Hey sports fans! Have you ever dreamed of projecting outdoors in broad daylight? Have you fantasized of watching your Sunday afternoon football outside while you BBQ, watching your favorite team on the giant screen? If you are anything like the vast majority of our home theater customers, you have. And now, because of the Black Diamond screen material from SI Screens, you are closer to your dream than ever before. Read on for photos and video, and more.

Dress Your Home Theater in Black

More than just improving your image in daylight, new Black Diamond II screens also improve black levels in any home theater with ambient light. In fact, SI Screens reports improvements in contrast ratios of 300% or more, and there is photographic evidence to prove it. I know, I know, you have seen these images before. But, this image reflects the quality we saw in person. Check out our training video below if you don’t believe it.

Essentially, the Black Diamond screen filters reflected light from the screen, bouncing back only the light coming from the projector and not the ambient light from other angles. White screens were designed to help improve the brightness of a projector by sending as much light as possible back to the viewer. But, now that projectors can pump out more lumens, the white screens can actually reflect too much light, scattering it around the space. As a result, there can be distracting reflections in your room. That extra ambient light can also reduce the contrast of your image. In a :30 second video here you can clearly see how the light on the ceiling disappears as the Black Diamond screen is lowered over the white screen.

Black Diamond Screens Versus Plasma and LCD TVs

Is an image on a Black Diamond II screen comparable to the image on a plasma or LCD TV? There has been no independent research done on this yet, but what we saw in our demonstration this week (see video below) was very impressive. At the very least, Black Diamond screens have helped to level the playing field in big screen technology. And if you compare the cost of a projector and Black Diamond II fixed frame screen to that of a 80, 92, 100, or up to 113-inch plasma or LCD TV, you are looking at thousands of dollars in savings.

Big Screen Prices Compared

• Plasma : 82-inch $29,999*
• LCD TV : 82-inch $49,999*
• LED TV : 46-inch $3,199**
• Black Diamond Screen and $2500 1080p Projector : 80-inch screen $4699 (available now!)

* Not readily available over 65-inches in the consumer market. Estimates for LCD and plasma based on professional product prices.
** Limited availability. Not readily available in sizes larger than 46-inches.

As the word gets out about the image quality from the Black Diamond screens, it’s reasonable to expect that a review site like Projector Central or Projector Reviews will put them to the test against a flat screen TV, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Brighter Images In Ambient Light

The Black Diamond is not only a great new technology for home theater, but it can also be just what the doctor ordered in bright office spaces, church sanctuaries, and lights on classrooms. Currently there are no motorized Black Diamond screens available, but SI Screens has them in development and hopes to have the right solution soon. But in rooms where a fixed screen will do the trick, a Black Diamond screen allows for lights on presenting in nearly any setting.

Quick Tip : If there is a window directly behind your projector it will impact the image you see because the screen will pick up the ambient light as well. In just about any other orientation, it will work its magic.

Exclusive Online Dealer for SI Screens

Projector People is the exclusive online dealer for SI Screens including Black Diamond Reference screens, and the full line of motorized and fixed frame screens. We offer full support of the products before and after the sale. Read more about our full line of SI Screens

Read more about Black Diamond II screens on our blog post from last week.

As always, if you have any questions about projectors, screens, and accessories. Call a Projector Expert today! 1-888-248-0675.