Comments on: BenQ W7000 Projector Update: New Firmware – Better Black Levels

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 01:00:15 +0000

Hi Jay, Well, for starters, a 96″ screen is going to be almost 4 times the size of your 50 in sq feet.. Too bright is an occurrence that tends to only happen in the dark. For example, is your plasma too bright? Probably not, in any mode, unless you turn off all the lights. The more ambient, the brighter the image we like.

That said, the rainbow effect comes into play, for those of us who are sensitive. My understanding is, people sensitive tend to notice it more if the picture is brighter. Overall, the W7000 is a very good value, and you seem to have found the right price. -art

By: JAY

JAY — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:33:32 +0000

I’ve been reading alot about projectors and I do seem to lean towards the benq w7000 my question is, I could only throw a 96″ screen on my wall, will this projector be to bright for this size of screen.
I ask because at costco they have a $400 rebate on this projector costing $1800 also since its from costco you get an extra year warranty.
I do hope it fits my requirements as this would be my first projector not knowing to much about projectors in general, I would think a 96″ screen would be a huge difference compared to my 50″plasma.

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:36:54 +0000

Any one? Who’s got something newer than 1.0 (I started reviewing with 0.22). -art

By: Al conrad

Al conrad — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:51:26 +0000

What is the latest firmware update for the benq w7000? I just installed mine and it has version 1.0. Also, how so you install a new firmware software? Plug a cord into tge back if the projector to log onto internet?

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 04:19:57 +0000

Mike, sorry I overlooked your comment. Tough call between these two. I tend to lean Epson for the greater versatility, but I could own and be happy with either. The Epson is still the best blacks near the price, but the W7000 is damn good. For 3D Epson is the brighter of the two, a plus. Long term, the Epson costs less – uses a much lower wattage lamp, and the lamp life is rated almost double. Of course the Epson usually sells for more. -art

By: mike

mike — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:02:18 +0000

Art,

I was hoping you could assist me in understanding all I’ve heard hear and around. I am considering the BenQ7000 and the Epson5010. I am a plasma man right now and appreciate vivid color and great blacks. I am considering a 100′-110-0′ (max) screen right now and would appreciate your take on these two great options. I have read so much i am starting to get confused as to which is best, your advice would be greatly appreciated!

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:41:45 +0000

Hi John,
Sorry, not likely to happen. The W7000 is now on its way to Texas, where Pete’s going to test and review it for gaming. Then it’s going back to BenQ. I’m going to try to get another one in a couple of months, but have too much else going on. Pete’s a gamer – no light meter, etc. I can tell you the projector was still a light cannon. Firmware changes to get better blacks would be dealing with the iris, so should not impact brightness measurements. I had to do everything I could – Brilliant Color off, lamp on “economic” (as BenQ calls it), etc. to try to get the “new” BenQ (using the old “calibration settings”- which worked pretty darn good), to be as “dim” as a calibrated Epson 5010, which still managed 830 lumens!

I am going to publish our usual calibration settings page for the BenQ, probably tonight. With the Cyan issue in the CMS addressed, it seems the old measurements serve this new one rather well. Probably could use a fresh calibration, but not by much. Those “old” settings plugged into User 1, produce a dramatically improved image from the default… regardless as to whether a recalibration might provide an extra minor improvement. (Remember, lamp characteristics change over time, calibrate at 100 hours, and by 500 hours, a perfectionist could rationalize a new calibration. -art

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:33:28 +0000

Hi Todd,

I emailed recently. I haven’t heard a word yet. I’ll post as soon as I hear anything positive regarding getting one in. -art

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:32:05 +0000

Hi Phil, Always nice to chat with another PE8720 owner (well, it’s been a long time since I sold mine). Yes, the W7000 certainly should have rock’d your socks. I think it’s a great projector, The W7000 now comes close enough, to make it a serious contender for this year’s Best of . Boy, you must be loving the lumens, even with a brand new bulb, the 8720 “might be” half as bright, even forgetting everything else… -art

By: Art Feierman

Art Feierman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:27:17 +0000

Cleon, you sound like one of the very few who really find DLP to be hands down better than LCD, and I should probably say at the same time, LCoS as well. If it’s that DLP “look and feel” I’d say the Epson and Panny are probably more DLP-like than the LCoS projectors, at least in the way you are “thinking”.

I’m one of the many, who – when “all else is equal” would prefer the DLP (but as one small advantage, not a great one), but I find black level performance and some other things, keep causing me to end up using Epson’s and JVCs myself.

So, to answer your question, I doubt the JVC X30 will do much for you either (although I’ve been wrong before). That brings us to the W7000.

My guess is that’s probably your ticket. It’s iris action is better than Optoma’s and I’d say pretty good. It may not be quite as smooth as the Epson, but I can assure you, Optoma has driven me crazy, model after model, when I watch them. My point being I don’t like obvious irises – I have a low threshold, and the W7000′s fine by me, after about 10 hours of movies in a 4 day period. Not perfect but fine.

Myself, I’ve been debating which I would own, the W7000 or the Epson. I’d probably buy the Epson, for the black levels primarily (the W7000′s blacks are pretty good, though, now, with the new firmware), but the W7000 is awfully tempting. If BenQ upped the color wheel one more speed, though, that might just be the thing to make me go W7000. I am rainbow sensitive, and while I don’t see a whole lot of rainbows, just the occasional flash on the right content, once in a while, I’d rather not. I’ve reviewed a number of other DLP’s with faster wheels where I will rarely be reminded that I’m watching a DLP, maybe one or two small flashes a movie. The BenQ’s wheel isn’t that good.
You can give the X30 a shot, if convenient, but, from emailing, etc. with a few others, here and there, there are definitely folks just like you, who just go for that DLP “look and feel”. Have fun, let us know how it turns out. -art