W1070 BenQ. Multimedia projectors. Description and characteristics

If you think that the "budget projector" is a low-power device that fits in the palm of your hand, then this is not the case. Like all other consumer electronics, home theater components continue to become cheaper and better. And models like the W1070 BenQ really stand out.

Functionality

The projector BenQ W1070 allows you to play 3D, has built-in speakers and is compact enough to fit in a man's bag. The device provides excellent image quality, excellent colors and a good black level for its price. W1070 will give odds to any film projector that just comes to mind.

Of course, there were some shortcomings. Although 3D is very good, BenQ w1070 does not contain glasses. If you buy two pairs of $ 99 each (third-party products will not work), then the price will rise to the level of Epson 3020 of similar quality. If in 3D there is no need, then nothing else at this price can not be found.

Design

Although many modern projectors are made in the style of the space age, the W1070 BenQ resembles the conference room equipment. One can argue that, unlike a TV, people do not look at it, so the design should not have much significance. The white-silver device has small dimensions - 312 x 109 x 244 mm.

The top panel on the right contains the usual buttons and a flimsy sliding cover behind the lens with a manual zoom and a focus on the left. Having opened the slider, you can see the adjustment screw of the vertical displacement of the optics. According to the owners, it requires a screwdriver, and the adjustment itself is difficult to do, since it requires great accuracy. Thanks also to the fact that such an opportunity exists. Not very impressive and the front grille. Unlike the Epson 3020, it does not block the screen light. In a dark room it is not so noticeable, but it would be better if it was not at all.

The menu offers a simple interface, which is easy to navigate. The control panel is similar to the remote control of cheap DVD-players, rather than home theaters worth more than a thousand dollars. It is small, but functional.

Features

BenQ uses the DLP chipset DarkChip3 and has a brightness of 2000 lumens, which is quite good for a home theater of such value. The presence of 3D is quite unexpected at this level, and it is not just for a tick, but it is correctly implemented. Infrared glasses are not included in the kit. For those who do not often watch movies and hide the projector in the closet, the on-board 10-watt speakers will come in handy. To increase the lamp life, Eco Blank mode is available. When it is activated, in the absence of a signal, the light flux decreases, and the charming message "Save up to 70% of the lamp's power consumption appears on the screen. It's time to make a contribution to the preservation of the planet. " The lamp for the projector BenQ W1070 is quite expensive, and this mode allows to increase the service life from 3500 to 6000 h.

Installation

Most projectors are adjustable in height to guide the image on the screen. The Epson 3020 has only adjustable feet in the front, and BenQ allows you to adjust the rear, compensating for uneven surfaces.

The manufacturer made a step forward, providing the opportunity to adjust the vertical lens shift. This gives some flexibility in installing the device relative to the screen without resorting to digital correction of distortion.

For ease of installation, the BenQ W1070 user's manual contains detailed instructions for selecting the location of the device, obtaining the desired screen size and vertically moving the lens.

Image Settings

BenQ blocks the change in color and hue. However, there are other controls, including a number of preset modes, a gray scale and an advanced color management system for CMS, which are much more dangerous in inept hands. For calibration, the owners are forced to use the CMS.

BenQ calls the low-power mode of the lamp "economical", and its inclusion positively affects black levels, saving a lot of light in a dark room. Also there is an excellent option Brilliant Color, which users also recommend to use, as it improves some aspects of the image.

To facilitate the setup of the BenQ W1070, the User's Manual contains information on setting the projection angle, correcting distortions and improving brightness, contrast, color and color temperature, sharpness, etc.

Connectivity

BenQ has both analog and digital connectors, so it does not depend on which sources of the signal you want to connect. There are two HDMI ports, a component video and a composite connector and even an S-video, which is rare today. Of course, there is a computer connector with audio input and output for those who do not want to use the built-in speaker.

Image quality

Blocking the light from the front grate slightly improves the level of black, but not enough to make it noticeable to the eyes. Contrast W1070 BenQ impressive for its price, although it can not be compared, for example, with Sony. However, there is one thing that the manufacturer could not master: the projector lubricates some low-level shaded parts. For example, during the flight of the Romulan ship in the series Star Trek Hiding details of the finishes of its hull, which Epson see allows. The projector can be configured to display these details, but not without damage in other areas, such as the black level.

The light output of the projector is sufficient for a dark room and the StudioTek 130 screen with a diagonal of 120 inches. The maximum luminous flux is 53 fL in dynamic mode, which is very good for a budget projector, but the colors become horrible. This figure is better than that of Mitsubishi, but worse than Epson's.

Color Accuracy

If you take as a starting point a projector costing $ 4000 Sony VPL-HW50ES, then the colors of BenQ are closer to it than Epson, in particular, yellow ones. Compared to Sony, the W1070 is still a little worse, and its red lacks saturation. The skin colors of the projector transmit well and fairly close to the standard. Since the DLP chip is used, the black portions of the image are neutral, compared to the bluish ones in Epson. This is most evident in dramatically dark scenes.

Video Processing

For a little money BenQ allows you to watch movies in quality as close as possible to this home theater. For example, there is no overexposure in the scenes of sunrise. Plasma and LCD are not capable of processing such scenes or do not have enough bandwidth to prevent the ringing of a smooth gradation of color.

According to user feedback, the W1070 BenQ stays at a stable 1080i, while the otherwise excellent Epson shows fluttering vertical bars. The content of Blu-ray discs at 24 fps is also reproduced without any jitter.

Bright lighting

Although BenQ in this inferior to Epson, it works well in a dark room, but it is not enough to prevent the influence of light from the top lighting. If you need a device that will work without problems in a lighted room, you need to pay attention to business projectors or pay much more.

3D

For a projector for a thousand dollars, the BenQ W1070 3D impresses with its quality. No television cheaper than this amount is able to give an image of such depth and without crosstalk. Points also help to enhance the contrast and give a better feeling of "black" background.

Verdict

BenQ W1070 is an excellent projector, but if you consider the cost of 3D-glasses, you can consider other alternatives. For example, the Optima HD25 does all the same for the same money and comes complete with glasses. But if 3D is not a priority, then the W1070 will be a profitable acquisition.