Editor’s Couch: Da-Lite Versus Stewart
Dear Gary:
I have been reading Widescreen Review with great enthusiasm since its first publication and have never seen you compromise your integrity. So I am glad that you stand behind your editorial of the Da-Lite JKP Affinity Screen. I hope they accept your shootout challenge and if the findings are consistent with the previous editorial, I hope they will take this as a challenge to improve their products.
Jayson
Editor-In-Chief and Publisher Gary Reber Comments:
We have completed our comparative testing of the .9 gain Da-Lite JKP Affinity Screen and the 1.0 gain Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 100, which will be published in Issue 148, May 2010. A full complement of test instruments were used in this independent test performed by Seth Schnaible. Seth is a well-known video consultant and trainer in high-end home theatre, and has consulted for numerous companies. Seth has been associated with Widescreen Review for several years, as our calibrator for our reference systems. In addition to our own test equipment, Alan Brawn of Brawn Consulting provided loaned equipment from Konica Minolta and Sencore. This included a Konica Minolta LS110, a Konica Minolta CS200, and a Sencore MP500 VTG. Alan is also a highly respected A/V industry veteran and consultant and trainer for numerous companies, as well as a respected industry educator. We borrowed a Byk Gardner Tri Gloss Meter from Stewart Filmscreen, as well as a Labsphere 2-inch Spectralon 99 percent Diffuse reflectance standard instrument and a Levelite Accusquare laser protractor. We used a Staco Energy Unistar power supply, I-Beamer, a JVC Professional RS35 projector, and a WireWorld Platinum Silver Starlight 6 HDMI (exceeds 1.4 specs) cable for all testing.
While we sold our custom-built facility in Temecula, California last November, the new owners, Marie and Rich Fowler, kindly let us use our former state-of-the-art Reference Holosonic® Spherical Surround™ Home Theatre Laboratory room, which is still an all-black room, though there is no equipment in place.
I will say at this time that the review vindicated my previous observations, reported in Issue 142, September 2009. You will be able to see the test results and anyone interested should be able to repeat the tests by following our procedures. We extensively documented the testing and will publish the instrument data and pictures.
While we invited Joe Kane and representatives from Da-Lite and Stewart Filmscreen, only representatives from Stewart attended.
In the meantime, you can read Seth’s review of the dnp Supernova projection screen in this issue. We intend to continue with our screen education and dig much deeper into the measuring practices of screen materials in a reference environment. Seth’s testing of the Da-Lite JKP Affinity Screen and the Stewart StudioTek 100 is far more technical, where we will teach you what the actual “Reference” is for measuring a reference screen. We will also discuss industry practices on measuring contrast ratio, screen gain, and screen uniformity—all in a real world scenario.
You can E-mail Widescreen Review @ editorgary@widescreenreview.com