Elite Screens Manual Series, 106-inch / 24" Drop Pull Down Manual Projector Screen Movie Home Theater 8K / 4K Ultra HD 3D Ready, M106UWH-E24

Elite Screens M106UWH Manual Projection Screen (106 inch 16:9 AR)I purchased this screen three weeks ago and so far I must say I like it quite well. I purchased it to replace my original 100" DIY screen which I had constructed from some instructions I found on a popular projector review site; it consisted of a wood frame covered in black felt with white seamless background paper (used in photography) stapled to the back. It did me well for six years or so, but unfortunately over time the paper sagged and developed large wrinkles which caused some distortion and "waving" of the image, especially during static scenes and scrolling film credits. I have some of the background paper left over so I could have replaced it, but instead I thought I should look at a better solution.I purchased Elite Screens model M106UWH which is a 106 inch 16:9 AR manual projection screen. Before I made the purchase I read many reviews, both positive and negative on many of Elite Screen's products. Most of the negative reviews had to do with problems with the retraction mechanism jamming or breaking. Since there were far more positive than negative reviews, I figured I'd give it a try. I paid $125 for it including my state sales tax and since it was Prime eligible, I didn't pay anything for shipping. When it arrived the box had a couple holes in it and a few serious dents and I was certain the screen had been damaged during shipping, but on inspection there was a enough spacing with the foam packing spacers that it was fine.Pros: I was surprised to find the main housing was metal; for the price I thought it would be plastic.I have found the retraction mechanism to be very smooth; I had no problem pulling down the screen, locking it into several positions, and then releasing and having it retract. So far the mechanism seems pretty solid. Since I'm going to be leaving my screen down this isn't a big deal to me, but having read many other customer reviews it's important to a lot of other purchasers.The contrast and overall sharpness are better than my original screen. It's not a huge difference, but enough to be noticeable. I think it is a bit more neutral in color balance as well. It is also a bit brighter, but that wasn't really an issue since my home theatre is in a darkened basement; I have to turn DOWN the brightness a bit to get the image adjusted correctly.Cons: The included documentation is terrible! It consisted of a Screen Material Disclaimer sheet, which told me about "memory lines", a 'Universal Projector Mount' rebate form, an 'In-Wall Switch Rebate' form, an 'Elite Screens' brochure AND a single sheet about the 'On-Line User Guide or Download'. Since the User Guide is all of eight pages, and the Dimension sheet just a single page, would it have been that difficult to include? Evidently so; you'll have to go to their website to get that info.While the Dimension Table sheet is quite extensive in giving you just about every measurement you could want or need about their product, to me there were three major problems:1) The most important dimension, the distance between the wall mounting holes on the end caps was not even included! The measurement you need to determine where you are going to put the screws in your wall so you can mount the screen doesn't exist; you'll have to measure (or calculate) that yourself.2) The Dimensions Table is in Decimal and not Fractional inches. Excuse me? The vast majority of us that have a tape measure don't have one that is graduated in tenths and hundredths of inches; I know they are available but most people don't own one.3) The end cap measurements on the Dimension Table sheet are in Metric and not US/Imperial measurements - even more math that will have to be done to get mounting screws aligned correctly.Installing it by myself was a little bit of a challenge; after I measured the placement of the drywall anchor screws (see the Cons) and installed them, it took a bit of effort to lift and align the screen with the screws to attach it to the wall. Even though the screen weighs only 21 pounds, lifting that above your head and trying to get two small holes on either side of the housing to line up with the anchor screws in the wall is difficult. I managed it after a few tries, but I'd recommend having someone else handy to assist you mounting the screen.Overall I'm very happy with this screen and I have no problem recommending it. The edge curls and "waves" others have complained about with the various models of the Elite Screens I have not experienced with mine. Also the smell others have complained about in other reviews I have not experienced. Initially there was a smell similar to a vinyl window shade, but it dissipated within a day, so I can't complain.

Shipment arrived a whole day early, which was a pleasant surprise! The screen itself was packaged in a long rectangular box. The unit inside was padded by 4 foam squares with holes in the middle to wrap around the metal shaft. Not much in the way of protection, honestly. This was apparent when I unboxed the screen and noticed a very small dent on the front of the metal shielding. Fortunately, this did not translate into screen damage. The top shaft is comprised of thin textured sheet metal. Despite it being light enough for one person to carry, I'd highly recommend having two people lift this so it doesn't accidentally become bent.As for the screen itself, I'm incredibly happy with it. Fortunately, this unit's screen has no creases or wrinkles to speak of. The black side borders near the bottom curled slightly inward, but after about an hour of being rolled out, it went away entirely. I'll chalk that up to the screen being rolled up since production.I do not plan on rolling this screen up very often, so I can't speak for the build quality of the rolling mechanism itself. I had no issues locking the screen into a desirable position. There is plenty of extra border above the screen if you'd like to roll it as low as it can possibly go, but I settled on just a couple inches for a more uniform look.I'm using a BenQ W770ST 720p Short Throw DLP Projector with this, and the picture quality is fantastic. We have a manilla wall behind the screen which we were originally using our projector on for testing/measurement purposes, and the difference is in visual clarity is night and day. Colors are bright, white balance is excellent, and the screen itself serves as a window to visual content without making itself apparent during viewing. I don't think I can ask for much more than that!Keep in mind that the 120 Inch 16:9 model of this screen is VERY long. 111 Inches wide, with only 2 mounting holes on the far left/right ends of the top shaft for wall mounting. Still, these general wall-mounting tips might be benefitial to you, regardless of screen size. For ours, we bought a 114 inch 1x4 Wooden Plank at a hardware store and hung it by drilling two 5 inch wood-screws into every stud inside the wall for support. We then partially drilled two 3 inch wood screws near each end of the plank to hang the mount. It has held up very securely and shows no signs of sagging or wobbling, even though the 2 mounting screws the screen hangs off of aren't drilled directly into studs. You could consider a 2x4 instead of a 1x4 if stability is a concern, but we've had no issues thus far.Overall, I'm incredibly pleased with this screen and am looking forward to many movie nights to come!

We bought the 150” manual screen. After lots of research, the price was a great value. It comes boxed securely. It needs special delivery, but all was coordinated easily thanks to Amazon and the delivery systems they have automated.As others have mentioned, the 150” model is large and takes two people to hang. I used two strong 2” screws and mounted using the two screw holes in the corners. It only took about 10 mins to hang the screen.The screen is a definite upgrade from what we had before (a thin / stretchable white screen - appx $ 30 on Amazon - that we attached via wall pegs). It’s hard to quantify how much it improves the quality, but the screen makes the projected image look better. And while it’s not “ALR” it seems to handle room / sun light better. Also, it looks a lot more professional than a stretchy wall screen.While this is not the highest end option, for the money, if you need a manually retractable screen, you will be happy with the screen and picture quality. We certainly are. We feel it’s a big upgrade for our modest home theater system / movie room.