Screens Getting an Image Makeover

Apr 14, 2005 8:00 AM

Next time you look up at the ceiling expecting a projection screen to descend, be careful: You might miss the screen rising from the floor.

Sometimes it just isn’t practical to hang a screen or mount a powered screen mechanism overhead, notes Andrew Cox, marketing communications specialist at Stewart Filmscreen in Torrance, Calif. Sometimes, he adds, an overhead screen doesn’t mesh with an architect’s vision.

“We’re doing a lot of custom screens and unusual products,” Cox adds, “including a lot of odd shapes. We can make anything you want.” The prevalence of digital projectors these days means images can be modified and controlled as never before -- so if a presenter wants a triangular or oval image, both the projector and the screen can comply.

Creativity in shapes and placement is among the ways screen manufacturers are trying to add excitement to what is often the most overlooked component of an AV installation. Many innovations are intended to make controls easier to use, integrate screen functions into the overall system, and meet special needs.

“For the corporate boardroom, control options are more and more popular,” reports Gorman White III, sales and marketing manager for Hurley Screen Corporation in Forest Hill, Md. Users are especially interested in linking components through a single remote, he adds. “Nobody wants to have six or eight remotes lying around.”

A popular example is a boardroom projector with a built-in device that sends a signal to the screen drive when the projector is turned on--so the projector warms up and the screen descends at the same time.

Some screens also come with audio speakers built in. Da-Lite’s new Acoustical Imager, for example, has JBL speakers built into its frame. “It became apparent that embedding the left-, center-, and right-channel speakers into a fixed frame alleviated dry walling or wall mounting three speakers, thus streamlining the ease of installation without compromising the sound,” says Marketing Manager Matt Teevan.

Users often prefer projection systems because the screen is the flattest available and can deliver a much larger image than is currently available from plasma or LCD, Teevan says, but he adds, “Two-piece projection is by no means plug-and-play.”

Accommodating audio has long meant that many screens, particularly in larger sizes, have been made with tiny perforations to let the sound through. These perforations have also been adopted to cope with wind in outdoor settings, notes White. More and more organizations are staging presentations outdoors, and a few strong gusts can turn a large screen into a sail.

Hurley says some screens include built-in wind meters with presets to retract the screen when the wind reaches a certain velocity.

Through automation, creative designs, and better performance in presenting bright, sharp images, screen suppliers are trying to bring their product out of the shadows, and White believes they are succeeding. “The screen itself is a premium product today,” he says.

For more information, visit www.stewartfilm.com, www.hurleyscreen.com, or www.da-lite.com.