Product: Elite Spectrum, 125" 16:9 Electric Screen, MaxWhite 1.1 Gain:
Some of the reviews here on Amazon for Elite Screens are a mish-mash of different models and some were not favorable; I don't know why Amazon continues to lump different models of a manufacturer into one single product. In any case, here's my initial review that I will update later if necessary:
SHIPPING, DELIVERY, AND PACKAGING:
I purchased my screen from Elite Screen via Amazon: Elite Screens says they ship your order no later than 3 days of their receipt of the order. That was precisely the experience I had. My order was shipped within 3 days.
Actual delivery was well ahead of the indicated delivery window by Amazon. Overall, I received my order within less than 8 days from placing it to actual receipt. The only minor issue with delivery was that I was given a 9 am to 1 pm delivery window by the shipper and they showed up after 3:30 pm. But it did arrive on the day the shipper said it would. FYI: I would guess that due to the size of the screen it had to be shipped by freight rather than the more typical UPS or FEDEX etc. But shipping was free. And to the shipper's credit, the delivery person actually brought the screen into my house rather than just park in front of my house and have me bring it in myself (i.e. it was not drop-shipped).
Packaging: This is a large screen (125" diagonally) weighing around 34 lbs: The shipping container was made of substantial heavy-gauge corrugated cardboard with double boxing, and the screen was suspended internally with sold heavy-duty foam spacers along its length and most importantly at each end of the screen. In addition, the entire screen was wrapped it protective clear plastic.
Upon delivery the shipping carton showed a minor surface tear at one end, but not significant, and it didn't penetrate to the screen itself, the tear was superficial to the outer packing: Upon opening the carton the screen was perfectly OK thanks to the excellent packing by Elite Screens and the care used, and the warning labels to handle with care, etc, printed on the carton.
SPECTRUM SCREEN:
This screen is from the Spectrum line of Elite Screens. This is a motorized screen but not a tensioned screen. This is a MaxWhite screen with a gain of 1.1. "MaxWhite" really refers to the type of screen material used, though it doesn't specify exactly what that material is. According to info from Projector Central (projectorcentral.com) the screen is interwoven and multi-layered cross array with a white reflective compound. In addition, the MaxWhite screen provides great color and black and white uniformity and a great viewing angle, and the screen can be washed with mild soap and water. The material is said to be both flame and mildew retardent as well.
The screen has a 2" black border and a black drop area at the top that is around 6". The bottom of the screen is attached to a weighted pole that runs the width and a bit more of the screen. The screen comes in a solid metal black casing casing (which actually looked like a very very dark brown). The unpacked screen's weight is around 32 pounds.
MOUNTING AND INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
Mounting the screen can be to a flat wall or to the ceiling, or even hung. In my case mounting was somewhat unique in that I could not directly use a wall or ceiling or hang it; I had to construct a mounting frame that was itself then attached to a piece of structural architecture supported by two fluted columns. However, once that frame was constructed and mounted, actual mounting of the screen was straightforward using the wall-mount holes on the end-caps of the frame. Interestingly, there are two ceiling mount holes at each end and only one wall-mount hole at each end. There's also a single hanging-mount hole at each end as well if you choose to hang your screen. The screen came with basic hardware to mount into a drywall or ceiling. Any hardware such as L brackets or anything else has to be purchased separately.
INSTRUCTION BOOKLET / ACCESSORIES
There's a printed instruction booklet that came with my screen. However, for some odd reason, the booklet was in French. While French is a beautiful language I am not ashamed to say that it is not my native tongue. I had to go online to the Elite Screen's website to view and download the English version (PDFfile). Why Elite Screens would include a French version for a US shipment and require one to go online to access the English version is a mystery. It should have been just the opposite; The English version should have come with the screen and require you to go online if you want the French version.
In any case, after downloading the English version and having had experience mounting screens before, I didn't learn much more than I already knew. If you've ever mounted a projector screen before you really don't need this instruction booklet for that. However, there is some information on the accessories that came with my screen and the booklet - actually not more than 3 pages - shows those accessories and how they are attached. As for how they are attached it's rather vague, though you'll likely get an idea. You can always call Elite Screens if you have any questions; They include a toll-free telephone number
ACCESSORIES:
My screen came with an infrared remote with batteries, as well as an electrical wall switch for mounting into a wall. The remote also came with a holder which can be handy if you plan to keep the remote nearby; Just mount the holder on a wall. In addition to the infrared remote, you can purchase an additional radio remote that has a greater range and doesn't require line-of-sight to the screen as the infrared remote does. Also, there are informational inserts on an accessory for a 12 V trigger using radio control if your projector does not provide a 12V trigger output.
Getting the battery compartment open on the infrared remote was challenging: The removable cover for the battery compartment was so tight that I thought I was going to break the case trying to open it. For some reason, it requires significant pressure to open the case. I don't know if it was a fluke with my remote or it's by design. But if it's by design I think Elite should perhaps look into it because it's really hard to open and while I didn't break the plastic case, someone else just might. The remote uses two triple-A batteries (included). I didn't wire and use the included electrical wall switch so I can't comment; However, it looks exactly like the remote's three buttons, one for up, down and stop.
When viewing the screen from the front, at the left of the screen's casing is the AC electrical cord and also a small infrared sensor mounted on one of the sides of the metal casing angled downward around 45 degrees. When using the infrared remote you just point it to this area and the screen responds.
To my surprise, also included is a carpenters level: You'll need a level to ensure your horizontal is truly horizontal and your verticals are truly vertical when mounting a screen. If you already have your own level use it instead; If you don't have a level use the one included - it should work and will be very handy.
SCREEN UP / DOWN MOTION
After having finally mounted my screen I was very anxious to try it out as you can imagine but was a bit pissed because I couldn't get the battery housing open to install the batteries. However, after finally getting the plastic case open and installing the batteries I pointed the remote to the top left corner of the screen and pressed the down button: As if by magic the screen began to slowly descend with a very low purr of its motor. Now, some other reviews have complained that the speed is too slow. Personally, I didn't find it slow, though it is slower than a Dalite screen I also have. But I like the very deliberate and dramatic pace at which the screen descends. Similarly, pressing the UP button causes the screen to return upward. Pressing the stop button at any point simply stops all motion.
Now, on a Dalite motorized screen I have (at least 20 years old), pressing the up or down buttons on the electrical switch (it has no remote) requires that you pay close attention to stop it at just the right point, otherwise, it continues to move in the direction it was going. And if the Dalite screen is moving up, and you don't stop it, it continues up into the casing and the screen will roll around in its case causing quite a bit of a racket. I've never tried to see what happens if it continued in the down direction... perhaps it would damage the screen. However, I am very pleased to say that with the Elite screen, it automatically stops when fully dropped or raised - there's no danger of the screen recoiling on itself. This feature is not mentioned anywhere I could find but should be pointed out because it's important to know, and makes the screen more reliable and easy to use.
HOT SPOTS
As my first movie with this screen, I played The Martian (2015), starring Matt Damon on Bluray: I noticed absolutely no hot spots whatsoever with the screen. All areas of the screen were evenly lighted and appeared perfectly the same. (refer to the end of the review for the equipment I used.)
COLOR ACCURACY
Color accuracy can, of course, be affected by the kind of screen and its interaction with the particular projector being used. I didn't measure color accuracy using a colorimeter but could tell there were no visible color aberrations. The screen simply displayed whatever the projector was throwing at it and if any colors were "off" it wasn't the screen causing it. In addition, this is a matte-white screen with a 1.1 gain, and unlike a silver or gray screen, a matte-white is generally not likely to alter color at all. Colors looked vibrant when they were supposed to be and in dark areas, the detail was apparent (this presumes your projector is capable of good shadow area detail). The images I got using this screen were both impressive and extremely well detailed almost to the point that you'd think you were watching a 4K movie.
OTHER REPORTED ISSUES:
ODORS: Some reviews mentioned a strong chemical odor with their new screens: I can say the same: My screen has a particularly strong chemical odor - actually, a vinyl odor. If you've ever opened a new vinyl tablecloth you know what they can smell like, but the odor quickly dissipates. With my screen, I can confirm, as other reviewers have stated, that there is a very strong (vinyl-like) odor. The odor seems to only be noticeable when the screen is in its down position; When the screen is rolled up the odor seems to go away. I would presume that after a period of time that the odor will completely dissipate.
CURLS / ISSUES WITH PANNING:
Similar to chemical odors, there were reviews saying there were curls (or worse, such as wrinkles) on the sides of some screens: I did notice that at the very bottom, around 6 inches up from the weighted poll, the outer rims of the screen had a very slight curl. However, so does my Dalite screen. And I have to say that once I adjusted my projector's image to fit the larger size of this screen (I went from a 120" 4:3 screen to this 125" 16:9 screen) I saw absolutely no image distortion whatsoever.
In addition, Elite Screens mentions that you will need to keep the screen rolled down for a couple of days to help with any possible wrinkle or curl issues (and also to help dissipate the chemical odor as well).
Others have reported issues when scenes with panning took place: I have not seen any issues whatsoever on scenes with panning in them. And as I mentioned, there were no image distortions at all that could be seen from the viewing position with this screen. I don't do gaming so I can't attest to whether panning issues were related to gaming.
I've had my screen two days now and am following Elite's recommendations regarding any curls (and chemical odor). I kept my screen down overnight and did notice a slight improvement with the very slight curl at the bottom; I will do similarly this evening and for the next couple of days or weeks and see how that changes anything. However, in my case, it's simply a visual thing since there's no image distortion, so I am not concerned at all.
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION:
OUTSTANDING: As of right now, I would have to say that the Elite screen, at least the one I have, is an exceptional value for the cost, and I would not hesitate for one second to recommend the product to someone else.
EQUIPMENT I USE:
Projector: Panasonic AE8000U (original lamp, less than 170 hrs of use)
Lamp Mode: ECO (Economy)
Bluray Player: OPPO BPD95
I will return to this review as necessary to update it accordingly, otherwise, it remains as it is.
UPDATED REVIEW:
UPDATE - 3RD DAY POST MOUNTING:
Chemical Odor: The strong vinyl odor is just about completely gone, except if you get up real close to the screen and take in a wif of air.
Slight Curl at Bottom: I've been keeping my screen in the down position as much as possible to help the screen stabilize. It's improved somewhat. What I have noticed is that a) with a very slight pressure on either end of the weighted rod at the bottom of the screen, any curl is removed, and b) if the screen is raised about 15 or 20 inches up from its fully lowered position it significantly improves: this may be an issue with how the screen material is rolled onto the roller or perhaps that the weighted rod could be just a bit heavier to give more downward pull. I will continue to watch this issue and report on it, but as I previously stated, the slight curl at the edges does not distort the image I see at all.
From the manufacturer
Bring the Theater Experience to Your Home!
- Elite Screens Spectrum Series is a versatile electric motorized screen that fits perfectly in either residential or commercial wall/ceiling applications.
- Its MaxWhite 2 1.1 gain projection material displays a bright picture regardless of viewing angle.
- The material is ISF (Image Science Foundation) for accurate color reproduction, color contrast, and black-white dynamic range.
- Infrared and Ethernet control package included.
- Available in diagonal sizes: 84" to 180" in 16:9, 16:10 and 4:3 format.
*** NOT Compatible with Short-Throw / Ultra Short-Throw Projectors ***
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Durable Design
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Quality All-steel Casing
6" and 12" L brackets - Sold Separately |
Reliable Control System
Optional ZR800D IR Universal Remote Control, wireless 5-12 volt trigger, Universal 5-12 volt trigger (for projectors that don't have a trigger output port) and In-wall switch - Sold Separately |
MaxWhite 2 Screen Material
The MaxWhite 2 is a 1.1 gain matte white front projection material that has been crafted to achieve precise white levels for full-color temperature neutrality. This enhances color saturation and contrasts to achieve the required points for accurate color reproduction.
Image Science Foundation
- Its ability to meet industry standards for image fidelity in a dark room environment.
- The material’s wide viewing angle enables viewers to take in a clear bright picture with uniform brightness from on or off-axis seating arrangements.
GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold UL 2818
- Safety indoor air quality product emissions
- Interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in which the products are used.
Premium Screen Material
- Gain: 1.1 with View Angle: 180°
- Multi-layer weave and textured surface coating
- Black backing
- Active 3D, 4K/8K Ultra HD, and HDR ready
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| Spectrum Series | Spectrum 2 Series | Starling 2 Series | VMAX2 Series | |
| Screen Material Options | MaxWhite 2 | MaxWhite FG | Spectra White FG | MaxWhite FG |
| Available Sizes | 84" to 180" Diagonal/ 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10 | 91" to 150" Diagonal/ 4:3 and 16:9 | 100" to 135" Diagonal/ 16:9 | 84" to 170" Diagonal/ 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Housing/ Color Options | Black or White (Steel) | White (Aluminum) | Black or White (Steel) | Black or White (Steel) |
| Installation Method | Flush Wall/ Ceiling | Flush Wall/ Ceiling | Flush Wall/ Ceiling | Flush Wall/ Ceiling |
| Compliable Type Projector | Standard-Throw | Standard-Throw | Standard-Throw | Standard-Throw |
| Control System | IR Remote, detachable 3way wall switch and 12V trigger cable included | Optional Remote Kit Sold Separately: ZRM-RT | IR & RF Remotes Included | IR & RF Remotes Included |
From the brand
Elite Screens
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Shop our Electric Collections
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Spectrum Series
is a versatile electric motorized screen that fits perfectly in either residential or commercial wall/ceiling applications.
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Spectrum 2 Series
a streamlined aluminum casing in white enamel coating with floating wall/ceiling brackets. It the best non-tensioned screen available.
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Starling Tab-Tension 2 Series
a high-quality tab-tensioned front projection motorized screen for commercial and home theater applications with an improved motor.
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Starling 2 Series
is fiberglass fully backed with extra black drops to allow for high ceiling installation. Control the silent tubular motor functions.
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Essential ISF Certified
ISF (Imaging Science Foundation)
- Accurate color fidelity
- Flat (or “uniform”) spectral response
- Black level performance
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Get The Big Picture
Elite Screens products are available through authorized distributors, resellers, retailers, and system integrators worldwide.
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This sojourn started out with the thought that twelve years with the same projector/screen combination was long enough and an upgrade was in order. With that I did my research and decided on replacing my Epson 3010 with a new 4K Epson 4010 Pj. After installing it I was underwhelmed by it's performance versus the older 1080p projector and decided.... Maybe, just maybe other links in the chain needed upgrading also. So started looking at screens to replace the now twelve year old Elite VMAX 100" screen also. Looked at countless brands and although I knew this was a bad place to cut corners just couldn't square away the difference in cost my desired Spectrum motorized screen would be once you factored in the separate cost for delivery. That is, until I spotted the 125" Spectrum for a decidedly good price on Amazon with free Prime delivery included. Decision made, the screen showed up a scant four days later. OMG! Forget the size difference, the brighter 1.2 gain of the Max White screen material as compared to the previous 1.0 gain Matte White screen was a literal epiphany! Here was the difference in 4K resolution I was anticipating. The HDR colors now literally popped, the contrast and resolution now absolutely stunning! I was amazed at the difference a screen could actually make! This would be a 5 star rating if not for missing hardware and Elites somewhat mysterious warranty invalidation upon adjusting vertical drop. All in all however, this is the screen to beat as I think it unbeatable. Highly recommend.
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 1, 2017
Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 125-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 9, 2017
Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 125-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 27, 2023
Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 125-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
This sojourn started out with the thought that twelve years with the same projector/screen combination was long enough and an upgrade was in order. With that I did my research and decided on replacing my Epson 3010 with a new 4K Epson 4010 Pj. After installing it I was underwhelmed by it's performance versus the older 1080p projector and decided.... Maybe, just maybe other links in the chain needed upgrading also. So started looking at screens to replace the now twelve year old Elite VMAX 100" screen also. Looked at countless brands and although I knew this was a bad place to cut corners just couldn't square away the difference in cost my desired Spectrum motorized screen would be once you factored in the separate cost for delivery. That is, until I spotted the 125" Spectrum for a decidedly good price on Amazon with free Prime delivery included. Decision made, the screen showed up a scant four days later. OMG! Forget the size difference, the brighter 1.2 gain of the Max White screen material as compared to the previous 1.0 gain Matte White screen was a literal epiphany! Here was the difference in 4K resolution I was anticipating. The HDR colors now literally popped, the contrast and resolution now absolutely stunning! I was amazed at the difference a screen could actually make! This would be a 5 star rating if not for missing hardware and Elites somewhat mysterious warranty invalidation upon adjusting vertical drop. All in all however, this is the screen to beat as I think it unbeatable. Highly recommend.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Alexandru Marin
unfortunately after one year and only a couple of times ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 22, 2017Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 125-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
darren p.
Good quality screen
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 17, 2018Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 125-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Defective after 4 months.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 12, 2021Pattern Name: Projector ScreenSize: 110-INCH, 16:9Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 12, 2021
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Arjun