I was somewhat surprised the other day when my FedEx delivery man struck up a conversation with me about front projection systems. It seems that the incredible value they offer in terms of price per square inch has started to catch on with the mainstream. Add to that projector/screen deals from the likes of QVC and Costco/SAM s Club and you've got a recipe for rapid wide adoption of the technology. This was made even further evident when the UPS guy struck up a similar conversation with me and even offered to buy my old Da-Lite high-power pull down screen. The world, it seems, is getting into front projectors. The question is will consumers realize that in order to get the best possible picture from their investment, they will need to project the image onto something better than an off-white wall

Features and Favorites

The Criterion Series screens come with some significant upgrades from their Precision Series counterparts. Here are some of our favorites:

• 3.25"x1.5" 6063 T-5 Aluminum Frame w/Black Hole Trim
  The most visually-striking change to the Criterion Series is the presence of a new 3.25 x 1.5 custom extruded aluminum frame. This frame is nearly identical to other, more expensive screen manufacturers but is a custom-designed solution made and manufactured by Carada. Like other high-end screens, the frame is covered in a matte velvet trim that help eliminate over-spill from the projector. This allows you to completely fill the frame and maintain a nice clean edge. M ovie theaters use the same principle when they matte the feature film screens with heavy motorized black drop cloth material.
  
• Steel Corner Braces
  14 gauge plate steel corner braces hold the frame together and provide a perfect assembled fit.
  
• 3M adhesive-reinforced screen borders
  Instead of sewing the webbing around the borders of the screen material where the snaps are attached Carada opted for a 3 M adhesive solution. Reinforcing the edges of the screen material (which is under considerable tension) helps limit the sag between snaps, and prevents the screen material from tearing away from the snaps. The industrial strength 3 M adhesive is laminated to a heavy gauge vinyl that is then applied to the borders of the screen material before attaching the snaps. This custom-manufactured reinforcing border is 100% bonded to the screen material, resulting in less sagging and buckling between and around the snaps.

Unpacking and Inspection

The 92" Carada Criterion Series screen came in a box that was approximately 8" x 8" x 8'. Inside were the rolled up screen, four aluminum frame pieces (with steel corner bracing already attached), wall bracket pieces and a small packet of screws (with extra snap-screws.) When I pulled out the screen I noticed that it had not been tightly rolled and actually showed some creasing along the length of the roll in several places. This concerned me at first, but I continued on with the assembly with a mind to pay close attention to the end result and see if any of the creases remained after snapping the screen in (they disappeared.) One thing to note is that, since every home and construction type is different, Carada opted to not include any fasteners for the wall bracket. You'll need to locate the appropriate screws for the job and base your choice on your wall construction.

Basic Setup and Installation

Setup could only be simpler if Carada had a person come to your home and do it for you. I had the entire frame unpacked, assembled and on the wall in about 20 minutes. It is essentially a four-step process and you'll need a Philips head screwdriver as well as something to help you screw the wall brackets to the wall with (I used an electric screwdriver set to the lowest possible torque.) I removed everything from the shipping box and laid out the parts, inspecting each for quality and to make sure I wasn't missing anything. The first step is assembling the frame. Since the steel corner braces are already attached and the top pieces are clearly marked with a 'T' this is a painless and easy affair. You simply push the steel corners into the appropriate aluminum pieces and secure with a screw. The holes lined up perfectly for a snug fit, and when I was done there wasn't a single gap to be seen anywhere in the corner joints. The inset picture shows the dramatic difference between the Precision and Criterion frames. The Criterion frames are much more robust, and the added width provides better spill-over absorption (not to mention a more professional feel) when viewing movies.

The second step involves mounting the wall brackets. For this you'll need 6-18 screws depending upon the size of frame you purchased. For frames under 110" wide Carada supplies a shorter 8" bottom bracket. Make sure you use a level and make careful measurements on this step as the accuracy of your top bracket determines whether your screen will hang parallel to the floor or be a cubist/impressionist piece. I found the lower bracket to be a less than optimal method for securing the bottom of the screen on account of having to invert it and get the bottom to "snap" over it. It defies logic and I hope Carada eventually reworks the system to allow you to simply slide the frame over two parallel wall mounts. This would be much easier and leave less room for error. Even after carefully measuring, I was unable to get the bottom wall bracket to line up on the first try.

After you have the wall brackets in place you can proceed to attach the screen. M ake sure the frame is laid out face down on a carpet or other smooth, soft surface. Next, unroll the entire screen and place it on top of the frame. Be sure that you unroll it so that the snaps are on the correct side and the part of the screen labeled with a "T" is oriented at the top of the frame. At this point, you simply work your way around the screen, alternating directions periodically, but always working outward without skipping over any snaps. It was at this point that I realized the small creases in the screen material that I had noticed earlier were completely going away. After I snapped in the screen there was nothing but a completely smooth, evenly-stretched surface. The last snap will be extremely difficult, but over all I think the effort required to snap in the screen makes up for itself in the wonderfully flat, tensioned surface.

After you are finished attaching the screen, get someone to help hang it on the attached wall brackets. The frame will need to be carefully lifted up and then lowered onto the brackets. At this point adjust for centering the screen properly on the wall. Once it's centered, push the bottom over the lower bracket for a snug fit against the wall (this last step may take some help and reconfiguring as it requires an exact fit.) That's all there is to it!

Calibration & Screen Material

I was able to get some pretty good measurements off of the Carada screen, letting me know that in a light-controlled room, the Brilliant white material does an adequate job of providing grayscale uniformity and color balance. I could notice no hotspots or inability to render a smooth gradation. In fact, the test pattern we utilized showed a nice, smooth white to black gradient in both directions across the face of the entire screen. Here are some measurements taken on this screen with an ISF calibrated LCOS projector:

Considering these tests came out nearly identical on a different, more expensive projector screen, I think the Carada represents a tremendous value for those looking to upgrade from their wall or a cheaper pull-down solution.

The Brilliant White screen material has a gain of 1.4 and is thicker and more opaque than the Classic Cinema White. It has a practical viewing angle of about 150 - 160 degrees and features a gentle light intensity rolloff with an absence of noticeable hotspots that plague higher gain screens. The surface itself is washable, and has a smooth, almost rubbery feel. Based on specifications, we felt that the Brilliant White would offer the best possible color saturation and grayscale uniformity of the three screen materials Carada offers.

Viewing Tests and Evaluation

While I'd love to go over every nuance and detail I experienced while watching movies on the Criterion screen, I'll save the evaluations for the DVD and projector reviews. Suffice it to say, the Carada Criterion performs a superb job of giving back the light it receives. The goal of any screen is to accurately portray the picture you are projecting - and the Criterion does that with flying colors (pun intended.) Featured here are some images I snapped that show the excellent color and detail that can be realized from this screen. Our camera, a Pentax Optio S5i doesn't perfectly capture the colors due to the limitations of the camera, but it gives you a taste.

Conclusion

The Carada Criterion projector screen offers a bargain alternative to the fixed screen wall systems offered by the name brand companies. The seamless Brilliant White screen material, with its 1.4 gain and thicker density, nearly mimics the performance of the popular Studiotek 130 screen, though further testing would be needed to see just how close it comes. I think that those looking to acquire the look of a professional installation on a budget would do well to consider Carada's new Criterion series screens - the pricing, performance and ease of use make it hard not to.

Criterion Series 92" 1.78:1 Projection Screen
wBrilliant White Screen material

MSRP: $690 (as tested)

About Carada, Inc.
Carada was started by home theater enthusiasts who went through the process of shopping for an affordable performance screen to go with a new projector. Seeing a gap in the marketplace for affordable fixed projection screens, they set out to create what didn't exist... a high quality projection screen at a reasonable price. Carada's manufacturing plant is based in the USA, and selling directly to consumers allows them to skip the middleman at a tremendous cost savings to consumers. All projection screens come with a thirty day complete satisfaction guarantee and a 3-year manufacturer's warranty.