3D Projector Reviews

BenQ W7000 3D DLP Projector HT Labs Measures

HT Labs Measures

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio: 1,800:1

All of the measurements were taken with the projector in the User 1 preset with the lamp in Economic mode. The gamma correction preset was selected as 2.2. All of the calibration was done with the DynamicBlack auto iris setting in Off, but the contrast ratio measurements were done with both settings, as noted. The lamp had 25 hours on it during the calibration. All viewing and measurements were done on a 120-inch (diagonal) Stewart StudioTek 130 screen (1.3 gain), and all the measurements here are for 2D operation.

The full-on/full-off contrast was measured with a Minolta T-10 meter 9 inches away from the lens face. I tested various configurations in both Normal and Economic lamp mode with the DynamicBlack setting both on and off.

The W7000 achieved its highest contrast ratios with DynamicBlack on, resulting in a contrast ratio of 1,800:1. This is quite low for a DLP projector. With the DynamicBlack control off, the projector’s native resolution was about 650:1, which is the lowest native contrast I’ve measured for a DLP. This could be a result of using a DC2 chip, but it could also be due to reflections within the chassis or lens or issues with the iris placement within the light path. All of the measurements were done at mid-throw, so contrast levels will vary depending on the distance of the projector to the screen. The W7000’s iris cannot be controlled manually, so you can’t further enhance the projector’s performance in this regard.

The RGB tables were captured from our calibration workflow in CalMAN Version 4.5. As you can see from the results, with the projector in the Warm color temperature preset, the out-of-box RGB tracking was off quite a bit. Using the Color Temperature Fine Adjustments settings in the User 1 profile, I was able to get the RGB balance much lower and well below a Delta E of 3.

The W7000 doesn’t have any preset color modes, and the color gamut was just outside the BT. 709 (Rec. 709) HD color gamut, with some hue errors and out-of-balance luminance levels. Using the built-in CMS resulted in improved color accuracy, with all the luminance values for the primaries coming in below a Delta E of 3 and the hues for the secondaries lining up a bit better as well. There’s still some room for improvement, and there are some issues with the built-in CMS, but overall the accuracy wasn’t bad.

Gamma tracking with the preset gamma setting to 2.2 averaged closer to a 2.1 overall gamma curve. (There’s no reference gamma curve because gamma is a function of the brightness of white at each IRE compared to 100 IRE, and the appropriate gamma curve depends on the room you’re viewing in and the contrast capabilities of your projector.)—KRD

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COMMENTS
Jarod's picture
Submitted by Jarod on August 17, 2012 - 10:56am

I think you guys got the 2D and 3D score flipped around at the performance rating.

Rob Sabin's picture
Submitted by Rob Sabin on August 17, 2012 - 6:44pm
Actually, it's correct as shown, Jarod. This was an excellent 2D projector for the price but not quite the caliber on black levels and contrast as some of the similarly (or slightly higher) priced offerings from JVC and Sony. But...it really blew Kris away on the quality of the 3D relative to 3D on some of the better 2D projectors. In a word... BRIGHT, which is nearly everything for 3D. DLP is good for that, as well as image sharpness (at least among 1-chip projectors that don't require convergence of separate imaging chips for each color).
Jarod's picture
Submitted by Jarod on August 19, 2012 - 1:59pm

Ok thanks Mr. Sabin. I must be going crazy cause at first I swear it showed 2D at 5 stars and 3D at 3.5 stars. I think someone corrected it or I could be crazy lol. Looks good now tho. Thanks Rob

hawke47's picture
Submitted by hawke47 on August 18, 2012 - 1:05pm

First, thank you Mr. Deering.

So, do you post, or still have, the calibration settings you used? I was unable to find them, unless I really skimmed through the article too fast.

Also, when you referred to the setup like a local cinema, were you referring to a darkened room that has dark paint/panels? Or, are you just referring to black levels being less inky in theaters?

I have a 30-Day trial on a W7000, but was not sure if I should pay the extra $600 for the Epson 5010. I do want to be able to play video games in the long run, but I have a controlled environment where the neighboring panels are dark, and absorb light rather than reflect it back. The room basically seems dark.

Your thoughts and feedback will be greatly appreciated. Especially since 3.5 out of 5 is a big deal for me on 2D performance.

-Stringfellow

Kris Deering's picture
Submitted by Kris Deering on August 18, 2012 - 1:16pm
Hi Everyone and thanks for the feedback. Rob is right, the scores are correct. This is THE 3D projector as far as I'm concerned. I haven't seen 3D this good on anything else. Bright and punch with absolutely no ghosting or artifacts. If you're serious about home theater, this would be a great companion projector to a higher end 2D projector if your budget can swing it. Stringfellow, I don't have my calibration settings on hand, sorry. I'll see if they can be wrangled up. My comparison to a local digital cinema have to do with the picture thrown by the projector. Home theater projectors are typically always judged mainly on contrast performance, which the BenQ falls short on compared to the big hitters like Sony and JVC. But its contrast performance is easily as good as any commercial DLP setup I've seen, so if you like the D-Cinema image at your local cinemaplex, you'll probably love this too.
Kris Deering's picture
Submitted by Kris Deering on August 18, 2012 - 1:18pm
Not that you should ever plug in anyone else's calibration settings and think they are just going to work for you the same, here are my calibration settings for the W7000: Mode: User 1 Contrast: 44 Brightness: 54 Sharpness: 5 Color: 50 Tint: 50 Flesh Tone: 0 Advanced: Black Level: 0 IRE Clarity Control: All to 0 Color Temperature: Warm Color Temperature Fine Tuning: Red Gain: 57 Green Gain: 45 Blue Gain: 48 Red Offset: 247 Green Offset: 247 Blue Offset: 245 Gamma Selection: 2.2 Brilliant Color: Off Color Management: Red: Hue 41, Gain 47, Saturation 54 Green: H 65, G 71, S 65 Blue: H 54, G 45, S 49 Cyan: H 28, G 61, S 55 Magenta: H 48, G 44, S 45 Yellow: H 72, G 59, S 60 Film Mode: On 3D Comb Filter: On Dynamic Black: On Other Settings: Aspect Ratio: Real Overscan Adjustment: 0 Frame Interpolation: Off HDMI Settings: PC High Altitude Mode: Off Lamp Setting: Economic Enjoy!
hawke47's picture
Submitted by hawke47 on August 22, 2012 - 3:48pm

I applied all the settings, but noticed that on my machine the Flesh Tones max out at 5, whereas the Sharpness maxes at 2.

You noted Sharpness is set to 5, and Flesh Tones to 0.

1) Should those two numbers be reversed?
2) Also, would applying these settings to Cinema mode be beneficial
3) And, is there any harm in keeping the Lamp Setting in "Normal," mode?

hawke47's picture
Submitted by hawke47 on August 19, 2012 - 2:23pm

For whatever it is worth, like Christmas, we give gifts at the end of Ramadan, which is during the celebration called Eid-al-Fitr. Your most generous responses, irrespective of the truth that calibration is subjective based on the environment it is being done in and your initial reply about the D-Cinema and its relationship to DLP, were by far the coolest gift, yet.

Thank you! :)

-Stringfellow

PS. I have tried Art Feierman's settings (from Projector Reviews), and it looked pretty amazing. Initially, he had some issues with certain colors (I think cyan???), but they were mostly resolved in the updated model he received (new firmware). I will compare the two settings this week and let y'all know what I thought. Also, I am saving up to potentially get it professionally calibrated, but I have to wait a little while for that.

dougri's picture
Submitted by dougri on December 21, 2012 - 7:38pm

Were the reviewers able to compare the W7000 to the previously reviewed (and since revised-review) Sharp XV-Z30000? Specifically for 3D, how does the brightness compare with decent color? How does the brightness compare in brightest mode for 3D? The W7000 is certainly bright (especially calibrated in 2D), but loses a bit of oomph in 3D... is it significantly brighter in 3D (calibrated and brightest)than the XV-Z30000, which has better 2D performance?

jacob john's picture
Submitted by jacob john on June 7, 2013 - 12:07am

I am looking at setting up my Home theatre and am considering the BenQ W7000. The room size is 17.5 ft x 14.5 ft. I plan to ceiling mount the projector at the back of the room and so approx throw distance would be around 15.5 ft. This is a dedicated media room but has windows and hence the ambient light - I possibly would use dark curtains. I was planning to go with a 140" diagonal screen. I want to know if a 140" screen will be good for both 2D and 3D movies viewing or will I lose some picture quality with that big a screen. Also given my room size will I be able to get a 140" image.

jacob john's picture
Submitted by jacob john on June 12, 2013 - 12:56pm

Anyone has suggestions on this? Thanks.

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