BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 2 Posted on June 7, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. BenQ W1070 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ W1070 Highlights - BenQ W1070 Projector Overview2. BenQ W1070 Special Features - BenQ W1070 3D - BenQ 3D Glasses - Gaming with the BenQ W1070 - W1070 Brilliant Color3. BenQ W1070 Special Features Part 2 - Full Color Management System - CMS - W1070 ISF certification - W1070 Smart-Eco mode - W1070 Audio - W1070 Lamp Life4. BenQ W1070 Projector – Physical Tour - BenQ W1070 Projector - Appearance - W1070 Control Panel - W1070 Projector - Input/Output5. BenQ W1070 Projector – Physical Tour 2 - W1070 Menus - BenQ W1070 Remote Control - BenQ W1070 Lens Throw - BenQ W1070 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality - BenQ W1070 Out of the Box Picture Quality - BenQ W1070 Projector - Skin Tones7. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: BenQ W1070 Projector - Bottom Line8. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 3 - BenQ W1070 Overall Color & Picture Quality9. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 4 - BenQ W1070 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - BenQ W1070 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content10. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance - BenQ W1070 Brightness - BenQ W1070 Calibrated: User 1 "best" mode = 1711 lumens - BenQ W1070 Modes: Image Comparison11. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance 2 - W1070 Lamp Brightness Smart-Eco vs. Full Power - BenQ W1070 Pre-Calibration Color temp - W1070, Post Calibration, Best Mode (User 1)12. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance 3 - BenQ W1070 3D Brightness - BenQ W1070 Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images13. BenQ W1070 Projector Calibration and Settings - BenQ W1070 Basic Settings14. BenQ W1070 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - BenQ W1070 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - W1070 Post Calibration settings15. BenQ W1070 – Projector Screen Recommendations - W1070 Projector Screen Recommendations16. BenQ W1070 – Competitors - BenQ W1070 - Competitors17. BenQ W1070 Projector – Warranty - BenQ W1070 Projector - Warranty18. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary - BenQ W1070 Projector - The Bottom Line19. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the W1070 projector20. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary 3 - BenQ W1070 Projector: Pros and Cons - BenQ W1070 Projector: Pros - BenQ W1070 Projector: Cons21. BenQ W1070 – Full Specifications Black Level and Shadow Detail PerformanceWe start with black level performance as usual. The BenQ W1070 is neither a $3000 projector nor can it produce the kind of blacks we expect from those far more expensive (at the very least – twice the price – but typically $2500+). OK, so now you know this isn’t a great dedicated home theater projector. Still, some nights you’ll want to turn out all the lights and watch a great movie with the best possible picture. I’m pleased to report that black levels are very good for the price range. The W1070, not only outperforms a number of similarly priced DLP projectors (2D and 3D ones), but it offers better blacks than the Epson Home Cinema 3020 even with that projector’s dynamic iris engaged. That projector is half again more expensive. I’ve watched a few movies in the last month in the theaters. Most recently Les Miz. Considering the ambient lighting level in the theater (here in California), I can say that the W1070, in a fully dark room, has better blacks than Les Miz did in a large Regal theater. Black Levels ComparisonBenQ W1070Epson Home Cinema 3020eAcer H9500BDOptoma HD33Optoma HD23Panasonic PT-AR100UMitsubishi HC4000Sony VPL-HW50ESVivitek H1080FDBenQ W7000PreviousNext Epson Home Cinema 3020e ($1899) Acer H9500BD – this projector shared our Best In Class award last year, with the older HC3010. As was the case last year, the Acer – which had the best black levels in the price range, still does a better job on blacks than the newer W1070: Optoma HD33: (2D, 3D) Optoma HD23: (Different than the HD33, and 2D only) neither are a match for the BenQ Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: (2D only, $1199) The BenQ is better at blacks. Mitsubishi HC4000: An OLD favorite (3 year old projector), that was one of the best at blacks (a bit more expensive) Sony VPL-HW50ES (LCoS projector $3,699): This is what you want. A massively overexposed starship, while the letterbox and the black of space is still very dark. Vivitek H1080FD ($899): BenQ W7000: The BenQ is more of a home theater projector than a home entertainment one. It definitely does better on blacks – it is one of only two under $2000 reviewed projectors so far, that we consider “ultra high contrast.” Shadow Detail PerformanceBelow is a favorite image for looking at dark shadow detail. It’s also a good test of black level performance. As already noted, the black levels of the W1070 are very good for a non “ultra-high-contrast” projector. Dark shadow detail of the W1070 projector is excellent. Note the details in the dark of the woods on the right, and easier, look at all those shrubs on the other side of the tracks on the far right. Wow! OK, it’s easier to see the darkest shadow detail on projectors that lack super-dark blacks, but this shadow detail is great even for a projector with only good black level performance. Shadow Detail ComparisonBenQ W1070Epson Home Cinema 3020Optoma HD33Acer H9500BDViewsonic Pro8200Mitsubishi HC4000BenQ W6000Sony VPL-HW50ESPreviousNext Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: BenQ W1070 Projector - Bottom LineWow! The BenQ W1070 isn’t an alternative (when it comes to black level performance) to ultra-high-contrast projectors like the Epson 5020UB, Panasonic PT-AE8000U, or Sony VPL-HW50ES. But those are mostly $3000 range projectors. To my best guess, the least expensive projectors with visibly better blacks is the $1599 Acer and BenQ’s 2D only, W6000, (the 3 year old 2D predecessor to the W7000), which is still available. 1. BenQ W1070 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ W1070 Highlights - BenQ W1070 Projector Overview2. BenQ W1070 Special Features - BenQ W1070 3D - BenQ 3D Glasses - Gaming with the BenQ W1070 - W1070 Brilliant Color3. BenQ W1070 Special Features Part 2 - Full Color Management System - CMS - W1070 ISF certification - W1070 Smart-Eco mode - W1070 Audio - W1070 Lamp Life4. BenQ W1070 Projector – Physical Tour - BenQ W1070 Projector - Appearance - W1070 Control Panel - W1070 Projector - Input/Output5. BenQ W1070 Projector – Physical Tour 2 - W1070 Menus - BenQ W1070 Remote Control - BenQ W1070 Lens Throw - BenQ W1070 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality - BenQ W1070 Out of the Box Picture Quality - BenQ W1070 Projector - Skin Tones7. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: BenQ W1070 Projector - Bottom Line8. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 3 - BenQ W1070 Overall Color & Picture Quality9. BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 4 - BenQ W1070 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - BenQ W1070 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content10. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance - BenQ W1070 Brightness - BenQ W1070 Calibrated: User 1 "best" mode = 1711 lumens - BenQ W1070 Modes: Image Comparison11. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance 2 - W1070 Lamp Brightness Smart-Eco vs. Full Power - BenQ W1070 Pre-Calibration Color temp - W1070, Post Calibration, Best Mode (User 1)12. BenQ W1070 Projector – Performance 3 - BenQ W1070 3D Brightness - BenQ W1070 Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images13. BenQ W1070 Projector Calibration and Settings - BenQ W1070 Basic Settings14. BenQ W1070 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - BenQ W1070 Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - W1070 Post Calibration settings15. BenQ W1070 – Projector Screen Recommendations - W1070 Projector Screen Recommendations16. BenQ W1070 – Competitors - BenQ W1070 - Competitors17. BenQ W1070 Projector – Warranty - BenQ W1070 Projector - Warranty18. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary - BenQ W1070 Projector - The Bottom Line19. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the W1070 projector20. BenQ W1070 – Review Summary 3 - BenQ W1070 Projector: Pros and Cons - BenQ W1070 Projector: Pros - BenQ W1070 Projector: Cons21. BenQ W1070 – Full Specifications BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 3