Stewart Filmscreen CineCurve Video Projector Screen Review

The Upside:
While I was already a fan of Stewart’s Cine-W line of screens, the CineCurve adds a level of usability and sophistication any true diehard home theater fan is bound to enjoy. For starters, not all films are captured in Cinemascope or 2.35:1 aspect ratios; in fact, many are not. However, the CineCurve system has a motorized masking element that can “collapse” the image space to provide precise viewing of 16:9 and even 4:3 material. Having a screen that uses black velvet to frame an image is a vast improvement over letting your projector simply display black or often dark gray bars. Having a light-eating frame around your image will improve contrast, combat light leakage and add punch to your image in ways you can’t begin to imagine until you see it in practice.

The Downside:
Stewart’s CineCurve screen is impressive, but it’s not suitable for every application. This is not the type of screen you’re going to want to install in any room other than a dedicated home theater. Its curved surface and motorized masking system demand a custom installer’s touch for the sleekest possible installation. Also, if you’re going to be watching a boatload of non-2:35 material, your image is going to be drastically smaller than your total screen size, covering much of your investment in black velvet.

Conclusion:
If you consider yourself a true diehard film fanatic and blockbuster epics and action films are your bag, then you’ll find that the Stewart CineCurve screen is tailor-made for you. For a movie night of the highest caliber, nothing can beat the latest Hollywood blockbuster captured in full 2.35:1 on a Stewart CineCurve screen.