Refurbished BenQ PJ's?

C

cameron paterson

Audioholic Chief
You can get a refurbished BenQ LK970 for $5,000... They have a one year warranty. What do you guys think about buying a refurbished PJ from BenQ?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
I think that due to the inherent flaws with the DLP chip at this point that if I wanted a good home theater, I would avoid all DLP for the foreseeable future.

While it is spectacularly bright, which may be something you need, the contrast will not come close to that of the JVC or Sony LCoS models which are in the same price range.

Yes, they won't be nearly as bright, but they will have a much better black floor, and they are ideal for more typical screen sizes.

I expect we will see a curve towards laser projectors in the upcoming years, which will drive these models way WAY down in price.

I really have grown to respect BenQ over the last half decade as their quality control has greatly improved and they really do deliver a solid product. But, home theaters rarely need bright projectors, they need contrast, black levels, and shadow detail, which DLP hasn't been working on that much. They have been working on getting 4K into the conference room because it sells 10x the number of projectors compared to home theater.

Please tell us more about your room, your setup, your desires. The BenQ may be a really solid choice, but it needs to go into the right space.
 
C

cameron paterson

Audioholic Chief
Ok my room is 24' x 11' x 8'. I have a 135" screen with a BenQ 1080p PJ. The picture is nice but i have never seen another PJ to compare it too. The couch i sit on is 17' away from the screen. My walls are painted dark brown and so is the ceiling. No white in this room. Its pitch black before i turn on my PJ. I want a laser PJ since the laser lasts 20,000 hours. Is there anything else you guys need to know?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
You don't want laser.

I mean, yes, you want laser. We all want laser. But, you literally are spending the price of four or five replacement lamps so you can get that feature, and should the laser fail, you are out all that extra money right away.

The biggest reason to go with laser is that they tend to offer some brighter projectors for business spaces and they are zero maintenance in business spaces where people don't have the brain capacity to replace lamps on their own.

But, in a home theater, it's rarely the ideal way to go, and your BenQ (what model?) is likely going to have better contrast than what you linked to because of the DLP chip which is in use. It is worth noting that with a 135" diagonal and a 17' viewing distance, you are not going to get any more image detail out of 4K than you currently get with 1080p. So, resolution won't improve the image. Colors available with native 4K content certainly would improve some.

But, the 4K DLP models would be a downgrade in contrast and you would increase the black floor for viewing.

Compared to the JVC 790 which will have a MUCH lower black floor than the BenQ you currently are using.

Most lamps these days are rated to 4,000+ hours. Then you have to consider how much you actually use the projector.

3 hours a day with a 4,000 hour lamp means about 4 YEARS of use before the first time you have to replace a lamp. If you keep the projector for 8 years that's only one new lamp.

Lamp replacement should rarely be the reason that someone goes laser unless they truly are watching 8+ hours a day.

Eventually, like in 8 years or so, we will be at a point where laser is about a $500 addition to the price and that most projectors are using it as their light engine. But, I would either wait, or go with a upgrade in image quality over light engine technology if I just had to upgrade right now.

I certainly wouldn't go with a business class laser projector. I might consider the LG or the Optoma UHZ65. But, would struggle because of the weak contrast on the new DLP chips. Especially if I had a good room and already worked with entry level DLP products (which I have).
 
C

cameron paterson

Audioholic Chief
I wouldnt keep it for the full 20,000 hours. I would upgrade before then. I was able to move my couch forward. It is now 15.5ft away. Will i notice a difference between 4k and 1080p? Some people were telling me that at 17ft away i wouldnt see a difference in 4k over 1080p.
 
C

cameron paterson

Audioholic Chief
Also am i too close to my 1080p at 15.5ft?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
This is a common reference image for resolution vs. viewing distance.

At a 135" diagonal you can be as close as about 8' to obtain maximum benefits from full 4K imaging. At right about 17.5' is where you don't get any resolution benefit from 4K.

Be aware that UHD Blu-ray Discs offer better color saturation and the use of HDR changes viewing in a way that has nothing to do with resolution and can add a lot of pop and clarity to an image with the added color depth.

 
C

cameron paterson

Audioholic Chief
Cool when i get a 4k projector i can move my couch 2 feet towards it. From 17ft to 15ft. 15ft will work fine for 4k right? And would 15ft be too close with my 1080p right now? Thanks for the graph.
 
Last edited:
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
I don't think most people can easily see the difference between 1080p and 4K with similar content. It's only the highest level content where 4K shines over 1080p, and as I've said, it's more about the color depth and if HDR is in place that things can get really noticeable.

Viewing distance is as much about resolution as anything else. So, when you are in the 15' range, it is possible that you may be closer than 1080p can give you overall, but whether it bugs you or not is more a personal choice than a hard set rule.

I would be surprised if you were unhappy with 1080p content moving a couple of feet closer. Some people don't like the size when they move closer, but others go even larger and sit even closer. I'm about 16' from a 161" screen, by example. Others sit about 8 or 9 feet from a 133" screen.

Personal preference is everything!
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top