Projection Screen Reviews

The following measurements were taken in a darkened room to evaluate the basic performance of the Black Diamond II HD, apart from its light rejection properties.

Changing screens will always demand recalibration of your projector, and the Black Diamond is no exception. The color tracking for the JVC DLA-X3, as calibrated on my StudioTek 130 screen, is shown in Figure 1. Changing to the Black Diamond without altering the settings produced the results in Figure 2, showing a clear blue shift. But a recalibration (Figure 3) cleared this up completely, making the Black Diamond’s color tracking the equal of the StudioTek 130.

Hot-spotting, which is inevitable on any screen with gain, was only marginally more evident on critical viewing than on the StudioTek. Changes in the color tracking as I moved the measurement point off center was also comparable on both screens, though not identical. Such differences include both the screen and the projector, although the latter is a constant here for both screens.

At roughly 30 degrees off axis, the peak brightness from the Black Diamond was down by about 56 percent from what it was on axis, compared to about 18 percent from a StudioTek 130. While less visible than it sounds, this could still be an issue for a viewer seated 45 to 60 degrees off center.

Even when the Black Diamond was set up to be about 15 percent brighter than the StudioTek at a center seat, it was about 20 percent dimmer than the StudioTek (measured at screen center) for a viewer seated 30 degrees off axis.—TJN

Note: The Where to Buy link below is an affiliate link. If you purchase through the link, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!