BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary Posted on June 3, 2011 By Art Feierman 1. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ W1200 Projector Highlights - BenQ W1200 Projector Overview2. BenQ W1200 Projector Special Features - BenQ W1200 as a Gaming Projector - BenQ W1200 Picture In Picture - W1200 Lamp Life - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens - W1200 Projector - Audio - W1200 Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion3. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour - BenQ W1200 Projector - Appearance - W1200 Control Panel - W1200 Projector - Input/Output - W1200 Menu Slide Show - BenQ W1200 Remote Control4. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour-2 - BenQ W1200 Lens Throw - Lens Shift5. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Anamorphic Lens - Cinemascope6. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality - BenQ W1200 Out of the Box Picture Quality - BenQ W1200 Projector - Flesh Tones7. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-2 - BenQ W1200 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - W1200 Black Level Performance8. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Space Pictures Comparision9. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Images Comparision:10. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Comparision: - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: W1200 Projector - Bottom Line - BenQ W1200 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports11. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-6 - BenQ W1200 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports12. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance - BenQ W1200 Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - Lumen Output (Eco-mode, Dynamic): 764 - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Brightest mode) - Color Temp over IRE Range (Various Modes) - Calibrated Color Temp over IRE Range - Brilliant Color off / color on: Comparision13. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance-2 - BenQ W1200 Sharpness - BenQ W1200: Bottom Line Sharpness14. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance-3 - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. BenQ W1200 Projector Calibration and Settings - BenQ W1200 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Various Modes) - W1200 Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projectors Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis)16. BenQ W1200 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - BenQ W1200 Post Calibration Grayscale: Standard Mode - RGB Settings - Calibration settings for User 317. BenQ W1200 – Projector Screens - BenQ W1200 Projector Screen Recommendations18. BenQ W1200 – Competitors - BenQ W1200 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - BenQ W1200 vs. Mitsubishi HC4000 - W1200 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z70019. BenQ W1200 – Competitors-2 - BenQ W1200 vs. BenQ W6000 - BenQ W1200 vs. Vivitek H1080 - Favoring the Vivitek H1080 FD Projector - Favoring the BenQ W1200 Projector - Optoma HD20 vs. BenQ W120020. BenQ W1200 – Competitors-3 - Viewsonic Pro8200 vs. BenQ W1200 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 and Epson Home Cinema 8700UB compared to the BenQ W120021. BenQ W1200 Projector – Warranty22. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary - BenQ W1200 Projector - The Bottom Line23. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary-2 - The Very Bottom Line on the W1200 Home Theater Projector - BenQ W1200 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - BenQ W1200 Projector: Pros - BenQ W1200 Projector: Cons - BenQ W1200 Projector: Typical Capabilities24. BenQ W1200 Projector Specifications Time for a short summary of the BenQ W1200 projector’s pros and cons and capabilities. BenQ W1200 Projector - The Bottom Line The BenQ W1200 isn’t priced as an entry level 1080p projector. Those projectors are under $1000. The W1200 competes price wise more with several very good, step up home theater projectors. At the time of this review, online prices for the W1200 are not far below $1500. The W1200 in some ways seems to be entry level, but in others, definitely not. In overall design – no lens shift, lots of lens offset (a problem with relatively low ceilings if you are mounting, but great for table top use), its decent, but not overly impressive shadow detail and black level performance. On the other hand, the image is probably the sharpest of any of the under $1500 projectors we’ve reviewed. The projector has a lot more lens throw than most DLP’s with 1.5:1, for improved placement. This W1200 projector has a proper color management system and is capable of more accurate color than many of the lower cost projectors, and that, for me, is a significant plus. W1200 Brightness: No complaints here. True, some of the less expensive cross-over type projectors like the Vivitek H1080, are even brighter, but it’s hard to complain since this projector is well brighter than average. The most similar projector from a competitive standpoint must be the Mitsubishi HC4000. While the Mits may have the black level advantage, the W1200 definitely has the brightness edge. In a family room type environment – lighter walls, more ambient light, much of the difference in black levels can be lost to the viewer (not completely though), which makes the W1200 a serious competitor to a favorite of ours, but for the right room, and viewing habits. I sort of slandered “cross-over” projectors above. Not intentionally, and the W1200 certainly is one, it’s just a more expensive one with a better lens… Definitely consider the W1200 an expensive (relative to brightness), but fully functional business projector. That 1400 lumens or so it about it, and other business projectors for less might do 2500, few of us really need more than 1000 lumens for presentations. And those brighter ones aren’t going to be a match when you bring it home. I do appreciate the speakers in the BenQ W1200. I sometimes forget that a good percentage of home projectors never get mounted. They sit on tables. They get taken out of the closet for movies or a sporting event. Some make it out back or fire a movie onto the garage door. I really think any loud action movie should have at least good bass, and no home theater projector I know of, has good bass (of those with speakers), not even the combo projectors. For that reason, I love that the W1200 has an audio output. That can always be fed to a nice (fairly portable) powered sub-woofer). You can find small ones for under $100 that will make a world of difference! Note: I use a small one – that I hide – to help out in our great room with the bass – it weighs maybe 8 pounds. What a huge difference that makes when attached to the W1200! I like the remote. The remote is one of the better ones around (it’s white – easy to find, too). Back on the plus side, the W1200 projector is loaded with inputs. Dual HDMI and dual analog computer inputs, plus a separate component video. Once again, the BenQ boasts its audio abilities with three sets of stereio audio inputs, and an audio output too. 1. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ W1200 Projector Highlights - BenQ W1200 Projector Overview2. BenQ W1200 Projector Special Features - BenQ W1200 as a Gaming Projector - BenQ W1200 Picture In Picture - W1200 Lamp Life - 1.5:1 Zoom Lens - W1200 Projector - Audio - W1200 Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion3. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour - BenQ W1200 Projector - Appearance - W1200 Control Panel - W1200 Projector - Input/Output - W1200 Menu Slide Show - BenQ W1200 Remote Control4. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour-2 - BenQ W1200 Lens Throw - Lens Shift5. BenQ W1200 Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Anamorphic Lens - Cinemascope6. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality - BenQ W1200 Out of the Box Picture Quality - BenQ W1200 Projector - Flesh Tones7. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-2 - BenQ W1200 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - W1200 Black Level Performance8. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Space Pictures Comparision9. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Images Comparision:10. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Comparision: - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: W1200 Projector - Bottom Line - BenQ W1200 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports11. BenQ W1200 Projector – Image Quality-6 - BenQ W1200 Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports12. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance - BenQ W1200 Brightness - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - Lumen Output (Eco-mode, Dynamic): 764 - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Brightest mode) - Color Temp over IRE Range (Various Modes) - Calibrated Color Temp over IRE Range - Brilliant Color off / color on: Comparision13. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance-2 - BenQ W1200 Sharpness - BenQ W1200: Bottom Line Sharpness14. BenQ W1200 Projector – Performance-3 - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. BenQ W1200 Projector Calibration and Settings - BenQ W1200 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Various Modes) - W1200 Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projectors Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis)16. BenQ W1200 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - BenQ W1200 Post Calibration Grayscale: Standard Mode - RGB Settings - Calibration settings for User 317. BenQ W1200 – Projector Screens - BenQ W1200 Projector Screen Recommendations18. BenQ W1200 – Competitors - BenQ W1200 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - BenQ W1200 vs. Mitsubishi HC4000 - W1200 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z70019. BenQ W1200 – Competitors-2 - BenQ W1200 vs. BenQ W6000 - BenQ W1200 vs. Vivitek H1080 - Favoring the Vivitek H1080 FD Projector - Favoring the BenQ W1200 Projector - Optoma HD20 vs. BenQ W120020. BenQ W1200 – Competitors-3 - Viewsonic Pro8200 vs. BenQ W1200 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 and Epson Home Cinema 8700UB compared to the BenQ W120021. BenQ W1200 Projector – Warranty22. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary - BenQ W1200 Projector - The Bottom Line23. BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary-2 - The Very Bottom Line on the W1200 Home Theater Projector - BenQ W1200 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - BenQ W1200 Projector: Pros - BenQ W1200 Projector: Cons - BenQ W1200 Projector: Typical Capabilities24. BenQ W1200 Projector Specifications BenQ W1200 Projector – Warranty BenQ W1200 Home Theater Projector – Review Summary-2