Masquerade: First Impressions and Installation
Carada unveiled, for the first
time, its new Masquerade automated masking system at the Audioholics 2007 State
of the CE Union Event. To say that this is an industry-changing product (at
least in terms of price to market) would be an understatement. Sold for the
price of some competitors' fixed wall screen systems (just $2499 for a 110”
diagonal) the Masquerade offers full horizontal masking up to 2.70:1, meaning
that all of your widescreen movies can now be watched without those often
annoying black bars.
Editor's Note: Why Use a Masking System?
When watching most theatrical movies on a 16:9 screen you will notice, if your system is configured correctly, that there are black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. This is due to the fact that the movie is in a wider aspect ratio than your 16:9 screen. These black bars are rarely ever truly black and can have the effect of making the overall picture appear recessed and less realistic. Adding a masking system provides light-absorbing material which takes these black bars and effectively removes them. All that is left is the true aspect ratio of the movie - making for a truly immersive experience.
There are several things which set apart the Masquerade from competitors. For one, the system is made to work with virtually ANY 16:9 screen, even a do-it-yourself model. This is the first I've heard of a masking system that is made to retrofit anyone's screen - this despite the fact that Carada also makes its own excellent screen products. The system comes shipped in four (4) pieces which arrive in a single custom shipping container. This shipping method allows the Masquerade to make its way through entries and other tight spaces without much difficulty at all - and get this: for screen sizes under 115-inches, the Masquerade system can actually ship via FedEx Ground. You then assemble it one piece at a time over the top of your existing screen.
We saw the system close up and witnessed much of the installation process and, while it can certainly be done by one person, two are recommended for best results (especially when mounting the top and bottom structures which contain most of the motorized and mechanical parts.) The top piece is installed first by mounting a single wall bracket and then hanging the top piece on it. You then anchor the top of the masking system to your wall at each corner. The key is making certain the initial bracket is perfectly level. Also, when ordering, remember to take into account the full width of the Masquerade which encompasses your entire screen. Once the top is mounted correctly, you can unbox and prep the bottom piece.
Simply flip up the left and right vertical guide rails from the bottom piece (like a Swiss Army knife as Carada's David Giles likes to say) which guide the smooth action of the masking material and allows you to "hang" the bottom piece in place. You really can't miss on the bottom piece as the top of each shaft has an eye bolt which slips over a 5/16-inch bolt in the top assembly. How's that for accuracy? A nut then goes over the top two bolts, securing the vertical positioning for good. At this point the bottom assembly is free-swinging. You just square it and anchor both corners. The next thing you do is raise the lower masking bar, loop the straps around each end, and screw it securely into the machined slides. The motor wire then gets connected into the PC board. You can order the system with a standard AC plug or without (so you can hard-wire it with Romex for a truly professional installation.) The power entry point is on the back of the screen, about 4 inches up and 2 inches in from the bottom right. Finally, the side panels mount into guides which provide a very small tolerance - making for nice clean corners. As long as this description may have sounded, installation was quick and, for the most part, quite painless.
