Hide your television screen on your wall. We learned of Goo Systems Screen Paint from a friend who has replaced his television with a projection system, which can project onto a wall.
The paint can be applied to any smooth surface, but we find most of its potential lies in being applied directly to the wall, providing a surface for screen projection without tell-tale signs like cords, frames, or buttons...
isn't technology so wondeful you can now paint a giant TV on your wall... *sigh*....
How are the projection screens? It seems to be all the ones I see are washed out.
Are there any converts here?
My projector is pointed at my plain ol' "landlord white" wall and looks great. Special paint is overkill unless you're installing a really high-end theater in a room dedicated exclusively to that purpose. For those of us who use our limited Manhattan apartment space for multiple purposes, plain white housepaint is the way to go. My projector set-up is significantly less obtrusive than a TV monitor would be, and takes up far less space. Most visitors don't even know I have a projector until I point it out to them.
I'm a big projection fan. But I opted for a stretched screen from Stewart over the Goo. I run a 98" diagonal 16x9 screen in a dedicated room. Yes, I'm a huge movie nerd.
Unless you have a perfectly flat wall, however, you're not going to get a great picture. Waves in your wall will show up very clearly in your picture. Most people's walls are not nearly as flat as they think.
Also, Goo is a paintable optic coating, not really a paint. It's not going to match the rest of your walls, and it will definitely reflect light differently than paint (that's what you're paying for!).
If you want a well performing screen that stays hidden I would recommend going for a roll-down screen, or a portable pop up screen.
If you want a screen with great performance on the cheap buy Goo and use it to paint a sheet of drywall (or any other perfectly flat surface).
If you want top performance and ease of installation go for one of the blue-chip screen makers like Stewart.
Click my name for pics of my theater!
I would love to hear about these projector TVs (am I the only one who has never heard of them?). This sounds like a great set-up. Not only are TVs ugly and clunky they eventually end up in landfills; one less thing to (eventually) toss would be fantastic; fewer cords and cables to contend with are the icing on the cake.
Sydney, they are simply digital projectors. Check out www.projectorcentral.com for lots of info.
You will not have fewer cords than a TV.
You will need a set of speakers and an a/v receiver to drive them (projectors don't have speakers like TVs do).
A projector will most more than many small TVs, but you can get them for cheaper than big flat panel TVs.
A projector requires that you have good light control to watch it. If your lights are on, and you have windows, your image will look pretty crappy. If you use a projector in a space you can make VERY dark you will be able to throw a huge image for far less than a panel TV.
Projectors use very expensive bulbs. Each bulb costs about $450 and will run for anywhere from 1000-5000 hours depending on your projector.
Projectors go obsolete just like TVs do, and most likely do not have the lifespan of a conventional tube TV (not even counting the bulb issues).
However, if I have not scared you off, projectors can be great. Nothing else gives the movie theater experience like a projector does. They are also fun to run during parties. At the last Halloween party I went to we used a projector to show classic and campy horror movies on a huge wall all night above the dance floor.
I ditched my video monitor (TV sans reception) when I moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan, to save space. I also ditched my DVD player and VCR. The projector lets me watch movies via my computer's DVD player, so I have no redundant equipment to deal with. I also use the same decent-quality speaker system (2 small desktop speakers and a larger box below) for both computer work and movie-watching. The projector is essentially a second computer monitor, so it's also useful for demonstrating computer stuff to visitors (I sometimes teach digital animation).
My home office/living room/home theater is 11' x 11'. The projector is a Sharp XR-10X, terriffic quality for the price and size.
I seem to have an opposite opinion from Max (although we both like projectors) - a projector doesn't need its own additional speakers, AV drivers, players, etc. if you simply attach it to your computer - assuming you have a computer already. A single monitor cable is all you need, plus a power cord to an electric outlet.
Nina, it depends what you want to do with it. If you want to watch TV and use your computer speakers you'll need a way to route the audio from your cable/antenna/satellite connection into your computer. For many people that may prove more difficult than simply having a dedicated set of speakers and amps.
True enough Max - having TV reception at home would definitely complicate things (and in my case, suck up all my time and keep me from getting any work done, which is why I don't have TV!).
Thanks for the info; I am intrigued, but it sounds like a lot to contend with. I've got a 20" conventional TV and am happy with it. I look forward to the time when TV can be broadcast live and wire-free to my laptop, anywhere on earth, at any time, from anywhere. Hopfully that isn't too far off...
Sydney, if you just want TV to your laptop I have good news for you.
Get a slingbox player. It will broadcast your TV (from cable, satellite, even a Tivo) to your laptop. If you have a wireless router for internet access you are totally set.
http://slingbox.com/
Max, you wonderful man; you are making my techno dreams come true!
We painted our screen for a ridiculous amount of money (less than 15$ CAN) using Behr paint grey called "Silver screen", mixed with a little bit more than a half of their Pearlescent white stuff. We were amazed at the result we got.
Olar