If you want to have a masking system for your fixed frame projection screen, you have to pay a lot of money.

Often even more for the system then for the screen itself.

In this video, you will see an overview of how a DIY masking system works. And..it’s one that you can make yourself for a few hundred dollars. That’s because it uses one elctric motor only and.. it uses standard components.

Have a look for yourself. It’s part 1 of 2.

The lastest new video from Beamax is available now.

It shows you all the features and benefits of the R-electric projection screen. Enoy!

A projection screen with a purple case in a home cinema

If you want to find out how you can easily hide your projection screen, with simple things like:
- finding the right white wall to mount your standard screen on
- color-matching your projection screen to your colorful wallpaper
- or, how to use a feature wall to enhance the projection and hide your screen at the same time

You should have a look at the 3 projection screen installation examples at projectionscreen.net

Enjoy!

If you have a PS3 and you have it placed in a cabinet, you know that after a few minutes, it gets so hot, the fans turn at maximum speed.

This creates a lot of noise, making it sound like someone is using a vacuum cleaner next to you.

And not only is the noise annoying, have the PS3 heat up so much reduces the lifespan.

Now, there’s a free guide available that shows you how you can use a 12V trigger, a few cooling fans and an AV amp to create a cooling system for your PS3.

The main benefit is that the cooling system only works, when your equipment is actually on. So you’re not wasting energy.

To see how it works, get the free PS3 cooling guide here

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

Thanks,

Otto

Here’s a funny test video. It involves 2 manual projection screens, sausages and a dog.
The projection screen with the safety mechanism is the R-series manual projection screen.

Enjoy!

Als je wilt leren hoe je een RF afstandsbediening aansluit op je projectiescherm, kijk dan naar deze video:

Sometimes, you can see a DIY home cinema that is a real labour of love.

I received a mail from Fredrik in Norway, who built this cinema himself. He used the R-series as his screen.

Highlights of the room are:

1. The awesome ceiling with a partial view of earth – as seen from space. With integrated lights.

2. The leatherlike finish of the walls – in traditional cinema colours: black and red

3. The small details, such as power outlets in the same colour as the backwall

See it here for yourself

Enjoy,

Otto

A manual projection screen is cheaper than a fixed frame screen. So a lot of people
go for a manual version first, before splashing out on something else.

Often, the screen ends up rolled out all the time. Just because it is less work. And
because with manual screens that do not have a speed-controlled rolling mechanism, it
can be a hassle to roll the screen in anyway.

But is it better to have the screen rolled in all the time? Or is it fine to leave the screen
open when not in use?

Well, there are 3 situations where it is better to keep your projector screen rolled in when
you are not using it:

1. When someone smokes in the room

When you have someone who smokes in your household, it is better to have your screen rolled in when
your not watching a movie. Smoking causes the screen fabric to become yellow. It is
a gradual process, so it will not happen overnight.

Keeping the screen fabric rolled up in the housing will definitely slow down the process though. It ensures your screen
stays crisp for a much longer period of time.

2. When the projection screen is exposed to direct sunlight

Over time, direct exposure to sunlight will turn your projection screen slightly yellow. The fabric reacts in a similar way to paper.
So when your projection screen is facing a window which has a lot of sunlight coming through, it is better to keep
the screen rolled in.

Again, this is a gradual process, but it is better to keep the screen safe. A discolored fabric changes
how you see the colors on your screen. The result: images that are not true to the original movie.

3. When your screen is at risk of being damaged

Kids can be great fun and so can pets. A dangling screen is a lot of fun for them at the same time.
So if kids or pets play in the room when the screen is not in use, keep it rolled in.

It is a lot safer for your screen.

If none of these situations apply to you, it is perfectly fine to keep the screen always rolled out.
It’s less work and will not affect the quality of the projection screen fabric. So sometimes, it is OK to be lazy…

Otto

With a fireplace in the room, you have the perfect place for a screen. From the perspective of the room’s layout.

There’s no need to rearrange the room / seating to accomodate the screen.

Two things make the placement of a projection screen near an open fire less ideal.

The one that would concern me most is smoke. Heat would be a concern too, though to a lesser extent. I’ll explain that later.

I have had a woodburning stove in my house for many years. With a nice big mirror above it. When we built an extention, the stove
was taken out. And so was the mirror. What remained was a bright spot on the wall, where the mirror had been. The surrounding area
was completely discoloured.

That will happen to your projection screen as well. Especially when you are using the screen with the fire on.

It’s a gradual process of course, but over time, the projection screen fabric will no longer be white. At that point, your
image will no longer be the best. But, it’s easily resolved by buying a new screen of course.

The second issue, heat, doesn’t need to be a big one.

It all depends on how close the screen will be to the fire. In other words, the intensity of the heat.

In general projection screens perform better in a warm than in a cold environment. I have seen more than
a few screens that look horrible when they come straight out of storage. After half an hour or so, they look great.

That’s when the fabric is at room temperature.

With intense heat, it’s a different story though. The fabric will melt or deform. This should be avoided, because
it’s irreversible.

So how do you know whether your projection screen will be at risk?

Simple, light a fire in the fireplace.

Then, after an hour or so, hold your hand in the position where your screen fabric will be. If you can
hold your hand in that position comfortably, the fabric will be safe.

Yeah, I know. Not exactly science, but a simple way of keeping your screen safe.

Good luck,

Otto

There are three important elements when it comes to the quality of the image on your projection screen:

1. The projector
2. The projection screen
3. The amount of ambient light

But there are small details which – when handled right – will add a little bit extra to your home theatre set up.

Let’s take the light that comes out of your projector. You aim it to fit the projection area of your screen perfectly. But even when you get it right, the light won’t magically stop exactly at the black border of your screen.

Some of the light will reflect back from all the surrounding parts, like the case, lower bar and even the walls. The extent of this depends on four factors:

- The distance from the center of the screen to the object
- The reflectivity of the object.
- The size of the object
- The colour of the object

So the further away an object is, the lesser the effect on the image. And, the less reflective the object, the lesser the impact.
And, the bigger the object, the more impact it has. Plus, the lighter the object, the more effect is has.

To give you an example: the best object to surround your screen is a black velvet wall. One of the worst object would be a huge mirror wall.

Your room will probably be somewhere in the middle. To get to the next level, here are some options:

- Get a projection screen with a black case. This will reflect less light.
- Paint the wall onto which your screen is mounted dark. Preferably black
- Remove all shiny objects from the area of your projection screen
- If your floor is light, cover it with a dark carpet

Not every option will be feasible, but when planning the lay out of your room, keep these ideas in mind. If you have a multi-purpose room and you don;t use it for movie watching only, try to find a balance between looks and performance.