KKK83 April 4, 2025, 8:46 p.m.

Need help picking best retractable projector screen for basement renovation?

Getting married in 4 months and fiancée says basement "man cave" must go before in-laws visit 😱 Transforming the space into a "sophisticated media room" instead (same thing but with better furniture lol).

Current setup: projector bolted to ceiling + sheet on wall = apparently "embarrassing" according to future wife. Need to class this joint up FAST.

Basement has 7ft ceilings, weird ductwork, and those annoying support poles. Space doubles as home office during day + movie zone at night.

Never bought a real screen before - don't even know what size to get? Seating about 8ft from wall. Projector is some BenQ I got from my buddy who upgrades every 6 months (tech bro life).

Wedding budget already killing me so trying not to break bank, but need something nice enough to impress judgmental father-in-law who won't stop talking about his "professional home theater installation."

What's the easiest/cheapest way to make this look legit without a total overhaul?

WAR10CK April 4, 2025, 11:04 p.m.

Wanna know the REAL difference between $150 and $1500 screens? The expensive one still works after 8 months. Cheap motors die, cheap screens wrinkle. Impressions last, ask ur buddy for a loan

online April 5, 2025, 11:55 a.m.

Slap some dark navy paint on walls (NOT black - too obvious), ceiling-mount ANY decent electric screen, add $30 led strip behind couch, father-in-law will think you spent 5k. It's all about that ambient lighting psychology baby

9-region April 5, 2025, 7 p.m.

lmaooo "sophisticated media room" = same cave + throw pillows. been there dude. wife acceptance factor (WAF) solved by frame hiding screen when retracted. bonus: doubles as picture frame when not in use

Bug-Service April 6, 2025, 12:29 a.m.

bruh please MEASURE CEILING HEIGHT CLEARANCE before ordering!!! Ceiling mount + screen case + drop bar = 8-10" total. With 7' ceiling you'd have screen brushing people's heads πŸ’€

RK141281 April 6, 2025, 3:48 p.m.

truth!! my basement setup had people ducking under screen to get drinks all movie night. ended up wall mounting above window instead. physics don't care about your design dreams lol

сс April 6, 2025, 10:07 p.m.

Stop. Your BenQ prob doesn't even have lens shift. Return whatever screen you buy when father-in-law leaves, get blackout material from fabric store, stretch properly, save $$$. Marriage is expensive enough

Wont April 7, 2025, 4:56 p.m.

My in-laws pulled same judgment crap. Visited once, never came back. Bought Elite screen anyway, use it daily 5 years later. Point is: buy for YOU not them, they literally won't remember what screen you have

an a tol April 8, 2025, 7:27 p.m.

Wife hated projector setup until we installed that aoxun electric motorized screen with one-button disappearing act. Saved my marriage no cap. Now she uses it more than me for netflix binges. hiding technology = relationship hack

raven78 April 12, 2025, midnight

y'all telling this man to spend $$$$ when the GOAT solution costs $23.99: HD projector paint + $15 frame trim from home depot. Been using 3 years, zero maintenance, zero space used, guests always impressed

FrySamantha April 16, 2025, 9:05 p.m.

Rookie move asking reddit... everybody here masturbating to $4000 setup photos while watching movies on laptops irl. Real talk: any screen beats your sheet, in-laws care more about clean bathroom than screen type

starter1 April 21, 2025, 6:38 p.m.

Find electronics recycling center near you. Rich folks dump INSANE home theater gear when upgrading. Got pristine $1200 Stewart retractable for $75 because previous owner "didn't match new aesthetic"

jevormGoove April 23, 2025, 11:29 p.m.

Big brain energy! Scored entire crestron system this way. Rich people be like "it's 3 years old, basically garbage" meanwhile I'm living like techno-king for price of dinner date

111000 April 27, 2025, 8:11 p.m.

Former AV installer here. Mount that screen ON TOP of existing TV. One display for casual/daytime, projector for movie nights. Common in Europe, rare in US, but solves your dual-use problem instantly

ggggg May 2, 2025, 3:30 p.m.

Panic-ordered some fancy premium screen that got delayed 6 weeks. Grabbed the Akia AK-MOTORIZE104V1 as emergency backup and two years later still haven't unboxed the expensive one. Sometimes mid-tier just works

Another0001 May 8, 2025, 6:46 p.m.

Just tell father-in-law you're "auditioning screens" for your "final setup phase" - instant respect as sophisticated enthusiast instead of being judged as noob. Buy whatever fits budget, upgrade later if YOU want

bamian May 13, 2025, 9:35 p.m.

Focusing only on screen while neglecting proper acoustical treatment is like buying expensive tires for a car with no engine. Spend $100 on DIY sound panels first, thank me later when dialog actually understandable

pm420 May 17, 2025, 1:03 p.m.

Projecting nerd here: size calculator math for 8ft viewing distance = 88-100" screen max. Anything larger creates neck strain, headaches, motion sickness. Bigger ≠ better despite what insecure men claim online

phenomx6 May 23, 2025, 10:26 p.m.

just took EXACT same journey last month! secret weapon: smart plugs + google routine. "hey google, movie time" = lights dim, screen descends, projector on, sound bar activates. father-in-law will forget screen brand when you flex THAT magic πŸ§™‍♂️