. I don't say anything to people anymore just mask the movie when it starts. We were at the cinema the other day watching Book Of Secrets and they Masked the screen when it started. My daughter said out loud OUR SCREEN DOES THAT AT HOME. I though that was so funny...


----------



## Rex Bittle

Out of the mouths of babes!!







Sounds like we have a future customer there in her own home one day.


----------



## joerod

Or a future saleperson. She enjoys showing our guests how it works. And she has gotten very good at it to.


----------



## R Harkness

joerod,


Do you find yourself mostly using the "16:9" and "2:35:1" pre-set buttons, or do you also find yourself doing much manual jogging of the masking?


----------



## barryle

Received an email from Rex at Carada that my Masquerade is on its way.

Im so excited. After alot of research and talking to David Giles and Rex Bittle I decided that this was the company I wanted to do business with.


There screens are Great Quality at reasonable prices.

Not only do they sell direct where you save the additional dealer and or distributor markups but more importantly you talk to experts that truly know the sceen business. Not many companies where the owner (David Giles) takes such an interest in his customers that he personally talks to them.


Will have more to post when I receive my Masquerade and install it.


Thanks again David and Rex for your advise.


----------



## David Giles

And thank *you* for your support Barry!


Rich since you didn't get an answer to your question I thought I'd chime in. Whenever I watch a 2.35:1 movie (or any "widescreen" movie with an aspect ratio *close* to 2.35:1) I hit the 2.35:1 button when I first see the black bars at the beginning of the movie. Then if the movie doesn't exactly fit the un-masked screen area I give the appropriate Jog button a quick push to open or close the masks as necessary. Later if I watch something with a 1.78:1 or 1.85:1 aspect ratio I just hit the 16:9 button to fully open the masks. If the movie is 1.85:1 and your projector's overscan is set to zero (in which case there will be tiny black bars above and below the image) then you can hit the appropriate Jog button once or twice to deploy the masks just enough to cover those tiny bars. So although the 16:9 and 2.35:1 buttons do get used the most, you will use the Jog buttons quite a bit as well.


David Giles


----------



## R Harkness

Perfect David. Thanks!


----------



## Driving_Hamster

I'm almost done saving up my pennies for the Masquerade







. It the carpet quotes come in on budget in about a month or so then it's game on.


Not planning on telling the wife what this is. Hoping to have a neighboor help me install it and watch the wife's face when I fire it off for the first time in front of her.


Prewired for the Masquerade on the screen wall already. Can't wait.


----------



## joerod

It will be worth every penny...


----------



## R Harkness

This thread is so torturous to me. I can't wait to order my Masquerade but turning my living room into a home theater is proving to be a satanic Rubik's cube of aesthetic/practical/financial factors that keeps things moving at a snails pace.


I'll just live vicariously through the satisfaction of Masquerade owners until I can pull the trigger.


----------



## joerod

You post here enough so that I can't wait until you get one.











Seriously, you will love it...


----------



## paulromi

You WILL love it - this has been the best addition to my HT. My review is still coming - we went through a flu bug in our household so we were out of commission for a while.


----------



## Jon V

Hey Rich, it must be difficult being a perfectionist - I just plow ahead, make mistakes and fix 'em later I'm really curious what you are planning for side masking -motorized curtains, painted cardboard?


btw, i've enjoyed many of your posts over the years, especially 'polishing a turd'. I polished mine shortly thereafter, with beneficial effects.


Regards,

JV


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jon V* /forum/post/13248817
> 
> 
> Hey Rich, it must be difficult being a perfectionist - I just plow ahead, make mistakes and fix 'em later I'm really curious what you are planning for side masking -motorized curtains, painted cardboard?
> 
> 
> btw, i've enjoyed many of your posts over the years, especially 'polishing a turd'. I polished mine shortly thereafter, with beneficial effects.
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> JV



LOL. Nice to be remembered for the "rat" and the "turd."










Yeah, it's brutal being obsessed with good performance, as many on this forum know. A pal of mine just doesn't care as much and gets everything done more quickly and cheaply, and he's happy as a clam.


Since you asked, and in case others are interested:


A design I'm looking at for side masking is to use a sliding panel system to the sides of the screen, in a "come-along" configuration. Sometimes such panels are used as room dividers, which slide out to divide a room, and they are also used as a form of window shades for glass doorways, tall floor-to-ceiling windows etc.


I will have about 12" from the edge of the Carada Masquerade frame to the side wall. The idea is that 3 (or 4) 11 inch-wide side panels will stack behind each other into that space on each side of the screen, attached to an automated rolling panel rail (already sourced - I can even make a bunch of pre-sets to have the panels stop at various image widths). So when they are activated by the remote control one panel starts to slide along the screen, pulling the next one after it, and the next, so they all extend out to one larger side panel.

It's a great way of dealing with limited space to the sides of the screen and should in the end look a little neater and more trim vs

doing the masking with curtains (and also allowing for a closer-to-the-screen edge: see below).


Then there is the issue of the depth of the Masquerade screen frame and trying to get the side masking panels closer to the screen, so as to avoid shadowing. My idea (working with an architect pal on my room) is to have the first panel beveled toward the screen surface - exactly mimicking the bevelling of the side of the Masquerade screen frame. This inner edge of the

masking panel will actually always reside _inside the inner edge of the Masquerade frame_. You might say it sort of mimics and replaces (over-top) the side column of the Masquerade frame, becoming the new side of the frame (using the same or similar black frame material to wrap the masking panel).


So the first panel's edge is bevelled, like the rest of the screen frame, right toward the screen surface (but riding just above the Masquerade's vertical masking panels, which will be closest to the screen surface). And it just moves along the screen surface, pulling the rest of the black masking panels, as required for a given required screen width. This bevelled masking panel will likely be made of a thin, stiff metal so it's not a bulky

thick board but fits right over the Masquerade screen frame relatively unobtrusively and hopefully blended in - at least under the darker conditions under which the masking would be deployed. The whole shebang, the screen and masking system, will be covered by curtains when not in use - themselves automated open and closed depending on whether we are watching a movie or not.


Will it work? We'll see. Still working on the design but most things are sourced and it's looking feasible.


Rich


----------



## Jon V

Holy cow Rich - are you related to Rube Goldberg? That's even more involved than i imagined. How about if you just have David make 2 masks for you? The second one could be 9x16 AR, rotated 90 degrees and mounted over the first one.


If you are looking for a totally non-reflective material to cover your sliding panels, FPI-Protostar.com has some sticky-backed sheets of "flocked light trap" stuff that could be applied. It's 99% non-reflective, used for lining the inside of telescopes and stuff like that. Its not as black as black velvet, so it wouldn't match decoratively but i assume it would be behind the curtains anyway. Will the great and terrible Oz be back there as well  ?


----------



## paulromi

It has been about 1 month since I have installed the Carada Masquerade into my home theater and I believe it is one of the better additions I have made.







This was installed over top of a Criterion screen by Carada as well.




When the box arrived I wasn't home, my wife had to help the Fedex delivery guy bring this into the house. I will let you know that the Fedex guy was re- thinking his career choice at that point because this box was heavy. When I got home I started to unpack the contents. This is packed very well and there was no damage at all to the contents - I took each piece into the basement to get ready for install.


Install was very easy -when the top hanging bracket was on I called my wife to put help the top piece of the masquerade onto the bracket. The next step was to take the bottom piece, unfold the arms and hook them to the top piece. I tried this by myself but it was too hard for just one person to hook the "eyes" of the side bars to the bolts on the top piece. I called my wife down to help with this. After this it was smooth sailing. The wiring was a no brainer. Putting the side panels caused some problems for me because I had recently installed new Axiom inwalls on each side of my screen and I didn't have enough room for the maquerade.







. It took about 1 hour to get the speakers moved over and I could install the side panels and I was good to go. Not including my speaker issues the install took about 1.5 - 2 hours which included the unpacking.


The first movie I tried was The Rock on Blu-ray. I played around with the remote and when the bars moved into place the difference was jaw dropping. I have gone through my movie collection and have rewatched many of my favorites just to experience this effect. I like most people had a little sticker shock when i saw the price but once I saw this in action it was worth every penny. The build quality is nothing short of amazing - everything fit together perfectly. For those future buyers in Canada - I will let you know that this is duty free and you are only responsible for the GST.


I have also learned the codes into my pronto remote and have tried many variations of IR code timings so I could create macro's to have multiple step jogs of the masquerade. For example, I have buttons labeled 2 jogs, 3 jogs, 4 jogs, 5 jogs etc created on my remote with many variations allowing the masquerade to move up or down.


Thanks Carada for another great product!


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for the write-up paulromi. Glad you're enjoying the Masquerade! Now how about some pics?










David Giles


----------



## RAZ ATACK

Man I have to save some $$$ because I want one of these!!!!

Thanks for the reviews now I want one more..

STEVE


----------



## David Giles

Steve I noticed that your location is Chicago. You might want to send a PM to Joerod . He lives near Chicago and has a Masquerade that he might be willing to audition for you.


David Giles


----------



## paulromi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/13311275
> 
> 
> Thanks for the write-up paulromi. Glad you're enjoying the Masquerade! Now how about some pics?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



Ok David, I'm trying to get some decent pics....but due to the black hole fabric it blends so well it doesn't photograph all that good.


----------



## joerod

I know. That Black Hole material is so black!


----------



## Jim1921

After seeing all the strong Carada recommendations and the raves on the new masquerade system, I have decided to make the move. The order was placed earlier this week and I am looking forward to getting this set up in the new HT!


Thanks Rex for spending time on the phone answering my questions.


----------



## joerod

You will not be disappointed!


----------



## Rex Bittle




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jim1921* /forum/post/13365269
> 
> 
> After seeing all the strong Carada recommendations and the raves on the new masquerade system, I have decided to make the move. The order was placed earlier this week and I am looking forward to getting this set up in the new HT!
> 
> 
> Thanks Rex for spending time on the phone answering my questions.



You're very welcome Jim. I have enjoyed working with you. Thank you very much for your business!! You'll be hearing from us again soon when your Masquerade ships out.


----------



## paulromi

You will love it!


----------



## Scrimpin

I'm trying to figure out what the difference is between the MMS screen and the Precision screen. Both are same price. Initially I thought that the MMS snapped onto the Masquerade frame but from reading the install notes it sounds like it has a frame. Confused?


----------



## Rex Bittle

Hi Scrimpin,


The MMS Series projection screen is similar to the Precision Series screen but is designed specifically for the Masquerade with the screen surface material snapped to the front of the frame. That puts the screen surface as close to the masks of the Masquerade as it can be. This eliminates any chance of shadowing that might be caused by the masks on a screen surface that is set further back. Also, the MMS Series screen looks more integrated with the Masquerade for that "one-piece" appearance. But it actually mounts to the wall surface independently just like a Carada Criterion Series and Precision Series projection screen or as many of our competitors' screens too.


Currently the pricing for the MMS Series screen is the same as the Precision Series screens as you noted.


----------



## Scrimpin

Sounds really sweet...........but is going to take some work to get the WAF in place. One thought is to spring for the Masquerade with BW screen and some other environment adjustments to improve contrast. The 1.4 gain BW will likely get me some more mileage out of my HS-20 ............ What do others think?


Masquerade + HS-20 or Epson 1080UB + DIY (Behr SS)


----------



## Jim1921

The MMS screen and the masquerade system arrived today. The bad news is that the drywall guy messed up last weekend and I had to fire him. The replacement crew has just finished up and I still need to do considerable work to the room before I am ready to hang the screen. I am hoping to get this thing up in the next 7 to 10 days and can't wait!


By the way, the box/crate for the masquerade is very impressive (and also heavy).


----------



## Jim1921

I have almost everything installed, but have a couple questions. I ordered the masquerade without the attached power cord. Do the electricians hook up the power to the last two screw sets on the power block (the two closest to the wall)? Also, do you connect the ground wire to anything?


Also, when connecting straps to the bottom bar, I noticed that the mask is slightly above the masquerade frame. Do I adjust the straps so that it is just below the frame?


----------



## David Giles

Hey Jim,


Yes your electrician will connect power to the two open holes on the terminal block. He will run the "hot" lead (normally black) to the terminal block opening opposite the preinstalled black wire that runs to the control board, and he will run the "neutral" lead (normally white) to the terminal block opening opposite the preinstalled white wire that runs to the control board. He can wire-nut the ground wire directly to the green motor wire OR he can run the ground wire to the BACK side of the terminal block opposite the word GREEN on the label (he'll have to temporarily remove the terminal block to do this) and then attach the green motor wire to the opening on the front side of the terminal block next to the word GREEN (and then reattach the terminal block to the chassis).


The straps are probably just a bit "drawn up" from being folded during packaging. I'd let them sit over night and they'll probably be right in the morning (as you surmised, the top of the bottom mask should be just slightly below the edge of the fascia). But if the bottom mask is still a bit high, it's very easy to adjust it by simply sliding the buckles downward. Hold onto the back of the strap below the buckle with one hand and gently slide the buckle down with your other hand. If you over-adjust, it's just as easy to slide the buckle back up to raise the mask.


Let me know if you have any other questions (although I'm about to call it a night, so if you do have any other questions I'll have to get back with you in the morning). Thanks Jim, and I'll look forward to hearing how you like the system!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Jim1921

Thanks David. I will let you know how it goes.


Jim


----------



## Jim1921

Well, the masquerade is up and running. I would have posted last night, but I sat up until 2:00 in the morning watching a few movies. In short, it was worth every penny! The visual impact is more profound than any other option I can think of. Also, the build quality is top notch. For those in the Atlanta area that want a demo, I should have the rest of my room finished up by the end of April.


David and Rex - Thanks again.



Jim


----------



## David Giles

Glad to hear you're pleased Jim! Thank you again for your business, and a *special* thanks for offering to demo your theater to other AVS members in your area. Anyone within a reasonable drive distance of Atlanta should definitely take Jim up on his kind offer (at least when his theater is complete).


David Giles


----------



## likemav

I received my Masquerade a couple weeks ago and just finished the installation of it and the MMS screen (custom verson with screen material on the front of frame). WOW! This setup says "I am VERY serious about home theater". Very very impressive...


I am not much of a do-it-yourselfer, or at least I have bungled my share of projects that _should_ dictate I ought not attemt DIY projects. Well, I tackled the Masquerade, and I "got 'er done". It took me and a helper several hours, but that included unpacking (runreal packing by the way), figureing out where exactly it was to go, installing the MMS screen, and finally installing the Masquerade. All went well with only some minor hiccups. I snapped a couple screws driving them into wall studs, and I took LOTS of time to be sure I understood the directions and measured/marked everything perfectly. When all was finished, I thought "that was pretty easy"......or at least is was pretty straightforward.


A recommendation would be to include the information David posted in #255 regarding the wiring in the installation instructions. Luckily I had read that post and remembered it when I went to make the connections. Hacks like me would not have figured that out (or might have done it differently) without those instructions.


What people have said about the improvements in the overall picture are spot on! I had my doubts that it was THAT good, but it really does make an obvious improvement when watching wider aspect ratio content. The ability to "mask" with a touch of a button is awesome! I love it and think the Masquerade is worth every penny. It is an incredible product, and the custom MMS screen that goes with it is a no brainer if you don't already have a screen (and even then, you might want to go this route too).


Color me VERY satisfied...


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for another great review likemav! We're definitely going to put the hardwiring details in the instructions ASAP.


> Quote:
> When all was finished, I thought "that was pretty easy"......or at least is was pretty straightforward.



That's exactly the kind of installation experience we were trying to ensure with the Masquerade's unique design. We unpacked, assembled, and installed SEVERAL competing systems early in our R&D phase, so we're very familiar with the hair-pulling that can go along with installing some masking systems.







So I'm pretty happy with a grade of "pretty straightforward" (and *almost* easy).









likemav said:


> Quote:
> I love it and think the Masquerade is worth every penny


Jim1921 said


> Quote:
> In short, it was worth every penny!



Couldn't resist quoting those comments since we've taken so much heat regarding the price of the Masquerade.










Thanks again guys!


David Giles


----------



## whiskey alpha

I just have to chime in here and give some big thanks to Carada. I ordered my Criterion series screen late last year and they were the best company I have ever had the opportunity to work with. Rex was awesome in answering all my emails. My installer had never heard of Carada. But he has now and is recommending them to his clients.


Thank you for making a great product and having outstanding customer service!


----------



## BOM

Does anybody know what the minimum recommended clearance is between the top edge of the Masquerade frame and the ceiling? With past screens I needed about 1 inch to fit an allen wrench for mounting purposes.


----------



## David Giles

Thanks Whiskey!!


BOM, the minimum clearance between the top of the Masquerade and your ceiling is 3/4" (there are no external fasteners on the Masquerade AT ALL - the clearance is simply needed to hook the top structure over the wall bracket).


David Giles


----------



## BOM




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/13589409
> 
> 
> ...the minimum clearance between the top of the Masquerade and your ceiling is 3/4" (there are no external fasteners on the Masquerade AT ALL - the clearance is simply needed to hook the top structure over the wall bracket).
> 
> 
> David Giles



Thanks David... I just ordered a Masquerade/MMS in BW (and will report back when I install it). With a ceiling height of just under 8' and a second row riser, mounting height is critical to this application. The external fasteners on the last (diff brand) screen posed a problem since there is a wall mounted center speaker plate that is height sensitive too.


----------



## David Giles

Okay cool. Since height is so critical I thought I'd give you those exact numbers. The assembled height of your system will be 64.5", so with the extra clearance needed at the top, the MINIMUM distance from your ceiling to the *bottom* of the Masquerade frame will be 65 1/4". Let me know if you have any questions about that.


Thanks BOM!


David Giles


----------



## BOM

That's exactly what I came up with. Thanks for validating it and for laying it all out there on your (well done btw) website.


----------



## buddahead




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/13607465
> 
> 
> Okay cool. Since height is so critical I thought I'd give you those exact numbers. The assembled height of your system will be 64.5", so with the extra clearance needed at the top, the MINIMUM distance from your ceiling to the *bottom* of the Masquerade frame will be 65 1/4". Let me know if you have any questions about that.
> 
> 
> Thanks BOM!
> 
> 
> David Giles
























That leaves me out of having the Masquerade David.







.My current Carada screen only has 1in space between my drop ceiling.DAM.Well maybe a new 2.35 screen would work







BOB


----------



## David Giles

Yeah if you only have 1" of space above your screen, and if you aren't able or willing to move your screen down, then unfortunately you won't be able to accommodate a Masquerade (or any other automated masking system on the market I would dare say).


But as you mentioned, a 2.35:1 system might fit your space perfectly because of the reduced height of the screen. Of course we don't have a 2.35:1 version of the Masquerade available currently, but keep your eyes peeled...










David Giles


----------



## RufEdge

Eyes peeled !!!

hmmmm ... how long should I hold them?

Side masking will be huge for us height challenged HT's ( was that PC? )


Bean spilling time has come ...


----------



## Axel

David;

Like probably a lot of others I would love to see a Carada CIH / side masking option.

I am still looking for something to up fit my 10.5' wide 2.35 Criterion. Thus far people seem to end up with either home brewed albeit some of them very nice DIY versions or on the other hand of the spectrum with some very expensive high end solutions. There seem to be no offerings for the segment in between (yet). While I have come across some promising products here in the forum, thus far there are nothing more than vapor ware at best







.


Carada to the rescue!

____

Axel


----------



## David Giles

Well I don't want to spill *too* many beans right now, but we are working on a CIH version of the Masquerade. It will have side masks that drop down from the top to mask the 2.35:1 viewing surface for 16:9 content, and the price should be very much in the ballpark of our current 16:9 Masquerade systems. Of course if the customer would rather have the system built with a native aspect ratio of 2.37:1 or 2.40:1 that won't be a problem. And if the customer would rather have the sides masks built to perfectly mask 1.85:1 content rather than 16:9 content that won't be a problem either (that would be my personal choice as I watch far more 1.85:1 movies than I do 16:9 HDTV, but the choice will be up to the customer).


This system will be based on the same architecture as the current Masquerade, so the same space requirements will apply. As far as how long you'll have to keep your eyes peeled, I can't say exactly when it will be available (I hate vaporware as much as the next person) but we plan to have it ready before the end of summer, and hopefully sooner than that.


Later we may work on a CIH system with masks that slide in and out from the sides (with independent motors on each side) for fully variable masking of ALL aspect ratios between 2.40:1 and 1.33:1, but that system will take significantly longer to design and will no doubt cost a good bit more than the system described above.


Those are all the beans I have to spill right now










David Giles


----------



## Axel

David;

Thanks for the update. Summer is not too far away.... - that's good news.

However, I was hoping for a masking system, where the masking would horizontally slide in from the sides and hence allowing for various AR, e.g. 2.35, 16:9, 4:3, or anything in between. The ways it sounds from your post this will not be possible. Hopefully I have misunderstood your post.


_____

Axel


----------



## David Giles

Hey Axel,


No you understood my post correctly. The system that we plan to introduce first will NOT have masks that slide horizontally, and therefore it will NOT be capable of "infinitely-variable-width" masking. The side masks will be a pre-set width and will drop down from inside the top structure. So the system will have two settings; one where the masks are fully retracted up inside the top structure to reveal the full viewing surface (which will be 2.35:1, 2.37: 2.40:1 etc.); and one where the masks are fully deployed (all the way down) to mask the screen to ONE specific aspect ratio (like 1.85:1 *OR* 16:9). We will also be able to offer a native 16:9 Masquerade with drop-down side masks that will mask the 16:9 viewing surface down to 4:3 (although I wouldn't expect that format to be very popular these days).


As I mentioned earlier we DO hope to offer an "infinitely-variable-width" system with horizonally sliding masks in the future, but again that will require a ground-up design which will take a lot longer (and the price will be quite a bit steeper). And although the kind of constant-height system that we will be offering at first (with drop-down side masks) obviously isn't as flexible as an infinitely-variable system, it will be a *very* nice system at a *very* attractive price point (for people familiar with masking system pricing). And for home theater enthusiasts who primarily watch modern movies on their projection system, a native 2.35:1 system that masks down to 1.85:1, will mask the *vast* majority of what they watch. 16:9 content will still have small black bars in this kind of setup.


Alternatively, someone who watches lots of blockbuster movies AND lots of HDTV sports would probably want a native 2.35:1 system that masks down to 16:9. In this configuration when watching 1.85:1 movies, the masks would slightly overlap the edges of the image (but the Black Hole trim would absorb most of that light making the overlap invisible in most scenes).


David Giles


----------



## R Harkness

Cool stuff David. Glad to see you guys jumping into the CIH market.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/13637662
> 
> 
> 
> As I mentioned earlier we DO hope to offer an "infinitely-variable-width" system with horizontally sliding masks in the future, but again that will require a ground-up design which will take a lot longer (and the price will be quite a bit steeper).



I can see how you could build your existing Masquerade design to get the design you are mentioning for the summer, and how an "infinitely variable" side masking system would mean a full re-design.


However, I'm wondering: Is there anything about designing a horizontal masking system (CIH) vs a vertical masking system (current Masquerade) that would make the horizontal version more difficult to build/more expensive?


----------



## David Giles

Hey Rich,


A CIH masking system with masks that slide in from the sides generally uses two motors and the controls get more complex. And gravity doesn't help the masks deploy, retract, or hang straight (as it does with a top-down/bottom-up system). So various cables, springs and tracks are required to ensure that each mask moves properly and stays in the correct plane, which makes construction more complex.


David Giles


----------



## RufEdge

Interesting beans you are sharing David.

When starting with a fresh wall which screen frame will work best for these future products?


----------



## R Harkness

Gotcha. Thanks David.


----------



## David Giles

Hi RufEdge,


Both the current 16:9 Masquerade as well as the upcoming Masquerade-CIH will work equally well with either the Precision Series or the Criterion Series frame (as well as many competitors' fixed frame screens such as Stewart's Luxus Screenwall and Luxus Deluxe Screenwall; Da-Lite's Perm-Wall, DaSnap, Imager, and Cinema Contour; Draper's CinePerm and Clarion; and Vutec's Vu-Easy, Vision XWF, Silverstar and Silverstar XWF).


David Giles


----------



## [email protected]

This masking system seems to be just what I'm looking for! Great balance of attractive features and a great price. Kudos to Carada for developing this product!


Our viewing habits include many foreign DVDs with English subtitles so a fixed frame 2.35 constant height screen was out of the running pretty quickly. However I would love to get rid of those black bars once in a while!


Unfortunately my budget will not allow for purchasing this masking system right away, but I would like to prepare for it with my screen purchase.


What aspect ratio Carada screen makes sense to purchase recommend purchasing if we plan to do a mix of 16x9 and 2.35 material?


Thanks!


----------



## Anthony A.

get 16:9. i've been racking my brains for weeks if i should go 2.35 or 16x9. with the added expenses of 2.35 hardware and the fact that i can only go so wide for a screen in my room, i would rather get the 16:9 as it will give me the biggest image for hdtv, and only slightly height reduced for 2.35. plus, i've decided to get the masking system with the money i saved on buying a lens.


----------



## Anthony A.

david, i have a couple of questions for you. im looking to get your masking system and one of your screens. i was wondering if the mms screen is the same screen material as the precision and criterion? also, is the only difference between criterion and precision the frame size and bevel?


thanks very much.


----------



## David Giles

Hey Anthony,


The surface materials are the same whether you get the Precision Series, the Criterion Series, or the MMS. And yes the only difference between the Precision Series and the Criterion Series is the wider, deeper, beveled frame on the Criterion.


David Giles


----------



## Anthony A.

okay, thats what i thought. it looks like i will be getting the masking with the mms screen. btw, i want to build this screen into my wall and have it flush. i would like to cover the wall in the same fabric (or atleast match exactly the same color/shade of black) as the black hole that you use. is there a supplier that i can purchase this from bulk or can you recommend a fabric that is very close to it in color and texture?


also, in regards to getting the supplied power cord for the system, does it remain hidden in the bezel or will it be visible?


thanks again.


----------



## David Giles

Hi Anthony,


We have the Black Hole trim manufactured specifically for our purposes, and you aren't going to find the exact same material. I haven't checked other fabrics for a match, but if you get samples of various velvets from your local fabric store you might be able to find a close match. By the way, to install the Masquerade you need 3/4" of clearance at the top and 2" on each side, so you can't install the system into a prebuilt opening that is the exact outside dimensions of the frame (i.e. flush). Now you CAN build a flush "casement" around the Masquerade AFTER you've installed it, but of course then if you ever wanted to take the Masquerade down you would have to remove that casement first.


When you order the Masquerade with a power cord, the cord exits the frame at the bottom right hand corner through the bottom of the structure, and will be visible (unless of course you hide it behind a curtain, speakers, etc). It is a standard 3-prong black cord and the standard length is 7.5 feet, although we can make it shorter if you want us to. If you don't want to see a cord you will need to hardwire the system, with your wiring exiting your wall behind the fascia of the Masquerade.


Oh and thanks for the Kudos [email protected]! I agree with Anthony that a native 16:9 system should suit you well.


David Giles


----------



## BRADH

After reading this thread and talking with David Giles today.


I am now a proud owner (will be in about 10 day) of the Masquerade masking system 106" diagonal, and Carada brilliant white 106" screen.


Brad


----------



## RufEdge

Congrats Bradh.


Carada has the best guys.


I am leaning towards a Masquerade myself. Projector should arrive this week.


Which projector are you shooting?


----------



## BRADH

Iam still using a Samsung 710AE. Iam 99% sure that I will get the Samsung SP-A800.


The Carada system will be replace a Stewart Grayhawk RS 100" diagonal screen.


Brad


----------



## Visioneer

I've discussed the purchase of the Carada Masking system with Rex and I am excited about getting it. But I would like to see a few pictures of how it added to your HT. So for those who have this awesome system.....please post some photos. Thanks.


----------



## BRADH

Mine shipped today. I will post some pic after I get it up.


Brad


----------



## BOM

I've got mine in hand and will install it this weekend. The Masquerade system is impeccably packaged and the instructions seem clear. I'll post some pictures when I can.


----------



## oldavman

I've had my Carada screen for two years. It is one of the best AV products in it's design, build quality, ease of installation, and price that I have ever come across. The packaging and instructions were top rate. Carada personel are the best, also. (More companies need to emulate their business style). I plan to order the masking system for my screen soon.


----------



## rsbeck




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/12987761
> 
> 
> we use a Somfy motor in the Masquerade and Somfy has an *excellent* track record. Somfy is the industry leader in tubular motors and their motors are used in the vast majority of high-end projection screen products on the market, including masking systems costing 5-10 times as much as the Masquerade (not to mention millions of window shades, blinds, awnings, and other high-end motorized home automation equipment) and they're known for being highly reliable.



This is a strong selling point. I had scanned your Masquerade site several times without seeing it. After reading your comments in this forum, I hunted and found this fact buried on the page. I mean this as constructive criticism. This should be featured on the Masquerade web page! I missed it because it is in a paragraph next to a picture of your remote control -- way down the page. It would stand out more if you made these points next to a picture of your motor.


When you say that this is the same motor used on masking systems costing 5 - 10 times as much, are you saying this is the same motor used on Stewart motorized masking systems?


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for the wonderful compliments oldavman!! I'm confident that you'll be just as happy with your Masquerade as you have been with your Carada screen.





> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rsbeck* /forum/post/13780043
> 
> 
> This is a strong selling point. This should be featured on the Masquerade web page! When you say that this is the same motor used on masking systems costing 5 - 10 times as much, are you saying this is the same motor used on Stewart motorized masking systems?



Actually we do mention the motor we use on the Masquerade page on our website (about 3/4 of the way down the page right above the photo of the remote). Somfy motors are used in the majority of motorized masking systems on the market (including the Stewart systems I've seen) as well as most high-end retractable screens. I don't know if Stewart is specifically using the Somfy *Sonesse* motor in all or some of their masking systems (it's a new ultra-quiet motor that just started shipping in production quantities last year) but if they aren't I strongly suspect they will in the future.


Anyway, thanks for your questions rsbeck!


Edit - Right after my post I saw that you edited your post. You're right that we should probably crow more loudly about the motor.







I'll look at making it stand out a bit more on the website.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## rsbeck

Not to be pushy, but --- the motor is a huge selling point because this is a new product. Eventually, I am sure it will go on to achieve an admirable track record and -- just going by the reviews we are already seeing -- will generate incredible word of mouth. But, in these early stages, it is important to assure customers that, though your product is new, it can be counted upon for a long time. As you say, the Masquerade may be a new product, but the Somfy has a long track record and is the same motor used in very expensive masking systems. Personally, I find this very reassuring -- I have to think others would as well.


Thanks for taking this in the spirit intended.


----------



## David Giles

Excellent points rsbeck! And believe me, we welcome constructive criticism. Consider it done.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

c'mon people lets see more pics of your setup!!!


----------



## Visioneer

I vote for David and the Carada team building a gallery on their website. Any takers?


----------



## joerod

Here are a few of mine (which I already posted)...


----------



## BRADH

I order the MMS (designed for the Masquerade) 106" Carada Brilliant White and a Masquerade masking system from David about 10 days ago. The screen was delivered Friday and I installed it Sunday morning in about an hour. The Masquerade system was delivered today and I installed it tonight in about 2 hours. Both the screen and Masquerade system were very easy to install.


Not only is the Masquerade system a flat out bargain so are the screens. I replaced a Stewart Greyhawk RS 100" diagonal screen with the Carada Brilliant white and I love it, along with the Masking system.


One last thing. Sunday when I was installing the screen I noticed that it was larger than 106" I fired an email off to David to find out why. With in a few seconds my phone rang and it was David. He explained to me that the MMS screen surface was larger and that the Masking system would cover up the extra few inchs.


David thanks again for the phone call on Sunday that was first class service.

You have a great company with top notch products and a bargain price.


Brad


----------



## BRADH

I have watched a few movies, and all I can say is (WOW) I wish that I had gotten the Masquerade masking system when it first came out.


Brad


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for posting photos Joe and Brad. And we really appreciate the nice compliments Brad!


David Giles


----------



## joerod

No problem. The "cool" factor of owning the Masquerade Masking System has never worn off. My guests are all really impressed when they both see it in action and it just doing its job (masking)...


----------



## BRADH

Joe is 100% right the "cool" factor or "WOW" factor is there everytime. Thanks again for offering such a great product at a great price.


Brad


----------



## joerod

Quick update. I had my house appraised yesterday and the gentleman could not get over how cool my screen was. He said he had seen about 6 good theater set ups in the last year but mine takes the cake mainly because of the Carada Masquerade Masking System! And the majority of those other set ups were in homes that were between $1.0 and $1.5 million!


----------



## David Giles

Very interesting Joe! Maybe we should advertise that the Masquerade will instantly increase the value of your home. Then again our lawyers might advise against making such a claim.







But it's very cool that your appraiser felt the masking system itself put your home theater in a class with far more expensive home systems!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## rsbeck

To get the higher appraisal, do we have to add an entire home theater or can we just put up a Carada Masquerade?


----------



## David Giles

Well personally I think the Masquerade stands alone as a fine objet d'art that any discriminating appraiser would appreciate and value appropriately. But I suppose the rest of the theater would be nice in case you ever get tired of just watching the masking system do its thang.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## rsbeck

Sure......for those rare occasions.


----------



## Anthony A.

david, i know you mentioned it before, but i would be willing to pay more for a masquerade system if its blinds would fully close (at the center) and then when you hit a switch, they fully open to reveal a screen. to me, that would be the ultimate cool factor. any chance of something like this available as a custom order?


also, any news on upcoming products you will be offering?


----------



## David Giles

Hi Anthony,


Our current design would not allow for closing the masks all the way (to completely cover the screen). We did consider that capability early in the design phase of the Masquerade, but it would have required a larger overall structure (not to mention the extra expense). And we just didn't think that enough customers would care about that capability to justify making EVERYBODY who buys one pay the extra cost AND deal with the larger structure (and I could be wrong, but I don't think any other masking system on the market offers that capability either). Now there are "moving art" types of systems that lower a piece of artwork over the screen if you want to completely hide the screen when not in use, but I'm not sure if any of those also incorporate black masking to just cover the bars on widescreen movies. Anyway, thanks for checking with us about that!


Otherwise, we are about ready to start shipping 230V versions of the Masquerade, and we're still working on the native 2.35:1 version that I'd mentioned earlier in this thread.


Thanks again Anthony!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Samaritano




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14198790
> 
> 
> and we're still working on the native 2.35:1 version that I'd mentioned earlier in this thread.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



By any chance do you think this product is going to be available before the years end?


Thanks


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Samaritano* /forum/post/14201995
> 
> 
> By any chance do you think this product is going to be available before the years end?



Barring any unforeseen snags, yes.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Samaritano

That is good news David. Thanks much.


----------



## joerod

Be warned. Once you get one you can't watch a movie without one on another screen!


----------



## joerod

Notice in the first pic how you can see below the picture the pause symbol. In that area obviously the Masking System is not up yet.


Screen shot 2 shows the Masking System up. I left it down just enough to see the top of the pause symbol. You can really see the difference illustrated nicely in these pics...


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for posting pics Joe!! The only danger with posting pictures attempting to show the effect of masking, is that the monitor being used to view the pictures can have a VERY dramatic effect on whether what you see onscreen looks anything like reality. In fact, when I pulled up your pictures this morning, at first I couldn't tell which photo was which!







Then I realized it was just because I was slumping down in my chair (hadn't had enough coffee yet) and at that viewing angle my Samsung LCD monitor was crushing black level to the extent that the grey bars above and below the movie looked basically the same as the surrounding black frame. I moved my head up and viola, the grey bars suddenly appeared! So if anyone out there looks at these pictures and doesn't see much difference, move your head around and see if it makes any difference in the grey bars on the un-masked photo. If not, you may have to adjust your monitor until they are visible. When you have it adjusted to the point where you begin to think "Eeewww the image sure would look better if those grey bars were masked", THEN you'll know you're getting a feel for the real effect.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## joerod

Very good points!







Which is why I left the pause symbol in picture 2 partly exposed. You can tell how nice the Masquerade covers it. And then in the first pic you can easily see the entire symbol and the obvious (monitor dependent







) difference ... I have already received a couple of PMs/emails stating how nice these pics show the effect...


----------



## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14204036
> 
> 
> Barring any unforeseen snags, yes.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Hi David:


The scope masking system you are designing.....can it be used on a scope curved screen? Or, flat screens only?


Thanks

Ron


----------



## Rex Bittle




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/14221941
> 
> 
> Hi David:
> 
> 
> The scope masking system you are designing.....can it be used on a scope curved screen? Or, flat screens only?
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Ron



Hi Ron,


The Masquerade Masking System is designed for a flat screen design only. It won't work with a curved screen. We particularly designed the Masquerade to work with our own Criterion Series and Precision Series screens already in the marketplace (plus new sales of course







) as well as working with most of our competitors' fixed-size wall mount screens.


Thanks for asking about that!


----------



## rboster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Rex Bittle* /forum/post/14236184
> 
> 
> Hi Ron,
> 
> 
> The Masquerade Masking System is designed for a flat screen design only. It won't work with a curved screen. We particularly designed the Masquerade to work with our own Criterion Series and Precision Series screens already in the marketplace (plus new sales of course
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) as well as working with most of our competitors' fixed-size wall mount screens.
> 
> 
> Thanks for asking about that!



I started out with a flat scope screen from Carada, then after several months trying to allign the lens to create a close to perfect image...moved to a curved screen, which has it's benefits. One area I am lacking is masking...so if down the road that spec changes...keep me in mind.


Ron


----------



## joerod

I received a few requests asking me to show a few more pics showing the Masquerade up so here we go...


----------



## jkscherk

I started reading this thread about 6 months ago and decided that as soon as I could budget the Masquerade into my system, I would make it happen. I was finally able to do it. Let me suffice it to say that this is probably the most notiecable/significant improvement I've ever made. I've gone through several setups of electroncs, speakers and projectors. This beats them all. The level of fit-and-finish of the system is truly fantastic. Being able to drop the masks when watching a 2.35 movie makes a HUGE difference.


Thanks to the folks at Carada for working with me to figure out the right setup. They're a quality group. If you're hesitant about buying sight unseen...don't be.


----------



## joerod

A few more pics...







You can tell in the first and last pics where the bottom of the Masquerade is a few inches open from where the picture starts. I just thought they show how BLACK it really gets to...










I promise I won't do anymre screnshots here...


----------



## HogPilot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rboster* /forum/post/14221941
> 
> 
> Hi David:
> 
> 
> The scope masking system you are designing.....can it be used on a scope curved screen? Or, flat screens only?
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Ron



I'm currently in the process of building a new AT screen for a W10000 I bought, and I was planning on making it curved since I'll be using it with a UH440. However, I would forgo the curved screen to be able to add on a Carada CIH masking system. I've bought two of their screens and the fit and finish, professional look, price/performance ratio, and customer service are all some of the best in the industry. Given that masking systems of this quality usually cost around 4x-5x more, I'm very excited to know that they're working on a CIH version. I can guarantee I'll be one of the first customers when it goes on sale!


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for all the nice comments guys (and for the photos Joe)!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## joerod

No problem David! Here's one more! This one is getting a lot of requests~







!


----------



## David Giles

We're now ready to ship 230-Volt Masquerade systems worldwide. Due to the *wide* variety of plug configurations used all over the world, 230V systems will not be available with a pre-installed power cord. These systems will work with 220 to 240 voltage at either 50 or 60 hertz and will need to be "hard-wired" which is very simple to do, although we do recommend you consult a qualified electrician to ensure that your installation conforms to all local and national electrical codes.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## wse

I just upgraded a 16:9 Stewart Film Screen to a 2:35 10 feet wide







and I love it.


I do only movies and 90% Blu Rays are 2:35 so this works the best for me.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *wse* /forum/post/14296970
> 
> 
> I just upgraded a 16:9 Stewart Film Screen to a 2:35 10 feet wide
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and I love it.
> 
> 
> I do only movies and 90% Blu Rays are 2:35 so this works the best for me.



Well getting what works best for *YOU* is what this hobby is all about, so congratulations. Of course your post proclaiming your happiness with a Stewart brand fixed frame screen *without* masking seems a little misplaced in a thread about Carada's motorized masking system. But since you brought it up, I guess it's fair game to mention that your *non-motorized, non-masking* screen probably cost about the same (or possibly even more?) than the Masquerade.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## HogPilot

David,


I forgot to ask, does Carada plan on offering an AT mask option on their CIH Masquerade system for those of us who will be adding it onto an AT screen? I know you guys put a lot of R&D hours into this stuff and that you're very discerning about the quality of the products that you let out the door, but I think for CIH there's a bigger market for AT products since it's all about getting maximum width on your picture, and putting speakers to the side of a screen cuts down on your max allowable width.


----------



## rsbeck

Along the same lines, is the current horizontal Masquerade acoustically transparent?


----------



## oldavman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14310531
> 
> 
> Well getting what works best for *YOU* is what this hobby is all about, so congratulations. Of course your post proclaiming your happiness with a Stewart brand fixed frame screen *without* masking seems a little misplaced in a thread about Carada's motorized masking system. But since you brought it up, I guess it's fair game to mention that your *non-motorized, non-masking* screen probably cost about the same (or possibly even more?) than the Masquerade.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Touche' David! My Carada screen is an excellent product and at a great price. I can't wait to upgrade to the masking system. Thanks for being a contributor to this site.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *HogPilot* /forum/post/14313687
> 
> 
> David,
> 
> 
> I forgot to ask, does Carada plan on offering an AT mask option on their CIH Masquerade system for those of us who will be adding it onto an AT screen? I know you guys put a lot of R&D hours into this stuff and that you're very discerning about the quality of the products that you let out the door, but I think for CIH there's a bigger market for AT products since it's all about getting maximum width on your picture, and putting speakers to the side of a screen cuts down on your max allowable width.



Initially the CIH Masquerade won't have acoustically transparent masking (and the current system doesn't have AT masking either). We may add that as an *option* in the future for those who want it, but in my personal opinion AT masking is a compromise to the appearance of the overall system, so *non-AT* masking will always be the "default" build configuration. Thanks for asking HogPilot and rsbeck, and thanks for the kind comments oldavman!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## rsbeck

Hi David, I have another question on the same subject. I really want to use the Masquerade with my CIW AT screen set-up. The issue isn't so much speakers because I don't think my center channel will be affected by the masking. The question is with regard to a Velodyne in-wall sub-woofer that could be affected by the mechanism. So, here's the question I've been given to ask you.


Does the mechanism buzz, rattle, “sing” or howl (cavity resonance) when stimulated by broadband acoustic energy?


----------



## L.W.R

Well I'm about to join the club...


Rex kindly helped me put together my 110" diagonal Masqerade for shipment to the UK.


Should be here next week or the week after - can't wait. Trying not to watch any movies until it arrives so I can get the best out of them... painful!










LWR


----------



## cinema_revival




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *L.W.R* /forum/post/14430437
> 
> 
> Well I'm about to join the club...
> 
> 
> Rex kindly helped me put together my 110" diagonal Masqerade for shipment to the UK.
> 
> 
> Should be here next week or the week after - can't wait. Trying not to watch any movies until it arrives so I can get the best out of them... painful!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LWR



Keep us informed please I will be interested in the final cost after import taxes.


----------



## David Giles

*Thanks for your order LWR!*






> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rsbeck* /forum/post/14418760
> 
> 
> Hi David, I have another question on the same subject. I really want to use the Masquerade with my CIW AT screen set-up. The issue isn't so much speakers because I don't think my center channel will be affected by the masking. The question is with regard to a Velodyne in-wall sub-woofer that could be affected by the mechanism. So, here's the question I've been given to ask you.
> 
> 
> Does the mechanism buzz, rattle, “sing” or howl (cavity resonance) when stimulated by broadband acoustic energy?



This issue was discussed at length before AVS's data loss on August 11th which required a backup recovery from August 2nd (i.e. the follow-up discussion was lost).


So to briefly answer the question again, no Masquerade in existence has ever exhibited any buzzing, rattling, "singing", or howling that I know of. The Masquerade is a very sturdily built system. In fact, it’s a bit *over*built and frankly if I had the design process to do over again I'd probably trim a few pounds (and thus dollars) from the heavy aluminum extrusions. Assuming your wall is reasonably well built and the system is installed properly, I’m confident that you won't have any problem at all with the Masquerade. And if the wall is shaking violently enough to cause the Masquerade to make a peep (i.e. if it is being subjected to high *mechanical* energy, not just acoustic energy), then I’m pretty sure any other masking systems would be howling in pain.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## anbjornk

I got my system around a week ago, and I must say that this system is extremely nice built. Assembling the system was a breeze, despite the extremely tight tolerances on my system (VERY wide (8.5cm) screenframe). Only 1.3mm between the screenframe and the Masquerade.

The motor is plenty quiet and smoot, and works very well.


There is a slight bug on the EU version regarding the speed of the motor, but It's probably solved already on new systems shipping. My system will also be "fixed" soon, and Carada has been extremely serviceminded in the whole process.


The masking itself works VERY well. Actually, very few people know how much impact a masking system like this can make on the overall picture until they sees it for themselves. The effect is staggering !


Kudos to Carada for making a nice, affordable (compared to others) system like this. Not everyone wants to use anamorphic lensen.


----------



## rsbeck




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14445097
> 
> *Thanks for your order LWR!*
> 
> So to briefly answer the question again, no Masquerade in existence has ever exhibited any buzzing, rattling, "singing", or howling that I know of. The Masquerade is a very sturdily built system. In fact, it's a bit *over*built and frankly if I had the design process to do over again I'd probably trim a few pounds (and thus dollars) from the heavy aluminum extrusions. Assuming your wall is reasonably well built and the system is installed properly, I'm confident that you won't have any problem at all with the Masquerade. And if the wall is shaking violently enough to cause the Masquerade to make a peep (i.e. if it is being subjected to high *mechanical* energy, not just acoustic energy), then I'm pretty sure any other masking systems would be howling in pain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



I'll just thank you again and repost that my dealer, Northbay A/V, is placing an order for my Masquerade. In fact, I just got a message that he is not only placing my order, he's signing up to be a Carada dealer.


----------



## David Giles

Thank you rsbeck and we're looking forward to building your Carada Masquerade!


And thanks for your wonderful review Anbjørn! I knew you were active on the Norwegian forum but I didn't realize you were also a long-time member here on AVS. It really is a small world.







Anyway I'm glad that you're enjoying the Masquerade and that the impact is so much greater than you expected.


And for anyone who's curious, the bug that Anbjørn mentioned wasn't a hardware bug, but was actually just an error in our testing/calibration procedures that were only applicable to systems built for 230V/50Hz power grids. Definitely won't be an issue with future international orders.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## anbjornk

David,


The Masquerade is such a nice system that I just had to write a few words.

There will be a thorough review of the Masquerade at a later stage


----------



## anbjornk

After doing a recalibration on the Masquerade using the electronics board Carada sent me, the system is now working perfectly.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

I'm pretty sure I'd like to get this for our setup. I do have a few questions...


1. if i order tomorrow, how long will it take to build one? i have to get a custom size (124")


2. do most people order it with the electrical cord or do it for the in-wall wiring?


3. i have a slight issue. I have a da-lite da-snap screen. When I put it up, I didnt realize that masking is something I may want (new to being OCD over this hobby). Anyway, there's a bit of the bracket that is sticking out from the top right from where the screen is hanging, you can see it here:

 

 


is that going to be a problem?


----------



## Sherardp




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14310531
> 
> 
> Well getting what works best for *YOU* is what this hobby is all about, so congratulations. Of course your post proclaiming your happiness with a Stewart brand fixed frame screen *without* masking seems a little misplaced in a thread about Carada's motorized masking system. But since you brought it up, I guess it's fair game to mention that your *non-motorized, non-masking* screen probably cost about the same (or possibly even more?) than the Masquerade.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Classic response here. Love it. I'm soon to pull the trigger on a setup for my 126 inch Carada screen. Only concern is shipping it to me in Japan. What is the overall weight for something like this? I was happy to receive my Criterion screen out here, sometimes its hard getting those good USA products shipped here, so many thanks for that. Im now ready for a Masquerade.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14561763
> 
> 
> I'm pretty sure I'd like to get this for our setup. I do have a few questions...
> 
> 
> 1. if i order tomorrow, how long will it take to build one? i have to get a custom size (124")
> 
> 
> 2. do most people order it with the electrical cord or do it for the in-wall wiring?
> 
> 
> 3. i have a slight issue. I have a da-lite da-snap screen. When I put it up, I didnt realize that masking is something I may want (new to being OCD over this hobby). Anyway, there's a bit of the bracket that is sticking out from the top right from where the screen is hanging
> 
> 
> is that going to be a problem?



If you place an order today or early tomorrow, your Masquerade would ship out before the end of next week (likely Thursday the 11th, or possibly Wednesday the 10th).


We've had a fairly even mix of customers who ordered with and who ordered without a pre-installed power cord. If maximum ease of installation with no wiring-work necessary is your goal, then order the cord. After you've installed the system, just plug it into the nearest outlet and you're good to go. But if you have a qualified electrician that can run electrical wiring behind the wall for you then order the system without a cord (that's the way my system is installed).


From the photos I can't tell exactly how far that bracket sticks out, but I don't *think* it's sticking out far enough to be a problem. If you'll measure it and send me an email with the distance it's sticking to the side I can let you know for sure. But even if it IS sticking out too far, all you really have to do is take the Da-Lite screen down, remove the bracket from the wall and cut off that excess (it shouldn't be sticking out like that anyway). Then put it all back up and you're good to go.


Thanks Ou8thisSN and we look forward to building your Carada Masquerade!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Sherardp* /forum/post/14563332
> 
> 
> Classic response here. Love it. I'm soon to pull the trigger on a setup for my 126 inch Carada screen. Only concern is shipping it to me in Japan. What is the overall weight for something like this? I was happy to receive my Criterion screen out here, sometimes its hard getting those good USA products shipped here, so many thanks for that. Im now ready for a Masquerade.




Hey Sherard, good to hear from you! The shipping weight for a 126" diagonal Masquerade will be 134 pounds, and the crate will be 11" wide by 10" high by 127.75" long. It's a bit of a back-breaker, but well worth the strain!










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

thanks david. I think the bracket sticks out about 1.5". I've left it up because I'm new to this hobby, and am slowly learning what else we can add to improve our immersion. Thus, I didnt know or planned on adding anything to the screen, nor did the bracket bother us, because in the dark you cant see it anyway, but I can take it down and have it cut if it comes to that.


In terms of the electrical wiring, once the masquerade is installed, there will be velvet curtains flanking the screen on the left and right. it should hide any wiring but in case it doesnt to my satisfaction, is it possible for the system that comes pre-wired for an electrical plug to be changed back to an in-wall connection easily or no?


----------



## David Giles

Yes it is very easy to change a pre-wired system to a "hard-wired" system. Just have your electrician cut off the factory installed power cord right where it enters the bottom fascia (please make sure it's unplugged first







) Remove the power cord leads from the terminal block and simply run your wiring to the terminal block.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

how much does the masquerade stick out past the frame of the screen? I have some electrical outlets close to the screen. it looks like its about 6 inches all the way around but it would help to get a precise measurement from the screen material to the end of the masking system outline.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14577635
> 
> 
> how much does the masquerade stick out past the frame of the screen?



That depends on the dimensions of the screen's frame. The width of the Masquerade's frame members is 6.25" (on all four sides) and your particular screen's frame members (Da-Lite DaSnap) are 1.5" wide, so the Masquerade will stick out 4.75" beyond your screen's frame members.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## David Giles

Just in case anyone missed it in the Official Carada thread, we're at CEDIA this week showing our new Masquerade CIH vertical masking system (which we should have ready to ship within the next few weeks). We haven't finalized pricing on the Masquerade CIH systems yet, but their pricing will be in roughly the same range as our current Masquerade systems. We hope to have that pricing posted on our website (along with other specs/details) within a week or two after CEDIA.


We're in booth # 375. Ya'll come see us!











David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

wow, that is excellent news. i didn't even think that you guys would have it ready for cedia so i really wasn't expecting it. great work, hope to see the details and pics as soon as you can.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

so i heard that you lose some screen real estate when you get a masking system, even if the masks are completely retracted. in 16:9 mode, those of you who have this system, how does it affect your viewing experience? ie, missing the bottom of the screen on ESPN HD/tickers/etc...


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14621692
> 
> 
> so i heard that you lose some screen real estate when you get a masking system, even if the masks are completely retracted in 16:9 mode, those of you who have this system, how does it affect your viewing experience? ie, missing the bottom of the screen on ESPN HD/tickers/etc...



Actually you don't lose any screen real estate at all. We build the Masquerade to fit your screen, so for example if your screen's viewing surface is 96" wide by 54" high, then the open aperture of your Masquerade (when set to 16:9) will be 96" wide by 54" high. So when the masks are open you won't be missing any part of the image, although when the masks are deployed you *will* be missing those annoying black bars.










Now there is *ONE* exception to this in existence and that is joerod's system. At first I told him that his theater simply couldn't accommodate a Masquerade because his Silverstar's frame was too wide AND he didn't have quite enough space around the outside of the frame. But then he told me that his Silverstar was recessed into his wall so that the frame is completely flush with his wall. And he really wanted a Masquerade, so we built a system to fit his unique situation. He DID have to give up a few inches of screen real estate in order to accommodate the Masquerade, but I think you can see from his comments here and elsewhere on the forum, that he's tickled pink with the results.







And of course he simply zoomed his projector down to reduce the image size to fit his newly reformatted screen size, so Joe isn't missing the bottom of his screen, he's just watching a bit smaller image than before.


Again just to be clear, in "normal" installations the Masquerade is built to perfectly fit the customer's screen, so no screen real estate is given up at all.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## David Giles

By the way, this month's Home Theater Magazine has a review of the Masquerade by Kris Deering. He's using a Masquerade with his 120" diagonal Stewart Luxus Deluxe Screenwall (StudioTek 130 I think) in a virtually perfect "cave" theater. Check it out!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## FremontRich




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14623514
> 
> 
> By the way, this month's Home Theater Magazine has a review of the Masquerade by Kris Deering. He's using a Masquerade with his 120" diagonal Stewart Luxus Deluxe Screenwall (StudioTek 130 I think) in a virtually perfect "cave" theater. Check it out!
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.




Unless he's changed magazines, doesn't Kris Deering write for Secrets of Home Theater? I couldn't find his article in either publication on the web.


----------



## David Giles

I don't know if Kris still writes for Secrets of Home Theater, but he's definitely writing for Home Theater Magazine now. Here are a couple of his recent equipment reviews: Planar PD8150 , Integra DTC-9.8 


I'm not sure why his Masquerade review doesn't show up on their website yet, but it's definitely in the current *print* issue. Maybe they only post reviews on the website after the print issue has dropped off the newsstands?


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

david, i couldn't remember but i re-searched this thread and you confirmed that the screen can close all the way down to 2.70 AR. i assume you would use the jog wheel to do this. how can one make presets into a remote such as a urc mx to make AR at the switch of a button? also, is it possible to have dvd's auto-recognized and have the masks deployed without ever touching anything?


also, i was wondering if it would be possible to make a custom ordered unit for myself for the masks to close the entire screen. i realize its more material, bigger frame, etc. but just wondering if it can be done on a custom order basis. this is for the regular masquerade, not the CIH. thanks.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/14637789
> 
> 
> david, i couldn't remember but i re-searched this thread and you confirmed that the screen can close all the way down to 2.70 AR. i assume you would use the jog wheel to do this. how can one make presets into a remote such as a urc mx to make AR at the switch of a button? also, is it possible to have dvd's auto-recognized and have the masks deployed without ever touching anything?
> 
> 
> also, i was wondering if it would be possible to make a custom ordered unit for myself for the masks to close the entire screen. i realize its more material, bigger frame, etc. but just wondering if it can be done on a custom order basis. this is for the regular masquerade, not the CIH. thanks.



You could "learn" the 16:9 and 2.35:1 preset buttons into a learning remote, and I suppose you could "learn" a certain number of jog commands into the remote to take the masks to some position other than 2.35:1 (with a macro maybe?) For auto-masking like you're describing the masking system would need to be paired with a video server like the Kaleidescape system (which stores DVD aspect ratio info in its databases) and the Kaleidescape would have to be pre-configured (by Kaleidescape) to "talk" to the specific masking system in use and send appropriate commands to move the masks to a specific position. The Masquerade isn't set up for that kind of integration with Kaleidescape, although there are a couple of masking systems on the market that do have that functionality. But the last time I checked, those masking systems by themselves (not counting the video server) were over $20K.










No I'm afraid we can't make a custom Masquerade that will allow the masks to close all the way. The substructure and fascia pieces that we build the Masquerade with are custom aluminum extrusions (designed and owned by Carada) and we can't simply make them bigger. We'd have to design new extrusions, buy new dies, and order large minimum quantities of the new extrusions in order to create a bigger custom Masquerade, and believe me you *don't* want to bear those costs.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## FremontRich




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14626093
> 
> 
> I don't know if Kris still writes for Secrets of Home Theater, but he's definitely writing for Home Theater Magazine now. Here are a couple of his recent equipment reviews: Planar PD8150 , Integra DTC-9.8
> 
> 
> I'm not sure why his Masquerade review doesn't show up on their website yet, but it's definitely in the current *print* issue. Maybe they only post reviews on the website after the print issue has dropped off the newsstands?
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Thanks. I'll wait to see if his report appears on their website.


----------



## Jon V

Hi David,

Congrats on the article in HT (my copy came yesterday) - Kris was certainly very complementary, and deservedly so. He pretty much echoed what those of us who have one know already. I dno't think HT puts current issue articles on the web immediately, but i expect it will get there eventually.


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for the kind comments Jon!


And for those who don't receive Home Theater Magazine, we've purchased the reprint rights to the article and it is now posted on our website under the "Screen Reviews" tab.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Kris Deering




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *FremontRich* /forum/post/14625201
> 
> 
> Unless he's changed magazines, doesn't Kris Deering write for Secrets of Home Theater? I couldn't find his article in either publication on the web.



I know longer work for Secrets. I left that publication in February and joined the staff at Home Theater magazine.


I was thrilled with the quality of the Masquerade and continue to use it in my system today. I talked with David at CEDIA and told him that I couldn't imagine not having it in my system now. The affect on overall picture quality is tremendous.


If anyone has any questions about the unit please feel free to PM me and I'll be dropping by this thread from time to time. If anyone is in the Washington area and would like to check it out, I'd be happy to demo it if you want to swing by. Again, just PM me and we'll work something out.


----------



## R Harkness

Funny Kris, upon reading that review I thought "I know Kris is going to keep the Masquerade." Once you've seen your own projection system masked it's hard to go back, especially with a system that seems as user friendly and cool as the Masquerade.


----------



## mrcaseyb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14640393
> 
> 
> For auto-masking like you're describing the masking system would need to be paired with a video server like the Kaleidescape system (which stores DVD aspect ratio info in its databases) and the Kaleidescape would have to be pre-configured (by Kaleidescape) to "talk" to the specific masking system in use and send appropriate commands to move the masks to a specific position. The Masquerade isn't set up for that kind of integration with Kaleidescape, although there are a couple of masking systems on the market that do have that functionality. But the last time I checked, those masking systems by themselves (not counting the video server) were over $20K.



Just to clarify, A Kaleidescape system does not talk directly to a masking system, rather it provides the proper feedback to control systems like AMX or Crestron which listen for these control queues and trigger the proper commands to be sent to the masking system. Incidentally that's how I will be using it when I order my Masquerade System. That way when I go from a 2.35 movie to 1.78 movie and back on Kaleidescape, I wont even have to touch a button on the Masquerade remote, now that is the ultimate automation!


Disclaimer, in no way could I afford a Kaleidescape System, I can barely afford the Masquerade but I used to work there and all employees get one for free. I looked at and have used solutions from Screen Research and Stewart, they were noisy, slow, buggy and expensive; LONG LIVE CARADA!


----------



## Dundas

David,

Given that side masking for 4:3 does not have to vary why don't you sell some clip-on (or magnetic?) manual masks for the Masquerade screens?


----------



## Anthony A.

im not sure if this has been discussed before, but anyone who has ideas/experience could chime in. i will be buying this system in the next few months as my theater nears completion and i would like to know what ways are possible to have this thing automated. what ways (expensive, cheap, diy) are available that one can do to make masking as automated as possible.


----------



## Chad T

I've been drooling over the thought of having a Masquerade setup for awhile and I know the price point is a bargain in relative terms, but still price is the number one factor holding me back. If there is any way this system could be brought into the $1,500 range (for a 110" screen), I would be in. And I don't even have a dedicated home theater. I'd just love to have one in my living room theater for the cool and convenience factor. If economies of scale ever allow a price adjustment, that would be awesome. There are many folks such as myself who are now projecting in their living rooms because projectors are more affordable and flexible than ever before.....I think a lower price would potentially attract a larger number of people in that crowd.


Another question: if a person moves to a different house and gets a larger screen, is it at all possible to retrofit parts to use an existing Masquerade or is that price prohibitive compared to just getting a whole new Masquerade?


----------



## David Giles

Dundas, that's an interesting idea! But I can't make any promises about developing something like that (really busy around here lately). Maybe you could start a cottage-industry business selling aftermarket add-ons for the Masquerade.










Anthony, the Masquerade can be controlled by automation systems like Crestron, AMX, Control Four, Lexicon, Main Lobby, etc. And as mrcaseyb mentioned above, a Kaleidescape system can tell an automation system what the aspect ratio of the movie is so that the automation system can then tell a masking system where to put the masks. At this point we haven't partnered with Kaleidescape to enable their systems to "talk" to our systems, although we may do that at some point in the future if we see enough demand. Other than that I'm not sure how you could make the Masquerade more automated that it already is. Now you could program a programmable remote to send signals to the masking system, although I wouldn't really consider that making the system "more automated" (that's just trading one remote for another). But then again I'm tired and not at my most creative right now, so if anyone has other ideas, please feel free to share them.










Thanks for your comments about pricing Chad. Unfortunately the masking system category isn't exactly a high-volume product category and I'd be very surprised if we ever see any signficant economies of scale. So I'm afraid you won't see Masquerade prices dropping anytime soon. In fact we are very likely going to *raise* pricing in the near future. Anyone who has ANYTHING to do with manufacturing can tell you that the cost of virtually ALL raw materials have gone up very significantly in the last year (not to mention the cost of fuel, utilities, insurance, blah blah blah). Current Masquerade pricing was established in the summer of 2007 *before* all these price increases, and I may not be the brightest bulb in the box but even I know that we can't hold pricing level forever while cost-of-goods-sold *and* overhead is continually escalating.










No it really isn't feasible to retrofit parts from one size Masquerade to another size. If you did move to a different house and needed a different size system, the smart thing to do would be to sell the Masquerade to one of your friends who has been drooling over yours.










Now before anybody asks, no I can't say how much prices will increase at this point, and no I can't say exactly when they will go up (although we probably won't change them for at least another month or so). Don't say I didn't warn you...


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

hmmm, yeah since the great majority of us can't get a kaleidescape system (i wish they would make a cheaper version), im trying to figure out a way for it to be easier. i guess one can program different ar's into their remote and when the movie starts hit the button. this may be the cheapest method, although one would have to know which ar the movie is anyways. i'll keep thinking but if anyone has some ideas, that would be great. oh, and i will soon have a lutron homeworks system installed in my house so perhaps something can be integrated with this?


----------



## Dundas




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14774154
> 
> 
> Dundas, that's an interesting idea! But I can't make any promises about developing something like that (really busy around here lately). Maybe you could start a cottage-industry business selling aftermarket add-ons for the Masquerade.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Then you would have to tell me where to source your Black Hole fabric.


----------



## mrcaseyb

I want this system so badly, it consumes my thoughts. Last night "Iron Man" on Blu-Ray could have been MUCH better if it weren't for the darn bars. I'm currently trying to sell some old gear to pay for Masquerade.


----------



## Anthony A.

david, could you elaborate on using a 12v trigger for the masquerade. specifically, would the best thing be to have the pj 12v trigger go into the masquerade to control it? or am i missing something here? thanks.


----------



## Driving_Hamster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14774154
> 
> 
> Now before anybody asks, no I can't say how much prices will increase at this point, and no I can't say exactly when they will go up (although we probably won't change them for at least another month or so). Don't say I didn't warn you...



Your really making me think here David. Been thinking about this for a while and the quarterly bonus at work was a bit larger than expected this week. Think I might have to pull this trigger on this one by the end of the weekend. Won't tell the wife though










We all understand about having to raise prices due to raw materials costs. No one can fault you there.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mrcaseyb* /forum/post/14778851
> 
> 
> I want this system so badly, it consumes my thoughts.



Music to my ears...










Anthony, using a projector's 12V trigger to control a masking system doesn't really make sense (you don't necessarily want the masking to deploy simply because you've turned the projector on).


Thanks for understanding Driving_Hamster! We'll be ready when you are, and we won't tell your wife either.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

Just submitted my order via the web. Now I just need to round up a friend or two to help me carry that monster sized box down and install it. Shouldn't be to hard once I tell them that the theater has a fridge full of cold Oktoberfest beer in it







.


Will post a review of it once I have it installed.


----------



## David Giles

Thanks Driving_Hamster! I know you'll love the system and I'll look forward to your review (with pictures if possible







).


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Craig Woodhall

David,


are the price increases going to happen with the screens as well or mostly just the Masking System?


Craig


----------



## Driving_Hamster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14792566
> 
> 
> ... I'll look forward to your review (with pictures if possible
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ).



The review will be including pics for sure







.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

received my masquerade a week before it was supposed to ship, that was a pleasant surprise. WOW is that box huge and heavy, although it was fun to see a Fedex Freight semi in our driveway!


We put the system together in short order, but there's a LOT of work I need to do in the theater room before I can even sit down to watch a movie, so its all on hold till then. I really do like playing with the remote to make the masks deploy!


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Craig Woodhall* /forum/post/14792791
> 
> 
> are the price increases going to happen with the screens as well or mostly just the Masking System?



It will affect screens as well.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Driving_Hamster* /forum/post/14801329
> 
> 
> The review will be including pics for sure.



Excellent!



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14803341
> 
> 
> I really do like playing with the remote to make the masks deploy!



Same here.







But if you think that's cool, just wait till you see what it does for your movie watching experience!










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

Well David, as I mentioned on the phone, I was planning on darkening the entire front stage with curtains to enhance the experience. it took a lot of head scratching before I was able to work out how to get it all done, but i finished today.


I was able to finally set it up today... it really is a trying process to align the projector with the screen, but still playing with it, WOW what a difference! the blackness... i just cant describe how much more immersive it really is.


I now get why everyone's so into OAR movies on cable. It's such a shame that they blow it up to the 16x9 frame area. I am so excited to watch movies on blu-ray, i just cant say enough nice things about this system. best investment, it really makes a world of difference, and i cant believe we went so long without having one!


----------



## joerod

More pics with the Masquerade engaged. IRONMAN and Speed Racer...


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14821015
> 
> 
> WOW what a difference! the blackness... i just cant describe how much more immersive it really is.... I am so excited to watch movies on blu-ray, i just cant say enough nice things about this system. best investment, it really makes a world of difference, and i cant believe we went so long without having one!



Thanks Ou8thisSN, and welcome to masking system nirvana!










And thanks for posting more photos Joe!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Ou8thisSN

before:

  


after:

  


2.35:1 :
  


seating:


----------



## BRADH

Ou8thisSN


Looks great. Have you used the masking system yet. I have had mine for a while and I am loving it. It just amazing.


Brad


----------



## Ou8thisSN

still a lot of work needs to be done, get new darker carpeting, paint the walls, and i've been lazy about running the wiring into the walls for the front 3, but i think i'm done with the front stage.


Yeah, absolutely love the masking system. I cant get enough of it, but surprisingly, my friends didnt notice. no one said much,, they didnt notice it going up or down. maybe i need newer friends?


----------



## BRADH




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ou8thisSN* /forum/post/14850934
> 
> 
> still a lot of work needs to be done, get new darker carpeting, paint the walls, and i've been lazy about running the wiring into the walls for the front 3, but i think i'm done with the front stage.
> 
> 
> Yeah, absolutely love the masking system. I cant get enough of it, but surprisingly, my friends didnt notice. no one said much,, they didnt notice it going up or down. maybe i need newer friends?




Here is a a few shots of my Carada Masking system. My carpet is almost all black. Front wall black and dark grey walls and ceiling.


When you get yours done it will make a big difference.


Brad


----------



## Driving_Hamster

Just got an email noting that my Masquerade has shipped and will (supposidly) be here tomorrow. Excellent...







.


Full review and pics to come later.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

Dude, this box is heavy! A two person carry for sure.


Going to open it up tonight and install it in my spare time over the next few days or so. Will post a full review with pics later in the week.


----------



## Anthony A.

nothing better than christmas come early!!!


----------



## saleen0264

I am very pleased and i appreciate all your help making this a great transaction,your mms 114 in.screen and masking system arrived in excellent condition,as you packaged it well. I am very impressed how well built the masquerade is,it only took me 2 hours to installe the screen and mask. It looks gorgeous even my wife loves it. You guys are the best people i have ever dealt with,thanks again for being very friendly and helpful. Eddie


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome Eddie, and thank you for your kind comments!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

All right here is my humble $0.02. I got around to installing the Masquerade unit last evening. I ordered a 110", direct wire (i.e. no attached power cord) unit to go over my 110" BW Carada Criterion screen that I bought last year. When I built the screen wall I had left a pre-wired junction box with a line for the masquerade.


Total time for me to unpack and complete the install was about 2.5 hours, with some of that time involving me trying to modify some minor issues in my construction methods (speaker plates were too high). Anyhow, here's my review:

*Shipping:*

My 110" unit came shipped via FedEx to the house. The box was very long (as can be expected) and rather heavy. Somewhere just north of 110 pounds maybe? My wife and I were able to carry it around the house and down into the basement without any problems at all. If you are trying to carry it down basement steps that have a turn in them you will likely need to take the pieces out of the box to make navigating the turns easier.










*Packaging:*

The unit is very well packaged. Everything is literally either bolted down or taped securely in place. You will need a screwdriver, clippers or scissors (for two zip ties) and a 1/2" socket wrench to free the pieces from the box. An 4" or more extension for your socket wrench will come in handy when trying to unbolt the top from the bottom pieces. Barring a natural disaster, the Masquerade should arrive intact. Put another way, this thing is packaged to take a whooping in transit







.



















*Install:*

The instructions are clear and the pictures are actually helpful. I suggest reading them completly once before starting the install as you can see the big picture before getting started. They make a big point about mounting the top hanger bar exactly X inches above your screen frame (X varies depending on your model) even if your screen is mounted slightly off level you are to follow that since you will want the masking material to match your screen orientation.










Putting up the top section onto the hanger bar is a two man job. It is just too heavy and awkward (and costly) for one person to attempt this on their own. Hanging the bottom piece from the top piece is as easy as threading a bolt from the top section onto a rod coming up from the bottom section. Once that is attached then it can become a one man show for the remainder of the install.




















(FYI: The wires to the left in the above pic are speaker wires, not part of the Masquerade unit)


Wiring was simply and almost foolproof. Wiring connections were clearly marked and should be able to be handled by a beginner (just don't forget to shut the power off first







). I ran into some difficulty here because I had put the junction box behind the very bottom right hand corner of my existing screen. I had to modify the drywall to bring the wire jacket around, allowing the Masquerade to sit as flush against the wall as possible. Sorry for the following blurry picture.











Instructions for squaring up the unit are simple and effective. Attaching the side fascia pieces was as simple as sliding them in part way and then giving them a "love tap" with the palm of your hand. They are removed in the same fashion.

*Construction:*

The construction is very similar to that of my Criterion frame. The exterior fabric is nice, light absorbing felt like fabric. The four corners are mitered nicely and show no real visible gap in them. The frame does stick out from the wall a bit to allow for all the mechanicals to fit inside. Keep this in mind if you have your center channel on a wall mounted bracket. The quality of the motor inside is excellent and will likely last a very long time with normal use.


Looking at the unit head on you can see no mechanical parts what so ever. If you stick your head right against the screen and look to the sides (left side pictured here) you see see the metal hanging rods).











If you put your head only 2 feet from the screen you can no longer see any mechanicals (see below, looking to the left again).











The IR port is on the bottom right of the frame. The remote is easy to use since it has only 4 buttons: 16:9, 2.35:1, Jog up, Jog Down. The remote seemed to work easily from about 25 feet away. Holding the jog button down/up allows the masks to move continously. To go from 2.35:1 to 2.40:1 required two quick hits of the jog button.


The motor starts up quickly and is pretty quiet, although I could hear it from my rear row of seats (about 18 feet away). It takes just less than two seconds for the masks to deploy/retract. Looks cool as all heck doing it too







. I did have a brief issue where the left bottom mask was sticking up a little bit upon returning to 16:9 from 2.35:1. It was easily fixed with a little tap on the left edge of the masking material. It has not done this since. Perhaps it was just the material being stiff from being rolled up?

*Image Performance:*

First thing to note is that internet pictures of pre-deploy and deployed Masquerade masks do not even come close to doing this product justice. I put in a Netflix copy of 10,000 BC (2.40:1 aspect ratio) and called the wife down. Started the movie and dropped all the lights. Let it run for about a minute or two and then deployed the masks without telling her what I was doing. She heard the motor and saw the masking material moving. Her next comment was "Holy cow, that is a huge difference!" This coming from a woman who is usually saying "That's nice dear" if you know what I mean. I believe it to be a large increase in perceived contrast with the masks deployed. However, I do not have any scientific data to back that up. I can asure you though, you cannot mistake one from the other. The image seems to literally pop with the Masquerade in place.

*What could be better?:*

One thing I would like to see is the gap between my Criterion screen and the face of the Masquerade made smaller. It looks to be about 1.5 inches or so. I know the masks have to steer clear of the screen material and that the frame thickness of my existing screen has a lot to do with this. I understand that if one gets the MMS screen with the Masquerade that this gap is made closer to 1/4 - 1/2 inch. Someone correct me if I am wrong. The current gap is not noticeable unless you walk up to the unit and look down the sides. It is something that you will soon forget even exists.


I can see someone hoping for a RS-232 trigger for the unit. I don't personally use that nor would I really have a need for it. If I really desired I can write a macro for my Phillips Pronto remote to deploy the masks when I hit something like "Play 2.35:1 Movie".

*EDIT*: I've been told by David Giles that the Masquerde *can* indeed by

controlled by RS-232 type automation systems.

*Conclusion:*

It's a well built unit that does exactly what it is designed to do. The resulting improvements on your visual movie experience are, IMHO, impressive. The construction was done very well and shows some serious thought into how it was designed. It's quarks are minor. Some will still balk at the price of the Masquerade but not every piece of AV equipment is for everyone's liking. Compared to the other masking systems on the market this is a well thought out bargain. I am happy with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend this unit to anyone. Carada's customer service is also top notched and very helpful with any questions that I have ever had.


(... more pics in next post)


----------



## Driving_Hamster

Masquerade Installed 16:9 mode





























2.35:1 Mode:




























16:9 Mode (i.e. masks not deployed, it was hard to get the black bars to really photograph well but trust me they are there [Epson 1080 Pro Cinema UB])











2.35:1 Masks deployed


----------



## buddahead

Thanks Hamster for the pics and review.WOW looks killer.Wish I had the room for it.BOB


----------



## rjmelkon

Those last two pictures are mixed up right?


----------



## BRADH

Hamster


Nice review and great pictures of your Home theater.


Brad


----------



## Driving_Hamster




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rjmelkon* /forum/post/14916381
> 
> 
> Those last two pictures are mixed up right?



They were, thanks for catching that







. I corrected the order of them above.


----------



## Anthony A.

wow, excellent review. thanks so much for posting all the pics and instructions. i now have a much better understanding of how easy it is to install.


----------



## Sherardp




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/14922473
> 
> 
> wow, excellent review. thanks so much for posting all the pics and instructions. i now have a much better understanding of how easy it is to install.



Agreed, I get a better understanding also. I thought it was pretty difficult. But your pics help out a ton. Still saving for mine, 126" Criterion Screen here, so I'm looking at some coin, plus shipping to Japan.


----------



## David Giles

Thanks Driving_Hamster for posting such a thorough review with so many nice photos! Beautiful theater you have there!


And thanks for your constructive comments in the "What could be better" section. The good news is that the Masquerade CAN be controlled via RS232 by various automation systems on the market.


Regarding the gap between your screen and the Masquerade, that is basically dictated by the diameter of the motor/roller with the masking material rolled up on it, plus the thickness of the substructure. We highly optimized the Masquerade to keep that distance as tight as possible, and I dare say that 2 3/8" (from the back of the masks to the wall that the system is mounted on) is about as tight as any horizontal masking system on the market. So we simply can't make that gap any smaller. If you wanted to go to the trouble, you could shim and re-mount your Criterion Series so that the back of the frame is approx. 3/4" off the wall which would put the front of the frame as close as possible to the back of the masks (which obviously HAVE to clear the screen's frame when moving). But as you mentioned the gap isn't really noticeable unless you get close to the unit, and it certainly doesn't negatively impact the viewing experience. And as you also mentioned anyone who wants the absolute minimum gap can order the Masquerade with our MMS Series screen which has the surface material mounted on the FRONT of the frame.


Anyway, thanks again for your excellent review Driving_Hamster, and I hope you and your family enjoy your Masquerade for many years to come.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Driving_Hamster

David,


Thanks for correcting me on the RS-232 issue. I have edited my review to reflect the correction.


Going to have movie night with the neighbors next week. I'm not going to tell them about the Masquerade and see their expression when I fire it off. Should be entertaining







.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *FremontRich* /forum/post/14640723
> 
> 
> Thanks. I'll wait to see if his report appears on their website.



FYI the review is now posted on Home Theater Mag's website here:

Kris Deering's Masquerade Review 


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## dormie1360

I just finished installing my Masquerade Masking System. I would pretty much echo every one else's positive comments.


Mine was custom sized for a Vutec Silverstar screen.


Well made, everything fit together as advertised.


The whole design seems pretty well thought out.


Installation was not difficult.


Wife likes it!


Definitely an asset to my Theater, I'm glad I purchased it.


Thanks to David Giles for his help.


Regards,

John


----------



## rabident

The first Stewart screen I bought didn't have a border. It was a 1.5" thick aluminum frame. The screen material sat on the front of the frame and was stretched around and snapped to the back. The screen floated 1.5" off the wall (the thickness of the frame). I was considering getting the same style screen again, but going with Carda for the masking.


If I put a 1" shim between the Stewart and the wall, will the Masquerade mate near flush with the screen (1/4" gap) ?


With no screen border to contend with, how much clearance do I need to leave?


----------



## John H




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/14936957
> 
> 
> ...And as you also mentioned anyone who wants the absolute minimum gap can order the Masquerade with our MMS Series screen which has the surface material mounted on the FRONT of the frame...
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



David,


What does the MMS Series screen reduce the gap to?


Thanks,

John


----------



## David Giles

The MMS Series frame can be adjusted so that there is approx. 1/4" to 3/8" between the back of the masks and the viewing surface.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

just out of curiosity, but for scope movies that have subtitles located in the black bar area, are the masks so black that you can't see any text or can subtitles still be legible if they appear on the masks?


----------



## David Giles

Hey Anthony,


You will probably be able to just barely see the subtitles if they fall on the masking material (i.e. the black bar area). Their legibility will depend on the number of lumens being thrown at the screen as well as the color, size, and font used for the subtitles. You *might* be able to read them if you really concentrate on them, but I certainly wouldn't want to try to read the subtitles on the masking during a movie.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Drexler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/15112430
> 
> 
> just out of curiosity, but for scope movies that have subtitles located in the black bar area, are the masks so black that you can't see any text or can subtitles still be legible if they appear on the masks?



It is no problem to read the subs of my screen which has light absorbtive black velvet. It is actually a bit more comfortable than reading from the screen area since they are not as bright. Otherwise the full white subs can be bright on the verge of being irritating in dark scenes in a full darkened room.


However, since subs are usually divided between the lower part of the screen area and the frame, it becomes annoying to read half the subs super bright and the other half muted. Still works though and I prefer doing this rather than project without masking...


(P.S. My screen is not a Carada, but a Euroscreen ReAct with black velvet frame).


----------



## greenyalie

I bought a 104" Masquerade to go with my 104" Carada Criterion screen. Installation took me about 3 hours, but I was slow and meticulous. It is not terribly difficult although having 2 people is a necessity. I had an issue with the top mask getting stuck initially, but David responded promptly to my emails and helped me dislodge it and it is working fine now.


My impressions, the masks definitely help perceived contrast and simply remove the distraction. I have blackout clothes around my screen so when the masks are deployed, all you see is an image against a seemlessly black background. It really helps make the image pop on 2:35 to 1 movies. I have a Sony VW60 and it really helps the image pop more.


My only complaint is there is not a setting built in for 2:40 to 1 movies. I have trouble with the jog feature getting it perfectly into place. I also wish there was a setting for 1:85 to 1.


Otherwise, great product and a great company.


Thanks


----------



## rabident

Any tips for installing the mounting bracket? What was the reason for making the bracket flexible? I feel like I'm trying to attach a wet noodle to my wall. The flexibility would be great if the bracket needed to hug the wall, but it doesn't. It's the opposite. It needs to be straight despite any variations in the wall. If it's critical the bracket is straight, I don't understand why it was made so flimsy. I think a rigid bracket would be much easier to install in this case.


----------



## David Giles

Hi Rabident,


The wall bracket is quite long in order to provide adequate support for the structure (and it is *more* than strong enough when properly attached to a wall).



> Quote:
> What was the reason for making the bracket flexible?



Well, honestly there is simply no way to make such a bracket NOT be flexible (without making it way too thick). Even an incredibly expensive carbon fiber bracket would have been flexible enough over that length to conform to any variations in the wall. It is far better to simply let your wall support the bracket along its length, and use the included small plastic horseshoe shims to fill in any low spots in your wall. You can temporarily install the wall bracket loosely on the wall (at the "high spots" on your wall), and then slip the shims between the bracket and the wall (the slots in the shims go over your screws).


Let me know if that helps. Thanks Rabident, and I'll look forward to hearing how you like your Masquerade!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## rabident




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15140372
> 
> 
> Well, honestly there is simply no way to make such a bracket NOT be flexible (without making it way too thick). Even an incredibly expensive carbon fiber bracket would have been flexible enough over that length to conform to any variations in the wall.



That's certainly a good reason







.


My install is particularly difficult because the studs aren't at regular intervals and the walls vary by as much as 2"... so I think I may be having issues above and beyond what most people typically have to deal with.


----------



## HogPilot

After quite a bit of e-mailing with David, I've ordered a custom 98" Masquerade to use for an AT setup in my basement! Because this will be the same width as the room that it's going in, I'll have to assemble it on a frame first which will get mounted onto a false wall that I'm building approx 3' in front of the back wall. I'll probably document it over in the DIY section once I start things up after the new year, but I'm very excited to get this set up. David was an absolute pleasure to work with, and was very helpful in assisting me with my unique situation to get a wall-to-wall Masquerade install.


----------



## Maximus330I

I am extremely intrigued by this system! Just a few questions, if you don't mind. Currently, I have a Dalite 106" pull down screen in highpower 16x9 format. I have had the highpower material for the past 3 years or so and I absolutely love it. What is the closest material that Carada makes that is similar to the high power? I am debating on whether to order a fixed HP screen from Dalite and the Carada masking system or just order the mms screen from Carada with the masking system. I understand the Carada screen will go better with the masking system due to the gap being narrower between the screen and the masking system. I'm all for that! However, I am really hooked on the high power screen so I would hate to lose its properties. Any words of wisdom? Btw, I just measured my wall and it is 125" wide. Here is a pic of my current setup:









My pull down screen comes down over the plasma. As you can see, I only have 125" of width to work with (height is of no concern as I have vaulted ceilings) and would love to get a larger screen then my current 106" one. I was doing some calculations and it looks like the largest screen I may be able to fit is a 110"-125" diagonal 16x9 screen. I'm not sure though as I read the masking system adds an additonal 4-5" to the screens width. Obviously, I am going to have to relocate the plasma if I want to go with a fixed screen (wife is hesitant, so I am currently in the begging stage







) Can you tell me the largest 16x9 screen size I could go with, considering the additional added width of the masking system and my 125" width limitation? Thanks!


----------



## David Giles

Hey Maximus,


We don't have a material similar to the High Power (high gain - retro reflective). But if you want to stick with High Power material, here's a suggestion: order the raw High Power material from Jason here at AVS and build your own simple screen-frame from 2x4's. You can build the frame directly on your wall and attach the surface material to the face of the 2x4's with staples. That will put the viewing surface at a nice distance from the masks. And if you're really obsessive-compulsive then you could even put some shims behind the 2x4's to push the screen even closer to the masks.







Then you would simply mount the Masquerade over the screen and you're good to go. If you (or anyone else) is interested in doing this, send me an email and I'll give you the exact dimensions for the raw screen material that you need to buy and the dimensions for the 2x4 frame.


If 125" is your actual WALL-TO-WALL width limitation, then the largest 16:9 Masquerade that you can mount on that wall would be a 124" diagonal. The system would have an outside width of 120.6 but you would need an extra 2 inches of "free and clear" space on both sides of the system in order to install the side fascia.


Now as HogPilot mentioned above, it IS possible to install a Masquerade that is the full width of a room (i.e. wall-to-wall), BUT you would have to be willing to build a "false-wall" type frame and install the Masquerade on that false-wall FIRST in a space that is WIDER than the actual wall (because again you need the space in order to install the side fascia). And building/mounting such a structure would definitely add an element of challenge to the installation of the Masquerade, so I would only recommend it for the adventurous.










In any case, details like this are best discussed on a case-by-case basis, so please send me an email at [email protected] and I'll be happy to discuss your installation with you.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Maximus330I

Thanks David. I would love to talk to you on the phone sometime to discuss my options. As of now, I am desperately trying to convince my wife in relocating the plasma above the fireplace so I can free up space for the permanent screen. This leads me to a question. My wife said it would look weird having a theater type setting in the family room. We do spend the majority of the time there and I think it would look fabulous. What do you guys think about having a permanent screen w/the masking system on a wall in your family room? I wish I had another place to put it but I don't.


----------



## oldavman

I'd install the screen with the masking. You could then put a powered pleated drape system made of velour material that could cover the entire screen wall when not in use.


----------



## David Giles

You're welcome to call us any time Maximus (phone # is listed on our website).



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Maximus330I* /forum/post/15193320
> 
> 
> What do you guys think about having a permanent screen w/the masking system on a wall in your family room?



I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person for that kind of opinion. In MY opinion, every house in America should have a Masquerade system front and center in the family room (and preferably another one in a dedicated theater in another room of the house).







But seriously, you'll just have to get your wife to look at lots of photos of projection screen setups and see what she thinks. The Masquerade just looks like a large projection screen with a wider frame, and for that matter it also looks like a large version of the plasma you have mounted on that wall now. So in my opinion changing the plasma out for a projection screen (with or without masking system) wouldn't make your family room look any less like a family room than it does now with the plasma, speakers, subwoofer, and equipment cabinet on that wall.


And you might want to suggest oldavman's idea to your wife. A luxurious set of drapes that covered ALL of the A/V equipment when not in use might make her very happy.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## jschefdog




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Maximus330I* /forum/post/15193320
> 
> 
> What do you guys think about having a permanent screen w/the masking system on a wall in your family room? I wish I had another place to put it but I don't.



If appearance is a real priority, you might want to think about going with an acoustically transparent screen and in-wall speakers. This makes for a very clean appearance and in-wall speakers have come a long way. It might help to sell the idea of a big permanent screen if it means you can hide the speakers. You can even get in wall subwoofers now but I don't know if you can put them behind a screen.


----------



## Maximus330I




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15195226
> 
> 
> You're welcome to call us any time Maximus (phone # is listed on our website).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm afraid you're asking the wrong person for that kind of opinion. In MY opinion, every house in America should have a Masquerade system front and center in the family room (and preferably another one in a dedicated theater in another room of the house).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But seriously, you'll just have to get your wife to look at lots of photos of projection screen setups and see what she thinks. The Masquerade just looks like a large projection screen with a wider frame, and for that matter it also looks like a large version of the plasma you have mounted on that wall now. So in my opinion changing the plasma out for a projection screen (with or without masking system) wouldn't make your family room look any less like a family room than it does now with the plasma, speakers, subwoofer, and equipment cabinet on that wall.
> 
> 
> And you might want to suggest oldavman's idea to your wife. A luxurious set of drapes that covered ALL of the A/V equipment when not in use might make her very happy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



I like the way you think.







I tried showing the wife some pics of other setups the other day and she thought they were nice, but in their own rooms. I really like the idea that the permanent screen is just like having a larger plasma on the wall. However, I would also love to build a platform (Proscenium) in front of the wall and move all the equipment to another part of the room. Thanks again for your input.


----------



## rabident

Max,


I used a HP screen and put the Masquerade over it. I don't think you can buy the HP screen material alone. I've used the Cinema Contour in the past, but this time since the frame didn't matter I went with the Perm Wall. It's Dalite's cheapest fixed screen, and unfortunately it shows. I had a 129" material. The aluminum frame joins with a single wing nut. For my length there was significant sagging.... ~3" of play. You have to mount the frame to the wall first (drill a hole through the aluminum, then put a screw through) then the screen material goes on after. The cheap frame was a little more difficult to install than what I was used to from them, but the HP is almost magic material if you meet the narrow set of requirements for it to perform well. If I had to do it again, I would double check the price difference of a better frame and go that route if it wasn't much more.


If you do go with the Perm Wall / HP, keep in mind that the material itself has 2" black border all the way around. So the frame itself is only 1" wide, but you have to figure 2" for the material (4" x 4" total). Dalite will cut your border in half (down to 1" per side) if you ask for it. No cost option, as long as it doesn't bump your viewable area over towards the next size up.


I thought I read the masks were 2" from the wall, so I shimed my Perm Wall out 3/4". The frame itself is 1" and there are snaps & material on top of that. I figured that would put me pretty close to 2" but with the screen up, I measured, and I could have put another 1/2" of shim, but my walls aren't flat, so that may have caused the discrepancy. As is I see slight shadows on the screen with the lights on, but when I watch a movie, they're gone.


If you replaced the Masquerade logo with one that said Panasonic, I think people might mistake the screen for a giant plasma. At a glance, it looks like a 126" plasma on my wall. The 6.5" of black of black light absorbing trim is nice. I had 3.5" on my old SilverStar, and more is definitly better here. The thing fits together real nice as well. Very clean looking. I'm often disapointed by stuff I buy not living up to the hype, but I'm really happy with my Masquerde. It was one of my better purchases this year.


----------



## BRAC

Just placed an order for a 92" Masquerade and an MMS screen to go along with it. Very excited to get my hands on this bad boy after reading all the positive reviews and comments. David Giles from Carada has been very helpfull and prompt with answering all my questions via email. Now, I'm just waiting and drooling, hoping to have it in time for Christmas. Mr. Giles... Please?


----------



## Samaritano

For the new Masquerade CIH, does the mask panel drops down from the top or does it deploy from the sides?


----------



## Rex Bittle

Hi Edgar,


The new Vertical Masquerade drops panels from the top on both sides to mask the sides of the screen. Primarily this will be to mask from the native 2.35:1 aspect ratio to a 16:9 image commonly. Other aspect ratio combinations can be made as a custom order if desired.


We'll have pictures and specifics products listed on our website shortly.


----------



## billmac

Hey Rex,


You mean the CIH Masquerade is going to finally become available soon? I will be buying my screen in about 5 to 6 weeks and, as I have been discussing with David, your 2.35:1 Criterion is at the very top of my list.


Bill


----------



## Rex Bittle

Hi Bill, sorry for my delayed response. I was away from a computer all day yesterday.


We have decided to reserve the CIH name as the model name for the product to be used later. So what this product that is being released next will be called is our Masquerade Vertical Masking System. And YES, the Vertical Maquerade is ready. Products and pictures should be on the website very shortly.


The products on the website will have a native aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Of course, as a custom item the native AR can be 2.37:1 or 2.40:1, whatever someone wants. We also have an MMS Series projection screen for this Masquerade as well, just like we have been selling with the Horizontal Masquerade all along. The MMS Series projection screen fits seamlessly with the Masquerade system so that the screen surface is as close to the deployed masks as possible and all of its framing is completely covered by the Masquerade. This screen gives the Masquerade a "one-piece" look.


Of course the Vertical Masquerade will still work with most of our competitors' cinema screens as well.


----------



## Drexler

Hi Rex,


I'm very keen on you products and seriously consider getting one for my coming theather.







So I have a few questions:


i) When do you estimate the CIH Masquerade to be released? (spring, summer, autumn, next year?)


ii) How will the pricing of the CIH be compared to the current Masquerade? (about the same, 50% more, twice the price?) And for the vertical Masquerade?


Best regards


----------



## David Giles

Hi Drexler,


I'll take it from here since Rex is officially on vacation (though he clearly didn't sleep late this morning like he should have







) To answer your last question regarding the price of the *vertical* Masquerade, the pricing is pretty similar to the pricing of the horizontal system (about $100 less for vertical systems of roughly similar size).


With regard to a future CIH system, (with masks that slide in and out from the sides) I honestly don't know when it will be available as there is a good bit of engineering to be done. And right now I'm not comfortable saying much about the price of a future CIH system, other than to say that it will be significantly more than either the horizontal or vertical system (it will have an extra motor, more complex controls, more complex mechanicals, etc.)


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## billmac

David,

I don't think I will be able to wait until you bring to the market your über Masquerade CIH... so I guess the Masquerade-V will do. But pleeeeeease, don't make us wait and wait and wait too long. Will you be taking pre-orders anytime soon? I don't think it will make it under my Xmas tree in a couple of days... but I believe... believe!!! 

Bill


----------



## David Giles

Hey Bill,


The vertical Masquerade can be ordered now. And we can deliver a masking system faster than just about anybody in the biz, but it definitely won't be under your tree on Christmas morning.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## billmac

David,


Thanks for the news! I guess I missed the new "Vertical" link and description in your Masquerade page. I see that you are updating it with more sizes (only 3 were available yesterday).


I am looking at the new 136" diagonal 2.35 Vertical Masquerade, which is the size I am interested on, but I think its dimensions are incorrect. Its listed as having a viewable area of 117.8" wide x 50.1" high. If pythagoras is correct, that would be 128" diagonal viewing size. Could you please check that?


In fact, that's the problem... your 136" diagonal 2.35 Vertical Masquerade has the 128" VM dimensions. Maybe your internet guru needs to stop using copy / paste while coding a web page and fix that. 


Bill


----------



## David Giles

Yep you were right about the 136" diagonal dimensions being incorrect. Cutting and pasting is so risky!







It has been corrected now (and fortunately all the other sizes were right to begin with). Thanks for the catch Bill!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## billmac

David,


That was quick fix! Maybe I should now work on coercing you into "fixing in" some yummy discounts on your website for AVS members.







I kid, I kid... (but it's the jolly season!)










Now, it is my understanding that you will be offering MMS screens for all of your VM's, as you are for the original Masquerade. I guess you will be updating that soon, as the 136" diagonal Vertical Masquerade does not currently list a MMS for it.


I assume the MMS screens have no black hole frame at all, no? I understand the screen material is attached to the *front* of its aluminum frame, in order to be as close as possible to the masks on the Masquerade over it, right?


The reason I am asking this, is that while the MMS screen is the same price as the precision series, the advantage of using it seems to be lessening potential shadows from the masks as compared to a regular precision frame - while loosing the ability of using it by itself, if one decides to replace it with another screen. Is this correct?


Also, could you please give us a ballpark estimate on the total weight of the 136" diagonal 2.35 Vertical Masquerade + 136" diagonal 2.35 Brilliant White MMS screen? As I've told you via e-mail, I have special mounting requirements... and bringing the discussion here, might help some other customers with similar needs.


Regards,

Bill


----------



## David Giles

Yes the MMS frame is available for the vertical Masquerade and all sizes on the website should be updated with that option soon. We actually do cover the MMS frame with our Black Hole trim (even though the frame is totally covered by the Masquerade fascia). I'm not entirely sure if I understand what you mean by "while loosing the ability of using it by itself, if one decides to replace it with another screen." Could you clarify your question for me?


The combined weight of an assembled 2.35:1 vertical Masquerade and the matching MMS screen will be approx. 135 lbs (not including packaging).


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Lee Weber




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15365411
> 
> 
> David,
> 
> 
> That was quick fix! Maybe I should now work on coercing you into "fixing in" some yummy discounts on your website for AVS members.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I kid, I kid... (but it's the jolly season!)



Here here!


David just pointed me to this...the new vertical masking system is at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRQ1ciNFz0


----------



## billmac

Sorry for the poorly structured phrase and maybe even sort of pointless scenario - now that I think of it. Anyway... here is another shot at it... and I am ready to edit all of this out, so other readers won't get confused by it.


It is my understanding that on a MMS screen, the screen material is attached to the *front* of the frame, unlike the Criterion or Precision series which is on the back. That is the 3M adhesive screen border and metal snaps on the MMS screen would face forward, towards the projector and viewers, no? Since this would be covered by the Masquerade fascia, this wouldn't be a problem but rather a feature by placing the screen material as close as possible to the masks.


What I was trying to say, if my assestment above is correct, is that the MMS screen would be less than ideal by itself if, say the Masquerade system over it fails and needs to be removed or







gets stolen by an evious neighbor.


----------



## billmac




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *W3bbY* /forum/post/15366160
> 
> 
> Here here!
> 
> 
> David just pointed me to this...the new vertical masking system is at the end.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRQ1ciNFz0



W3bbY thanks for that video! Exactly what I needed to see. Full height video in both 2.35 and masked 1.78 on a 2.35 wide screen, with excellent contrast. The Black Hole material performs great on that clip. I think everyone user with a Panny 3K (or similar) should really look into the Vertical Masquerade, for image quality and convenience.


Granted the Masquerade is about 3 times the price of an unmasked Carada screen alone, but the enhanced perceived contrast, specially when viewing HDTV 16:9 material with room lights on is, IMHO, well worth it.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15366640
> 
> 
> What I was trying to say, if my assestment above is correct, is that the MMS screen would be less than ideal by itself if, say the Masquerade system over it fails and needs to be removed or
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gets stolen by an evious neighbor.



Ah.... NOW I understand what you're asking. It's true that an MMS Series screen WITHOUT a Masquerade installed over it would not look as nice by itself as a standalone Precision Series or Criterion Series screen, because the snaps and border would be visible on the front of the MMS frame (but are normally hidden behind the Masquerade fascia). But if an envious neighbor DID steal your Masquerade, I can assure you that you would immediately go into severe withdrawal and call your insurance agent for a replacment before the thief even got home with his prize.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## keithishere




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Kris Deering* /forum/post/14688128
> 
> 
> I know longer work for Secrets. I left that publication in February and joined the staff at Home Theater magazine.
> 
> 
> I was thrilled with the quality of the Masquerade and continue to use it in my system today. I talked with David at CEDIA and told him that I couldn't imagine not having it in my system now. The affect on overall picture quality is tremendous.
> 
> 
> If anyone has any questions about the unit please feel free to PM me and I'll be dropping by this thread from time to time. If anyone is in the Washington area and would like to check it out, I'd be happy to demo it if you want to swing by. Again, just PM me and we'll work something out.



Kris Deering....do you mean Washington DC? If so...i would like to see it first hand?


----------



## Mike W




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15401891
> 
> 
> Kris Deering....do you mean Washington DC? If so...i would like to see it first hand?



Keithishere:


Kris lives in Washington State, west of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula.


Mike W.


----------



## Mike W




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15355478
> 
> 
> Hi Drexler,
> 
> 
> I'll take it from here since Rex is officially on vacation (though he clearly didn't sleep late this morning like he should have
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) To answer your last question regarding the price of the *vertical* Masquerade, the pricing is pretty similar to the pricing of the horizontal system (about $100 less for vertical systems of roughly similar size).
> 
> 
> With regard to a future CIH system, (with masks that slide in and out from the sides) I honestly don't know when it will be available as there is a good bit of engineering to be done. And right now I'm not comfortable saying much about the price of a future CIH system, other than to say that it will be significantly more than either the horizontal or vertical system (it will have an extra motor, more complex controls, more complex mechanicals, etc.)
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Hi David:


Maybe my mind is fuzzy from too much holiday cheer, but when you say that the future CIH system would be more expensive than either the horizontal or vertical system alone (because it will have dual motors), is that really a CIH system? For CIH, all you need is masks to cover the side bars, as the image height stays constant and is always bordered by the top/bottom of the frame. Is that not correct? Sounds like you're describing a 4-way masking system that could be used for a "constant area" (poor man's zoom) setup, which would be great as that's what I and a number of other forum members use.


Also, I'm sending you a pm.


Mike W


----------



## Drexler

I was actually also thinking why you need two motors?

I have been contemplating doing a motorized CIH myself, and I never found it necessary to use two. I came up with at least two different designs that only uses one. Why make it so complicated?


----------



## David Giles

Hey Mike sorry for the confusion. The future CIH system that I've talked about *will* have side masks that move in and out from the sides to cover side black bars. So it will be a true Constant Image Height system and it will have two motors - one to drive each side mask.



> Quote:
> Why make it so complicated?



It is certainly possible to make a system with only one motor (with enough pulleys, cables, springs, etc.), and we *may* offer a variation like that at some point down the road. But I expect the first version to be a highly sophisticated full-featured 2-way CIH system with independent control over each side mask. Of course everything is subject to change at this point.










David Giles


----------



## billmac

David, just follow my ultra-secret 90 degree turn on your current horizontal Masquerade components (as discussed via e-mail) or I will have to drive to your shop to do it myself!







I really wish I could understand why this isn't feasible, from a design or engineering standpoint.


The current vertical Masquerade has only one fixed mask setting, which could be enough for most, but a handicap for others like me. Your horizontal Masquerade has limitless settings, which would be desirable for CIH in a vertical / sideways sliding Masquerade.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15407690
> 
> 
> I really wish I could understand why this isn't feasible, from a design or engineering standpoint.



Hey Bill,


As I mentioned before, I *WISH* it was as easy as just turning the horizontal Masquerade on its side. There are several reasons why the horizontal Masquerade design can't simply be rotated 90 degrees, but honestly I just don't have time to go into all the detail necessary to explain them. But if you're willing to drive to our facility I'll make time and we can put our heads together on the problem and see what we come up with.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Mike W




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15407563
> 
> 
> Hey Mike sorry for the confusion. The future CIH system that I've talked about *will* have side masks that move in and out from the sides to cover side black bars. So it will be a true Constant Image Height system and it will have two motors - one to drive each side mask.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It is certainly possible to make a system with only one motor (with enough pulleys, cables, springs, etc.), and we *may* offer a variation like that at some point down the road. But I expect the first version to be a highly sophisticated full-featured 2-way CIH system with independent control over each side mask. Of course everything is subject to change at this point.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



Hi Dave:

OK, so it seems I misinterpreted your original post and when you mentioned two motors I assumed that you were talking about a 4-way masking system: one motor for vertical masks and one for horizontal masks.


A 4-way Masquerade system, then, is NOT on the drawing board? Is that correct? If correct, too bad














(and you can ignore my question about a 4-way system in the pm I sent to you.).


Thanks.

Mike W.


----------



## Drexler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15407563
> 
> 
> It is certainly possible to make a system with only one motor (with enough pulleys, cables, springs, etc.), and we *may* offer a variation like that at some point down the road. But I expect the first version to be a highly sophisticated full-featured 2-way CIH system with independent control over each side mask. Of course everything is subject to change at this point.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



It doesn't need to be so complicated with a lot of cables and pulleys.










You have a u-shaped rail with one cable wheel at each side. A steel cable is running around the wheels along the inside length of the rail (so when you are rotating the wheels one part of the cable is coming towards you and one away from you). Now just put a car that fits in the rail at each side and attach them to each side of the cable. As you turn one wheel the cars are now going in opposite directions along the rail dragged by the cable. (This is eqiuvalent to a center opening curtain system, very simply buildt.)

_Edit: The cars should be designed to fit snugly in the rail so they cannot come loose and only travel in one dimension. For inspiration look at a curtain system!_


Make another one of these rails and put one at the bottom of the screen and one at the top. Connect them via an axis on each side that connects the wheels on the top and bottom of each side so when you turn the axis the wheels start spinning.


Now connect a cogwheel and a motor to one axis and it will control the movement of all four cars.


Now you just need to connect the top and bottom cars with an aluminum plate covered in black velvet. The plates are in turn attached to black material on a roller with a spring mechanism (like a roller curtain) on each side of the screen, so that when the aluminum plates are travelling toward the middle they open up the roller material. As the plates travel back, the spring mechanism rolls up the material on the roller.


Voilá, you have a simple CIH masking system composed of one motor and only two steel cables!


Feel free to use my design, just send me a masking system in return!










I made a quick drawing in PP, not to scale though.


----------



## David Giles

Cool drawing Drexler! And I'll certainly keep it in mind when working on the Masquerade CIH, but just remember that there are MANY factors to consider when designing a product for sale on the market, like ease of installation, reliability/durability, shipping configuration/costs, features as compared to competitive products, quiet operation, aesthetic appearance, etc. So any design will have to optimize all of those factors as much as possible.


Anyway, thanks for your contribution, and if we do use your design I'll be needing your shipping address.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Drexler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15412517
> 
> 
> Cool drawing Drexler! And I'll certainly keep it in mind when working on the Masquerade CIH, but just remember that there are MANY factors to consider when designing a product for sale on the market, like ease of installation, reliability/durability, shipping configuration/costs, features as compared to competitive products, quiet operation, aesthetic appearance, etc. So any design will have to optimize all of those factors as much as possible.
> 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for your contribution, and if we do use your design I'll be needing your shipping address.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Thanks for the kind words! I realize there is a lot of aspects to consider. Often though the simpler you make it, the easier the installation and assembly, the lesser things can go wrong and the cheaper it will be, right?










I didnt really get why you want to have individual control of the sides? What reason is there to not have the picture at the center? Do your competitors have this feature? (just being curious here)


Anyway, I'm looking forward to see what you come up with. I would love to have a motorized CIH masking, but the pricing has to be reasonable. The current Masquerade is at the limit for me and if the CIH would be significantly more expensive I just have to settle with a manual masking (like for instance velvet covered styrofoam panels with magnets).


I was considering building my own motorized system (hence my design plan). However, it would be a lot of work to make one that looks good also with lights on. I would need to order custom made aluminum frames to cover the mechanics for example, in addition to finding the right motor, right velvet, IR control, get help to make a program controlling the motor and presets, maybe a break system etc. etc. A lot of work for one screen.










Maybe you come up with an affordable CIH system in the future (or even use my design







)? I would certainly be interested! Keep us posted and good luck!


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Drexler* /forum/post/15414343
> 
> 
> I didnt really get why you want to have individual control of the sides? What reason is there to not have the picture at the center? Do your competitors have this feature? (just being curious here)



Yes most of our competitors' CIH masking systems do have individual control of each side mask, which allows you to offset the open portion of the screen to account for inaccurately authored DVDs. Having a motor for each side also has some engineering advantages (at least in my mind).



> Quote:
> I would love to have a motorized CIH masking, but the pricing has to be reasonable.



"Reasonable" is a relative term.







I just got off the phone with a customer who got a quote from another company for a CIH masking system (with screen) similar to the type of future Carada system I've been describing. It retailed for $13K.







Our system will be incredibly "reasonable" compared to that.







On the other hand it may seem "unreasonable" when compared to the raw material costs of a homemade masking system (whether automated or just static velvet-covered foam panels). But we wouldn't be in business very long if we worried about that, and neither would Stewart, Screen Research, SMX, etc. etc.


In any case, when our CIH system does eventually hit the market, if it's over your budget I will totally understand, and in that case I would strongly encourage you to make your own masking (static panels will work but a fully automated system adds a whole other dimension of Cool Factor). As far as I know, no one who has ever used masking (whether homemade or professionally designed and built) has ever regretted it.











> Quote:
> Keep us posted and good luck!



Thanks Drexler!


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## David Giles

This post is for anyone following this thread who has even a modicum of interest in a CIH masking system (with panels that slide in and out from the sides). I've already said more than I wish I had about a future product that is *barely* more than an idea at this point. We have a LOT of work to do before such a system will be ready for market and I frankly don't know how long that might take. So rather than spend any more time here on the forum jawing about something that I have virtually NO accurate information about, I'll refrain from discussing it any further and just get to work.










But thanks to ALL of you for your interest in the product, and we will certainly let you know when it is ready for the market (or at least VERY close to ready).



Take care everybody, and Happy New Year!!










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Drexler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15417423
> 
> 
> "Reasonable" is a relative term.



Reasonable to my pocket that is!










Seriously though. I fully understand that you need to have a good margin to cover expenses and development costs and these will always be much greater for niche products such as masking systems than items sold in large numbers.


Still, I always thought there must be a way to produce and sell a simple but well functioning masking system without charging the same as a brand new car. I think it is possible to design and produce a CIH masking system that will not be more complicated or expensive to develop and build than your current Masquerade.







(Especially since you already should have a lot of know-how from the development of the vertical Masquerade.)


Anyway, good luck again and I'm looking forward to hear more about it in due time!


Happy New Year!


/Ted


----------



## keithishere

This will be my first PJ so i hope the expert here could help me make an intelligent decision. the screen will be in a living room with a wall of 10ft high and 115 inch wide. The sony vpl-vw100 will be ceiling mount(with extension columns) back at 17ft to 18ft. I don't want to go anymore back b/c the pj will need 4 ft to 5ft to vent...

I'm thinking of going with Hp, SS or BW screen with the masquerade masking system. If i was going with the hp screen...then should i buy the Cinema Contour, Da-Snap, Perm-Wall. But I like the ideal of buying all the product from 1 company b/c it will fix together perfectly. that why i was considering the BW but the gain is too low for that throw distance. I was thing that the screen size might be 60"X107" (2.35:1) Thanks in advance. sorry for your trouble.



keith


----------



## keithishere

i just find this company:









http://www.smxscreen.com/pro-mask-masking-screen.html 


Four Independently Controlled Masks!!!



look expensive though.











keith


----------



## HogPilot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15448402
> 
> 
> i just find this company:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.smxscreen.com/pro-mask-masking-screen.html
> 
> 
> Four Independently Controlled Masks!!!
> 
> 
> 
> look expensive though.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> keith



About 5x to 6x the price of a Carada CIW masking system. There's a thread for those systems elsewhere in this forum as well.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15448402
> 
> 
> i just find this company:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.smxscreen.com/pro-mask-masking-screen.html
> 
> 
> Four Independently Controlled Masks!!!
> 
> 
> 
> look expensive though.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> keith



And it's not available (not being made) either at this point in time. I don't know why it's still advertised so heavily given you can't buy one right now. (Although presumably some time in the future it will become available again).


The Carada Masquerade is simply an incredible bargain in the world of automated screen masking. It's really helping me make my masking system into something I can afford.


----------



## keithishere

Hey Rich,



what Carada Masquerade system did you went with?


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *BRAC* /forum/post/15294285
> 
> 
> Just placed an order for a 92" Masquerade and an MMS screen to go along with it. Very excited to get my hands on this bad boy after reading all the positive reviews and comments. David Giles from Carada has been very helpfull and prompt with answering all my questions via email. Now, I'm just waiting and drooling, hoping to have it in time for Christmas. Mr. Giles... Please?



UPDATE:


Recently got my new Masquerade and screen up and running. I won't get carried away with a big long post about everything that has been stated here numerous times already. However, I will echo all the positive comments mentioned in this thread and just say, AMAZING. Don't worry about damage during shipping, because the packaging is just insane. Everthing about the masking system is first rate and installation was a breeze. Best upgrade to my system I've made in years, maybe ever...










If I may, I recommend getting an MMS screen to go with it. The masks are up nice and tight to the screen, making for and excellent combo.


----------



## Mike_WI

Keith -

I started a thread looking at exactly the same screens you are considering.

Some room differences.

Check it out if you think it will help.

Good luck.

Mike



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15442604
> 
> 
> This will be my first PJ so i hope the expert here could help me make an intelligent decision. the screen will be in a living room with a wall of 10ft high and 115 inch wide. The sony vpl-vw100 will be ceiling mount(with extension columns) back at 17ft to 18ft. I don't want to go anymore back b/c the pj will need 4 ft to 5ft to vent...
> 
> I'm thinking of going with Hp, SS or BW screen with the masquerade masking system. If i was going with the hp screen...then should i buy the Cinema Contour, Da-Snap, Perm-Wall. But I like the ideal of buying all the product from 1 company b/c it will fix together perfectly. that why i was considering the BW but the gain is too low for that throw distance. I was thing that the screen size might be 60"X107" (2.35:1) Thanks in advance. sorry for your trouble.
> 
> 
> 
> keith


----------



## keithishere

thanks







mike, but smx customer service seem not to be as good as David the Carada Man. I try to get a price from them through email and phone but all i got was "they are in a meeting" reply or email me back with a price for a screen that i was not interested in. i also call avs to get a price on a hp screen. And still have not heard back from them, yet... So i call Focused Technology and projector people. They gave me the price right at that moment. "Sometime when you get too big. You tend to forget where you come from"







But anyway... i decide to go with a hp screen. i will call David sometime today to make an order on a Horizontal system...So if you there David...







. Sorry for ramping!


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15495820
> 
> 
> thanks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> mike, but smx customer service seem not to be as good as David the Carada Man. I try to get a price from them through email and phone but all i got was "they are in a meeting" reply or email me back with a price for a screen that i was not interested in. i also call avs to get a price on a hp screen. And still have not heard back from them, yet... So i call Focused Technology and projector people. They gave me the price right at that moment. "Sometime when you get too big. You tend to forget where you come from"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But anyway... i decide to go with a hp screen. i will call David sometime today to make an order on a Horizontal system...So if you there David...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . Sorry for ramping!



I just got my exchanged RS20 in the mail.

Works this time (so far).

Excited to pick a screen now.


Mike


----------



## keithishere

Hey BRAC please post some pictures, we want to see your's setup..


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15462052
> 
> 
> Hey Rich,
> 
> 
> 
> what Carada Masquerade system did you went with?



I haven't bought mine yet. But the plan is to have a custom made Masquerade, about 125" wide by 62" tall viewing screen area. I'm also incorporating my own side masking, to end up with 4 way masking, because

I enjoy having the option of changing my screen size at my whim.


----------



## keithishere

i just jump in the masking pool







I really need to find a part time job to pay for it. Maybe if david or rex is hiring?


----------



## Mike_WI

I'm thinking of a 136" 2.35:1 screen and Masquerade masking system.


Per David Giles:

"The Masquerade system itself will weigh approx. *95 lbs* and the screen will weigh approx. *25 lbs*, so they will weigh approx. *120 lbs* together."

(bold added)


I have a electrical cabinet that the screen/mask will be in front of.

Initially with just a screen I thought it could be lifted off if the electrical box needed to be accessed.

That may not be (easily) possible with a 120 pound large screen/mask combo.

My wife wants to be able to turn off electricity if possible.

She was evoking electrocuted kids and her inability to access box.

So, this is an issue for her (and me).


A while ago a local B&M HT guy suggested a *"piano hinge"* to allow a screen to be pulled away from wall to access cabinet (with hinge on opposite side as cabinet).


Has anyone here ever done this or seen it?

See my HT pics sig for pictures if interested.


I was thinking of building a screen/mask "platform" with a plywood/2x4/plywood sandwich (for stability and decreasing flex on a lever arm) and covering the (larger than screen/mask combo) wood with black velvet.


Another option is building a false wall, but then I am covering outlets (a code violation?) on wall and would need to reposition my corner bass traps, etc.


Thanks for any help.


Mike


PS - I may cross list this under my thread looking at screens.


----------



## Big Worms




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mike_WI* /forum/post/15543500
> 
> 
> I'm thinking of a 136" 2.35:1 screen and Masquerade masking system.



Did you type this right? I believe the Masquerade system is only for 16:9 screens.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Big Worms* /forum/post/15547439
> 
> 
> Did you type this right? I believe the Masquerade system is only for 16:9 screens.



The Masquerade screen shape - aspect ratio - can be made to order. Mine is going to be roughly a 2:05:1 aspect ratio.


----------



## David Giles

Hey Mike,


I don't know of anyone who has put a masking system/screen on a platform that swings out on a piano hinge although I don't see why it wouldn't work IF the platform is flat and rigid enough AND the piano hinge can hold that kind of weight. Unfortunately I can't give you any first hand advice on how to do it simply because I haven't done it or seen it done, but I can pass on a couple of thoughts. I would guess that the plywood/2x4/plywood sandwich platform would probably weigh around 100 lbs itself, so with the Masquerade and screen mounted on it the whole structure would weigh well over 200 lbs. And the width of the system you want would put much of that weight pretty far away from the hinge, so the hinge itself would need to be a VERY strong hinge in order to hold the system without sagging. Definitely not the kind of project I would recommend for the faint of heart, but if you're handy enough I think it could be accomplished. You will of course have to provide electricity to the system so you'll need to figure out how that works with your hinge.


One thing I would recommend is that you put a couple of fixtures on the wall that support the platform/masking system structure when it's in its normal position (something as simple as L-brackets would work) so that all that weight isn't constantly pulling on the piano hinge. That way, only on those rare occasions when you actually need to swing the system away from the wall would the piano hinge come into play.


Hope that helps get you started!










David Giles


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Big Worms* /forum/post/15547439
> 
> 
> Did you type this right? I believe the Masquerade system is only for 16:9 screens.



We currently have two versions of the Masquerade available: a horizontal system for 16:9 screens (with masking panels on top and bottom to mask the black bars above and below a 2.35:1 image); and a vertical system for 2.35:1, 2.37:1, or 2.40:1 screens (with vertical masking panels that drop down from inside the top structure to mask the black bars on the sides when viewing 16:9 material on a "scope" screen). I know our website needs to be updated and organized to better explain the formats that the Masquerade is available in, and we will try to get that done in the very near future.


David Giles


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Big Worms* /forum/post/15547439
> 
> 
> Did you type this right? I believe the Masquerade system is only for 16:9 screens.



Rich and David beat me to it, but here is the link to the Carada Vertical Masquerade masking system.


From that site:

"The Vertical system deploys drop-down masks on the left and right to cover unused screen surface when viewing less than cinema-wide video material on *2.35:1 projection screen*.


The standard sized Masquerade Masking Systems are listed by the open 2.35 image they have (masks retracted). In addition to each of these Masquerade products you may also purchase the MMS Series projection screen which is optimized to work with the Masquerade. "



Mike


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15548280
> 
> 
> Hey Mike,
> 
> 
> I don't know of anyone who has put a masking system/screen on a platform that swings out on a piano hinge although I don't see why it wouldn't work IF the platform is flat and rigid enough AND the piano hinge can hold that kind of weight. Unfortunately I can't give you any first hand advice on how to do it simply because I haven't done it or seen it done, but I can pass on a couple of thoughts. I would guess that the plywood/2x4/plywood sandwich platform would probably weigh around 100 lbs itself, so with the Masquerade and screen mounted on it the whole structure would weigh well over 200 lbs. And the width of the system you want would put much of that weight pretty far away from the hinge, so the hinge itself would need to be a VERY strong hinge in order to hold the system without sagging. Definitely not the kind of project I would recommend for the faint of heart, but if you're handy enough I think it could be accomplished. You will of course have to provide electricity to the system so you'll need to figure out how that works with your hinge.
> 
> 
> One thing I would recommend is that you put a couple of fixtures on the wall that support the platform/masking system structure when it's in its normal position (something as simple as L-brackets would work) so that all that weight isn't constantly pulling on the piano hinge. That way, only on those rare occasions when you actually need to swing the system away from the wall would the piano hinge come into play.
> 
> 
> Hope that helps get you started!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles



David -


Thanks for the input.

A HT installer is coming over tomorrow to mount my RS20 projector to the ceiling and my carpenter is coming over at the same time to brainstorm.

I'll show the link to my carpenter and see what he says.










If I just get the screen, it would be pretty easy, but the combo makes it complicated.

We'll see if I can pull it off.









Another installer said that a "piano hinge" as in actual hinge used for a grand piano could do it, but I think that was in consideration of the screen only. Hmm.


Thanks again,


Mike


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15523701
> 
> 
> Hey BRAC please post some pictures, we want to see your's setup..




I'm still trying to get this whole screenshot and posting pictures on the forum thing figured out. I want to make sure any pictures I post will actually do justice to the content being captured. I'll try and get some images posted by the weekend.


----------



## Mike_WI

David et al. -


What do you think of a vertical (not horizontal/side) piano hinge to allow access to cabinet?


That would create less of a lever arm and allow support from multiple studs.


Thoughts?


Mike


----------



## David Giles

Hey Mike, it sounds like you're talking about a hinge that is installed horizontally across the TOP of the platform/masking system structure, so that the structure could be lifted UP from the bottom towards the ceiling? If so, I would think that arrangement would certainly require a less-beefy hinge. But it would be VERY difficult to lift such a structure (not to mention dangerous) unless you installed some sort of rope/pulley system to help lift the structure. And it's definitely not something I would want one person (your wife) to have to do when they're in an emergency situation. Have you ruled out the possibility of having an electrician come in and relocate the power box to another wall in the room?


David Giles


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15552660
> 
> 
> Hey Mike, it sounds like you're talking about a hinge that is installed horizontally across the TOP of the platform/masking system structure, so that the structure could be lifted UP from the bottom towards the ceiling? If so, I would think that arrangement would certainly require a less-beefy hinge. But it would be VERY difficult to lift such a structure (not to mention dangerous) unless you installed some sort of rope/pulley system to help lift the structure. And it's definitely not something I would want one person (your wife) to have to do when they're in an emergency situation. Have you ruled out the possibility of having an electrician come in and relocate the power box to another wall in the room?
> 
> 
> David Giles



David -


Your evaluation is correct.


I tried to get the power box moved pre basement construction and the builder wouldn't do it.

I know, I'm the buyer, I should have pushed more, but didn't see this coming and had a pregnant wife that didn't want any delays in getting into the house.

Also, the drywall is QuietRock, so I'd hate to rip it up now (and redo that wall and the other wall I'd move it to.

In retrospect and in any future builds I definitely wouldn't have a cabinet on my front wall.

What a pain!










Hmm...

What if I had some *hydraulic lifts* -- like on hatchback cars to "assist" the lifting of the screen when needed.

I realize I'm getting into more building than is usually needed, but just a thought.


My dad, father-in-law, and bro/sis-in-laws are all engineers.

Maybe I need to invoke their help?










Mike


Pic - rear hatch strut











Some in my google search have said...

"*Fit Note:* Heavy Duty - For Vehicles with A/C or Rear Spoiler"

Maybe that would be strong enough to give a good enough lift?


----------



## keithishere

Just got my order in for the 114 dia..H. masking. Also decide to go with the Hp screen. Hope my decision work out...hate to second guess myself











sorry I'm no help to you, mike.


----------



## David Giles

Mike I think the structure you have in mind would be quite a bit heavier than a car hatch. The struts might make it a bit easier to lift, but I definitely wouldn't trust the struts to hold it up while someone is back there working in the electrical box. If you do use the struts to help lift the structure, I'd recommend some sort of latching method to latch the structure to the ceiling.


Thanks for your order Keith!


David Giles


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15562068
> 
> 
> Mike I think the structure you have in mind would be quite a bit heavier than a car hatch. The struts might make it a bit easier to lift, but I definitely wouldn't trust the struts to hold it up while someone is back there working in the electrical box. If you do use the struts to help lift the structure, I'd recommend some sort of latching method to latch the structure to the ceiling.
> 
> 
> Thanks for your order Keith!
> 
> 
> David Giles



David -


Roger roger.

I (cross) posted on this here .

That's the danger of cross posting.


Basically going with a partial false front wall.

Should be plenty of wall support now.

I was getting "overly creative" I think.























Hopefully this is more upfront work, but a simpler implementation in the long run.

May modify (lower) screen size with closer wall.


I also talked with someone interested in my setup and he may contact you soon for a retro masking solution for his HP screen.


I'll be in touch with you soon.


Thanks again!


Mike


----------



## Mike_WI

David -


I'll post this rather than email/call since I think it would be good generalizable information.


RE:

"The standard sized Masquerade Masking Systems are listed by the open 2.35 image they have (masks retracted). In addition to each of these Masquerade products you may also purchase the MMS Series projection screen which is optimized to work with the Masquerade. You will find this additional item on the same page as the Masquerade under "you may also like...".

-- Link 


Can you please elaborate on the benefits and/or differences between the MMS Series screen and the Criterion (or Precision series) for the Masquerade masking system.


"*THIS SCREEN IS MATCHED TO A MASQUERADE MASKING SYSTEM. IT IS NOT FOR SALE AS A STAND ALONE SCREEN*


Projector Screen material attaches to the front of the aluminum frame by metal snaps."


Sorry if this has already been covered.

I can't recall seeing any details or differences for the 2.35:1 system.


Thanks.


Mike


----------



## billmac

Mike_WI,


Read David's answer in this same thread to a similar question I had regarding the MMS screen:

MMS Screen 


The benefit is that the MMS screen is closer to the Masquerade masks, lessening any potential shadows, since the screen is attached to the front of the frame, instead of the back side (as in the Precision and Criterion series).


billmac


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15564420
> 
> 
> Mike_WI,
> 
> 
> Read David's answer in this same thread to a similar question I had regarding the MMS screen:
> 
> MMS Screen
> 
> 
> The benefit is that the MMS screen is closer to the Masquerade masks, lessening any potential shadows, since the screen is attached to the front of the frame, instead of the back side (as in the Precision and Criterion series).
> 
> 
> billmac



billmac -

Thanks.

Are there any pics or other comparative comments looking at both.

One benefit to the non-MMS is that you could potentially order that, decide if you need/want the Masquerade masking sytem, and either order or not order.










Close to deciding something...


Mike


----------



## billmac

Mike, yeah, I am on the same boat as you regarding the MMS screen. Think of it as being an integral part of a better performing Masquerade system. So if you are sold on getting a Masquerade, the MMS screen is a no brainer.


Regarding pictures and comparisons, I have read users mentioning they couldn't live without masks in their setups, as well as others saying the exact opposite. While I am sure a Masquerade will no doubt enhance *any* setup, there is always the issue of justifying cost vs performance benefits. And, while it's certainly one of the best and least expensive automated masks systems available, it's still a hefty investment without first weighing an actual need for it.


I already have a projector - Panasonic PT-A3000U - and plan on getting a 136" diagonal (125" wide) 2.35:1 Criterion Brilliant White screen in a couple of weeks, as my HT room is still not ready. When watching HDTV (16:9) material, the image would fill the height (54") of the screen with roughly 15" wide empty pillars on each side. Since no light from the projector will actually hit those areas - and I have a light controlled room - my theory is that I won't be needing masks.


On the other hand, my HDTV viewing would be mostly for sports during daytime hours - who watches football in a pitch black room? - so having a Masquerade would definitely improve image contrast perception and make the screen look nicer.


I have just asked a forum member here with a Carada Criterion 128" 2.35:1 screen and my same panny projector to post pictures of HDTV content on his non-masked setup. Direct link to my question here . I hope he posts pictures soon. You will find photos of his screen and 2.35:1 material a few posts above mine.


I am heavily leaning towards getting a Criterion screen now and try to find another home for it if I ever decide to get a Masquerade (or the future Masquerade CIH) + MMS screen later.


So, if you are planning on getting a wide screen (i.e. 2.35:1) and you have a light controlled room, I would recommend getting the Criterion frame now and have the option of adding a Masquerade later if you *really* feel a need for it in your particular setup. If you are planning on getting a HDTV format screen (16:9 / 1.78:1), the Masquerade Horizontal + MMS screen makes a lot of sense up front.


IMHO, quasi-black horizontal bars on top and bottom of letterbox video on HDTV format screens, are more annoying than vertical ones on the sides ultra wide screens for HDTV video.


Bill.


----------



## R Harkness

Once you've lived with masking it's hard to go back. I'll be buying a Masquerade but for now the unmasked projector image I'm watching is kinda driving me nuts, because I know how much better it would be masked. I just love the lack of distraction of an image surrounded by black. A lot of people say "I don't notice the black bars when I'm watching a movie" and that may be the case. But it's one of those things you don't realise until you see something different. Kind of like living next to a highway - you get to tune out the highway noise at some point, but when you move to a new house in a secluded area you just go "aaahhh.." and THEN you really appreciate the difference.

That's why people who have or have demoed systems like the Masquerade report guests and spouses being very surprised and saying "wow what a difference" when the masks come on. These are people who probably never thought about a "black bar" on the image in their life, but once they saw them removed they couldn't help noticing the difference in the image presentation.


I've got a ridiculously finicky set up, since I'm using a zoom method and adding side masking as well so integrating the Masquerade in the plans has been a challenge. But I know it'll be well worth it.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15584404
> 
> 
> Mike, yeah, I am on the same boat as you regarding the MMS screen. Think of it as being an integral part of a better performing Masquerade system. So if you are sold on getting a Masquerade, the MMS screen is a no brainer.
> 
> 
> Regarding pictures and comparisons, I have read users mentioning they couldn't live without masks in their setups, as well as others saying the exact opposite. While I am sure a Masquerade will no doubt enhance *any* setup, there is always the issue of justifying cost vs performance benefits. And, while it's certainly one of the best and least expensive automated masks systems available, it's still a hefty investment without first weighing an actual need for it.
> 
> 
> I already have a projector - Panasonic PT-A3000U - and plan on getting a 136" diagonal (125" wide) 2.35:1 Criterion Brilliant White screen in a couple of weeks, as my HT room is still not ready. When watching HDTV (16:9) material, the image would fill the height (54") of the screen with roughly 15" wide empty pillars on each side. Since no light from the projector will actually hit those areas - and I have a light controlled room - my theory is that I won't be needing masks.
> 
> 
> On the other hand, my HDTV viewing would be mostly for sports during daytime hours - who watches football in a pitch black room? - so having a Masquerade would definitely improve image contrast perception and make the screen look nicer.
> 
> 
> I have just asked a forum member here with a Carada Criterion 128" 2.35:1 screen and my same panny projector to post pictures of HDTV content on his non-masked setup. Direct link to my question here . I hope he posts pictures soon. You will find photos of his screen and 2.35:1 material a few posts above mine.
> 
> 
> I am heavily leaning towards getting a Criterion screen now and try to find another home for it if I ever decide to get a Masquerade (or the future Masquerade CIH) + MMS screen later.
> 
> 
> So, if you are planning on getting a wide screen (i.e. 2.35:1) and you have a light controlled room, I would recommend getting the Criterion frame now and have the option of adding a Masquerade later if you *really* feel a need for it in your particular setup. If you are planning on getting a HDTV format screen (16:9 / 1.78:1), the Masquerade Horizontal + MMS screen makes a lot of sense up front.
> 
> 
> IMHO, quasi-black horizontal bars on top and bottom of letterbox video on HDTV format screens, are more annoying than vertical ones on the sides ultra wide screens for HDTV video.
> 
> 
> Bill.



Bill -


Great post.









You have captured in this post my conflicted thoughts.

Really helpful.


I've decided to get a *Carada 128" 2.4:1 BW MMS screen* with *Masquerade*.

I "won" my screen -- so no cost to me.

I could just do the Criterion and save some money and likely be very happy, but I figure I'll just "do it all" upfront.

There is an opportunity cost -- my time/attention, WAF!!







, getting help with the install (cost & time).


I will try to pull off my combo screen/mask install before the Superbowl (about 15-20 people driving and flying to my house), so if it looks better that would be great.

The $2.5K+ price _IS_ a lot without a doubt, but I think I'll just go for it now with the "easier" MMS screen to attach to it.

If money was more limiting I would likely do your approach.

(Not that I don't care about money, especially after buying a projector, screen, bar TV, eight HT seats, ISCOIIIL and CineSlide within a few months!







)


I'll watch that link you posted as well.


I unpacked my ISCOIIIL and CineSled last night -- wow, that's a lot of glass!

But I need some wood, paint, and CineSled legs (pending) to mount.

More on all that and updaed pics at a later date.


Thanks again for your thoughtful post!











Mike


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15585057
> 
> 
> Once you've lived with masking it's hard to go back. I'll be buying a Masquerade but for now the unmasked projector image I'm watching is kinda driving me nuts, because I know how much better it would be masked. I just love the lack of distraction of an image surrounded by black. A lot of people say "I don't notice the black bars when I'm watching a movie" and that may be the case. But it's one of those things you don't realise until you see something different. Kind of like living next to a highway - you get to tune out the highway noise at some point, but when you move to a new house in a secluded area you just go "aaahhh.." and THEN you really appreciate the difference.
> 
> That's why people who have or have demoed systems like the Masquerade report guests and spouses being very surprised and saying "wow what a difference" when the masks come on. These are people who probably never thought about a "black bar" on the image in their life, but once they saw them removed they couldn't help noticing the difference in the image presentation.
> 
> 
> I've got a ridiculously finicky set up, since I'm using a zoom method and adding side masking as well so integrating the Masquerade in the plans has been a challenge. But I know it'll be well worth it.



Rich -


You and others have "pushed me over the edge" (activation energy) to get a masking system.

See my post above.

Thanks.


Mike


----------



## billmac

Mike, congratulations on your purchase! I am sure you made the right choice. I hate you now... no... really.










To tell you the truth, if Carada had a constant image height Masquerade available right now, I would have place my order for a complete system just like you did. David is aware of this, as we have been discussing it for quite some time now. But, the current vertical Masquerade, with its only one fixed setting, it's less than ideal for my needs. That's why I am leaning towards the Criterion by itself now and replacing it with a Masquerade CIH and MMS screen when (helloooooo David, Rex) available sometime in the future.


I am really looking forward to reading about your experiences with your new Carada system.


Bill.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15587532
> 
> 
> Mike, congratulations on your purchase! I am sure you made the right choice. I hate you now... no... really.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To tell you the truth, if Carada had a constant image height Masquerade available right now, I would have place my order for a complete system just like you did. David is aware of this, as we have been discussing it for quite some time now. But, the current vertical Masquerade, with its only one fixed setting, it's less than ideal for my needs. That's why I am leaning towards the Criterion by itself now and replacing it with a Masquerade CIH and MMS screen when (helloooooo David, Rex) available sometime in the future.
> 
> 
> I am really looking forward to reading about your experiences with your new Carada system.
> 
> 
> Bill.



Bill -

I think (maybe incorrectly) that despite the 16:9 and 2.35:1 setting (open) that you can "jog" the mask to fit other aspect ratios.










Mike


----------



## billmac

Mike, jogging horizontal sliding masks in a panoramic screen to fit any aspect ratio would indeed make it a true CIH masking system, which is the kind of Masquerade CIH I am drooling for... if and when it becomes available. But the current Vertical Masquerade for panoramic screens, only has a pair of fixed size dropping down masks for, as you mentioned, 16:9 when down and 2.35:1 (2.40:1 in your case) when open.


I am sure you ordered the Vertical Masquerade for your 2.40:1 MMS screen, so you will only be able to mask a fixed 16:9 / 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Nothing else in between. But, although it might sound as a limitation (it does to me), I am sure it will be more than enough for 90%+ of the movies you might throw at it.


The Horizontal Masquerade only works in 16:9 / 1.78:1 screens and does indeed have an unlimited number of other aspect ratios it can accommodate like 1.85:1, 2.05:1, etc... by manually jogging the masks. But this is not the Masquerade you and I are looking for, since we have our sights in panoramic screens.


Bill


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *paulromi* /forum/post/13308445
> 
> 
> 
> I have also learned the codes into my pronto remote and have tried many variations of IR code timings so I could create macro's to have multiple step jogs of the masquerade. For example, I have buttons labeled 2 jogs, 3 jogs, 4 jogs, 5 jogs etc created on my remote with many variations allowing the masquerade to move up or down.



Wow, how did I miss this post way back on the 8th page, long ago?


That is exactly what I hoped would be possible with the Masquerade: macros for various positions beyond the 16:9 or 2:35:1 option. My automated side masking will have about 6 options for pre-setting image width so if I do my macros right I should be able to have 6 pre-programmed image sizes available at the push of a button. (Fingers crossed...)


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15588352
> 
> 
> Mike, jogging horizontal sliding masks in a panoramic screen to fit any aspect ratio would indeed make it a true CIH masking system, which is the kind of Masquerade CIH I am drooling for... if and when it becomes available. But the current Vertical Masquerade for panoramic screens, only has a pair of fixed size dropping down masks for, as you mentioned, 16:9 when down and 2.35:1 (2.40:1 in your case) when open.
> 
> 
> I am sure you ordered the Vertical Masquerade for your 2.40:1 MMS screen, so you will only be able to mask a fixed 16:9 / 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Nothing else in between. But, although it might sound as a limitation (it does to me), I am sure it will be more than enough for 90%+ of the movies you might throw at it.
> 
> 
> The Horizontal Masquerade only works in 16:9 / 1.78:1 screens and does indeed have an unlimited number of other aspect ratios it can accommodate like 1.85:1, 2.05:1, etc... by manually jogging the masks. But this is not the Masquerade you and I are looking for, since we have our sights in panoramic screens.
> 
> 
> Bill



I might be mistaken -- but see Rich's post above this.


I was looking at this remote...











...and reading about jogging so I figured you could do non 16:9 and 2.4:1 aspect ratios, but maybe not?










"The remote itself is elegantly simple and effective, with dedicated buttons for the 16:9 and 2.35:1 aspect ratios, and Jog buttons that allow you to easily adjust the mask positions for other less common aspect ratios (like 2.20:1, 2.70:1 etc)." - link 


This is all that is said specifically about the vertical (2.35:1) masking system:

"The Vertical system deploys drop-down masks on the left and right to cover unused screen surface when viewing less than cinema-wide video material on 2.35:1 projection screen.


"The standard sized Masquerade Masking Systems are listed by the open 2.35 image they have (masks retracted). In addition to each of these Masquerade products you may also purchase the MMS Series projection screen which is optimized to work with the Masquerade. You will find this additional item on the same page as the Masquerade under "you may also like..." - link
 



I plan to talk to David tomorrow a.m. to put in an order so I'll ask him.


Also, for the Masquerade - any recs on corded vs. fixed wiring for the electric


Mike


----------



## billmac

Mike, in the 16:9 native Horizontal Masquerade (the original), a screen wide mask comes down from the top frame and another exactly like it pulls up from the bottom frame, to provide lots of different aspect ratios, beyond the full open - 16:9 ratio. Think of the Horizontal Masquerade masks as your eye-lids. The picture of the remote you posted, is that of the Horizontal Masquerade, as you are indeed able to manually control the height of the screen wide masks for different aspect ratios besides the full open (16:9) or deployed (2:35:1). As you can see in the jog buttons, there are arrows pointing up and down to control the height of the top and bottom mask, as in my eye-lids comparison.


The panoramic native Vertical Masquerade (newer model and the one you will order), has 2 fixed width (about 14" each for a 128" screen) masks that drop down from the top frame on each side of your screen, all the way to the bottom frame to cover the unused screen pillars for watching say 16:9 material on a panoramic (your 2.40:1) screen. You can not control the width of those masks and it only has 2 possible settings: open or fully deployed (all the way down). It makes no sense to stop them at any other position, as they are meant to mask vertical columns of unused screen on each side of your projected video image. The masks have a fixed width and are only meant to be used fully open (no masks) or fully closed (masks all the way down). Yes, I am repeating myself just to stress the point.










Now, if we were talking about masks that would slide from the sides (as Rich mentions), *THEN* we would have a Constant Image Height (and limitless ratios) Masquerade for panoramic screens... but that's is still in the waaaaaay back burner at Carada, as mentioned by David, with regrets.


Please take a look at the pictures I promised you earlier, as the proud owner of a 128" 2.35:1 BW Carada screen just posted them here . As you can see, he was watching 16:9 material centered on his screen, with pillars of unused screen on each side. The Vertical Masquerade would indeed take care of that empty space with black-hole masks coming down from the top on each side... all the way to the bottom. And that is the intended purpose of the Vertical Masquerade. Greatly enhancing the viewing experience of 16:9 material on a panoramic screen. And that's the only thing it can and will do.


You will have a killer setup via the Masquerade and MMS screen combo. Once again, congratulations.


I hope this helps you understand the way the current Masquerade models work. If it does, can I come and join you and your party for Superbowl sunday???







I kid, I kid.


Bill.


----------



## miltimj




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mike_WI* /forum/post/15551511
> 
> 
> David et al. -
> 
> 
> What do you think of a vertical (not horizontal/side) piano hinge to allow access to cabinet?
> 
> 
> That would create less of a lever arm and allow support from multiple studs.
> 
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> 
> Mike



I *highly* doubt this will be in accordance with the national electric code. You can't have anything in front of the circuit breaker panel for a set distance (it's 36" for sure in my city, which may be more than the minimum by the NEC).


If it's a cabinet door (something easily movable by anybody) fine, but not some huge door that may be confusing to open and/or require significant strength to do it. That said, the alternatives don't look appealing. I'm assuming that wall is an exterior wall? (otherwise you could flip it to the other side)


----------



## miltimj

By the way, David.. let me add my 100% agreement with Drexler about the CIH system. (I know, you're not talking about it anymore







)


I won't get a masking system until it's for CIH and offers multiple ARs (as you're planning). That said, I'd put my priorities in this order:


1) CIH, Multiple AR (that's a given)

2) Overall function / speed / quietness *once it's installed*

3) Cost

4) Durability

5) Acoustically Transparent masking material (if available)

6) Automation capabilities


Items that may seem important, but _for me personally_ I could care less about:


- Installation time / difficulty (it will happen once.. if it even makes it $200 cheaper, it's worth it to spend an extra hour installing it)

- Independent side control (unnecessary complexity that I would never use.. it'll always be centered)


I think Carada's niche is lower cost / higher value systems that get the job done (automated, durable system) that solves 95+% of what we would encounter in the real world. Let the extra 5% cost the $10K+ that it does.


Thanks for your consideration, and for building a quality product thus far (from what I've read)!


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15591802
> 
> 
> Mike, in the 16:9 native Horizontal Masquerade (the original), a screen wide mask comes down from the top frame and another exactly like it pulls up from the bottom frame, to provide lots of different aspect ratios, beyond the full open - 16:9 ratio. Think of the Horizontal Masquerade masks as your eye-lids. The picture of the remote you posted, is that of the Horizontal Masquerade, as you are indeed able to manually control the height of the screen wide masks for different aspect ratios besides the full open (16:9) or deployed (2:35:1). As you can see in the jog buttons, there are arrows pointing up and down to control the height of the top and bottom mask, as in my eye-lids comparison.
> 
> 
> The panoramic native Vertical Masquerade (newer model and the one you will order), has 2 fixed width (about 14" each for a 128" screen) masks that drop down from the top frame on each side of your screen, all the way to the bottom frame to cover the unused screen pillars for watching say 16:9 material on a panoramic (your 2.40:1) screen. You can not control the width of those masks and it only has 2 possible settings: open or fully deployed (all the way down). It makes no sense to stop them at any other position, as they are meant to mask vertical columns of unused screen on each side of your projected video image. The masks have a fixed width and are only meant to be used fully open (no masks) or fully closed (masks all the way down). Yes, I am repeating myself just to stress the point.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now, if we were talking about masks that would slide from the sides (as Rich mentions), *THEN* we would have a Constant Image Height (and limitless ratios) Masquerade for panoramic screens... but that's is still in the waaaaaay back burner at Carada, as mentioned by David, with regrets.
> 
> 
> Please take a look at the pictures I promised you earlier, as the proud owner of a 128" 2.35:1 BW Carada screen just posted them here . As you can see, he was watching 16:9 material centered on his screen, with pillars of unused screen on each side. The Vertical Masquerade would indeed take care of that empty space with black-hole masks coming down from the top on each side... all the way to the bottom. And that is the intended purpose of the Vertical Masquerade. Greatly enhancing the viewing experience of 16:9 material on a panoramic screen. And that's the only thing it can and will do.
> 
> 
> You will have a killer setup via the Masquerade and MMS screen combo. Once again, congratulations.
> 
> 
> I hope this helps you understand the way the current Masquerade models work. If it does, can I come and join you and your party for Superbowl sunday???
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I kid, I kid.
> 
> 
> Bill.



Bill -


Very helpful.

I was confused







-- I thought panels came in from the side.

I'll mull it over this morning.


The link and pics were very helpful also.


Thanks,


Mike


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *miltimj* /forum/post/15591987
> 
> 
> I *highly* doubt this will be in accordance with the national electric code. You can't have anything in front of the circuit breaker panel for a set distance (it's 36" for sure in my city, which may be more than the minimum by the NEC).
> 
> 
> If it's a cabinet door (something easily movable by anybody) fine, but not some huge door that may be confusing to open and/or require significant strength to do it. That said, the alternatives don't look appealing. I'm assuming that wall is an exterior wall? (otherwise you could flip it to the other side)



I went with a partial false wall that allows access to the electrical cabinet.


Drywalling is today.


Mike


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *miltimj* /forum/post/15592014
> 
> 
> By the way, David.. let me add my 100% agreement with Drexler about the CIH system. (I know, you're not talking about it anymore
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )
> 
> 
> I won't get a masking system until it's for CIH and offers multiple ARs (as you're planning). That said, I'd put my priorities in this order:
> 
> 
> 1) CIH, Multiple AR (that's a given)
> 
> 2) Overall function / speed / quietness *once it's installed*
> 
> 3) Cost
> 
> 4) Durability
> 
> 5) Acoustically Transparent masking material (if available)
> 
> 6) Automation capabilities
> 
> 
> Items that may seem important, but _for me personally_ I could care less about:
> 
> 
> - Installation time / difficulty (it will happen once.. if it even makes it $200 cheaper, it's worth it to spend an extra hour installing it)
> 
> - Independent side control (unnecessary complexity that I would never use.. it'll always be centered)
> 
> 
> I think Carada's niche is lower cost / higher value systems that get the job done (automated, durable system) that solves 95+% of what we would encounter in the real world. Let the extra 5% cost the $10K+ that it does.
> 
> 
> Thanks for your consideration, and for building a quality product thus far (from what I've read)!



Sounds good!

Mike


----------



## Mike_WI

I just talked to David Giles @ Carada today and ordered:

*Carada Criterion Brilliant White (BW) screen*
*128 diagonal*
*2.40:1 aspect ratio*


I had my credit card out and he told me I didn't need it -- even for shipping!
















(if you recall I had "won" a screen at Home Theater Spot -- still no shipping!)


Anyway, I felt bad about not getting the Masquerade masking system, but given all the talk above I think I will "hold out" for the CIH masking system should it ever appear.

I think Carada would get a lot of business if they came out with it.

I'd be on the pre-order list for sure.


Thanks again for everyones comments.

I obviously missed some details about the vertical system.


Mike


----------



## R Harkness

Congrats! I'm sure you'll love the Brilliant White screen. The BW samples I have look great and are about as neutral a screen surface as I've ever seen.


----------



## billmac

*gulp* somehow I think I had something to do with your (informed) decision to stay away from the Vertical Masquerade for the time being... maybe I will end up in David's hit list *gulp*










Anyway, congratulations on your purchase / acquisition! I will order mine towards the end of the week, just need to make sure about the total width. I want a 136" diagonal, might end up with one a little smaller.


Bill.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15596808
> 
> 
> *gulp* somehow I think I had to something to do with your (informed) decision to stay away from the Vertical Masquerade for the time being... maybe I will end up in David's hit list *gulp*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway, congratulations on your purchase / acquisition! I will order mine towards the end of the week, just need to make sure about the total width. I want a 136" diagonal, might end up with one a little smaller.
> 
> 
> Bill.



Bill -


Yes you are a troublemaker.










I was looking at 136 vs 128" 2.4:1 diag when I had the bigger wall.

This will be a great (big) size though.










Thanks again.


Mike


PS - I think all the "talking it out" increased the thread discussion and increased (hopefully) the hype for Carada.

PS2 - maybe Carada will come out with a CIH masking solution sooner now?


----------



## John Ballentine




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15594138
> 
> 
> Congrats! I'm sure you'll love the Brilliant White screen. The BW samples I have look great and are about as neutral a screen surface as I've ever seen.




Not as neutral as CCW. I tested a BW screen (right next to my CCW screen) IN my Home Theater and was disappointed in two things. Raised black level and (very) minor sparklies. I love my CCW (120" wide 2:40) screen w/ my RS20. Unbelievably low black level, zero sparklies, and plenty of brightness


----------



## R Harkness

John,


I know the BW has been measured several times as more color neutral than the CCW and among the most color neutral screen surfaces you can buy. Even more color neutral than the Stewart StudioTek "reference" screen. (Both the Carada CCW and the StudioTek measure a bit more blue, as I recall, with the BW being more dead on neutral).


The raised black levels don't figure into whether a screen is neutral or not, at least not in the way I'm talking about: that's just a function of the relative reflectance vs another material and possibly a screen's interaction with your room decor. Of course if a screen has any gain it is not a neutral gain, but as you know a screen doesn't have black levels - black levels will vary with the projector and implementation of any screen.


As far as sparklies, I'm looking at a sample of BW material right now, in bright sunlight, both from a distance and microscopically close and there are zero sparklies. It's just a straight piece of bright material (vinyl?) That material simply doesn't use the type of sparkled gain coating that other screens do. For instance my Stewart StudioTek samples all _do_ have a sparkly texture for their gain. You can see all sorts of shiny little crystalline specs set into the surface which are absent in the Carada material.


You certainly may see _something_ about the screen texture on the BW - I've never seen a screen surface that disappears perfectly. But it could mislead others to say the BW suffers from "sparklies." No one else I've seen has ever described the BW material that way and being utterly obsessed about this stuff at the moment myself, I wouldn't describe it that way either.


Cheers,


----------



## R Harkness

*ATTENTION MASQUERADE OWNERS:*


I'd like to ask a favor of you. I'm in the last feverish detail planning of my system as my room reno is about to begin this week. I have a question about the Masquerade masking:

*Presuming you must sometimes use the "jog" buttons to mask some aspect ratios, how close do you find you have to get the screen material to the edge

of the image until it looks properly masked?*


I understand the jog button can move the masking in 1/2" increments. I would _think_ that from an average viewing distance in the dark that if your mask ended up just 1/2" away from the top of the image that would be darned hard to spot and that it would look pretty much masked properly. If so, this is something I could use to my advantage in my set up sometimes.


For anyone with experiencing adjusting their Masquerade masking (or for anyone who'd like to check this out for me on their system), how far away can the masking be from the image top or bottom and STILL look masked?

1/2"....1".....1 1/2"....etc? Or does the masking have to "touch" the image

outline in order to look crisply and properly masked?


Many thanks!


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15602829
> 
> 
> John,
> 
> 
> I know the BW has been measured several times as more color neutral than the CCW and among the most color neutral screen surfaces you can buy. Even more color neutral than the Stewart StudioTek "reference" screen. (Both the Carada CCW and the StudioTek measure a bit more blue, as I recall, with the BW being more dead on neutral).
> 
> 
> The raised black levels don't figure into whether a screen is neutral or not, at least not in the way I'm talking about: that's just a function of the relative reflectance vs another material and possibly a screen's interaction with your room decor. Of course if a screen has any gain it is not a neutral gain, but as you know a screen doesn't have black levels - black levels will vary with the projector and implementation of any screen.
> 
> 
> As far as sparklies, I'm looking at a sample of BW material right now, in bright sunlight, both from a distance and microscopically close and there are zero sparklies. It's just a straight piece of bright material (vinyl?) That material simply doesn't use the type of sparkled gain coating that other screens do. For instance my Stewart StudioTek samples all _do_ have a sparkly texture for their gain. You can see all sorts of shiny little crystalline specs set into the surface which are absent in the Carada material.
> 
> 
> You certainly may see _something_ about the screen texture on the BW - I've never seen a screen surface that disappears perfectly. But it could mislead others to say the BW suffers from "sparklies." No one else I've seen has ever described the BW material that way and being utterly obsessed about this stuff at the moment myself, I wouldn't describe it that way either.
> 
> 
> Cheers,



Someone JUST did some measurements on this, but I can't find the thread it was in -- I looked back at the RS20 owner thread and RS20 calibration thread and don't see it.

Anyway, there is a good post with some visual comparisons floating around from the last week or 2.


Mike


EDIT:

Here is the link 

I also posted my pics (unde HT pics) if interested.


----------



## dormie1360




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15602963
> 
> 
> For anyone with experiencing adjusting their Masquerade masking (or for anyone who'd like to check this out for me on their system), how far away can the masking be from the image top or bottom and STILL look masked?
> 
> 1/2"....1".....1 1/2"....etc? Or does the masking have to "touch" the image
> 
> outline in order to look crisply and properly masked?
> 
> 
> Many thanks!



I have a CRT and it looks the best (sharpest edge) when the masking is actually touching (covering the image). Personally, I don't mind having it overlap a hair and like that better than being a little short.


Two caveats, One, I'm sure my wife and most others don't notice the difference, but there is a sharpness difference on the edge between masked and unmasked if you're so inclined to notice. Two, I have NO ambient light in my room......if that makes a difference.


At least with my setup the edges of my image are not as sharp as when they're masked and/or over scanned a little on the sides.


Regards,

John


----------



## billmac

Rich, I don't have a Masquerade yet (waiting and waiting... for CIH), but in my old HT room, I had black velvet masks just overlapping the video image. So I agree with John, as this gives the best results.


Bill.


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15602963
> 
> *ATTENTION MASQUERADE OWNERS:*
> 
> 
> I'd like to ask a favor of you. I'm in the last feverish detail planning of my system as my room reno is about to begin this week. I have a question about the Masquerade masking:
> 
> *Presuming you must sometimes use the "jog" buttons to mask some aspect ratios, how close do you find you have to get the screen material to the edge
> 
> of the image until it looks properly masked?*
> 
> 
> I understand the jog button can move the masking in 1/2" increments. I would _think_ that from an average viewing distance in the dark that if your mask ended up just 1/2" away from the top of the image that would be darned hard to spot and that it would look pretty much masked properly. If so, this is something I could use to my advantage in my set up sometimes.
> 
> 
> For anyone with experiencing adjusting their Masquerade masking (or for anyone who'd like to check this out for me on their system), how far away can the masking be from the image top or bottom and STILL look masked?
> 
> 1/2"....1".....1 1/2"....etc? Or does the masking have to "touch" the image
> 
> outline in order to look crisply and properly masked?
> 
> 
> Many thanks!



I would say about 1/2". At 1 inch the bars are easily noticeable. At 1/2" I have to look very close and sometimes get up and move closer to the screen to see that they aren't fully covered. Also, my primary viewing location is only 8.5' from my 92" screen. I do agree with the others above who stated that overlapping the masks slighty on the image does not have much, if any, negative impact. I usually overlap my masks just slightly...


----------



## R Harkness

So if you overlap the image by, say, an inch with your masking can you see the image on the edge of the masks? Or is the light (at least perceptually from the viewing location) completely absorbed?


Thanks folks.


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15606680
> 
> 
> So if you overlap the image by, say, an inch with your masking can you see the image on the edge of the masks? Or is the light (at least perceptually from the viewing location) completely absorbed?
> 
> 
> Thanks folks.



It gets mostly absorbed, but you will see it lightly show up from time to time, especially during very bright scenes. You may have witnessed a similar effect at your local megaplex when they don't open the black masks/curtains far enough, I know I have...


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15523701
> 
> 
> Hey BRAC please post some pictures, we want to see your's setup..



OK... Here are a few pics of my Masquerade...


1.78
Attachment 130573 

2.35
Attachment 130574 

2.70
Attachment 130575 


BRAC


----------



## John Ballentine




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15602829
> 
> 
> John,
> 
> 
> I know the BW has been measured several times as more color neutral than the CCW and among the most color neutral screen surfaces you can buy. Even more color neutral than the Stewart StudioTek "reference" screen. (Both the Carada CCW and the StudioTek measure a bit more blue, as I recall, with the BW being more dead on neutral).
> 
> 
> The raised black levels don't figure into whether a screen is neutral or not, at least not in the way I'm talking about: that's just a function of the relative reflectance vs another material and possibly a screen's interaction with your room decor. Of course if a screen has any gain it is not a neutral gain, but as you know a screen doesn't have black levels - black levels will vary with the projector and implementation of any screen.
> 
> 
> As far as sparklies, I'm looking at a sample of BW material right now, in bright sunlight, both from a distance and microscopically close and there are zero sparklies. It's just a straight piece of bright material (vinyl?) That material simply doesn't use the type of sparkled gain coating that other screens do. For instance my Stewart StudioTek samples all _do_ have a sparkly texture for their gain. You can see all sorts of shiny little crystalline specs set into the surface which are absent in the Carada material.
> 
> 
> You certainly may see _something_ about the screen texture on the BW - I've never seen a screen surface that disappears perfectly. But it could mislead others to say the BW suffers from "sparklies." No one else I've seen has ever described the BW material that way and being utterly obsessed about this stuff at the moment myself, I wouldn't describe it that way either.
> 
> 
> Cheers,



Rich,

Thanks for the response.

You are right. It wasn't "sparklies" I observed (BW vs CCW). My error. The BW "whites" took on more of a "grainy" look than the CCW "whites." Whites (via RS1)simply weren't as "smooth." I saw it w/ my own eyes.


Re: black level - for whatever reason (my room is bat-cave) black level was lower on the CCW (via RS1). Like I said - I had both full-size screens (no swatches) installed and overlapping 50% as I did my testing. I was really excited about the BW screen and truly wanted it to out-perform my CCW screen in every way. It simply didn't (for my needs). And the increase in gain (to my eyes) simply wasn't noticeable. So when I bought my new scope screen for my RS20 - I played it safe and ordered CCW again







(I realize I'm in the minority here - but I'm really glad I did as the RS20 exacerbates grain)


----------



## keithishere

What size is your screen BRAC? Thanks for pics.


----------



## phast_geek

Just ordered my 136" 2.35:1 with vertical masquerade. Going with the two aspect options and will do the rest with my scaler. I wish the panels came in from the side and were adjustable, but it is what it is for now. Now I need a panamorphic lens to strap to the RS2... I'm thinking the Panamorph UH480 and have to decide quick...


----------



## BRAC




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *keithishere* /forum/post/15634975
> 
> 
> What size is your screen BRAC? Thanks for pics.



Sadly, only a 92"... Best I can manage in my very small 12'x9' room. It's still fairly immersive from my 8.5' viewing location though.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *phast_geek* /forum/post/15710200
> 
> 
> Just ordered my 136" 2.35:1 with vertical masquerade. Going with the two aspect options and will do the rest with my scaler. I wish the panels came in from the side and were adjustable, but it is what it is for now. Now I need a panamorphic lens to strap to the RS2... I'm thinking the Panamorph UH480 and have to decide quick...



Thanks Jeff! I just sent you a separate email, but wanted to make an announcement on the forum for any other interested members (see next post).


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## David Giles

Good news! We've been working furiously on the Masquerade CIH design discussed earlier in this thread (with masks that move in and out from the sides) and based on our results so far I'm fairly confident in saying that we should have the system ready to ship by mid-year. And thanks to pressure from you guys







it will be a single-motor system, although it will still cost more than our current systems. I can’t say exactly how much at this point but based on comments earlier in this thread it should be WELL below what some of you were thinking.

Drexler said:


> Quote:
> I always thought there must be a way to produce and sell a simple but well functioning masking system without charging the same as a brand new car.



And miltimj said:


> Quote:
> I think Carada's niche is lower cost / higher value systems that get the job done (automated, durable system) that solves 95+% of what we would encounter in the real world. Let the extra 5% cost the $10K+ that it does.



Well hopefully you will both be happy to learn that our CIH system should come in under $4K for a mid-size system, which is *way* below $10K, *way* below any new car that I'm familiar with, and most importantly *WAAAAYYYYY* below the price of competing systems. We will probably offer a two-motor system as well for those with truly deep pockets and the desire for maximum flexibility. Our current Vertical Masquerade will still be a nice lower-cost option for 2.35:1 enthusiasts who don’t watch much 4:3 material, but the CIH system will obviously be the system of choice for people who want to mask all ratios.


That's about all the specifics I can give right now but we'll let *you* know when *we* know more.


Back to work now...


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## billmac




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15716213
> 
> 
> Good news! We've been working furiously on the Masquerade CIH design discussed earlier in this thread (with masks that move in and out from the sides) and based on our results so far I'm fairly confident in saying that we should have the system ready to ship by mid-year. ...



THANKS!!!







Please keep us posted. Now I will have to postpone my purchase until you have it ready, but mid year is not that bad after all. I am sure you'll sell tons of those!


Bill


----------



## cal87

David,


Great to hear about the new CIH system. As you are still in the design/planning stages, could I suggest that you make these available in larger sizes, say up to 12-13ft wide?


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *billmac* /forum/post/15716264
> 
> 
> I am sure you'll sell tons of those!



You really know how to make a guy's day!











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cal87* /forum/post/15716267
> 
> 
> As you are still in the design/planning stages, could I suggest that you make these available in larger sizes, say up to 12-13ft wide?



Can't say for sure, but at this stage it looks like we may be able to go that large (but that'll probabaly be about the upper limit).










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Drexler

You can actually get a brand new car for only $2,500... in India...
















http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=17984516 


But nonetheless, VERY interesting news!!! Summer time is good and much sooner than I thought. Looking forward to learn more about this one!










Also, very nice to see that you can actually influence manufacturers here at AVS!


----------



## R Harkness

That's awesome David (almost makes me wish I was going for an easier CIH set up vs my 4 way masking). About this:



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/15716213
> 
> 
> We will probably offer a two-motor system as well for those with truly deep pockets and the desire for maximum flexibility.



Just to be clear: That would be a two way motor system (only two masks moving in from the side) for a strictly Constant Image Height system, correct?


Or are you planning a 4 way masking system? (top/bottom/sides). (I'm sure it's likely the former).


Rich


----------



## billmac

I think David is talking about a future two-motor system for Constant Image Height that would allow independent control of each of the side-sliding masks for those few off-center movies.


----------



## Haroon Malik

Thanks for the CIH Masquerade update David! I think it is great to hear that it is not too far away now and for that price point it should be Golden or rather Platinum!



















Getting back to the original Horizontal Masquerade system for 16:9 screens, it seems like that one will still be a top seller due to its ability to accommodate 2:1 AR with ease which is looking like the default AR for 3D content in the future. I think its probably safe to say that the Horizontal Masquerade is 3D ready?







The future is bright for CIW.


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Drexler* /forum/post/15718535
> 
> 
> You can actually get a brand new car for only $2,500... in India...



You got me there! Can't wait to get one of those fine machines for myself.











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15720776
> 
> 
> Or are you planning a 4 way masking system? (top/bottom/sides). (I'm sure it's likely the former).



Rich your assumption is correct that the two-motor option would be for independent control of each side mask on the CIH system. I'd love to help you out with your 4-way project, but unfortunately we don't have a 4-way system on the drawing board at this time.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Haroon Malik* /forum/post/15722615
> 
> 
> Getting back to the original Horizontal Masquerade system for 16:9 screens, it seems like that one will still be a top seller due to its ability to accommodate 2:1 AR with ease which is looking like the default AR for 3D content in the future. I think its probably safe to say that the Horizontal Masquerade is 3D ready?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The future is bright for CIW.



Oh yeah, the Masquerade is definitely 3D ready.










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## R Harkness

Just had to check, of course. I'm sure the new CIH masking system will be quite popular!


----------



## R Harkness

BTW, today I was in a store that had a Stewart 4 way masking system. It costs something like $17,000 - $18,000. At that price I presumed it was variable 4 way masking - both side and top masking discretely controllable (just as the Carada Masquerade's top/bottom masking is discretely controllable). In fact it had (what I assume was) adjustable horizontal masks (for masking 2:35:1 content), but the side masking was actually a simple "drop down" mask for masking 4:3 material. Wow! For that kind of cash I would have expected more from a4 way masking system! (For about the same price the SMX system looks far, far superior).


I mean, Carada will give you the vertical masking part, remote controlled with at least as slick quality and performance (in fact, with masks closer to the screen surface than the Stewart) _for almost 1/5 the price_. Comparing that Stewart masking system to the Carada, it's like to get that Stewart screen you are paying an extra $14,000 or so just to have a mask drop down for 4:3 content!


If anyone thinks the price for a Carada masking system is surprising, all you have to do is a little research on how much masking systems cost from other companies and you sober up mighty fast. It's fantastic that Carada is making these systems available for

us non-Mercedes-driving Joes.


----------



## R Harkness

*CALLING MASQUERADE OWNERS!*


I need your input, please.


As I've written before, I'll be ordering (very soon) a Carada Masquerade to employ in a 4 way masking system. The Carada will do the top/bottom masking and I'm ordering a remote controlled panel moving system for the side masking.


The side panel system uses a motor that can be set at the factory for the travel speed I want. However, I'm unable to test neither the Carada nor the panel system before buying.


So I want to ask owners of the Masquerade about your opinions of the travel speed I might want to select. David Giles of Carada has let me know that the Carada masking travels at approximately 3.5 inches per second.


For those with the Masquerade can you tell me if that speed would allow for fine control of the masks?


I won't be using a pre-set image size so I'll be wanting as fine adjustments as possible to get the masking just right when I change image size. I know the Masquerade has a "jog" feature that I can use to control the mask in discrete steps _but my side panel system will not have such a feature. So I'll likely have to have a travel speed which is not too fast and can be stopped just at the right masking point at the edge of the image._ Since you Masquerade owners are familiar with the travel speed of the Masquerade masks, I'd like your opinion on whether I should order my side masking panels to travel at a lower speed than that (or not), in terms of being able to do fine adjustments.


Thanks!


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/15861553
> 
> *CALLING MASQUERADE OWNERS!*
> 
> 
> I need your input, please.
> 
> 
> As I've written before, I'll be ordering (very soon) a Carada Masquerade to employ in a 4 way masking system. The Carada will do the top/bottom masking and I'm ordering a remote controlled panel moving system for the side masking.
> 
> 
> The side panel system uses a motor that can be set at the factory for the travel speed I want. However, I'm unable to test neither the Carada nor the panel system before buying.
> 
> 
> So I want to ask owners of the Masquerade about your opinions of the travel speed I might want to select. David Giles of Carada has let me know that the Carada masking travels at approximately 3.5 inches per second.
> 
> 
> For those with the Masquerade can you tell me if that speed would allow for fine control of the masks?
> 
> 
> I won't be using a pre-set image size so I'll be wanting as fine adjustments as possible to get the masking just right when I change image size. I know the Masquerade has a "jog" feature that I can use to control the mask in discrete steps _but my side panel system will not have such a feature. So I'll likely have to have a travel speed which is not too fast and can be stopped just at the right masking point at the edge of the image._ Since you Masquerade owners are familiar with the travel speed of the Masquerade masks, I'd like your opinion on whether I should order my side masking panels to travel at a lower speed than that (or not), in terms of being able to do fine adjustments.
> 
> 
> Thanks!



Rich -


I don't know, but can we add an adjustable rate control for the wish list for the Carada 4 way masking system?

Has anyone started that thread yet?

















Mike


----------



## R Harkness

Bump...anyone?


----------



## dormie1360

I would want a slower speed for fine adjustments. If I close the Masquerade to 2.35 and then tap the 16:9 button repeatedly to start and stop the screen as it opens even with fast pushing I can't do what I would consider to be "fine tuning". Using just IR commands I would be hard pressed to get the same results as with the jog feature on the Masquerade.


My opinion.


Regards,

John


Thinking about this a little more, I think you could duplicate Masquerade's jog feature if you have a programmable remote that allows macros with delays....or allows programming a repeat command for the desired affect. In other words a start/power command followed by a delay and then a start/power command again, or experiment with sustained repeat commands of varying length. If it's a toggle power command: If the screen is running at 3.5"/sec a .3 second delay would give you about an inch adjustment. Which way to go would depend if the screen uses a power toggle or discrete on/off. Obviously with a slower speed you could be more accurate with not so little delays.


----------



## R Harkness

Hey, a reply!


Thanks John, that was helpful!


Rich


----------



## keithishere

Well... I have my 16:9 Masquerade for about 2 months now







Buying the Masquerade was a great investment for me because watching the bars was driving me nuts. . I just love the lack of distraction of an image . Somehow it make the black level more darker too. "Once you've lived with masking it's hard to go back!"







I will post some pictures if you guy would like me too. As well as my of Experience putting up the Masquerade. By the way, I couple the Masquerade with a Da-lite High Power screen. I would like to thank Rex and David for helping me with the order. And a big shout out to BIGmouthinDC for helping me putting it up. We were able to prevent any space between them without hinder the masking.


David, let me know once the CIH are in production. I will have to start saving now..lol












cheer,


keith


----------



## Mike_WI

I thought I would never have a reason to get need masking for 1.33:1 (or is it 1.37:1?), but I just started watching the BR Pinnochio with my son tonight.


Still wishing for the Carada 4 way masking system for all the "not quiet" 2.40:1 movies.










Mike


----------



## HogPilot

David,


Do you plan on putting any pictures of the Carada CIH Masquerade system up on your website anytime soon? I'd love to see some, from the teaser I saw in the video it looks like a beautiful system.


By the way, sorry I didn't get around to posting those pics of my wall-to-wall Masquerade installation, I barely had time to enjoy it a couple times before heading back out here to the desert. Rest assured, I will take pictures when I get home as I should have a lot more time (and a working camera finally!)


----------



## David Giles

Mike, just to clarify, the system we're working on won't be a "4-way" system. A 4-way masking system has FOUR masking panels - two horizontal masks for masking top and bottom black bars and two vertical masks for masking side black bars (Stewart's $25K Director's Choice system is a good example). A 4-way masking system isn't necessary for native 2.35:1/2.40:1 screens (unless you absolutely INSIST on being able to mask the top/bottom black bars that you would encounter on the TINY handful of films on the market that are wider than 2.40:1; and I'm not aware of ANY company that makes a "scope" system with 4-way masking). 4-way systems are typically made for 16:9 screens, although they can be used in custom setups similar to what Rich Harkness is planning (2.05:1 screen with a horizontal Masquerade for masking top/bottom black bars and motorized curtains for masking side black bars).


Now the CIH system we're working on will do EXACTLY what you want, which is to mask your 2.40:1 screen down to 4:3. It will be a "2-way" system which means that it has two masking panels, and those panels will slide in and out from the sides so it can mask a scope screen to any desired aspect ratio, from the "native" aspect ratio of 2.40:1 (or 2.35:1, 2.37:1, or 2.39:1 - customer's choice) all the way down to 4:3.


Hey Hog, I hope you're doing okay out there in the desert! Take care of yourself out there, and I'll look forward to those photos when you get back home. The video you saw was from CEDIA and it showed our existing Vertical Masquerade system (it lowers two fixed-width masking panels from inside the top structure which means it is limited to TWO settings, fully open and masked to 16:9). The CIH system will have exactly the same fascia and appearance although of course the masks will deploy from the sides. But rest assured it will have the same beautiful look as your horizontal Masquerade, just wider.







The prototype's working great but we're still working on engineering/refining/sourcing several components for the production version (all sorts of new custom steel brackets, a new aluminum extrusion, cables, pulleys, slides, etc.) as well as working out our production methods. Still looking at an early summer release date I think...


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/16015948
> 
> 
> Mike, just to clarify, the system we're working on won't be a "4-way" system. A 4-way masking system has FOUR masking panels - two horizontal masks for masking top and bottom black bars and two vertical masks for masking side black bars (Stewart's $25K Director's Choice system is a good example). A 4-way masking system isn't necessary for native 2.35:1/2.40:1 screens (unless you absolutely INSIST on being able to mask the top/bottom black bars that you would encounter on the TINY handful of films on the market that are wider than 2.40:1; and I'm not aware of ANY company that makes a "scope" system with 4-way masking). 4-way systems are typically made for 16:9 screens, although they can be used in custom setups similar to what Rich Harkness is planning (2.05:1 screen with a horizontal Masquerade for masking top/bottom black bars and motorized curtains for masking side black bars).
> 
> 
> Now the CIH system we're working on will do EXACTLY what you want, which is to mask your 2.40:1 screen down to 4:3. It will be a "2-way" system which means that it has two masking panels, and those panels will slide in and out from the sides so it can mask a scope screen to any desired aspect ratio, from the "native" aspect ratio of 2.40:1 (or 2.35:1, 2.37:1, or 2.39:1 - customer's choice) all the way down to 4:3.
> 
> 
> Hey Hog, I hope you're doing okay out there in the desert! Take care of yourself out there, and I'll look forward to those photos when you get back home. The video you saw was from CEDIA and it showed our existing Vertical Masquerade system (it lowers two fixed-width masking panels from inside the top structure which means it is limited to TWO settings, fully open and masked to 16:9). The CIH system will have exactly the same fascia and appearance although of course the masks will deploy from the sides. But rest assured it will have the same beautiful look as your horizontal Masquerade, just wider.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The prototype's working great but we're still working on engineering/refining/sourcing several components for the production version (all sorts of new custom steel brackets, a new aluminum extrusion, cables, pulleys, slides, etc.) as well as working out our production methods. Still looking at an early summer release date I think...
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



David -


Thanks for the clarification.

Per my last recollection (I may be wrong), Carada wasn't "working on" this prototype until recently (?).

I and others will be lining up once it is ready.









My Carada screen has room around it for a masking system.


Mike


----------



## David Giles

That's correct Mike, this prototype is for the new Masquerade CIH system that we recently started working on. Here's hoping that the lineup of customers waiting for it looks like opening night at a Star Wars movie! (a guy can dream can't he?)










David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/16016125
> 
> 
> That's correct Mike, this prototype is for the new Masquerade CIH system that we recently started working on. Here's hoping that the lineup of customers waiting for it looks like opening night at a Star Wars movie! (a guy can dream can't he?)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



David -


Thanks.

A cursory search didn't reveal a "*Carada CIH Masking System Anticipation Thread*".

Since this prototype is now added to a longer thread of the earlier "new" masking system, it might benefit people to start a new thread.


I'll do that now, unless there are objections.


Mike

EDIT:


I did start the *"* *Carada CIH Masking System Anticipation Thread* *".*

See link 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1128582


----------



## keithishere

"I know how you feel Rich!! My theater is width-limited and I already have the largest 16:9 setup that my theater can accommodate. So if I switch to a CIH system I would have the same width 2.35:1 image that I already have, while my 16:9 image would shrink considerably. So I'll probably just stick with my Horizontal Masquerade (which is very cool in its own right), but it's HIGHLY tempting to switch and give up the 16:9 size because when those masks open up on the CIH system and that wide screen appears in all its glory, it's just so darn cinematic!"


David Giles

Carada, Inc.



I'm in the same boat...







My Masquerade is still working great!


But David do I get a 1 year upgrade trade-in?











keith


----------



## Mike_WI

I did start the *"* *Carada CIH Masking System Anticipation Thread* *".*
See link 











Mike


----------



## R Harkness

Just ordered my Carada Masquerade! I'm very excited. It's a whopper: the outside dimensions being *142" wide and 79 1/2" tall.*


It's being used with a custom-built side-masking system, so my actual viewable screen area will be 124" wide with up to 61" tall height. So I'll end up with remote controlled 4-way masking, allowing me to vary the image size as I wish.


It's been a looooooong process of design and planning and David Giles of Carada has been incredibly helpful in many lengthy email exchanges, trying to hash out how to get what I need out of the Masquerade system.


I won't be able to report immediately on the Masquerade once it arrives as it will be a while yet before the full system is up and running. But I can't wait!


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/16413373
> 
> 
> Just ordered my Carada Masquerade! I'm very excited. It's a whopper: the outside dimensions being *142" wide and 79 1/2" tall.*
> 
> 
> It's being used with a custom-built side-masking system, so my actual viewable screen area will be 124" wide with up to 61" tall height. So I'll end up with remote controlled 4-way masking, allowing me to vary the image size as I wish.
> 
> 
> It's been a looooooong process of design and planning and David Giles of Carada has been incredibly helpful in many lengthy email exchanges, trying to hash out how to get what I need out of the Masquerade system.
> 
> 
> I won't be able to report immediately on the Masquerade once it arrives as it will be a while yet before the full system is up and running. But I can't wait!



Rich -


Congrats.


When you do get things up and running be sure to post some pics.











Mike


----------



## joerod

I have some photos of the Masquerade Masking System on page 5 on my site. Just follow the link in my signature below...


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/16471924
> 
> 
> I have some photos of the Masquerade Masking System on page 5 on my site. Just follow the link in my signature below...



Nice!


Mike


----------



## joerod

Thanks


----------



## Mike W




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/16413373
> 
> 
> Just ordered my Carada Masquerade! I'm very excited. It's a whopper: the outside dimensions being *142" wide and 79 1/2" tall.*
> 
> 
> It's being used with a custom-built side-masking system, so my actual viewable screen area will be 124" wide with up to 61" tall height. So I'll end up with remote controlled 4-way masking, allowing me to vary the image size as I wish.
> 
> 
> It's been a looooooong process of design and planning and David Giles of Carada has been incredibly helpful in many lengthy email exchanges, trying to hash out how to get what I need out of the Masquerade system.
> 
> 
> I won't be able to report immediately on the Masquerade once it arrives as it will be a while yet before the full system is up and running. But I can't wait!



124" wide for screen; sweet! I must say, a while back I had an opportunity to see another member's HT setup. He had a 10' wide screen (viewing distance was somewhere around 15' as I recall). That size seemed to cross the threshold of "yeh, baby, now that's what we're talkin' about." I'm sure your set up will be awesome.


----------



## Pradesian

Woah, that IS a massive masking system! Knowing how solid the materials are from putting up my 110" Masquerade, I can only imagine what the added length and height will do to the overall weight. Carada has top-notch build quality that is relatively uncomplicated to put together so assembling should be pretty straightforward, as long as you have a strong-backed partner to help put it up!










Looking forward to seeing pics of the final setup! Good luck!


----------



## R Harkness

Yeah, it should be cool. I've got a lot of automation going on in my set up: remote controlled 4 way masking, the projector will be in a cabinet behind the viewing sofa on an automated lift, remote controlled black out blinds, even a remote controlled black shade that drops down from the ceiling to cover an area near the screen (to cut reflections), plus lights on remote dimmers, all the equipment (save projector of course) in another room down the hall, with an RTI remote control system.


I'll either be the George Jetson of the street, or the laughing stock if it doesn't all work...


It's one reason why I went with professional products, like the Masquerade, so there's only so much I can screw up. (Not being a handy-man 'n all).


----------



## joerod

I will say using a different PJ (since mine is in Laredo) the Masquerade really shows the difference much clearer. You can really see gray/black bars when it is fully open... Close it and it is a day and night difference...


----------



## R Harkness

dp


----------



## R Harkness

Whoo-hoo, my big ol' Masquerade has arrived!


Of all the equipment I've purchased for my home theater reno, the Masquerade is near or at the top of my most anticipated items. Although it has to suffer somewhat from a slight anti-climactic quality along with all the other gear I've bought, as it has to just sit in it's box for the next couple of weeks. Wish I could just put the thing up now.


----------



## Drexler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/16534410
> 
> 
> Whoo-hoo, my big ol' Masquerade has arrived!
> 
> 
> Of all the equipment I've purchased for my home theater reno, the Masquerade is near or at the top of my most anticipated items. Although it has to suffer somewhat from a slight anti-climactic quality along with all the other gear I've bought, as it has to just sit in it's box for the next couple of weeks. Wish I could just put the thing up now.



Congrats!


We're expecting photos!


----------



## Maestro J

Rich - Did you get your masquerade system in place yet? If so, impressions, pics. etc??


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Maestro J* /forum/post/16691200
> 
> 
> Rich - Did you get your masquerade system in place yet? If so, impressions, pics. etc??



Nope. My HT reno is just taking forever. Since January when the reno actually started I've been telling people I'm about 1 month from completion. Every month.


So, if I had to estimate, I'm about 1 month from completion..


----------



## John Ballentine




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mike W* /forum/post/16474061
> 
> 
> 124" wide for screen; sweet! I must say, a while back I had an opportunity to see another member's HT setup. He had a 10' wide screen (viewing distance was somewhere around 15' as I recall). That size seemed to cross the threshold of "yeh, baby, now that's what we're talkin' about." I'm sure your set up will be awesome.



I agree. 10' wide at 15' (40 degree viewing angle) is sweet for Scope films. However w/ my CIH set-up - the narrower aspect ratios look really small in comparison as I'm limited to 50" height (for all ratios). Which means I'm much less excited to view those movies now. Especially 1:33 which looks really small and is only 5½' wide (x 50" high) and takes up a little more than 1/2 my screen width







.


I'm envious of Rich's set-up as he can have the best of both worlds w/ 10+ feet wide and up to 61" height







!


Anxious to hear how it all turns out.


----------



## Anthony A.

i would like owners of the masquerade to chime in. since the masks are deployed together (and cannot be individually controlled), has anyone noticed any issues in regards to movies (2.35, 2.37, 2.4 etc.) that some of them are not all the same and therefore the masks sometimes are perfect at the top but not enough at the bottom? i know this isn't carada's fault, but just wondering if anyone has seen this happen with their system when watching particular movies.


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16787650
> 
> 
> i would like owners of the masquerade to chime in. since the masks are deployed together (and cannot be individually controlled), has anyone noticed any issues in regards to movies (2.35, 2.37, 2.4 etc.) that some of them are not all the same and therefore the masks sometimes are perfect at the top but not enough at the bottom? i know this isn't carada's fault, but just wondering if anyone has seen this happen with their system when watching particular movies.



What do you mean when you say 2:35:1, 2:37:1, 2:40:1 are not "all the same?"


Of course they will be of varying height dimensions, but they would all be centered, so jogging the Masquerade masks a bit should meet the top and bottom of the image equally.


Are you trying to say that you've found that going from, say, a 2:35:1 to a 2:40:1 AR, that the top stays in the same place, but the bottom expands and contracts? That would be very odd.


----------



## Anthony A.

apparently a custom installer i know, has had issues in the past using masking systems that are not independantly controlled. its not the masking systems fault, but he said that he has come across many movies that are not perfectly centered to the screen (vertically) and may be a bit higher than center, resulting on the masks being perfect on the top, but slightly short on the bottom (or vice versa). i hope im being clear.


----------



## BRADH




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16788740
> 
> 
> apparently a custom installer i know, has had issues in the past using masking systems that are not independantly controlled. its not the masking systems fault, but he said that he has come across many movies that are not perfectly centered to the screen (vertically) and may be a bit higher than center, resulting on the masks being perfect on the top, but slightly short on the bottom (or vice versa). i hope im being clear.



Yes I have seen some movies that are not center. I cant remember which ones, but I will try to check in the next few days and report back.


Brad


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16788740
> 
> 
> apparently a custom installer i know, has had issues in the past using masking systems that are not independantly controlled. its not the masking systems fault, but he said that he has come across many movies that are not perfectly centered to the screen (vertically) and may be a bit higher than center, resulting on the masks being perfect on the top, but slightly short on the bottom (or vice versa). i hope im being clear.



Ok, that's interesting.


I have the Carada Masquerade but unfortunately it's not up being used yet (still in never-ending room construction). So I likely wouldn't have noticed this issue if it occurred.


In my case if any AR is not perfectly centered it will be simple to just use my projector's (JVC RS20) lens controls to shift the picture in to place. I'd think it wouldn't be difficult for most people to do the same.


Except I guess for people who have projectors with manual lens controls, mounted in hard to reach places. Well...that's one reason I prefer to have remote controlled lens features.


----------



## joerod

There are some movies that will end up being placed somewhat different. If it is not way off I don't let it bother me. If it is more noticable I do adjust my image up or down to make it fit better. I have only had to do it a handful of times but for the most part most of our movies fit pretty good.


----------



## Anthony A.

okay so for the few times it does occur, a manual lens shift may be needed (if its a lot). if it does occur and one chooses not to bother shifting the image and it overlaps the mask say 1", is that 1" of picture noticeable or is the mask so dark that you can't see that the mask is slightly overlapping the image?


----------



## BRADH




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16792469
> 
> 
> okay so for the few times it does occur, a manual lens shift may be needed (if its a lot). if it does occur and one chooses not to bother shifting the image and it overlaps the mask say 1", is that 1" of picture noticeable or is the mask so dark that you can't see that the mask is slightly overlapping the image?



Like Joerod I have only shifted the image a few times. Its only off a little and for the most part you will have to look to see it. The masking is as dark as the frame. It should bother you for the few times a movie doesnt line up.


Hope this helps

Brad


----------



## HogPilot

I've experienced the same thing with my Masquerade - it seems that quite a few scope movies aren't perfectly centered in the frame, so you'll end up with a small amount - worst case scenario 1" - of the picture masked by the upper or lower mask. If you have a VP you could shift the image up or down, but frankly it's not worth it for the small amount of image that gets masked off. I don't ever notice it unless I look for it (the black felt is quite good at absorbing stray light), but if I'm doing that I'm not enjoying the movie, which is the whole point!


----------



## joerod

I have more of an issue when they put their subtitles over the bars...


----------



## dormie1360




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/16792881
> 
> 
> i have more of an issue when they put their subtitles over the bars...



+1


----------



## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *HogPilot* /forum/post/16792865
> 
> 
> If you have a VP you could shift the image up or down,



Hey, I never thought about that!


I have a VP - the Denon DVP-602CI - that I haven't used yet. Hopefully it has the option for image shift. Is this a typical feature of VPs? Or only rarely found?


Thanks.


----------



## HogPilot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness* /forum/post/16794120
> 
> 
> Hey, I never thought about that!
> 
> 
> I have a VP - the Denon DVP-602CI - that I haven't used yet. Hopefully it has the option for image shift. Is this a typical feature of VPs? Or only rarely found?
> 
> 
> Thanks.



I don't know if it's common or not, but my VP50 and RadianceXD can both do it. If I were to guess I'd say most VPs should be able to accomplish a simple up/down or left/right image shift.


----------



## miltimj

I think it's pretty common as well - my relatively cheap DVDO Edge does it as well. It's a very easy feature to implement.


----------



## R Harkness

Looked at my Denon VP manual. Looks like it doesn't have the picture adjust feature.


----------



## Pradesian

I, too, was getting annoyed that the top and bottom masks didn't appear to line up perfectly with the black bars. And all this time I thought it was my pj lens not being properly centred! I had always wondered by 16:9 movies appeared perfectly centred, though. Thanks for saving me from what would have been a futile effort of trying to centre the picture. *shakes fist at studios for not properly centring their movies*


BTW, another satisfied Masquerade owner here. Have had it for about a year now and I couldn't watch without it!


----------



## Rex Bittle




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/16792881
> 
> 
> I have more of an issue when they put their subtitles over the bars...



If you are watching a movie with subtitles that pop up just periodically, and your eyes have adjusted to the low light level in the room for watching a movie, you will probably be able to see white or yellow subtitles well enough on the mask itself.


But if the movie is completely subtitled I can understand that you might not like that. For the Horizontal Masquerade you could always remove the side fascia of the system and slide the ribbon loops off the bottom masking bar. That will let the top mask deploy but leave the bottom mask retracted in the system. Once you have finished that presentation simply slip the ribbon loops back on to the bottom masking bar and you are back in business.


Since a Blu-ray or DVD can have several options for setup (e.g. soundtracks, widescreen/pan-scan, etc), I don't understand why there isn't the option for subtitles "in the picture" or "below the picture." It seems to me to be an obvious and probably easy feature for the studios to include.


----------



## Mike_WI




Rex Bittle said:


> If you are watching a movie with subtitles that pop up just periodically, and your eyes have adjusted to the low light level in the room for watching a movie, you will probably be able to see white or yellow subtitles well enough on the mask itself.
> 
> 
> But if the movie is completely subtitled I can understand that you might not like that. For the Horizontal Masquerade you could always remove the side fascia of the system and slide the ribbon loops off the bottom masking bar. That will let the top mask deploy but leave the bottom mask retracted in the system. Once you have finished that presentation simply slip the ribbon loops back on to the bottom masking bar and you are back in business.
> 
> *Since a Blu-ray or DVD can have several options for setup (e.g. soundtracks, widescreen/pan-scan, etc), I don't understand why there isn't the option for subtitles "in the picture" or "below the picture." It seems to me to be an obvious and probably easy feature for the studios to include.[/*quote]
> 
> Good point!
> 
> 
> Mike


----------



## Anthony A.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Rex Bittle* /forum/post/16803238
> 
> 
> If you are watching a movie with subtitles that pop up just periodically, and your eyes have adjusted to the low light level in the room for watching a movie, you will probably be able to see white or yellow subtitles well enough on the mask itself.
> 
> 
> But if the movie is completely subtitled I can understand that you might not like that. For the Horizontal Masquerade you could always remove the side fascia of the system and slide the ribbon loops off the bottom masking bar. That will let the top mask deploy but leave the bottom mask retracted in the system. Once you have finished that presentation simply slip the ribbon loops back on to the bottom masking bar and you are back in business.



that is an excellent point. have you tested out watching a movie masked with the occasional subtitle appear and you can read it no problem even at a 20' distance from the screen?


i like the suggestion of removing the bottom mask for foreign films. is it possible to manually adjust the bottom mask to have it still in use, but be just below the subtitles? (the top would still be perfectly aligned).


----------



## Rex Bittle




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16876149
> 
> 
> that is an excellent point. have you tested out watching a movie masked with the occasional subtitle appear and you can read it no problem even at a 20' distance from the screen?



I don't have much trouble seeing the subtitles even from a distance if the letters are white or bright yellow. One of the brighter projector modes might help with that too. But mostly it is a matter of having my eyes adjusted well to the darkness, then I can see the subtle things better. After a snow scene or other bright imagery your eyes might have to readjust again.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16876149
> 
> 
> i like the suggestion of removing the bottom mask for foreign films. is it possible to manually adjust the bottom mask to have it still in use, but be just below the subtitles? (the top would still be perfectly aligned).



It should be possible for you to adjust the bottom mask like you indicate. Instead of removing the loops like I suggested above you can adjust the length of the loop to lower it down. Remember that after doing that you will have 'reset' the placement of the loop to return to a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Probably the easiest way to do that is to measure how far down the top mask is deployed in 2.35 mode and pull the bottom masks back up to match that same measurement from the bottom.


My Panasonic projector has a grid that shows the 2.35:1 area on screen so I can use that to 'reset' the masks. Your projector might possibly have the same feature.


----------



## Gentstr

Over the weekend I got my Masquerade installed. While a lot of people are excited about the new CIH, I wanted the Horizontal version as it fits my wall and lifestyle better.


Before I even tried expanding and contracting the masks, I was already in love with it. I originally was looking at the Draper Onyx for its 4" frame, but the Masquerade is even better at 6.25".


My friends were completely wow'd at seeing it work!


Check out my Build Thread for more information. I'd appreciate any feedback.

Before and After with the MMS/Masquerade:









Closed all the way:


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Gentstr* /forum/post/16943340
> 
> 
> Over the weekend I got my Masquerade installed. While a lot of people are excited about the new CIH, I wanted the Horizontal version as it fits my wall and lifestyle better.
> 
> 
> Before I even tried expanding and contracting the masks, I was already in love with it. I originally was looking at the Draper Onyx for its 4" frame, but the Masquerade is even better at 6.25".
> 
> 
> My friends were completely wow'd at seeing it work!
> 
> 
> Check out my Build Thread for more information. I'd appreciate any feedback.
> 
> Before and After with the MMS/Masquerade:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Closed all the way:



Very nice!

Congratulations.









Great pics.


Mike


----------



## John Ballentine

Yes - Great pics!


Just curious. Why did you not go CIH? Looks like you have plenty of width on your wall (the usual limitation).


----------



## Gentstr

I went with 16:9 for two reasons.


1) I'm sitting about 11.5 feet from the screen and mapping out the max width to 40% would be about 105". If I went with a 2.35:1 at that width, the screen would be 112" diag and my 16:9 viewing would mask to ~90" diag. If I go with a 16:9 at that width, the screen would be 118" diag and my 2.35:1 viewing would mask to ~112" diag. Since the 2.35:1 diag would be about the same, I would end up sacrificing my HDTV experience. I play a lot of games and watch TV, so that wasn't desirable.


2) Since I have the Pany 3000, I can do the lens memory trick, but my projector has to be lowered. The lens is centered at about 6", but I'd need to lower it to 14" to meet the top of the screen. Since the projector is right above the best seat in the house, lowering it didn't look as great. Also when playing Wii, I'd rather not have someone accidentally wave their hand too close to it.


----------



## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *John Ballentine* /forum/post/16946755
> 
> 
> Yes - Great pics!
> 
> 
> Just curious. Why did you not go CIH? Looks like you have plenty of width on your wall (the usual limitation).



I would probably choose CIH; however, not to answer for Genstr, but other considerations might include:

*1) Availability*

CIH just coming out now

(see my link in sig)

*2) Cost*

Horizontal - link - 118" - ~$2800

CIH - link - 120" - ~4300



Mike


----------



## Anthony A.

david, i was wondering if it would be possible for a custom order for the masquerade. specifically, i would like to send you seymour a/v AT screen material and have it made into an mms screen. it would need to have the snaps installed by you to fit perfetcly onto the masquerade system i buy at the same time. would this be possible?


----------



## David Giles




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Anthony A.* /forum/post/16972580
> 
> 
> david, i was wondering if it would be possible for a custom order for the masquerade. specifically, i would like to send you seymour a/v AT screen material and have it made into an mms screen. it would need to have the snaps installed by you to fit perfetcly onto the masquerade system i buy at the same time. would this be possible?



Hi Anthony,


Thanks for checking with us, but no I'm afraid we won't build a screen using another manufacturer's material. We wouldn't be familiar with the specific material's stretch properties or adhesive compatibility properties, and on the first attempt frankly we might make a big mess of your material.










But it isn't terribly difficult to build your own wooden frame right on your wall, attach your surface material to it, and then install the Masquerade over that. The Masquerade system is independent from the screen and doesn't attach to the screen in any way, BUT will completely cover the edges of the screen-frame, so your homemade frame wouldn't be seen.


One of these days when we get a little break, we're going to post a "how-to" for building your own frame with photos on our website.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## pocoloco

I've told you guys a few times in the past but you should just release your own woven AT screen.


----------



## Anthony A.

i second that..... but it has to be in the next couple months!!


----------



## Anthony A.

david, i've looked at the mounting instructions and noticed that the side frames really do not need to be installed if mounting the masquerade behing a wall. so my questions is if the top and bottom frame panels can be removed as well but still have a perfectly functioning masquerade. the reason i ask is because i would like to make a false wall with the screen behind it, thus not showing the actual screen frame (or in this case, the masquerade frame). could you tell me if this can be possible?


thanks.


----------



## David Giles

Hi Anthony,


We wouldn't *sell* a Horizontal Masquerade that way, but you could certainly remove the top and bottom fascia and the mechanical guts of the system should still work just fine.


Now the new Masquerade CIH system will definitely *NOT* work without its top and bottom facia because in this design they contain/attach to important functional compenents of the system.


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


----------



## Anthony A.

thats great news, i just wanted to make sure (for the horizontal masquerade) that it could be done to accomplish a custom false screen wall setup im thinking of doing. will place my order next month or so. thanks again david.


----------



## R Harkness

I've had my Carada Masquerade (CIW version) up for almost two weeks and I'm *extremely* happy with it. I'm just trying to get some decent photos to post along with my comments.


----------



## mjg100




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *David Giles* /forum/post/16973883
> 
> 
> Hi Anthony,
> 
> 
> Thanks for checking with us, but no I'm afraid we won't build a screen using another manufacturer's material. We wouldn't be familiar with the specific material's stretch properties or adhesive compatibility properties, and on the first attempt frankly we might make a big mess of your material.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But it isn't terribly difficult to build your own wooden frame right on your wall, attach your surface material to it, and then install the Masquerade over that. The Masquerade system is independent from the screen and doesn't attach to the screen in any way, BUT will completely cover the edges of the screen-frame, so your homemade frame wouldn't be seen.
> 
> 
> One of these days when we get a little break, we're going to post a "how-to" for building your own frame with photos on our website.
> 
> 
> David Giles
> 
> Carada, Inc.



Is the masking system AT? If not you would be very limited with speaker placement behind the screen. If it is AT would it not attenuate the sound more on the mains than the center when the mains are behind both the AT screen and the masking?


----------



## Anthony A.

you would need to position your speakers close to center height, where they are still clear when the masks are fully extended. since i have the klipsch 650 thx lcr's, they are bookshelf size so center position keeps them completely free from the masks.


----------



## R Harkness

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting about my new Carada Masquerade (CIW) masking system! I've had it up for about 3 weeks but work, and my inability to get a decent photo of the set up, has impeded my posting about

the system. I don't know where my photographic skills have gone but I guess I'll have to up my game for my Home Theater build thread.


Originally, as I began researching my first projector based home theater about 3 years ago, I had planned on going with a 2:35:1 Constant Image Height set up. In order to test what image size I wanted to go with I borrowed various projectors (and then ended up buying a Panasonic AE900 720p model from ebay) in order to project images on my wall. The things I found out were:
*

1. Boy you get used to an image size pretty fast.* What I thought was large at first "shrunk" after time...especially when I compared it to larger image sizes on my wall.


I originally planned on a 95" diagonal 16:9 screen. Then when the CIH bug bit I figured on a 105" wide CIH screen. This seemed reasonable to me for my 15 ft x 13 ft room, with a seating distance of 11.5 ft from the screen.


But after time as I zoomed the image larger and larger on my wall, 105" wide started to look more puny. I eventually got the image up to about 124" wide for some movies and it was just killer. However, 124" was still pushing it for what I could take, comfortably, movie after movie.


But all that zooming, over many months, led me to another conclusion:

*2. I really loved the ability to zoom the image to the size I wanted!*

I just couldn't really settle on one CIH size. Some content made me want a bigger image, some content a smaller image. And even if I went with a 124" wide image - the widest I could be comfortable with, sometimes I enjoyed watching certain 16:9/1:85:1 content - e.g. Planet Earth and several other movies - at much larger sizes than I'd get if I stuck to Constant Image Height. Sometimes I was making my 16:9 images up to

122" diagonal, which had an Imax-like effect from my seating distance.


I just couldn't give that flexibility up. So I decided instead to have a system that allowed for a variable image size, using my projector's zoom. But I insisted on masking because years of experiments led me to be quite firm on the benefits of masking an image. I even masked my Panasonic plasma for years, for 2:35:1 content, with fabric strips and the effect always blew me away. (And even owners of newer, more expensive plasmas would come to my house and be blown away at my "super plasma" that looked better than theirs. When in fact it was simply attention to detail, in the presentation of the image, with masking included, that increased the perception of image quality).


Since I wanted to vary the image size, but always have a masked image, that entailed trying to come up with a _4-Way Masking System_.


Since I'm not a DIYer - don't have the skills - I figured I'd look for professional systems to combine. The Carada Masquerade for doing the vertical masking (top/bottom) was a no-brainer. I knew from owner reports it was a slick system and I wanted that remote control.


As for side masking I ended up buying a roller-fabric-panel system from a company called "Goelst." This side masking system is remote controlled with up to 6 pre-set stopping points. However, this side masking system is not up yet. Back to the Carada Masquerade...


Carada was simply incredible to deal with. Like no other company. My system was going to be so finicky that it resulted in many, many emails over the course of something like 1 1/2 years, with all my emails answered quickly and in as much detail as I could want. They were available for every question I had either via email, or via phone during some installation phases. I owe particular thanks to David Giles who gave me far more of his time than any customer deserves. This company is a happy-customer-generating machine!


I ended up ordering a pretty massive system: A custom aspect ratio with a screen surface of *130" wide by 67" tall*. With the Masquerade frame added, that became *142" wide x 79 1/2" tall* to the outside frames of the Masquerade.


I ordered the system a bit wider and taller than the actual viewing surface I would see for a couple of reasons:


1. My side masking panels, when fully opened to the sides of the Masquerade screen, will, by design, not entirely clear the sides of the Masquerade frame. The inner side mask will be beveled, like the Masquerade side frame, toward the screen surface in order to get the masks closer to the screen surface - riding just beyond the inner Masquerade vertical masks. So a few inches on either side of the screen will always be covered.


2. I wanted a 60" to 61" tall available viewing surface. However I had a big center channel that I really like. I was also adamant that the screen image be low enough so the viewer's eyes were between 1/3 to 1/2 way up the screen. I find that this increases the sense of realistic perspective and immersion in the image, vs the image being put higher up on the wall.


In order to get the image center where I wanted for all images it required that the bottom of the Masquerade was going to end up below the center channel speaker, and so really big 16:9 images would have the center channel in the way of the image. Ordering the screen with an extra 6 or 7 inches of height allowed me to do a tweak on the Masquerade: I put a stop in the system that stopped the bottom mask from fully retracting all the way. This leaves the bottom mask with a resting position of 7" above the screen bottom, which clears the top of my center channel speaker, so the speaker is never in the way of any image no matter how large.

I did this using some pipe clamps and some felt on the side bars, on which the masks slide. It stops the bottom mask very quietly and reliably, with no "bump"

or sound noticeable.


I use my projector's lens shift function to shift the image as necessary to keep within the masking area. It works like a charm, allowing me that big 61" tall image when I want it, while not letting the center channel get in the way.


I actually went with the Stewart ST-130 screen material. We built a wood frame, nailed to the wall securely, and stapled the Stewart material on.

The Masquerade Masking system was put over that frame with care (e.g. using some shimming here and there) to get the masks as close as possible to the screen surface without rubbing the screen surface. I wanted to avoid any visible "shadowing" on the screen from the masks, and I also will have the side masking riding over the Carada masking, so I didn't want the Carada masks to already be riding far from the screen material.


We got the masks to within 1/2" of the screen material.


As reported by other owners, the Carada Masquerade looks superb on the wall. The fit 'n finish is super clean, precise and pride-inducing. Even my wife (yeah, I know, everyone brings in the wife factor) who has been, let's say, not exactly "on board" with this whole project, had to admit the Masquerade looked slick and professional up on the wall. Whew!


I should say that the masks match the frame perfectly, so even if the masks are left deployed, as I often do, they blend so well with the frame you just think that's the shape of the picture.


The masking system works great! I don't have the side masking up, which leaves black bars on the sides of my image so I don't get the full effect of masking yet. But even using the vertical masking of the Carada simply moves the experience to the next level. There is just zero distraction around the image and having outside the image be pitch black adds depth and pop to the image to give a more window-like reality to the experience.


The unmasked images just look sort of...incomplete. Like the last professional touch isn't there. Once you experience one of these systems I don't think there is any going back to seeing black bars again.


I see zero shadowing from the masking. It just looks like a razor sharp line of black beginning above and below the image. I note that, if I move the image over to the sides of the Masquerade frame, which resides about 1" off the screen surface, I still can see no shadowing at all. This gives me some confidence that if I can get my side masking to ride around 1" from the screen surface it will clear the vertical masks while not adding shadowing.


Last note: As we know the Carada only comes officially with 2 pre-sets on the remote control: 16:9 (full opened masks) and 2:35:1. And then you get the "jog" buttons that allow you to move the masks smoothly to the position you want when holding the buttons down, or to "jog" the masks in approximately 1/2" increments with a quick press. This all works perfectly, I find - very easy to get the masks where I want for any image.


But, especially for a Constant Area or my type of variable image size set up, more pre-sets would be cool. I wondered if macros could be set up with a Universal Remote control to get more custom image size settings from the Masquerade.


I did some brief tests and...viola!...yes it works! For instance, I programmed for an image height that was slightly higher than the 2:35:1 setting of the Carada remote control. I learned the Carada remote into my old Home Theater Master MX500. Then I programmed a macro that first sent a command to go to the 2:35:1 position, with a 3 second pause to wait for this to happen. Then the macro continues and sends 3 more brief "jog" signals (with 1/4 second macro pauses in between each jog command) and

it worked perfectly! Every time the masks ended up at the same custom preset height with a single macro-button press. My side masking has up to 6 preset image widths, so I should be able to come up with some macros to get a good selection of pre-set masking sizes.


There you go. My experience so far.


Photos: Sorry, the screen wall is still a work in progress. The AV receiver and Blu Ray players will not be beneath the screen when finished. All equipment, except the projector, will be in another room.


Masking as closed as it goes:











Masking opened up to 2:35:1 position (even though, on my custom screen size it doesn't make for a strict 2:35:1 AR...it's still very useful as an image size preset):











Masking fully opened: Image about 61" high, 130" wide, before side masking:











This is all I could fit in of my room, from the door opening. The room is messy and unfinished at this point. The ceiling was built down, with acoustic treatments, pot lights, track lights, then covered in stretched dark brown felt for both acoustics and absorbing light reflections above the screen. I have dark brown chocolate velvet

curtains that will be employed to the sides of the screen. The curtains will be able to cover up to 12 feet of the walls out from the screen, to stop wall reflections.

Also, the area beneath the screen will be in black material, almost like a mini-stage, with the speaker stand black as well, and I intend to cover my speakers in black so they completely disappear with the lights out:


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## Samaritano

Congratulations Rich, it is coming along really nice. I like how you treated the ceiling and your color scheme is really nice. I like browns..


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## R Harkness

Thanks Edgar!


It's a smallish room and I kept the color scheme mostly 2-tone at the moment to reduce visual clutter and distraction as much as possible. (We'll add paintings, colored pillows as we go along).


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## R Harkness

I guess the newer CIH version of the Masquerade is getting all the excitement these days.


I was playing The Incredibles on my screen using my Panasonic AE900 projector first with the masks opened up all the away, then closed to frame the image. It's remarkable the difference. With a projector like the AE900, not the greatest black levels, the image looks sort of washed out over all on my screen with the maskes opened. Closing them around the image makes the image suddenly seem like it has more contrast and brilliance. Very cool.


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## keithishere

First let me say that I'm a satisfied Masquerade owner here but I have the HP screen not the mms. David and his partner are great. They will help you from the drawing board to finish. I had it for about a year now and I couldn't watch without it! I've experienced the same thing with my Masquerade. And all this time I thought it was my pj l not being properly centered too. I rent a lot of BR movies from Blockbuster and 3 out of 10 this thing happen. But with the black border so black that I did not notice if the picture is 1 or less is cut off. I would understand if you might have a problem with subtitle.

David, do you have an upgrade program?







LoL. It may give me some incentive to start on my basement. It will give me 2200 sq to work with.









Congratulation R. Harkness on your setup. Post some picture here.


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## David Giles

Thanks for the compliments Keith! Glad to hear you're still enjoying your Masquerade. That basement sounds just perfect for an awesome new Constant Image Height setup. But no I'm sorry we don't have a trade-in program, so you just need to pick a friend who's been drooling over your current gear and give him a deal on it.










By the way, R Harkness did post several photos about 5 posts above this one. Looking good so far! Rich how's the rest of your installation work going?


David Giles

Carada, Inc.


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## R Harkness

Well, as another item has just been installed in my home theater room (curtains), I'm inspired to declare:


My home theater room has taken forever to get done. I've probably ordered 50 items, counting equipment, custom built items (certain equipment and furniture etc), lighting, you name it.

The Carada Masquerade is the one, single item that arrived and simply worked as advertised! Literally every other item in my home theater has had issues. Every single one. I can't even just get curtains made properly. And my family keeps wondering why my project has taken 10 times the estimated schedule.


Anyway, kudos to Carada for at least making one item in this experience fully satisfying.


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## Samaritano

Hey Rich don't feel bad, I'm on the same boat. My HT has been 3 years in the making and I'm still not done, hopefully in the next 2 months. I bought all my equipment and so far everything has worked as advertised.

Good luck with your reno, it is looking good.


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## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Samaritano* /forum/post/17321996
> 
> 
> Hey Rich don't feel bad, I'm on the same boat. My HT has been 3 years in the making and I'm still not done, hopefully in the next 2 months.



Ok, then I don't feel so bad.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Samaritano* /forum/post/17321996
> 
> 
> I bought all my equipment and so far everything has worked as advertised.



Ok, now I'm bummed again.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Samaritano* /forum/post/17321996
> 
> 
> Good luck with your reno, it is looking good.



Thank you. I appreciate it. I think it will be pretty cool in the end.


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## BRAC

Wow!!! This thread sure got quiet in a hurry. Where did everyone go?







Certainly, this wonderful masking system deserves more discussion here.


I wanted to stop by and say that I still love my horizontal Masquerade. One of my best theater upgrades ever! Having said that, sadly, I have decided to sell off both my 92" Masquerade and matching MMS screen. I will be going with a much larger AT screen following my current theater expansion. This is in no way a knock on the Masquerade, it just simply doesn't fit with my current plans. Anyone in the great white north who may be interested, PM me for more details.


Regards.


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## Jim1921

I purchased a Masquerade back in 2008 for my previous home. We relocated to Raleigh and now I am building a new HT. I hope to have enough left in my budget for the Masquerade again, but we will have to see how the budget goes.


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## beatboy77

Does anyone know where to buy a used Carada Masquerade system? I am looking for one for my 110" screen.


Josh


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## joerod




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *beatboy77*  /t/916378/carada-new-masking-system/600#post_21087550
> 
> 
> Does anyone know where to buy a used Carada Masquerade system? I am looking for one for my 110" screen.
> 
> 
> 
> Josh



I have one for sale.


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## Mike_WI




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *beatboy77*  /t/916378/carada-new-masking-system/600#post_21087550
> 
> 
> Does anyone know where to buy a used Carada Masquerade system? I am looking for one for my 110" screen.
> 
> 
> 
> Josh


Is it not available online?


Mike


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## joerod

Not sure... Just letting it out there in case anyone is looking.


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## R Harkness




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod*  /t/916378/carada-new-masking-system/600#post_24422256
> 
> 
> Not sure... Just letting it out there in case anyone is looking.



Whoah. I thought getting rid of your Masquerade would have been a "out of my cold, dead hands" scenario. Are you going CIH or something?


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## joerod




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *R Harkness*  /t/916378/carada-new-masking-system/600#post_24431804
> 
> 
> Whoah. I thought getting rid of your Masquerade would have been a "out of my cold, dead hands" scenario. Are you going CIH or something?



I just lately have had screen fever which is not bad for me since I have had the same screen since I did the theater. I am going with a 133" Curved 3D screen. Viewing area 65" by 116". Yes, I will miss the cool factor of masking the bars but for awhile now have wished I had a bigger screen. I still love the Masquerade and won't hesitate to recommend it when asked on my site. We are modifying my screen area to fit in the bigger screen. I have already made the entire area look like a black hole with my black velvet treatment. Now a bigger screen is my last key step to making the theater experience as immersive as possible.


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## joerod

Also my older SS would not display 3D correctly so I have had an electric 120" screen for 3D. It will be nice to have one screen do it all and not have to change the projector image size back and forth. Yes, my 1000ES has screen memory positions but now all of them do when I Review others.


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## R Harkness

joerod,


Well, if ya gotta go bigger, ya gotta go bigger.


116" wide is a decent size for scope movies. I was enjoying Gravity at that size (in 3D,10 to 11ft viewing distance) just last night and it was nice and immersive. Sounds like your 16:9/1:85:1 content will always be huge. Careful what you wish for, given the variability of source material.







(I go up to about 136" for some 16:9/1:85:1 material that can bear it, but it certainly does stress lower quality sources, some Blu-Rays included).

But, hey, you no doubt have this all calculated well into your decision.


As for masking, I've often felt I'd sooner go to a somewhat cheaper projector and keep my masking, vs give it up.


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## Mike Garrett




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod*  /t/916378/carada-new-masking-system/600#post_24432231
> 
> 
> Also my older SS would not display 3D correctly so I have had an electric 120" screen for 3D. It will be nice to have one screen do it all and not have to change the projector image size back and forth. Yes, my 1000ES has screen memory positions but now all of them do when I Review others.



Are you talking about a Torus screen?


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## Tom899

*142" Masquerade System*

I'm thinking of ordering a 142" BW 1:78.1 MMS Masquerade System for my Sony 40ES projector. I've read completely through this thread and everything sounds very positive. David has answered every single email since I started my quest for a screen back in June. As I write this my drywall is going up in my basement, won't be long now, well I hope not. My screen wall is 151" x 96". This will leave about 7.5" on each side for my speakers and 14" on the bottom for my center speaker. My room is deep so throw and seating distance are what I choose. Does anyone have a 142" Masquerade system? I know this thread is not very active recently, just seeing if there is still interest.


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