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BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality

Posted on June 7, 2013 By Art Feierman

Before we get into discussing the picture quality of BenQ’s W1070, our usual comments on the color accuracy of the images:

A lot of processing goes on from the start of a photo shoot until you are viewing the BenQ W1070 images on your computer screen. As a result, these images are reasonable indications, but not accurate enough for comparing precise color, saturation and other aspects. Note: Selected images relating to shadow detail, and especially black level performance can be very effective at demonstrating how the W1070 positions itself compared to other home projectors. Different computers, browsers, displays, graphics cards, and software, all affect how the image looks on your screen.

One more thing.  Sadly, I wasn’t paying enough attention during one of the photo shoots. You will find many of the HDTV images to be a touch soft.  That’s due to my adjusting the projector’s zoom a bit, and was a touch too quick refocusing.  My bad.  The projector is very nicely sharp for the price, as you can see from other images.

All home theater projectors, including this BenQ W1070, should definitely looks much better live at your place, than any of our images would indicate.  Yet some of these images really do look great!

BenQ W1070 Out of the Box Picture Quality

Impressive, especially for an entry level priced 1080p projector.  While we did calibrate the projector, it looks pretty good even in default modes such as Cinema and User 1, as well as Standard. Dynamic is, as expected, heavy on green, but not near as much as some other projectors. If you are dealing with a lot of ambient light, you’ll want to switch to Dynamic.  Just don’t expect good skin tones, even if it is watchable.

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BenQ W1070 Projector - Skin Tones

Shockingly good.  This BenQ is one of those rare projectors whose picture tends to both look good, and be forgiving. The BenQ really is a projector that you can take out of the box, turn on, and most people will have no problem with the color or the picture in general.

Lo-def TV, which I generally avoid like the plague, even looks reasonably good on color, even if as expected, it’s not as vibrant as HDTV.

Post calibration the skin tones have to be considered very, very, good. No, maybe not, maybe I should say truly excellent!!   I could get away with “excellent” but for one thing.  As is the case with most single chip DLP projectors, this BenQ W1070 has Brilliant Color.  BC is a suite of “adjustments” to the image. BC comes from TI, the maker of DLP  chips.  It’s a system that can be customized by each manufacturer.

But, as noted on the first page, the color palette shrinks, contrast goes up with BC.  Turn it off for a more natural image.  The thing is, it will calibrated slightly differently.  Thus you could use one User for calibrating with Brilliant Color On, and another with it off.  If you’ve got the gear to calibrate, or the money to spend.   If you are happy with BC on, try our calibration settings – they sure worked great for us.

Let’s look at some assorted images, starting with good examples of skin tones. Above and below, our usual suspects – Gandalf and Arwen, from Lord of the Rings, on Blu-ray.

As is usual, we have three James Bond images from Casino Royale, to demonstrate that skin tones vary a lot in different lighting conditions.  Here we have full sunlight, the second image is indoor fluorescent, and finally, filtered sunlight in the third image. And as one would expect, that causes noticeable changes in the skin color.  In each scene, considered by itself and the setting, the skin tones are believable.  But when you look at, for example, the second and third, the visible difference in the color is significant.

BenQ W1070 Projector – Physical Tour 2
BenQ W1070 Projector – Image Quality 2