Projector Screens (again!)

[David Rowlands]

Thank you Dave Watterson and Billy from Consett for your very helpful comments. Our Club is still arguing over what to get. We have narrowed the possibles down to about six - I favour a Pull Up or Tripod in 4:3 format - others prefer an Easy Fold. Billy mentioned a seven foot screen his Club uses - is it the Sapphire Pull Up? Do Pull Ups & "Quality" Tripods suffer from edge curl? Since 4:3 format is likely to be with us for a long time yet we think that this is preferable to 16:9 for the foreseeable future - or are we wrong? Which looks better, a 16:9 picture on a 4:3 screen, or vice versa? Sorry to come up with more questions, but the whole subject is a minefield, especially since most retailers do not offer demonstrations.

[Dave Watterson]

Our eyes see an area wider than it is high. Often we concentrate on something in the centre of that width, such as the person talking to us and we ignore the surroundings. Usually we absorb all of the height of our vision.

To me that suggests that a 16x9 screen is a better match for our eyes than a 4x3. If we watch 4x3 images on a 16x9 screen we easily ignore the blank edges. The other way round we are always aware of the blanks above and below.

Certainly that has been my experience watching projected video at home.

Dave

[Stephen]

16:9 is definitely the way to go...

as Dave said our eyes accommodate the 4:3 on a widescreen no problem, that was a concern some members had... but it all seems to work!

I think I can speak for most of the members of Newcastle ACA in saying that Billy did a great job specifying the standards we needed for our new equipment this year
a lovely 16:9 roll up down widescreen and full HD projector.... our films look fantastic!

now where can we get some cinema seats and Lyons Maid ladies !!!!!

[Peter Stedman]

Further to Dave Rowlands original posting, I would mention that we are both members of the same club, but not in opposition I must say. (Quite a lot of blood spilt in the club already) I like Dave Watterson’s explanation regarding the choice of a 16x9 or 4x3 screen. Very interesting.

However I will put another fly in the ointment . . . Occasionally we have presentations of digital still photographs and using either format screen above results in all the portrait shots being considerably reduced in size. Therefore my suggestion is to have a square screen. This can be raised/lowered for 4x3 or 16x9 but at full height for portrait still photographs. I will now stand well back to see more sparks fly. Pete.

[Dave Watterson]

Consider two separate screens: one for video use and one for stills. You may find that easier and cheaper to obtain that a single all-purpose unit. That would mean extra storage/transport.

Dave

[Peter Stedman]

I could see that coming a mile away . . . . Pete

[granfer]

Correction....real Cinema Seats and Lyon's Maid ladies can only be used when REAL FILM is being projected.

Therefore, your screen will also have to accept at least 2.35:1 or even 2.66:1.

It is permissable for the Ladies to double as usherettes so long as they use torches with dry cell batteries and tungsten bulbs.

granfer

[Mike Shaw]

It's my belief that the eye sees things 'in the round', that camera lenses actually see things 'in the round (we just mask off a particular rectangular area of that.

So I think that projected material should be circular, and screens circular to suit.

The focus of attention, then - just as with the eye - will be dead centre. Always.
Makes life a lot easier than worrying about thirds and all that...

(Can I take my tongue out of my cheek now?)

[Peter Stedman]

Can't find any circular/round screens on the net. Can the IAC supply?
Perhaps this message can be circulated around the clubs. I can see that some folks have been drinking from damp glasses again.

[billyfromConsett]

The pull-up screen we acquired sure is 7 feet wide, but when we used it a couple of weeks ago I noticed that it has indeed a white 4:3 area.
We use it for both formats of movies we make.

We bought it here and this spec is one this page http://www.saville-av-online.com/showSu ... ategory=24

[Roy]

Stephen. I can remember that in the far distant past, Newcastle ACA did have tip up cinema seats, and a sound proof projection booth to boot. I can't remember any Ice cream ladies though. There was also a permanent screen and stage curtains as well. Those were the days, when film making was hard work but club meetings were like having a night out at the pictures. I wonder if that's what's missing these days at club premises, there's no showmanship and no atmosphere to encourage non video addicts to attend, for me it seems very clinical. I suppose it's a sign of the times, I now hate going to the cinema and sit gazing at a big bare white screen before the film starts. showmanship has also gone out the window at modern cinemas. Regards Roy

[Stephen]

Roy. I think you may have touched on something that has most certainly been lost over the years. I am far too young to remember the hey day of cinema days (ahem!)

but do remember the atmosphere in the early 60's (as a boy) going to the saturday club at the ABC Ritz Gateshead or to see a big film (plus a 'b' movie!). The Lyons maid ladies comment was a bit tongue in cheek but hey.. finding myself in my early 50's I want that time back again. The clinical approach clubs have taken in the mad race for technology has certainly all but killed that atmosphere off.

So how do we go about getting it back?

Unfortunately today, people watch films in isolation ... just look at what you can view with youtube, vidmeo etc. people do not interact with people as they used to. I for 1 watch loadsa stuff on the net, but would never give up my trip to my club!!!!

I need to do some work on this !!!!!

[FILM THURSO]

I've been trying to get a cinema to part with one of those Lyon's Maid trays. (they don't come with an usherette- dang! or any ice creams- double dang!)

I prefer the 2.35:1 or 2.66:1 and as Phillips and the llike have a working 2.35:1 telly it's kinda obvious where format is heading.

16:9 is an inbetween format, it's inbetween the formats and it's in between the generations of film technology. I think 16:9 will fade quickly when the wider TV's and cameras. It will also save looking for those precious anamorphic lenses, the good ones are getting harder to find.

[billyfromConsett]

16:9 will be the standard for years I'd think. I mean, if the quality of VHS was accepted by the masses for so long, what will get the masses all to swap their tellies for even wider and shorter models? My plasma telly allows proper movie ratio films to be shown properly mind.

[FILM THURSO]

The one thing that will make people move is ego! "Oh, you've got a 16:9, how quaint!" the neigbours will say. I'm sure 16:9 will will hang around with the die-hards same as energy saver light bulbs now that everyone is being forced to buy them just when LED is the new generation of lighting.

Widescreen tellys do show correct ratios but they don't show them in correct scale. All formats are the same hieght, only the width differs. Imax does it's own thing failing to realise that the object of wide formats is to broaden the horizontal field of vision. This doesn't stop vertically wide images being attained on screen. If they make more films like Ben Hur then we'd need a 3:1 ratio. Wide formats are only letterbox when viewed on a tv.

As for me I'm sticking with 4:3 projection in conjuction with 1.5x or 2x anamorphic lenses.

I just recently got a very nice VHS-C off ebay for a mere £23, hardly used and does a great job. It has mono sound too which is better at capturing the lower frequencies unlike digital which has the sound values of a tin.