Projector-screen manufacturer Da-Lite has announced an increase in the gain characteristic of its recently released Virtual Grey 3D screen fabric.

January 14, 2010 — US screen manufacturer Da-Lite has announced plans to increase the gain characteristic of its 3D Virtual Grey screen fabric. The company says that this is in response to demand for a higher-gain fabric from projector manufacturers and 3D content providers. The fabric’s gain will increase by just over 40 percent from 1.3 to 1.85 — this should make the projected image appear brighter, since the screen’s reflection will be less diffuse. Increasing the screen’s brightness is important because passive 3D glasses filter the light passing through them, making the image appear less bright. A higher gain factor therefore helps users make the most of their projector’s light output. The 3D Virtual Grey fabric has already been on the market for several months and offers high ‘polar retention’ — that is, the reflected light almost fully maintains its polarisation. This is crucial for 3D projection systems that use polarisation to separate the left and right images. For more information about 3D projection screens, check out Joe Kane’s talk on the Home Theater Cruise 2009.