BenQ W5000 DLP Projector Review

[admin]

If you think you're having a hard time deciding which projector is the best, think about my job... I actually get to see, use, and calibrate most of them and yet I still have a hard time determining which is "best". Let me tell you that I do NOT envy the job manufacturers of projectors have these days. The market is ripe with bargains and price points are all but written in stone, with very clear distinctions between $1000, $2500, and $5000 models - all of which are competing for consumers' wallets. BenQ is clearly going after the custom installer market with its new W5000 DLP projector and that's good - because it gives them some leeway that wouldn't be granted for those pursuing consumers directly.


Discuss "BenQ W5000 DLP Projector Review" here. Read the article.

[f300v10]

Nice review of the W5000. Having read many of your projector reviews I have noticed you sometimes publish contrast numbers, and sometimes not. Any chance you could post CR measurements on the W5000?

Also, some other reviews have indicated the W5000 suffers from an image noise problem on HD sources. As you pointed out, the noise reduction menu on the W5000 does not function on HD resolution sources. Owners of the W5000 have differing views on this issue, some claim the 'noise' is just film grain that the sharpness of the W5000 reveals. Your review did not mention any noise problems, so I was wondering if you noticed this issue?

[f300v10]

Also, what version of the firmware was your sample using? With version 1.08 the overscan cannot be set to zero. With versions 1.12 or 1.21, it can be.

[BMXTRIX]

I've gotta say that I've had horrible luck with BenQ when I purchased a W10000 for a client. The projector has now been replaced 4 (or 5?) times with a different issue every time. This includes the color wheel exploding, the projector comletely dying, and then the PS3 not being recognized via HDMI.

I also don't know if BenQ has addressed the issue of the projector not having discrete power on/off commands for use with even the most basic of universal remotes. I know the W10000 did not have this, so it was very inconsistent handling projector power.

The serial port, unless things have changed, works okay, but once again, discrete power control for the projector doesn't exist! That's right, despite the full ability to have it report status, and provide true two-way control of the projector, BenQ's engineers simply didn't include it and even skipped over basic discrete functionality.

Lastly, there are two things that bug me about the review in particular.

1. Why not discuss lens shift? People talk all the time about zom range, and say things like "You get a 100" digaonal from 10 to 12.5 feet", but then they don't say, "You have zero lens shift" or "vertical lens shift only allows you to put the projector as high as the top edge of the screen".

Since this projector has a limited zoom range, the lens shift becomes that much more important for room placement. If you can't get the projector above the top of the screen then it may interfere with rooms with high ceilings or with tiered seating.

2. Ergonimcs or Ease Of Setup? Which one does the zoom range and lens shift fall into and why did both of these get five stars when the competing LCD models at that price offer 1.6-2.0:1 zoom range and often have lens shift which exceeds screen height? This projector may offer many settings after you get it out of the box, and may offer a lot to affect image quality in a good way, but it is NOT secondary when you can't get the projector into your room in the first place! I think it's a huge drawback to this projector, but I do realize that it is a huge perk over the non-lens shift Optomas which may come in at a similar price. There's just no way that it is deserving of more than 3 stars in one of those sections based upon the far less than average setup capabilities for placement. Really, it would be 2 stars which can be brought up by some other features IMO.

Just things that are worth pointing out. Oh, and the current BenQ, which did have a weird power issue which seems to have gone away, looks awesome. Absolutely stunning with 1080p/24 material on BD - bright, punchy, and vibrant. I just feel like I have to keep my fingers crossed for it to keep working.

[Clint DeBoer]

Also, what version of the firmware was your sample using? With version 1.08 the overscan cannot be set to zero. With versions 1.12 or 1.21, it can be.

From what I can tell, despite requests to the contrary I was running 1.08.

Why not discuss lens shift?

I actually did.

Which one does the zoom range and lens shift fall into and why did both of these get five stars when the competing LCD models at that price offer 1.6-2.0:1 zoom range and often have lens shift which exceeds screen height?

BenQ offers powered Zoom and lens shift. Also, no one should be buying this projector unless it fits their room and screen - and that's hardly a negative, especially when the chosen lens offers such a crisp picture. As always, reviews have a subjective element, but there's at least a solid reason for why I give the marks I do.

Your review did not mention any noise problems, so I was wondering if you noticed this issue?

I actually forgot to include this from my notes, but Lowering Detail Enhancement down to "2" or "1" (the default is "5") dramatically reduced the amount of noise in images.

[f300v10]

1. Why not discuss lens shift? People talk all the time about zom range, and say things like "You get a 100" digaonal from 10 to 12.5 feet", but then they don't say, "You have zero lens shift" or "vertical lens shift only allows you to put the projector as high as the top edge of the screen".

Since this projector has a limited zoom range, the lens shift becomes that much more important for room placement. If you can't get the projector above the top of the screen then it may interfere with rooms with high ceilings or with tiered seating.

Actually the W5000 can be 20% of screen height above the top of the screen, the lens shift is +120/-80.

[f300v10]

I actually forgot to include this from my notes, but Lowering Detail Enhancement down to "2" or "1" (the default is "5") dramatically reduced the amount of noise in images.

Clint, did the lower value result in any visible loss in picture sharpness or detail?

[Reorx]

Nice review.

What was the actual lumens output once the projector was properly calibrated?

At $5000, I'd expect the lens to be interchangable. So I could add a short throw, long throw, or just a different lens. There are a few really good lens companies out there.

[ned]

Generally DLP machines tend to offer less zoom than an LCD however w5000 seems to be in the lower end.

[Clint DeBoer]

Clint, did the lower value result in any visible loss in picture sharpness or detail?

That's going to be subjective, but I'd say no "real" definition was lost. It certainly didn't blur the picture. It just got rid of the noise issue. Some people will want more detail enhancement, but I felt it detracted from the image.