Determining the Criteria

For many of us who have fallen victim to the world of home theater technology, there comes a point when we graduate to the "big screen". For me, this happened when I stumbled across a DLA-DS1 JVC video projector that needed a new power supply. It was one of those "bargain basement" deals I just couldn't pass up. I mean, we're talking a serious upgrade from a 1997 52-inch 4:3 Sony RPTV that didn't even have RGB inputs.

To voice a disclaimer, I am fully aware that the contrast ratio for this specific projector is indeed quite low. After all, it's only recently that these better contrast ratios have shown up in LCD/LCOS projectors at more affordable prices. Please keep in mind that all of the comments and observations in this review are based on the JVC. Since the world is flooded with so many of these older LCD projectors, we wanted to know how high contrast screens would perform with projectors of such low contrast ratios. On a positive note, this projector does sport 1300 Lumens (the lamp had approximately 500 hours on it at the time of this review) and supports native 720p and 1080i resolutions (the actual resolution of the projector is 1365 x 1024.)

What led us to pursue this screen comparison? Well, the initial screen for viewing movies was a blank wall - all too common among new projector owners. While I was certainly entertained with the matte white painted surface, I wasn't at all that impressed. This brought me to the big question: What screen would be the best match and enhance the performance of a low contrast ratio projector?

   
Carada High Contrast Gray (left), Da-Lite Cinema Vision (center), and Stewart FireHawk (right)

After spending a tremendous amount of time doing research, I was rather disappointed to realize there was very little in regards to detailed reviews of actual projector screens. If you wanted to know about the latest greatest plasma monitor or DLP television there is plenty of information available, but when it came to screens, I was quite surprised to see very little thorough or professional substance on the subject. Perhaps this is because screens are about "personal taste". For example, one can find tons of reviews on speakers, but a person's favorite speaker is almost certainly based on one's personal preference, not necessarily those reproducing the most accurate sound or having the best measurements. Is the lack of reviews simply because projector screens just aren't as "glamorous" as the latest greatest THX-driven-does-everything-including-wash-the-car toy? During my research I even spent time examining DIY projector screens. While this concept was interesting, I calculated the amount of time and money that would have been spent constructing one of these screens and wrote it off as a bad match for someone looking to get consistent and optimal results. In addition, if finding screen reviews is hard, try finding a reliable, professional review of a DIY system.

From this research I narrowed down the type of screen that would produce the best results. The winner? A "high contrast" fixed screen. Determining the best technology was the easy part! The difficult task was now trying to determine which manufacturers offered the best products in terms of price verses performance.

The Desired Criteria

• High-contrast screen with gain from approximately 1.0 - 1.5
  High contrast screens offer the ability to lower the overall light level improving the black levels thus allowing us to perceive an improved contrast. No matter what, the contrast ratio will stay the same as this is dictated by the projectors capability
• 16:9 screen ratio (preferred, but not mandatory for my comparisons)
  This ratio offers what I feel to be the best ratio if you intend to view both HDTV content as well as DVD content. I feel it's a good overall compromise.
• A "fixed frame" screen
  There are a host of screen options: pull down, electric wall screens, rear projection, and fixed frame. My specific application requires a fixed frame design as it is the most visually appealing.