Q1. Why to you specialize in Acoustically Transparent screens when most screens manufacturers offer this only as an option?
R. Because we are mainly targeting the residential Home Theater market, and also marginally the film & sound production/post-production studio facilities.
Whenever the programme that is played back by the installed system is a movie, at lest the center loudspeaker must be behind the screen as near as possible to its middle.
This also applies to Concert videos.
Q2. Why is that? It looks like quite a few Home Theaters are installed with a solid screen.
R. Yes, but this is just wrong.
movie is made to immerse the audience in the action, in other words, to let everyone believe that the fiction is reality.
The key to achieving this is credibility. The strict minimum to achieve credibility is that the sound and the image tell the same story- that is:
- The sound must come from the visible (on the screen) sounding objects and from nowhere else
- The sound and the image must be synchronised in time
There is nothing new here: People in the film industry have been aware of this for over eighty years now. Believe me, they know what they are doing.
If you look at commercial movie theaters, 100% have the main loudspeakers behind the screen
Q3. Isn’t there any inconvenient to the use of Acoustically Transparent screens?
R. Yes, there is one: The cost is higher. Now, if you consider that the typical price of a projection screen in a Home Theater installation is typically comprised between 2% and 6% of the total budget, it puts the price issue in perspective.
Now, the difference in the experienced result is huge. Typically, if you have experienced an installation with an A.T. screen, the 3 front loudspeakers in the right position, and a correct adjustment of the lip-sync, you will never accept any different layout.
Q4. Don’t the A.T. screen degrade the sound quality and/or the video performance?
R. This is a thing of the past, it used to be the case with perforated screens. Once the woven screens became available, the advantage of having the L,C,R speakers behind the screen largely outweighed any audio or video issue.
In 2009, when we introduced the Enlightor 4K projection surface, we made a great leap forward, as the acoustic transparency was now uniform throughout the audio frequency range, and the imaging quality was the one of a solid surface.
Now with the introduction of the Enlightor Neo and Enlightor Neo-W we offer truly audiophile projection surfaces and exceptional imaging.
Q5. Where are the Screen Excellence screens manufactured?
R. In U.K, on the East Coast, more precisely in Suffolk. They are manufactured by hand and on order. This allows us the flexibility to provide custom sizes available for most of our products.
Q6. What is Screen Excellence mission?
R. To provide the custom Installer with critical components –screens- to achieve the very best possible Home Theater experience in their installations. Further, we help them by providing information, advices and installation tips.
Some of our customers have made really stunning installations, and this is what we encourage, promote and foster.