SmX ProMask-CW Screens

2 Way Masking Defined

With a native 1.78:1 PROMASK-CW masking system, your cinematic experience is at its climax. With the PROMASK-CW, you are not just watching a movie, you become part of the movie.

The ProMask-CW allows you to keep your native 16:9 projected content at full size. The masking panels come in play when watching movies and television that is in aspect ratios wider than 1.78. When watching a 1.85, 2.35 or wider aspect ratio projected image with a constant image width projection screen, you have grey or black projected bars on the top and bottom of the viewable screen. These annoying bars are a contrast killer and your projected image suffers from it.

The PROMASK-CW eliminates these unwanted projected grey or black bars by masking them off with our true black hole velvet masking panels. This greatly improves perceived contrast and perfectly frames your projected image immersing you even more so into the projected content.

Why mask your projected image?

Because the dark black frame and mask around your viewable screen perceives increased contrast and makes the projected image appear to float off the screen. The masks also give you a sharp black border around your projected image. So the blacker the frame/mask material the higher perceived contrast.

Two Independently Controlled Masks

Each masking panel in the PROMASK-CW is independently controlled. This allows the end user endless flexibility in masking. With the PROMASK-CW, you can also mask for off centered projected images with simple ease or independantly drop the bottom mask for subtitles.

Small Footprint

Other masking systems are large and bulky robbing valuable wall space from your theater and sometimes compromising your viewable screen size due to wall space limitations. The PROMASK-CW masking system frame measures a sleek 6″ wide x 3.25″ deep on the top and bottom face and 4″ wide on the sides.

Trim Profiles

For your room design convenience, the PROMASK-CW is available with four different frame trim profiles. Choose from our standard flat face frame, radius beveled face frame, straight beveled face frame or flush aperture mounted frame.

Integration

The PROMASK-CW integrates into all automation systems with I/O technology including Crestron, AMX, Lutron, etc. The PROMASK-CW can also be controlled via IR and RF remote controls as well as IP, rs232, dry contact and wall switches.

All PROMASK masking systems come standard with IR, RF, IP, RS-232C, RS-485 (hard wired or wireless) and Dry Contact controllability.

Remote Control

The ProMask masking system is currently the only masking system on the market that offers Six standard aspect ratios with our hand held remote. Most other companies offer 1 to 4 aspect ratios by hand held remote.

The PROMASK hand held remote control sends both IR and RF commands simultaneously.

You can also choose to independently transmit IR or RF commands with our dual control remote. The IR receiver that comes with your PROMASK is capable of receiving IR signals from up to 100 feet away (direct line of sight) when used with the SmX remote.

The ProMask-CH remote control standard aspect ratio buttons are 1.85:1, 2.35:1, 2.40:1, 2.70:1, Custom Aspect Ratio and 1.78:1 Native Aspect ratio.

Other ProMask hand held remote functions include; Both Masks Simultaneously Jog Open, Both Masks Simultaneously Jog Close, Both Masks Simultaneously Jog Up, Both Masks Simultaneously Jog Down, Top Mask Jog Up, Top Mask Jog Down, Bottom Mask Jog Down and Bottom Mask Jog Up.

You can also use your scaler to mask with the PROMASK-CW. Other integration options are also available, please inquire if you have a specific request.

Projection Screen Surfaces

The PROMASK-CW accommodates all our solid and audio transparent projection screen materials. The projector screen material attaches to the PROMASK-CH with a modified lace and grommet method.

Assembly

The PROMASK-CW masking system ships in a large wood crate. The PROMASK-CW comes with everything necessary to make assembly and installation an ease.

Screen Sizing

The PROMASK-CW masking systems range in sizes from 80″ wide up to 22′ wide. Since every PROMASK-CW is custom made to order, custom sizes and configurations are easily manufactured.

Black Hole Mask Panels

SmX is proud to offer the absolute blackest light absorbing mask panels in the industry.

As mentioned, the purpose of a masking system is to mask off those annoying black bars or the unused portion of your projection screen while viewing projected content. It is extremely important to have the absolute blackest masking to do the job and here is why.

When you are watching dark projected content such as night scenes and space scenes in movies or television that is masked off, the lighter colored mask panels (shown below) are still visible. If the purpose of having a masking system is to mask of the projected black bars but you can still see them, then the masking system is not serving its purpose. Our black hole audio transparent and solid mask panels are completely non existent in dark scenes.

Why does this matter? The projectors unused projected black bars get masked off by these mask panels. Even though the projector is not suppose to be projecting light in this unused black area, light still gets through. In order to effectively take advantage of the perceived increase of contrast that masking offers, the mask panels need to completely absorb that strayed light and disappear.

SmX’s Audio Transparent Mask Panels are not only the blackest in the industry but are also the most acoustically transparent with only a 1.5 db roll off at 20kHz unlike other masking panels that have a 4 – 5 db roll off at 20 kHz.

Mask Panel Detail

Another important feature of a masking screen is how close the mask panels are parallel to the screen surface and how thick the mask bars are. The further the mask panel is spaced away from the screen surface the more it creates unwanted shadowing to the projected image. The thickness of the mask bar also determines shadowing as well.

The ProMask mask panels ride 1/16″ parallel away from the screen surface and have low profile beveled mask bars to eliminate any possible shadowing.

Build Quality

SmX hand builds each PROMASK-CW projection masking system to order in the USA. They start off with the highest quality smart technology electronics and bench test all parts before building your masking system. They use silent technology motors (SMT) for all our PROMASK-CW masking systems. SmX motors are silent and run 20% to 30% faster than the other masking systems currently on the market.

SmX acoustically insulate all the hollow cavities of the PROMASK-CW frame and treat the entire masking system with their acoustic insulating and isolation techniques to make the PROMASK-CW the quietest “rattle free” masking system available.

If you ever had the chance to see how bulky and noisy some of the current masking systems on the market are, you will appreciate their techniques.

SmX use linear motion techniques for their masking panels that put zero stress on the motors. These stress free techniques ensure the maximum performance life of each motor in the PROMASK-CW. These methods also assure a lifetime of jam free use with the PROMASK-CW.

Structurally engineered and insulated mask rollers assure no waves/sags in your masking panels for life.

The Finished Product

Most other screen companies use cheap black flock as the black masking trim on their frames. The PROMASK-CW frame comes hand upholstered with their specially formulated True Black-Hole velvet to ensure a true to life black hole frame around your projection screen.

They don’t use a regular off the shelf velvet, our velvet has no sheen to it like conventional velvets do. Not having a sheen, means not having the ability to reflect light. When you over-scan your projected image and mask it, you want to make sure the masking trim absorbs all light hitting it. The SmX true black hole velvet trim makes all the other screen companies flocked trim look grey in comparison.

In a dark room with no light hitting the trims they look pretty close to the same. However, once light hits the trims, the leading screen companies black flock turns grey while our true black hole velvet stays black. Remember, you want the blackest possible masking around your projected image to improve perceived contrast.

The leading screen companies flock trim reflects all the light from the camera flash and turns it grey, however the SmX true velvet trim absorbs all the light from the camera flash due to it’s lack of sheen.

Do you want a grey trimmed frame around your screen or a true black one? Besides their true black hole velvet, SmX also offers exotic wood veneered finished frames as well as other colored velvets.

5 Year Warranty

The SmX PROMASK-CW masking system is backed with a 5 year warranty against manufacturer defects.

Pricing / Availability

For questions on pricing, please call us on 01825 750858.