Alr screen needed for Tw9400?

[harryneopotter]

So I have finally decided to increase the budget and going for Epson TW9400. Since it will be used in a living room, will it be a good idea to get an ALR (for long throw projectors) for this? The main purpose will be to:
1. Watch movies in the evening/night with blackout curtains and minimal ambient light
2. Watch sports (cricket matches mostly) in the evening with some lights on, with friends.

So while an ALR screen might be recommended for the 2nd scenario, will it be a good choice for the 1st use case? Are there any downsides of ALR screens in dark rooms for watching HDR content?

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

So I have finally decided to increase the budget and going for Epson TW9400. Since it will be used in a living room, will it be a good idea to get an ALR (for long throw projectors) for this? The main purpose will be to:
1. Watch movies in the evening/night with blackout curtains and minimal ambient light
2. Watch sports (cricket matches mostly) in the evening with some lights on, with friends.

So while an ALR screen might be recommended for the 2nd scenario, will it be a good choice for the 1st use case? Are there any downsides of ALR screens in dark rooms for watching HDR content?

What is your budget? There are no good cheap ALR screens. There are cheap ALR screens but none of them good, especially if you are an objective type because if you read about their potential issues it might put you off. They aren't even very effective. Personally I think ALR screens improve the picture in both lights on and lights off viewing. Do note that many screens of the ALR varietyt are fixed screens there is no pull down option. Whether you like the ALR screen depends on your preferences. Also to note is that projectors are not bright enough for HDR unless your talking 10,000 lumen+ on a 100-120" screen. I know you might not want to hear this but the 9400 is not an ideal candidate for lights on, I have the predecessor, the 8300, and even paired with an ALR screen the picture was completely washed out with lights on. You want at least double it's lumens for a good picture. As a side note if the 9400 is a slight revolution of the 8300 (which epson projectors in this range are) then while you may get some decent blacks in a dark room the brightness and color are lacking, it doesn't have the pop of other projectors. If you haven't already bought it I suggest you reconsider. Good Luck!

 

[sud98]

I think a TV makes much more sense in a living room scenario esp. when you have scenarios of watching it in daylight or with lights on.

 

[harryneopotter]

In the evenings for movies, I can blackout the room to minimize the ambient light to almost nil for movie watching.

Day time watching will be with blackout curtains to block day light and a light or two turned on. But its all non critical viewing (sports) where the bright mode can be used while sacrificing color accuracy. And that too only on special occasions (like finals of sports events etc). For regular viewing there is already a tv in the living room.

 

[harryneopotter]

What is your budget? There are no good cheap ALR screens. There are cheap ALR screens but none of them good, especially if you are an objective type because if you read about their potential issues it might put you off. They aren't even very effective. Personally I think ALR screens improve the picture in both lights on and lights off viewing. Do note that many screens of the ALR varietyt are fixed screens there is no pull down option. Whether you like the ALR screen depends on your preferences. Also to note is that projectors are not bright enough for HDR unless your talking 10,000 lumen+ on a 100-120" screen. I know you might not want to hear this but the 9400 is not an ideal candidate for lights on, I have the predecessor, the 8300, and even paired with an ALR screen the picture was completely washed out with lights on. You want at least double it's lumens for a good picture. As a side note if the 9400 is a slight revolution of the 8300 (which epson projectors in this range are) then while you may get some decent blacks in a dark room the brightness and color are lacking, it doesn't have the pop of other projectors. If you haven't already bought it I suggest you reconsider. Good Luck!

While I agree with everything you said, I am limited by the budget unfortunately. And I am not able to find anything better than 9400 for the same price

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

While I agree with everything you said, I am limited by the budget unfortunately. And I am not able to find anything better than 9400 for the same price

I have not seen projector options for a while. What is your budget? If you are not a stickler for black levels you could get a brighter projector. For screen even the cheap ones are no longer that cheap, a half decent screen can cost 1L now. For releatively budget screens I would suggest you consider Grandview and Elite, though I don't know current prices. Grey if you want more ambient light use and white for dark room.

I had a quick look and saw some options which might be interesting and might fit in budget, please have a look. These may be commercial projectors and the usual applies. Please do your due diligence before buying if you decide to go with these.

Optoma ZK400 DLP Projector

Optoma ZK400 projector specs, projector reviews and current street prices.

www.projectorcentral.com

Optoma UHD38 DLP Projector

Optoma UHD38 projector specs, projector reviews and current street prices.

www.projectorcentral.com

 

[hifimaddy]

if i am not wrong . you don't need an ALR screen for 9400. you should consider a white screen for better contrast and colour accuracy. alr mostly work with UST projectors .

 

[harryneopotter]

if i am not wrong . you don't need an ALR screen for 9400. you should consider a white screen for better contrast and colour accuracy. alr mostly work with UST projectors .

There are different kind of ALR screens from what I have read till now. UST projectors require an ALR screen that rejects all lights except from directly below the screen.

I have seen(read about) other ALR screens that are for long throw projectors that reflect light coming directly from the front (like a projector) and reject overhead or lights coming from the side. I have received a quote of 42k for an Eurros Alr fixed frame screen from a dealer, which sounds reasonable. Even if it's not fully ambient light rejecting, the gray color should help with the contrast. I mean, that's what I am hoping.

 

[hifimaddy]

There are different kind of ALR screens from what I have read till now. UST projectors require an ALR screen that rejects all lights except from directly below the screen.

I have seen(read about) other ALR screens that are for long throw projectors that reflect light coming directly from the front (like a projector) and reject overhead or lights coming from the side. I have received a quote of 42k for an Eurros Alr fixed frame screen from a dealer, which sounds reasonable. Even if it's not fully ambient light rejecting, the gray color should help with the contrast. I mean, that's what I am hoping.

check this one .

https://elcor.in/product/ambient-li...anti-light-projection-screens-ultra-hd-4k-3d/

 

[rshri]

There are different kind of ALR screens from what I have read till now. UST projectors require an ALR screen that rejects all lights except from directly below the screen.

I have seen(read about) other ALR screens that are for long throw projectors that reflect light coming directly from the front (like a projector) and reject overhead or lights coming from the side. I have received a quote of 42k for an Eurros Alr fixed frame screen from a dealer, which sounds reasonable. Even if it's not fully ambient light rejecting, the gray color should help with the contrast. I mean, that's what I am hoping.

The screen that you are describing works well only if you are watching from a good distance. If sitting closer, the picture is bright in center and and dims on the edges. So better to audition before taking the plunge.

 

[harryneopotter]

The screen that you are describing works well only if you are watching from a good distance. If sitting closer, the picture is bright in center and and dims on the edges. So better to audition before taking the plunge.

Oh, is that so? I haven't heard this in any reviews. I tried but i am not able to demo these screens anywhere as of now.

 

[rshri]

Oh, is that so? I haven't heard this in any reviews. I tried but i am not able to demo these screens anywhere as of now.

Yes that's how these ALR's work - They reject light coming from sides (light reflected from walls) and reflect light coming from front (light coming from projector). Unfortunately this also means that if you sitting closely, the large angle your eye is with edge of screen means you will see it dim. You need to sit far, so that every area in screen is at almost same angle with your eyes.

Better to audition somehow before spending money on this.

 

[harryneopotter]

Yes that's how these ALR's work - They reject light coming from sides (light reflected from walls) and reflect light coming from front (light coming from projector). Unfortunately this also means that if you sitting closely, the large angle your eye is with edge of screen means you will see it dim. You need to sit far, so that every area in screen is at almost same angle with your eyes.

Better to audition somehow before spending money on this.

I see. How close is close? I am planning to sit around 10 feet away from a 133 inch screen

 

[rshri]

I see. How close is close? I am planning to sit around 10 feet away from a 133 inch screen

Depends on ALR, but your case is "too close". I dont think any ALR screen (however expensive) will work so close. General guide for ALRs -
You need to sit far, so that every point in screen is almost at same angle with your eyes.