Audio Video News

Like Magic: Black Diamond Motorized Projection Screen

Bob Ankosko  |  Jun 18, 2013

Hailed as a sleek “zero-glare” alternative to flat-panel TVs, the Black Diamond Motorized projection screen is ideal for minimalist décors and spaces that simply don’t have room for a huge screen. Hit a wall switch and, like magic, a slender tube descends from the ceiling and the screen unfurls, suspended from ultra-slim aircraft cable.

The 4K-ready screen is designed to excel in bright environments thanks to SI’s proprietary light-rejecting technology, which is said to reject ambient light scatter by more than 75 percent. Black, dark gray, and silver screen material options are available with respective gains of 0.8, 1.4, and 2.7 and horizontal viewing angles of 90, 100, and 160 degrees; vertical viewing angles are 33 degrees for the 0.8 and 1.4 gain screens and 35 degrees for the 2.7 gain screen.

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Screen height is adjustable, and motorization is handled by a permanently lubricated Somfy asynchronous motor featuring overheat protection and an “extremely quiet” three-stage planetary gear mechanism with an electromagnetic disk brake. All Black Diamond Motorized screens include an IR receiver and remote control, a 12-volt trigger for automated setups, and a wall switch.

Respective pricing for a flush-mount box that disappears in the ceiling or an external-mount box that attaches to the ceiling is as follows: $6,400/$6,000 for the 92-inch screen, $6,900/$6,500 for the 100-inch screen, and $7,400/$7,000 for the 106-inch screen. You’ll need at least two people to install a BD screen: Respective weight for 92-, 100-, and 106-inch screens is 178, 189, and 197 pounds.

Screen Innovations • (512) 832-6939 • screeninnovations.com

COMMENTS
notabadname's picture
Submitted by notabadname on June 19, 2013 - 9:21am

Regardless of the tech, I think this is a pretty unrealistic representation of how on image on a projection screen (of any quality) would look in this all glass lighting environment.

Would like to see a real demo in this condition.

jnemesh's picture
Submitted by jnemesh on June 20, 2013 - 8:26am

You need to see one of these in person! This marketing shot may not be a live picture of the screen in action (it may be, I am not sure), but it IS representative of the picture quality you get, even with huge windows behind it! They actually have a video on their website showing the motorized Black Diamond in action, with a live projected image, dropping in front of an open doorway, with huge windows in the room, and in the middle of the day! While it did look somewhat washed out, it was still VERY viewable...in a setting like what is shown above, with that amount of light? Yeah, it would look as advertised!

notabadname's picture
Submitted by notabadname on June 21, 2013 - 8:47pm

I will have to see in person. I am sure the image is very viewable. I just question whether the contrast ratio would get much above a few thousand:1 (blacks in the image above, near lower frame are as dark as the black screen frame, and basically look to have the blacks of a modern flat panel, in the millions:1). But I will seek a personal demo to refine my opinion.

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