Lost & Found - a big upgrade?

Size matters: Yes it does 😂😳 I would go for the larger, and base my entire life round it!! The word ‘impossible’ is but a myth 😁 Plus, it is obviously meant to be… 3mm clearance was not a fluke… it was a sign from the gods 😂

“perhaps if you can’t spare 30 seconds before watching a 2 hour movie, maybe it’s not the right time to watch a movie..” 😂 oh man, so so true! So nice to see you enjoying your videos again, Matt. Legend!!

I hope that all is well and that you're knocking out that Blu-ray list with a refreshing beverage. 🍻📽️

One thing to bear in mind with that 95 inch screen is with dimensions of 80x50 inches it's a 95 inch 16:10 screen, not 16:9. That alone gains you (or at least means you need not worry about) 3 or so inches on the bottom of the frame. That and the point you already noted about 16:9 vs 2.35:1 (which itself at that size is another nearly 7 inches' difference in the vertical requirement) means you should have more than enough clearance even with that slight fouling at the bottom right. All told that's the better part of a foot (10 inches anyway) of the frame at the bottom that'll be unused watching a 2.35:1 film assuming the frame is butted up to the top. If it were 16:9 at that width, that'd equate to a diagonal of about 92 inches. I'd say you'll have bags of room for the picture. For my money it's the big one, no contest.

The big screen. No-brainer. Problem is that you’ve now pushed me down a rabbit hole of looking for a screen and projector for my own setup 😂

Something about the larger screen being such a perfect fit for the space is too good, I'd definitely go for that one if the screen is comparable quality.

Would you be able to tuck the powered screen behind the speakers and stand? If both have to go on the floor in front I think you go big. But it would be pretty slick to have the powered screen hidden and rise out of nowhere.

For sure the wall to wall screen. Must be a way to mount in in the ceiling The structure must be quite strong and maybe there’s some anker points you could mount something heavy

I'd choose the bigger one! Also it'll be a bit further back towards the far wall as you'll remove the motorised one so it'll clear the HiFi shelving a bit more anyway

I'd suggest to test the manual one with the projects you're planning to use with it, and check if you can clear the hifi in it's new position with 1.85 and 2.35 AR, that should make your decision for you.

Man wrestles with a projector screen up a slightly dangerous stepladder 😅

I'm a big projector fan and use a fixed 120 inch screen with a almost dark grey screen for best black levels and contrast. The bigger the screen the better. I would even go for more than 120 inch if it would fit in my living room. So clearly go for the manual bigger one.

95" screen for me, it's a huge difference and dead easy to put up.

LOL. I knew I had bought (another) Blu Ray Player way back in 2021. I've been looking for it for two weeks, thought I had maybe given it away. I found it yesterday! Still in the unopened box.

I still think you should turn it sideways.

Motorised screen in that space.

As the world's most indecisive person*, can I be indecisive on your behalf, and say I can't decide? *Or am I? I can't decide on that either.

The BIG one!

Hi Mat I really enjoyed the video, I have a 95” manual pull up screen (hidden behind a sofa - not the one we watch from 😂) it really isn’t an issue and agree size matters! The projector we use is Xgimi Horizon Pro 4K, and it takes 30 seconds to set up (via the smart function) and is put away after viewing. So my verdict / opinion is manual 95”

Thoroughly enjoyed both of these projector videos, Mat, cheers - as a result I am now determined to make the Chewbacca (or a Mayhew, if you want to use the Imperial measurement - excuse the pun) a common unit of measurement in my life and that of others. As to which screen: if it's that trivial to erect then it's no contest - the bigger size wins every time. Is there anywhere closer to your seating position where you could locate the HomePods to get them out of line of sight to the screen, without sounding like they're right in your ears? One other thing: as you were talking about tab-tensioned screens, I wondered if it's possible to retrofit an older screen with something similar. I didn't do much research but was surprised to find there wasn't some product available. I did find this thread on a DIY solution on AV Forums, though. Perhaps more of a faff than you could be bothered with, but might be worth a look anyway if waviness proves to be an issue. https://www.avforums.com/threads/diy-tab-tensioning.458820/

Motorised screen gets my vote, but only by a whisker due to effort involved in modifying the long lost bigger screen. I'm always losing stuff but not quite on the same scale 😂 brilliant video Matt

Open the box or take the money? You’re probably too young to remember that dilemma. Obviously, the motorised screen wins hands down on coolness - I don’t suppose there’s any way of getting it recessed into the floor? That would be just perfect. Really enjoyed watching this, Mat , I hope you do some more ‘working out loud to camera’ videos .

I'd go the bigger screen. I reckon pushed back as far as you can, and maybe just moving that (what looks like?) speaker, you'd have no problems.

Current score: Big Manual - 42 ⭐ Small Motori(sz)ed - 26 Neutral - 11

I'd go for the smaller one. Less messing about with moving stuff. But try the big one first

I would go with the bigger manual one because it fits in like a glove!

If there's any bleed onto the cabinet on the right, even if it were just on the Apple TV menu, it would annoy the ever living piss out of me. So I would go with the smaller one, but that's me! If you think you can make it work for you, go for it. And if you do the bigger one and find out it's more trouble than it's worth, you could always swap them out without much effort. You've got yourself a lovely studio/man cave/he shed going here, Mat!

Your comment about the smooth electric motor reminded me of Atomic Shrimp's "you have to admire the swing on that!" WobbleDog comment.

Hmm, I’d need to see the view on the big one, if it’s obstructed etc. like with an actual film in widescreen or something. If no obstruction then makes sense to use the big one. However, although it’s easy to set up the big one it is pretty awesome you can activate the smaller one from your desk!

My dad had (probably still has) that same ladder. I recognise the stickers! Now I need to find out if he got it cheap from the gas board.

I vote for the 80" motorized one. It seems more proportional to the space and doesn't have the interference issues at the bottom. Pretty nice to just hit a switch too

Go for the big one. Size matters. Pleased to see you so active again, Mat. You could not have even thought about climbing a ladder a few weeks ago.

This video would have been great with some cartoon sound effects in various places!

Sounds like a fund day finding out what you'd managed to memory-hole! I often completely forget things. I don't know why - there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to why I completely forget things. Is there any type of film you like that the Missus hates? It's nicer on the OLED isn't it? I'd go and watch them in the lounge (unless there is a genre you like and she hates) and just leave the motorised one for occasional viewings. I mean the manual one does seem a lot of bother. I think you said so (in a way). In any case whatever you decide it'll be a good thing - you can't go wrong.

The fit of the manual is so perfect it'd be rude not to use it!

Couldn’t help but imagine you as a magician during the screen pull up bit with a hot mic talking to yourself about how the “invisibility screen” works. First day on the job. Lol

Go for the manual one, Mat. It doesn't have motor, so you're doing your bit for the environment!

The fact that the manual one fits perfectly is kismet. The gods are telling you to go with the big one!

Mature gentleman (I am one too not a dig) risks dangerous ladder to fight a screen. I imagine that was even harder as you are still getting back to full strength.

Dude, think about this! This whole thing! It's like your 16-years-ago self made a video to leave your future self (you) a projection screen TAILOR MADE to the new studio that you built SPECIFICALLY to make more videos like these. Bruh. You kinda HAVE to go with the 95

I just cleaned out an old shed on my property to convert it into a chicken shed and found all sorts of stuff I forgot I bought haha. And as for the projector, I’d go manual with the big screen all day!

To me, I would use the motorized one. I don't like any barrier at all to my use of a luxury because then I won't use it. I'm at such an advanced state of laziness that I won't bother to use something if I have to use a remote. I'm all voice control now. But you should ignore me. As we often talk about, "good enough" is just fine for a lot of us, and I feel that way about both audio AND video. My TV is a 39 inch Sanyo I got in 2012 that I have hooked up to _component_ video. You care much more about video than me and I expect that each time you will use the motorized one you'll think "it could be so much bigger." On another note, my fiancée asked me why I was watching a man with a ladder. "It's relatable, he forgot he bought something he wanted 10 years ago. I do that all the time." Then I started it over and we watched it together. She also enjoyed the video. I'm sure you know you're a good editor. You know how to make a story happen in your videos... But you've also clearly internalized that knowledge and were able to essentially direct yourself knowing exactly what shots you needed and what you needed to say in this apparently unplanned and quick video to keep this engaging to my fiancée who has never actually seen your videos and has no interest in anything you do. That's very impressive.

80" as a size seems far too similar to your 77" OLED, which will beat it in most ways, particularly blacks and contrast. If you're going projection screen, the main advantage is image size, so you may as well go bigger. Though you'll likely run into issues of contrast due to the white walls, and how close the sides of the screen will be to them (and the fact that the same projector is doing a larger image area). I understand that you can't mount the projector to the roof, but if you can still mount it in such a position, perhaps on a stand with side arm so as you can properly mount it upside down, you'll may be able to overshoot your side tables and just miss them casting a shadow onto the bottom part of the screen.

As cool as that motorized screen is, I'd go with the larger one. (Seeing the 'motorized' vs 'motorised' in the comments here is a quick way to see where we're commenting from 🙂)

The larger screen is “virtually a whole mayhew” wide — excuse my ignorance, but what is a mayhew? (Not sure of the spelling.)

Manual for larger size. I have a manual 120” and I much prefer the width for scope movies.

I would prefer to have a little black space on either side of the screen so it doesn't feel so claustrophobic in there while watching something- so- motorized for me.

mat, you seem to be well,definitely more energy. glad you've recuperated!

I would choose the larger manual screen. The part where you're on the ladder extracting the screen reminded me of times when I've had to do similar wobbly things by myself. Was a little nervous there even if you'd obviously survived to post the video.

It's a confident man who posts a video of himself climbing a ladder. I would suggest only using the motorized screen when the board members of SPECTRE stop by.

I really liked the smaller motorised screen, but thinking a bit more, of course the larger is not only better in terms of the image size, but more accomodating to different ratios and projector angles.

Mat!! The ladders may have been dangerous, but it doesn't help that you were climbing up the wrong side. Check your video footage--you were climbing up on the side with the bracing, the actual rungs are on the other side.

I think the smaller one will allow you to fit slightly more gizmos around it whereas the larger one will require somehow REMOVING gizmos around it to really enjoy the corner to corner.

I'd try projecting on both before voting; Maybe the image quality would be different?.. Not it would matter that much on YouTube, but for your eyes. Who knows! 👀

Maybe it's not that you specced the screen for the shed… maybe you subconsciously specced the shed for the screen. Fate clearly had plans for that ten-year-old relic!

I think the motorized screen is best for areas where you want to hide it but watch it almost daily. For once in awhile the manual is fine. Size for me isn't the concern, use case is.

Personally I'd prefer the smaller but automatic one, just because it looks neater to me and more proportional somehow. Also the motorised one is just cooler, but that's just me. You should do whichever you think best, the heart wants what the heart wants etc. Nice to have a surprise extra video on a Monday pop up while at work!

Mat, perhaps you need Mini Mat to say in videos "Mounting Anything With Screws, Nails, or Hooks to the Ceiling, Walls, & Floor are Strictly Prohibited In Here" to prevent all such suggestions. 😅 I'm mostly joking.

I say stick to the manual. Not only is it larger, but you won’t ever have to worry about a motor dying

Good fun 😊 Manual screen. It simply looks like it's made to fit. Plus it's bigger of course 😁

I would go from the smaller screen. But I would also hang it from the ceiling

I am not waiting for your solution...put a hook on the ceiling...or mount the entire thing on the ceiling...if you are watching real widescreen movies...you will have plenty of room on the bottom (2.39:1)...ok you figured out the 2.39:1 part. BTW, my screen is ruined because the previous owners kids put their grubby hands in the middle of it...don't touch them, and they cannot be cleaned...so be careful.

You big tease with your packages from Japan!

I still think the 32inch LG telly I brought 17 years ago, thats still our main telly is enormous, so I'd skip past my opinion 🤣

I would go with the bigger screen. A motorised screen seems like a quite stupid idea anyway (as you said it is not hard to extend the manual one), and on the bigger screen you have the option to project bigger or smaller or whatever.

Personally I would go for the manual larger screen, it’s not like it takes a while to set it up and you won’t be using it all the time.

I enjoy these Patreon 'behind the scenes' videos, thanks Mat!

Have you considered having one floor to ceiling hi-fi cabinet? It would free up some floor space

13:39 Looks like you are going to attend your local Javelin competition lmao

I'm curious, what kind of camera did you use to record this video? The image looks great. Also, my vote goes to the larger screen.

I'd have the bigger screen, the way that it totally fills the space is fantastic and it's easy enough to assemble and disassemble (plus it saves you having to put it back up in the garage attic!)

Use both depending on aspect ratio of video :-)

There's something incredibly satisfying about how perfectly the larger screen just about fits into the office! Great video, Mat.

I would go for the bigger one. The new grass looks good as well.

7:10 I thought you were going to come a cropper! Oh the joys of storing things above head height, we've all been there...

You'll be amazed all kind of things you'll find in the attic when moving house :)

In this episode, Matt fights a handle in the attic.

"Can I watch this movie on a smaller screen?" - said no one ever.

Great to see and hear you upbeat and enjoying the "cabin". Hope the medical issues are going well!

I think the motorised one is large enough for the office, and the automatic operation looks cooler in videos. Maybe you could use the manual one in the living room as you suggested.

I think I'd go for the motorized smaller unit, just because it gives you much more freedom for your other space priorities like the stereo shelving. Also motorized is just cool as heck. But then, I'd probably go down the rabbit hole of comparing projectors on both, seeing how many of my films are actually 16x9 and generally driving myself mad for at least a week deciding!

It really depends on where you are sitting and experiencing the video. On one hand I am grunting like Tim the Tool Man Taylor from Home Improvement to fit that large screen come hell or high water. The other is really liking the convenience of the automated screen. I have a feeling that from your desk, that the view of the screen on the right side will be even more compromised. That being said, try moving the manual screen behind the automated one. The extra push back might help a bit?

As a notorious "front row in the cinema" person, I wholeheartedly vote for the bigger screen

Motorised

Since I haven't seen the main projection video yet (and thus less invested in it) I would go with the bigger manual one, just based on the fact that it fits exactly. 😄 But it seems you can't go wrong with either choice.

Go for the electric smaller one. If you have automated curtains, you should not be putting up screens manually. Keep in style. Loved the video BTW. Made my day.

Like the Help cover, haha, that made me chuckle. I'd go for the motorized one, but that's just cos I'm not get anything younger, pulling the bigger one up would knacker me. But it doesn't matter what we all think, it's whats works best for you, weighing it all up, faff, energy, space, picture quality etc. Whichever you chose, take care putting the other one back up in the garage roof!!!

Love the video and to me, with movies, bigger is better... 😄

I think the motorised one fits the space you have better, while the bigger one technically “fits” I think you will be forever having to move things that have got in the way… will get old pretty quickly I would imagine 😬

Getting the screen down was hilarious, and the bit when you beckoned us in to the studio. Bigger is better. Ignoring the innuendo. Can you hook the manual screen onto the automatic one so the automatic one raises the manual one? That would be cool.

I personally would go with the motorised. Big enough for me but try both with a movie and see which looks best as that will doubtless make the decision for you. Talking about forgetting you have things, I have more than once bought a DVD or Blu-ray on sale to get home and find I bought it when it first came out but never got around to watching.

A difference between the smaller and the bigger screen is that the last one reaches to the ceiling. It’s not comfortable looking up. Depending on your seat and viewing distance the smaller screen might be the most enjoyable

my vote: go big or go home (to the OLED, since the motorized is only 5" or so bigger)

You getting the screen down was so funny. I feel like that’s everyday for me, nothing goes as it should anymore. Things fall when they shouldn’t, and things don’t come loose when they should!

One vote for manual. One reason = “Kismet.” Remember, back in the day when we thought 25” TVs {at least, in the U.S.}, were really big?

Go 95 manual every day. If you watch a true 16x9 film you can shrink the image a bit and it'll still be bigger than the 80

I would go for the bigger one. 80" is not enough bigger than your TV in my opinion

Great video. I would go with Motorised one. I would go with the other one if it went behind hifi and it was left in place if possible. But it's your space. As you say Mat they would both work.

Loved the video, hope we get more stuff like this in future on here! It's nice just going along with you whilst you try stuff out. Lovely change of pace compared to most other content (as always with your stuff though :) ) I would probably see if you can clear the space for the 95" one, as long as the wobble when viewing content is close enough to each other. Although the modernist feel to the motorised one is very tempting as you say.

I think i would go with manual. Bigger is better ;-)

Go for the big screen, it's even faster to set up 👍

Well that's quite funny, yesterday evening I started to watch the projector video before bed and was wondering about that manual projector screen. :D For some reason I remembered it from the video, I honestly don't know why :D That also means I watch your videos for over ten years 😱 My first one was the laserdisc video. But even after ten years, I still enjoy to watch your videos :) About the screens, I would use for the office the smaller electric one. You could put it behind the stereo and when you need it, you can just put it up without hassle. The manual is also nice, but I find it a little bit to big for this space.

I’m only 8 ½ minutes in, and have to go to work, but I’ve already enjoyed this so much. Your sense of humor, Mat! It never fails. Can’t wait to watch the rest later.

Motorized all the way, its big enough in that setting :)

Maybe mount the manual one upside-down from the ceiling and stop it when it gets to the right level? It'll be off the floor (a bonus in Not Much Room Land, there) and your speakers won't hide so no farting around with the sound!

The next best thing to "peeling the protective plastic off a screen" porn is "stereo system with a massive quantity of components, requiring miles of cables and multiple switches and a hookup scheme that would have impressed the team at Bletchley Park" porn.

• Poll Answer: I think the automated one would be easier to operate, so I would give that one 55% approval. However, the manual one seems to be fit for that space, so it's a very close decision. • I was really worried for your safety after the two ladder stories. 😵 • This may be the most suspenseful action-packed video you've ever made. The second most suspenseful was the struggle you had getting the '3M Slide on Sound' out of its wooden box. ( https://youtu.be/GGN39d4hzX4 ). • It always seems easier putting things up into places and more difficult getting them down. Therefore they usually stay where they've been put for all eternity. • Very nice and ingenious power tool utilization. • When you were asking the camera the questions I was verbally answering them. 😁 • Damn, a whole bedroom loft could be made over that garage. With plenty of spider repellent on hand. Take care 🤍

Bigger the better

Hi Matt - bear in mind that the motorised screen won't be there so the big one will sit a bit further back.

Yep, hook the projector up and show a wide screen movie on both, in the dark, full dolby + volume, that will answer your question.

1 vote for manual. And FYI in case you've forgotten, the attractive lady and small mammal in your house are your wife and cat, respectively.

My solution would be to use the motorised screen behind your current hifi and raise it off the ground (using bricks or similar) so that it reaches a good height and clears above the components on your shelving unit. Neat, automatic and hidden when not in use 😉

"They had to get rid of all these ladders because they were dangerous." 😄

Congrats on the find! Always fun when we hide things on ourselves. 😉 As impressive as the fit is on the large screen, personally I'd be inclined to stick with the smaller one, that overlapping corner is one of those things that would just make my eye twitch after a while. It sounds like you've got enough potential use cases for the larger screen elsewhere!

The astounding fit of the manual screen across the width of your studio room is so remarkable it feels like it shouldn’t be ignored, like you might anger the gods or something. I also wonder whether changes in design / manufacturing would mean you would be able to get such a perfect tolerance now if you looked for a new one. This was just meant to be - go manual Mat!

Like you I am also bedazzled by the motorised one but in a way the apparent convenience of that is offset by how bulky and heavy it is (and also how much smaller the screen is). The larger one can more easily be removed or repositioned if you needed the floorspace for something temporarily. Also bigger ain't it.

You have to manually set up the projector anyway, so why not add 30 seconds to setting up and go with the bigger screen? Thats what I would do at least.

I may be going against the grain here, but I'd personally go for the motorised screen. It may be smaller, but it fits better in the space you have and you don't have to rearrange anything. The larger screen would be more suitable for inside the house. Plus who doesn't love a motorised thingamajig in their man cave?

I'd use the smaller one as there's not a huge difference in screen size but you get to marvel at the smooth automated action each time!

Got to be the big one! Bigger is ALWAYS better....isn't it?!?!

For occasional use, I personally would use the 95” screen. It’s not as if it’s a permanent cinema room!

The manual projector screen is much nicer, easier to install and/or store when it's not necessary, and it's bigger than the motorized one, I would rather have the manual one.

Fab video. They are both good, the question is where are you going to sit? Got a comfy chair behind the desk? Two chairs?

"All right" said Mat, climbin' up the ladder, this 'ere screen is gonna 'ave to go..."

What a tease with that parcel! Something that is vital and not made any longer but you wish they did and it had to come all the way from Japan....