Luckily, I was able to get my hands on the new BenQ w1070 (I don’t think it is even selling yet in the states).  For those not familiar, it is an entry level DLP, 1080p projector with 3D capabilities!  This projector will retail for ~$1100 and a number of folks were hoping a review of this projector before the holidays, so I’m glad I was able to follow through.  :)  Hopefully, I can help a few prospective projector owners make an informed decision.  Read on!

As stated before, the BenQ w1070 is a DLP projector.  Typically, this means you are going to be limited a bit on placement flexibility compared to a 3LCD type projector.  The W1070 does have a small amount of physical vertical lens shift, but you need a screw driver to make adjustments.  For the horizontal adjustments, BenQ implements software keystone correction.  The combination isn’t the worst I’ve seen, and it’s kinda surprising to see physical shift at all on a DLP projector, but it certainly isn’t the best.   I was unable to fill my screen with the w1070 in the location that I currently shelf mount my 6500UB, so placement location should not be an after thought if you are thinking about this projector.  You will need to do some planning and preferably center this projector with the screen (at least horizontally).

The interface for making zoom/focus adjustments not very ergonomic.  I found it annoying to try to make fine adjustments in these areas and would definitely recommend a design overhaul for next year’s model.

I’m a bit torn on whether to say this projector is  ”portable” or not.   It is certainly smaller than the monster of a projector I had in last week (Epson 5020e), but it’s not ultra tiny and the zoom/focus/lens shift is designed in a way that makes me never want to touch it again after I finally get it adjusted properly.   There are, however, a couple features that add some serious points to portablility appeal.   First, audio in/out connections!   I have criticized a lot of projectors in the past for not having these so  I really like to see these included, especially on a projector with built in speakers.  So, thank you BenQ!

As hinted at earlier, the BenQ w1070 does have built in speakers.  Again, not a replacement for a nice audio setup, but the speakers on this projector are as loud as any I’ve heard on a projector.  They still get a bit tinny and harsh/distorted at higher volumes, but they can reach higher volumes.

Lastly, the remote is extremely tiny!  Like, 3/4 of a normal sized snickers bar tiny.  I would probably lose it, but some may prefer the size.  The biggest failure of the remote to me wasn’t the small size, but the fact it did not have any back lighting for the buttons.   It’s just a simple, inexpensive feature I’d like to see them include.

After making some necessary proximity adjustments, I was able to get the BenQ w1070 centered on my screen and powered up!  You’ll have to wait for the official lumen measurements from Art, but I can say confidently that I was pleased with the brightness of this projector, and for the most part, I kept it in “best mode” during my testing.

As expected for a DLP projector, the image was sharp and crisp.  I used my reference cave scene from Resident Evil 5 to test overall black level and shadow detail.  The BenQ w1070′s performance here is about what I’d expect for a projector in this price range.  This means dark grays (not inky blacks) and enough shadow detail to easily see zombies in dark caves!  :)

(The photo above was underexposed, the dark blacks are actually dark gray)

There was a bit more light leakage from this projector than I was used to.  I usually don’t mention light leakage because it usually isn’t a problem, but it was bad enough to hurt the overall black level performance so I thought it was worth mentioning.  Again, the black levels are about what we would expect in the price range, but they could have been better if BenQ addressed some light leakage issues.

The brightness of the BenQ W1070 carried over into 3D as well.  If you follow my reviews, you know I’ve been very on the fence about 3D for a while, especially on entry level projectors like this one.   But every time I game in 3D I seem to creep closer and closer to joining the 3D bandwagon.  If 3D is something you are interested in, the BenQ w1070 performs well here.  I’d say the 3D performance is on par with the Epson 5020e.  Yes, the black levels/shadow detail weren’t as good and the colors probably weren’t either, but it was bright and I enjoyed playing GT5 a lot.  So take that comparison for what it is worth…

I did see rainbows, but only slightly and only on dark scenes with bright objects in the background.  I think I may be getting more susceptible to seeing rainbows.  I haven’t had a DLP projector in a while where I have’t seen them.   Oh well…

Finally, that brings us to input lag.   The BenQ w1070 put up some respectable numbers.   (0-40ms) and averaged a solid 20ms.

Obviously, less lag is always better, but this is right where I’d like to see all manufacturers be in terms of input lag.

Overall, it’s a pretty solid projector.  It’s not the best in terms of placement flexibility (somewhat expected as a DLP projector), and I know I’ve bashed the ergonomics a bit, but I do like the w1070.  I would recommend it.  In terms of picture quality and features, I think it is a very well rounded projector.  It’s a bit rough around the edges, but if you are looking for an entry level projector for movies/gaming, you want 3D, and are willing to look past the poor ergonomic design and the crappy remote, it should be on your short list.   All around, I approve.

That’s all for now!

P.S.

Someone asked me to compare the BenQ w1070 to the Epson 5020e.  When I started the review of the Epson, I mentioned something about how the Epson 5020e was in a different league.  I think that about sums it up.  My statement stands. The BenQ w1070 is a good projector, it just can’t compete with the black level performance and overall image quality of mid level projectors.

Art shipped me the ViewSonic Pro 9000 projector along side the BenQ w1070 so I was able to have both in house at the same time, which is always nice.   The ViewSonic Pro9000 is a “Laser Hybrid LED” projector that seemed to peak the interest of some of you folks so I’m glad I was able to take a look.   I was going to do a “shootout” between the BenQ W1070 and this projector but the Pro9000 retails for ~$2899, putting it in the mid level price range, so I decided to do separate reviews. Read on to find out how the ViewSonic Pro9000 holds up in the game room!

First things first: Placement flexibility…and ViewSonic Pro9000 doesn’t have much of it.   It doesn’t any physical lens shift and it also doesn’t have independently controlled zoom/focus.  This means you need to have this projector pretty much centered on your screen.  Not only that, but you need to calculate how far back to mount it because you can’t independently control the zoom/focus.  Something to keep in mind…

The remote is great!  It’s a nice size and the buttons glow “laser” blue.  Something I was happy about after trying to mess around with BenQ’s remote.

The ViewSonic Pro9000 also has built in speakers and audio in/out connections.  It is a similar size to the BenQ1070 and comes with a carrying case.  Again, like the W1070, I would say it’s borderline portable.  The speakers are a bit quieter than some of the speakers in other projectors, but they don’t distort and stay relatively clean at max volume.

The ViewSonic Pro9000 is bright enough for a light controlled room, but I wouldn’t categorize it as a “light cannon”.  The BenQ W1070 was noticeably brighter.  However, there are a couple things to keep in mind.  The light engine on this projector is supposed last ~20,000 hours. This means you will probably never need to change the bulb…even if you use the projector as a night light.  Not only that, but the light engine is also only supposed to dim a fraction of what a typical projector bulb does.  I guess what I’m getting at is the ViewSonic Pro9000 could be just as bright as many of its competitors in best mode at ~300 hours of use.   Also, though it is based of DLP, there is no color wheel, which means no rainbows.  This is all good stuff here.

I’m not sure if this was calibrated before being sent to me, but Pro9000 had pretty impressive colors.  I felt the colors were natural, but I want to point out that the Pro9000 throws a very sharp, digital looking image.  It has a “wow” factor to it and even though the colors are natural, I wouldn’t describe it a cinematic or film-like image.  It’s more digital and crisp.

My biggest disappointment with the ViewSonic Pro9000 was its black level performance.  It claims a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, but it has poor black level performance for its price range.  The BenQ W1070 may even have it beat here, and it was no where close to the Epson 5020e which is around the same price as the Pro9000.   The shadow detail was not bad…but nothing to write home about…

The ViewSonic Pro9000 did putup some impressive lag numbers.  (0-30ms)  15ms on average.

Again, not zero, but right in the range that I still consider great.

Overall, I think this projector throws a decent image, but if you are looking at projectors in this price range, I think you can get a lot more for you money.   The technology shows some promise, so I hope ViewSonic and some others continue to try to develop it.  I could live with limit placement flexibility, but the black levels are poor for price range.  If they can improve the blacks and include some extra features like 3D I think it could be very competitive.   Pretty nice first look at “Laser LED”.   I might feel a bit different if this projector if it were priced ~$1499, but at $2899, I just don’t think its there yet…

That’s all for now!

-Pete

It’s been a while since I’ve had a projector of this caliber in my theater.  It was great to get a chance to take a look at this year’s Epson flagship.  No doubt, the Epson 5020e threw one of the most impressive images I’ve ever had on my screen. But how does this projector hold up in the game room?  Read on to find out!

Whether you are looking into buying your first projector, or someone who follows the yearly model revisions and improvements, I’m sure Epson is a brand you are familiar with.   They have been very competitive in the entry/mid level price range projector market for many years and the Epson 5020e is this year’s flagship.   It’s hard to believe, but it is the four year newer version of the projector I currently own, the Epson 6500UB.

Over past four years, this flagship model has been given quite the face lift.   Physically, the designs of the newer Epsons are very modern and stylish, kinda rugged and large without being clunky.  When first placed the projector on my rack in my theater room, the first thing I said to a buddy of mine was “Wow, that thing looks badass!”  and it is…

The Epson 5020e is not just a pretty face.  Under the hood is all the latest technology and features, including 3D, Wireless HDMI and Creative Frame Interpolation.   One thing worth repeating, however, is this projector is large.  It doesn’t even come close in terms of portability to some of the more recent projectors I have reviewed.  It is easily 4-8x the size and is really not meant to be moved around.

However, the placement flexibility on the 5020e is about as good as it gets.  It has physical lens shift (not digital keystone correction), a feature I have found extremely useful over the years moving to different rooms/setup configurations.  If this projector can’t put the image where you want it, you’ll be hard pressed to find one that can.   This to me is a selling point and the reason why I purchased my 6500UB at the time.  I hope Epson continues to provide this level of placement flexibility in their projectors for years to come.

I’m not going to talk too much about the overall image quality of the 5020e, because to be quite honest it is outstanding.  The colors are very accurate, it throws an impressively bright and sharp image with fabulous shadow detail and inky dark blacks that leave me drooling.   If you are thinking about buying this projector, I can tell you the image quality will not disappoint…

I do, however, want to take some time and talk about a couple of the different extras included with the 5020e.  I spent a good deal of time playing around with 3D and Wireless HDMI and want to share some of my thoughts.

I know I’ve stated a number of times before that 3D capabilities are not a feature that I would search for if I were in the market for a new projector.   Especially, in the the entry level market, most folks are trying to get as much bang for their buck as they can.  I feel many times, people get lost in the specifications, flashy features and marketing gimmicks and lose sight of what is actually important to them.  In that price range, your money is still better spent finding a solid 1080p projector with good optics and a good warranty without concerning yourself with 3D, CFI, etc.

However, to me, the Epson 5020e is an entirely different animal.  This is not an entry level projector, it is a mid level projector.  Naturally, at 2-3X the price of many of the entry tier units, the manufacturer can afford to invest a bit more into this projector, and it shows.

The 3D was…enjoyable…and something I could see myself using.  It was bright enough that my eyes didn’t hurt, and pretty smooth all around.   I watched a couple 3D movies to get a feel for the projector in general and played Gran Turismo 5 as my 3D demo gaming material.

I usually wait until the end, but I’ll jump right into it and say the Epson 5020e lag  numbers are ~50ms.  With all image processing turned off, my measurements ranged from 30ms to 80ms and very consistently measured 50ms lag.

This is an improvement over last year’s numbers, and in my opinion, this would be acceptable for the type of gaming I do.  I’d still like to see Epson get these numbers in the <30ms.

What is really interesting is that I tested the input lag with both a physical HDMI connection and with wireless HDMI receiver included with the 5020e.  To my surprise, the wireless HDMI worked near flawlessly.  It took me a bit to actually get the projector to recognize the wireless HDMI receiver, but after it was “found”, I couldn’t tell the different between the two connections qualitatively at all.   To make sure, I ran the input lag tests again and there were no differences in lag numbers.  The photos don’t lie folks!  I can definitely see adding a wireless HDMI receiver to my home theater.  I really enjoyed the convenience and can see it saving some headaches with wiring.  So, great job Epson!

Keep in mind, these lag numbers are with all forms of image processing OFF.  As soon as, CFI or other image processing is turned on, the Epson’s lag increases, as expected, to around 100ms+.

Here are a few more screen shots of a couple games I ended up played on the Epson.

All around, I think the 5020e is a fabulous projector.  If you are looking in this price range, this is definitely worth a strong consideration.   For those looking for the fastest of gaming projectors, the Epson 5020e may not be for you, but anyone looking for a home theater projector that can also double as solid gaming projector, the 5020e fits the bill.  For what it’s worth, the 5020e is the first projector in four years that has seriously given me the upgrade itch…

That’s all for now.

-Pete

P.S.  I have both the BenQ 1070 and ViewSonic Pro9000 in house and I’m taking a look at them this weekend.   Keep an eye out for their reviews sometime next week.

I’m back after a bit of a break, (recently moved to a new house), but now I’m settled, and I’ve got a budget gaming projector shootout between the Acer H5360 ($499) and the Epson 710HD ($599).  Both of these projectors are 720P native resolution and represent a good value in their price range.  The Acer is a DLP technology based projector and the Epson is 3LCD.  Read on to find out the strengths and weaknesses of each and which projector I would choose.

First off, both of these projectors are portable, both coming with over the shoulder carrying cases.  In a previous review, I dubbed the Optoma GT750 the king of portability.  Both of these projectors give the Optoma a run for its money, with the edge going to the Acer H5360.  I couldn’t believe how small the Acer H5360 was when I took it out of the box.   At first glance, I thought the Acer H5360 didn’t come with a remote, but later found out that the remote was built to slide right into the top of the projector when not in use.  There are some down sides to this cleverly designed remote.  Although it may add some points to portability, it is not the most intuitive interface and could be lost fairly easily in the typical, messy gamer room.

Adding to their portable appeal, both of the projectors have a single 2W speaker.  It’s not much, but it allows you to have some sound without having to worry about lugging some speakers along with the projector if you’re bringing it somewhere.   One valuable feature both projectors were missing is the audio output.  Neither had an audio out, which means you would need to route the audio separately from your source rather than simply connecting your material via HDMI and breaking out the audio from the projector.   I say it’s a tie here.

In placement flexibility, both of these projectors function very similarly.  Neither have any physical lens shift, which kinda limits these projectors to be placed “front and center”.  Both could be very easily table mounted.  Honestly, they are both so small you could keep them in a drawer and pull them out when in use.  Another tie here.

As far as overall picture quality, both the Acer H5360 and the 710HD performed well.  They both have fairly limited image control settings, but the preset modes that ship with the projectors were very playable.  I was impressed by the brightness on both projectors, with the edge given to the Epson.   As stated before, I typically choose best mode over brightest mode, and the Epson’s best mode (theater) seemed a bit brighter to me than the mode I chose on the Acer H5360 (game mode).

Having said this, I think the Acer’s sacrifice in brightness went to a very worthy cause.  I can’t say whether the black levels on the Acer H5360 were a bit darker, or the shadow detail was better, but I felt the image on the Acer H5360 seemed to have a bit more “pop and wow”.   It was tough, because overall the Epson’s seemed brighter and its colors were more natural, but to my eyes, the Acer H5360 had a more impressive image.   The deal breaker for me was the rainbow effect on the Acer H5360.  I haven’t had too many problems with previous DLP projectors, but the rainbow effect was not only visible to me on the Acer H5360, it was distracting.  Any multi-colored scenes were OK, but as soon as any light text on dark background appeared it was game over.

I will still give the Acer H5360 the edge in overall picture quality category, because not everyone will be able to see the rainbow effect on DLP.  It had a great “wow” factor that was fitting for a gaming projector.

Now, input lag!  The Acer H5360 is the winner here hands down.  It measured and impressive 0-10ms input lag, with an average around 5ms.  While the Epson measured 30-50ms and an average around 40ms.   The Epson’s results are right in the grey area of acceptable.  With my recent choice in games, the Epson’s performance would work for me.  If you are looking for a FPS projector, the Epson 710H may not be the best choice.

ACER

EPSON

Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the Epson’s input lag shots in my recent move.    My notes contained the results, so you’ll have to trust me.  I will keep looking and post them as soon as I find the memory card that contains them!  It’s probably in one of the boxes I need to unpack.

Conclusion:

This has been quite the shootout.  Just to recap, both of the projectors are very portable with limited placement flexibility (no lens shift).  They both have a mono 2W speaker.  The Epson 710HD is brighter in best mode, but to my eyes the Acer had a more impressive image overall.  The Acer wins the input lag battle but suffers from the “rainbow effect”.   One last thing not yet mentioned is the Acer H5360′s 3D capabilities.  I was unable to test its performance, because it did not ship with the matching 3D glasses (sold separately), but it is a feature that the Epson 710H does not have.

If I had to choose between these two projectors I would choose the Epson 710H, strictly on the basis that the Acer H5360 had too noticeable of a rainbow effect for me to overlook (and I’m not sold on 3D at this point). If the rainbow effect was not an issue, I would choose the Acer H5360 because I think it throws a better picture for gaming overall (more “pop and wow”), not to mention it has better input lag metrics.

That’s all for now!

-Pete

P.S.  I think I have an Epson 3020 coming my way.  Stay tuned! 

It’s been quite a while since my last review, but I was able to get my hands on the Acer H6500.  It’s a portable, bright, entry level projector that supports native 1080p resolution, and the price makes it an appealing option for those wanting a 1080p proejctor on a budget.   There are many strengths to this projector, but there are some weaknesses that should be considered before purchasing.  Read on to find out how the Acer H6500 holds up in the game room and how it compares to the GT750.  And be sure to read the conclusion!

First, I want to point out that the Acer H6500, physically, is an extremely portable projector.  The only other projector that I have reviewed (excluding pico projectors) that matches the H6500′s portability is the Optoma GT750.  It’s not quite a backpack, but the Acer H6500 includes a carrying case of sorts so you can easily pack it up and bring it anywhere.

Like most projectors in this price range, the Acer H6500 does not have any lens shift.  This means the projector needs to be pretty much centered in respect to the screen.  The H6500 does have keystone correction, but in my opinion, it’s is a feature that should be used to tweak a slightly offset image, and not relied upon as a substitute for lens shift.  \

The Optoma GT750 had an extremely short throw distance which helped make up for it having no lens shift.  The Acer H6500 does not have this luxury.   I was forced to table mount the H6500 in the center of my theater room simply because I could not get H6500 to fill my screen in the same position as my Epson 6500UB.   Just to give you an idea of the space constraints, I was almost able to fill my 100″ screen with the Acer at full zoom (~10ft throw).

Once I had placement of the H6500 figured out, I immediately noticed the brightness of the H6500.  Even in its best mode, it is a light cannon!

I also noticed the image was very sharp, noticeably sharper than my 6500UB.  The combination of the brightness and sharpness of this projector in brighter scenes was impressive.  It definitely had a “wow” factor.

In mixed/darker scenes, the projector did struggle a bit.  As you would expect, because the H6500 projector is so bright, the black levels suffer as a result.  It’s been a while since I’ve had the GT750 in my possession, but if my memory serves, I would say the GT750 has marginally darker overall blacks.  However, I was very impressed with the shadow detail on the H6500.  I don’t recall the GT750 having as much shadow detail.

I usually find that overall black levels and shadow detail go hand in hand, but the H6500 seemed to have very good shadow detail compared to its absolute black level.   The darker scenes in Resident Evil 5 are my overall black/shadow detail reference and though the over black reference was a dark gray (not an inky black), I didn’t seem lose detail in the shadows as much as many other projectors in this price range.

There aren’t too many calibration options for the H6500.  The color accuracy seemed pretty acceptable in its best mode but the brightest mode didn’t seem to increase lumens enough to justify its awful colors.

This projector is DLP, so Rainbows may be an issue for some.  I was able to see them, barely and rarely, but only if I was looking for them.

I’m pleased to say the Acer H6500 did great with input lag.   I wasn’t able to detect any lag while playing and I captured 0-30ms (with an average around 15ms) with my camera.  It’s not zero, but it’s definitely one of the faster projectors I’ve taken a look at.

Conclusion:

Overall, I consider the Acer H6500 to be a strong competitor in the entry level projector market.  It gives an extremely sharp, full 1080p image with little input lag and great shadow detail.  But there are a couple basic features missing on the H6500 that prevent it from being spectacular.

In this price range, I can overlook lack of 3D support and limited placement flexibility.  I can also deal with the mediocre black levels, especially since the projector is extremely bright.   However, I don’t understand why Acer did not include built in speakers, or more importantly, an “audio out” connection.

I can understand skipping the built-in speakers (I’ve never been a fan), but this projector comes with a travel bag…it’s meant to be portable!   Why doesn’t it have an audio output!?   In the end, you can rig something up, but it’s something small that just makes things more simple when you are moving the projector around.

Acer H6500 OR Optoma GT750?

It’s a tough call…  The Acer H6500 gives you full 1080p. The Optoma GT750 sports 720p with 3D support.   Personally, I think 2D 1080p trumps 3D 720p, abut that’s just my opinion.  The Optoma gives both built in speakers as well as an audio out connection, while the Acer has neither…which could prove to be a pain depending on where you are using the projector.     In the end, I think it’s a simple question of lifestyle.   If you think your projector is going to stay at home most of the time, I think the H6500 will consistently throw a better image -  primarily because it is full 1080p resolution.  If you are going to be moving your projector around fairly often, and want something you can setup anywhere – the GT750 wins.

That’s all for now…

-Pete

I was able to sit down last week and test BenQ’s flagship projector, the W7000.  At ~$2500, it is a direct competitor to the Epson 5010.  I’m glad I was able to look at these two projectors soon enough after one another to make a proper comparison.  The W7000 projector throws a super bright and extremely sharp image and also includes features like 3D and frame interpolation.  Input lag has been a topic of concern with many of the newer projector models, read on to find out how this projector measures up in the game room!

If you didn’t already know, I do have a dedicated room for my setup.  This room also happens to be fairly small ~(11′x12′).   My couch is flat against the opposite wall of my 100″ screen and if you are facing the couch, my projector is rack mounted directly to the left, ~6ft off the ground.   The Epson 5010 was able to match my 6500UB’s placement flexibility and did a top notch job filling my offset screen.  Many other projectors have a tougher time with this and require a bit more tweaking to accomplish this goal, if they are able to manage it at all.

If the Epson 5010 has “great” placement flexibility, I would rate the BenQ W7000 at “very good”.  It does include both vertical and horizontal lens shift, but both the range and the zoom are not quite as expansive as the Epson 5010′s.   From the same position that the Epson sat, the BenQ W7000 was a few inches short of reaching the far left side of my screen, and I was unable to make the image large enough to fill it completely.  I think another foot back would have done the trick.

I was really impressed by image quality of the Epson 5010, and I can say with confidence that I consider the W7000 to be a strong competitor.   They are both great projectors, but there are some major differences between the two.

The BenQ W7000 is noticeably sharper than the Epson 5010.   It is the sharpest projector I have reviewed so far and one of the sharpest projectors I have ever seen.  It made digital images really pop, which is great for games.   The extra sharpness, however, can add a grainy look to movies.   This is not something I necessarily consider to be bad, but it is definitely a matter of preference.  The graininess can be tamed a bit by adjusting sharpness settings.

The W7000 is impressively bright in it’s “best” mode.  Fully calibrated, the W7000 was easily twice as bright as the Epson 5010.   There is a tradeoff here though,  the Epson 5010 makes up for its dimmer image with deeper, darker blacks.  I’m a sucker for inky blacks, so my general image quality preference goes to the Epson.  However, the  W7000 had plenty of shadow detail and a super bright image that boosted it’s ‘wow’ factor.

For some reason, I enjoyed 3D gaming more on the W7000 than I did on the Epson 5010.  I would need them side by side to tell which was brighter in 3D mode, but I can tell you I thought the W7000 seemed to have a more accurate, cleaner 3D picture.  The Epson did well, but for 3D gaming I give the edge to the W7000.

The W7000′s CFI system also seemed to do a good job.  There were very minimal artifacts and I see it as something usable for slower paced games where input lag is not an issue.

The BenQ is a single-chip DLP projector, and in the past I have noticed rainbows in other single-chip DLP projectors like the GT750. I was not able to see them at all with the W7000.  I believe this to be a result of its faster color wheel.

Lastly, input lag!   This time, I’m happy to report that the BenQ W7000 measures a respectable ~35ms.   For video games at 60Hz refresh rate, this means you are about 2 frames behind.    I personally experienced no problems playing on this projector.   I feel the W7000 throws an image that is fast enough to enjoy gaming, but I could see how it may not be fast enough for those folks who drink, eat and breathe first person shooters.   Ideally, I’d like to see these numbers more in the < 20ms range, but given the measurements we’ve seen in the past couple reviews, I will gladly accept 35ms and do so with a smile! 

I was unable to test how input lag changed with CFI enabled or in 3D mode because the projector would not let me enable these features while connected to my laptop for some reason.   As you can imagine, the numbers should only increase when you enable image processing features.   35ms is the best it gets.

All in all, I am quite impressed with the W7000.   It’s not perfect, but it’s damn good.   Of all the projectors I have reviewed so far, I’d say this has the best overall image quality of the ones that I can recommend for a gaming.  I kinda see the W7000 as a heavily tweaked GT750.  It doesn’t boast zero input lag, but for folks looking for a higher end projector that also works for gaming, I highly recommend the W7000.  Way to go BenQ!

It’s been a little while since I’ve had my hands on any new projectors, and I was really hoping Art would allow me to get my hands on this one.   Up until receiving the Epson 5010e, I had primarily looked at projectors in the  $700 -$1400 range.   The Epson 5010 retails for ~$2999 and I can tell you – it certainly performs like a projector in that price range.   I took a look at the Epson 5010′s younger brother (Epson 3010), and I really liked the image quality, but it suffered from a bit too much input lag to recommend for any serious gaming.   I can say that the Epson 5010e is superior to the 3010 in nearly every fashion.    Read on to find out more on how the Epson 5010e holds up in the game room.

I’ve had the Epson 5010e setup in my theater room for over a week and I’ve had a chance at a few solid gaming sessions.   Without letting too much drool leak from my mouth, I will say that this is the only projector I have reviewed thus far that has made me want to upgrade my Epson 6500UB.  It was a benefit to review this unit immediately after the Epson 3010 so I could more easily compare the two.   The first thing I noticed was the build quality of the 5010.  I can’t tell if it’s cheap tricks, but the 5010 seemed well built and stylish compared to it’s younger brother.    It seemed to reach out like it wanted to be noticed when I placed it on my A/V rack.

My next surprise was lens shift.   The Epson 3010 uses keystone correction as it’s placement mechanism, the Epson 5010 has a full mechanical vertical and horizontal placement system which I think is much better in general.   It made for a seamless integration into my setup.

I’m a sucker for black levels and it was no surprise the 5010 performs well in this area.  I started with Resident Evil 5 and worked through a couple dungeons in Skyrim to get a feel for the black levels and shadow detail.  They were both superb.  The Epson 5010 is bright enough in best mode, and when put into dynamic it has enough horsepower to cut through moderate ambient light.   As with all projectors, it certainly benefits from some light control.

Another thing the Epson 5010 includes that it’s younger brother does not have is a creative frame interpolation system.   This was something I missed a bit in the 3010.  There was some jitter now and then, but the CFI was smooth compared to my 6500UB, but that isn’t saying much because the CFI in the 6500UB is known to be flawed.

The 5010 is 3D capable and I made it a point to get some new 3D demo material.   My choices were a bit limit, but I went with Gran Turismo 5!  Before StarCraft 2, I had zero 3D gaming experience, and let’s just say Gran Turismo 5 benefited a bit more from the 3D game-play.   I really enjoyed how the 3D enhanced depth and realism in this game.  It made for a really fun, racing simulation!   I don’t really have much basis for comparison, but I can really see 3D being an asset to racing games specifically.  It allowed for a better feel for how close and how sharp turns were and actually seemed to improve my skills.   I’ll probably write something in the future that compares many different genres and how they perform/benefit in 3D, but for now, racing games sit at the top of my list for most improved.

I know many were disappointed in the 3010 because of its high input lag and many are curious if the 5010 behaves the same way.    Unfortunately…yes, it does.   The input lag tests were a bit more involved because of the CFI system/3D/Wireless HDMI features on the Epson 5010, but absolute lowest number I could measure was ~85ms.   This was, of course, with CFI OFF and all other image processing OFF.   Naturally the CFI system introduced some lag (the results are below).

CFI OFF    ~85ms lag

CFI LOW    ~100ms lag

2D-3D conversion ~ 100ms lag

CFI NORMAL  ~120ms lag

CFI HIGH    ~150ms lag

*Wireless HDMI Feature did not change any of these results*

It really is a shame this projector can’t do better with input lag.   From purely an image quality standpoint, this projector is spectacular.   But again, I can’t recommend it for serious gaming because there is just too much input lag.  In my opinion, 100ms+ is unacceptable for any material.  There was so much lag with CFI HIGH I (as well as some others without me asking them) noticed the sound to be delayed from the lips on the video.

I’m still waiting to hear back from Epson, but at this point I’m doubtful they will make any serious effort to improve these numbers with a firmware update – at least with this year’s model.  We can only hope that the next revision of the Epson 3010/5010 addresses this issue.   I can tell you -  if it does, I will be seriously considering upgrading my 6500UB.

That’s all for now!

-Pete

Thanks to TXLZone, we have an unofficial update saying

“A fix would require more than just a firmware for the lag on with video games. There would have to be a hardware change as well. These first 3 units were designed to work with 3D movies more than any other media. It will be addressed for future models.”

We can cross our fingers and stay hopeful!

Also, I have a BenQ W7000 on it’s way. I should be able to look at it this weekend and post a review sometime later next week.  So stay tuned!

For those not familiar, Skyrim is a single player, open-world RPG.  It is completely free-roaming and creates a world in which you direct the adventure.  Your development depends on what quests you choose to pursue and what skills you choose to use most throughout the game.    There is a “main story” you can choose to follow but there are hundreds of hours of side quests you can be sucked into at any given time.   There’s not much more I can say.  Games like Skyrim are not for everyone, if you haven’t played a similar game, it’s something you need to play for yourself to decide if you enjoy.

Skyrim has noticeably better graphics and more realistic world/character design than its predecessor -  as expected.   The landscapes are epic and majestic, and leave you in a state of wonder and awe.  This aside, the first thing I noticed about game-play as I started my adventure was the smoothness of conversation.  In a game this large, it is hard to not have characters repeat themselves or sound awkward in unscripted conversation.   As I worked through many quests and ventured later in the game, my initial observations held true.   Even the people you overhear while walking by that aren’t speaking with you directly seemed to have a vast library of conversation pieces.   The designers really did a great job.   If  you do hire or acquire a mercenary to help along your quests, I did find they repeated phrases fairly often.   This was one of the few exceptions…

As I mentioned before, the landscapes were gorgeous.  It’s something that jumps out at you immediately as you start your adventure.  The cities/towns and the dungeons were also built with this level of detail.  Most towns are easily distinguishable from each other in both layout and architecture.   This is was an aspect of Oblivion that carried over  well.  Where Skyrim trumps is in dungeon design.  Oblivion’s dungeons seemed painfully repetitive at times.  Skyrim boasts not only fairly unique dungeons, but extremely large ones as well – much larger than even the largest of Oblivion.

Enemy design is another strong suit of Skyrim.  Many of the enemies are downright scary-looking and they are fairly smart in how they attack.  Dragons play a large role in both the story-line and in character development.   Dragons fly around and appear all over Skyrim and you are required to fight them.    They look fabulous, but the AI for the dragons is pretty sub par.  It is pretty much my only gripe with this game.   If they were not such an integral part of the game, I could probably overlook it.  It’s pretty exciting, but fighting dragons is a bit repetitive.  They fly around and repeat the same moves/attacks and as you pick away at their health.  It’s still fun…and I’m sure it’s much easier said than done, but I wish they would have spent a little more time fine tuning the AI of the dragons.

How your character levels up in Skyrim is a a bit different than in Oblivion.   There are less things to consider, you aren’t forced to choose a class which dictates your major and minor skills, and it is much more intuitively laid out.  Because they list the perks you can unlock, you can have a clear goal to work towards rather than just enjoying a certain skill and wondering what it will do for you.   Also, your character levels on a (mostly) fixed number system.  In other words, the enemies you are fighting in random dungeons stay at a fairly constant level rather than leveling up to match you.   Certain quests have noticeably stronger enemies and you need to wait to level up before attempting them.  Personally, I found this system much more enjoyable than having all the enemies around you match your level.

I found the “sneak” system and item retrieval mechanics to be improved.  Oblivion felt a bit random at times. In Skyrim, it is very clear which items (especially arrows) can be salvaged from a slain beast or bandit.  Also, obstacles such as rocks and trees play a large part in enemies detecting you while sneaking around.  It makes it much more fun and strategic to sneak up on an enemy.  The 3rd person game-play is also much improved.  It doesn’t feel nearly as mechanical.   I still choose to play in 1st person, but I could see someone playing the game through in 3rd person if they desired.

As with both it’s predecessors, Skyrim has an amazing soundtrack.  The songs are a bit less melodic, so they (fortunately or unfortunately) don’t get stuck in your head much, but they serve their purpose well and greatly add to the mood throughout the game.

I can’t cover everything, I have put a good 40 hours into the game over the past month and have probably 10 times that much of the game left to explore.    It has jumped into my favorites list and I think it has set the new standard for modern RPGs.

That’s all for now.    I’m off to play some more Skyrim.

Game on!

-Pete

Over the past several years, Epson has established a pattern of producing some of the most competitive projectors in class, so its no surprise many were anxious for me to share my thoughts on the new Epson 3010.    At $1599 ($1799 for the 3010e), the Epson 3010 fits into the just-above entry-level market and boasts some impressive features (including 3D capabilities) for its price point.   Read on to find out how the 3010 holds up in the game room!

With the holidays just around the corner, November is always a busy month for title releases – and this month was no exception.  Between the new Assassins Creed, Uncharted 3, Skyward Sword and the next chapter in the Elder Scrolls series (Skyrim), I’ve had plenty of new and exciting test material for this projector.

The first thing I noticed about the Epson 3010 was its brightness.  It is a very bright projector.  Even in “Cinema” mode with the “ECO” blub setting activated (the least bright mode for this projector), the Epson 3010 throws an impressively bright image.   I spent most of my time with this projector in this mode because I have a light controlled environment and felt it resulted in the best black levels.   If  “dynamic” mode is activated and the bulb output changed to “normal”, it is clear this projector has the lumens to shine in an environment where ambient light might be an issue for other projectors.

This added brightness does come with a trade-off.   There is a clear difference in darker scenes between my Epson 6500UB and the Epson 3010.  When crawling around the darker dungeons of Skyrim, the Epson 3010 simply cannot compete with the black levels of the 6500UB.  Keep in mind, however, it goes both ways.  The 6500UB cannot compete with the brightness of of the 3010.  It’s a trade-off.

I would say the Epson 3010 has better blacks and is less bright than the Optoma GT750 and has about the same black levels and is more bright than the BenQ W1200.

Placement flexibility is a feature many people can overlook.  There has been a change in the optics between the Epson 3010 and its predecessor.  Instead of vertical and horizontal lens shift, Epson has decided to implement a fixed lens system with keystone correction.  By no means does the Epson 3010 have poor placement flexibility, but it took a little more finagling to get the 3010 to project an image on my screen from the same position as my older Epson. I usually have to put the projectors I review in completely different spots than my 6500UB.  So, the Epson 3010 still has better placement than many other projectors, but the new system, in my opinion, is not as versatile as the older model’s.

The Epson 3010 projector is 3D capable and I was successful, for the first time, at gaming in 3D!  My 3D game of choice (the only 3D game own), StarCraft 2, was played from my computer via the NVidia GTX560 graphics card.  I don’t have much basis for comparison in 3D games, so I’m wasn’t really sure what to expect.  StarCraft 2 looked…3D!  Instead of a flat 2D birds eye view, I could see more clearly how the units and buildings were positioned in layers in respect to my point of view…depth!     I guess it’s hard to explain…but there definitely was a difference, and it was pretty cool.

StarCraft2 is a game I would never choose to play on a projector, so I’ll have to search for some better demo material in the future.  For all intents and purposes, StarCraft 2 did well in giving me a feel for 3D gaming.  (If anyone can recommend a 3D gaming title to be my new reference – please let me know!)

The Epson 3010 also includes two built in 10 watt speakers.  The speakers lack the bottom end, but I was impressed with the sound coming from the 3010 both in regards to overall volume level and clarity at higher volumes.   The best speakers I have heard on a projector yet.  The sound starts distorting around level 30/40.  At 25/40 the Epson 3010′s sound is impressively loud and clean.   I like included speakers because they increase the projectors portability appeal.   The 3010 is not a huge projector, but it is not a “portable projector” by any means and the built in speakers are great for their “plug and play” functionality.  Just an all around nice feature to have if you decide to pack up the projector and bring it to a friend’s place.

I would like to mention the Epson 3010 does not have a CFI (creative frame interpolation) system.  I sometimes find CFI able to improve to the overall gaming experience – especially in slower paced games.   Switching from my 6500UB, I did miss this feature a little bit, but in no way would I consider it a deal breaker.  (The Epson 3010 uses the 2:2 pulldown method to smooth its imaging.  I made sure this was off during input lag testing.)

Because there is no CFI system, there were few settings that could influence the input lag results.  I turned off noise reduction and any settings I could find that might increase input lag.   Unfortunately folks…the results were less than stellar.    The best result I could capture was ~80ms.  Input lag measurements extending into the +100ms range and averaged around 100ms.    (I was unable to test the input lag over wireless HDMI, as I received an Epson 3010 not the Epson 3010e.  If anyone had access to this feature and is willing to do some tests please let me know.)

To be honest, I was not expecting this at all.  I was playing slower placed games, but I didn’t notice a hint of lag while playing them.   I took a look at some faster paced games after I saw the input lag results and it was apparent in both Amplitude and online in Halo: Reach that the 3010 had enough input lag to impact high-speed game-play.

Though the numbers were similar, I felt the Epson was a tad more responsive than the W1200, but it was still frustrating to play.   Art will be in touch with Epson regarding this, maybe they can attempt a firmware fix like BenQ on the W1200?  If they can get the projector to test below 40ms, I think we’ll have a real winner.

In short, the Epson 3010 is a great projector – awesome brightness, good color reproduction, respectable placement flexibility and 3D capabilities to boot.  It’s a shame I can’t recommend the 3010 for any serious gamers.  It suffers a bit too much from input lag to be used as a primary gaming display.   If you have ~$1500 to spend, I would recommend trying to find an “older” projector like the Epson 8350.  It won’t have 3D capabilities or built in speakers, but the input lag will test around ~33ms.

In the mean time, I’m continuing my Skyrim review.  Hopefully, Art has plans to send me some more toys!

That’s all for now!

-Pete

EDIT:  I also found this interesting article on AVSforum which compares some of the lag time on the newer Epson projectors

Thanks to TXLZone, we have an unofficial update regarding the input lag issue,

“A fix would require more than just a firmware for the lag on with video games. There would have to be a hardware change as well. These first 3 units were designed to work with 3D movies more than any other media. It will be addressed for future models.”

We can cross our fingers and stay hopeful!

I had a bit of a break between reviews so I decided it was a good time to do a game review!   I know Portal 2 isn’t brand new, but it’s fairly new and a game whose predecessor is one of my favorites.  I played through both the single player campaign and some of the coop online story over the past few weeks.   Read on to find out what I thought!

For those not familiar with the Portal series, it is basically a puzzle game in a first person shooter environment.   You create “portals” like doorways which allow you to move instantly from one part of the map to another and solve puzzles using your portal guns and other various items.   That’s pretty much the basics!

I was hesitant to play Portal 2 because, like most sequels, I was nervous they might not live up to the high expectations set by the originals.  Five minutes into the game, that fear was swept away by strings of hilarious dialogue and captivating series of events which pulled me into the storyline.    As I started playing, I started to appreciate how balanced the game felt.   A lot of times, after playing for a while, puzzle games can seem a bit tedious.   With Portal 2, the action sequences were matched very well storyline progression.  There were times where I felt rushed to complete puzzles (though there was no time limit) and other times where I felt I could almost relax and just enjoy simple puzzle solving fun.  These feelings were all controlled by how the storyline progression guided the game-play -  in my opinion, very well done.  And I can’t mention enough how well the writers incorporated comedic dialog into Portal 2.     Again, sometimes puzzle games can be a bit heavy at times and the comedy helped allow for a wonderful balance of entertainment when trying to think through various puzzles.   It’s hard to say how many hours it took me to complete the  single player campaign because I enjoy messing around in the puzzle environments, but I would say the story is under 10 hours for first time players.  Regardless, I was sad to see the credits (also uncontrollably laughing) and was begging for more.

I usually don’t focus too much on graphics, because I personally feel storyline and game-play are much more important.  But Portal 2, being a “next gen” game, had reasonably impressive graphics.  I wouldn’t say reference quality, but the environments were pleasingly detailed and well thought out.  The physics of the game, however, was fabulous.  This is extremely important in a game like this.  I never felt I was cheated by poor physics, rather I found myself always thinking, “wow, that’s kinda cool” or “I guess that’s not possible”.

If you are going to play coop, being able to communicate with your partner is key.  It is a puzzle game, and unlike other games Portal 2 coop cannot be completed by a single strong player.  Most of the puzzles require the synchronized action of two players in order to solve.   I would highly recommend the coop mode if you can play split screen OR you can play online with someone you know if you both have headsets.   I played Portal 2 coop primarily online with people I didn’t know and found it very frustrating to play without a headset.

All in all, I would highly recommend Portal 2 to anyone who enjoyed the first game, people who enjoy puzzle games in general or to anyone looking for something new – because it is a very unique game.   If you haven’t played the original, I would definitely play that first as this story line of the second is tied very closely to the original.  The original is available in The Orange Box on XBOX360 and PC which also includes Halflife 2 and Team Fortress 2 and also as a standalone game for PS3.  Portal 2 is available for XBOX360, PS3 and PC and I picked my copy up used for ~30 bucks.  So go get it!

That’s all for now!

There are a few things on the pallet for this month.  First, there is a huge release on 11-11-11.  If you hadn’t heard, the next in the Elder’s Scrolls series is coming out (Skyrim).  I have been waiting for this game for a very long time.  I plan to do a review, towards the end of the month/early December.  I like to take my time with game reviews and I hope I will be able to write my review around that time.

Art is also planning to send me the Epson 3010e to review.  I know many readers are interested in seeing how that performs, and I hope to have that review finished by the end of the month (before I finish the Skyrim review).  If all goes as planned I will be using the 3010e while I take a look at Skyrim. 

Stay tuned!