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Elite Screens CineTension3 vs Elite Screens CineTension2
Elite's motorized ladder — is the CineTension3 worth $158 over the 2?
The short answer
Buy the Elite CineTension2 for the money — $351 tracked for the same tab-tensioned motorized design, a stated 1.0 gain a tenth off the 3's, and the only stated warranty on this page (2 years). The CineTension3's case is a stated 1.1 gain and a stated 16:9 aspect ratio (the 2's aspect is unstated); nothing else our data records justifies the $158 gap.
Same brand, same tab-tensioned motorized recipe, $509 vs $351 tracked. The newer model states a slightly hotter gain; the older one states the warranty.
Reading the numbers honestly
Both are stated tab-tensioned motorized designs in matte white with aluminum construction, and both state their gain — 1.1 (CineTension3) vs 1.0 (CineTension2), a genuinely small stated difference. The disclosure oddity runs backwards: the OLDER CineTension2 states a 2-year warranty while the CineTension3's warranty is unstated in our data. One note that applies to both rows: neither records a diagonal size — these models sell in multiple size variants, so each tracked price belongs to a specific size our rows don't pin down; confirm which size the $509 or $351 actually buys before checkout.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance● SOURCE-TRACKED
| Spec | Elite Screens CineTension3 | Elite Screens CineTension2 |
|---|
| Price | $509 | $351 |
| Brand | Elite Screens | Elite Screens |
| Screen Type | tab tensioned | tab tensioned |
| Masking System | static border only | static border only |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | not stated |
| Gain | 1.1 | 1 |
| Material Type | matte white | matte white |
| Control Interface | RF remote, 12v trigger, wall switch | RF remote, 12v trigger, wall switch, IP control |
| Frame Material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Case Color | black | Black |
| Warranty Years | not stated | 2 |
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
The verdict
Buy the Elite CineTension2 for the money — $351 tracked for the same tab-tensioned motorized design, a stated 1.0 gain a tenth off the 3's, and the only stated warranty on this page (2 years). The CineTension3's case is a stated 1.1 gain and a stated 16:9 aspect ratio (the 2's aspect is unstated); nothing else our data records justifies the $158 gap.
ValueElite Screens CineTension2 — The same stated motorized tab-tensioned recipe for $158 less — with the stated warranty.
The fuller current sheetElite Screens CineTension3 — A stated 1.1 gain and a stated 16:9 aspect; the CineTension2's aspect ratio is unstated in our data.
A warranty you can point toElite Screens CineTension2 — 2 years stated; the newer model's warranty is unstated — the OLDER unit is the better-documented one.
What our normalized data addsNOT ON THE SPEC SHEETS
- Family resemblance verified field-by-field, not assumed from the names: both state tab-tensioned motorized designs, matte white material, aluminum construction.
- Both gains are stated and nearly identical — 1.1 vs 1.0 — a difference no viewer will attribute correctly, at a $158 tracked gap ($509 vs $351).
- Warranty disclosure runs backwards: the older CineTension2 states 2 years; the CineTension3's warranty is UNSTATED in our data — we flag the newer sheet's silence instead of assuming parity.
- Neither row records a diagonal (both models sell in multiple size variants) — each tracked price belongs to a size variant our data doesn't pin, and we say so rather than imply like-for-like sizing.
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