BenQ PE8720 Projector Performance - Other

I'll start with the BenQ projector's remote control, and move right to the menus, then look at all those other pesky issues, like noise, best screen choices, etc.

There's not a single thing wrong with the BenQ remote. This long white remote fits nicely in my hand, and the backlight button - by itself, near the bottom (but not too close), is easy to hit with my thumb, without shifting the remote in my hand. Hit it and all the buttons light up a bright orange (there's nothing I dislike more than a backlit remote who's buttons don't light up bright enough to be easily read!) From there, I can easily hit the menu button, and all the arrow keys, enter, etc., again without shifting my hand or needing my other hand.

That said, let's start at the top of the BenQ projector's remote.

Below the bright red power button are two rows of three source buttons. Below them are 5 aspect ratio buttons: Anamorphic, 4:3, Letter Box. then below, is the Wide button, and this is important, for you "regular" TV watchers.

Although I didn't test it, according to the manual, the Wide mode will take a 4:3 aspect ratio image like regular TV or "Full screen" dvd, and stretch it across the entire width of the screen. The really important point, is that this BenQ uses an algorithm to keep the center of the image virtually true, while stretching the left and the right third, so that you don't notice the distortion of stretching the image (since normally most of what you are looking at tends to be near the center). This non-linear stretching of the image, is a fairly common feature on most plasma displays, but rare on projectors (for some reason). I played with this, watching a non-Hi-Def football game, and found the results pleasing. The best way of describing the lack of this feature, is watching Shaq O'Neill play basketball. When you stretch the whole image he tends to look like a 5' 8" dwarf, not tall, but super wide! Kudos for adding this capability.