# Carada Screens....Opinions?



## coatie

I just ordered one...I painted a screen, but my sheetrock guy did such a horrible job that I decided to buy a screen and see what happens. The price didn't seem outrageous, and at this point ( started the new house in February ), I simply want to wrap up my projects and enjoy...


Anyone have one? I ordered the Classic Cinema White...any thoughts?


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## Spellbound

I was wondering if you are talking about

Carada Screens...?????


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## coatie

Yes, sorry...don't know why I typed that....


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## jzimm9mm

Coatie,


I recently purchased a Carada screen to go with my Panasonic L300U. I chose the high contrast grey material and an 80" 1.78:1 frame. I can definitely say that you won't be disappointed with Carada's product. Initially I was interested in Carada because I wanted an 80" screen and nobody else had one. Then I noticed their prices were much more reasonable than most other screens (besides homebuilt). After receiving the screen I can say for certain that the low price does not result in low quality. The frame is very tight and strong. It is also covered in a light absorbing material that kills any over-projection. My friend with a Da-lite screen was impressed with my Carada screen. They are also very responsive to inquiries via email. Overall I think you made a good choice.


Jer..


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## coatie

Quote:

_Originally posted by jzimm9mm_
*Coatie,


I recently purchased a Carada screen to go with my Panasonic L300U. I chose the high contrast grey material and an 80" 1.78:1 frame. I can definitely say that you won't be disappointed with Carada's product. Initially I was interested in Carada because I wanted an 80" screen and nobody else had one. Then I noticed their prices were much more reasonable than most other screens (besides homebuilt). After receiving the screen I can say for certain that the low price does not result in low quality. The frame is very tight and strong. It is also covered in a light absorbing material that kills any over-projection. My friend with a Da-lite screen was impressed with my Carada screen. They are also very responsive to inquiries via email. Overall I think you made a good choice.


Jer..*
Thanks...I have had a great experience with David Jiles of Carada. He has answered many questions and offered opinions of what I needed. He is super to work with...I have never found customer service better ANYWHERE.


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## eameres

Please keep us posted. I'm very eager to hear what you think of the carada, especially compared to the ddog DIY you were working on (until the sheetrock got in the way).


Eric.


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## coatie

Quote:

_Originally posted by eameres_
*Please keep us posted. I'm very eager to hear what you think of the carada, especially compared to the ddog DIY you were working on (until the sheetrock got in the way).


Eric.*
I am hoping to try the screen this weekend. Between high school homecoming on Friday and college homecoming and football game on Saturday and son's football game Saturday night, it will be hard, but I am going to check them compare them this weekend and I will post......


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## jrgriff

my 96" diag. 84" wide Carada screen is due to arrive tomorrow Fri. 10/3, and I was planning on posting my opinions once I had a chance to put it together & view some stuff. BTW Iâ€™m now a huge FP convert, it really make home viewing a joy.


My experience with Carada & David Giles, was great. He answered some (more like a lot of) questions, and when you compare what Carada has to offer [both price & quality wise] it appears to be a no brainer. I wanted a professional looking screen with out paying an arm & a leg, and would last for years while I went thru a few FP upgrades.


I currently have a DIY blackout, which I fully believe is fine for those just starting out, or with a limited budget. When youâ€™re ready to more to the next level of screens, there is a lot choices and decisions to be made. I also was not interested on spending my time searching for that illusive perfect DIY screen [life is just too short]. I figured over time, and cost of materials would end it being more than, just getting a good screen now and enjoying the heck out of it.


Iâ€™ll keep you posted.


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## coatie

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgriff_
*my 96" diag. 84" wide Carada screen is due to arrive tomorrow Fri. 10/3, and I was planning on posting my opinions once I had a chance to put it together & view some stuff. BTW Iâ€™m now a huge FP convert, it really make home viewing a joy.


My experience with Carada & David Giles, was great. He answered some (more like a lot of) questions, and when you compare what Carada has to offer [both price & quality wise] it appears to be a no brainer. I wanted a professional looking screen with out paying an arm & a leg, and would last for years while I went thru a few FP upgrades.


I currently have a DIY blackout, which I fully believe is fine for those just starting out, or with a limited budget. When youâ€™re ready to more to the next level of screens, there is a lot choices and decisions to be made. I also was not interested on spending my time searching for that illusive perfect DIY screen [life is just too short]. I figured over time, and cost of materials would end it being more than, just getting a good screen now and enjoying the heck out of it.


Iâ€™ll keep you posted.*
What projector are you using and what fabric did you get? Just curious..


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## tsteitle

I too was projecting on my wall and finally decided to purchase a screen after almost a year of agonizing over which brand, what size, which screen material, which frame, etc.


Well I saw some information in this forum about Carada screens so I went to their site to check it out. I liked the fact that they were promoting how high quality their product was and not how cheap it was. I took the plunge and bought the 110" screen with 1.78 aspect ration and the Cinema white material.


From the time I placed the order I could tell this guy was organized. All invoice and tracking information was professionally organized and presented. When the package arrived I was pleased to see that his boxes were custom fit and also first rate, I was beginning to feel better about my purchase. When I opened the box everything was maticulously protected with foam wrapping and I could begin to see the high quality of the materials that were used.


I assembled the screen and everything fit with custom precision. Not a single glitch with any of the manufacturing of the product. It's actually pretty amazing how tight everything fits.


At one point I had considered building my own screen but at this moment I realized what a mistake that would have been. I am a pretty particular consumer when it comes to quality and Carada has exceeded my expectations in all regards.


I am now happily viewing movies and high definition TV and pleased that I waited the year until I found these guys.


Todd


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## coatie

I just received my screen and can't wait to install it this weekend. The package is great and everything ( to this point ) has gone as advised.


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## Harj Dhillon

What timing! I just recently installed a Carada screen and wanted to post about it.


My quest began with a projector. Once I got the Sony Cineza installed, I realized my old stereo system wouldnâ€™t do. So next thing I knew, I was at store pulling out the mastercard for a brand new Atlantic Technologies System.


So my budget was blown for a screen. I did call someone in from a â€œhome theaterâ€ store to see what they could do. They estimated $5K and they wouldnâ€™t do any of the wiring and patching of any holes in ceilings walls for a motorized Da-Lite screen.


So I researched on this forum, and read a lot about screen-go and various painting techniques, and to try different things until I got it just right.


I was absolutely depressed and thought I had made a mistake â€“ should I have gone plasma at the same collective price but smaller screen?


Then I stumbled on Carada, and went with what I thought â€“ a low-budget version of a screen.


Let me tell â€“ the experience was great and I recommend them:


(1) Gain and other technical things. Iâ€™m not a techno geek, but I can say this - I have lots of ambient light in my walk-out basement, and with the screen installed, I can see the picture quite clearly without having to tell my guests â€“ wait for nighttime. I ordered the Brilliant White. Also, on X-box â€“ I can see all the defenders coming at me from all angles in vivid detail â€“ Iâ€™m on a successful win streak but losing on the home front where my wife is wondering if Iâ€™ve moved out and she hasnâ€™t seen me in days.

(2) Quality of Materials. Da-Lite makes you pay extra for black-trim. Get real! It came with it, and my wife who hates all my â€œequipmentâ€ â€“ loves the look. Our basement rec area is a show-stopper and all the gossip amongs my envious friends. The screen is also very durable, My beagle pounced on it- but I shooed her off with no damage. Also, the builders left one â€“screw jutting out which I didnâ€™t see until it was poking a hole through my screen. I removed the screw, and the screen returned to shape with no damage.

(3) Packaging and Assembly. Everything is wrapped three times over â€“ not a worry. Assembly â€“ Just a couple of hours â€“ mostly for me doing the measure 4 times before nailing screws in â€“ if you can hang paintings â€“ you can hang this screen, and thereâ€™s plenty of wiggle room for slight adjustments

(4) Expertise â€“ I wasnâ€™t sure what screen to get â€“ I needed a 106â€ screen but thee were none listed on the sight. Customer service helped me decide, and I got a 106â€ screen that exactly fits my image

(5) Delivery â€“ No long waits â€“ In about a week, I was enjoying my screen.


I donâ€™t get to contribute to this forum often, but in this instance, I hope Iâ€™ve done the homework and research to be able to contribute some value back to all the expertise Iâ€™ve tapped into.


-Harj


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## jstorerj




ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!




ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Seriously, I'm looking at Carada for a 110" (1.78) screen for my X1 and appreciate all the feedback I can get on the company and product. Anyone else using a Carada screen with an X1? What screen material did you go with?


Thanks - jsj


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## flintstone

I have an X1 on order from Dell, I spoke with [email protected] and he had not seen the X1 on one of his screens yet. He did hook me up with a very nice guy from NY that has both. He said his X1 looks fantastic on the standard white screen in his setup.


Dave


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## jrgriff

I have an X1, which BTW for $$$ ya simply can't beat it.


B/O was purchased from Hancock Fabric at $5.95 a yard 54" wide. Frame is 1x3" 8' wide. I built it as big as I possibly wanted (with NO black framing), and then started to experiment with sizing.


My X1 mounted on the ceiling 15â€™ feet back, just about 1-2â€™ behind me. I do believe it is very easy for people to want to go too big, but I wanted to best quality picture, keeping it big and getting the â€œWOWâ€ factor injected. Not too hard to do coming from a 36â€ tube TV.


Packing from some companies can be a bit lacking. I recently ordered a wooden multi-media rack [not going to mention the manf.], but all the pieces were simply banded via plastic strapping, and then slipped into a box. Nothing, I tell nothing was in-between any of the boards. To say the least I was not too happy after paying a little more than 200 bucks for it.


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## David Giles

Thanks for all the nice comments guys! Makes all the hard work worthwhile.


Jim, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with our packaging. Please be sure and let us know if you have any constructive criticism. Of course it's easier on the ol' ego if you just say everything was perfect. 


But seriously, we want to make sure our packaging is second to none, so don't hold back if anything comes to mind.


David Giles


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## Ron Stimpson

All,


I'm using a grey 88" Carada with my Sharp Z10000/Samsung HD931... and have been just pleased as punch. I built my first screen several years ago, but Dave's attention to detail and fine construction ended that hobby (both Daylite material and Parkland experiements with DIY frame). The fit of the frame pieces together was about as precise as is possible to get I think.


I'm planning to experiment with the Classic white material (I got both) after I get used to the grey first.


Don't have the best light control at the moment and the higher gain of the white might be what I run till my next HT is finished.


If you want personalized service and know that ANY issues will be swiftly dealt with, AND know you got great product for the money, Carada should be on your short list. I've been so impressed with this fellow web-direct upstart I plan to add it to our own site's links page (never mind I had to pay full price ;^).


Ron Stimpson

SVS


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## gimmin74

I should've checked out Carada before I bought my da-lite cinema contour high power. I have no complaints with the high power material itself--its fantastic. Its the expensive frame that left something to be desired.


Boy, for their top of the line fixed frame the fit and finish was like b-stock. 2 of the corners don't line up properly and there are several holes on the back of the frame which seem like drilling mistakes. I've seen stewart frames and well.....the da-lite was not as nice.


I guess $$$ doesnt equal quality......my 2 cents....


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## David Giles

Quote:

The frame is very tight and strong
Quote:

It's actually pretty amazing how tight everything fits.
Quote:

The fit of the frame pieces together was about as precise as is possible to get I think.
So I guess the name *Precision Series* "fits" pretty well huh? 


David Giles


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## Blake Brubaker - Da-Lite

Quote:

_Originally posted by gimmin74_
*I should've checked out Carada before I bought my da-lite cinema contour high power. I have no complaints with the high power material itself--its fantastic. Its the expensive frame that left something to be desired.


Boy, for their top of the line fixed frame the fit and finish was like b-stock. 2 of the corners don't line up properly and there are several holes on the back of the frame which seem like drilling mistakes. I've seen stewart frames and well.....the da-lite was not as nice.


I guess $$$ doesnt equal quality......my 2 cents....*


gimmin74,


Please contact me regarding your dissatisfaction with the frame fit for your screen. If it is not right and you are not happy, we are not happy. Bottom line, just like you mentioned, you paid good money for the top of the line screen and if it is not right, we need to know about it. So please, contact me and I will see to it that the situation is rectified. Our company takes great pride in our products (especially the top end products) and if a customer is not happy with it, we need to know that. We will do everything in our power to rectify the situation and meet your requirements.


Thanks,


Blake


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## David Giles

gimmin74


I was about to say that Dalite isn't known for those kind of product quality issues, and to contact Blake and he'd take care of you. But he beat me to it, which just shows he's on the ball!


Ron,


Thanks for the compliments!
Quote:

I've been so impressed with this fellow web-direct upstart I plan to add it to our own site's links page (never mind I had to pay full price ;^).
Uh Oh! If just a small fraction of the legions of SVS fans start looking at us, we're going to be BUSY.


Oh and to return the compliment, your woofs ain't too shabby either! (tongue-in-cheek understatement there! I've had dual 16-46CS+'s since they came out in Jan 2002 - AWESOME!)


David Giles


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## millards

I received my 96" 1:78 to 1 screen from Carada last week. It arrived in a couple of days after my order was placed. I selected the Classic Cinema White screen material with a gain of 1.0 for use with my InFocus X1 projector. The screen was very easy to assemble, seems very strong and with its black border looks great. Having seen some of my friend's screens, I think my Carada is comparable quality for a much better price. With their 30 day return policy I don't think you can go wrong.


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## gimmin74

If it was a defect with the screen material I would return it in a heartbeat. But I can't find one so its not worth the hassle to return something so big. Don't get me wrong folks......I really, really love the picture of the high power.


Hey Blake,

It was kinda a pain though setting up the frame because there were holes drilled in several places around the frame and didn't know which ones to put the snaps in. It wasn't until I unrolled the screen that it was clear where the snaps should be. Anyway to close the gaps in the corner a bit?


I have to mention I got a great deal from the guys here at AVscience so I guess I can't complain.


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## Mr.Jones

I bought the 110" 1:78 Cinema white screen. Very happy with my purchase.


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## coatie

I installed my classic cinema screen yesterday and it is great. I must admit the Ddog screen I painted on the wall looked pretty good also, but the bad sheetrock work would not allow me to leave it as it was.


The carada frame is very strong and everything was predrilled and went together really well. The look is very professional. I must admit, when my 5 year old came down and saw Tarzan on the screen and said it was great and looked better than the movie theatre, it made all the work worth it. I don't think you can do better than the Carada, especially for the money.


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## RickE

David, what are the different gains for the screens you offer?

Can just the screen material be purchased at a later time and if one decides to change it with another type?

And, what material would you recommend for a HD2 projector, in a light controlled room at 110"?

Thanks, Rick


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## David Giles

Rick,


Our Brilliant White surface material has a gain of 1.4, our Classic Cinema White has a gain of 1.0, and our High Contrast Grey has a gain of 0.8.


Currently, we don't sell just our screen materials separately. But if one purchases an entire screen, and then later decides he'd rather have a different surface material, then yes he would be able to purchase a replacement surface with border and snaps pre-installed for his Carada frame.


Choice of surface material is of course somewhat dependent on your personal preferences. But I would likely recommend either our Classic Cinema White, or Brilliant White for an HD2 projector in a fully light controlled room on a 110" screen, depending on WHICH HD2 a customer has, since some of them are skewed more towards the higher lumens/poorer blacks end of the spectrum, and others are skewed more towards the better blacks/lower lumens end of the spectrum.


Most of the HD2 projectors have good enough contrast ratios that at a 110" screen size, most viewers would find the black levels very satisfying. Now some viewers who REALLY like blacker blacks might prefer our High Contrast Grey, but as you know the image would be dimmer, and not everybody could live with that.


David Giles


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## RickE

Thanks David. I used to own a 110" firehawk with a sharp 10000 and did indeed feel the image was a just a bit dim. I do favor the punchier image I guess. I'll soon be back in the market for another Hd2 or Hd2+ (possibly the infocus 7205) so I'll definatly keep you guys in mind when it's time to purchase my screen.

Rick


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## David Giles

Sounds good Rick. We'll be ready when you are!


David Giles


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## Deckman37

RickE-


Do you mean you no longer have both the Firehawk and the 10K? If so, why did you get rid of the Sharp? I ask because I am considering this PJ and have already spoken to David about matching a screen to it. Thanks.


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## jrgriff

I bought a Carada screen, and I have absolutely NO regrets. I also feel the same way about moving to the FP arena [loving it all the way].


First off Carada (David Giles) was great in answering all of my questions regarding their products. Which help me in making my decision to purchase one of their screens, as Iâ€™m not a wealthy person and I like to make wise choices, preferably only once.


Prior to making my purchase, I also had to decide how big or small of a screen I wanted to go with. I ended up purchasing a 96â€ diag. 84â€ wide 1.0 Classic White [not too big & not too small]. Currently using a Infocus X1, with plans to upgrade in a few years, once the next wave of good stuff comes out.


Normally Carada screens once shipped, they should arrive in two days. Unfortunately there was a small routing glitch by the shipper and plus due to the weekend, my screen took longer to arrive [no fault of Carada].


But, but, still well worth the wait. Everything was pack with a lot of care, individually wrap, screen surface was protected with bubble wrap and foam-like pads. Easy to assemble, everything fit to a â€œTâ€. My biggest problem was determining just how high up/down I wanted to mount the screen.


Wow I got to tell you, this is one very nice screen a "Top Notch" product!! And Iâ€™m one very picky/anal guy, and Iâ€™m hard press to find anything to fault with the quality of the frame/screen/workmanship etc etc. The black velvet frame makes a huge difference over my previous "oversize" BO screen, and it really absorbs the light [would like to line half my room on this stuff]. The picture looks great, of course providing the source is digital [no fault of the screen].


Iâ€™m no screen expert and have not really seen or experience a bunch, but I really believe that Carada screens are on par or better than the ones Iâ€™ve seen at my local A/V stores. I truly feel that if you go with a Carada, you wonâ€™t be disappointed and youâ€™ll save a few bucks as well just as I did.


As they say here in the Land of Oz, there not place like home.


Jim Griffin.


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## jrgriff

bump..


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## stingray999

Quite interesting to see most who posted to this thread seems to be their first post. Yes there are a couple 40+.


Hope that there will be more posts about this product. The best would be side-by-side comparisons.


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## jrgriff

stingray:: yea you may be correct about a few newbie postings. Could be that those of us did not want to pay the high prices some of the other screen companies are asking. That was the case for me, saved several hundred.


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## Curatio

To complement the newbie comments, there's a professional review of the Carada screens at *************** for those who might be interested.


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## millards

Yes, same thing for me. I paid $1,000 for my InFocus projector. It seemed out of line to pay more than that for my screen. Saved money on the projector and also saved money on the screen, without a sacrifice in quality. Seems like a win to me.


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## MichaelZ

I just ordered today. I'll post a review once I receive and setup the screen. BTW, I ordered 96" diag. w/brillant white (1.4 gain) to be used with a Marantz s1 and soon to be upgraded to a HD2+ ????


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## David Giles

Sounds good Michael! Looking forward to your review.


Are you thinking about upgrading to the S3? If so, I want an invite to watch some movies! The S3 throws about the best image I've seen from ANY digital pj.


David Giles


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## stingray999

Sounds more interesting now. Hope to see your review Michael!


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## dogmanky

I'm very interested in this screen. I'm curious as to how much difference I would see between the Classic Cinema White and the Brilliant White on an X1 (104" Screen). I would like to occasionally view Satellite TV with lights in the room on. I'm leaning towards the Brilliant White.


Also, is there a better price avail through this site than the prices listed at the carada website? I just happened on this thread. Thanks.


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## David Giles

dogmanky,


As you know, the lumen output from your X1 depends on the settings you're using, as well as the age of the bulb. But for the sake of this discussion, let's just say you're using film mode and getting about 400 lumens out of it.


On a 104" (1.78:1 aspect ratio) with our Classic Cinema White, you'd get about 12.5 foot lamberts off the screen. That's certainly watchable with NO ambient light, but isn't considered bright by any stretch of the imagination.


With the same size screen using Brilliant White, you'd get about 17.5 foot lamberts. That still won't be blindingly bright, but it'll definitely be a nice improvement. And the brightness will compete better with the ambient light. Of course the blacks will suffer with the ambient light, so it'll always look better when you can keep the lights off. But for sports and regular TV where you probably aren't terribly picky about black levels anyway, it'll look okay.


No, there's no tie-in with this site. By the way, got to ask: what's the origin of "dogmanky"? 


David Giles


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## dogmanky

David,


Thanks for your comments and info. As I said, I'm certainly leaning towards the BW. I'm still a noob in the FP scene, so your suggestions are valuable to me.


long story on the dogmanky.  it really is dogman_KY, but after being referred to as dogmanky so many times, it kinda grew on me. lol


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## David Giles

You're welcome!


I like the dogmanky moniker. Sounds like something out of a Monty Python movie. Just imagine John Cleese saying it.


David Giles


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## dogmanky

I'm going to re-check measurements tomorrow at my new house, but after re-calculating, I'm going to be most likely ordering a 96" Brilliant White 1.78:1 CARADA screen.


David... I'll be ordering from Spring Hill, TN , so keep an eye out for me. I will most likely order ~mid November. 


In the meantime, I hope some happy customers can post some pics of their CARADA screens. I'm like a kid knowing I'm going to the amusement park in a few weeks. All fired up! Now I have 4-6 weeks to decide on which movie will be the first to play on the new screen.


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## HT&AV-Geek

David,


So, how is the Heating and Cooling Business? I would imagine that things are getting a bit busy this time of year. Hey by the way, are you producing your screens out of the H&C building or another building? Just curious.


That must work out well being able to use your sources from the HVAC business to get the materials you need to make screens.


Keep up the good work!


Jim S.


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## David Giles

Hi Geek,


Iâ€™m beginning to think youâ€™re becoming Caradaâ€™s number-one fan! Almost 50% of your plethora of posts have been directed at us. We appreciate all the attention!


Carada has it's own shop where screens are produced. And believe me, it would have been much easier to start a screen company from scratch if there WERE some common sources between the two businesses. The heating and cooling business uses sheet metal, fiberglass insulation, indoor and outdoor condensing units, and a variety of mechanical and electrical parts to install and service the units with.


Carada uses extruded aluminum tubing (not used in any capacity in H&C), unsupported PVC screen material (again, not used in any capacity in H&C), our Black Hole trim (granted your furnace might look really nice wrapped in this stuff, but it wouldn't be very cost-effective), border support material specially manufactured for Carada with VERY expensive 3M adhesive (need I mention that this material has nothing to do with H&C?), corner brackets and wall brackets manufactured for Carada by a specialty metal fabricator that doesn't serve the H&C market in any capacity, a variety of shipping supplies that have nothing in common with an H&C business, and finally snaps and screws. Okay the screws are pretty ordinary and could be picked up anywhere, but Carada doesn't purchase them from the same source as the H&C business.


My father started his own heating and cooling business 20 years ago, and Iâ€™ve worked there for several years. Like the majority of members here, home theater has been my hobby for quite a long time. When I recognized an opportunity existed in the projection screen market, I worked for several months to develop Carada Projection Screens. Carada Inc. was developed completely separate from my fatherâ€™s business with NO intermingling of funds, materials, or tools (and with his full blessings). Thanks to our hard work and the quality of our screens, Carada is quickly becoming a full-time job, and Iâ€™m currently in the process of completely phasing myself out of the H&C business.


So if you wanted to â€œexposeâ€ me, there you go. No, I wasnâ€™t born into a projection screen family dynasty. Carada Inc. was born of hard work, determination, a love of home theater, and an entrepreneurial spirit. We made it very clear on our website that we are a fresh startup, trying to make our way in the projection screen market. So far, every customer who has "taken a chance" on Carada has had nothing but praise for our product, customer service, AND value. Thankfully those attributes are what MOST consumers are looking for in any home theater purchase.


By the way, since you asked, the H&C business is actually kind of slow right now. It's been pretty mild down here lately, and as you can imagine the H&C business thrives in â€œextremeâ€ weather conditions. Timing couldnâ€™t be better though, â€˜cause the screen business is heating up quickly!

Quote:

Keep up the good work!
Thanks, we will!


David Giles


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## dogmanky

Nice, well constructed reply David. You have certainly impressed me enough with your product (albiet still haven't seen any actual in home photos) and professionalism to know I will indeed be ordering a screen from Carada. Look for my call in about 4 weeks. Do you take any of the calls? I'll be sure to tell them it's dogmanky !! Right O'


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## DLove23

David,


Which screen would be best with a LCD player such as the HS20? It has a contrast ratio of 1300:1 but I don't know if there were any "tricks" done to get it there. Is the lumens output of 1400 high enough that the grey screen would be good or should I go with the BW? I will have to deal with ambiant light from time to time but hope to be able to control the light output somewhat. I don't want to get a grey screen and get good blacks but sacrifice colors but I also don't want the blacks washed out either. This would be easier I know if the HS20 was actually out, LOL, but just wanted an general idea of what to do.


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## David Giles

Thanks for the support dogmanky!


I'll see what I can do about getting some customer installation photos for you to look at.


Don't worry, when you get ready to order, I'll remember dogmanky. 


David Giles


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## David Giles

DLove23


You're right, it'll be easier to make recommendations when the HS20 is actually in users' hands, and we can get a feel for what it REALLY puts out.


But just based on the specs, it's obviously going to be much brighter with significantly better blacks than the HS10. Even so, your choice of screen material would still be dependent on the size screen you expect to use, as well as your personal preferences in the brightness/versus/black levels arena. My best recommendation is to get the projector in your HT and project onto samples and see for yourself which material suits your personal tastes. That way you can try all types of images in various amounts of ambient light and see the effects on each material.


If you'd like samples of our materials, we'd be glad to send them to you. Just send us an email at the contact address on our website.


David Giles


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## normand

Hi David (giles),

I`d like to know what kind of screen would be good for a 1100 lumens projector, contrast ratio of 400:1. Classic cinema white, bright white, or grey? Thanks again


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## David Giles

Hi Normand,


Well the first answer that comes to mind is: grey screen. If the projector really puts out 1100 lumens, then depending on the size of your screen, you could probably afford to sacrifice some of that brightness in favor of improving your black levels.


Questions: Are you already using this projector? If so, what kind of surface are you projecting onto currently? How large is the image? Are you happy with the black levels you're seeing now, or would you like to improve them? Is your room fully light controlled?


David Giles


----------



## normand

Hi again David,

I`m using a Benq SL705x projector with a 600:1 contrast ratio (not 400:1). Not sure if it puts out really 1100 lumens, how could i find out? My screen size is about 96" diagonal, and yes i`m already using this projector. i`m projecting onto a melamine surface(not that bad really), but does hotspot alot. I plan too upgrade in the near futur. Contrast could be better. I`m using a panasonic xp30 dvd player, and just recently found out that i could darken the image with the dvd player, really helps alot. Finally my room is fully light controlled. Any advise is appreciated greatly.

thanks David, later


----------



## David Giles

Normand,


Often the easiest way to find out how many lumens your projector REALLY puts out is to find a good technical review of it where the reviewer tests the output when properly adjusted for home theater. But I wasn't able to find any such reviews for the SL705x. To be on the safe side, you should probably assume that you're getting no more than 50% to 60% of it's rated output. So let's just assume you're getting 600 lumens onto your screen.


Using that assumption, if you go with a 96" diagonal 16X9 screen, and you use our .8 gain High Contrast Grey surface material, you'll end up with about 17.5 footlamberts. That's plenty bright enough for a fully light controlled theater, but it will be a little dimmer than the image you're getting now. But since you mentioned that contrast could be better, I think you'd appreciate the improvement to your black levels even though you would be sacrificing some brightness.


David Giles


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## rrhomes

David Giles, will you guys be getting any more screen choice's. I like your simple clean design and reasonable pricing, but I really wanted a 2.5+ gain screen and/or a silver based screen. I think those simple two additions would still stay with in your image and design of simplicity and cover the desires of the entire market. I will probably go ahead and buy one of your screens here in the next 30 days. It's just the Da-Lite Perma wall with high power would street for around the same as yours and it's the high power fabric that's keeps me looking in that direction. I feel your build quality will be superior as it shows how much pride you take in the exacting measurements and the owners comments of exceeded expectations in this thread. All things being equal I would buy a Carada. I'm trying to stay away from a very bad cone and I think the high power is just acceptable although I have never seen one in person and in that regard the cone of your 1.4 BW may be just what I want, it's just my X1 seems dark on my 96 inch screen. I'm glad to have you guys as an option on my screen choice. Thanks David


----------



## David Giles

rrhomes,


Thanks for your vote of confidence! If you do decide to go with a Carada screen, I think youâ€™ll be just as impressed as our other customers.


Widening our selection of surface materials is certainly very high on our list of priorities, but I wouldnâ€™t want to try and say when we will be able to offer other alternatives.


I understand your attraction to the Hi-Power. Itâ€™s a very nice material, and can REALLY brighten up your image, especially if your projector is table mounted. If your projector is ceiling mounted, then itâ€™ll still be somewhat brighter than our Brilliant White, but the difference wonâ€™t be as dramatic. Iâ€™m sure you know that when the projector is ceiling mounted, the amount of gain you get from the Hi-Power is dependent on how high above your eye level the projector is mounted (the gain decreases as the angle between your eyes and the projector increases). So just be sure to consider that in your decision making process. You might want to get a sample of our Brilliant White and a sample of the Hi-Power and compare the two in your own theater to see the difference.


And you may already know this too, but our Precision Series frames compete directly against Da-Lite's Da-Snap frames which are a very nice step up from their Perm-Wall frames.


David Giles


----------



## MichaelZ

I received my screen today from Carada and it was in perfect shape upon arrival. It was *really* easy to setup, so much so that I was going to show a few pics of the install but it took me all of about 20 minutes to do the whole job  It consisted of putting 8 screws into the frame, 2 per corner, which were very precise - looks like a cnc performed the cutting and punching. The other 8 screws went into the hangers (2 top 2 bottom). Last step, simply stretch and snap the screen onto the frame and hang. I mounted the screen over my existing DIY screen which is a very good screen. 

Ok, so much for that! The picture was very good, just a tad brighter than my DIY but at the same time, showed me where the newer S2 and esp. the S3 had better blacks than my older S1 - although the S1 still looks pretty damn good. My wife noticed the room lit up more from the PJ's light, which was reflecting from the brighter screen, than my DIY screen.

I am amazed at what you get for the money, fit and finish are excellent and ease of install. I will show some screen shots of this a bit later.

Only problem I encountered was my own mis-measurement of the spot where I was going to hang the screen. I forgot the to take into consideration the frame size so the screen was a inch and a half wider than I would have liked but at least I have a wider screen  I will post some pics later when I get a chance to do so.


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## gkfisher

David,


Is it true that gray screens affect the colors of an image? Also, does the grey screen do more to help in poor lighting conditions, or is it more to improve CR in a 100% light controlled room?


With my Sony HS20, it's stated to put out around 1300:1 CR , and probably around 800/900 lumens.


I wonder if the 1.4 gain would make blacks too grey? So now I'm wondering if the grey screen would workout better? I have 100% light control in my room.


Thoughts?


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## Alex88

David:


I am thinking of getting a BenQ 8700 for my dedicated HT with a screen size of 96 x 54 but I have recently read in the projector forum that the BenQ 8700 may look dull on that large of a screen ( In the COL shoot out ). Can you give me your opinion on this setup with your Brilliant White Material. Would you know of the foot lamberts this set up would produce ?

its important that the right screen is matched with a projector of optimum results.

I will be getting a projector and screen before thanksgiving to finish by HT.



Thanks Alex C


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## DLove23

800/900 lumens for the HS20? I thought it was more in the area of 1400. Am I missing something?


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## golfaddict

I placed an order w/David yesterday.


My screen should be here tomorrow, I am sooo looking forward to it.

I have been projecting onto a bedsheet since I got my HS10 1 month ago.


I will post here once I get it. 



All I need now is the BERKLINEs 090.


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## gkfisher

Quote:

_Originally posted by DLove23_
*800/900 lumens for the HS20? I thought it was more in the area of 1400. Am I missing something?*
With the Iris on and with the projector in long lamp life mode I suspect you'll see 900 REAL lumens or less.


But you're right the projector actually lists 1570 lumens, 1400 OEP lumens.


----------



## David Giles

Gentlemen,


I apologize for the late response, but itâ€™s been a STRESSFUL morning. Our website was down for at least two hours, so I also want to apologize to anyone who tried to access it during that time. We may be changing hosts VERY soon.

*gkfisher,*


Yes, a grey screen will make the colors appear more "muted", in comparison to a white screen. But itâ€™s really only an issue when you directly compare the grey to a white surface material. A full size grey screen by itself will give you a beautiful image with nice blacks, IF (and thatâ€™s a very important IF) your projector has sufficient horsepower for the screen size youâ€™re projecting on.


And a grey screen does help in poor lighting conditions, but it also helps in a "100% light controlled room", because while you may be able to fully control all ambient lights, you wonâ€™t be able to keep secondary reflections from affecting the onscreen image. Well, technically you COULD control secondary reflections with a properly treated room, but in the real world, even with dark walls, ceiling, and floors, youâ€™re still going to get a certain amount of light coming OFF the screen, bouncing off surfaces in the room, and reflecting back onto the screen. A grey screen helps reduce the affects of these secondary reflections.


But all that aside, from our previous conversations, youâ€™re considering a screen size of about 126â€ diagonal, right? At that screen size, I would definitely NOT recommend our High Contrast Grey. Chances are very good that you would find it too dim. Assuming the Sony does put out around 800 lumens, youâ€™d be looking at around 13 footlamberts with the High Contrast Grey material. Now thatâ€™s actually considered acceptable for a light-controlled home theater, but most viewers prefer the brighter more dynamic images you can get with a positive-gain screen. With our Brilliant White on the same size screen, youâ€™d get almost 24 footlamberts. No the blacks wouldnâ€™t be as black as on the High Contrast Grey, but if the HS20â€™s contrast ratio is anywhere near as good as the specs indicate, I think youâ€™d be happy with the resulting image (on the Brilliant White).


*Alex,*


Yesterday I received a very nice e-mail from a customer with the exact setup you describe (BenQ PE8700 with our 110â€ diagonal - Brilliant White), and he's tickled pink with the results. If you've read Steve Smallcombe's review of the PE8700, you'll note that he used a 102" diagonal 1.0 gain matte white screen. He reported getting roughly 600 lumens out of the pj (well adjusted for HT), which gave him about 19 footlamberts off his screen, and he considered that to be "very bright" and "involving".


If you scale the screen up to 110" diagonal, and go with our 1.0 gain Classic Cinema White, the footlamberts drop to 16.7. But if you use our 1.4 gain Brilliant White, the footlamberts increase to just over 23. So with Brilliant White on a 110", youâ€™ll actually see a slightly brighter image than the one Steve was raving about in his review.


My guess is that the reason the guys in the Colorado shootout might have felt the BenQ looked dim at this size, is because they had also been looking at the Infocus 7200, 5700, and the JVC SX21, all of which are VERY bright projectors.

*Dlove23,*


Iâ€™m afraid gkfisher is probably right. Once calibrated properly, I wouldnâ€™t be surprised if the HS20 puts out no more than 800 lumens.


David Giles


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## blipszyc

David,

Do you have a calculator to figure out footlamberts that you can share, or at least the formula you're using. Looking at what you wrote above, it looks like I'd want to go with a 1.0 gain screen since I'd probably like to be in the 14-18 fL range, but haven't decided on a size or PJ yet.


Thanks.


----------



## David Giles

Sure blipszyc,


The basic formula is: Footlamberts = pj's lumen output * gain of surface material / surface area of the screen (in square feet)


So first you figure the square footage of the screen you're interested in, by multiplying the viewable width times the height (in inches), then divide by 144 to yield square footage. As an example, for a 110" diagonal 16:9 screen, the formula would be 96x54/144 which gives you 36 square feet of screen surface area.


Then you need to know the output in lumens of your projector. Just as an example let's say your projector puts out 600 lumens.


Finally you need to know the gain of your intended surface material. For example, let's say you're using 1.4 gain material.


Using the above variables:


600 x 1.4 / (96 x 54 /144) = 23.3 footlamberts


Of course if you have a target footlamberts, then you can solve for one of the other variables, like screen size for example.


Let me know if you have any questions.


David Giles


----------



## krasmuzik

Knowing the lumens your projector puts out is the hard part. You are pretty much guaranteed that the marketed number is fictional and you will never acheive that in a home theater. Usually using letterbox modes, eco modes, iris modes, 6500K modes, old bulbs changes this number drastically for the worse.


----------



## gkfisher

David,


Thanks for the quck response, very helpful as always.


----------



## dormouse99

David,


I'm close to ordering one of your screens. Would you please let us know what the viewing angles are of your screen materials?


Also, what is an optimum foot-lambert value? I understand that it will vary according to the ambient light, but is it true that the motion picture standard is 25 foot-lamberts?


Thanks!


----------



## David Giles

Hi dormouse99,


Our Classic Cinema White, and Brilliant White both have a viewing angle of 45 degrees, and our High Contrast Grey has a viewing angle of 40 degrees.


Actually, the standard for movie theaters is 12 footlamberts, and as long as you have a fully light controlled home theater, that will be enough. But most viewers prefer a brighter more dynamic image. Between 16 and 20 is generally considered a good target for home theaters, and 25 would certainly not be TOO bright for most people.


David Giles


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## IcedT

David or Krasmuzik,


Can either of you recommend the best material for an Infocus LS110? I am in a totally light controlled room with the PJ ceiling mounted. I am comtemplating a screen size approximately 49 x 87.


----------



## David Giles

IcedT,


The LS110 is a fairly bright projector, but it's contrast ratio could use some help. So if it were ME, I'd use our High Contrast Grey and sacrifice some of those lumens for better blacks. But that's just my preference. Your preferences may be totally different.


So the first question is, what type of surface have you been viewing on up until now? Are you satisfied with the black levels you're getting? Are you satisfied with the brightness you're getting? Would you prefer to improve one or the other?


David Giles


----------



## normand

What to do when your not sure weather to use high contrast grey, or classic cinema white? (I`v been using white for some time now), and i am wondering if high contrast grey will darken the image to much. I would like my blacks to be more black but is it really worth altering the other colors? Is it only really ones perception after viewing an image on a white surface for some time, that the eye will automaticaly adjust to grey or white? Am i right?


----------



## David Giles

Quote:

What to do when your not sure weather to use high contrast grey, or classic cinema white?
The best thing to do when you're really unsure, is to project onto samples in YOUR environment to see which material suits you. If you'd like, we'd be happy to send you some samples. Just send an email to the "info" address on our website with your mailing address, and we'll send them out.


David Giles


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## IcedT

David,

I have been using the Parkland DIY since it was posted on this forum. Thus, I am familiar with a white surface. I have samples of your brilliant white and high contrast for comparison. The black levels do increase, but the picture loses punch. I guess I am looking for the holy grail of screens that keep the punch and boosts blacks. However, I must ask if the image only looks duller because of the sample size? Are you working on another screen formula to help this issue?


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## David Giles

Quote:

The black levels do increase, but the picture loses punch.
That's just the nature of a negative gain grey material like ours, or Dalite's High Contrast Da-Mat, or the GrayHawk. The intensity of ALL light is reduced.

Quote:

I must ask if the image only looks duller because of the sample size?
No, the image is going to look the same on a full size screen. BUT what usually happens is that people directly compare the grey beside a white screen, so the grey always looks more "dull" by comparison. It's kind of like listening to two different speakers at different volume levels. The one that's at a higher volume level will generally be the more dynamic sounding of the two.


Of course with speakers you can simply volume match them before making a comparison. But the different gains in the grey-versus-white screen comparison is the whole point. So the analogy breaks down there.


But the point is that when you have a whole grey screen, and you're not directly comparing it against a white screen or sample at the same time, the lack of "punch" is less apparent, whereas the improvement in blacks is very apparent.

Quote:

Are you working on another screen formula to help this issue?
At this time, we don't have anything in the works. But a wider selection of screen materials is definitely on the agenda.


David Giles


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## IcedT

David,

You are correct in your statements. I saw the same effects using a greyhawk, your high contrast gray, and firehawk. For the record, I did not notice a difference between these materials. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait on incremental improvements in other factors and enjoy my PJ today. By the way, where will I be in foot lamberts using your HCG product? Also, which stock size is closet to my suggested screen size of 49X87?


----------



## David Giles

Quote:

where will I be in foot lamberts using your HCG product
Well, it's hard to say exactly what lumens you're getting out of the projector since it depends on your particular settings as well as the age of the bulb.


But to take a stab at it, it should be safe to assume you're getting 50% of the spec'd lumens, so we'll say 500. On a 49x87 screen you should get about 13.5 fL from our HC Grey material.


A 49x87 (100" diagonal) screen is halfway between our 96" and 104" diagonal. But we build them to your specifications, so it won't be any problem that your suggested size isn't "stock".


David Giles


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## krasmuzik

The LS110 is specced at film mode unlike many other projectors. So you are safe to use the 1000 lumens as your starting point. This is an older DLP without the contrast of the new ones - being that bright the black need a lot of help with a grey screen.


Over the life of the bulb you would be 13-26ftL with a 0.8g screen. Throw on a ND2 filter when the bulb is new if it is too bright. Da-Lite High Contrast Da-Mat would be my biased choice or a Stewart GreyHawk.


Or if you use a ND2 filter when the bulb is new you could use a High Contrast Cinema Vision (1.1) for 18ftL or Stewart FireHawk - but you would want to take the filter off when the bulb is old to stay as bright. Substitute whatever Carada equivalents are if going that route.


It really is subjective - if you want the dark theater room with the mood of the movie go with the standard of 12ftL. Or if you want to use your screen for media room music videos and sports then go higher. This is why I prefer the Infocus projectors - you can go either way thru the ND2 filter.


My reference for brightness is the opening chapter of Gladiator. If it does not feel bright and sunny in the flashback scene and dark and moody in the war scene - you bought the wrong screen. You should not be able to see all the dark details in the war scene - to do so misses the filmmakers point about war! On the other hand - if you aren't reaching for the sunglasses during the snow scene (where the guys get exploded) of Vertical Limit - everything is too dim!


----------



## krasmuzik

The subjective property of grey screens are not evident with a sample. Best to find someone (friend or dealer) that has one that you can see - maybe allow you to bring your projector to test. The eye will not notice the dimming of the whites - only the better blacks. It is a psychovisual thing. Ever go outside at night? Then get blinded by a dim streetlight? Same principle.


The whitest white you see is what your eye establishes as a white reference. A brighter screen will always look "better" if used as the reference. Not possible to do side by side testing for that reason.


----------



## b3b0p

Hi David,


I contacted you via email, told you upfront I wanted to get a screen, but just needed to save up a little more cash. Yes, even for your affordable screens 


I told you I had an HS10 and you helped me decide that the High Contrast screen would be best because the blacks are lacking on the HS10.


Well, things have changed. I have a NEC HT1000 on the way and an HS10 going out the door. What would be the preferred screen for this beast of a projector? Of course my viewing conditions matter some, I am in a 15x16 room with one window that has blinds/shades. Otherwise, I pretty much have complete light control. Of course it is nice to work on the crossword while watching late night TV (small overhead lights).


Do you have a recommendation for this projector in perhaps my more normal, non-dedicated viewing environment? My projector will most likely be ceiling mounted to keep it away from those damn cats.


Thanks,

Chris


----------



## IcedT

David,

Thanks for the advice. Can you PM me the cost of a 49X87 High contrast grey?


Karmuzik,

Your comments are well taken.


Carada Owners,

Can anyone post pictures and a detailed review of your experience with high contract grey?


----------



## David Giles

Chris,


First of all, the NEC is going to give you a HUGE improvement in black levels. Chances are, you're going to be so blown away by how good they are, that I'd venture you're not going to feel ANY need to "help" them with a grey screen (at least under controlled light conditions).


But, if you want to watch with some light, then the HC Grey will still help maintain blacks better in the presence of ambient light. And if I recall correctly, you were interested in a 88" diagonal 1.78:1 screen, right? At that size, you'd still have a nice punchy image on the .8 gain HC Grey.


So if it were me, I'd still stick with the High Contrast Grey.


David Giles


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## b3b0p

Thanks David! Appreciate the help. Correct on the HC Grey @ 88". I will let you know when I am ready for some samples.


Thanks,

Chris


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## jstorerj

Last Friday I ordered a 1.78 110" classic cinema white screen for my dedicated basement theater. It'll be paired with an x1 (like several other people on this thread). It should arrive on Wednesday. I'll post my thoughts on packaging, workmanship, ease of set-up, and performance later in the week. I'm looking forward to taking down the sheet I have tacked on the wall! I may even post pics.


One area I feel comfortable commenting on is Carada's responsiveness/customer service. Although I find it annoying when web sites don't offer a way to contact them via phone, Carada (David) is so responsive to email it's not really an issue in this case. I encourage propective Carada customers to contact David via email to discuss your HT set up and arrive at the correct decision for you. Also, I can't stress enough how helpful it is to view the screen samples up on the wall before you make your final decision.


Cheers - jsj


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## ronone10

David,


I am so new to front projectors that I am going to request samples of your screens even before my fp arrives. I purchased a Panasonic PT-L300U from VisualApex today and my plan is to use the wall and see how good the image looks before making a decision on a screen. Based on what I have read so far, looks like there is a significant difference between a wall and a good quality screen.


When you have a moment, can you recommend the type of screen you would use. Here are some details about my viewing area and fp:


I have a daylight basement that is shaped like a U, on one side where the fp will be are two windows in a 14x20 room, the other half of the basement (14 X 24) has one window. There maybe some light coming from the other half of the basement, either from recess cans or from the window (covered by blinds). Overall, I can get the fp side of the room very dark during the day if need be, but we have a pool table on the larger side of the room and I want to be able to watch a football game or DVD and play pool at the same time (oh, can't forget the beer too). The L300U is rated at 800 lumens, constrast ratio is 800:1 and it will be setup with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Right now, I am going to have the L300U sitting behind me on a stand, about 12ft from the wall. My ceiling height is 96" and I am aiming for a screen size around 88" or 96" diagonal (76" wide x 47" high or 83" X 47").


Any suggestions you may have about my setup is appreciated.


Thanks...Ron


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## David Giles

Hi Ron,


First I should mention that with the L300U's throw ratio, if you have it 12 ft from the screen, the SMALLEST image you can get is around 96" diagonal. So if you wanted an 88" screen, you'd need to move the projector closer to the screen.


As far as which screen material, at the size screen you're looking at, I'd go with our High Contrast Grey if it were MY theater. But it really depends on your personal preferences, so looking at the samples is a good idea. We got your sample request, so we'll send them right out.


When you get the 300, set it up to project the size image that you want, and tape the samples up on your wall and take a long hard look at them in different lighting conditions, and with various sources, and see which one appeals to you the most.


Let me know what you think when you've had time to look them over.


David Giles


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## ronone10

David,


Again, thanks for the fast response and answer. I have a follow-up question for you. First, I went to your Website to learn more about the three kinds of screens you offer. Unfortunately, I still need your help to understand why you recommend the High Contrast Gray over Classic Cinema White or Brilliant White. It appears the High Contrast Gray will bring out the dark colors but won't it reduce the whites. Is your recommendation based more on my room configuration and/or projector (Panasonic L300U)? I prefer a bright picture but also want to retain as much dark (black) as possible. Sounds like I may have to decide between one or the other.


Looking forward to test the samples.


Thanks...Ron


----------



## DLove23

David (hey, we have the same name! ),


Researching some more on screens. I've compared the Firehawk to your high contrast gray spec wise and the gain for the Firehawk is 1.4 I believe while your HCG is .8 gain. Now, that looks like a big difference spec wise but have you or anyone else here viewed the 2 screens in comparison? I really, really want to save the money by going with Carada but if the extra gain of the Firehawk really does provide the same image quality except brighter then I'll have to think this over carefully. My screen I want to last more than just one projector, say if technology continues to get cheaper and better at the same time like it has over the last year. I don't want to keep having to buy new screens. My projector will likely be the Sony HS20, but the door is still open for the AE500 and Z2 if the image is bright enough for a 100 inch screen. This is what makes the gain issue important to me right now.


David Lovekamp



P.S. BTW, you've been great on here answering questions from everyone including myself. I know you have incentive because of your business but you truly have gone above and beyond responding on here and, from looking at everyone else's posts, on email. I hope to be able to use your screen in my home theater, not just to save money but because you truly seem to care about your clients. If the Firehawk is indeed the better screen for me at the time though, I will definately keep you in mind when the need comes for upgrading. The better the projectors get, the less help they will need from the screens for blacks, gains, contrast, etc.


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## joels1010

hey ronone i have the pt-l300u myself...i sampled carada's screen material and found that i prefered the brilliant white over the high contrast gray...like you my room isnt completely light controlled and i needed something to give me some punch during daytime viewings....the brilliant white provided this to me...i found the gray to be a little to dark for what i was looking for....now if carada had a high contrast cinema vision like dalite it would be a no brainer....but i am going with the brilliant white.


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## jstorerj

ronone10 - when you get the samples make sure you spend a little time looking at them one at a time (vs. all three taped up there at once). it was mentioned earlier in this thread and i think it's worth repeating... it's tough to demo the grey next any screen with a postive gain (it looks dim). you gain (NPI) a better appreciation for the merits of the grey when it's viewed on it's own.


my .02


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## jstorerj

fyi... actual lumen output for the L300 in a HT application is somewhere between 392 - 610, depending on your settings. see the L300 review on projector central for more info.


----------



## David Giles

Ron,


My main reason for mentioning the High Contrast Grey is due to the black levels on the L300U. But notice I said "I'd go with our High Contrast Grey if it were MY theater" (emphasis on MY). As I mentioned earlier, it really does depend on the viewer's personal preferences.


As Joe mentioned above, he compared our HC Grey to our Brilliant White, and for his particular screen size, viewing room conditions, AND tastes, he chose the Brilliant White. There is no "right" or "wrong" choice.


So don't worry if you do end up preferring one of the white materials over the HC Grey. You wouldn't hurt my feelings 


David Giles


----------



## ronone10

David and others,


Good comments and points. I will let you know which sample fits my taste.


Thanks again for the responses....


David, you being on the forum is much appreciated. As another poster above has already commented, it helps me easily decide who I want to do business with... Ron


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## David Giles

Hi David,


To be precise, the FireHawk has a gain of 1.3, and yes I've compared it to our High Contrast Grey. The FireHawk is definitely going to give you brighter whites and colors within it's viewing cone. But as I'm sure you've read, the viewing cone on the FireHawk is somewhat narrow, and somewhere around 30-40 degrees off center the image from the FireHawk is about the same brightness as our HC Grey (and the FH becomes DARKER at more extreme viewing angles). So you'd have to decide if that would be a disadvantage or not with your particular seating arrangement.


The flip side to the lower gain of our HC Grey, is that it does show better black levels in a light controlled environment. But the FH is very good at rejecting ambient light and in higher ambient light levels, it's going to have the better blacks. So if that's a problem for you, the FH would be a good choice (if you don't mind paying for it).


I'll be glad to send you a piece of our High Contrast Grey, and if you can get your hands on a piece of FireHawk, you can decide for yourself if it's worth the extra $$$.


Just let me know,


David Giles


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## brunoflipper

just wanted to comment on the outstanding service i received with my recent order from carada... props to david... can't wait for it to get here!


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## joels1010

Just to let you know I am not to concerned with the deep blacks most people are concerned about as well...i think the pt-l300u puts out very nice blacks on a bedsheet....i currently have it projected on a white wall and it looks great to me and anyone who views it...once my new home is completed i will be ordering from david as he shows a great passion for his business and it seems his customer service is second to none..


----------



## ronone10

Joels1010,


Is that a queen or king size bedsheet??? 


My L300U should be here tomorrow and I am looking forward to seeing it on my basement wall.


Thanks...Ron


----------



## Alex88

David:



I am getting close to making a decision on the Benq 8700 even with out the luxury of seeing on in person.

I will be ordering one of your 96 x 54 screens also but not sure of material type. If you have seen a 8700 Projected on your screens, can you please give us you opinion of the different Materials & the 8700.

I will be projecting in a light controlled room.


Thanks Alex


----------



## David Giles

Hi Alex,


I haven't had the opportunity to see the BenQ yet either (hope to get my hands on one soon). But based on all the comments and opinions I've read about it's performance, I'd recommend you go with the 1.4 gain Brilliant White.


In Steve Smallcombe's review of the 8700 ( http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...or-8-2003.html ) he used a 102" diagonal 1.0 gain matte white screen, and raved about the "involving" and "bright sharp punchy image" he was getting. He measured an output of about 600 lumens from the projector (properly adjusted for home theater), which gave him approximately 19 footlamberts off his screen.


On a 110" screen, with our 1.4 gain Brilliant White, you'll get just a slightly brighter image (about 4 more footlamberts) than Steve was seeing on his smaller screen. Or if you don't feel you need that brightness, you could go with our Classic Cinema White and get about 16.5 fL


David Giles


----------



## Rupert

Received my 110" Carada screen yesterday. Custom-built and delivered in just a few days. Installed on the wall in 45 minutes. Nice fit and finish.


Had a white sheet on the wall and thought that looked ok. WOW....what a difference! The whites are white and the blacks are black!


Kudos to David and Carada! Great product....great service....great price.


Rupert


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## David Giles

Rupert,


Glad you're satisfied! Please tell all your friends and family (and strangers on the street if you feel the urge!) 


But my curiosity has gotten the better of me. We don't have a "Rupert" on file as a customer. What name did you order under?


David Giles


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## rojomo

David,


I'm ordering an IF SP7200 Today. I also just sent and email to your website looking for advice. I will need a screen somewhere between 100-106 inches. Like everyone else, I'm trying to determine material type.


The room is light controlled. What do you recommend?


If I decide I want to change materials, Is there a way I can order just the screen and replace it in the existing frame? What would that cost?


Thanks,


Bob


----------



## David Giles

Bob,


If you have any more questions that I didn't answer by e-mail, please let me know.


Thanks!


David Giles


----------



## Mark Randall

After a prompt email reply from David to a question, I've ordered a Carada screen today. I'll post a report on the screen here at AVSForums when it arrives.


--- Mark


----------



## jstorerj

I received my screen yesterday, but didn't have time to set it up. I'll post a report and photos either over the weekend or early next week.


jim


----------



## gkfisher

Carada Screen Buyers,


When you post your impressions, be sure to tell us what material, screen size, and PJ you're using them with.


That'll help us FUTURE Carada screen buyers out quite a bit.


Thanks!!


----------



## mpenton

I ordered and received my screen from David this past week. After a few emailed questions I purchased a 100" 4:3 screen in Cinema White last Saturday. It arrived Weds in perfect condition (I might live closer to them than some of you). The screen was packaged very carefully and arrived in perfect condition. The simple instructions were easy to follow and about 45 minutes after opening the package I was using the screen. I replaced a Parkland screen that I had built and now that I have I wish I'd just saved the time/effort/money and bought this screen to begin with. I cannot say enough good about my experience with Carada Screens and David. I'm posting a few pictures for those that want to see.


Cheers...


----------



## mpenton

Put together...


----------



## mpenton

Finished...


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## mpenton

Oh yeah, the projector is an X1 mounted on the back wall being driven with a HTPC. The attached picture is recorded OTA HD and the pictures have been color reduced and resized so I don't think they do justice to the final product but it does look good to me.


----------



## Kyle T

There have been several posts regarding the BenQ PE8700 and Carada screens. Here's my experience.


Several months ago, I began a project to turn my upstairs gameroom into a semi-dedicated theater room. After painting, blackout blinds, rugs, seating, pillows etc...I had to decide on equipment. I set a self imposed budget, and ended up purchasing a PE8700 and Carada screen, which fit nicely withing the budget. I also purchased a Kenwood 7070 THX Certified receiver & Bravo D1 DVD player hooked up by DVI cable. I continued to use my Klipsch speakers & subwoofer.


About the BenQ PE8700: It's heavy...well built. We hung it from a 10 foot ceiling using a Peerless mounting system. The mount is attached to the ceiling by 2 pieces of 1.5" wood that are secured into the ceiling studs. The wood is painted the same color as the ceiling and blends in beautifully. The PJ sits about 3 feet directly over the seats, so, for those sensitive to PJ noise, this could be a problem. The BenQ projector has a tendency to cycle between two speeds, as has been well documented. Fortunately for us, the noise is not distracting, as it simply sounds like white noise...A/C noise. We don't really notice it unless it is a quiet scene, and the PJ cycles from one speed to the other. However, we aren't very high maintenance with regard to noise...as we have 3 kids that have probably desensitized us somewhat to a perfectly quiet theater room.


The screen: As mentioned, we converted a game room into a semi-dedicated theater room. We have light control if necessary, but, we often leave the door open so we can hear what's going on with the kids in the room. This, of course, results in SOME ambient light. When we watch movies, however, we can shut the doors and achieve a very dark viewing environment. We purchased a 110-inch Brilliant White Carada screen for seating 12'6" away (16:9 aspect ratio). David also sent us two nice sized pieces of HC Grey & Cinema White screen materials...just in case. We took 3 or 4 days viewing the materials side by side (not individually as many like to do). Anyway, the BenQ doesn't seem to put out the full 1000 Lumens...I would guess somewhere in the 600-700 area is probably accurate...just by eyeballing. I don't know if the 2000:1 contrast ratio is legitimate, but, the BenQ PE8700 has NO problem with black images IMO. Only those that demand CRT type blacks would have a problem with the blacks that the PE8700 projects...and if that sounds like you, then, the Carada HC Grey screen would be a great choice. The BenQ combined with the HC Grey projected absolutely awesome blacks....deep, rich black images. However, if you're like me, it was at the expense of a "dim" picture, so, I didn't care much for it. Since I moved from a rear screen television to a FP system, I was used to a brighter, punchier image, and the HC Grey screen didn't work for me. IMO, I think most viewers moving from a rear-screen system to a FP system may have a problem with the grey screen...takes a little bit of getting used to. For us, the Cinema White and Brilliant White screen looked very comparable. Not a whole lot of difference in black images, but, a slightly brighter color output on the Brilliant White screen . Since ambient light was an issue for us...we ended up going with the Brilliant White. The image the BenQ projects on the Brilliant White is absolutely terrific....black images are very good (the BenQ does a VERY nice job in that area IMO) and wonderful colorful colors.


I appreciate those that will go out on a limb and provide a recommendation...so here's mine. If you demand a CRT type black, go for the HC Grey, but, be prepared for an adjustment period if you're moving from a regular TV to a FP TVB. The grey really does look different than the white (when side by side) If you have complete control of ambient light, then the Cinema Classic would be a good choice because it probably delivers a slightly better black image, but, I honestly couldn't tell much of a difference in my viewing environment. Therefore, if ambient light is ever a concern, I'd recommend the Brilliant White screen. With the PE8700, it produces very nice black images, and the accompanying colors are bright and punchy. A terrific combination IMO...I am thrilled with the results.


A short word on my Carada experience. I hired a local HT professional to assist me with the project. He also happens to be a Stewart dealer. When we hung the screen, he said he thought the quality of the frame and screen were comparable to his Stewart screens. He said that the Carada was a little easier to hang however. Also, Carada had the best customer service experience I've had in a long time...professional, prompt, and bent over backwards to make certain I had all the information I needed before purchasing...the 30-day refund provided for peace of mind.


Hope this was helpful to those looking at the BenQ PE8700 - Carada combination. Feel free to PM me with any questions. I'll give you frank, honest feedback based on my experiences and personal preferences.


Good luck.


----------



## David Giles

Thanks for the comments guys!


How about some snapshots Kyle?? 


David Giles


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## gkfisher

Kyle T,


Excellent Review!


----------



## jstorerj

Here is my .02:

*Background*

I'm a first time FP owner and have an Infocus X1 in a dedicated HT in my basement, ceiling mounted at ~15', projecting onto a sheet hung on the wall (until this past weekend). We're sitting on a sectional anywhere from 9-15' from the screen. My DVD player is a Panasonic XP50 connected to the X1 via component cables. Digital cable comes into the X1 via svideo. My audio is made up of a Marantz receiver and ACI speakers. Oh, and I'm a real person, not a member of the Carada sales team - check my posts.

*The Delivery of my screen*

I ordered a 110" 16x9 Classic Cinema screen. As I've mentioned before, Carada (David) is extremely responsive to email, courteous and provides a first rate customer service experience. I received the package in great shape and took the time to look everything over before beginning assembly. The frame members and screen were very well wrapped and protected during delivery by multiple layers of bubble wrap, foam sheets, etc. During my inspection I found nothing wrong with the contents of the package. I was very impressed with the finish on the frame. The fabric wrap is very well done.


Installing the wall brackets takes a little patience and a level. Find the studs and screw the top bracket to the wall. Measure down the proper distance and screw in the bottom bracket. This is the tricky part. Carada gives the distance from the top of the top bracket to the bottom of the bottom bracket. IMO, a measurement to the top of the bottom bracket would be easier, since that's the edge you're trying to level. This is a nit really, since you can simply do some math and find that distance. But anyhow...


Putting together the frame is a relatively straightforward process (unlike the toy horse I put together for my daughter on the same night - what a chore that was). The screws pull the corners together nicely and in the end you'd be hard pressed to find a seam. Install the top and bottom bracket with a couple of more screws. The screen snaps on the rear of the frame and is slightly undersized so it pulls tight and flat when all the snaps are done.


Carefully lift the screen and place on the upper wall bracket and then "snap" the screen onto the bottom bracket. It's done!


Elapsed time: 45 minutes*

* - It took me a bit longer to install the wall brackets because I had to build out around/inside a basement window to give the upper wall bracket a flat surface. The 45 minute estimate is conservative if you are installing on a flat wall. I'd be shocked if it took someone longer than an hour, provided you have a screw gun to put the wall backets up (I'd recommend hand tightening all the screws on the frame).

*Feedback*

I can't say enough good things about my Carada experience so far. Excellent customer service for a great product with very high WAF. Speaking of my wife, she thought I was a little crazy when I was stringing wires for FP last winter, but she a convert now. When she saw the screen up on the wall this weekend her response was "Wow - that's a lot nicer than I was expecting." I couldn't have said it better myself.


I haven't had a chance to properly calibrate the pj with the new screen, but set to 50 on all settings it looks very good. It really looks like I have a 110" tv hanging on my wall. David thinks his 1x2" frame looks better than the "boxy" 1.5x1.5" frames of his competitors - I think he's right. Everyone that's seen it has been impressed with the quality/finish of the frame. I thought the picture looked pretty good on the sheet - it's a whole lot better now. You may be able to DIY for less, but I didn't want to take the time, trial and error.


Feel free to PM me with questions or post requests for more info or pictures. I think the photos posted earlier by mpenton are similar to what I had taken during the install so I won't duplicate... and screen shots are so subjective.


Jim


----------



## ericlhyman

With the Sony HS20, a table mount, and a room with well-controlled ambient light, would it be better to 1) change the projector settings to output less light, but a greater contrast image on a high-gain screen or 2) set the projector to output more light, but a lower contrast image and use a grey screen?


----------



## David Giles

ericlhyman,


Well just for the sake of argument, let's say that in a "perfect" room (i.e. no reflections whatsoever), you could achieve the exact same black levels and brightness from method #1 as method #2.


Then in an "imperfect" room, method #2 would be more desirable. Even a room with well-controlled ambient light isn't usually perfect. You're still going to get a certain amount of reflected light back off the walls, ceiling, furniture, YOU, etc.


That reflected light would be absorbed by the low-gain grey screen, therefore helping to preserve your real-world black levels. The high-gain screen would do the opposite, and MAGNIFY the reflected light when it hits the screen.


On another note, most high-gain screens tend to have somewhat narrower viewing cones than low-gain grey screens (except for the FireHawk, which has a pretty narrow viewing cone).


Now all this doesn't mean that you can't have a totally enjoyable viewing experience with a high-gain screen. But theoretically, method #2 wins.


David Giles


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## VidPlus

Received my screen Monday, assembly was a snap. I have to say how impressed I am with the quality of your product and most important to me is the attention you give the customer. Thanks, Garry..


----------



## jstorerj

here's a long shot of the screen on my wall... still working on a solution for the components, center channel and wire management, but we're 95% of the way there! very comfortable way to watch a movie.


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## dogmanky

jim,


at 15', i'm guessing your X1 focus must be zoomed all the way out..??? according to the infocus calculator, you need more than 15' to project a 110" diagonal 16:9


just curious..


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## jstorerj

i may not be at exactly 15', but i'm pretty close to maxing out the zoom - i'm planning to move the mount back a little the next time i get a chance. consider it part of the fine tuning process. there's plenty of room back there and i have the cable...


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## dogmanky

Nice room btw.  You planned well to allow the PJ to be moved back some. 14.5" is as far as I can get from the opposing wall, so I was limited to 96" Diag. I'm guessing your seat is the one directly under the PJ.


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## jstorerj

thanks - there are a lot of things i could have done to make it more theater-like, but in the end the WAF was more important. right on re: the seating... unless my two year old gets there first!


i just got the Dolphins IMAX dvd in by inbox from Amazon... can't wait to get home and put it up on the big screen!


make sure to post some shots/reactions when your screen arrives.


jim


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## joels1010

looks great jim....i like the component stands....


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## dogmanky

Well, 2 days after placing my order, an 8 foot box shows up at my back door.  Box looks to be in good shape. Airborne Express usually does a good job. I have to wait a week before I can put it up in my new house, so I will probably leave the box taped up until then. Packing and boxing up to move is a mess and I don't want to misplace anything or loose any parts. 


I'll post next Sunday on how install went. It may be another week or so before I can get the projector set up and test it out. I'm moving over 3 weekends since it's only 100 miles away.


David G, thanks for the super fast delivery. I'm like a kid a week before Christmas. I can't wait to get it up on the wall. I'll take detailed pics of the process start to finish and post them after all is done.


stay tuned.. more to come...


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## CrewNYC

I just wanted to mention I took the plunge and ordered a 4:3 100" Classic Cinema White Carada screen that I will be using with a Sony VPL-CS5 LCD Projector. David was very helpful and made a recommendation on the fabric right away after I told him some of the specs of the projector.


I will try and post some pictures of the screen once it arrives and I have some time to assemble it.


Andrew


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## dweyant

I noticed on the Carada web site they now have an option to input a discount code. Does anyone know if they are running any specials? I am seriously thinking about ordering a screen, and a little bit of a discount would help a lot .


Thanks,


-Dan


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## joels1010

Dan, I pointed this out to David and he said not at this time.


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## dweyant

Well, it was worth a try...


I just hope they don't run a special right after I order a screen 


I guess I can't complain to much, there pricing still seems to be very competitive.


-Dan


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## David Giles

Quote:

I guess I can't complain to much, there pricing still seems to be very competitive.
Bingo! 


Dan, we don't have anything planned in the near term, so you're safe.


David Giles


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## Jscopus

David-


Did you ever consider a Carada powerbuy like Vutec and others have done? Will you be making a moderate output grey in the future for moderate output LCD's like the TW100? Will be using a DIY HCCV soon but may get tired of the unnecessarily marginal result I got on it.


Jeff


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## Mark Randall

On Friday I got my 104 inch 16:9 Carada screen with the 'brilliant white' surface option. The screen shipped the day after I ordered it and was very well packed. Prior to ordering I experienced prompt and very helpful email responses from David. After ordering, I received a prompt email confirmation of my order and another email when it shipped with the tracking info.


I mentioned above that the screen was well-packed. A nice touch is that it is also thoughtfully packaged so that it's easy to open without the struggling often associated with 'well-packed' items. The screen was very easy to assemble and only took a few minutes to complete even though I am all thumbs when it comes to mechanical things. The directions are clear but actually unnecessary because the design is streamlined and it's quite obvious how it goes together. It is surprisingly lightweight and was easy to attach to the wall.


The picture from my NEC LT260k looks great and I couldn't be more pleased. Overall, a great product and a great purchasing experience. Highly recommended.


--- Mark


P.S.

I expect that with their lower prices for a superior product along with excellent service, Carada will be forcing some long-overdue changes among its industry competition.


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## jrgriff

Quote:

_Originally posted by Mark Randall_
*I expect that with their lower prices for a superior product along with excellent service, Carada will be forcing some long-overdue changes among its industry competition.*
That is what competition is all about; Doing it better, and less expensive (not necessarily cheaper) than the other guys. Some people just don't have unlimited A/V budgets, and are looking for some value for their purchases. That really explains why the X1 are fairly hot. I saw an 11k Sharp FP on display at a local store this last w/e, boy was I under whelmed.


I've been very happy with my Carada screen. I'm currently finishing up with some sound panels, to go around my Carada screen. Plans to post some pixs with & without the panels, when I get back from my trip.


I've heard/read nothing but GOOD about Carada screens. The only bad has been AirBorne stumbling on delivering, which also happened to me as well. And some people wanting/requesting (myself included) lighter shades of gray/silver, but I have been perfectly happy with the 1.0 Classic White.


~Jim.


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## jeffinsalida

I finally took the plunge and ordered a 100" 4:3 screen. I was going to get a Vutec SS but with 4yr old twins the thought of a pencil stab on a $1500 screen was more than I could stand! I could buy three of these for that. If the screen is half as good as the customer service I'll be highly pleased. Should be here wed 11/12/03. Will be watching an NEC HT 1000 on brilliant white 12 ft proj distance seats at 10 1/2 ft and 14 ft. Heck I was tickled with just the white wall. (First Front Proj) Will post results on Fri.


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## David Giles

Oops sorry, I was just reminded that I missed a post a couple of days ago.

Quote:

David-


Did you ever consider a Carada powerbuy like Vutec and others have done? Will you be making a moderate output grey in the future for moderate output LCD's like the TW100? Will be using a DIY HCCV soon but may get tired of the unnecessarily marginal result I got on it.


Jeff

Hi Jeff,


Yes we've considered a powerbuy, and may offer one in the future (say next year sometime), but we don't plan on one before the end of this year.


As far as a moderate output grey surface material, we don't have anything in the works right now, but it's certainly on our longterm agenda.


Thanks for asking!


David Giles


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## jeffinsalida

YEE HA!!! got my screen. Just like all the other posts was packed well with no damage. Checked my watch 48 min from box to wall (with a 4yr old "helper") probably 30 without. I am no expert but the best testimony I can give is its beautiful. It not only passes the WAF but the much higher standard of MIL, Mother-in-law. " Now I see why this was worth all that money""Can you put one of these in my house?" I took my projector to both a Stewart and a Draper dealer before I bought and I didn't lose a thing. (Except spend much less money.) Based on the posts here I might have spent big $$$ on the Vutec SS and still might someday. This is the best deal going and I'm a convert. The big guys in the screen business better wake up because you don't have to spend those thousands to have great performance. My specifics are in an above post. There is a bad side to this.... My mother-in-law wants to come back tonight to watch movies and asked can you play my VCR tapes on this thing?


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## jstorerj

lol... just last night i passed the very tough MIL (and FIL) standard. Quote, "I really like the new screen. It looks very nice."


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## blinton

Just got my screen too. I am definitely impressed, and so is the girlfriend. She's actually amazed at how good it looks.


Dealing with David was great, and as the first customer in Canada, I was amazed at how quickly it made it up here. It was really well packed, and I got it in under a week from ordering it!


Screen looks great... now I'm just waiting for the projector to arrive... unfortunately Sony isn't anywhere near as fast as Carada.


----------



## Curatio

blinton,


I'm also from Canada, and am considering ordering from Carada. How much was shipping to Winnipeg? Also, did you have to pay duty and/or GST/PST?


Also, has anyone tried out the High Contrast Gray? It seems like everyone ordered either the Classic Cinema White or the Brilliant White. I'm planning to get the Sanyo Z2 and was hoping to pair it up with a gray screen, such as the Carada Gray or a DIY Misty Evening. Thanks.


----------



## Jeremiah

Quote:

_Originally posted by blinton_
*Screen looks great... now I'm just waiting for the projector to arrive... unfortunately Sony isn't anywhere near as fast as Carada.*
Are you going to use the HS20 with it? If so, what screen did you use and be sure and post the results once you get your projector as I may be going down the same road. 


-Jeremiah


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## blinton

Yes - I am planning to use it with the HS20... when it gets in.

I did order the HC Grey (1.78:1, 96") to match up with the HS20, in a completely light controlled environment. I'll post some results once I get the screen and everything setup.


Curatio: the screens are made in the states, so duty free (NAFTA finally works!). GST & PST are gonna hit though. I'd suggest dropping a note to David to find out what it'll cost to ship to Vancouver - I was amazed at how quickly he responded to my inquiries, and how helpful he was.


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## Milt99

David,

I've had my HS-20 for a little over a week.

I seen it on a 92" wide Hi-Power, a 92" wide FireHawk,

a 120" Hi-Power and an 82" wide image on my white primered wall(2-coats).


I prefer white to grey. If I was going with a "large" screen, I think

the higher gain screens would help but since I am going with a "modest" width,

your Cinema Classic yields 29 ft\\lm assuming the HS-20 puts out 800 lumens.

Is this too high?


Any idea of the approximate gain 2 coats of Benjamin Moore First Coat primer has?


I am very satisfied with the overall balance of the wall "screen".

When I change the projector to "dynamic" the image is fine for non-critical viewing

with the ceiling lights(4" halogen cans) turned up say 30%.


Also, if I decide that I need to exchange a non-custom screen, is it ok to ship

just the screen material and not the frame?

I'm not anticipating a problem just curious.


As others have noted, your entry into the screen market could not be more perfectly timed

or expertly executed.

Congratulations.

Doug


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## David Giles

Hi Doug,


When you say "Is this too high?", do you mean "is 29fL too bright"? Or are you asking if 800 is too high an assumption for the HS-20's lumen output?


I'm waiting anxiously for someone to give us a fully-calibrated measurement of the HS-20's output. I'm betting that 800 will be a little high. I've been guesstimating more like 700, but even that may be a little high.


In any case, I agree with you that at the size screen you're looking at, you certainly don't need high gain. And sorry I don't know what the gain is on the Benjamin Moore, but it's a pretty safe bet that it's very close to 1.


All of our screens are essentially "custom". Each frame is hand built, and the screens are hand-matched to their frame. But if you're willing to live without your screen material for a few days, you could certainly ship the fabric back to us and we could make you a new one to match it. But to save you any such trouble, we'd be glad to send you samples so you could make a solid decision up front. If you do want samples, just send me a PM or an e-mail, and we'll get them right out to you.

Quote:

your entry into the screen market could not be more perfectly timed

or expertly executed.
I'd like to think I'm a SUPA-GENIUS, but my wife keeps reminding me I'm not. 


David Giles


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## Threecard

TO all awaiting my pictures and overall thoughts on the carada screens...build quality, precision, looks, strength, and presentation, it will be a day or 2 yet..I'm having some very tough isp problems, and can't upload or send any attachments...I have all the pics ready to go though!! I can say that if you are on the fence about what this guy (dave giles) offers, jump off and run to him...it is an amazing product that, if his offerings of colors/gains, work for your HT needs, buy it....I've had MANY comments already on its quality! I'll save the rest for later Thanks Carada! tom


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## Milt99

Ordered my 96" diag, 16:9 Classic Cinema White 5 minutes ago.

Will be projecting with an HS-20.

I plan to ceiling mount the pj this weekend, homework allowing.

I'm hoping/theorizing that this will provide plenty of brightness

without sacrificing shadow detail.


----------



## blipszyc

Milt99

I see you went with the Classic White over the High Contrast Grey for your HS20. I plan on getting an HS20 as well and was wondering what your decision process was on screen type. I've seen others here with HS10/20 go with the HCG.


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## Milt99

I've seen my projector on a 120" & 92" wide Hi-Power and it looked great.

I think I mis-stated earlier when I said I'd also projected on FireHawk.

Plus I've been watching on my "custom" wall painted with Benjamin Moore

first-coat primer and I really like the look.

To me, the balance between shadow detail and color on a white screen

with the HS-20 is fine.

For my screen size and room a 1.0 gain should be plenty(I hope!)

I've seen pjs A/B'd between FireHawk and Hi-Power and to my eye,

if a pj has good enough CR the color fidelity and "punch" achieved with

a white screen outweighs the improvement of CR.

I too will be interested to read feedback from other HS-20 owners

who went with the HCG. I'm guessing it will look great as well.


Who knows I could be all wet. At least with the Carada screen,

you're not committing $1.5k to $2k on a hunch.


Doug.


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## BeBop

David,

I am considering your 120" scope screens for use with my PLV-60. I will use the zoom on the projector to use the full height of the screen for all aspect ratios. Currently I have a homemade canvas screen, painted white, with a 1.85 ratio and like the results, but I want more!! 


I noticed on your site that for ceiling mounts, which is how my screen is mounted, you reccomend the brilliant white material to prevent light bleed through. I had this issue on my canvas screen as well but an extra coat of paint fixed it. I like having no light bleed through, but I also like the white paint look, ie a gain of 1.0

So I guess my question is how much of a difference will I see with a 1.4 gain? Do you feel I would need the extra gain when I zoom in more to fill the scope screen? Is the black level loss signifigant? or should I just stay with the 1.0 gain classic white?


Also, Is there special mounting hardware for ceiling mounts?


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## Threecard

Carl..I have found a good way to ceiling mount this baby...works SWEET! and is adjustable...I am trying to get my frickin isp to fix my upload/file sending ability and they are working on it now...I will post as soon as possible...I have a good shot of the carada arriving and complete just waiting to be shown....*not happy with my isp* grr...3


----------



## epiney

I just received my 110" Brilliant White Screen from Carada today. I'm using a BenQ 8700 in a totally light controlled room. I tried 13 screen samples and decided to purchase a Carada. I will post my evaluations and reasons for choosing Carada when I get more time.


What I can say now, is that David deserves his reputation for outstanding customer service, great packing and an excellent quality product. The frame is very easy to assemble and fits together perfectly with no gaps in the joints. Above all, David was extremely responsive to e-mail and very accommodating.


I can see why he offers a 30 day money back guarantee. At the price he sells them for, he shouldn't get many back.


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## Sagz

I couldn't agree more... I also received my 110" screen today... the hardest thing about the assembly was unpacking it... they really take care to make sure you get it all in one piece and in good condition.


Thanks David! Great Product!


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## David Giles

Hi Carl,


You should probably look at samples first to see which material you prefer. But with that size screen, I think you'd appreciate the extra brightness you'd get with the Brilliant White. As far as how much of a difference you'll see, naturally that depends on the gain of the white paint you're currently using. But assuming it has a gain of 1.0, then you'd see a 40% increase in brightness with the Brilliant White. Whether you'd find the black level loss to be significant is really a matter of opinion, so again looking at samples yourself is the best way to know.


We don't include any hardware or instructions for hanging our screen from the ceiling, but it's very easy to do. Drill a couple of holes in the top frame member, install eyescrews in the frame (of appropriate load rating), install matching eyescrews in your ceiling, and there you go. You can either use guy wire, or adjustable turnbuckles between the eyescrews.


E-mail me or send me a PM with your address, and we'll be glad to send you the samples.


David Giles


----------



## BeBop

David,

OK, no subsitute for seeing things in your own room/system. I sent you a PM with the info, thanks.


Threecard,

I would love to see your setup!

Hope your ISP gets it act together soon.....


----------



## pinyowat

Hi David,


Which material do you suggest to use with a CRT? I'm considering a brilliant white one but want to hear your opinion first.


Thanks,

Naris


----------



## austin1

David,


man I'm itching to order. How can I get samples? I didn't see an order option for that on your site but maybe I missed the link.


Thanks for living out the dream that we all aspire for..i.e. making a living in the HT industry!!


Best of luck.


----------



## Threecard

Bebop..they will be here tomorrow to fix the fiber optics in the routing lines...they BEST fix it! I wish I had a dedicated HT...but mine does the trick...


Austin, email dave ---> [email protected] tell him who you are(address and such) and what samples you would like tom...all I can right now is I'm greatly impressed!


----------



## David Giles

Hi Naris,


In most cases, yes the Brilliant White would be your best choice. What size screen do you expect to use?


----------



## David Giles

Austin, like Tom said, just shoot me an e-mail and we'll get the samples to you.

Quote:

Thanks for living out the dream that we all aspire for..i.e. making a living in the HT industry!!
Yeah, it is pretty cool! 


It's easy to forget how much fun it is when you feel like you're working around the clock, and wondering if you'll ever be able to come up for air. Thanks for reminding me.


David Giles


----------



## pinyowat

David,


I have to go with a smaller screen, probably 70"x39", as it will be mounted above a mantel which is about 48" to the ceiling.


Naris


----------



## David Giles

Naris,


What can you tell me about the projector? Do you know how many lumens it cranks out?


David Giles


----------



## jasonDono

David,

I have a NEC LT260K. I have been projecting on a high power which I had for my X1, but have been experiencing what I guess is "Hotspotting", light reflected off of people's faces is way too brite and makes people look waxen. I pulled up the screen the other day and projected on the white wall and it was beautiful. Much more detail and sharpness. So I want to get a new screen. I do not have good light control, but the 260k is rated at 2400 lumens. I noticed that someone paired your Brilliant White with the 260K and was happy with it. If the 260k puts out half the rated lumens that would would put the ft/lamberts at 52 on a 1.4 gain screen, which seems a little bright. I am thinking of going with a 104" diagonal, wide screen. What would you recommend?


Thanks,

Jason


----------



## David Giles

Hi Jason,


Well, personally I would go with our High Contrast Grey. Based on your assumption of 1200 lumens, and a 104" screen, you'd still have 30 fL, which is PLENTY bright in my book.


BUT, since you've been using the High Power, you might find 30 fL to be too drastic a reduction from what you're used to. And since you don't have good control of ambient light, you'd probably prefer the added brightness of Classic Cinema White, which would give you about 37fL. For my tastes, 52 fL would be overkill.


By the way, do you have your projector ceiling mounted?


David Giles


----------



## DSP5000

Daivid


Firstly thanks for producing what seems a qaultiy product at reasonable prices. Im currently building my house and have set a side a 6m x 4.5m light controlled room for the theater. I would like your thoughts on what aspect screen to buy? Im thinking of going 2.35:1 and using a motorized curtain as masking keeping constant height. As far as i can tell most dvd's are in this format. I have my sound system but still havnt got a projector. Also what size 2.35:1 screen and any thoughts on what projector would be suitable for my room, screen and be able to keep a constant height through the different ratios? I also live in Australia and would like to know if you ship here?


Regards,

Robert


----------



## pinyowat

David,


I have a NEC 6PG extra (6200) which is about 1000 peak lumens (200 ansi lumens?). I really appreciate you trying to help me make a decision on which screen material to use.


Thanks,

Naris


----------



## David Giles

Sorry guys, I took a much-needed day off yesterday.


Naris,


I think your original choice of the Brilliant White will work very well for your setup.


Robert,


Unfortunately we aren't shipping to Australia at this time, but thanks for asking. I just saw your "Constant Height" thread over in the Under $3,500 forum, and it looks like you're getting great advice over there. Good luck on getting everything setup. You're going to LOVE it!


David Giles


----------



## Joe Przybylski

Hi everbody, (Hi Again, David!)


I have a PT-L300U setup with a Panamorph Lens on a 2.35:1 screen, sized 44x103. This is in a totally ligh-controlled dedicated Home Theater.


I really like deep-blacks.


currently I use a silver/white/glaze (Ddog) mixture that works well. But I'm wondering if going to Classic White or even Brilliant white will keep my black levels (since my room is totally light controlled) but give me a better, brighter more 3-dimensional picture?


I requested samples from Carada, but if the samples are anywhere near the size of FireHawk samples, they'll be pretty much uselss as a determining factor.


If there are any 300U owners who have purchased Carada and use it in a light-controlled room, can you tell me what you went with? And how you like it?


The race, for me - is between a FireHawk and one of the Carada screens. I can get the FireHawk (material only) for the same price as a Carada screen and attach it to the frame that I currently have.


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by Joe Przybylski_
*currently I use a silver/white/glaze (Ddog) mixture that works well. But I'm wondering if going to Classic White or even Brilliant white will keep my black levels (since my room is totally light controlled) but give me a better, brighter more 3-dimensional picture?*
I don't know what kind of gain your current screen is, but things are mostly the opposite of this. It is in non-perfect rooms and situations with ambient light where you can keep the black levels but raise the white levels. There are just certain physics involved and there is no magic. In a perfect room without reflections or ambient light you can't raise the white level without also raising the black level. And with no ambient light the reflections really only affect the ANSI CR (within scenes that contain different levels), not on/off CR.


The Firehawk is best at rejecting ambient light and taking care of these reflections. If you have no ambient light and your room is drapped with velvet I'm not sure you would notice an improvement. And with a short throw projector you are likely to see more hotspotting with that screen than some others (I don't know how your current screen does in this department).


In your case, you might be better off upgrading the projector.


BTW: I got some good samples of the Carada material over the weekend. I'm pretty impressed, but will have to do some more looking before posting much. Probably after Thanksgiving weekend.


--Darin


----------



## Joe Przybylski

Darin,


Thanks for the quick response.


I just bought this projector a few months ago, so I really don't want to (can't) buy a new projector. I'd prefer to upgrade my screen.


So are you saying I should stick with a gray screen (like the Carada High contrast Gray?) and that FireHawk would cause hotspotting!! (NO NO NO! I hate Hot spotting!).


I was really excited at the possibility of a hi-gain screen like the brilliant white, but if that will also raise my black levels, I'll either go the gray-screen or Cinema-white route...


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by Joe Przybylski_
*So are you saying I should stick with a gray screen (like the Carada High contrast Gray?) and that FireHawk would cause hotspotting!! (NO NO NO! I hate Hot spotting!).


I was really excited at the possibility of a hi-gain screen like the brilliant white, but if that will also raise my black levels, I'll either go the gray-screen or Cinema-white route...*
I don't tend to notice the hotspotting much, but it sounds like you would. I was doing some testing with the Firehawk and the Carada white materials last night and then the hotspotting on the Firehawk became pretty obvious. This was with my projector at about 2.0x the screen width. With the short throw of the AE300 it sounds like you would notice it (especially now that I pointed it out ).


That gray material is going to lower your overall brightness quite a bit since there is no free lunch for you here, so it is hard to say if you would be happy with that. I would suggest getting samples before you decide. Since I don't know how your current screen looks it is really hard to say what difference you would see from that to these. The best test is to get some and take a look. I don't get the impression that Carada scrimps on sample sizes.


--Darin


----------



## Joe Przybylski

Darin,


what's your thoughts on Da-Lite High contrast Cinema Vision compared to Carada's?


If these were your screen choices (in my scenario) what would be your top three??


FireHawk

High Contrast Cinema vision

Carada Brilliant-white

Carada Cinema-white

Carada High-Contrast gray


----------



## Red_Flyer

I recently purchased a Carada 136", in Classic Cinema white, 1.85:1. Here's my opinion.

David was a pleasure to work with, my e-mails were promptly answered, and he quickly sent out to me some screen samples to check out. I also appreciated that I was kept informed about the status of my order.


The screen was packaged well. On receipt the outside cardboard shipping box showed a few deep cuts, but the good packaging inside prevented damage to the contents. Assembly took less than two hours at a leisurely pace. I'm pleased with the frame and screen quality. Corners fit nice and snug, the tap holes aligned perfectly, the screen snapped in place nicely. The "Black Hole" frame fabric really enhances the frame/screen appearance and is functional.


I'm using the following equipment and conditions.

Table mounted PT L300U projector, Denon DVD 1600 progressive, Blue Jeans component 1694A cable 20'. Dark wallpaper, light color drop ceiling and rug.All viewing is DVDs.



Before purchasing the screen I was projecting a ~100" diag image on a painted wall and was very pleased. However, I wanted to move the projector to a wallpapered family room so I wanted to try a screen. I considered parkland but too small, then kicked around the idea about painting etc. Finally decided to look at some screens. I tried a HCCV, it was nice, but just appeared too dark with my setup and was returned. I still preferred my painted wall. Finally after trying the Carada samples, we decided on the screen above. The ~136" image on the Carada screen is very good, and noticeably better than the wall. Colors are deep and vivid, and black is great. BTW blacks with the Denon 1600 and quality component cables coupled with the PT L300U was good on the wall and amazing on the screen.


I recommend Carada screens, and would buy again.

I also suggest taking your time and experiment with different materials if you can.

Glenn (Red_Flyer)


----------



## Threecard

Check out my carada review with PICS here in the screen section-->

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=328885


----------



## nagyg

I am very happy with my Carada (see what I posted someplace else below). The question I have is: should I paint the wall behind the screen black? Or does that make no difference ...?

Thanks,

Gerhard




"I got mine last Friday and I am also very happy with Carada's product and sales service! I mounted the screen myself, without any help and I found it straightforward and easy. I sampled GrayHawk, FireHawk, SilverStar and Da-Lite High Power. The FireHawk would have worked as well - but the price was twice that of the Carada. My Home Theater setting: INFOCUS SP 5700 with BRAVO D1, 85" Carada Cinema White 1.0 screen, total light control but some light reflections from flat off-white walls."


----------



## flounder

Red_Flyer,


I too am running the PT L300U and am looking hard at the Carada screens. I was wondering if you had compared the Classic Cinema White with the Brilliant White before making your decision? I have a room with good light control but do plan on watching a good amount of HDTV (sports) and do not want to watch in near darkness. That is why I am leaning towards the Brilliant White but I sure don't want to feel like I have to wear sunglasses when watching a movie either or the picture being washed out.


My viewing distance is 12 feet and the screen I am looking at is a 92". The walls and ceiling are more of a dark tan color.



If anyone else has had any experience with the Brilliant White I would sure appreciate your comments as well.


Thanks,


Flounder


----------



## Red_Flyer

Flounder,

Image quality is very subjective, and seems to be dependent on a lot of variables like the PJ, the source material, the DVD player, connection quality, and the viewing environment including the screen. With these caveats in mind, this is what I found:


My choice came down to the classic cinema white (CCW) and the Brilliant white (BW). I also looked at the high contrast material which was too dark for me. When you compare the CCW and BW screen materials side by side the CCW is white with a little gray, the BW is closer to a white/white. As you might expect color really popped out with the BW, however the CCW was still very good. The difference for me came down to how the blacks appeared. Blacks seemed a little washed out (i.e. whiter) using BW, the CCW seemed just about right. This was the general opinion of my family and friends too.



My testing was done using the high lamp setting most of the time, and the equipment noted above. Test DVDs included Toy Story 2, Pearl Harbor, Moulin Rouge, and others. The kicker for me were the explosions in the Pearl Harbor attack scene with deep red orange centers and inky black smoke effects... Very cool.


----------



## jstorerj

flounder - i bought a 110" CCW screen and am very happy. based on my experience with the carada samples and my current screen, red_flyer hit the nail on the head IMO. however, I still asked David to send me a large remnant of the BW material so I can compare. I hope to do this over the long weekend.


----------



## Joe Przybylski

As a PT-L300U owner, i'm very curious to see the differences between the Cinema white screen and they gray screen I'm currently using.


I'm wondering how much my blacks are going to suffer (going from gray to white) -- which I'm hoping they won't -- I'd love the visual-punch of a white screen for colors and whites, with the depth of a really good level of black as well. Am I dreaming?


----------



## flounder

Thanks for the responses. I am waiting on the some samples and look forward to seeing what each will offer. It sounds like the CCW is a nice balance between the BW and Gray.


Jstorerj, please let us know what you think of the BW after you have a chance to look at the sample that Dave is sending you. I would be very interested in what you think.


Flounder


----------



## Milt99

Just mounted my Carada CCW and fired up the PJ.

Awesome.

Screen is 96" diag(84" wide), pj is an HS-20, and the

source is an XP-50 w/ BlueJeans component cables.

Quite a bit better than Benjamin Moore primer on drywall.

The Carada screens have got to be the best value in Home

Theater, period.

I'm not knocking Stewart, but they have to be looking over their

shoulder.

David, chalk up another satisfied customer.


Doug


----------



## jstorerj

flounder - i put the piece of BW up last night and spent some time looking at it with my the fam. preliminary thoughts... the brilliant white is slightly brighter than the CCW. blacks are still black, colors just pop a little more. this is not to say the CCW colors are dim, just that there is a subtle difference between the two. in the end, i think i'll stick with the CCW. my x1 is my first pj, but not my last. given my next pj will likely have higher lumen output, etc., i think the CCW is the best choice for me for the long haul. i'm very happy with the x1/CCW combo and don't think you can go wrong.


milt99 - with all due respect to David and his excellent product, the x1 is still the runaway best value in HT, imho. i agree that the established big boys should be looking over their shoulders.


jim


----------



## Threecard

Tha e blacks look fabulous on my CCW from David....as in my review, I highly highly recommend giving him a shot! Your wallet will be fater, and you can spend more on yourself for Christmas*smiles*  Do one thing if you are thinking about Carada...email HIM for samples...I was going to go gray without looking....but the CCW was heaven for my 7200. It all depends on what you like...sample, sample, sample. 3


----------



## jstorerj

bumper sticker on my x1...


"when i grow up i want to be a 7200"


;-)


----------



## jeffinsalida

I have had my Carada up for a couple of weeks now and just keep getting even more satisfied. (Plus have more money for Christmas shopping) Got busy a few days ago and painted behind the screen black--liked the looks so I did the whole wall. Wife didn't like that until we watched X Men 2 last night. The contrast is really good all you see up front is the picture. I'd recommend painting the screen wall black. Lots of black and dark scenes in the movie and I had no trouble with the black levels. HT1000 on 100" BW With a money back guarantee if you are on the fence get off and order you will be happy and have extra $$$


----------



## epiney

jeffinsalida


What color was your wall before painting it? Light or dark?


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by jeffinsalida_
*HT1000 on 100" BW*
As many people know, I've said some pretty favorable things about the Da-Lite High Power around here. However, with the HT1000 there is an offset that pretty much means it is almost impossible to get into the viewing cone with that combo, especially when using the HT1000 with an anamorphic lens. From what I've seen of various screens materials in the past and the 3 Carada materials that I got big samples of this week, I think that the Carada Bright White has to be one of the best materials to match up with the HT1000 for many setups (there is never one perfect screen for all setups).


--Darin


----------



## jeffinsalida

epiney- the wall was white as are the rest of the walls for another week until negotiations are settled for a darker color. Black is TOTALLY out of the question.(waf) I had 12 people last night and with kids on the floor and extra chairs in the aisles the viewing cone is at least 19 ft wide at 15 ft away and no one had a bad picture.


----------



## epiney

jeffinsalida


Thanks, walls and ceiling are already a very dark brownish red. I've wondered before if painting behind the screen would make any difference.


David...any thoughts?


----------



## David Giles

epiney,


Since your walls are already a very dark brownish red, you're not likely to notice a significant difference by painting the wall behind the screen black. My walls are also a very dark brown (without the red), and when the lights are out the walls appear black anyway.


David Giles


----------



## blinton

Well - I promised to post when the HS20 arrived...


My HS20 arrived yesterday, set it up, and watched a couple of movies against the 96" High Contrast Carada screen.


All I can say is "How did I ever live with a TV before this"?

The HS20 in low light mode and the iris on, there is plenty of light in my room for that screen. Note that I do have a completely light controlled room. Blacks look black, colors are great. Definitely an excellent combination!


Saw XMen2 and Bruce Allmighty - both looked wonderful. Girlfriend is amazed and thrilled by how it looks.


David: great screen. Thanks for all the help!


----------



## pabuwal

Just want to double check something. I understand the Carada Brilliant White has a gain of 1.4 and a viewing angle of 45 degrees.


Does this mean that sitting anywhere between 0-45 degrees, I will view a picture with a gain of 1.4?


Thanks.


----------



## krasmuzik

Gain angle is usually specified as the angle off center at which the gain will be 1/2 (or 0.7 for that screen). The reason this angle is chosen is that subjectively a half brightness dropoff is not as noticeable as something worse.


----------



## StewzDaMan

I tried to read through all 6 pages, but I may have missed this.


I don't see any mention of people get the 2.05 or the 2.35 screens, only 1.78 or 1.85.


Is there something wrong with this size? I seem to recall in a recent poll here that these were the sizes everyone "wished" for.


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by pabuwal_
*Just want to double check something. I understand the Carada Brilliant White has a gain of 1.4 and a viewing angle of 45 degrees.
*
Just wanted to verify that this is correct. I haven't been able to find a viewing angle on the Brilliant White compared to the Matte White (which I assume has a huge viewing angle). The Brilliant White looks brighter to me from every angle. This confused me a little bit, since you can't create light with these, but figured that maybe Matte White is really a material that absorbs more light than it has to. In other words, since 1.0 is really defined as some reference material I could see an average gain of something a little bit higher than 1.0 being possible.


So, can anybody confirm? Is the viewing angle on the BW 45 degrees?


BTW: The viewing angle on the Da-Lite High Power is hard to miss. It drops off fast about 15 degrees or so to one side.


Thanks,

Darin


----------



## flounder

darinp2,


According to Dave Giles from Carada, both the BW and CCW have a viewing angle of 45 degrees while the gray screen has a viewing angle of 40 degrees.


Flounder


----------



## pabuwal

So, just to double check, does this mean that the gain drops to .7 at 45 degrees?


Thanks.


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by flounder_
*According to Dave Giles from Carada, both the BW and CCW have a viewing angle of 45 degrees while the gray screen has a viewing angle of 40 degrees.*
Now I'm a little confused. Stewart lists their viewing angles here and lists 160 degrees for the 1.3 gain material and 140 degrees for their 1.5 gain material. Even twice 45 would only be 90 (if the 45 is the measurement for one side) and that is lower than even the Firehawk material, which has a much tighter viewing cone than the Carada materials, from my testing.


--Darin


----------



## krasmuzik

Read further on in the technical specs. Half-gain viewing angle on FireHawk is 28 degrees.


----------



## Mit07

Does anybody use a Carada screen with their Sanyo Z2? If so, please post screen material and your thoughts. I emailed Carada with my room specifics, but would like to hear from users.


I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed. If it has, please tell me what page to look at. Many thanks.


----------



## gimmin74

Hello David,


I am going to upgrade to a z2 (from z1) and need your opinion on what size to get. I have a 106" diagonal da-lite high power screen which a friend is going to buy. I want to go bigger though. Do you recommend me going to a 120" or is that to big for the projector.


Also, would you recommend the brilliant white or classic white screen. I have a totally light controlled room. How does the either one of these screens do in ambient light compared to the high power fabric?


Please advise......thanks.


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by krasmuzik_
*Read further on in the technical specs. Half-gain viewing angle on FireHawk is 28 degrees.*
Thanks. I thought those other numbers seemed too high.


I'm glad to hear that the Carada screens have a viewing cone like this, since I think that is a pretty good compromise. Too much viewing cone and you give up ambient light and reflections rejection and too little and you have the obvious issue with where to put the viewers (along with some hotspotting issues that especially apply to angular reflective screens).


I think one person who compared the High Power with the Carada Brilliant White (1.4) and grey (0.8 gain) materials at my house tonight will probably buy a screen with the Brilliant White.


--Darin


----------



## Mit07

blinton - did you consider or compare the Carada cinema white with the high contrast before making your screen decision?


I'm sure the black level is greatly improved for nighttime movie watching, but is there enough light and punch to the image during the day when watching sports? I also have a light controlled room, but like some lights on when watching sports.


----------



## dinode

Does Carada have any higher-gain material on the horizon? I'm looking for something around 2.0.


----------



## pabuwal

I also like lights on (from another room) when using my projector. I would like to understand how well the Carada BW sheds ambient light compared to the Da-Lite HP and Stewart Firehawk.


Thanks.


----------



## David Giles

pabuwal,


Brilliant White sheds ambient light about as well as High Power. But ambient light rejection is the FireHawk's biggest advantage over just about ANY other projection surface. As long as the light from the other room isn't coming from roughly the same direction as the projector, the FireHawk will shed the light quite a bit better than either the Brilliant White OR the High Power.


But if the ambient light happens to be coming from directly behind your viewing position, then the FireHawk will magnify that light just like it does the light from your projector.


If you'd like, we could send you a sample so that you could compare it against a sample of the High Power and FireHawk.


dinode,


We don't have any near-term plans for higher-gain materials. But thanks for asking!


gimmin74,


Where is your projector mounted? And why are you getting rid of the High Power? As mentioned above, our Brilliant White, and Classic Cinema White materials reject ambient light about as well as High Power. If you do go with a 120" screen, I'm pretty sure you're going to want the Brilliant White, especially since you're used to a 106" High Power screen. By going up in screen size, you're putting more demands on the screen to maintain brightness. Of course by stepping up to the Z2, you're going to get more lumens that way. But at this point I don't know how much more it puts out than the Z1. Has anybody seen a good calibrated, measured comparison of the two?


David Giles


----------



## gimmin74

Thanks for quick reply David,


The projector will be mounted about 2-3 feet above my head in the sitting position. The reason I'm selling my high power is that the viewing cone is too narrow for my tastes and I also want to go bigger.


I think I will go for the 110 or 118" brilliant white. Wish I could see the brightness level beforehand though.


If I watch 50/50 dvd's and hdtv what aspect do you recommend?


Thanks again.


----------



## David Giles

gimmin74,


With the projector only being 2-3 feet over your head, the High Power is going to be a little brighter than our Brilliant White (but ONLY within about 25-30 degrees off-axis).


The best way for you to see the brightness level, is to go ahead and get the Z2 and get it set up. Then project a 118" diagonal image and put up samples.


For ease of use, I'd just stick with the 1.78:1 ratio if I were you.


David Giles


----------



## Digitalhorde

OK David,


Here goes.


I have a Sanyo Z1, which is 700 lumens.


MY (unfinished) HT will have the first row of seating about 15 feet back, and the second row about 19 feet back.


I want a big screen to go with this baby, BUT, there's a dang bulkhead on the screenwall, which basically allows me to get a screen with a TOTAL (border too) vertical height of 55 inches or so.


What would you recommend?


----------



## BJM

David,


I was able to see all three of your fabrics over at darinp2's house last night. Thanks for sending the samples that you did. I was impressed with the brilliant white. I would put this on my list to strongly consider if I was able to buy just the fabric only. Your frames look to be of the highest quality and very cool but I can build my own just fine. Have you considered selling the fabric only at a competitive or comparable cost to the the Da-lite fabric only? My guess is that a lot of people here would be interested in this option.


Thanks,

Brent


----------



## David Giles

Digitalhorde,


Our 104" 1.78:1 frame has an OUTSIDE dimension of 55.1" height. If you need 55" exactly, we can easily build it custom for you.


Or can you possibly hang a screen from your ceiling IN FRONT of the bulkhead?



Brent,


I'm glad you guys got a chance to see the samples! Is there a thread where you each gave your opinions of the various projectors you viewed? If so, I'd like to read it, but I took a quick glance over in the Projector forums and didn't see one.


We have considered selling our screen material by itself, and we may do so in the future. But at this time, we've decided to just stick with selling the whole enchilada.


David Giles


----------



## BeBop

OK, just pulled the trigger on a 120", 2.35 Brilliant White screen! Picked the BW because it made an image that looked very close to my existing white canvas screen, which I like. In the daylight, the BW material is not as white as my screen, I guess this is due to the reflective property of the material.

Can't wait to get it!!


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*I'm glad you guys got a chance to see the samples! Is there a thread where you each gave your opinions of the various projectors you viewed? If so, I'd like to read it, but I took a quick glance over in the Projector forums and didn't see one.*
Part of the plan was to calibrate the projectors and really do some scientific testing, but things didn't turn out that way. We had some fun and saw some good stuff, but didn't even calibrate them. I was enjoying talking to some knowledgeable people and seeing some video material that one person had. One issue was that the image sizes were quite a bit different with the long throw lens on the HS20 and we decided not to get too technical.


We did find that the fixed-pattern-noise was about the same on the Z2 as the AE500 there. For some reason my AE500 wouldn't sync to a computer someone had, even though it syncs to my PC at 1280x720. So, we did most testing with the Z2. I think people were very impressed.


After most people left 3 of us compared the Bright White material to the High Power. The High Power is brighter right in the center as would be expected, but drops off pretty quickly outside its viewing cone. I have a pretty open area and a big chandelier that is probable 45 degrees from the screen or so. The High Power did do a better job of handling that ambient light, as would be expected with its small viewing cone. However, most people don't have lights at a big angle like that since my room is fairly wide when you count the living room and entry combined. With lights closer to the projector I would expect these screens to do about the same in that department. Other than the fact that I do have that chandelier on at times (like for the SuperBowl) and I like having a pull-down High Power in that room, I think the BW could be a better fit in there for some projectors. My 11k isn't super bright in the higher contrast mode, so I think the High Power is a good fit if I want to use the highest contrast mode at 116" wide. On a smaller screen in my theater room the BW might do better, but I'll have to do some more testing.


I think that one person is leaning toward getting a BW screen. I had put a 55" wide (or so) screen of the gray material together upstairs and people were using that. I think they liked it at that size. It sure didn't lack brightness with the projectors I saw on it.


The 70" wide screen that I ordered arrived today. We are going to compare my 11k (got that one today) and someone else's S3 in a couple of weeks and I'll setup the 70" wide screen with the BW material for that comparison. I also have a 96" wide Firehawk and 92" wide High Power for that testing.


--Darin


----------



## Ursa

David,

I'm interested in Threecard's mounting method as an alternative to a pulldown. I am looking at either a Z2 or an Optoma H30 (pending a positive reply from someone in Optoma's marketing department). Both are listed as 800 lumen, but I have mediocre light control. I have an 11.5' throw (plus or minus), and want something in the 72" - 78" wide range. Oh, yeah, I'm coming from a CRT (wife made me sell it), so blacks are a non-existent future hope (but still very desirable; I don't want to have to have Blade Runner go on the shelf for too long...).


Any recommendations?


Thanks!!


Bill


----------



## Threecard

Ursa...Thanks for the liking on my setup idea Works slick! I would look into getting some samples (which arrive pretty darn quick) and test it with some dvd's...check colors, black levels etc at a few times during the day...mainly your viewing times...I'll tell ya this, the screen is well built..you'll be impressed tom


----------



## David Giles

Darin,


Thanks for the recap of your mini-shootout. Wish I could have been there!


Ursa,


With a screen size in the 72" - 78" wide range, I'd recommend either the Classic Cinema White or the High Contrast Grey, depending on whether you favor better blacks or a brighter image. I would guess that since you're accustomed to the (usually) dimmer image of a CRT, AND the great black levels, you'd be quite happy with the High Contrast Grey.


David Giles


----------



## blinton

Mit07 - I did not consider any of the other screens - I was looking for the best possible movie watching, and my theatre is in the basement, with no windows, so during the day light isn't an issue at all.


I don't know what you'd consider acceptable, or how much ambient light you're talking about, so I think you'd have to test. I've got the Iris open and the lamp on low, so changing those also adds significant brightness.


----------



## emc

I am trying to decide between a DaLite HiPower 106" and a Carada (Matte or Brilliant White) 110" screen for my HT with a Sanyo Z2. The room is completely light controlled and has dark walls & ceiling. Viewing distance is 13'.


Experience and/or advice appreciated.


----------



## gimmin74

Hey emc,


I just sold my 106" Da-lite high power screen and the 110" Brilliant white is on its way. I also sold my z1 and am waiting for the z2 which is on backorder.


I can't give you a comparison seeing that I don't have the equipment yet but I can tell you some things about the high power. My viewing distance was about 10.5 feet.


1.) It comes packaged real well.


2.) Quality control on mine was not very good on mine as there were holes drilled all over the place in the back of the aluminum frame and the corners didn't match up very well leaving gaps that were visible. More asthetic but or their top of the line frame this shouldn't be the case.


3.) The screen sheds ambient light real well which was surprising. I could keep regular lights on and it was still viewable. Sunlight, halogen, or light close to the screen would kill it though.


4.) Picture is stunning with the z1 even at my close viewing distance. Plenty bright and had a lot of punch to movies. As a result there was lots of SDE but at my viewing distance it acceptable.


5.) Very narrow viewing cone, but part of this is due to my close viewing distance. You have to sit within 25 degrees from center to get the 2.8 gain.


Reason I sold it? Look at #2 and #5 above. I also wanted to go slightly bigger and the value of the carada's can't be beat. I won't know if I'll be happy with it until I get it set up but I'll let you know.


----------



## HT Gearhead

Gimmin, can you tell me how the black levels looked on the high power? Have you been able to compare the black levels on any other screens? I have a Z2 clone on order and I'm not sure whether to go with a high power or the HCMV. I need a manual pull-down screen, I wish Carada made a manual pull-downs.


----------



## gimmin74

Black levels on the high power weren't that good. Very grey. Shadow details in dark movies weren't that great either. I think most of this had to do with the 800:1 contrast ratio of the z1 though. The only thing I have to compare is my toshiba rear projection tv which are black as black can be.


I guess you would get slightly better black levels with the HCMV and the new z2 but you would lose some of the punch of the high power.


----------



## gimmin74

Oh yeah, for me I'm not really a black level junky though. I prefer something bright with a lot of pop to the picture. That is why I went with the brilliant white instead of the CCW.


----------



## BobSalita

David,


What do you recommend for my situation:


1. HS-20

2. 100" to 110" wide screen. Projector will be table top about 14' away.

3. Want to move projector and screen between various rooms. Thus perhaps I should be looking at some portable screen(?).

4. Great light control at night. During the day the room will be shaded but will still have ambient light from the sun.


Can I make one of your screens work? Perhaps I need to plan on two screens, ooh there goes the budget again.


----------



## Scott B

David,

Do you have any plans to offer masking systems for your screens, and if so, when do you anticipate them being ready?


----------



## David Giles

Bob,


Two screens sounds great to me! 


Seriously, you could move our Precision Series screen between rooms. But it is a fixed aluminum framed screen, so unless you disassemble it each time (which would get very old very fast) it might be difficult to get it around corners. Although I do know of at least one customer doing it, and he doesn't seem to have any problem with it.


With your ambient light situation during the day, and with the fairly large screen size you're contemplating, you'd probably prefer our 1.4 gain Brilliant White.




Scott,


We don't have any near-term plans for a masking system, but thanks for asking!


David Giles


----------



## Marco T

Does Carada sell the frame separately? It seems like a class job, but after seeing the high power material from da-lite, I am kind of set on it...


----------



## David Giles

Hi Marco,


No we don't sell our frames separately. If you're set on the High Power, Da-Lite's Da-Snap frame with their Pro-Trim is similar to our Precision Series frames. Jason or Daniel here on AVS can give you a price on them.


David Giles


----------



## Joe Przybylski

Hello all,


I'm a prospective Carada screen buyer (well, I'm definitely going to buy one) I'm just chiming in to let everyone know that the stories are true.


Carada customer service is fantastic. I've had two different sets of screen samples sent to me, and they were within 3-4 days of me requesting them.


The product samples look fantastic, and are an unheard of value (you'll realize the value if you've spent any time investigating other screen options. especially with a professional frame.)


I can't wait to order my screen, and hats off to Carada for tapping into an untouched HT market: affordable, high-quality screens...


----------



## afilipi

I am planning to mount a Carada screen using only the top wall bracket, and ignoring the bottom bracket. Will this be a problem if the screen simply hangs on one bracket but is not "attached" to the wall at its bottom edge? (I am not concerned about wind draft moving the screen, or things like that.)


Ales


----------



## David Giles

Hi Ales,


No it won't be a problem, especially for the size screen you ordered. The only issue is that it won't be quite as secure. It could be knocked off the wall a little more easily, but as long as you don't have rambunctious pets or children, I think you'll be okay.


David Giles


----------



## afilipi

Thanks!


I don't have rambunctious pets or kids (not yet!), so I should be fine.


Ales


----------



## jin kim

Would you need to use studs to mount a 110" Carada frame? Or can you use drywall screws? The wall I would want to put this on has metal studs rather than wood.


----------



## David Giles

No you don't have to hit studs. I suggest Drive-Style Hollow Wall Anchors.


David Giles


----------



## dgroff

David

I was wondering how much your screens would improve image sharpness(resolution) as compared to a painted wall. I am using a sanyo z2 projecting onto a bright white painted wall. The wall has been wet sanded and is pretty smooth. Screen size is 80" diag. in light controlled room.


Doug


----------



## David Giles

Hi Doug,


That depends strictly on how fine the surface is on your wall. So there's no way I could estimate how much of an improvement you'd see. If the surface is smooth enough (and flat enough), you might not see any significant improvement in resolution at all.


David Giles


----------



## Milt99

dgroff,

I projected for about 10 days on my smooth-wall finished drywall.

The Carada CW was a giant improvement.

I don't know what you mean by resolution as the source and projector

affect resolution but I could never go back to primered drywall even though

mine are very smooth.

For me, right now there nothing that can touch David's screens for the price.




pssst, David, did I get the words right?


----------



## David Giles

Quote:

pssst, David, did I get the words right?
Not bad, kemosabe. Of course the source and projector determine ACTUAL resolution. But the projection surface's texture can affect APPARENT resolution, if it's rough enough.

Quote:

there nothing that can touch David's screens for the price.
Won't argue with THAT though! 



David Giles


----------



## Jueling

Can anyone that owns a HC Grey Carada screen chime in on your personal expeirences with it? It seems the general consensus here is that the BW and Classic white is the choice for many of the people in here. I own a Infocus 5700 with a 92" Dalite HiPower pull down (I watch movies in a completely dark room with black walls) and find the black level to be very lacking. I did receive samples from David but yet I need some real life test of actual users. Thanks for any input.


--Ken


----------



## gkfisher

Hey, just wanted to add another positive review of a Carada screen! Got mine a few weeks ago (CW) and just now have had a chance to put it together and test it out on a few projectors.


Really a great screen and the black border material makes a huge improvement both in the look during a movie and when it's on display.


Service was great, came packaged very well, and setup was fairly easy. I am also very impressed with the viewing angle (much better than my Mits RPTV).


For all those trying to figure out what size screen to get and match with your projector... I really caution you about going TOO big . I really was tempted to go with a super large screen but ended up sticking to my gut feeling and going with a 110" (yeah, it's still big). At 110" I sit around 12 ft back (1.5x screen width) and that's probably as close as I would want to get.


BTW, the screen added a nice improvement to picture quality but the frame is what really gave the experience an authentic feel.


Thanks David!


----------



## krasmuzik

Jueling - did you ever pick the wrong combination. I hope it was from upgrading one and not the other rather than a dealer that suggested a HighPower with the 5700!


Make sure you do the ftL calculations for your combo. The 5700 is specced for 1000 Lumens and that is in high power film mode - unlike many other projectors. In a dark room you do not want excess ftL - stick to the standard 12ftL after derating to 400 lumens to account for an old lamp in low power mode.


A better solution for your setup than a new screen would be a ND2 or ND4 camera filter. You can find cheap filters for a tiny fraction of a Carada screen! This will give you a more film like image - yet retain the HighPower characteristic of minimizing secondary reflections (due to its narrow viewing angle). Which is still an issue even in a dark room - I have a FireHawk and found it improved things even though it is a higher gain (helps out the old lamps)


----------



## Threecard

I'll chime in again I am the one that wrote a dedicated thread on Davids screens...wonderful job, and getting more and more people in my area interested in buying them. Get ready David ...just hooked 2 friends on FP's...I am giving them my samples to test...along with the stewart so they can compare. I am also the one that takes mine up and down...I can tell ya this...its easy with the assembly I have...my wife, a 100 lbs soak and wet woman, can take it down and put it away by herself It is strong, but pretty light fyi. Check out my review here, as I have included pics and now added my assembly method which works very nice for my scenario. -->

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=328885


----------



## afilipi

To: Ken and all others who are wondering whether to get the cinema white or the high contrast grey


My screen is coming on Wednesday, and I ordered both the white and the grey material. (Not samples, the actual 70x50" screens.) I will test them with my ceiling mounted Mitsu XD300U hopefully on Wednesday evening and post my impressions.



Ales


PS: I assume it makes no sense to take digital pictures if I my camera cannot be switched to a fully manual mode. Is that right?


----------



## Jueling

Krasmuzik & Ales:


Thank you for your input and I will seriously consider the ND filter. Will a Hoya or Tiffen lens suffice? ( Sorry if I am steering this thread somewhere else )


Ken


----------



## krasmuzik

Do a search on ND2 in the >$3500 projector forum - some direct links to the Hoya filters are provided. I even combined a ND2 and ND4 for a smaller screen - you might try that or even a ND8.


----------



## PaulP

My first time posting but a long time lurker 


I just placed an order yesterday for a 110" High Contrast grey screen to go with my new Infocus 5700.


I'll add my two cents worth to let everyone know how fantastic Carada customer service has been.


I received two screen samples within 3-4 days of my request. The product samples look fantastic, and are a great value compared to to other options.


David answered all my questions promptly. (I would have gone larger David, as you suggested but couldn't get much more throw given the actual mounting position of the projector).


My hats off. I can't wait to get the screen and install it now.


----------



## Deckman37

My turn. I ordered and quickly received a 104" Brilliant White 1.78 screen after talking with David about my room, and what was important to me. It was packed impeccably and assembly took all of about 15 minutes. Everything fit together perfectly, and I do mean that. No gaps whatsoever on the frame corners. The frame is very strong. The screen material snapped into place easily as was a night tight fit. Very flat.


I have a Sharp 10k in a light controlled room. I don't have the HD cable box yet, so I've only sampled DVD through DVI. When I first turned it on it was beautiful. Almost like a religious experience. I've seen the same PJ with both the Firehawk and Grayhawk. To ME, the Carada looks better, I like the punchiness better, and I don't notice any problem with the blacks.


I originally made a screen using Parkland plastic material. There was a bbo-boo and the screen was wrecked after construction. I decided at that point to buy a screen. So I've seen both full size in my room. The Carada was much better all around IMHO.


----------



## patrickwebb

Anyone else have problems with Carada's website?


----------



## David Giles

Patrick,


Yesterday afternoon our webhosting company decided to work on their SQL server, which brought down our website (and I'm assuming all their other customers' sites). It was down for at least 5 or 6 hours, and was still down when I hit the sack last night, but thank goodness it's back up this morning. I apologize for the inconvenience. Just another reason that we're looking into other hosting options.


David Giles


----------



## Adam Turnage

Website is fine, but their screens are even better!


----------



## patrickwebb

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*Patrick,


Yesterday afternoon our webhosting company decided to work on their SQL server, which brought down our website (and I'm assuming all their other customers' sites). It was down for at least 5 or 6 hours, and was still down when I hit the sack last night, but thank goodness it's back up this morning. I apologize for the inconvenience. Just another reason that we're looking into other hosting options.


David Giles*
Thanks David, I will check it out later.


----------



## dogmanky

I finally got around to posting a few pics of my 96" 16:9 Carada. yesterday, I got a wild hare and decided to add 9" panels. See this thread for details.. (or click on my gallery link to just see pics).

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...46#post3103446


----------



## jpinks

What ratio screen is that Dogmanky???


----------



## isamu

They sound pretty good! Can't wait to get my projector in June!


----------



## DrDaveP

I just got my 118" brilliant white Carada screen up and it is everything and more that could have hoped for. Driving it with a sharp 10k, full light control. it has a nice velvet covered frame, strong and everything seems heavy-duty. I'm pleased!! I got great service and response from Dave-ordered it on 12/22 and got it on 12/29, well-packaged and install was less than 1 hour. Highly recomended.


----------



## dogmanky

Quote:

_Originally posted by jpinks_
*What ratio screen is that Dogmanky???*
1.78 to 1


----------



## jkirk

Others have posted requesting advice on 2.35:1 (cinemascope) vs 16:9 (1.78:1) but haven't seen a reply yet. I would also like to hear opinions about these aspect ratios. Also, if I do go with the 2.35:1 screen, does the 1.5 screen widths back recommendation still hold? I know, it all boils down to personal preference, but not having the opportunity to see the two then I have to count on others for a recommendation.


----------



## dogmanky

I chose 16:9 in anticipation of HDTV in the near future for me. I also plan on upgrading projectors in a couple years, however my screen will be in place for many years after the X1 is replaced. I still get black bars on most DVD's however masking panels made from velvet covered styrofoam boards would be rather simple to make if the bars are annoying.


 btw.. I really like the carada screen. It's a quality product.


----------



## Joe Przybylski

I currently have a DIY 2.35:1 screen -- and it's awesome. I'm in the process of buying a different screen, either a SilverHawk or Carada -- i'm still putting the pieces together. Waiting for quotes from Carada and AVS.


Ofcourse, having a 2.35:1 screen requires some additional tweaking, like using the zoom function to zoom back when you are watching 1.75:1 or 1.33:1 material, but it's worth the hassle.


If you get an itch, you can get an anamorphic (panamorph) lens for you projector, and you'll REALLY be the talk fo the town.


----------



## ATDahl

Another satisfied Carada owner.


Just set up my 92" Carada 16x9 HC Gray screen. It looks great and was simple to mount. I can't see the quality of competitor's being 2 to 3 times better to justify their higher prices.


I also echo the support from David. Examples:

- He was immediately responsive to emails, even on a Sunday

- My 92" was a custom size. To make my purchase easier, David added that size to their website so I could go through the normal shopping cart process to order

- Finally, the screen did arrive without the screws, (not a big deal to me since I wasn't ready to hang it yet anyway). But, David sent new screws priority mail (cost over $10 for 16 little screws) and I they were delivered in 2 business days.


I will try to get some screenshots posted within the week if there is interest.


Alan


----------



## Curatio

I would love to get a Carada screen, too, but I only wish they had a high gain screen material comparable to the Highpower


----------



## gkfisher

I purchased a 1.0 gain 110" carada screen for my Sharp 12K DLP about a month or so ago and would agree 100% with most of the posts here.


I am biased, but I do think that right now if you're looking for a 1.3 or 1.0 gain, Carada is your best bet. There screens are as high quality as the stewart screens I've samples, the customer sevice is fantastic, and the price is about 4 times cheaper than a similar priced stewart.


My advice to any first time screen buyer is to wait until you have your projector and then order screen samples to test what you like the most. Doing this really showed me how well the Carada samples held up under a wider viewing angle compared to some other screen surfaces.


This also gives you an idea of what size screen to get. Projecting on a wall first, allows you to see if you prefer 4x3, 16x9 or 2:35:1. Finally, don't make the mistake of going TOO big. 1.5x screen width is really the minimum viewing distance you'll want to buy for.


Good luck and I'm sure anybody thinking of a Carada screen will be impressed assuming they order the right size and gain for thier PJ.


----------



## MichaelZ

I've had my Carada screen for almost three months now (96" diag. w/brillant white) and now that I have my system fully tweaked with my old Marantz VP12S1 I've decided to keep the S1 a little longer since the image created from the combination of screen and PJ is very good. The Carada brillant white gives me the extra brightness I was looking for at no real cost to black level. So far, I am very pleased. I've had Da-lite and Stewart screens before (both are very good) but the Carada screen I have has performed better than I expected with my S1, I was thinking of upgrading but now I am going to wait a bit longer


----------



## warr

Any way to retro-fit a Carada screen onto my Stewart Horizontal Masking with Firehawk?


Thanks,


mark


----------



## PaulP

I now have my screen up and mounted (110" HC Grey), now that the room is painted.


The screen came well packaged and was very easy to assemble and mount. The quality of the materials and assembled product are first rate. I couldn't imagine spending 2-3x for another screen.


I had my projector up beforehand and used painters tape to mark the upper left corner of the projected image. After that it was simple to measure and mount the screen.


The picture quality is superb and my wife loves the large screen. My hats off to Carada!


Another satisfied customer.


I have attached a picture below, showing the screen as mounted.


Paul


----------



## PaulP

Here is a second picture. This one is from the Fellowship of the Rings. I used a tripod with my Canon S30 and have not edited (except for size) the picture.


Paul


***edited for spelling







***


----------



## Joe Przybylski

Yah! A Carada screenshot!!


Looks good! Whites look suprisingly bright for a gray screen!


PaulP, what kind of projector are you using?


----------



## Threecard

I posted this before, but not under this heading...See some screen setup shots/ piece by piece construction here (I did this just to show people how it arrived, and how well it was made. The carada pics are at the end.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...=carada+review


----------



## Xavier

I am another happy Carada customer.

Got the 110" Cinema white.

The frame was damaged in shipping and the replacement was sent out the next day.

The package is 10 feet long which is 2 feet longer than my frame.

I did not install the bottom bracket because I donâ€™t know how to remove the screen later on. Maybe it should be a magnet.

It will be nice to have screws on the top brackets so that slight adjustments can be made to compensate for slant wall bracket.


----------



## jpinks

I am kinda torn between the Classic Cinema and the High Contrast Grey, I am going to have my z2 hopefully next week and I tried both out on my old CRT and the Classic Cinema sure looked good with that. I guess until I actually see an smell my new PJ I am in limbo.


----------



## Threecard

I wouldn't pick one until you have the FP Pinks...wait man...


----------



## shirai

Hi David,


You take your business seriously and this and the testimonials of your product quality is what drew my attention to your screens.


I am very interested in purchasing a screen and pretty much need to do it right now; however, I sent you an email requesting samples 10 days ago (January 10) and have not yet received any sort of reply (even by email). This is making me a little cautious but I'd like to give you the opportunity to respond.


The email started like this:


Hi David,


I'm a home theater enthusiast that is following the thread in the AVS forum. Can you send me samples of your 1.0 gain and 0.8 gain screens? I currently have a PT-L200U but will be ordering the AE500U on Monday and am upgrading our theater soon after. Prior to this I had rear projection with a high diffusion screen replacement and ISF calibration. I'm trying to decide which screen I should get with my FP (it will probably be around 100" in size or great in a completely light controlled custom home theater room).


My address is:


etc. etc.


Sunny Hirai


----------



## SensiStar

I knew companies in the industry come to forums to sell their goods. LOL


----------



## Threecard

David may have been at CES...and I believe he is also a HVAC contractor...I bet your email slipped by him...email him again..he;ll get a hold of ya! ps..I'll email him the thread myself 3C


----------



## emillika

Quote:

_Originally posted by SensiStar_
*I knew companies in the industry come to forums to sell their goods. LOL*
And the point is..........


----------



## Threecard

Incoming..shirai... David is like SVS...tried to answer everything asap...but as we all know, some slip by..he'll be here tom


----------



## Threecard

yeah SEn..I'll tell ya what..If they hadn't, some of use wouldnt have a clue on whats out there, get first hand thoughts and expertise on screens from owners, reps, and what not...Dalites lead posts here also...good to have for all of us!


----------



## David Giles

Sorry for not responding immediately guys. I had to step out for a little bit this afternoon.


Sunny,


We did receive your e-mail on Saturday the 10th at 11:49 p.m. I sent a response e-mail on Monday morning the 12th, telling you that we would send you the samples, and I also talked about your offer for your website builder/hosting services. According to Outlook, the message did get sent, but that's about all I can tell you.


Also, we keep a log of all samples we send out, and it shows that we did mail the samples you requested on the 12th. Have you not received them yet? If not, please let me know and we'll re-send them overnight.


In any case, I apologize that my message didn't make it to your box. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to make it up to you!


P.S. Tom, the HVAC business is a thing of the past. Carada has been a full time endeavor since October. Wow, just thinking back right now that seems like ANCIENT history!


----------



## shirai

Hi David,


I just received your samples. It probably took a little longer since I'm up in Canada. Thank you very much for the samples and the prompt reply. I'm going to check them out today and probably put in an order today.


Can you resend the email to me? I may regret posting my email in a forum but please send it to:


sunny at citymax.com


thanks.


Sunny


----------



## David Giles

Glad to hear you got the samples. Uncle Sam sure took his time though!


David Giles


----------



## awtryau89

I wanted to jump in here and say I ordered my Carada screen today. I ordered the 16x9 96 inch Classic Cinema White. I emailed David and actually got to speak to him. I will post my thoughts when I receive it and put it through its paces but I wanted to say how much I enjoyed my discourse with David. He was more than helpful and bent over backward in helping with overall recommendations and in taking my order. Even followed up with a personal "thank you" email. I quickly found out why he is so helpful and such a great guy as people as we share a few things in common.  Anyway, if the screen is half as good as the service I will be overwhelmingly pleased. Thanks David.


----------



## threed123

Awtry--what projector?


----------



## awtryau89

Quote:

_Originally posted by threed123_
*Awtry--what projector?*
Either BenQ 8700 or Infocus 7200. Dave and I discussed this and made quite a few comparisons to screens I was very familiar with that I have seen both PJs on. We both felt safe with this screen and erred on the bright side instead of dim as my preference is for a bit punchier picture.


----------



## Threecard

7200 looks sweet on my 104 CCW carada


----------



## Adam Turnage

I am running my BenQ 8700 on a 104 CCW Carada as well and the results have been fantastic.


----------



## Floppo

Since my creditcard wasn't accepted when I tried to order a 80" 1.78 HCG last night (address doesn't match blahblahblah) it gives me time to ask you guys some questions while I get the creditcard thing sorted out.


For a Sharp M20Xa I planned on going with the above mentioned 80" grey. I'm using a DIY grey screen today and find it more than bright enough but it has lacking blacks


Anyone here tried any of the Carada screens with a M20X(a)?


Would I get detectable better blacks by going with a bigger screen?



Best regards,

Chris


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by Floppo_
*Anyone here tried any of the Carada screens with a M20X(a)?


Would I get detectable better blacks by going with a bigger screen?
*
I made a small (maybe 60" wide screen) with the Carada material and someone brought an M20x over. It was in presentation mode and he didn't have the remote, so maybe it is a little unfair, but it looked very bright. You would get better blacks with a larger screen, but with the M20x a filter can help your reds and contrast ratio and filters will lower your overall brightness. I think you might be best off leaving your screen size as you have it if that is a good size for you and then adding a Hoya FL-Day filter or something like that. I posted some settings for the M20x with one of those filters here . My guess is that one of those would lower your overall brightness 40% or so, but I don't remember the exact numbers.


You could also consider changing to one of the other materials with 1.0 or 1.4 gain and adding a neutral density filter for some material if you want to and taking it off when you want things really bright. Adorama sells some neutral density packs fairly cheap. A lot of this probably depends on your room setup. A gray screen would help with reflections somewhat, but the brighter screens would give you more flexibility. A lot of this is just personal taste.


Best of luck,

Darin


----------



## tashy4

I just received my screen this morning and set it up. The quality of this screen is amazing. When I had gone to some of the local retailers looking at screens I saw some at three times the price and did not have the quality of this product. I am using a 96" High Contrast Grey with the Panasonic AE500, and could not be happier. Thank you David for making a great product.


----------



## Xavier

What is the sound characteristic of Carada screen? The front of the room should be sound dead so does the screen absorb sound or reflect it?

If sound treatment was done behind the screen will it work?


----------



## David Giles

Xavier,


PVC surface materials are going to reflect some sound, especially in mid and higher frequencies. But I'm not an expert when it comes to high-end audio theory. Iâ€™d ask some of the gurus in the Audio Theory forum and see what their opinions are as to whether it would be worthwhile to install wall treatments behind the screen (but my guess is that it would not be).


David Giles


----------



## Interactive

Another happy customer!


I just received my Carada screen this weekend. What a killer deal! I bought the 110" bright white and I couldn't be happier. The quality of the product is first class, the customer service has been great, and the picture with my SP7200 looks great.


David (the owner) responded to every question in a timely manner and was extremely pleasant to work with.


I am a VERY picky (a.k.a. anal retentive) customer and this screen met my expectations and was far less costly than the competing brands. You can't ask for more than that.


If you're in the market for a new screen, you must consider Carada as a viable option.


----------



## manwe

I'll just add my "me too" to the list of happy customers.


I ordered my 100" Brilliant White last Saturday night, and it was in my hands on Wednesday morning.


David answered a ton of stupid newbie questions for me, and the customer service was just as advertised. It sounds so redundant to say it again after all of these posts, but it's such a rare thing to get really good customer service these days.


I'm as far from an expert as you can get, but I couldn't be happier with the quality of the product. It took me about 30 minutes to put it together and I'm thoroughly enjoying re-watching all my favorite movies now.


It feels really good to pull the trigger on a significant purchase and have absolutely no regrets.


Thanks again David!


----------



## OzarkLad

Hello David - Just finished sending you an email asking for a sample. Based on all of the great comments from people in this thread, your product sound like the perfect way to go! I will probably be placing an order before the month is over.


I am looking to replace a bed sheet that I use for a screen (a Martha Stewart white, bought at a closing KMart because of bankruptcy! -- I can be cheap sometimes!)


The room that I use for the theater is pretty well light controlled. The walls are dark and sunlight doesn't enter the room. The screen is mounted on the same wall as the door, so light coming in from the door doesn't reflect directly onto the screen.


The PJ is a Panny PT-L300U set at "saver-mode" or low-light. The picture projected is 55"x102" and the PJ is approximately 14 feet from the screen.


Can you make a recommendation on screen material? Also, does it matter what is behind the screen or the color of the wall? When I mount the screen I plan on putting acoustic tiles behind it to help with sound, and I want to make sure that either the screen is completely opaque, or that I need to plan on some sort of masking.


Thanks in advance,

Mike


----------



## David Giles

Mike,


With the 300U on a screen that large I suspect you'd prefer Brilliant White for it's brightness, but your eyes will have to be the final judge (the samples are on their way).


Like most unsupported PVC surface materials, ours are slightly translucent with Classic Cinema White being more translucent than the other two. If you have extreme contrasting colors behind the screen, it's possible that it could impact the image, but I would wait until you have the screen and test it before you go to the trouble of masking.


Thank you in advance for your order!


David Giles


----------



## pgodden

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*Like most unsupported PVC surface materials, ours are slightly translucent with Classic Cinema White being more translucent than the other two. If you have extreme contrasting colors behind the screen, it's possible that it could impact the image.

David Giles*
So what do you mean by extreme contrasting colors? the wall on which I am going to mount my screen is Platinum (Almost Black), in other words very dark is that going to impact the image on a Carada screen? What would you consider the "Ultimate color" for a wall to be painted behind one of your screens?


Paul


----------



## David Giles

As an extreme example, if half the area behind your screen was dark blue and the other half of the area behind your screen was bright yellow, THAT'S what I mean by contrasting colors.


Your almost black wall will be perfect.


David Giles


----------



## pgodden

Ah ok.. I get it, the high contrast statement. The question about the "wall behind color" lingers a bit though and here is why, presently I am using a white bed sheet as a temporary screen, at the top, (Left side of the screen on the wall), it appears brighter. This is where the sheet is doubled over to create a finished edge. Across the rest of the sheet it is noticeably darker, as the material is only one thickness and I think the near black wall is influencing the image somewhat.


With the Carada screens, does the color behind them influence the image at all? In other words if there is a white Wall behind will the image appear brighter and if the wall behind is black would it appear darker?


Thanks


Paul


----------



## acannon

It's been a while since I've posted on avsforum, but I thought I would chime in with another endorsement for Carada's products. I've now spent a few days with a 112" diagonal 2.35:1 High Contrast Grey Screen, and I'm quite impressed. Packing, instructions, fit and finish, and installation were all great. Looks wonderful with a Studio Experience 2HD/Panamorph combo.


Thanks David for an excellent buying experience.


----------



## Threecard

Acannon..I agree as my review states...don't you feel like you found a lost gem? the extra money I saved bought some more goodies lol...tom L


----------



## jefny

Interesting thread. I am close to buying an Infocus 5700 and the dealer recommended a grey screen. He mentioned the da-lite but when I mentioned Carrada he never heard of it. What is Carrada's equivalent of the da-lite high contrast da mat? Mt room is 21 by 15 with a planned 96 inch wide screen (16-9). Ambietn light will be fairly well controlled (the room has a dark green ceiling with dark green and off white walls with a dark green carpet) and we will seat about 13.5 to 15 feet back.


John


----------



## David Giles

Hi John,


Our High Contrast Grey is similar to Dalite's High Contrast DaMat, and has the same .8 gain. And it would be a good choice for the *bright* 5700.


David Giles


----------



## pgodden

David....

With the Carada screens, does the color behind them influence the image at all? In other words if there is a white Wall behind will the image appear brighter and if the wall behind is black would it appear darker?


Thanks


Paul


----------



## David Giles

Okay guys we did some testing just to be absolutely certain about the impact of rear wall color. We basically created an ANSI checkerboard with large pieces of Duvetyne and our Brilliant White surface material (about as much contrast as you can get) and hung it up directly behind a Classic Cinema White screen. We then used a 100 IRE field as well as several solid color fields to check for differences in the image. As long as the checkerboard isn't *touching* the rear surface of the screen, there is no visible change in brightness or coloration across the screen at all. If we moved the checkerboard into contact with the rear surface, it became faintly visible but it almost had to be pointed out for anyone to notice. The rear surface of our screens don't touch your wall when installed as long as your wall is reasonably flat (if it's seriously bowed, you can use spacers to hold the frame out to clear the protrusion).


So you can paint your rear wall whatever color you wish. Paul, I imagine that the reason you're seeing a difference where your sheet is folded over, is that the sheet is probably much more translucent that our surface materials (and it sounds like the double layers are touching?).


David Giles


----------



## Threecard

The color behind mine has no impact at all..granted it is whites and browns, but still, no impact...whether it be a bright scene or a dark...carada kicks


----------



## pgodden

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*Paul, I imagine that the reason you're seeing a difference where your sheet is folded over, is that the sheet is probably much more translucent that our surface materials (and it sounds like the double layers are touching?).


David Giles*
Thanks David... Makes me feel a whole lot better 



Paul


----------



## ATDahl

John (jefNY),


I have the SP5700 paired with a 92" grey Carada screen. I can't imagine a better combination. The 5700 is plenty bright enough at this screen size to have a grey screen. Also, 13.5-15 feet from the screen should be perfect for 96" diagonal. I see no screen door @ 12 feet and our 2nd row of seats at 16 feet sometimes looks even better based on the source material.


I can't imagine a screen costing 2 to 3 times as much could be any better...


Alan


----------



## jefny

Alan:


Thanks for the response. At the dealers demo he had set up an Infocus 4800 with a plain white screen and my only complaint of the image was that the dark scenes were too dark (very little detail) and he claimed that a grey screen will bring out these details while the Infocus 5700 would also be better at bringing out the dark scene details. Is this your experience with your combination of a 5700 and a grey screen?


Thanks.


John


----------



## Blue

jefny asks a great question -- I thought I read on another one of the super long screen type threads that grey screens, while boosting black levels, also lower the shadow detail within the dark scenes. As I recall, silverstar was being touted as the screen that boosted both.


I think I'd actually rather have good shadow detail over a jet black background. So, does the grey screen help with shadow detail or hurt it? If it hurts it, which is the best Carada screen to boost this aspect of performance. (If it matters, I'm looking at buying either a Z2 or an HS20).


----------



## Steve Sung

Hello,


I'm using a Carada HCG screen 110" (16x9) with a DLP projector that has manufacturer claimed 700 ANSI lumens and I was able to calibrate with DVE and see all different grey levels of the test patterns. I'm just an average (and hopefully, well informed) consumer and so I maybe wrong but to me, the effect of using a gray screen material is that it just shifts the entire spectrum to more "black" black side of the scale and does not hurt the shadow details.


Also, after I changed my screen to the HCG screen material, I'm constantly amazed by the deeper black and shadow details (that are CRT-like) whenever I see a movie. (Also, it's plenty bright for me and unlike higher gain screen materials, longer viewings do not hurt my eyes any more. YMMV though. I do not know since I didn't measure but I am guessing that I'm probably getting somewhere between 13 and 15 or so footlamberts by the way at night. My side and front walls are lined with good amount of black velour fabric material.)


I also have to mention that the product is absolutely great, precisely engineered, and furthermore, absolutely economical than many other competitions. On top of that, if you communicate with David, I'm sure everyone will know how good and a wonderful person he is; he's always just made sure that I am happy with their products and didn't hesitate to go extra miles. Thanks very much, David, for your help and services. I'm happy that I gave my business to Carada, Inc.


Steve Sung


----------



## cush57

After years of lurking, I will use my first post to thank everyone here for introducing me to Carada. Based on the glowing reviews here and helpful advice from David Giles, I purchased a 104" 1:78 Cinema white screen to mate up with a BenQ 8700.


As it has been stated throughout this thread, service, shipment, and product quality are outstanding.


Thanks David for a great product.


----------



## patrickwebb

I just placed my order for a 96" 1.78 High Contrast Grey for my new HT. I will be using a IF 5700 projector. I will post when it arrives. Thanks David.


----------



## Johnny Bax

I just exchanged emails with David Giles this morning, and he kept explaining things to me until it was clear that I understood what had been confusing me. He answered each email within 15 minutes. Talk about personalized customer service!


My Optoma H30 just arrived(yay!), so tonight I figure out what size screen and aspect ratio I need, and tomorrow I order my Carada screen.


Isn't it refreshing to discover a company that still cares about the customer?


----------



## Mit07

Patrick - be sure to post your thoughts on the new screen when it arrives. I also have an IF5700 and was torn between the Carada and the Da-lite and ended up with a 106" HCCV. My screen should arrive next week.


----------



## patrickwebb

Well, my screen arrived today and the box looks great! 


I hope to open it up tomorrow and inspect the contents. Unfortunately, my room isn't quite ready to put it up, but more fire under my butt to get it done!


----------



## Mit07

Interesting screen comparison here - Stewart, Da-lite and Carada...

http://www.audioholics.com/productre...Review_01.html


----------



## pgodden

Quote:

_Originally posted by patrickwebb_
*Well, my screen arrived today and the box looks great! 
*
I gotta admit, after I read that a second time Patrick, I split a gutt laughing!! 


Paul


----------



## new teq joe

that is strange " hot spotting on the cinema vision " tryg never mentioned hot spotting on this screen with his pj ? well just to show you how people have different veiws on screens  but the carada is the best bang for your buck screen out there today


----------



## David Giles

I was pretty pleased overall with the review, but I wish it had been more apples-to-apples with regard to the frames. Our Precision Series is more like Dalite's DaSnap and Stewart's Luxus (not the Deluxe). If the reviewer had been comparing our frame against those models, I think he would have preferred ours.


But hey, I don't blame Dalite and Stewart for sending their top-of-the-line beveled frames. We're just going to have to hurry up and come out with our high-end beveled frame! 


David Giles


----------



## new teq joe

david there is nothing wrong with your screens and to tell you the truth if i could not get a dalite screen down here in toronto for a good price i would of picked up a carada already but after taxes or dutys or what ever it would come out a little cheaper and that is to bad for my self . but have your samples and the brilliant white is or was my choice .


----------



## David Giles

Quote:

david there is nothing wrong with your screen
I agree!  We've gotten nothing but kudos, especially when compared to *similar* models by other manufacturers.

Quote:

but after taxes or dutys or what ever it would come out a little cheaper and that is to bad for my self
Fortunately, projection screens are duty-free to Canada, so the only thing you have to worry about would be GST, PST, the shipping charge, and a small broker fee.


David Giles


----------



## Johnny Bax

Well guys, my Carada Brilliant White screen arrived today, less than two days after I placed the order.


I'm about as unskilled with tools as they come, but even I was able to assemble the Carada screen, and mount it, within two hours(not counting the trip to the hardware store to get proper mounting anchors for my walls.) I'm sure someone who is handy could do it in much less time.


The Carada screen is a beauty even when just sitting there on the wall with the lights on, and no movie.


When I turned down the lights and threw in "Finding Nemo", the overall picture was stunning--much better than on my plain white wall that I started with last week. The colors are rich, vibrant and drop-dead gorgeous.


Chalk me up as yet another satisfied, loyal customer of David Giles and Carada. They have transformed my family room into a family theater!


----------



## Dave W

I recently received my Carada 96-inch (diagonal) 1.78:1 Brilliant White screen to match with my NEC HT1000 projector. As all others have said, David Giles support and responsiveness was excellent. The screen was ordered on Friday afternoon, and was delivered the following Monday.


Unfortunately, the screen had to sit for a week until I got a chance to put it up, but when the time came, I found the materials all arrived in perfect shape, and putting the screen together was very straightforward. Build quality is excellent, and the screen looks great on the wall.


I'm finding the Brilliant White screen to be an excellent match for the HT1000. The projector has plenty of contrast, and thus doesn't really need any help from the screen. I've also had Da-Lite high power and matte white screens to compare against. The Carada Brilliant White screen looks essentially similar to a matte white, except with maybe just a tad more pop. I'm a fan of matte white screens, so this is a good thing. I have a 30" 16x9 high-def CRT directly below the screen, and as we watched the Oscars in high-def with both the tube and projector on, the HT1000/Carada pair had nothing to apologize for in direct comparison. In fact, it was remarkable how similar the images were in color and contrast. The brightness of the CRT was higher of course, buy by less than I was expecting. As my wife and son and I watched the Oscars, all eyes were on the big screen, and the CRT was essentially ignored.


As far as screen gain is concerned, I walked from screen center way off to the side, and I could detect no real brightness drop, so whatever gain the screen has is very subtle. The main aspect of the Brilliant White I like is that it's a heavier material, and it seems quite durable. Since I have two young kids in the house, the likelihood of something getting accidentally (or purposely) thrown at the screen is definitely higher than zero, so it was important for me to get a surface that could take a little abuse, and was easily cleanable. The Brilliant White seems to meet both of those requirements, and the image quality is excellent.


I do wonder what the Silverstar is like, and I'd love to try one out, but they're just too expensive, and I'm concerned the extreme gain would amplify the rainbow effect of the HT1000. With a matte white or the Carada Brilliant White screen, I find the HT1000 rainbows to be a non-issue, and I'd like to keep it that way. However, my setup cannot tolerate more than some low ambient light before the image really starts to suffer. If viewing with high ambient light is required, a higher gain screen would definitely be necessary, at least with the HT1000.


Dave


----------



## Johnny Bax

Quote:

However, my setup cannot tolerate more than some low ambient light before the image really starts to suffer. If viewing with high ambient light is required, a higher gain screen would definitely be necessary, at least with the HT1000.
That's interesting, Dave. With the brilliant white Carada screen, I've discovered that I can turn on a lot more ambient light before the picture starts to suffer. But perhaps that's a function of the quality of the H30, too.


The best analogy I can give regarding the difference the Carada screen has made, is.....it's like the difference when you remove the lense cap after watching a movie with the cap on for half of it. Before I got the Carada, I thought the PQ of the H30 was really awesome. I had no idea how much better it was going to be with a good screen. Now I do.


----------



## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by Dave W_
*I do wonder what the Silverstar is like, and I'd love to try one out, but they're just too expensive, and I'm concerned the extreme gain would amplify the rainbow effect of the HT1000.*
It seems like the consensus is starting to build that the SilverStar with a DLP tends to show a fair amount of sheen. One person just reported on the >$3.5k forum that the sheen is worse on the SilverStar with their Sharp 12k (DLP) than with their JVC SX21 (D-ILA). I'm not sure if it is the mirror movement on a DLP that would bring it out more. Even with a different D-ILA the sheen on the SilverStar bothered me, but it doesn't sound like it has been a problem for CRT and most D-ILA owners.


When I took my 11k (Japanese version of 12k) to someone's house to compare to their G70 CRT we were doing the comparison on a 1.5 gain Stewart screen. One person reported that the sheen on that screen was more evident with the DLP than with the CRT and we had the peak brightness on each set close to the same (the CRT was a hair higher).


So, I would be more concerned about the SilverStar showing sheen with the HT1000. One nice thing about the Carada Bright White is that it doesn't have any of this kind of sheen to my eyes.


--Darin


----------



## WarrenHH

David Giles wrote;
Quote:

We're just going to have to hurry up and come out with our high-end beveled frame!
What a great idea, where have I heard this before ??


----------



## David Giles

I know, I know. 


Just for helping to light a fire under our butt, we may have to send you the first one as a "signed limited edition". Don't hold your breath though. It'll still be awhile. 


David Giles


----------



## WarrenHH

Sounds good to me Dave, just let me know which corner you will be signing, and I will be sure to mount a can light to illuminate it..


----------



## Threecard

Sounds like a plan to me...nothing wrong with my frame, but boy, a nice high end beveled frame may make it even more outstanding...let me know when it goes to press David Carada kicks! Tom


----------



## mandarax

David was gracious enough... and confident enough to offer to send two screens to the Canuck Shootout being held on April 17th... in Ontario Canada... There will be two Stewart screens, 4 DaLite screens.. probably 3 or 4 Goo screens... MM is coming up again this year with his solutions.. so it should be interesting to see all the reviews...


I read the one review here about the person with the High Power screen with the Cinema Contour frame... Just have to say as a dealer of DaLite I have never... and I mean never had a problem with any support issue related with a screen... If the customer was the least bit unhappy they have always come through...


The info on the Canuck Shootout 2 can be found in the > 3500 projectors forum ... a few spots still open... Will be getting attendees ...over 100.. to fill out feedback which will be summarized and you have the comfort of knowing that independently all of these people will be giving their feedback so statistically it will be less error prone... again takes some balls to jump in... and David did so with both feet... There will be many projector companies represented at the event as well.. first we do the screens ... then the projectors...


David .... it is great to see someone take on a challenge of building a company out of enthusiasm, I know how difficult it is... the mounts I designed and put out are also a labor of love... I will never make money on it ... but it is fun..


For the guys discussing aluminum extrusions... I couldnt get anyone to look at making up my design unless I committed to 100,000 lbs.. of it.. so it sits in one of my cad drawings... that is a huge commitment both in space and dollars... definition of committed as aforehand mentioned means paying for it all before it is made..


All the best Dave... and I was going to say good luck... but as you already know .... it has nothing to do with luck... just hard work ... grit... determination...and an excellent product...


Robert


----------



## David Giles

I appreciate the kind words Robert! It definitely takes a *huge* amount of hard work, enthusiasm, and determination. And a certain level of ignorance about hard it will *REALLY* be never hurts . But I've always loved a challenge so it suits me.


And as you well know, having an excellent product does take some of the pressure off. 


I'll wait another three weeks or so before shipping those screens to you just so they won't get in the way. Thanks again for inviting Carada to the party!


David Giles


----------



## jrgriff

You go get 'em Carada.


For sure they will win the "Bang for the Buck" category.


----------



## mandarax

David


Carada comes to Canada.. hmmm ..


David if you have some literature on the screen it would also be appreciated so I can intelligently answer any questions that will pop up..


Look forward to seeing your products..


Robert


----------



## [email protected]

Just got my 92" Carada Brilliant White 1.78 screen. The fun part was telling my co-workers that the box is just a little bit wider then my new TV screen  The screen is Very Nice all the way around. Assembly was quick and painless but I'm still trying to figure out how my black cat was able to shed so many white hairs in the short time it took me to to assemble the frame.


I feel a movie marathon weekend coming on, the odd urge to buy a popcorn machine and some velvet ropes for the living room.


Russ


----------



## David Giles

Hey Robert,


We don't maintain printed literature on our screens (one of the advantages of being internet-based) but I'll be glad to send you an e-mail with details so you can get all intelligent. 


Thanks for the comments Jim and Russ!


David Giles


----------



## UZUBAIRU

I e-mailed David last year inquiring about shipping to Europe (United Kingdom) and at the time he replied that he didn't ship outside USA/Canada.


Earlier on this year I found out via this forum that he was shipping to Europe and placed an order at end of February.


Received my Carada 74 inch diag 1 Classic Cinema White screen on Friday.

The box was crumpled slightly at one end and I was worried that the contents might have been damaged in transit.

There was no need to worry. The frame and fabric were packaged very securely with copious amounts of bubble wrap.


We put it up at the weekend. It was very easy. It took about 40 minutes to remove packaging and construct. The workmanship of the frame is first rate.

It looks good even without a image projected on it (HT is in the lounge).


With an image projected on it we were mightily impressed.

I'm the HT enthusiast in our house but my hubby hasn't stopped commenting on the improvements over our previous purchases.


This is the 3rd fixed frame I've bought since purchasing a Sanyo Z2 in Dec 2003. The other 2 were from different manufacturers and were sent back (reasons include build quality and reflections onto the frame).


I am definitely keeping the Carada. 3rd time lucky I guess.


I would also like to add that the service from David Giles has been excellent throughout.

I e-mailed him last week with a query that needed an immediate response. David replied 5 minutes later which resulted in my screen being delivered last week instead of next Friday.


He makes a great product at a competitive price coupled with outstanding customer service.

What more could you ask for?


Umu


----------



## OzzieP

any acoustically transparent screens?


----------



## Threecard

OS, not as of now Dave doesn't...Sweet screen though...feel free to jump on the bandwagon...I'm on and lovin it...pockets fatter too! Tom


----------



## tbhavsar

All,


I am in the same boat. My projector PT-L500U arrived last week; currently projecting on a white bed-sheet that is hanging in front of Sony 51" RPTV; my room size is 16 (wide)x22(long).


I went to local dealer in NJ yesterday, he recommended to use 1.3 gain material for low lumen LCD projector. Said Da-lite 106" Cinema Vision should be good in my case.


What you guys think about screen size for my room size and screen material?

FYI: I will be ceiling mounting PJ and screen. Just came across this thread and never heard of Carada before;


----------



## David Giles

Hi Tushar,


The size of the screen should be based on your seating distance from the screen (not necessarily the size of the room). As long as your seating distance is over 12' from the screen, the 106" diagonal will look good.


The Cinema Vision would be a good choice, as would our Brilliant White which is also a white material with a similar gain (1.4). If you have good light control, Classic Cinema White would work well too.


But I saw in another thread that you're looking for a retractable screen, and we only sell fixed frame wall mount screens. Thanks for checking us out though!


David Giles


----------



## tbhavsar

David,


Thanks for your reply; I heared good things about you for your customer Service;


Yes I am looking for pull-down screen since I want to use my Sony RPTV behind my screen for TV prograame & kids shows;


My seating distance is about 17-18 foot;


----------



## David Giles

Tushar,


At that seating distance, many HT enthusiasts would want a larger screen than 106" diagonal for a truly "immersive" experience. Of course everybody has their own opinions about the proper size of a screen in relation to a given seating distance. But considering the resolution of the projector and recommended viewing angles, you could easily go up to 126" or even 134" diagonal.


But then brightness and contrast become an issue, so if don't have VERY good light control then you should probably stick with the smaller sizes.


Good luck with your home theater!


David Giles


----------



## patrickwebb

Read through most of this thread before, but was wondering if someone has some good detailed pictures of how they mounted their screens. Trying to get ideas on the best way to do in my new HT.


Thanks,

PW


----------



## David Giles

Hi Patrick,


Sounds like you haven't opened your box yet? There are detailed drawings in the assembly/installation instructions included with the hardware packet. Look through them when you get a chance, and let me know if you have any questions about the best way to handle it in your installation.


And hurry up dude! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about our product. 


David Giles


----------



## patrickwebb

David,


Thanks, I got your email. I did open the box, but put in in my crawl space soon after.


PW


----------



## David Giles

For more opinions, check out some comments from the "Canuck Shootout":

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...94#post3682494 


David Giles


----------



## nathan_h

How far out from the wall (if at all) does one of the Carada screens sit? That is, the way my set up works right now, there's actually about 2 inches of space between the wall and the screen. I realized in measuring today that the 2.35:1 screen that is 85 inches (including frame) will fit nicely where I want it BUT it will cover a light switch. I don't use the switch and it's covered right now -- but I'm thinking that if I understand how these screens work in their frame, it will be less than an inch from the wall. (May have to set the whole shebang out via blocks or something.)


----------



## David Giles

Hi Nathan,


The rear of our frame sits approx. 1/2" from the wall (of course if the wall isn't perfectly flat, the distance between the wall and frame will vary somewhat).


Most light switches protrude from the wall about 3/4", so as you mentioned, you would need to use blocks to space the frame out further from the wall. But in case you haven't thought about it, another option would be to have someone who's qualified to do electrical work to simply remove the switch (since you don't use it), and replace with a blank faceplate which would only protrude about 1/4". Then you wouldn't need to use blocks to mount the screen.


David Giles


----------



## nathan_h

Yeah, I bet I could handle the job myself (replacing the switch, though it needs to be in the "on" position because it does impact whether I can use overhead fan) BUT I rent rather than own, so I hesitate to do too much. Have to take a look at the hardware store and see which way looks easier (replacing it with something smaller OR building out the wall a bit). Anyway, since the rest of this discussion is not germane to Carada per se, I'll move this discussion. Thanks for the specs, which helps me plan.


----------



## dogmanky

Be sure and turn the breaker off b4 you get the screwdriver out.  I've been "sat down" before by grabbing hot wires and It's not much fun.


----------



## nathan_h

!!!! yeah, thanks. i'm so paranoid that i end up checking the breaker three or four times !!!!


----------



## russ_h

Quote:

_Originally posted by nathan_h_
*Yeah, I bet I could handle the job myself (replacing the switch, though it needs to be in the "on" position because it does impact whether I can use overhead fan) BUT I rent rather than own, so I hesitate to do too much. Have to take a look at the hardware store and see which way looks easier (replacing it with something smaller OR building out the wall a bit). Anyway, since the rest of this discussion is not germane to Carada per se, I'll move this discussion. Thanks for the specs, which helps me plan.*


Try swapping it with one of those flat designer rocker style switches, they don't protrude much more than a blank faceplate.


Russ


----------



## David Giles

AH!! Good one Russ! I didn't think about that.


Also Nathan, if you do decide to use spacers to move the frame away from the wall, you can just get an 8 foot 1"x2" and cut it in half. Use one piece at the top for the top wall bracket, and one at the bottom and you're all set.


David Giles


----------



## jstorerj

I actually had use spacers to move my screen off the wall (there was a basement window and frame in the obvious spot for my screen). it added some time and mental gymnastics to the install, but in the end it looks great. i used 4' sections of 1x4's.


----------



## nathan_h

Thanks for the tips. I think the "designer" style switch is the way I will go. Hadn't thought about that, either.


Got to decide what I want to do with the wall color itself. I rent and I'm not supposed to paint and though I wouldn't care ordinarily (happy to cover the cost or repaint it myself when moving out) since I actually know I'll be moving out this year, probably this summer, I'd rather not go there. Right now it's not an issue because the pull down screen I am using is a big square affair with a white 2.35:1 section about 2/3 of the way down -- and the rest is matt black, essentially giving me a black wall where otherwise it would be white. With the new screen, I'll lose those big black patches below and, especially, above the image area. But this is off topic. So I'll hunt around the home theater construction topics for ideas -- hopefully something that can move with me like hanging felt or curtains or something.


Back on topic, the more I read the above thread (and I'll not lie, I'm only 3/4 of the way through it) the more I am amazed that so few people seem to be using the gray screen. I've got a matt white screen (albeit not a Carada) right now and with my Z2 in low lamp and closed iris mode I still find the image VERY BRIGHT on an 78" wide 2.35:1 screen, and the blacks still not black enough.


----------



## Paul Hives

Do they sell the screen material by itself. I can't find any info to that effect on the website. No answer to my e-mails and no phone number to ask.


----------



## jstorerj

I suspect David will see your post and respond pretty quickly. I'm surprised he didn't respond to your email - usually he has 24 hour turnaround on email, often sooner.


----------



## David Giles

Hi Paul,


I apologize if I missed your e-mail! I briefly scanned my inbox and didn't see anything, but I very well could have missed it. We changed hosting companies recently and it has made it much more challenging to keep track of customer e-mails and which ones have been responded to (hopefully to be corrected soon). What address did you send the e-mail to?


Anyway, no we don't sell our surface materials separately, only as part of a complete screen with frame. But thanks for asking!


David Giles


----------



## Paul Hives

Too bad...thanks anyway...have you considered it.


----------



## David Giles

Yes, we've thought about it, and we might go that route sometime, but we don't plan to in the immediate future.


David Giles


----------



## dozens

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*

The rear of our frame sits approx. 1/2" from the wall (of course if the wall isn't perfectly flat, the distance between the wall and frame will vary somewhat).


David Giles*
David - If a wall isn't perfectly flat is there a way to compensate with the screen mount ? My sheet rock was installed vertically and I think not enough sanding was done near the bottom half of the sheet so I have an unnoticeable bump. It is only noticeable when I projected an image with a straight line.


----------



## David Giles

Hi dozens,


The mounting brackets allow for a small amount of "imperfection" in the wall, so it would just depend on how significant the bump is. You could use shims under the wall brackets if necessary to compensate for the bump.


David Giles


----------



## nathan_h

Got my samples yesterday and I have to say that I am impressed with the gray screen material. (The others weren't giving me much that I wasn't already getting from my Da-Lite screen -- though they would have been a much more economical way to go if I hadn't been so set on a pull-down screen.)


Blacks are GREAT, bright scenes were still very good. (This is with a Sanyo Z2.) The only weird thing was the often-noted fact that white projected on a gray screen looks odd when sitting next to white projected on a matt white screen. Made me a little nervous but I have faith (I think!) that a whole screen of gray would probably not feel weird, even in that regard.


I decided to increase my confidence in this by convincing myself that all gray screens will share this characteristic. So I have asked Stewart for samples of their gray screens and Da-Lite for samples of the following:


High Contrast Matte White

High Contrast Da-Mat

High Contrast Cinema Vision


I can understand that a "positive gain" gray screen may look different to me, in terms of the brightness of the image. But since that's not concerning me, that's not really what I'm after. I cannot imaging that a positive gain gray screen would mean the whites aren't light gray.


In messing around with the lamp mode and the iris mode, I found that opening the iris up (but not turning the lamp up) appeared to be the right approach for my room. The gray screen definitely seems to do a better job of getting punchy blacks while preserving bright spaces than a Neutral Density filter does. Note sure why, but the gray seems to do more than simply reduce the gain. (I guess it also helps with ambient light rejection, but that wouldn't see to explain all of its superiority over a filter, would it?)


----------



## jcolegrove

well, i've done the same thing with asking for samples, but have gone one further and ordered larger samples of HCCV, carada gray, HCMW, CV, carada bright and cinema. will put up and compare to white wall and try to post pics. this limited selection should give good example of some of the moderately priced materials we all seem to be considering...


JC


----------



## nathan_h

We'll all be very interested to hear about your findings -- including info about what projector, what size image, and what the room is like.


I've been reading an interesting thread on the concepts of gray ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=209040 ) to better calibrate my expectations.


----------



## dozens

Quote:

_Originally posted by jcolegrove_
*well, i've done the same thing with asking for samples, but have gone one further and ordered larger samples of HCCV, carada gray, HCMW, CV, carada bright and cinema. will put up and compare to white wall and try to post pics. this limited selection should give good example of some of the moderately priced materials we all seem to be considering...


JC*
I didn't know it was possible to get larger samples. I got the three carada samples (8.5x11) and tape the up on my 110" painted wall and couldn't tell if there was an improvement because they were soo small.


----------



## ACDCCAM

I have just purchased a Carada C136P 2.35/1 fixed screen and the service and quality of their product is second to none IMO. I am in the UK yet my screen took just a few days to arrive, was expertly packaged and arrived in perfect condition. I have had other manufacturers fixed screens in the past but this was the easiest to assemble even though it is by far the biggest screen I have ever had at 10ft wide. The before and after sales service was simply the best I have ever encountered when buying anything from the Internet.

I am using a Sanyo PLV-70 with Prismasonic H500 with the screen which has Carada's High Contrast Grey material (0.8 gain). I have only just hung the screen and and adjusted the lens so I still have some tweaking to do over the bank holiday weekend but the initial improvement over my previous 16/9 104 diag 1.3 gain setup is obvious. Better blacks and a far more cinematic image along with a reduction in screendoor which was a surprise (screendoor wasnt obvious from my seating position 15 ft back before I installed the new screen). Screendoor had been present if viewed from any closer than 10ft on the 1.3 gain screen but I have to go within 5ft now with the HCG material to notice it with an image focused along the guidelines by Steve Smallcombe.

Many Thanks to David Giles and the rest of the team at Carada!


Cam

I am not associated with Carada in any way other than as a very satisfied customer.


----------



## Dave_STLMO

I just received my Carada Brilliant White(1.4 gain) - 106' diagonal screen over the weekend.


Packaging: Excellent.

Everything was shrink wrapped and bubble packed. The screen material itself was rolled with a layer of thin foam in between.


Build Quality: Excellent

The pre-machined screw holes matched up perfectly when placing the frame pieces together.


It comes standard with the black 'velvety' covering on the frame members.


Installation Instructions: Perfect.

Even I got the whole thing put together AND mounted in less than an hour.


Picture Quality:Unbelievable... I am really happy.


Customer Service: These guys are great. I would buy a screen made of burlap from these guys just to get their level of customer service.


Best Dave


----------



## jstorerj

hmmm... what kind of gain does burlap have?


----------



## DaveInBerlinNJ

Hey Dave_STLMO,


2 things:


How is the viewing cone? Does the picture change a lot when viewed off-axis? I'll have seats about 13' back... in ~ 24' wide room... wife is thinking about a sectional for one rear corner... I'm thinking that ain't gonna work)


How do the colors hold up when you turn on some lights? (my wife wants a relatively "bright" basement also)




Thanks much,

Dave


----------



## Dave_STLMO

DaveInBerlinNJ



Let me check tonite... and I'll let you know. I have never really critically looked at the screen from any extreme angles.


Best

Dave


----------



## OzzieP

How much is the burlap screen? The white and gray one are so expe$ive!


----------



## patrickwebb

Soon!!!

http://thewebbspot.com/stl-web/galle...0499.sized.jpg 
http://thewebbspot.com/stl-web/galle...0501.sized.jpg


----------



## David Giles

Quote:

How much is the burlap screen?
If you have to ask, you can't afford it. 


David Giles


----------



## David Giles

Looking good Patrick!


David Giles


----------



## Dave_STLMO

DaveInBerlinNJ


I did a couple of non scientific tests. The farthest that I can actually view my screen off-axis is about 40 deg. It still looks good and is perfectly viewable. My HT is NOT dedicated, and therefore all the walls and ceiling are either shades of light greys or ceiling white. The only exception to this is the soundstage which is flat black.


I have 6 can lights over my bar area which is behind the theater seating. These are always on, but dimmed during the movie. There is plenty of light reflection from the screen, so that the room is no where near totally dark.


The colors are good enough so that if one wanted to actually sit at the bar (I watched Solaris the other night and wished I had remained at the bar!), they could, and still have a pleasent experience.


My lamp is set on the low mode, and the iris is about 1/2 open\\closed.

For sporting events, I plan on using the lamp in highmode (if neccessary) and having a little more ambient light.


Hope this helps


Best

Dave


----------



## DaveInBerlinNJ

Dave_STLMO,


Thanks. That helps incredibly. YOU-DA-MAN!


greatly appreciated,

Dave


David Giles, you have a PM!


----------



## BHendershot

I just read through the majority of the posts in this thread. Seeing nothing but positive comments about a product in the category I'm researching is very exciting. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the InFocus SP-4805 that I have on order. With this being my first foray into FPs I've been doing a lot of research. Being DIY oriented, I was convinced that I should build my own screen but now I'm seriously considering buying a Carada.


The 4805 is rated at 750 lumens and I have very good light control in the room. The main seating area will be approx. 13-14' from the screen. Currently the ceiling is white. My inclination is to go with the High Contrast grey but would it be wise for me to first experiment by projecting on the wall (medium beige), a sheet etc. before making a decision? Can you really get a sense of how a screen will perform using the small sample sheets? I suspect I'd be happy with any of their screen materials but I of course want to get the best possible result.


----------



## nathan_h

I'd recommend:


1) Project on the wall or a sheet at first, to get a sense of what size looks good from your seating position.

2) Do calculations to make sure that you get a material that will give you reasonable brightness, bearing in mind that real world lumens output will probably be more like 450 or 500 for your projector. (The formulas are discussed higher up in this thread.)


Note that while screen samples aren't perfect, they are probably better than not having the samples.


----------



## dogmanky

It's great to see this thread up to page 19. Just an update: I'm going on 6 mos with my Carada and without a doubt, it's one of the best investments I've made regarding all my home entertainment stuff. A couple of months ago, I modded my Xbox and networked it to the gameroom where my Carada and X1 reside. Since, I've been having a blast with Hi Def 720p gaming, Digital Family Pic Slideshows, and all sorts of fun stuff on the Carada. Not a single visitor to my home has not commented on how nice my screen is. Just felt like sharing this ... just in case there is anyone riding the fence on thier purchase. 


dogmanky


----------



## Hawkson

I have been thinking about a carada to go with a 4805, but my concern is that I will be moving in three years(in college currently), and my current max screen size is 6 feet wide.


Is it worth spending the money on the screen knowing that it will not be a permanent investment? Once I move I will most certainly have a larger room(currently 12x17) and I will need a new screen.


thanks


----------



## dogmanky

3yrs is a long way away.  If you take good care of it, I'd guess you could probably get back 50-70% of what you invest in it also. Food for thought.


----------



## patrickwebb

Getting closer...

http://thewebbspot.com/stl-web/galle...0846.sized.jpg


----------



## BHendershot

patrickwebb -


I finished 1/2 my basement to become a HT but I intend to mount the screen on the wall, offset enough to clear the chair rail. But, seeing your built-in look I may have to rethink.


What size Carada is that? Is it the HC gray material?


----------



## patrickwebb

It is a 96" 1.78:1 Grey screen. I am using the InFocus 5700 PJ and it looks great from my test runs.


----------



## BHendershot

I received my screen material samples today from Carada. I'm surprised at how dark the grey is. Now all I need is the projector to ship and I can give them a try. Does anyone know how the HC grey shade compares to the DIY "Misty" paint I've been reading about?


----------



## Monkey_Man

My digital gray from goo was a lot lighter than the gray material from carada.


----------



## jrgriff

I agree with you, unless you have a really bright projector I think the grey is going to be too dark for a lot people's taste.


I ended up getting the Classic White and adjusted my projector accordingly. I did however tried very hard to encourage David to get a silver/light-gray release to the market [I think that is the ticket for a lot people's setup].


All in all, Carada is still a great value, I have been a very satisfied customer.


----------



## BHendershot

From what I've read the InFocus projectors are quite bright for example. But, from what I understand the bulb will dim over time and as a result for the latter part of its life I might want a higher gain material. This being my first projector I don't have a feel for how much difference there will be between a new bulb and one that's 50%-70% gone.


----------



## isamu

How much on average, does a Carada screen cost for say, 100"-110" size?


----------



## patrickwebb

All the prices are listed on their website .


----------



## 1st on the Block

Well, I ordered my Carada last night. 104" 1.78:1 Brilliant white for my Benq 8700+. When projecting on the samples as well as the Goo grey lite screen (with CRT white base) I have now, the classic and the goo have about the same gain. The classic blended into the goo screen, you almost had to look for the borders of the sample. The 1.4 sample had a nice gain to it which made it the clear winner. Looking forward to viewing it with a "few" more sq ft around it.


----------



## 1st on the Block

I just wanted to comment on Carada customer service. The screen was here (up to Canada) the next business day. This outstanding in and of it's self. Only problem was with the courier's handling of the screen. It showed up on my doorstep with two gaping tears in the box. When everything was taken out of the box, not even the superior wrapping job they did could prevent a scratch in the black cloth of the frame and 4 small punctures in the screen. Within a half hr of emailing David from Carada, they were prepping another screen to be sent to me the next day, Tuesday. Again one day later I had my replacement screen, box unharmed. Now I must go down stairs and unwrap it and put it together. Thanks David for the wonderful service. I'll let you know how it looks with the 8700+.


----------



## Curatio

Pete,


Glad to hear of your good experiences so far with Carada. I am definately going to get one of their screens later this year when I set up my home theatre. Will probably go with the Brilliant White as well, so I am looking forward to hearing your review of it.


BTW, how much was shipping to Ontario? I'm in BC, so it will probably be a bit more for me, but I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.


Thanks.


----------



## 1st on the Block

Shipping was about $130 US for the 104" or 110". Still, at $1090 CDN total, shipped to my door, I am very impressed with Carada.


----------



## maxleung

How is the Carada shipped? Is the screen rolled up, and the frame in pieces for later assembly? I can't imagine that the screen would be shipped flat and unrolled...wow that would be murder to ship!


----------



## 1st on the Block

The screen is rolled and the the aluminum frame comes in four pieces, two screws in each corner and you are done. Very easy assembly, yet very precise alignment.


----------



## maxleung

Thanks first...so shipping shouldn't be too much of a nightmare then, I'm glad.


Now if only they had a pull-down version.


----------



## 1st on the Block

Two days with the new screen, 104" brilliant white. Loving it, HD is sharp and vibrant, black bars in 2.35:1 movies is dark enough to be called black (or deep charcoal). Easily the easiest part of the HT to decide on was this screen after seeing it up against the Studiotek 130 (which I have in a 100" 4:3) at the Canuck shootout.


Off to enjoy another movie, see ya!


----------



## Brajesh

Just ordered a 96" 1.78:1 classic white for my Panny PT-AE500U. David has been terrific. Can't wait to get my screen!


Loved the blacks on the grey sample I got, but the picture wasn't bright enough. The brilliant white seemed a little too bright for a fairly well light-controlled room. The classic cinema appears to be a good compromise between the two, w/a wide viewing angle.


----------



## applejack

Brajesh,


have you received your screen yet? I also have a AE500 and was thinking along the same lines as you re: gray screen material vs. the brilliant white. I think the classic cinema would also be best for me, but am not sure. Any thoughts?


----------



## lewlew

Hi Dave and all,


I'm trying to put together what amounts to a minature FP HT for just two people.


It's going into a very small spare bedroom with pretty good light control. The front and back walls are 106" apart.


I am considering the Carada 70" gray screen and the BenQ 8700+. The throw distance will be 90" as will be the veiwing distance.


Can this work? The calculated brightness ( lumens x gain/ ft sq) comes out to 38.5, 33.0, 27.5 if the actual lumens are 700, 600, and 500 respectively.


I want this for HD as well as DVD.


I'm open to any suggestions. (screen/pj combos as well as filters)


tia


Lew


----------



## 1st on the Block

I have the 8700+ and sampled all three Carada screen materials with it. The high contrast gray scteen was not a good match for the Benq because the projo is not bright enough to power through the gray, there was no punch in colors. I found the Brilliant white as the best match for the 8700+.


----------



## David Giles

Lew, with average size screens I'd agree with Pete about not pairing the 8700+ with High Contrast Grey.


But a 70" screen has a LOT less square footage to light up than a typical size screen in the 96"-100" range (about half), and it would be plenty bright enough in a reasonably well light controlled room.


Of course a white screen would be even brighter, but with the very small screen size you're going to use, you do have the opportunity to trade off excess brightness for spectacular black levels.


David Giles


----------



## ehScorpio

Hi David and everybody:


David, what of your screen materials is preferable for ceiling mounted calibrated HX1 (about 500 lumens) in fully controlled light environment? Screen is 16:9 with diagonal 100"-103". The shortest viewing distance is about 9.5-10 ft and maximum viewing angle is about 35 degrees from the last seat in the row to the furthest end of the screen and about 20 degrees from the last seat in the row to the center of the screen?


Thank you!


----------



## David Giles

Hi Scorpio,


You said the magic word in your question: "preferable"


I took the liberty of looking at your other post in the Plasma forum where you compared a Sony to a Panasonic plasma, and you said
Quote:

After lots of experiments and watching I prefer Sony, despite of itâ€™s higher black level.
That's a dead giveaway right there that you'd almost definitely prefer a white screen with the HX1. The question then is whether you'd prefer Classic Cinema White or Brilliant White. My personal choice in your dark, light controlled room would be Classic Cinema White, but depending on your tastes, you might actually prefer Brilliant White. If you'd like samples so that you can decide for yourself, just drop me an e-mail, or a Private Message.


Thanks!


David Giles


----------



## ehScorpio

Thank you for reply and proposition about samples.


You are right, I think I would prefer classic white screen without gain over any other type of screen. But mainstream â€œD-ILA + grey screenâ€ bothers me a little, especially taking into account that I saw it in a show room and haven't seen D-ILA + classic white.


I think Iâ€™ll get my projector within couple of weeks and shortly after that I certainly ask you about samples.


----------



## David Giles

Sounds good Scorpio. I'll look forward to hearing from you!


David Giles


----------



## JonS

I just hung my 110" Classic Cinema white screen, picture from an HS20, and I must say that the picture is truly stunning. Makes the whole home theater room project worth it.


The screen was a breeze to assemble and hang. And the single most important thing was that David was absolutely great to deal with. He must have extraordinary patience.


It was a very pleasant buying experience and the screen is just awesome.


Thanks David!!


----------



## suffolk112000

For those that have bought screens and those that are going to pull the trigger. What aspect ratio did you go with on your screens.


Does Carada make a micro perf screen?


Craig


----------



## Alex

How are the screens attached to the wall?


----------



## David Giles

Hi Craig,


Others may chime in with their personal choices, but I can tell you that 1.78:1 is by far the most popular aspect ratio we sell.


And no we don't sell microperf screens (but thanks for asking!)


David Giles


----------



## David Giles

Alex,


We provide wall brackets that you attach to your wall, and the screen frame hangs from those wall brackets.


I'm guessing that you're the same Alex in Australia that I've been corresponding with by e-mail, so I just sent a copy of our assembly/installation instructions to that e-mail address. If I guessed wrong, just send me your e-mail address at [email protected] , and I'll send them to you.


David Giles


----------



## kwok lau

David:

Additional cost for the wall brackets? How many brackets required? just 2?

I thought the screen has to be screwed to the wall at 4 corners.

I recalled I had seen another reply from you, saying that the frame will be bevelled to make it looks more slim. Is it in production now.


I have not made up my mind to place my order yet, but pretty soon.


Kwok


----------



## David Giles

Hi Kwok,


The wall brackets are included (at no additional cost). Depending on the size of the frame, there will either be two wall brackets - one at the top and one at the bottom, or three wall brackets - two at the top and one at the bottom. The screen frame itself is most definitely *not* screwed directly to the wall. The wall brackets are attached to your wall, then the frame hangs on those brackets.


Our beveled frame is still in the prototype stage, but we hope to have it ready to ship by the end of August. But it *won't* look more slim than our Precision Series. Quite the opposite, it will have a more substantial, "high-end" look. It will be 3 1/4" wide and approx. 1 1/2" deep with a bevel on the front that brings the frame down to the screen surface.


David Giles


----------



## kwok lau

Dave: I like the beveled frame idea. Have you fix the price yet? how much more than the Precision Series?


I can wait till September, as I still cannot decide which screen material to choose..........for 120 inches diagonal.


Kwok


----------



## hxtan

Dave,

Will Your beveled frame look similar to Dalite Cinema Contour with protrim?

or maybe even better looking?

And yes, we would like to know how much more will it cost compare to

your regular precision frame.


----------



## David Giles

Sorry for the delay guys - long lunch. 


We haven't totally worked out the pricing on the new frame, so I'll have to defer on that answer for now. We plan to announce pricing in the next two or three weeks.

Quote:

Will Your beveled frame look similar to Dalite Cinema Contour with protrim? or maybe even better looking?
C'mon now, you're asking an expectant father if his new baby will be better looking than every other baby out there? *Of course it will!!* 


Seriously though, it will have a similar look, but with a couple of structural improvements. And yes it will come standard with our Black Holeâ„¢ trim.


David Giles


----------



## kwok lau

Dave : You just ensure the beveled screen could be HOOK onto the wall as easy as the precision series, if not easier, even with a couple of structual improvement.

I shall wait and see. Cheers.


Kwok


----------



## David Giles

Kwok,


The new frame will use the same wall mounting brackets as our Precision Series, so it will hook onto the wall just as easily.

Quote:

I shall wait and see.
I think you'll be impressed. 


David Giles


----------



## mn_hokie

The screen arrived yesterday and to describe it in one word - AWESOME! I ended up going with a 94" 1.78 fixed screen. The ONLY bad thing I can say about my experience was in dealing with DHL on the delivery. They seemed to be so disoriented everytime I went to pick the package up. This lasted about three days.


Now that I've vented about that, let me just say that everything else in this experience has been absolutely wonderful. David Giles has been very responsive to all of my e-mails and has been very helpful in not only answering questions, but sending samples and assisting when I encountered an issue in submitting my order for processing. Never did I feel that I was being blown off in any way. I've dealt with a few online projector dealers lately and sadly can not say I've had the same experience.


The packaging of the screen was much better than I had expected. Each piece was wrapped not only in foam but also bubble wrap and sealed tightly. Care was made in packing the screen material as well. Once unpacked, it too a few minutes to snap the four frame pieces together. The fit on the joints was very accurate. A couple of self tapping screws later and I was ready to snap the screen material in place.


Attaching the screen is no harder than starting at one corner and snapping each snap into place around the frame. The snaps were placed in just the right locations, as the final snap proved to be quite snug, with no slack in the material. You could practically bounce a quarter off of it.


It took about 15 minutes more to measure, level, and attach the two mounting brackets to the wall. Once up, the screen assemble simply snaps into place on the wall.


The brilliant white fabric really gives the image some pop, while the velvet trim on the frame not only is gorgeous in appearance, but does an excellent job at absorbing any overspill from the projected image.


I've attached a photo of the finished product. If you compare it to the previous screen seen in my gallery photos, I think you'll agree that this one really gives it the theater feel.


If anyone is considering a nice screen for their home theater and doesn't want to drop a load of cash, I think Carada offers the best bang for the buck. Their products compete with the big boys on every level, while still maintaining a reasonable price.


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## micah bjj

David- I just received my Infocus 4805. I would like to purchase a Carada screen soon. I would like to go with the largest screen size possible for this projector (hopefully 106" or 110"). I plan on using the 4805 in eco mode which I believe is 600 lumens?


My question is... would you recommend the High contrast gray or the brilliant white for that projector on that size screen? Thanks for the help.


Micah


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## David Giles

Micah,


With the 4805 on that size screen, I'd go with Brilliant White. We briefly saw the 4805 on our 110" Brilliant White screen at the Denver shootout and it looked *very* nice.


David Giles


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## David Giles

Thanks for the comments Jason. And nice job on the theater!


David Giles


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## micah bjj

David thanks for the help. I wasnt for sure if the pq would look good even with the brilliant white on a screen that large with the 4805. So you think 110" with the brilliant white would give me a good pq quality that I would be happy with in my home?


Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.


Micah


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## David Giles

Yes, based on what I saw in Denver it will look very good, as long as your seating distance is 1.8x to 2.0x times the width of the screen. So in your case, you'd need to sit at least 14' feet back from a 106" diagonal screen. (at least that's where screendoor became acceptable to *my* eyes)


David Giles


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## darinp2

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*With the 4805 on that size screen, I'd go with Brilliant White.*
I was going to say the same thing. Bulbs age and dim and I don't think that assuming 600 lumens is the best thing to do when picking a screen for the 4805. There is always the option of using a neutral density filter for watching some things.


--Darin


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## summit1

David, if you view this, I e-mailed you this identical request below at your website. I thought you may wish to answer this here for the possible benefit to others.



Hi,


Can you help me with a screen recommendation? I have ordered an DLP infocus X1. it will be used in a basement with little or no ambient light. the X1 will be ceiling mounted at 6 ft off of the ground about 13-13.5' back from the screen position and seating will be about 10-12' back from the screen, almost a perfect 2:1 viewing distance to screen for the people at 12'. the X1 has a published CR of 2000:1, however as I understand the lumen output is not very high. I prefer an image on the brighter/punchy side and I am hoping the high contrast of the DLP X1 will provide acceptable blacks. projected image at 13.5' (4:3) is 72" wide and 54" high and at (16:9) is 72"W and 41"H according to the projector central website.



Recap:


little to no ambient light (basement)

infocus X1 DLP

2000:1 contrast

approx 400 lumens ?

square feet of image for 4:3 is approx. 27 sf

I prefer bright/somewhat vibrant image

and hoping the relatively high CR of the DLP X1 will provide acceptable blacks


Which of your screens would you direct me towards??


thank you and I appreciate our activity on the AVS forum.


Jim


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## David Giles

Jim, based on your viewing environment as well as your stated preferences, it sounds like you're a prime candidate for Brilliant White. It'll give you the bright/punchy image you're looking for, and black levels will certainly be acceptable.


David Giles


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## ufnuclear

I would love to tell you all about my wonderful screen, but I am too busy watching everything I can on it! Well, O.K., I'll give you a little taste:


I have : Z2 projector

I ordered: Brilliant White screen from Carada, 75" diagonal, 1.78:1.


Setup of the screen was easy. It took me much longer to figure out where I wanted it than to actually put it together. I would say the build quality of the frame is very good and the screen was quite easy to snap in place.


The picture is just fantastic. I sat up late the other night watching baseball on INHD. I hate baseball. Oh well, the picture was phenomenal! To my eyes I have plenty of contrast and I love the brightness of the picture using the Z2 with low lamp mode and the aperture wide open. Some Z2 owners have asked if the Brilliant White screen is "to" bright, and all I can say is, not to my eyes.


David was a pleasure to deal with, customer service gets all A's from me. The box arrived in good shape and the material was packed very well.


All I can say is, let football season begin! Go Gators!


Chris


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## yegulalp

Just got my Carada 84" brilliant white installed a couple of days ago. I had the same excellent customer service experience as all have mentioned above, and installation was simple. It looks pretty awesome with my BenQ 8700. I was using the projector with a white wall, which looked just fine - but the screen really does look better. Brighter, cleaner picture and the frame really looks good.


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## JeffKB

David, any update on how you're progressing with the beveled frame? Any idea when you may announce pricing?


Thanks!


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## David Giles

Well, you know the old saying about best laid plans...


It's taking longer than expected to get all the details worked out, but we're hoping to have the new frame ready to ship in about three weeks (okay, maaayybe four). So we plan to release pricing by the end of August and start taking pre-orders then.


Thanks for hanging in there with us! 


David Giles


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## skeets

david ineed a screen for my brothers room. he has one big window along

one wall to the right where the screen will go. the window is about 10ft.

away from window and light is controllable. projector is hs20 and he wants to watch about 75 to 25 tv to movies so quite a bit daytime viewing. he mentioned 106 to 120 screen size. what do you think. also can i be first on the list for the beveled edge i will take 2 please.


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## skeets

david ineed a screen for my brothers room. he has one big window along

one wall to the right where the screen will go. the window is about 10ft.

away from window and light is controllable. projector is hs20 and he wants to watch about 75 to 25 tv to movies so quite a bit daytime viewing. he mentioned 106 to 120 screen size. what do you think.


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## David Giles

Hi skeets,


When you say "light is controllable", I assume you mean interior lighting. But will the window have blackout shades? If not, then my first recommendation would have to be that he *REALLY* needs to consider blackout shades. If that window isn't well shaded, it would probably wash out the image more than he'd like.


If he doesn't want to install blackout shades, then I'd have to recommend a much smaller screen so that it'll be bright enough to compete with all that daylight. Tell him that he might have to give up a lot of screen real estate, and if he's like most guys I know, he'll opt for the blackout shades. 

Quote:

also can i be first on the list for the beveled edge i will take 2 please.
Well you won't be the first in line, but we'll certainly put your name on a couple. 


David Giles


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## suffolk112000

Is anyone using a masking system with their Carada?

If so... what?


Craig


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## jrgriff

I'm using my own manual masking panels, 2 side panels when viewing 4:3, and 1 top panel when viewing WS stuff. The panels have 1â€ framing on the insides so that they fit just inside the Carada framing. All panels are covered in a black velvet that matches the frame & my frame-border, it all looks pretty seamless.


The side panels just set in place when needed. The top panel hangs above the screen, and I simply lower it down in place, I also have to adjust my X1 to the lower part of my screen. Still it all works fairly well, I definitely prefer the screen masked as oppose to looking at those unsightly grey light bars.


~Jim.


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## RBats

Anyone with a JVC HX1 or SX21 have a Carada screen?


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## suffolk112000

Quote:

_Originally posted by jrgriff_
*I'm using my own manual masking panels, 2 side panels when viewing 4:3, and 1 top panel when viewing WS stuff. The panels have 1â€ framing on the insides so that they fit just inside the Carada framing. All panels are covered in a black velvet that matches the frame & my frame-border, it all looks pretty seamless.


The side panels just set in place when needed. The top panel hangs above the screen, and I simply lower it down in place, I also have to adjust my X1 to the lower part of my screen. Still it all works fairly well, I definitely prefer the screen masked as oppose to looking at those unsightly grey light bars.


~Jim.*



Thanks Jim.. I have thought about giving the powered do it yourself masking system that has been heavily discussed on this site a try but I don't know the first thing about wiring electronics so I will be purchasing a powered one. $  $

Is Jim the only Carada owner with a masking system?



Craig


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## sfogg

I just wanted to add another positive note for Carada. I started putting together my 104" 2.35AR Brilliant White screen last night and am impressed with how solid the frame is. I didn't get it all finished (it is easy to put together) as I am hanging the screen from the ceiling and decided to get a larger pair of eye bolts for the frame then what I had on hand. And I was so tired from working on the rest of the theater that I didn't really want to take a drill to the frame in that condition. 


Should be up tonight though!


Shawn


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## sfogg

I hung my Carada screen last night. Mine is hanging from the ceiling off the front wall about 22" so I had to drill two holes in the top frame to put eyebolts into it. I positioned the eyebolts at the end of the frame so I would be bolting through the frame as well as the corner brackets. Glad I used a drill press as it was easy to get through the aluminum frame the corner brackets are steel and tougher to drill through. I drilled 2" in from each edge and 1/8" off center further toward the rear of the frame.


I was impressed with how the screen went together and it really is a quality piece of work. I had originally planned on just a DIY screen since I've built the room up from scratch. However to save some time I decided to get a pre-built screen. Glad I did as what I was planning DIY wouldn't have turned out as nice as the Carada and I would have spent a lot more time on it.


As I'm still finishing up the room and equipment install I haven't watched anything but an alignment grid yet.


Because I'm in a rush to complete the room (wife is having a theater party on Sunday) I haven't had time to refinish my L/C/R speakers to match. They will probably be covered in a mini-screen wall anyway so it won't be noticeable. Also missing is a duplicate of the sub shown that will be between right and center. I'm installing the woofers into it tonight. The front edge of the screen is about 3" behind the front edge of the speaker/subs.


When it is complete I'll take some better pictures but the attached is just a quick shot of how it looks so far.


Shawn


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## Mike V

Add me to the list of happy customers.


I began dealing with David a few months back, questions, samples etc...and the service/support David provided was great. I recently ordered a 100" CCW 1:78 screen and it came today. Needless to say it was out of the box 15 minutes after arriving and on the wall 90 minutes later. It's only been a very short time but so far I'm very happy with my choice as the quality and performance of the screen are amazing. I have a Z2 and am pairing it with a Momitsu 880. My room is in the basement and has complete light control.


Thanks David! As soon as you begin selling masking systems there's no question you'll be hearing from me again.


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## neophyte2

A lot of happy Carada customers in here...


David,


Here's my situation - I recently bought a Yammy LPX-510. I have total light control in my room, and plan on having a screen size of 106" or 110". I've been looking at the Da-Lite Cinema Contour screens and the Stewart Firehawk. In several places now, I have seen reviews that tout Carada as a less expensive alternative that provides a high quality picture.


What type of screen material would you recommend for my setup? I plan on watching mostly HDTV (lots of sports, hopefully) and DVD's...


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## David Giles

Hi Neo,

or should I say "THE ONE"? Sorry, couldn't resist. 


Anyway, please excuse the silliness. As I'm sure you've read, the choice of surface material depends somewhat on your personal tastes. But on that size screen, and especially since you'll be watching lots of HDTV and sports, I'd have to guess that you'd probably prefer a Brilliant White screen.


But we'll be glad to send samples so that you can see which surface suits your particular tastes. Just email your address to us, or send it to me via PM and I'll handle it.


Thanks!


David Giles


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## Jazzspot

I've had my Z2 for a few weeks now (60 hours lamp time) and I purchased the 96" Carada Brilliant White screen. David suggested that I get that model. I have total light control, so I just got the one David suggested. If I didn't like it, I'd return it for a different model. I'm very satisfied with the quality of the screen and the picture quality is more than I hoped for. DVD and HDTV viewing is fantastic. David was a huge help and assisted me and answered all of my concerns. I'd never had a projector before, so picking a screen for my particular projector was not an easy choice for me.

The packaging was excellent. Screen setup was a snap. Quality of the screen was excellent as well. Your best bet is to get some screen samples and then decide on whether you want to spend the extra dollars that the other merchants have available. I'm sure the quality of the higher priced screens are great as well. But for my budget, the Carada screen was the choice for me.


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## HT Nitwit

I got my Brilliant White 110" screen a few days ago. I got it installed last night and I was amazed. It brought more life to the picture than I had before on the white wall. The luminescence of the Eagles jerseys on last night's HD broadcast of the game was incredible. I am definitely happy I went with the Brilliant white screen. As for my setup, I have the BenQ 8700+ projector in a totally light controlled room. It's perfect!


I have to thank David for such a fine screen at a great price!


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## suffolk112000

I really am impressed with all the happy customers that have responded to this thread. It really shows that David and Carada are teaming together to create a great product. 

If I were going to buy JUST a screen, I would have already made the purchase.

That being said, David you really need to pursue a masking system as an option for your screens. My screen WILL have horizontal masking but unfortunately right now it comes with a very hefty price tag. 

If there is no masking system slated for the future line-up of Carada Screens, is there a masking system out there that would pair nicely with a Carada screen?



Craig


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## David Giles

Quote:

I really am impressed with all the happy customers that have responded to this thread. It really shows that David and Carada are teaming together to create a great product. 
Thanks Craig!


We don't have a masking system on the drawing board right now, but it's definitely in the longer term plan. Honestly I don't know if any of the manufactured masking systems out there would work with our screens. But Dalite's literature says this about their Pro Imager masking systems:

Quote:

System can be installed over Da-Lite's Imager, Da-Snap or Perm-Wall or rear projection screens or over *any other permanently wall mounted screen.*
So it sounds like it should work with our Precision Series, but I couldn't say for sure. You might want to call Jason here at AVS and talk to him about the Pro Imager and see what he thinks about it (and I'm sure he can get you a great price on one).


David Giles


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## suffolk112000

Thanks David,


I have been speaking with Jason about pricing so I will mention something to him about the possibilities.


Craig


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## nizzle

I can't seem to make up my own mind on this one.


Can anyone else shed some light? I have a light controlled room, and need a 92" screen. I want to get the most out of my 4805, but can't decide on which Carada to get  I have looked at the samples, but it is hard to choose. I need some real world experiences/suggestions.


Thanks again


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## krasmuzik

Few with SP4805 have liked the Da-Lite HCDM because it is too dark - my impression is Carada Grey is darker but there have been mixed reports about which material is lighter/darker.


So you are left with Classic White - but most who have compared white have bought grey because of the room. Is your room really light controlled - you may be controlling ambient light - but if you have a white walled narrow living room - you will not like what a matte white screen does in such a room - increases wall reflection and wash back for worse blacks.


I would recommend using the ND2 filter to cut down brightness when using a white screen.


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## nizzle

Hi Kras,


I will have dark walls & ceiling, as well as ambient light control. The room is approx 14' x 15'.. and is a dedicated theater. I was leining towards the Classic White.. but with the dark walls do you think Grey may be the way to go?


This decision is turning out to be harder then the PJ itself


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## David Giles

nizzle,


In your nearly-perfect environment, the Classic Cinema White would look great.


A 92" High Contrast Grey will of course have better black levels, and will be bright enough in your room (thatâ€™s the exact screen that was so popular paired with the 4805 at the Denver shootout), but obviously it wonâ€™t be *as* bright as the C.C. White. So it just depends on which camp youâ€™re in: the black level fanatics, or the brightness zealots (no offense to anybody, Iâ€™m a fanatic, and some of my best friends are zealots.)  If youâ€™re just sort of in the middle somewhere, you could do as Kras suggested and use an ND filter with the white for â€œadjustable brightness/black levelsâ€


David Giles


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## krasmuzik

I would be hesitant about Grey keeping up over lamp life though - check out a sample with an ND2 filter to simulate lamp dimming.


Here is a hint for comparing white/grey samples - put them on black posterboard so that you are not comparing one as a reference for the other. This simulates the actual screen (unless you PLAN on leaving a white sample on your screeen to constantly remind you that your screen is grey)


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## David Giles

Okay guys, sorry for the longer-than-expected delay, but our new beveled-frame *Criterion Series* is finally shipping! Check out the Power Buy posted at the top of this forum for an AVS-members-only discount, as well as pictures of the new frame.


David Giles


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## jrgriff

Quote:

_Originally posted by David Giles_
*Okay guys, sorry for the longer-than-expected delay, but our new beveled-frame Criterion Series is finally shipping! Check out the Power Buy posted at the top of this forum for an AVS-members-only discount, as well as pictures of the new frame.


David Giles*
Hello David,


I am an owner of your original frame, which I also ended up adding another 18-24â€ black velvet framing around the Carada frame.


I can see the difference bewteen the two frames, but I have never seen a bi-level frame/screen in action, can you briefly describe what are the benefits of a bi-level frame?


Thanks ~ Jim


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## David Giles

Hi Jim,


Good to hear from you!


The main difference is aesthetic. The wider frame looks very dramatic on the wall, and the bevel adds an extra degree of elegance.


But there is one potential performance advantage. With a non-beveled frame, if one's projector is above or below the frame (like an NEC HT1000 would be if memory serves me correctly) then the frame itself could block the projector's light from reaching the very edge of the viewing surface, thus creating a small shadow at the edge. The bevel on the frame lets the frame "get out of the way" of the projector's beam.


Our Precision Series is only 1" deep (by 2" wide), so it "shadows" less than popular 1 1/2" square frames, but you could still have a minor shadow with some projector installations. Granted this isn't a big issue, since in most cases, the shadow would be extremely small. But you won't have *any* shadow with the Criterion Series. Also, we designed the Criterion Series extrusion so that there is a "trough" in the back which allows the surface material to be in direct contact with the beveled edge of the frame, eliminating the "crack" seen between the surface material and the frame on some beveled designs.


And of course the new extrusion is incredibly strong. We haven't gotten any complaints about the strength of the Precision Series, but we wanted to make sure our Criterion Series was as strong or stronger than any frame on the market. 


David Giles


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## David Giles

*NOTICE:*


Our mail host had some kind of serious server problem this morning, and we haven't received *any* emails since 9:03 am CST. I'm told this was a very rare situation (it better be!), and our email appears to be working fine now. But apparently any mail that we *should* have received over the last six hours won't be recoverable. It's just lost forever in cyberspace.





So if you sent us any mail during that time, please re-send it when you get a chance. I apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience!


David Giles


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