The difference a tube makes in projection screen fabric planarity
The difference is in the details
V-shapes, wrinkles, waves and horizontal lines. All these things can be troubling a projection screen. It makes the projected image look distorted, especially when the action is moving from left to right across the screen (or vice versa). When a scene has a car driving through a street, it would appear to be driving underwater, as the car literally ripples from one side of the screen to the other.
If your projection screen suffers from these problems, you are not getting the most from your projector. And, you are far from experiencing the best possible home theater.
| flat projection screen | fabric with waves |
 |
 |
When you have invested a good deal of money in your set up and enjoy watching movies, having these problems is definitely a situation to avoid. Saving a few bucks on a projection screen with these problems as a result is far from ideal too. How can you, when all the projection screens look the same, find the right screen? It's simple, by knowing what to look for, or ask for.
A lot of problems are caused by one of the basics: the roller tube. The roller tube is the tube onto which the fabric is attached. As it is invisible, you might not know the differences, as you normally don't open it and manufacturers often don't want you to know what they've put in...
Here are the elements of a perfect tube that guarantee a perfect planarity for your projection screen fabric:
1. A-symmetrical design that avoids horizontal lines. Attaching the fabric to a tube seems so easy: take a round tube and glue or tape the projection screen to the tube to make it stick. This method is still used by many manufacturers who need to cranck out the big volumes.However, there is a basic flaw is with the design. The glue or tape has a certain height, as has the fabric. At the point where it is attached to the tube, this will create a ridge, which will press into every next layer, creating horizontal lines at a certain interval. The result: horizontal lines which are visible in your movies. So how to avoid it? Use a roller tube which compensates for the fabric and glue/ tape height at the point where it is attached to the tube and which asymmetrical design avoids any horizontal lines in the fabric.
 |
 |
2. Wide, reinforced tubes which are perfectly straight and don't bend. Thin tubes have a problem supporting the weight of the fabric, especially in a very wide screen ( over 220 cm). This generally means that the tube is lower in the middle than at both ends (where it is connected to the side caps). The problem: a sagging fabric in the characteristic V-shape. Using a wide, reinforced tube can avoid this problem. This tube type is perfectly straight, even at longer widths and allows the fabric to hang as it should. Perfectly level. Wrinkle-free.
|
3. Made for assembly. Who cares if the screen is easy to assemble? Well, you should, considering that assembly can make or break the projection screen..Standard tubes aren't easy to use when attaching the fabric. What happens then is that the trouble in assembly leads to problems in the fabric, such as a fabric not properly aligned with the tube and wrinkles between the glue or tape and the fabric. A properly designed tube makes it easy to align the tape or glue with the tube. This allows the fabric to be attached easily and flawlessly, thus avoiding any problems.
Many projection screen manufacturers make an elemental mistake by using cheap, round tubes. Even though you might be paying a little less money, you will pay big in terms of the quality of your projection. This also explains why you might get a few replacements and still suffer the same problems.
--We have now seen which 3 elements make for a good roller tube for a projection screen. If your screen has a tube with these elements, it's a guarantee in itself too. If this much attention has been paid to the tube, you can be sure that a lot of attention has been paid to the rest of the projection screen as well. This guarantees the maximum level of joy from your screen for years to come.
So how to find that right screen? First of all, forget about buying a manual screen. It's simply too expensive to a high quality tube in a manual screen. Forget about the 200 - 300$/€ electrical projection screens as well. You'll not get these very high quality components here either. It's not that you won't be able to get a decent screen, but we are talking about perfect planarity and high performance. The type that is guaranteed to squeeze that last bit of performance from your system.
So, ask. Check which tube is used, ask for details. Learn more than the general statements. Learn about the "why". And ask for back up of the claims. If it's guaranteed to offer perfect planarity, ask about the guarantee. What's offered when it's not perfect?
Be warned though, you will be kicking out a lot of popular choices. Maybe even a few well-known names. But if this is your second screen, or if you have a discerning eye and just want the best, you now know what to look for and ask for.
And just so you know, we offer these high quality tubes and the planarity that comes with it on the M-Series, M-Silver and M-tensioned. Backed-up by a 2 year satisfaction guarantee (new replacement screen offered in case of any problem).
