Elite Screens is a major projection screen manufacturer which produces high quality screens at affordable prices. By combining a variety of framing systems with their multiple screen materials Elite's range of options is massive so they offer a solution for nearly any application.
The ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D Series is a portable projection solution designed for users who want a high-quality screen that is easy to set up and use in a variety of environments. The screen system targets home entertainment and gaming enthusiasts who don’t have a dedicated theater space and are looking for a portable solution that delivers excellent image performance, even in rooms with ambient light.
Elite Screens officially announced the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D on March 6, 2025, and it's available now through their website and authorized resellers. The CineGrey 4D material is designed for standard long throw projectors and has a gain of 1.1, and it can effectively eliminate up to 63% of ambient light. This material is not compatible with ultra short throw projectors.
Because the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D is equipped with this ceiling light-rejecting material, it’s a great solution for any viewing environment where there is low to moderate ambient light. We have reviewed several screens in the past that utilize their CineGrey 4D material but this the first time it has been able in this manual uprising configuration.
When it comes to setup. nothing is quicker to assemble that a uprising screen. Elites offers motorized uprising screens like Elite ProAV Presenter Pro Riser CineGrey 4D but those systems are much heavier and more expensive making the manual version a better option for portable applications.
The ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D is currently available in four sizes. The 113-inch diagonal model has a 16:9 aspect ratio and is priced at approximately $960 USD. The larger 121-inch version also follows the 16:9 format and is priced around $1,080 USD. These prices reflect the premium construction and performance characteristics of the CineGrey 4D screen material.
ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D
Suggested Retail Price: $1,032.00
Ratings Based On Comparable Models
Color Reproduction
Ambient LIght Rejection
Setup
Fit and Finish
Pros
+ Quick and Easy Setup
+ Accurate Color Reproduction
+ Effective Ambient Light Rejection
+ Excellent Build Quality and Design
Cons
- Not Motorized
- Difficult to Transport due to length
- Not compatible with UST Projector
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Overview
One of the main benefits of the Elite Screens ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D screen's design is a simplified and quick installation. Setting up a floor-rising projection screen takes only a few minutes which is a lot less time than assembling a normal, soft-fixed frame screen in a room because it eliminates the hassle of assembling a frame, rolling it out, and attaching the screen material.
The Elite Screens ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D isn’t just another “portable” screen. It’s a high-quality light-rejecting, tab-tensioned screen that rolls down into a compact, hard-shell base. The screen is not motorized, so you have to pull the screen up manually, but the ezCinema Tab-Tension is much lighter and less expensive than an electric floor rising solution like the Elite Screens Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineGrey 4D. I had the opportunity to evaluate the 116-inch (16:9) version, which has a viewable area of about 101 inches wide by 57 inches tall — big enough for cinematic gaming without taking over the room.
I ran this setup in my usual living room testing space with a PS5 and Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 projector — and played Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Baldur’s Gate 3, and several other titles in a bunch of lighting conditions to see what this screen could really handle. And yes, of course, I watched movies and shows on it, too. Check out my full reviews of Baldur’s Gate 3 on a projector and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on a projector for deeper impressions.
I tested this screen in both real-world and controlled environments — playing with ceiling lights on and windows partially open during the day, as well as with lights off and windows closed for full blackout conditions. That way, I could see exactly how the CineGrey 4D performs across a wide range of use cases — and where it holds up best.
The photos above illustrate my dedicated living room test setup, which was designed to evaluate both gaming and home theater performance. In the first photo, you’ll see the CineGrey 4D screen paired with the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 projector, positioned to deliver optimal image quality in a real-world environment.
This combo was selected to test contrast, color accuracy, and ambient light handling. The second photo features the PlayStation 5, now relocated to a small AV rack off to the side of the room—a move some of my eagle-eyed readers may have already noticed. The goal was to maintain a cleaner and more streamlined layout. And yes—I promise I’ll get around to the cable management. Probably.
Designed to Deliver a Great Image In Real Rooms
According to my contact at Elite Screens, the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D was designed for big-screen movie watching and gaming in real-world environments, such as living rooms with the ceiling lights overhead or during the day with the blinds partially open. The ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D delivers a premium image without blackout curtains or a dedicated theater room.
Over the past few years, there has been a significant uptick in projectors tailored for gaming performance. These projectors offer low input lag, high refresh rates, and enough brightness to work in real rooms. We have reviewed several projectors like the BenQ X3100i, XGIMI Horizon Ultra, and the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 that pushed gaming performance to the forefront.
However, while projectors continue to evolve, the screen side hasn’t always kept pace. Portable screens are still mostly geared toward casual use or presentations, resulting in an image that looks washed out the moment a lamp is turned on. That’s where the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D stands out because it gives gamers a portable, real-room-ready screen that actually matches the performance of today’s gaming projectors. For anyone investing in a gaming projector to use in a non-light-controlled environment, this kind of portable ALR screen isn’t just nice to have—it’s necessary.
Setup and Breakdown
The ezCinema Tab-Tension screen series features a manual floor pull-up design that eliminates the need for wall or ceiling installation. It is built into a black aluminum case with a handle, and Elite includes a soft travel bag, which makes it easy to move, transport, and store the unit. To set up the screen, all you need to do is put in the aluminum case, extend the telescoping support bar, and pull the screen up. The entire process can be done in under two minutes.
The telescoping support bar locks into different height settings, and a built-in tightening mechanism assists the tab-tension system in keeping the screen surface flat and taut, eliminating waves and ripples across the material even after repeated use.
When you're done, it packs down just as quickly. You don’t need a dedicated room or any mounting gear, which makes this a solid option for anyone who needs high performance in shared spaces. Whether you're setting up in a living room, conference space, or even rotating between rooms, the CineGrey 4D adapts without feeling like a downgrade.
Whether you’re using it at home, packing it up for a presentation, or bringing it to a LAN gaming setup (local multiplayer event), the whole unit is surprisingly mobile for a product this size.
Compared to other portable solutions, such as tripod screens or inflatable outdoor models, the ezCinema Tab-Tension's pull-up floor design offers some notable advantages. The tensioned screen surface provides a flatter, more consistent viewing area than non-tensioned tripod or inflatable models. Additionally, its fast deployment makes it more convenient than fixed-frame screens, which require significantly more setup and breakdown time.
While the ezCinema Tab-Tension screen can be set up and broken down quicker than other solutions, it is larger when packed due to its aluminum case. The case for the 116” screen I reviewed was nearly 6 feet long, making it difficult to transport the screen in a compact car.
CineGrey 4D Material – Ambient Light Rejection That Works
The real star of the ezCinema Tab-Tension system is the CineGrey 4D surface. It’s a silver-gray, ambient light rejecting (ALR/CLR) material designed to block overhead and side lighting, making it ideal for rooms with uncontrolled light sources. The screen has a 1.1 gain ALR screen with 63% ambient light rejection, utilizing angular-reflective technology to reject light from the ceiling, floor, and sides. This directional filtering maintains high contrast even under ambient lighting, preserving shadow detail and black levels.
Unlike standard matte white screens, which reflect all incoming light evenly, CineGrey 4D selectively reflects light from the projector while absorbing or deflecting ambient light. This characteristic results in deeper blacks and more saturated colors in bright environments.
The real star here is the CineGrey 4D surface. It’s a silver-gray, ambient light rejecting (ALR/CLR®) material designed to block overhead and side lighting, making it ideal for rooms with uncontrolled light sources. It’s a 1.1 gain ALR screen with 63% ambient light rejection, utilizing angular-reflective technology to reject light from the ceiling, floor, and sides. This directional filtering maintains high contrast even in non-dark environments.
The material is also ISF-certified, meaning it meets Imaging Science Foundation standards for accurate color reproduction — another sign that it’s built with serious home theater and gaming use in mind.
I take this kind of certification seriously. I earned my ISF Level III certification in September 2021 after completing the Advanced Video Calibration School at the CEDIA Global Headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. The course was led by ISF Founder Joel Silver and ISF Specialist Jason Dustal, who at the time had personally calibrated over a thousand displays. That hands-on, pro-level training gave me the tools to analyze display performance with precision — so when I talk about contrast, color accuracy, and image fidelity, it’s not just opinion. It’s backed by formal calibration knowledge and real-world experience.
I gamed with ceiling lights on and windows partially open and also tested in full blackout conditions. To get a direct visual comparison, I held up a Pure White 1.3 gain screen material sample board in front of the CineGrey 4D during live gameplay. The result was clear: while the image produced by 1.3 sample was brighter, it washed out quickly under ambient light. On a non-ALR screen, blacks appeared gray, and overall visual contrast dropped dramatically. The CineGrey 4D, by comparison, held onto shadow detail and color saturation without needing a pitch-black room. Even in dark conditions, the image looked clean and uniform.
With a 1.1 gain, the CineGrey 4D material reflects a bit less light than a higher-gain white screen, but the ambient light rejection boosts perceived contrast and color. In real rooms, it often looks better. Viewing angles are solid. The screen has a viewing angle of 70 degrees, so brightness drops noticeably when viewed off-axis, but from any normal seat on a couch, it’s totally fine.
From normal seating distances, there was no sparkle or visual noise. When I got extremely close to the screen — inches away — I could detect some sparkle. But realistically, no one watches a 116-inch screen from that distance so during normal use, it’s a non-issue.
A Great Gaming Experience Even Under Ambient Light
Elite kept stressing the screen would be a great option for a console gamer looking for a portable solution so while I did watch movies and TV shows, I spent the majority of my time gaming. I set up the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D in my dedicated living room test setup, which I designed to evaluate performance of both gaming and home theater projector.
In the first photo, you’ll see the CineGrey 4D screen paired with the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 projector, positioned to deliver optimal image quality in a real-world environment. This combo was selected to test contrast, color accuracy, and ambient light handling.
The second photo features the PlayStation 5, now relocated to a small AV rack off to the side of the room—a move some of my eagle-eyed readers may have already noticed. The goal was to maintain a cleaner and more streamlined layout. And yes—I promise I’ll get around to the cable management. Probably.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The first game I played was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The third Season just dropped on April 2, and I’ve already put in serious time with the new content. The return of Firing Range, new weapons, and Verdansk coming back to Warzone the next day. I set my PlayStation 5 to output 4K/60fps to my Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 sample, opting for full visual quality over max refresh rate. While the projector can hit 4ms input lag at 1080p/240Hz, its 4K performance still delivered an impressive 15ms input lag.
The bright VisionMaster Pro 2 projector with the CineGrey 4D material delivered a crisp, contrast-rich image even under ambient light. Poor contrast makes playing fast-paced FPS games challenging. It is difficult to track a character’s movement in a dimly lit scene. The CineGrey 4D’s ALR performance kept everything crisp and visible without needing to dim the room. Under the same lighting, I would’ve lost key visual detail on a standard matte white screen.
Baldur’s Gate 3
This game’s all about mood: flickering torches, twilight at camp, glowing spell effects. The CineGrey 4D kept every bit of that atmosphere intact — even with ambient light coming through the sides of the room.
Dark scenes, like dungeons or night encounters, didn’t wash out or lose depth the way they would on a matte white screen in the same conditions. The screen’s ALR surface preserved black levels and shadow detail while still maintaining the vibrance of firelight, spell effects, and character highlights. There was no need to tweak gamma or oversaturate just to “punch through” the light — the image stayed balanced and rich out of the box.
For games like this, where lighting sets the tone for the entire scene, the CineGrey 4D gave me confidence that I wasn’t losing visual nuance just because the room wasn’t dark. That’s something most portable screens can’t offer.
I covered this game more in-depth in my Baldur’s Gate 3 on a projector review, but revisiting it on this screen reminded me how much of that cinematic feel comes down to contrast and color handling — and this screen delivers both, even in less-than-ideal lighting.
Final Verdict: ALR Screen That Travels
Starting at $879 MSRP, the Elite Screens ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D isn’t entry-level, but for a portable, tab-tensioned ALR screen, it’s a strong value. You’re getting premium build quality, ISF-certified contrast and color accuracy, and real-world ambient light performance without the $1,500+ price tag of many fixed-frame ALR screens.
While this review focused on console gaming and cinematic content, this screen clearly has range. Its ripple-free tab-tensioned design, adjustable height support bar, and durable carry case make it a practical, professional-grade solution for more than just home setups.
This screen is ideal for users who want a flexible display solution that can be quickly deployed in living rooms, game rooms, or temporary theater setups. Gamers in particular will benefit from the enhanced contrast and color fidelity provided by the CineGrey 4D material, which improves visual performance during both daytime and nighttime use.
If you are interested in purchasing the screen discussed in this article, we always appreciate it if you use one of the links in the article because Projector Reviews earns a small commission on the sale at no cost to you.
It is also a suitable choice for professionals who need a portable screen for presentations in classrooms or conference settings, where ambient light is difficult to control and setup time is limited. Setup is fast. No tripod hassles, no wall mounting. Pop it open, pull it up, done. You can store it vertically in a closet or tuck it behind a couch. The case protects the screen between gaming and viewing sessions. If you want big-screen gaming in a normal room, this is the move.
Overall, the ezCinema Tab-Tension CineGrey 4D Series delivers a combination of portability and image quality that is well suited to a variety of entertainment and professional environments. Its optical screen material performs significantly better than standard matte white surfaces in non-ideal lighting conditions. While its compatibility is limited to standard throw projectors and its viewing angle is narrower than matte-white materials, it stands out as a versatile option for movie and gaming enthusiasts who require quick simple setup and excellent image quality under ambient light.
Kam Score: 9.5/10 — A portable ALR screen that doesn't feel like a compromise. Perfect for gamers who want premium performance anywhere.
