Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Preferred Screen makes and models

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Digital Cinema Forum » Preferred Screen makes and models

Author

Topic: Preferred Screen makes and models

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-26-2016 06:36 PM

I'm curious what makes and models of screens everything likes to use AND WHY.

In the USA, MDI, Harkness and Severtson are the most popular makes for cinemas. For high end/screening rooms, Stewart.

My personal favorite for flat screens (or very shallow curved) is Stewart's Ultramatte 130. It is a 1.3 gain screen that has the maximum gain and still meet SMPTE/DCI specs for distribution of light. It is seamless. It's perf pattern breaks up Moiré. It's gain is as published (and can be specified to whatever gain you desire). Images just pop on it like no other I've seen.

My second favorite is the Stewart Snomatte 100...as its name would imply, it is a 1.0 gain matte-white screen and is about as uniform a distribution as I've ever seen.

I've seen some screens as of late that had me scratching my head as to why they were chosen so I figured I'd ask the forum what they like and why.

| IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-28-2016 10:51 AM

For 3d we used Severtson for our 2d we use MDI or Lesna

| IP: Logged

Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 03-28-2016 11:38 AM

What scale of price difference per sqft/sqm do you see between e.g. similar Harkness, MDI, Stewart and Severtson screens? I assume Stewart is the most expensive, so, usually out of the question for larger cinema screens?

- Carsten

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-28-2016 02:05 PM

Yeah...Stewart is crazy high...4-5 times as much as a North American sourced MDI, Severtson or Harkness...which all seem to be close enough to each other.

Gord...which models of screens AND WHY?

| IP: Logged

Jason Metcalfe
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 134
From: Austin, TX, U.S.
Registered: May 2010

posted 03-28-2016 08:06 PM

Bit of a tangent, but have you ever had issues with screens showing up that have a very uneven/splotchy coating? Specifically MDI Northview

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-29-2016 06:03 AM

I have not seen that from MDI, personally. I have seen uneven coatings from Harkenss (tiger striped and on a silver screen where it almost looked like their paint gun ran out it was so uneven on.a silver screen). Silver screens are generally everyone's worst screen...they are just awful for showing movies and near impossible to not show up every flaw.

| IP: Logged

Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-29-2016 06:18 AM

We are also using MDI or Lesna for 2D, various for 3D.
Why?
Stewart are crazy expensive. For a screening room - and a client with high standards and matching budget - Stewart screens are unbeatable for image particularly in a small room where seams are hard to hide. No normal cinema I know of is willing to pay for a Stewart screen.
Lesna and MDI/Strong screens are made in Canada so shipping is less grief for us.
We will probably try a Severtson "foldable" 3D screen-in-a-box to see how it looks... dealing with large rolled screens is a PITA.

| IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-29-2016 12:52 PM

Northview 1.8 for most screens

| IP: Logged

Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 03-29-2016 01:43 PM

quote: Dave Macaulay was the last to post
Why?

We don't normally put in screens but do specify them. As I see what people have put in and how they have performed, I've been curious as to WHY they chose a particular company/surface. Was it cost, or did they like its look.

For instance, Gord just mentioned that he normally uses a Northview 1.8. Okay...so we are talking about a gainy screen with a hotspot (if it is flat and a band of light if curved)...why all of the 1.8 gain screens? Please don't say so you can use less lamp power because that doesn't work. Teh 14fL spec only applies if you are at 10.5 in the corners (or at least sides) and a 1.8 flat screen just won't do it. Anything over 1.3 won't do it. So if you are at 14fL in the center your overall image brightness is going to be just over half as bright as a matte-white screen running at 14fL in the center. Even a 1.3 gain screen is down to about 75% of a matte-white screen with 14fL.

I have not tried or seen the results of a foldable silver screen from Severtson though I'd be curious.

I don't know if I've seen a Lesna screen but I've seen their frames.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.