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Author Topic: Silver Screen and 3D Paul Konen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 981 From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2005 11:24 AM                     What would be the benefits, drawbacks of this?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2005 12:25 PM                     If you want to do 3d with polarization then there is no option but a silver screen other advantages brighter image more contrast disadvantages Hot spot due to gain poorer viewing angle  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 08-17-2005 12:48 PM                     Also, the surface marks easily, and is difficult to clean.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 08-17-2005 04:00 PM                        High gain screens should be properly curved, ideally using ray tracing, to reflect the light back to the center of the audience. This usually gives the best illumination uniformity.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Joseph Expert Film Handler Posts: 131 From: Palmdale, CA, USA Registered: Jun 2000 posted 08-19-2005 01:11 PM                        To be clear: To run Polaroid 3-D (over/under, side/side, or interlock), you MUST have a silver screen. This is not "optional"; it's mandatory. A non silver screen de-polarizes the light, therefore, no 3-D. Jeff  |  IP: Logged Heath Dutton Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Montgomery, Alabama / United States of America Registered: Jul 2005 posted 08-20-2005 12:56 PM                     This is my stupid question for the day... How is a silver screen made? Does it actually contain silver, or is it just colored that way for a higher reflection clarity? Or is there something special in it that prevents the depolarizing?  |  IP: Logged Sean Goodrich Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-20-2005 07:00 PM                     Will Silver screens be necessary for digital 3D  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 08-20-2005 07:09 PM                     It depends on the technology used; if it relys on different polarisation angles of light to separate the left and right eye images, then yes. There are several other ways of projecting 3-D, but the polarised one is probably the best we have at the moment.  |  IP: Logged Dick Vaughan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1032 From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: Jul 2000 posted 08-22-2005 08:21 AM                        Those 3d digital sytems that use lcd shutter glasses can use a matt white screen. The demos at Showest and LFCA earlier this year used this system.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-25-2005 08:07 AM                        On the other hand, the LCD system does cut down the light that actually gets to the eye (the lenses in there "opened" state are by no means zero light loss) so the light gain that a silver screen would give in an LCD 3D system wouldn't be a useless throw-away. The original CinemaScope "Miracle Mirror" screen was a silver surface screen. It was part of the Fox specification for their new system and it was necessary because of the loss of light through the anamorphic lenses. It was a curved silver screen (the curve that John pointed out was also part of the CinemaScope spec and needed as he said to redirect light evenly back to the audience), but besides the curve, the one thing that distinguishes it from today's silver screens and all but eliminated the dreaded "hot spot" that is associated with and has given a bad name to silver screens, was that the Miracle Mirror screen was a lenticular surface as opposed to a purely flat silver surface. Although I have asked techs at both Harkness and Technicote what the difference is between a lenticular silver and the flat silver screens they use today, I have not ever gotten an explanation that I can understand. I was told that lenticular silver screens are more expensive to produce. But the reason that they are no longer manufactured is because with the advent of high power xenon lamps, there is not enough demand for a very expensive high gain, no hotspot screen when you can use a much cheaper matte screen and just up your lamphouse light output. Seems to me, if someone were to make a lenticular silver screen, it would be a perfect surface for a venue that wanted to run 3D on occasion but without compromising 2D presentation by introducing hotspots. It would allow either getting more light for standard 2D films or save $$$ by being able to reduce lamp size. Either way, it would be a plus. Any screen manufacturers reading this?  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 08-25-2005 08:51 AM                     Hurley has silver lenticular and I think Technikote could produce as well. Based on pricing on Hurley standard silver versus silver lenticular is about 30% more.....heads up on cost concious purchasers....ask and pay, the manufacturers will be happy to supply The lenticular material is usually fabric backed so it is a bear to install  |  IP: Logged Don Furr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 509 From: Sun City, Ca USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 08-25-2005 08:59 AM                     This discussion takes me back a few years. Some of the theatres we leased back in the early 90's had white screens that had been spray painted silver during the 80's 3D craze. Talking about hot spots and streaking.....had to replace 'em all. The first mistake I made was hiring a crew from Texas to attempt to clean those hand sprayed silver screens. What a disaster Still living and learning. Don  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-25-2005 09:21 AM                        Richard, that's good to know. When I spoke with Technikote they didn't have a lenticular screen, and what they can't sell you, they don't want to talk about. I never spoke to Hurley, but if they are now selling a lenticular, I would be very interested in considering it. I would love to do double projection 3D and get better light from my carbons for regular presentation. I won't be able to get a curve tho. The screen flys.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-25-2005 01:10 PM                     Cinemecanica used to make an excellent silver lenticular screen don't know if they still do  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 08-25-2005 01:58 PM                        Another quality of lenticulars is that they reject off-axis light. Lenticulars are often spec'd for rooms that are difficult to darken sufficiently, like some classrooms or conference rooms. They produce acceptable images in situations where other screen surfaces would wash out.  |  IP: Logged

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