Color for HT room--other than black?

[MikeSp]

I understand the reasons for black, but due to WAF, that color is out of the question. This begs the question of what colors, from a technical standpoint (NOT favorite colors) are my options? In viewing zillions of images of dedicated HT rooms with FP's, other than black, it appeared that the favorite color was some shade of maroon with dark blues also being popular. Those maroon HT's and dark blue or dark purple HT's looked great, but I am wondering if, from a technical standpoint that those colors would reflect too much light to compete with the light on the screen from the FP as well as change some of the colors as perceived by the eyes and interpreted by the brain.

After reading perhaps 200 postings on several forums regarding colors, I am more confused than ever.

With some effort, I attempted to understand the Munsell system and what shades were considered neutral, but that required much more effort than my aging brain was willing to handle. :screwy:

Suggestions/opinions?? HELP :confused:

Thanks,

Mike

[Duane]

Mike,

I don't know how much more I can be help,since you've read pretty much everything that's out there.When I became ISF certified twelve years ago, part of the seminar was devoted to room environment. Primarily, it dealt with the wall behind the screen.If you were using a standard tv,whether it be a tube or rp, the best choice was a gray color.Any neutral color was an alternate if gray wasn't used. The reason for that was to keep the field of view as close to the reference color temp of 6500 Kelvin ( D65).

If a front projector was being employed, then the wall where the screen was hung would be a black, to help with light spill around the screen and keep reflections to a minimum. It also helped with black levels.The other walls would be a color that would keep light from bouncing off them and back onto the screen. These may be the colors you're refering to.

What is your situation?

[MikeSp]

Mike,


If a front projector was being employed, then the wall where the screen was hung would be a black, to help with light spill around the screen and keep reflections to a minimum. It also helped with black levels.The other walls would be a color that would keep light from bouncing off them and back onto the screen. These may be the colors you're refering to.

What is your situation?

I might gain some acceptance with black curtains on the back wall -- the info that you provided was short and sweet and that is what I was seeking. My VERY limited understanding of neutral colors would be limited to beige, ivory, black, gray and white as long as there were no underlying tones with them. My wife, OTOH, prefers a much "prettier" color such as burgandy, darker shades of green or blue or even purple -- will any of the latter work at all since they have high WAF vs. neutrals of grey or black for the remaining walls? Thanks

Mike

[Duane]

Mike,

I am under the assumption that you are using a front projector,correct?
If so,then any dark color such as the burgandy,dark green or dark blue you've mentioned would be just fine.I am also assuming that this is for all walls,not just the screen wall.Bottom line, the less reflected light onto the screen,the better. As far as the wall that the screen occupies, it can be the same color, but if you can ,use a border surrounding the screen that absorbs any light spill..Black is the best,for obvious reasons. Don't forget about the ceiling. If it's flat and is typically in the 8' height area, then you'll get some reflective light bouncing off it's surface.

You didn't mention if this is a dedicated room or not. If it's dedicated, then you should be able to control the light. If it's a multi-purpose room, compromises have to be made.The nuetral colors that you mentioned are for the background behind a tv or rear projector, which only occupies a small viewing area.The theory behind that is to keep the reference color as close to the NTSC standards as possible.Any other shade will shift the color reference..the color temperature standard for NTSC is 6500 degrees kelvin.The black and white signal is adjusted so that all shades from black to white are as close to the same piont as possible. This is what called the gray scale.The color signal is essentially layed on top of the black and white. If the black and white temperatures are shaded to red,blue,green,brown,purple,etc., the colors will be shaded towards them also.
If a color temp of 6500 kelvin is achieved, the gray portion should look like the clouds of an overcast day. For front projection, the viewing field is much larger so the background wall color isn't as prominant.

The point of the above is to give reason as to why the backdrop should be nuetral for smaller tv's and rear projectors.If you have a color that's not nuetral, our eyes perceive the overall color and change what we see on screen.

I may not have explained this properly and it might be more than you want or need.

I must also state that I'm not a professional. What I've mentioned above is from past exposure and experiences with home theaters, both dedicated and non dedicated.

Hopefully, others will pass along their experiences.

Duane

[MikeSp]

Duane--thanks so much for your wisdom and passing along the information that I was seeking. I was aware of the 6500K standard -- even use D65 calibration for my computer monitor that I use in my digital darkroom and yes, it is planned to have a FP (WAF still out on that one -- but I have cabled it and wired it for both just in case) and hopefully it will stay dedicated as it is being constucted. Being in the basement without a single window, light control is not a problem. (The problem is my wife who does not like to watch TV or movies in total darkness.)

Am heading back downstairs to continue work on the AV racks and closet, the rest is studded in.

Thanks again :banana:,

Mike

[shrinkboy]

a flat charcoal color, aka a very dark gray, is what i have in my room. with white semi gloss trim, color in carpet and furniture, it is very attractive, and appealingly restful in daylight w/o being depressing

[HomerJ]

To really please the wife a nice chocolate color in eggshell finish should prolong the interminable agony...err.. I mean extend the marital bliss.

[Sandy G]

We had a "color room" in the place I worked, & got a special neutral gray & special "dalite" flourescent bulbs to go in it. We are a printer, & this was the room where we "proofed/matched" color...

[thisOne]

I think that any dark color that you wife likes would be fine because the thing to consider in the HT room is how reflective the painters surfaces are.

So if you paint it with black but glossy paint, you'll get lots of weird reflections. Paint to room in flat paint in a dark color you like and it should be fine.

Also, if this is not a dedicated HT room and you'll be spending time in there doing other things (like listening to music), think in term of a wall/ceiling colors you want to look at with the lights on (movie theaters are painted flat black and did you ever notice how depresing they look when the house lights go on???)

Have fun with your color selaction

[Zeromancer]

Behr Refuge color
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/specvtacular/My%20House/P1010009.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/specvtacular/My%20Pics/MyRoomJustPainted.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/specvtacular/My%20Pics/NewRoomPic2.jpg

[MikeSp]

I think that any dark color that you wife likes would be fine

Also, if this is not a dedicated HT room and you'll be spending time in there doing other things (like listening to music), think in term of a wall/ceiling colors you want to look at with the lights on (movie theaters are painted flat black and did you ever notice how depresing they look when the house lights go on???)

Have fun with your color selaction

My favorite movie cineplex contains theaters that have maroon sound panels covering the walls, maroon carpeting and maroon seating and a black ceiling that is not depressing since it is waaaay up there unlike the ceiling my my dedicated HT.

All of you have helped give me hope that I can have a dedicated HT room (also used for stereo listening) that will not look like a cave and can meet some really stringent WAF standards for avoiding the cave look.

Mike

[Duane]

Mike,

One CRT front projection calibration I did 10 years ago was for the owner of a well known guitar maker in our region. He had a theater built above his garage and blended nicely into the rest of the house. The side and rear walls were half mahogany panels (bottom portion) and the other half was acoustic panels covered in a hunter green color.The wall that housed the screen was framed in the same mahogany wood. The feel and look of that combination was certainly appealing and since the upper panels were dark, there was no reflective light hitting the screen.He had designed the room specifically for movie entertaining and the acoustic properties were very good. Dead quiet..The walls were double studded to prevent sound transference into adjoining rooms. When the lights were turned off, you were in a movie theater.Enough light coming off the screen to see others in the room, but no reflective light.

Most of us will never have this type of dedicated room. Compromises have to be made to satisfy all.