JVC DLA-X95R – Projector Screens

This isn’t too difficult!  Let’s see what we’re working with here:  The JVC DLA-X95R has about 650 calibrated lumens and about 800 in “brightest” mode.

The DLA-X95R only belongs in a dedicated home theater. It would be an inferior investment in a “family room environment”, as a good chunk of what you “paid the big bucks” for, would be diminished – especially black level performance.

So, given a proper theater or cave to place your new JVC X95 projector in, what type of screen?  and how large?

The two questions, are of course, intertwined.  Most of us will want to stick to screens with little to moderate gain.  That is, 1.0 to 1.4 or so. With much higher gains than that, roll-off and hot spotting will occur to some degree.

The big questions therefore, are:

• How big a screen your room can handle
• How big a screen you would like
• How much you are willing to alter your ideal 2D screen choice to have the projector be bright enough to do reasonable 3D.

Also I will address a theater with intential side ambient light (ie. sconces).

You know how big a screen your room can handle, if it’s on the smaller side, everythings on the table. The short version is that the X95ES can fill a 100″ screen effortlessly for 2D, and do an acceptable job for 3D, in terms of brightness.

There’s enough calibrated brightness to tackle screens in the 130″ diagonal size using a typical 1.3 gain screen, at least for movie viewing. I’m using the X95 primarily with a Studiotek 130 (Stewart Filmscreen) which is aptly a 1.3 gain screen.  If you are socializing and want some low ambient light (more for HDTV than movies), that is certainly about the limit.

Remember, your lamp will dim over time.  After a 1000 hours the lamp probably won’t be as bright at full power, as it was in eco-mode (Normal) when new.   If your theater is narrow and deep, you have the option of going a little higher in terms of gain, since people will be sitting close to the center.

It’s 3D, (as usual), that’s the problem.  With around 800 lumens to play with for 3D, even 100″ diagonal is pushing the JVC to the limit.  At 100″ the JVC is likely not quite as bright as you would like, and still not close to as bright as 2D would be on that 130″ screen we were discussing.

It’s not the screen’s fault!  The JVC doesn’t have enough muscle for 3D except on smaller screens, unless you go higher gain on the screen.

This almost begs a two screen system, perhaps a smaller fixed wall screen for 3D, and in front of it, a motorized 2D viewing screen.   That, as it happens is what I do here. Except that my back screen (100″ diagonal) I rarely use, as it is a true 3D screen, for systems with passive 3D glasses.  So far, there really isn’t a “passive” system sold in the US, for home use

If you wanted to go that route, you could drop in a screen 1.8 gain or even higher for your 3D. Going from 1.3 to 1.8 gain is like strapping another 400 plus lumens to the JVC.  The High Power screens – not my favorites at all, go up to 2.5 or higher gains.   They will solve your brightness, but with a small “viewing cone” and visible roll off.

That leaves only movie watching with intentional side ambient light.  If you don’t want to sacrifice contrast, blacks, etc., go gray.  Stewart Firehawk G3, or “equivalents”.  Also Screen Innovations Black Diamond screens.

They will handle modest side ambient almost perfectly.

All high contrast grays will help to some extent with side ambient light, but keep in mind that their gains are lower than white surfaced screens.

Choose your screen wisely!  Other than the side ambient light aspect, stick to white surfaced screens, with modest gain.