Why is this so confusing??? Seymour vs. Seymour?

[Greg]

Hi, 

Going on year two plus of my basement finishing and theater build and finally to point of buying a screen.  Can anyone rank in order the following screens for best picture and approx. price as I'm so damn confused trying to read thru forums and the mfg sites make comparison a bit more challenging than anything else I've purchased in a long time. 

It'll be light controlled room 14'W x 21'D x 9'H, sitting 14' back from 150" 16:9 AT screen fixed frame, most likely Sony 295 projector (80% gaming/20% movie) I know you all love Sony...cough, cough.....and picture quality is way more important to me than audio pureness.  So what I've been able to gather is the following are the go to screens, does anyone agree or disagree and do you know msrp or just approx. what I'm looking at price wise?

1. Stewart Studio Tek 130 - Many say the best, but what are talking price wise?
2. Seymour Center Stage XD - a seemingly independent report rated this "best in class"
3. Seymour (a different Seymour?  I'm from Seymour, WI but no screen companies there, LOL) Enlightor-Bright - webpage has graphs but I can't really understand what the graphs are saying
4. Stewart 100 - Something less in quality than the 130, so cheaper?  How much cheaper?

I think those are the go-to screens, for best picture (at the expense of audio) what do you think?

Thanks,
Greg Vande Corput             

[AVSCraig]

Hi, 

Going on year two plus of my basement finishing and theater build and finally to point of buying a screen.  Can anyone rank in order the following screens for best picture and approx. price as I'm so damn confused trying to read thru forums and the mfg sites make comparison a bit more challenging than anything else I've purchased in a long time. 

It'll be light controlled room 14'W x 21'D x 9'H, sitting 14' back from 150" 16:9 AT screen fixed frame, most likely Sony 295 projector (80% gaming/20% movie) I know you all love Sony...cough, cough.....and picture quality is way more important to me than audio pureness.  So what I've been able to gather is the following are the go to screens, does anyone agree or disagree and do you know msrp or just approx. what I'm looking at price wise?

1. Stewart Studio Tek 130 - Many say the best, but what are talking price wise?
2. Seymour Center Stage XD - a seemingly independent report rated this "best in class"
3. Seymour (a different Seymour?  I'm from Seymour, WI but no screen companies there, LOL) Enlightor-Bright - webpage has graphs but I can't really understand what the graphs are saying
4. Stewart 100 - Something less in quality than the 130, so cheaper?  How much cheaper?

I think those are the go-to screens, for best picture (at the expense of audio) what do you think?

Thanks,
Greg Vande Corput           

You should call or email us for pricing. A few comments -

Both of those Seymour materials are the " same Seymour ". They also make the NEO material.

The Stewart StudioTek 130 is 1.3 gain ( before being micro-perf'd ). The StudioTek 100 is a gain of 1. It's not less quality or less in price.

There is also Stewart's " Perf O Rado " screen. The largest it comes in is 135" diagonal 16:9. 

[AVSCraig]

Also, this should be at the top of your list - https://discuss.avscience.com/index.php?topic=1810.0

[Cameron]

1. Stewart Studio Tek 130 - Many say the best, but what are talking price wise?
2. Seymour Center Stage XD - a seemingly independent report rated this "best in class"
3. Seymour (a different Seymour?  I'm from Seymour, WI but no screen companies there, LOL) Enlightor-Bright - webpage has graphs but I can't really understand what the graphs are saying
4. Stewart 100 - Something less in quality than the 130, so cheaper?  How much cheaper?

I think those are the go-to screens, for best picture (at the expense of audio) what do you think?
         

Hi Greg, from someone who knows where Seymour, WI is.  

I'm in a similar screen situation so I'll share what little I've been able to figure out.

I have a 96" ST130 and love it, but it's time to go bigger, and wider, and AT.  Everything I've read said I wouldn't be happy with the microperf at seating distance so that lets out the ST130 & ST100 for me.  Plus it has audio drawbacks that the woven screens don't have.

Here is my short list of screens.

Screen Acoustics Ultraweave V6 with AVScience frame  (this is what the link in Craig's email is)
Seymour Screen Excellence Enlightor-Neo Premier frame
SeymourAV Center Stage XD Premier frame
Stewart Harmony Luxus Deluxe frame


Stewart StudioTek 130 or 100 - Yup, probably the best screen out there if you're NOT looking for AT and you simply can't beat their Luxus Deluxe frame.  I don't have any experience with the microperf versions however.  I know you said picture quality was more important to you than audio pureness, but the microperf will take away some of the Stewart video advantage. 

SeymourAV - Center Stage XD  A friend has one of these screens and likes it fine.  I find it a bit dim but that's more due to the projector and distance from the screen as well as the fact I'm just so used to my Stewart with its 1.3 gain.  The reason it's #3 on my list is because from what I've read, I'm right at the seating distance where the weave might start to become visible.  Your seating distance is two feet beyond mine so you should be fine in that respect.

Seymour Screen Excellence - Enlightor series of fabrics.  The Enlightor Bright is the same as the Center Stage XD.  The Enlightor Neo has a slightly lower gain than the Bright but a tighter weave pattern so you can sit closer.

Think of the two Seymours as different divisions of the same company.

The Stewart Harmony is the wild card.  I found almost nothing about it on the forums or even internet searches.  The listed gain should put it about the same as the Ultraweave V6 or SSE Neo, but from the picture of the material on Stewart's sight, it looks to have a more open weave similar to the XD.  Was actually going to call AVS tomorrow and see what they can tell me about it.

Can't speak to price on any other than the XD which you can find right on their webpage.  From what I've figured out the SSE will be a bit more $ and then Stewart will be a fair bit more $ than that.  PM me and I'll tell you what I paid for my 96" diagonal ST130 14 years ago.

Take a look at the link in Craig's email and check out the Ultraweave V6.  Definitely give AVS a call and pick their brains as it's much easier than trying to read all the forums for these things. 

Not sure how much any of that might help, but I think I just talked myself into the first choice on my list unless AVS actually recommends the Harmony for my situation.

Cameron

[AVSMike]

From a gain standpoint the ST130 is best, but keep in mind, you lose gain, when you microperf a solid screen. So the actual gain of ST130 microperf is 1.17 and the actual gain of ST100 microperf is 0.9. So the advantage is smaller than many think. Also the microperf does not have near as good audio characteristics. Of all of the AT materials listed above, I like the V6 and that is what I currently use. I have tried several other woven AT screens. My AT screen before the V6 was Seymour Screen Excellence EN4K. V6 is better.

In fact in the 20k plus threads on AVSF, there is a thread asking which is the best AT screen for a Sony VW995 and the consensus is the Screen Acoustics V6. If you have any questions for a user of V6, I would be happy to answer them.

[Greg]

gain of ST130 microperf is 1.17.....gain of ST100 microperf is 0.9.

It sounds like you all really like this Screen Acoustics V6, but the gain is 0.8.  Am I over simplifying or doing something wrong from a physics/engineering/light point of view in saying the other mentioned screens will give me better picture with gains of 1.17, 1.0 (Centerstage XD), and ST100 .9?  Or am I missing the boat?  The Sony 295 isn't a monster projector light wise and I'm shooting for a 150" (diagonal) 16:9.       

edit addition:
I might be a little slow in terms of business savviness and may have just realized why no one wants to discuss these things on forums...I'll call to discuss....even though I have a huge preference to online read and click to buy.  This whole theater project makes me feel like a kid tagging along with my dad when he used to buy stuff, go around and talk in person to everyone.

[AVSCraig]

You can't " click to buy " Stewart micro-perf'd screens anyway. They are pretty expensive - and you want to make sure you are getting the right screen. They are brighter. They are also 5X as much money !

[AVSMike]

It sounds like you all really like this Screen Acoustics V6, but the gain is 0.8.  Am I over simplifying or doing something wrong from a physics/engineering/light point of view in saying the other mentioned screens will give me better picture with gains of 1.17, 1.0 (Centerstage XD), and ST100 .9?  Or am I missing the boat?  The Sony 295 isn't a monster projector light wise and I'm shooting for a 150" (diagonal) 16:9.       

edit addition:
I might be a little slow in terms of business savviness and may have just realized why no one wants to discuss these things on forums...I'll call to discuss....even though I have a huge preference to online read and click to buy.  This whole theater project makes me feel like a kid tagging along with my dad when he used to buy stuff, go around and talk in person to everyone.

Most of the good stuff in AV is not allowed to be sold online. Online is click and buy, like Amazon. The microperf screens are brighter, but you need at least 12' viewing, to minimize the microperf showing. With some of these woven screens you can view as close as you want. Also with microperf, the audio does not pass through the screen material anywhere close to as good as a woven screen. You also need 8" to 12" of space between the microperf screen and the speaker. only an inch or two is needed with a woven screen. Towing the speakers in behind a microperf screen is more of an issue, than it is with a woven screen. Lots of good reasons to go woven. The only negative is the gain. But with a ST130 screen you do get some sparkle, so you do get that artifact on the microperf ST130. And as Craig said, the microperf ST130 will cost five times as much.

[jkasanic]

I have tried several other woven AT screens. My AT screen before the V6 was Seymour Screen Excellence EN4K. V6 is better.

Mike, would the V6 be a “drop-in” replacement for my EN4K SE 126” (110” wide) frame? It’s the frame style where you just push in the material so I’m thinking it should be? If so, could you email me pricing? Thanks.

[AVSMike]

Mike, would the V6 be a “drop-in” replacement for my EN4K SE 126” (110” wide) frame? It’s the frame style where you just push in the material so I’m thinking it should be? If so, could you email me pricing? Thanks.

Yes, drop in replacement.

[Pultzar]

You should get samples.

The StudioTek screens are brighter and sharper, but if you need AT then the perf has minimum seating distance and isn't as good for audio.  So all about priorities.