Impact screen - light retention

[rdh]

I was going to just email Cory directly, but figured this way anyone could chime in (you too Cory!).

So...I have a good impact screen but it is definitely wearing down and I'll probably need to look at a replacement this winter. I'm wondering about a couple things:

1. When I look behind my impact screen, I can see the projector image pretty clearly on the black cloth behind it (that covers my cage). So, quite a bit of light is passing through. In my mind, I am thinking this is lost "brightness" and the image would be better if the screen absorbed more of the projection instead. Am I correct there?

2. Continuing on from #1 a bit...if I want a REALLY great quality image, what kind of money do I need to spend and what products are recommended? I assume some commercial setups have pricey screens that really absorb the light for a bright, crisp image. Plus they have to hold up to many players every day, so they must be very heavy duty. Does anyone know what those environments typically use or what would be worth looking at?

[bubba22]

In keeping with this, I wonder how much the passer screen from Full Swing will cost or arethere any other ompanies selling something like that? Would you know Cory/

[rdh]

One more thing...I would live with a louder impact sound if that is the tradeoff to get a great image. My screen right now is fantastic from a noise perspective, but the image quality is more important to me. Since I have my device out in the garage, it's far enough away from the family that the noise isn't an issue.

[steb]

You're definitely losing brightness. The projector screen I use in my home theatre doesn't even allow a faint image to be seen on the back of the screen let alone the wall behind it.

You could try viewing a grayscale pattern through the projector after placing a mirror directly behind the screen to see what sort of improvement might be possible. Or even just putting some white melamine board in front. It might be insignificant.

[janton79]

rdh,

Can you give details about your screen (where you got it, how much, did you have to hem or add grommets, etc.)? My screen will be in the house and we have a young child, so noise dampening is important. Thanks.

[rdh]

I bought my screen through Cory. It is 9.5' x 9.5' and came hemmed with grommets for mounting. It's good sturdy material but great for noise as it's fairly cloth-like. The picture on it is quite good...don't get me wrong based on this post...I'm just looking at options to get even more out of the screen since I may have to replace mine in the next 6 months or so. I had it a bit tighter to the cage than you're supposed to as I really wanted a smooth, flat surface....the tradeoff is that it puts more stress and wear on it.

I forget the price it was...maybe in the $400 range? Cory...you can chime in here.

[ZMax]

Was that Cory's HQ screen? The one that you can buy by the foot and put it together yourself?

[rdh]

I don't think so...it came in a standard 9.5' x 9.5' size and had a hem and grommets.

[bubba22]

I have the HQ screen from Cory and rather like it. I think the picture quality is very good.

[steb]

In keeping with this, I wonder how much the passer screen from Full Swing will cost or arethere any other ompanies selling something like that? Would you know Cory/

I wonder if one could just do vertical slices across an normal impact screen, or it would have to be weaved like FullSwing's to keep it all tight and limit breaking.

Feel like trying it?

[bubba22]

I am not following your thoughts steb?

[steb]

Sorry, the FullSwing pass thru screen as far as I've seen is a woven mesh of screen material strips, like the left most diagram (but tighter so there are no visible holes). The ball pushes its way through.

The pattern on the right could be done by slicing up a normal impact screen and also allow the ball through, but would it stretch out of shape or snap too easily?

screen.jpg

[Par2Pro]

Hey All,

Here is me 'chiming' in

Picture Quality
Picture quality is based on the screen gain or reflectivity of the screen. Unfortunately no impact screens out there (that I have seen) have a standarized screen gain rating. However, I have purchased and tested as many screens as possible and have seen a huge variance in quality based on the composition and finishing of the material.

While I agree that in theory you may lose brightness when you can see the picture in behind the screen, it may not necessarily give you less of a picture than a solid screen (if the material and finishing were the same then that would be true).

I have seen and tested a mesh screen that shows a better picture than the some of the best screens out there, but the material falls apart too easily.

On that note, I have a new mesh screen coming out and you can see a picture of my prototype screen on the attachment.

The picture quality is not as good as the solid screens that I carry, but it is a lot more quite yet still very durable.

Anyways, there are a lot of theories for quality of picture when it comes to projection screens (and home theatre ones can cost thousands of dollars and don't even allow a golf ball to hit it at 150 mph! ) but the true test is seeing it for yourself. Unfortunately not everyone has the opportunity to do so, so I am happy to pass on my experiences.

I have setup a comparison matrix of the ones that I carry here (the mesh will be coming soon):
http://par2pro.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=23_35


Pass Through Screen
I was also fortunate enough to be able to test out this really cool screen. You can see a video of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42uFlN5oqIw

You can't really see what it is made from, but I got a chance to check it out up close. It is basically vertical and horizontal elastic bands. Very cool, but the picture quality is not as good as a solid screen because you can actually see the lines.

Hopefully that helps, but feel free to ask me anything else or provide any personal experiences - I'm always looking for real world feedback!

PS: rdh bought the Light Impact Screen

[Par2Pro]

Steb is pretty much on it as far as the weave goes, but if you cut up an impact screen most of the screens out there are not made of rip stop fabric and would just shred. Elastics are a great way to go for durability, but not for picture quality.

If anyone knows of a rip stop fabric that has an xtremely high tensile strength (along with a good elasticity) then please let me know and I can try testing some out.

[ZMax]

Cory,

Is the light model the same as the one sold by CDG for $300?

[Par2Pro]

Yup, they are manufactured by CDG and I carry stock in Canada and can also ship from the US (so no border taxes either way).

The one that rdh got was 9.5 x 9.5 which retails on CDG's website for $399.95. I sell the same one for basically the same price ($399):
http://par2pro.com/catalog/product_i...products_id=53

Just be sure you select the right size as the 7.5 x 7.5 version is the default product at $199.

[bubba22]

Looks awesome Cory.

[shoot4one]

Is thegolfsale.com and Par2pro the same? I see some of the same pictures.

[bubba22]

No they are not the same.

[Par2Pro]

Nope not the same

[Andisblue]

Are you sure he is losing brightness? Placing a white bedsheet behind the pr-20 did not improve the image noticeably.

[goatbarn]

I placed a blackout screen behind mine and it dramatically improve the image quality.

[Andisblue]

I placed a blackout screen behind mine and it dramatically improve the image quality.

Behind your PR20? I wonder why black would help? Anyone have an explanation? Seems like black would just absorb the light.

[goatbarn]

Yeah I'm not sure why it's better than white, but it definitely gets rid of that washed out look. Assuming it's because its restoring contrast to the picture by improving how the dark areas look, while the lighter areas stay the same. It's night/day from without it, not to mention I can play in bright sunlight in my garage with no picture quality loss.

[Andisblue]

I think I get it. Since it is mesh, dark areas can now be darker. I am also setup in the garage, and will have to try this!

How about image quality? Have you been satisfied? Seems as though the PR-20 gives this effect as if you are loooking through a screen porch or a CRT tv.

[goatbarn]

Yeah I have a crappy 1200 lumen projector and it's more than fine for me. I do not use it for anything other than the sim. If I were able to run the software at a higher resolution I would look into a more expensive option. But the PR-20 is perfect for my standards, and it's 1/3 the price of anything else the same size but better picture quality.

[TheGolfer]

don't know the technical reason why it helps. i have black carpet on the wall behind my screen but on my second screen decided to go with home depot weed control black fabric. mine is 8x14. got two 15 foot strips and black taped them together. then it easily taped up around the frame just inside the screen a couple inches. haven't tested the pr-20 with and without the material so not sure if it helps or not. just read about it on the threads. very cheap solution.

[Andisblue]

I tried using black plastic sheeting 10'x25' and it covered the entire garage opening. It works wonders.