BenQ W1000 Projector - Performance
3/14/10 - Art Feierman
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BenQ W1000 Projector Brightness
The BenQ W1000 is bright. It is the brightest 1080p projector that's been through here, measuring an impressive 2179 lumens with the lens set to wide angle. For all other measurements the zoom is at mid point, unless specified.
Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom):
Dynamic= 2113 @ 7435
Standard= 1392 @ 6376
Cinema= 1225 @ 6344
User 1= same as Standard, with Brilliant Color Off = 644
User 2= same as Cinema, with Brilliant Color Off = 565
User 3= 2089 @ 7433, with Brilliant Color Off = 652
Due to the limited range of the zoom lens, it doesn't have a whole lot of affect on brightness:
Effect of zoom on lumen output (Cinema mode):
Zoom out: 1268
Mid-zoom: 1225
Zoom in: 1173
Switching to low lamp power, from full power results in a drop of only 15%, which is not a big drop. Most projectors drop off about 25% give or take, and a few may drop by a full third.
Since this projector is especially bright many will actually use the lower power mode and get to enjoy lamp life rated at 4000 hours in low power mode.
Think this way: The W1000 in Cinema mode, low power, with Brilliant Color on, is still brighter than the Optoma HD20 running at high power. When comparing brightest modes, the BenQ is a fair bit brighter than the Vivitek, and far brighter than the Optoma.
Hong Kong skyline. Projected in Movie mode, off of Blu-ray disc.
BenQ W1000 Sharpness
The lens is doing its job. The BenQ has different optics than the Vivitek, but both look nice and sharp. Sadly, my far more expensive JVC - a 3 chip projector, can't even match the W1000 for sharpness. Close, but no cigar!
For our first sharpness comparison, we've been replacing our old dts logo image with the video icon on a Sony PS3.
Top left: BenQ W1000, Top Center, Optoma HD20, Top right: Panasonic PT-AE4000
2nd row left: Mitsubishi HC3800, middle: BenQ W6000, right: InFocus X10
Close up of a computer monitor, from Space Cowboys (Blu-ray), left to right W1000, Epson Home Cinema 8100, Mitsubishi HC3800, and Optoma HD20.
BenQ W1000: Bottom Line Sharpness
Like almost all single chip DLP projectors the BenQ produces a very sharp image. It isn't the sharpest of the DLP projectors, but it is sharp enough to easily match or beat the sharpness of any of the LCD competition. That's pretty darn good, for $999! In other words, no issue here at all. You could buy, for example, a $2500 Epson 8500UB, perhaps the best under $3000 projector on the market, and its image still would be a touch softer than the Vivitek.
Light Leakage
Very good, in terms of light leaking out from vents, etc. In other words very minimal leakage of that type. The other type of light leakage is that coming through the lens. In this case, the BenQ W1000 isn't so good. I'm seeing a modest but still surprising amount of light from the lens. It hits below the projector (when right side up), off to the left. It isn't a big problem, and it isn't hitting the image area. In a family room environment no one will notice.
Image Noise
No obvious problems spotted. As is typical of DLP projectors the inherent image noise seems to be greater than on LCD and LCoS projectors, but that's been the case for a very long time. Each technology has its trade-offs, and for the most part a little more image noise is part of many DLP projector's description.
Audible Noise
I complained about the audible noise of the Optoma HD20, when I reviewed it. OK, DLP projectors tend to be the noisiest of the three projector technologies, and it tends to be made worse when the manufacturers are building particularly small projectors like the HD20.
Fortunately, the BenQ W1000, like the Vivitek is definitely quieter than the HD20. It's not night and day, but definitely several db worth. BenQ claims 27 db in low power, 29 at full power. And yes, that would be definitely quieter than the HD20, and about average among the lower cost DLP projectors. Over all, few will overly object to the BenQ W1000's fan noise, even at full power.