Lunette 2 Series

While the frame structure and screen material performance remain the same between the version 1 and version 2 of the (Lunette, SableFrame,ezFrame) series, there are two main differences.

– Version 2 features a newly designed material that has a rubber-edge border (does not apply to AcousticPro materials) which makes installation a lot easier and a lot less time consuming.
– Version 2 comes with an installation kit that includes wood screws & improved dry-wall anchors, wall brackets, screwdriver, and a mallet.

Both of these new features help speed up the overall process of assembly and installation of your fixed frame projection screen.

The radius curvature is 40 feet.

No, an anamorphic lens is not required for a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. You would only need an anamorphic lens to “stretch” your 2.35:1 image onto a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen when using a 16:9 projector to eliminate the top and bottom black bars.

The degree of the curve on the Lunette is 15 degrees

Curved screens do not require a special HD (high-definition) projector or lens.  A curved screen’s design primarily improves image depth and perception while increasing brightness uniformity. It also creates a heightened sense of immersion for an improved cinematic experience.

No, the 16:9 format does not suffer from the “pincushion” or “barrel” effect that is experience on the 2.35:1 aspect ratio due to its wider format.

Although the edges of a curved screen are (physically) further from the wall than the center of the projection screen is, it does not impact the actual focus of the picture for this reason. When a screen is flat and it is being illuminated by a single center-point light source (aka 1-projector) the light is actually travelling a longer distance to reach the edges of the screen as opposed to the screen’s center. This uneven “throw distance” can actually create distortion that manifests itself in the form of an “hourglass-shaped” image. If a projection screen is properly curved, the light hitting the edges is actually traveling an equal distance to the light rays that hit the center of the screen. If anything, a curved screen provides enhanced clarity on the edges. This is why curved screens and geometric correction features on projectors are a must for many of today’s video aficionados.

Curved screens do not require a special HD (high-definition) projector or lens. Actually, the curve screen is made to enhance the performance of projectors shooting in either a widescreen or cinemascope format. A curved screen’s design primarily improves image depth and perception while increasing brightness uniformity. It also creates a heightened sense of immersion for an improved cinematic experience. When you have a projector with a wide aspect ratio, the light travels a longer distance from the projection lens to the sides of the screen than it does from the lens to the center.  This causes the image to distort into an “hourglass on its side”-shape.  The curve ensures that the light travels an equal distance to all points of the screen so that the image is proportional. The curve also enhances the viewer’s sense of immersion just like in a large movie theater.

Despite its good looks, a curved projection screen plays a valuable role in today’s home theaters. Residential cinemas are more commonly featuring the same wide “Cinemascope” screen format as one would watch when actually at a movie theater. This wider format looks great but also creates problems that a curve screen design eliminates. The curve serves two purposes. First, it has an aesthetic appeal that draws in the viewer by enhancing a sense of immersion while enhancing resolution and brightness. The curved screen, together with the anamorphic accessories will increase brightness and enhance resolution by up to 30%. It does this by eliminating the black margins that can appear on the projection surface of flat cinemascope screens. Second, it eliminates a visual artifact known as “pincushion effect” which is encountered when scalers and anamorphic lenses are used to create a 2.35:1 (Cinemascope) format.  Pincushion effect is when the top and bottom center of a projected image appear to droop inward creating an hourglass-shaped picture. This happens because the light travels noticeably further to the edges of the screen than it does to the center (The further the throw distance, the larger the image), creating unsightly black margins on the screen itself. The curve design ensures that light travels the same distance to reach any point of the screen thus creating a properly proportioned image. Here is a quick video on Pin cushion and curved projection screen.

In addition to an appealing aesthetic appearance, the advantage of having a black velvet covered frame is to help absorb projector overshoot.

Center support bar for larger size fixed frame screens goes inside the top of the groove located on the back of the frame.

Elite Screens does not recommend attempting such an installation as in most cases it would not be possible. This is because the frame has to be lifted directly above and then placed down onto the brackets. The brackets will then latch onto the grooves of the frame and hold it in place. Mounting the wall brackets flush to the wall and ceiling would not provide the clearance needed for the frame to be lifted above the brackets. Elite Screens recommends the wall brackets be placed no closer than 4-6”(depending on the thickness of the frame) below the ceiling as that ditstance would give you the clearance needed to lift the screen above and then onto the brackets.