Does anyone know where to find accoustically transparent projection screen material? (the cheaper the better)?

Question

I am making an unconventional screen for a project. Someone recently told me that movie screens are perforated for sound but that when you stand behind them while they are being projected on to, you can see through to the other side. Similar to the illusion of advertisement decals on streetcars, where on the outside they appear to be covered completely but on the inside you can still look out with hardly any distortion. If the movie screen material really is translucent from the back when it is being projected on, what is the best (and cheapest) way to find this material?

Answer 1

best buy

or

office depot

Answer 2

Acoustically transparent (no material suitable for a screen will allow all the sound to get through), no ... acoustically transluscent and suitable for HD movie screens ... sure. See the link.

But ... I'm not sure this is what you want. Acoustically transluscent screens are used so that the speakers can be mounted behind the screen. To function as a screen it can't be optically transparent (It has to reflect the light back).  On the other hand there are transluscent screens intended for rear projection (The projector is behind the screen, relative to the viewer). But if the screen is optically and acoustically translucent and used for front (reflective) projection you will see the speakers and get very little light reflected back.

That all said, Phifer -- the firm that makes the material for Seymour AV -- make a wide range of sunscreen material in a range of degrees of transluscency. The screen material (5%) is just one of the options they make ... so maybe a sunscreen material (rather than screen material) will work better for you.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

A proper movie screen is only transparent to the speaker, meaning that the sound does not get distorted when passing thru a screen. It is not translucent optically. You will need to look to print shops,etc.. to get a source for the material you are looking for.