Acoustic Transparent Materials

The AcousticPro UHD/CineWhite A8K performs at its best in a light controlled environment, not in a room that will have ambient light. The material is a fabric with a special weave pattern for projection use. It is suggested to go with our standard CineWhite® material if a matte white screen is needed. Or better yet, our very best CineGrey 3D® or CineGrey 5D® material will perform better with a higher gain and Angular-Reflective front projection with ambient light rejecting technology.

“Yes they can be used with Active 3D projectors.”

No they are not polarized and do not support passive 3D.

Currently, the AcousticPro UHD does not have black backing. However, the AcousticPro UHD incorporates a dense synthetic weave with an average size perforation of 0.32mm designed to mitigate light penetration.

Please refer to the images below to the determine the front and rear side.

A projection screen mounted flush against the wall over a properly installed in-wall speaker will have a sufficient distance by itself. There will generally be about a 1” total distance between the speaker’s dust cap (depending on make/model) and the screen with a 5mm (.2”) spacing between an in-wall speaker’s grill and the AT screen material itself.

As long as the in-wall speakers do no touch the materials or approximately 1”.

The CineGrey 5D®/CineGrey 3D® (AT)/CineGrey 4D (AT) are great for dark room environment also, but we must understand its limitations. First of all, both materials have narrow viewing angles. So if you wish to have a wide seating arrangement after 80 degrees, you will notice a drop in brightness. Second, because they are higher gain screens they reflect more projector brightness. This may tire your eyes, so we recommend using a less brighter mode if your projector has a such setting. If that is not a problem, then these materials will work. And the best thing is, because they are angular reflective material, the projector’s light will not diffuse in all directions like a matte white material. Meaning that they will not scatter the projector’s light and create side lighting. Thus, eliminating the need to absorb it with black velvet or paint a room really dark. Third, because both of these materials are made with a neutral gray substrate, the color balance and temperature will be exceptional. The dark gray also enhances contrast and great color saturation.

No, ultra-short and short-throw projectors are not compatible with CineGrey 3D® (AT)/CineGrey 4D (AT)/5D® angular-reflective materials.

The AcusticPro UHD/CineWhite A8K/CineGrey 4D AT/CineGrey 3D AT is compatible with Active 3D projectors.  As the screen is not polarized, it will not work with Passive 3D applications.

“Yes, the black border is made of the same material as the AcousticPro UHD, thus it is acoustically transparent.”

The entire material is made of the AcousticPro UHD, so it is transparent.
Note: Black masking borders are entirely made of the AcousticPro UHD sound transparent material.

Projecting on a matte white screen material in a dedicated Home Cinema, typically requires a dark room environment for a great theatrical experience. Matte White materials diffuse light in all directions since that is their nature. This means that light will scatter everywhere in the room. That is why a dedicated Home Cinema room should try to have as much black walls and light absorbing materials to reduce the amount of scattered light. This scattered light eventually reflects back to the projection image and degrading the contrast ratio, color, and black levels which affect the fidelity of the picture. The CineGrey 5D’s CLR/ALR technology allows the projector’s light to reflect back at the mirror opposite end. This greatly reduces the amount of light scatter and instead focuses the light to the viewer’s sweet spot. In addition, the black microscopic layers improve black levels and color purity to increase the contrast ratio vs a matte white screen material.

The AcousticPro UHD is available in our Spectrum Series (non-tensioned), Saker Tab-Tension Series (Tensioned), and Evanesce Series.

All acoustically transparent materials on the market today are light enough in thickness to allow sound to penetrate it with low-level attenuation (decrease in sound quality) but normally come at the cost of having considerable light loss as well. Elite’s AcousticPro 1080P3 acoustically transparent (AT) material is an exception to this rule.  It has an astonishingly fine (.01mm) micro-perforated texture that allows sound to breathe through the fabric with minimal attenuation. At the same time, it allows the video aspects of the material to perform on the same level as a typical matte-white (non-acoustic) material does. The ultra-fine perforations of the AcousticPro 1080P3 “AT” material allows it to be used with high resolution (4096×2160 pixel ratio)  projectors. A special reflective compound coats the surface of Elite’s 1080P acoustic material to compensate for light penetration by reflecting the brightness of the projected image. All these features come together to form a product with superior acoustic transparency that has just 1% light loss while presenting a neutral color temperature (6500°-7000° Kelvin). This is equivalent and in some cases, even surpassing in video performance to a standard matte white non-acoustic projection screen.

The AcousticPro UHD material is a self-supporting, rigid material making it capable of withstanding curling/waving over time as long as it is not in a cold environment.  We strongly recommend using the product in a controlled environment with a temperate of approximately 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Elite Screens’ CineGrey 3D® (AT)/4D (AT)/5D® is a color neutral smooth surface with sparkling elements to increase screen gain in an ambient light room environment. These special characteristics incorporates a diffusion layer over a highly reflective surface which scatters ambient light while improving picture performance with a brighter image. The projector itself, however also plays a big part in creating a hot spot. Projectors highest brightness levels are focused in the center, and only about 70% to 80% in the corners. In other words, the uniformity itself is not spread entirely even across the screen, thus creating a brighter spot in the center area. To combat this, we recommend the following.

1. Reduce the projector’s light output by choosing an economy mode
2. Install the projector further away from the screen, minimum of 1.5 x the image width
3. Go with a lower gain screen

The CineGrey 3D® (AT)/CineGrey 4D (AT)/CineGrey 5D® are angular reflective front projection materials that reflect at the mirror-opposite angle. If an ultra-short throw projector is used, the material will reflect the steep narrow light and reflect it upwards instead of to the viewer’s eye level.


Image shows how a UST projector with CineGrey 3D looks like in a room with ambient light.



Image shows how a UST projector with CineGrey 3D® looks like in a room with lights turned off


The image appears to look good, but is still reflecting the projector light upwards and causing a hotspot in the middle of the image. Overhead lights are being absorbed/reflected off the material while providing great color saturation, image brightness, and black levels for a contrast rich presentation. Model# AR100DHD3 – CineGrey 3D® EDGE FREE 100” Diagonal 16:9 Fixed Frame with JVC LX-NZ3B 4K HDR Laser Projector



Image shows how good a performance can be obtained using a standard throw projector with ceiling lights above

Active 3D– All of Elite Screens’ materials are compatible with active 3D projectors.  The system utilized by Active 3D projector setups does result in an overall loss in brightness however. When 3D mode is activated on a projector, up to 50% of the lumen output is lost. The image brightness is further diminished as the viewer is required to use dark tint glasses.  If the majority of viewing will be done in Active 3D, Elite Screens recommends a higher gain screen materials such as, CineGrey 3D® and CineGrey 5D®, to help offset lumen loss.

1. 3D Polarized Silver Screen: Elite Screens Airbright3D2 on either a fixed frame or tensioned electric “roll-up” configuration.
2. Two Projectors (DLP or LCD or Lcos), any brand ok. *Pref. matching models that have the same resolution, aspect ratio, and throw distance for the best results.

Ultra/Short-throw projectors require a flat projection surface since the projector’s light is closer to the material.  Non-tensioned screen materials may exhibit minor wave or curls which may be more pronounced if using an ultra/short-throw projector.   We recommend using a Fixed Frame Screen or a Tab-Tension screen with PVC such as our CineWhite® flexible material which will provide adequate tension throughout the entire projection surface. Please click here to learn more about the CineWhite® screen material. Our Aeon CLR®, EDGE FREE® Fixed Frame is recommended for table-top ultra-short throw projectors in an ambient light room environment. Please click here to learn more about the Aeon CLR®.

A Hot Spot occurs when a projection screen cannot evenly diffuse a strong light signal creating a noticeably brighter area in the picture. With rear-projection screens, it will appear to viewers as a bright spot marking the location of the projector’s lens behind the screen. This is a common occurrence in rear projection screens; essentially a hot spot is when you can see the projector bulb through the screen’s surface. The next FAQ provides a few things you can try to reduce the hotspot effect.

Black Backing is an important feature that prevents light penetration and increases reflectivity for sharper color reproduction.

Screen material selection will depend on various factors such as type of application, environment, and projector.  Please see the screen material selection guide for a better understanding of the materials we offer. Screen Material Selection Guide 

The percent of gain difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is 10%. A gain of 10% brightness is gained from the projector’s lumens output.   Example : If a projector has 1000 lumens you’d gain 10% if the material gain is 1.1. 1000 x 1.1 = 1100