If you think that a "budget projector" is a low-power device that fits in the palm of your hand, then this is not so. Like all other consumer electronics, home theater components continue to get cheaper and better. And models like the BenQ W1070 really stand out.
Functionality
The BenQ W1070 projector allows you to play 3D, has built-in speakers and is compact enough to fit in a men's bag. The device provides excellent image quality, excellent colors and a good black level for its price. W1070 will give odds to any movie projector that only comes to mind.
Of course, not without flaws. Although 3D is very good, there are no BenQ w1070 glasses included. If you buy two pairs for $ 99 each (third-party products will not work), then the price will rise to the level of Epson 3020 of similar quality. If 3D is not necessary, then nothing else can be found at this price.
Design
Although many modern projectors are made in the style of the space age, the BenQ W1070 resembles the equipment of a meeting room. It can be argued that, unlike a TV, people do not look at it, so the design should not be of great importance. The white-silver unit has a small size - 312 x 109 x 244 mm.
On the upper panel on the right are the familiar buttons and the flimsy sliding cover behind the lens with manual zoom and focus on the left. By opening the slider, you can see the screw for adjusting the vertical displacement of the optics. According to the reviews of the owners, a screwdriver will be required for it, and the adjustment itself is difficult to do, since it requires great accuracy. Thanks also for the fact that such an opportunity exists at all. Not very impressive and the front ventilation grille. Unlike the Epson 3020, it does not block screen illumination. In a dark room it is not so noticeable, but it would be better if it were not at all.
The menu offers a simple interface that 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 DarkChip3 chipset and has a brightness of 2000 lumens, which is quite good for a home theater of this cost. The presence of 3D is quite unexpected at this level, and it is not just for show, but competently implemented. Infrared glasses are not included. For those who do not often watch movies and hide the projector in the closet, the onboard 10-watt speakers will be very welcome. To extend the lamp life, there is an Eco Blank mode. 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 energy consumption” appears on the screen. It is time to do our part to save the planet. ” The lamp for the BenQ W1070 projector is quite expensive, and this mode allows you to extend its life from 3500 to 6000 hours.
Installation
Most projectors are height adjustable to guide the image on the screen. The Epson 3020 has only adjustable legs in the front, and BenQ also allows you to adjust the rear, compensating for surface irregularities.
The manufacturing company took a step forward by providing the ability to adjust the vertical shift of the lens. This gives some flexibility in installing the device relative to the screen without resorting to digital distortion correction.
To facilitate installation, the BenQ W1070 user guide contains detailed instructions for choosing the location of the device, obtaining the desired screen size, and vertical displacement of the lens.
Image settings
BenQ blocks color and tint. However, there are other controls, including a number of preset modes, a gray scale and an advanced CMS color management system, which are much more dangerous in inept hands. For calibration, owners are forced to use CMS.
BenQ calls the low-power lamp mode “economical”, and turning it on positively affects black levels, preserving a lot of light in a dark room. There is also a great Brilliant Color option that users also recommend using, as it enhances some aspects of the image.
To facilitate the setup of BenQ W1070, the user manual contains information on setting the projection angle, distortion correction and improving brightness, contrast, color and color temperature, sharpness, etc.
Connection
BenQ has both analog and digital connectors, so it does not depend on which signal sources you want to connect. There are two HDMI ports, component video and composite, and even 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 grill slightly improves the black level, but not enough to make it visible to the eyes. The contrast of the W1070 BenQ is impressive for its price, although it cannot 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, when flying a Romulan ship in the series Star Trek
hiding the details of the finish of its body, which Epson allows you to see. Setting up the projector to display these details is possible, but not without prejudice to other areas, such as black level.
The light output of the projector is enough for a dark room and a 120-inch StudioTek 130 screen. The maximum luminous flux is 53 fL in dynamic mode, which is very good for a budget projector, but the colors become terrible. This figure is better than Mitsubishi, but worse than Epson.
Color accuracy
If we take the Sony VPL-HW50ES projector for a starting point of $ 4000, then the BenQ colors are closer to it than Epson, in particular yellow. Compared to Sony, the W1070 is still a little worse, and its red is lacking in saturation. The projector conveys skin colors well and is close enough to the standard. Since the DLP chip is used, the black areas of the image are neutral compared to the bluish ones of Epson. This is most evident in sharply dark scenes.
Video processing
For little money, BenQ allows you to watch movies in the quality as close as possible to a real home theater. For example, there is no overexposure in sunrise scenes. Plasma and LCD are not capable of processing such scenes or do not have sufficient bandwidth to prevent banding of smooth gradation of color.
According to user reviews, the BenQ W1070 stably plays a movie in 1080i resolution, while the rest of the excellent Epson shows trembling vertical stripes. 24 fps Blu-ray disc content also plays without any jitter.
Bright lighting
Although BenQ is inferior to Epson in this, it works quite well in a dark room, but this is not enough to prevent the influence of light from overhead 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 thousand-dollar projector, the BenQ W1070 3D impresses with its quality. No TV cheaper than this amount is capable of producing an image of such depth and without crosstalk. Glasses also help enhance contrast and give a better “black” background feeling.
Verdict
BenQ W1070 is an excellent projector, but considering the cost of 3D glasses, you can consider other alternatives. For example, Optima HD25 does the same for the same money and comes with glasses. But if 3D is not a priority, then the W1070 will be a bargain.