Well, I finally took the plunge and bought a "mint" condition used 8700+ after a week of indecision. Hopefully it's an upgrade over my Ht1000. :) At least it will fit in my new HT room as opposed to the NEC. I'll find out if I like it next week when it arrives.

I hope your experience with the purchase of a used 8700+ is much better than mine has been. For the breif periods that the picture was on screen it was very impressive. This was my first 720p proj and I thought I could use this until the 1080P units come down to a reasonable price level. Just remember, 720p's were $5000+ not too long ago!
Good luck!

The 8700+ arrived today and I tested it for 45 minutes after work to see that it was ok. It works 100% so far. There are no dust spots or pixel errors and it has normal brightness. I just hope it lasts. ;)

BTW, I tried 1280x720 with my HTPC via DVI-D and the picture is pixel perfect. I didn't expect that from what I've read here. I plan to use RGBHV through the BNC connectors once I hang it in the ceiling though.

I wasn't able to get 1:1 pixel mapping using the RGBHV connectors with my HTPC. No problems with DVI though!

You should probably test with BNC before you set it up on the ceiling. :)

Hopefully the fix is permanent! Have fun! :)

The lamp/bulb/fan developed a problem and stopped working. I called Benq, they gave me an RMA in two minutes. Sent in Wed. last week by Fed Ex ground to NJ from MI. Received back following Wed by Fed Ex. Now that's service. It's the original PE8700 with about 650 hours on the original bulb. They even did under warranty. This on a used projector. They made me into a long-term customer for sure.

Bob

Well got my proj back from service and everything was covered under warranty. It deosn't shut down anymore but is rather noisy. Sounds like a fan bearing. I was told they replaced the lower fan, but with what? I may just have to get another RMA for the fan noise. I do love the picture though. Much better than the X1 which I upgraded from. BTW has anyone built a hush box which works well on these. I'd like to try one as the throw on this proj is very short compared to the X1 so the proj is mounted directly overhead. Thought a hush box would work to deaden the sound.

I just sent my 8700+ in for service. I fell asleep watching a movie the other night and when i woke up the screen was dark and the projectors leds flashing a 1 long 3 short message. I decided to repower it and see what would happen. The projector came back on with no error messages. Only problem there was no color in the picture, just a gray background with large white horizontal bars jumping around. While packing the projector for shipping to Benq I heard something that sounded like broken glass inside. I removed the bulb to see how bad the damage was only to find it intact. So I turned the projector over with the lens facing down and out fell a dozen odd sized pieces of red, green and blue glass. Yup, the color wheel had exploded into a hundred small pieces. Sure wish I had been awake when it died so I might have an idea of what really happened. I'm wondering if the color wheel motor failed and the wheel stopped the heat from the lamp might have been so concentrated in one spot that it caused it to break. Anyone else ever have a color wheel break like this?

Instead of DVI-D I'm running DVI-A now using the VGA cable I used with the HT1000 and an ATI DVI adapter on the projector end and it syncs to 1280x720 fine, but now it has introduced some overscan so it's not pixel perfect. I'll use it like this until my BNC connectors arrive because I don't notice it with video material, just on the desktop. I assume there is no way to turn off the overscan? I couldn't find the option anywhere, not even the service menu.

It makes a beautiful picture and I'm having a great time watching HD clips . :)


EDIT:
Hmm, it must not have synced properly before, because after I rebooted it's pixel perfect without overscan. A 2x2 checkers test-image tiles flawlessly across the desktop. Cool! :)

Thank You All!!!

Found this thread two days ago. Have had my 8700+ for 2-3 years. While I love this projector I had always assumed it was not HDCP compliant. After reading this entire thread..Well most of it ;) I decided to take the plunge on the HD-A1. All I can say is WOW!!!

I've always been an early adopter but was not about to buy a new projector just yet. Probably will once there are reasonable prices on native 1080Ps out there that have had a fair track record. Until then...best picture I've ever seen. Bought 10 movies and only have seen Serenity so far. Simply amazing. The audio seems to be so much better as well.

Thanks again...

Will be lurking...

Greetings, i too am having trouble with my 8700+ shutting down after 23 minutes. I can let it cool down and re-start it but again it will only run for 23 minutes. I only have 1280 hours on my bulb and the pj is mounted in an climate controlled room so room temp is never above 72 degrees. I contacted BenQ support and they say it is the bulb, but I don't think I got someone with much knowledge. The rep told me I had the pj in the standard mode and should only get 1000 hours. If I wanted 2000 hours I should have put it in Economy mode. I thought the bulb was rated for 2000/3000 if there is even an econmoy setting.

Any help or thoughts would be great. I have loved the 8700+ for about 2 years now and deeply miss it.

Thanks again,

- Kery

A couple of people have had this problem. The 8700 does not have a filter, so the fan gets clogged with dust. Do a search on the 8700 for a post by DRAPP where he explained how he removed the case cover and used canned air and a vacuum to clean out the fan. After that, his 8700 was good as new.

My adventure with a broken DVI port on the 8700:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8463454&&#post8463454

Had mine back from repair now for a couple of weeks. I was told from the last RMA for fan noise that there was a screw that had fallen into the lower fan and was causing the noise. Yeah, what ever. Well I don't care much for the explanation but my 8700 is now super quiet and has been working like a charm for about 25 hours now.
I'm now quite happy with my eight hundred dollar purchase (sold my x1 for six hundred). I checked the service menu and there was only 1400 hrs on the proj. I was told there was over 2000 when I bought it. Another bonus.

Hmmm, maybe I should do the ssame thing - RMA for fan noise. It sounds like a jet engine now. Really really loud.

Anyone else having HDMI to DVI issues with the Toshiba HD-A1? Everything seemed to be fine until firmware 2.0 (on the Tosh) "I think" I'm now getting "HDMI ERROR 1" 95% of the time. Have to go to great lengths to get communications (handshake) going. Still do not know what the exact combination is to get it working. Think there is a delay in handshake somewhere along the line. PLayer says play, followed by the above error, followed by brief image of "FBI" warning on screen, followed by player "stop."Projector works fine with other HDMI devices and the A1 works fine with other DVI devices. Cables eliminated as issues as well. Have the latest firmware (1.07) for the 8700+ as well. Even tried the "Secret" factory menu on the Benq in hopes of finding an input search switch of some sort. Anyone have a clue for me? :)

Is it going through an HDMI switch?

I guess you used the same cable with your other HDMI devices? Will going back to older firmware on the Tosh fix the issue?

I have tried with a switch and without. As I understand it one cannot revert to earlier firmware versions on the A1 once you've gone to 2.0. I guess I coud exchange it but then I loose the benefits of 2.0 like Dolby TRUEHD. Truth is I'm not sure this all went "south" due to the 2.0 anyway.

I have found what may be a work around for me. If I switch the input for the Benq to something other then DVI via the remote, and then switch back at just the right time, it seems I can eliminate the timing problem and get a good handshake. Here's what seems to work 100% so far after a dozen tries...

After A1 (front panel display) says "loading" it goes to "HDDVD" for about ten seconds via the (one-onethousand, two-onethousand) counting method, :) before a momentary non display of about one second, then "Play" usually followed by the "HDMI ERROR 1". If I switch the Benq input via remote back to the DVI input exactly 9.5 seconds after the "DVDHD" display (less then a second before it goes out) I get the handshake every time. Very anoying but at least I found something that seems to do the trick.

Hope that all makes sense...!

I'm in the same boat. I just upgraded to version 2.0 and nothing is playable on my 8700+ over HDMI. I used to have have problems playing regular DVD's, but now nothing plays. Hopefully, Toshiba will figure out how to deal with the 8700+ (or maybe not).

Does anyone know if the firmware on the BenQ can be upgraded. I believe that a board swap would be needed, but if that would fix the problem, great. Right now I'm stuck with a non-functional HD-A1.

There hasn't been any new firmware for the Benq 8700+ that I know of.

The last hope is the Runco 710 (or is it the 510?) firmware. But my guess is this would not solve your problem.

BTW, I did go back to the official Benq 1.4 firmware (I can't download the 1.7 - it's not available!) from the Runco one. I'm glad it worked and didn't fry my 8700!

BTW, I used the Runco firmware because I wanted to fix the sync problem with 59.94hz devices. The color wheel of the 8700 only syncs to 60.000 hz over the DVI input, not 59.94hz. At least mine didn't! This means a little jerk every 16 seconds - noticeable during long panning scenes.

With an HTPC it isn't a big deal - I tell the videocard to output 60.000 hz and everything is fine.

With the Runco firmware, it didn't quite fix the problem if I used a DVI DVD player - I have to go into the Service Menu to quickly switch on, and then switch off, overscan. And then the color wheel syncs to 59.94 hz! What a very strange issue...

I'm in the same boat. I just upgraded to version 2.0 and nothing is playable on my 8700+ over HDMI. I used to have have problems playing regular DVD's, but now nothing plays. Hopefully, Toshiba will figure out how to deal with the 8700+ (or maybe not).

Does anyone know if the firmware on the BenQ can be upgraded. I believe that a board swap would be needed, but if that would fix the problem, great. Right now I'm stuck with a non-functional HD-A1.

I found that I can get the HD-A1 to always sync with the 8700 by first having the projector on with the correct DVI input selected, then turning on the Toshiba followed by opening the draw and inserting HDDVD and finally pressing play while the draw is open.

If it is not working for you please call Toshiba as they can't fix what they don't know about. As they don't seem to respond to emails very well, what's with that anyway.

A question for the experts.

Is it worth it to purchase an external scaler (DVDO VP30 w/SDI) for the BENQ 8700+ that I own? Will it be a much better picture than what I see now with component DVD and SAT HD via DVI?

Thanks for your help

Michael

Michael,

Indeed. I have a DVDO HD+ and the picture is stunning! I would highly recommend it.

Louis

I have a DVDO, no SDI, and do indeed see an improvement in picture. It's not a monumental increase, but I thought it was worth the cost. I've also heard of a few people with handshake issues with their HD DVD player, and I've never had a problem with mine. I believe it's because the Iscan does a better job with the handshake.

Troy

I have a Motorola HD PVR receiver from my cable company. This is my first try with HD (Hey it's Alaska we just got our third local HD channel) and the 8700. However, when I use the CP-HD inputs in either 720P or 1080i I get horizontal color/tint bars that roll from bottom to top of the screen. This results in a color change (example: ESPN HD the green grass on the baseball field turns a yellow/brown and then back to green) as the bars roll up. I've used the cables before with both an X-Box and a DVD player with none of this seen before. I swapped the box at the cable company today -- no luck either. Any ideas?

I got lucky -- had another SUPERB technical call with BENQ -- finally hit on the problem. Turns out I had a classic case of a "60Hz ground loop" but only in video. Added a ground loop isolater and problem solved! The BENQ 8700 looks fantastic in HD!

A question for the experts.

Is it worth it to purchase an external scaler (DVDO VP30 w/SDI) for the BENQ 8700+ that I own? Will it be a much better picture than what I see now with component DVD and SAT HD via DVI?

Thanks for your help

Michael

I tried a DVDO over a year ago and didn't really notice an improvement worth the cost of the device. This is of course just my opinion, and others on here will feel very different.
I would say that if you are happy with your picture via DVI you will probably not notice any big improvement with a DVDO device. IMHO these devices are mainly useful for:-

1) People with devices that have unusual screen resolution outputs
2) People that want to eek out that last piece of picture detail
3) People that are seeing artifacts or any other sort of picture corruption that spoils their enjoyment watching on their current setup
4) People with lots of AV devices who want to switch easily between them (since lots of new AV amps are now finally offering very similar functionality this may not be a good reason anymore)

It is a big debate and you can find lots of threads here on it (and even stuff in this thread).

As a comparison, I would say that callibrating my system from the defaults gave a much bigger improvement than the DVDO did, but once again that's just my experience. I guess it really depends on how happy you are at the moment, and how easily you feel parting with $1-2000 for an improvement you cannot really quantity.

Some people are really sensitive to particular artifacts, and some more fanatical will pay thousands of dollars for a cable. So to sumarise. I think it's really a very subjective decision, and the only real way to decide is see the difference (I think they'll refund if you want to return it, but don't quote me on that).

The guys at DVDO are very helpful and it's a well priced device compared to it's competition, but you just have to make your own decision if it's worth the price. If you can see a demo that would help, but unless it's on your own system, the results could still be quite different between a studio and your home.

Having said all of that, I may end up buying a VP30 myself, but mostly as an AV switch rather for it's scaling, deinterlacing and transcoding functions.

A question of my own that I hope someone has solved is that when using my HTPC instead of my OPPO, I get a slight JUDDER effect. It is more noticeable in action scenes, and I suspect it is a referesh rate issue, since the HTPC is easily powerful enough to not be a CPU or GPU speed problem.

I have the latest graphic drivers and output is set to 720P @ 60Hz.

Anyone else seen a similar problem?

I've seen it - when using DVI or VGA the refresh rate has to be exactly 60.000 hz otherwise you'll see some judder.

If your videocard is from NVIDIA, I'll bet you that the refresh rate is 59.814 hz instead of 60.000 hz. I could not get 59.94 hz to work without a skip every 16 seconds - my 8700+ only syncs perfectly at 60.000 hz, even when connected to my Panasonic S97 or Momitsu V880 upconverting players.

What I did to get perfect 60.000 hz, with my NVIDIA 7900GT card with the 92.91 NVIDIA drivers, is to go into the Advanced Timings settings in the Classic Control Panel (do NOT use the new one!), and select the 1280x720@59.94 hz prebuilt timings. For some reason, this causes my 7900GT to output a perfect 60.000 hz signal. It is a complete mystery why it isn't 59.94 hz. Another reason to question the competancy of NVIDIA driver developers. ;) :)

It may be that your 8700+ will sync at 59.94 hz with an HTPC - but so far no one has demonstrated to me that they can achieve that, although I do read about others having issues getting 59.94 hz to work.

I did find a workaround to get 59.94 hz to work, but it is horribly ugly and probably buried in this thread somewhere. It isn't worth it.

I've recently upgraded from the 8700+ to the 8720. Anyone looking for the 8700+ in great shape, please pm me...

I've seen it - when using DVI or VGA the refresh rate has to be exactly 60.000 hz otherwise you'll see some judder.

If your videocard is from NVIDIA, I'll bet you that the refresh rate is 59.814 hz instead of 60.000 hz. I could not get 59.94 hz to work without a skip every 16 seconds - my 8700+ only syncs perfectly at 60.000 hz, even when connected to my Panasonic S97 or Momitsu V880 upconverting players.

What I did to get perfect 60.000 hz, with my NVIDIA 7900GT card with the 92.91 NVIDIA drivers, is to go into the Advanced Timings settings in the Classic Control Panel (do NOT use the new one!), and select the 1280x720@59.94 hz prebuilt timings. For some reason, this causes my 7900GT to output a perfect 60.000 hz signal. It is a complete mystery why it isn't 59.94 hz. Another reason to question the competancy of NVIDIA driver developers. ;) :)

It may be that your 8700+ will sync at 59.94 hz with an HTPC - but so far no one has demonstrated to me that they can achieve that, although I do read about others having issues getting 59.94 hz to work.

I did find a workaround to get 59.94 hz to work, but it is horribly ugly and probably buried in this thread somewhere. It isn't worth it.

Thanks for the great post. Yes I have and Nvidea 6800GT on the HTPC using 91.47 Driver (just got a 7900GS for the new main PC but that's for Vista and another long story concerning 3 RAID arrays!).

I will have a play with the settings, but my first question is how do you know EXACTLY when the BENQ is getting a 'perfect 60Hz' as you say above? Are you just using visual impressions or is there somewhere on the BENQ or PC that shows what the true sych is?

I use the Juddertest program on my HTPC to test my timings (check the HTPC forum - there is a thread for it). Check the last couple of pages of posts in that thread for instructions on setting it up.

I do a visual inspection with juddertest. I also use Reclock to tell me what my "true" output refresh rate is, and they both agree with each other.

I need a 20ft power cord for my projector can I use an extension cord or do I have to purchase a new 25ft power cord for the benq. I have to purchase a new cord where can I buy one? Any feedback would be appreciated.

I use the Juddertest program on my HTPC to test my timings (check the HTPC forum - there is a thread for it). Check the last couple of pages of posts in that thread for instructions on setting it up.

I do a visual inspection with juddertest. I also use Reclock to tell me what my "true" output refresh rate is, and they both agree with each other.


Thanks, I'll give it a go when I get a bit of spare time. Seem to spend more time configuring and fixing my systems than actually watching stuff these days :( Turning off Virus scanning improved the problem, and I think I'll just watch some movies for a while before trying to improve any more. Also still got my new 2TB machine design to finish and setup.....

Hello, Tried to search, but did not find an answer. I'm currentlly using a Denon 3910 (720p) with my 8700+ which works fine with DVI and Component. My Samsung HD box also works great with 720p. The minute I switch to 1080i (50Hz, i'm in PAL land) I get serious flicker. This problem exists for both the Denon and the Samsung and both for Component and DVI. I'm soon getting a HD-DVD player which as far as I understand should be set to output 1080i for best performance. Will the flicker problem be present ?. Has the Toshiba players been fixed regarding the 720p output issue ?.

Thanks.

I am trying to use the XBox 360 VGA cable with my BENQ 8700 projector but it just doesn't work with any resolution.


I use a VGA-componentBNC cable and connect to the RGB/HDTV input on the projector. When powering up the 360, the projector shows a very distorted picture, then flashes in and out of picture, and finally end up completed distorted or says "not supported".

I have tried pre-setting the resolution down to 480P using a computer monitor, then connecting to the 8700, but still the same results.

Using the 360 Component cable to the same input on the 8700, I can get up to 1080i working fine, but I want to use the VGA cable (for reasons that take a long time to explain).

Anyone else had this problem, gort the VGA cable working with the BENQ 8700 or have any suggestions?

Weird problem! I guess you got the VGA cable working fine on the computer monitor?

I don't have a 360, but maybe some 8700+ owners with one can chime in?

I'm sure I remember some of the others on this thread have XBox's can't remember if they have the 360, but sure some must have upgraded by now.

I have contacted the BENQ distributor here, but not sure they will find the answer.

I am trying to use the XBox 360 VGA cable with my BENQ 8700 projector but it just doesn't work with any resolution.

I use a VGA-componentBNC cable and connect to the RGB/HDTV input on the projector.

Just to make sure, are you just connecting the three RGB lines or are you connecting all five BNCs (RGBHV)? There is a difference in how component and monitor VGA handle the sync signal; as I recall component embeds sync in the green line while VGA uses a dedicated line. This would easily account for the symptoms you are seeing.

Good point - make sure the RGB portion of the cable matches, and you might need to experiment with the remaining two connectors - if you plug them in the wrong order it won't work - and it is hard to figure out which is which!

I have tried with and without the H+V cables.

No mixing them up, the cable and inputs have them marked as H and V.

Just for laughs, did you try mixing the H and V ones up? I have a good quality component video cable that, surprisingly enough, had the red and blue ends swapped! You never know... :D

Does your 8700+ work with a regular PC, or another VGA/DVI source like a DVI/HDMI capable DVD player or set-top box? Do you have a laptop with the analog VGA outputs? If you get a flickering display that looks like a desktop for a split second that could probably rule out EDID issues (I don't think the 360 uses EDID, but you never know...).

Yes, have PC connected via DVI. Works fine (although projector must be turned on before powering up PC, otherwise PC seems to deactivate the DVI port when there is nothing attached and then headache of starting in safe mode etc to get it working again).

Have added the H+V swap, as well as connecting notebook to the list of tests to try when I get around to crawling behind the cabinet again.

Others seem to think EDID is involved, see thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9202000

Yeah, it probably is an EDID issue - it could be corrupted! I participated in another thread about EDID issues with the Benq 8700. Hopefully you will find it in this forum or the HTPC forum, I can't remember which. I posted in that one within the last two months I think.

I don't need to have the projector on first to get it to work with my PC via DVI.

My lamp quit. 1300 hours. I can still get a picture for the first hour, but after that the lamp goes out and the projector no longer responds to power down commands - even pressing the power button on the projector itself doesn't work. The lamp blinks red.

So I guess this is normal behavior when the lamp is on its last legs - the picture got very dim recently. I had better not use it anymore - it will probably explode. :)

I have a new lamp on order - $400 CDN + shipping. The bastards still haven't shipped it.

maxleung

I think my Lamp just quit the other night. I noticed my picture was very dim, so I recalibrated with AVIA but it still did not look right. I have almost 1700hrs on my bulb.

When I turn on the projector I can hear the Color wheel start to spin up and spin down, but no light, then the Red Bulb indicator flashes.

Is there any way of getting the bulbs cheaper than $400?

Can we get together a power buy?

Let me know if you guys get a power buy going.

paid $375 at Provantage for my last one.

I just got my bulb on Monday. $425 CDN with shipping from a Vancouver online computer store.

And my old lamp actually only had 1,200 hours on it, not 1,300! Oops.

There was a lot of dust inside the projector - I was too lazy to clean it out and maybe that is why it died early. :) I inspected the old lamp and the silver part behind the bulb (is that called the reflector?) was a mess - it was no longer silver color and the material there seemed to have burned away (normal behavior I think) leaving darn veins behind. It has a somewhat greenish tint to it, unlike the new bulb's silver sheen.

The projector is still rather loud, so I may take my friend's offer to re-oil the fans. But that would mean I have to take the pj apart. And I'm not sure if I can take out the squirrel-cage fan underneath the lamp area.

I suppose I could take it in for warranty work - I think it is still covered. But it is more fun DIY. :)

I spent a few hours over the weekend cleaning out the dust in my 8700+.

First I vacuumed out the whole interior of the projector.

Then I cleaned out all three fans. The squirrel cage fans have to be cleaned with a small paint brush first to get the dust out of the fins, then vacuum.

Then I took the covers off to expose where the Color wheel was. The hole area of the color wheel was covered in a fine dust. so I cleaned that all out.

Then I vacuumed the dust out of the color wheel area.

Then I carefully unscrewed the retainer that holds the small piece of glass in front of the color wheel that is between the color wheel and the bulb. I cleaned the slight dirt/haze/burn mark in this piece of glass with q tips and alcohol.

Now that the front and back of the color wheel was exposed, I cleaned it also.
After getting the dust off of both sides of the color wheel, you could see the haze on it, it did not have a shinny glass like finish.

I used small amounts of alcohol and cleaned the entire color wheel. You can use your finger to spin the wheel as you hold the q tip to the front of the wheel.

Now my PJ is clean as a whistle, but no stinkin bulb to watch with because I still can't get over the fact that they are $400.

I am so mad about that, that I called Benq today and complained about the price and asked them if they sold the Lamp housing or the Bulbs separately. Of course I new they would say no, but I wanted to holler at them about something.

Then I asked If there was any other projector that used the same bulb but different housing. Because there is another Benq PJ that looked like it uses a 210w NSH bulb that is almost a $100 cheaper!! Of course they said no.

Anyway, WHY CAN'T we get a POWER BUY GOING?

IS there no Home Theater person in the Business willing to give us a little bit of a break and try to get our business instead of loosing it to some on-line retailer?

Ok, I guess I better stop complaining and go to bed because I feel like I could type all night.

Wow, sounds like a lot of work - but that gives me hope for my fan re-oiling project. :)

As for a powerbuy - good idea, but it seems people here upgrade their projectors more frequently than replacing bulbs. :(

I really hate the idea of projector bulbs - they dim, have a short life, expensive. My big dream is that someone out there invents an LED that can fit and be used in old projectors like ours. Last 10,000 hours, and dims slowly (linearly would be good).

Gah. Now you have me worked up! :D

My lamp died in December. It was as mrpman described, the wheel would spin and fans would blow, but no light and blinked red. I got a new lamp for $400 from projector people. Was here within a week. Hadn't taken the pj down for ages, so vacuumed the outside and replace the bulb, which was surprisingly easy. Remounted, looks great!

I thought seriously about upgrading; however, I'm really happy with my 8700 (not a +) and there is nothing that I can easily afford that I think would really upgrade my picture.

I am sure we are close to LED Projector Bulbs, Check These out 50,000 Houirs!!!


http://ideaneon.en.alibaba.com/group/50198043/High_Power_LED_Bulb.html

I would be in on a power buy for a new lamp for my 8700+. Not sure if I trust myself to take the whole thing apart and clean it! I have changed the bulb it's real easy.

Did you look to see what the switch was set to on the xbox 360?

Did you look to see what the switch was set to on the xbox 360?

What switch?

What switch?

I do not have a 360 but am wondering, can you change the refresh rate?

Just thinking that my computer runs at 75 Hz my 8700+ runs at 60Hz.

Just a thought.

I do not have a 360 but am wondering, can you change the refresh rate?

Just thinking that my computer runs at 75 Hz my 8700+ runs at 60Hz.

Just a thought.

No setting that I can find with the component cable.

Not checked with the SVGA cable since it means disconnecting a monitor from a PC setting up in the main room, switch a load of cables, but I expect the options to be very similar to the Component, just more screen resolutions.

Isn't there a switch on the 360 that enables 720p/1080i ouput?

No physical switch that I know of, just configuration in the software for output resolution.

My BENQ distributor is saying they think it may be a timing problem, but think they are clutching at straws. No specific comparisons of outputs and supported inputs that I have seen yet to backup this conclusion.

Received my SIMA 3:1 HDMI switch from Circuit City online today (2 day shipping via FDX), it works great with all settings on the Oppo 981HD into the Benq 8700.

My 8700 has gotten noticably louder all the time. Plus it now turns to the green screen in the middle of watching something. Sometimes just for a few seconds and sometimes the picture won't come back. Luckily I've got about 10 days left on my 3 year!

Sounds bad!

Anyways, I've had issues with video dropouts - going to the greenish-blue screen when hooked up to an XBOX 360 via component video @ 720p. Anyone have any ideas what is causing this?

Hello All! :)

I have read most of the thread and boy it's a good one! There isn't a good thread out there all about Benq PE8700! What a great site!

I bought the projector brand new about 2 years ago. The bulb went out about 1600 hours. I don't use the theater room all that much. Mostly on weekends with my family watching dvd movies. It just so happens I finally got the HD satelite installed and have been watching HD channels for about an hour or 2 a couple of times a week for the last month. Now the bulb went out last week and I ordered a new one last week. It will be here today!

After reading most of the thread, I didn't realized that you'd need to clean the fans. I never had done it before. So I decided to go ahead and took it down and clean it out before I put in the new bulb. Last night I went ahead and boy, was it dirty. I carefully vacumed all the vents on the outside what I see. Then went ahead to take screws off and carefully took the cover off, just a slight dusting on the top..I used the dust can blower and blew the whole top off carefully.

Then I proceeded to take the bulb out. The bulb vent on the top and bottom was dirty with dust. I'd never saw what it looked like before. Now I do, I will be doing cleaning every 100 hours from now on! Went on to see the fan below where the bulb sits. And the fan was very dirty. I found in the post somewhere in this thread the guy posted how he cleaned the fans. I used the small paint brush and vacumed, as much as I can, and there's another fan like a squirrel cage, cleaned that too. Vacumed and blew with the can all out.

Then I went ahead and looked carefully where the color wheel is...and I saw there's a gray streaking on top of the glass where the color wheel is..just as described previously on the thread. I went ahead and cleaned it out with a q-tip and ahocol. Worked out alot easier than I thought. I took my time and did it carefully. And put it back up on the ceiling mount to try to see if the light would come on. Nope. Thought it might work, because I read that someone posted about re-inserting the bulb would work. So I think it's really a dead bulb. As soon I get home from work I'm looking forward to installing the new bulb.

What I've been wanting to ask is this....I tried the calibration previsouly posted as it shows here..Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=403476&page=1&pp=30&highlight=8700+factory+setting) That was about a year ago when I did this settings. It looked GREAT! But now that I will be putting in a new bulb, I wonder if I need to reset it to default settings in the user and service menus?

I was wondering if anybody else had some new settings that has been improved even better results? Can somebody post the settings for me please? That would greatly help!

Do you the settings for each input of the projector? What I'm using is DVI straight from my Macintosh Mac Mini, from my reciever the output component to the projector and the inputs to the reciever component are DVD player, xbox, HD satelite directv reciever. Since the projector or my home theater reciever didn't have the HTMI connection, the component was the next best choice for the kind of system I have.

Now that I read it earlier on the thread..I was surprised to see that I've been using the component input all this time which means I've been using a 480i connection! I didn't know that! I thought the component was the best picture..it turns out it's not. The 720 or 1080 is. Right? My question is..do I connect the component to BNC using the RCA to BNC adaptors? I think I would have to change the settings on the other equipment, dvd player, HD directvreciever, and xbox settings to have output to 720 or 1080? Would that work? Main question is that I'm not exactly sure if it would work to use the same component cable I've got output from the home theater reciever to the projector, just simply add a RCA to BNC adaptors to the BNC input back of the PE8700 projector?

Will I get a much better picture in 720 or 1080 through BNC using the adaptors? Will the picture look much better than what I have?

The dvd player does have an DVI output..but I wanted to use my computer to connect the projector. The HD directv output has HDMI and component..since the projector doesn't have DVI, I used the component. All components run to the Home theater reciever.

My dvd player is a Samsung Progressive-Scan DVD Player with HD Upconversion Model DVD-HD860 and My home theater reciever is Harman/Kardon AVR 630.

Please help me get a better picture with what I have than a 480 resolution. I can't wait to get that new bulb in tonight! It'd better show up today when I get home!

Thanks in advance!

Yep, BNC-to-RCA connectors will work fine!

For the XBOX 360 setting it to 720p works. For the regular XBOX, don't bother - 99% of the games won't support it anyways!

The settings people found for best PQ hasn't changed. Stick with them and see how you like it on your new bulb. :)

You'll find that the projector with new bulb is VERY bright. It will dim very quickly - around 50 hours it will be down by 30 or 40%. You'll notice that black levels won't be so good in this period.

The 8700 has a pretty good deinterlacer - so you might not see much difference with 480p. In fact, your Samsung DVD player probably has a poor deinterlacer in it - if you watch a lot of anime or TV shows you might see the difference. Otherwise, it will look pretty good.

I use a brightness setting of 24 and contrast of 19, but I think I have DLP brightness set to -1 or -2. I can't remember. DLP contrast is probably at 50. Or is it 49? :)

Best way to quickly check what resolution the projector is receiving from your source device is to press the menu on then off again (the input resolution will be dispayed in the bottom right corner for a few seconds).

Yes, the calibration settings need to be set and saved for each input. It also seems to keep different settings depending upon the source being NTSC/PAL and maybe even for each input resolution but I have not had time to do extensive testing to confirm this.

What do you mean "since the projector doesn't have DVI"? it does... Are you sure you are on the right thread?

Just a quick question for others on the thread which I don't remember being discussed very much, and that is what does everyone prefer as their best input resolution 720p or 1080i?

I can think of benefits on both sides, but I see the strongest argument being that inputting 1080i at least gets the greater amount of frame data to the projector (especially if watching film source material) and gives the projector chip a chance to downscale it. I guess it depends on how well the original transfer was done as well as other factors, but for games as an example, I think the detail might be better, but fast movement would suffer more. I currently use 720p for most sources now (after switching to 1080i for a while). To be honest have not noticed any real difference. Using native resoultion has it's benefits, but for example, using an Oppo doesn't actualy output 720p at it's 720p setting, and therefore the 1-1 mapping benefit is lost anyway.

I finally got my new bulb and WOW!

I was like a kid in the candy shop for the first time... I could not believe how BRIGHT the picture was and man you should have seen HD channels.

But yes I have noticed the newlamp has started to get dimmer.

I could not beleive how much that new lamp when i first installed it lit up my theater room, and I know that takes a lot.

I have a painted on "screen goo" screen and my viewing angle is 180deg so a lot of light is scattered in all directions not just in front of the screen. But man that new bulb was brighter than bright.

The kool thing was I had people over for a party right after I put in the bulb and they were all impressed with the awsome picture quality.

Best way to quickly check what resolution the projector is receiving from your source device is to press the menu on then off again (the input resolution will be dispayed in the bottom right corner for a few seconds).

Yes, the calibration settings need to be set and saved for each input. It also seems to keep different settings depending upon the source being NTSC/PAL and maybe even for each input resolution but I have not had time to do extensive testing to confirm this.

What do you mean "since the projector doesn't have DVI"? it does... Are you sure you are on the right thread?

Just a quick question for others on the thread which I don't remember being discussed very much, and that is what does everyone prefer as their best input resolution 720p or 1080i?

I can think of benefits on both sides, but I see the strongest argument being that inputting 1080i at least gets the greater amount of frame data to the projector (especially if watching film source material) and gives the projector chip a chance to downscale it. I guess it depends on how well the original transfer was done as well as other factors, but for games as an example, I think the detail might be better, but fast movement would suffer more. I currently use 720p for most sources now (after switching to 1080i for a while). To be honest have not noticed any real difference. Using native resoultion has it's benefits, but for example, using an Oppo doesn't actualy output 720p at it's 720p setting, and therefore the 1-1 mapping benefit is lost anyway.

I've a/b'd b/w sending 720P and 1080i a lot. Frankly, unless the source device has limitations on one ore the other (as in the Toshiba HD-A1) I see no difference on the BenQ. I'm sending 720P from my Denon 3910 and my Hughes HR10-250 and 1080i from the Toshiba. I can just as well send 1080i from all three and not detect a difference.

Just a quick question for others on the thread which I don't remember being discussed very much, and that is what does everyone prefer as their best input resolution 720p or 1080i?

From my SA 8300HD cable box, I have it outputting 720p. Like Kevin, I didn't see much difference b/w that and 1080i.

Using native resoultion has it's benefits, but for example, using an Oppo doesn't actualy output 720p at it's 720p setting, and therefore the 1-1 mapping benefit is lost anyway.

I agree the source material (DVD) is not 720p native but surely the Oppo is capable of 720p output signal. Otherwise, what's the point of buying an upscaling DVD player?

Hmmm - I'm not sure, but the Benq 8700+ probably downscales 1080i to 540p, then upscales that to 720p. However, I cannot verify this as I have no 1080i test pattern content.

I agree the source material (DVD) is not 720p native but surely the Oppo is capable of 720p output signal. Otherwise, what's the point of buying an upscaling DVD player?

If you look at the sides of the image, it doesn't actually fill the screen (as with other 1-1 sources such as the 8700+ test screens). At least that's the case with my older Oppo (the DVI one).

Oppo acknowledged it as a problem, and said they planned to fix it. Not checked recently for firmware updates, but am guessing they didn't.

I have tried conecting a Sony DVP-NS75H the my 8700+ through HDMI-DVI but cannot get them to sync at 720p, only 525p. I have tried changing the edid on the 8700 with powerstrip but no success. I also have an LG LDA-531 and it works no problem all the way to 1080i with the default edid. Are there some custom timings that the Sony is requiring in order to run at 720p through HDMI? If someone has gotten this combination player/proj to work, please help out by posting your solution. I tried watching the LG for a while, very clear picture, but macroblocking was absolutely terrible, hence the reason for wanting to use the sony.

I have no ideas, sorry. :(

It works fine on my panasonic S97 set to 720p.

Could it be that the HDMI output is set to anything other than RGB? The 8700 can't handle YCbCr over DVI @ 720p (not sure about 480p - probably can).

Thanks, from the manual, the NS75H outputs only RGB when connected to a DVI port. I've tried changing to RGB as well. I must say that this is frustrating. Is there no such thing as plug and play anymore?

Update: connected my laptop to my Hitachi HDTV. It only does 540P native, but I uploaded it's edid to the 8700 using powerstrip. Now I can get the player and proj to sync to 1080i now I'm thinking that if someone could post an edid from a display capable of syncing to 720p with the NS75H I could use that to flash my 8700 and it should tell my NS75H to run at 720P.
Might be a valid solution to my issue.

Hi,
I have searched for the post by Drapp you speak of...re: cleaning the benq 8700 but I'm unable to find it. I feel pretty foolish even writing you. I actually tried to review all of "Drapp"s posts...to no success. I am having the same problem of many...where the projector just stops...and the hours on the bulb are such...we shouldn't have a problem. Can you direct me to the post you speak of if it is not too much trouble?

I thank you
Brent

Hi,
I have searched for the post by Drapp you speak of...re: cleaning the benq 8700 but I'm unable to find it. I feel pretty foolish even writing you. I actually tried to review all of "Drapp"s posts...to no success. I am having the same problem of many...where the projector just stops...and the hours on the bulb are such...we shouldn't have a problem. Can you direct me to the post you speak of if it is not too much trouble?

I thank you
Brent

I Need Some Advice On Getting My Home Pc Into My Benq 8720. I've Had The Benq For Six Months, And It's Worked Great For Tv & Dvd. But I Just Hooked It Up To My Pc With A New Vga-bnc5 Cable. The Result Is A Big Zero. Nothing On The Screen But The Standard Blue-purple Background.
I Tried Going Thru The Menu To Display To Pc & Component Ypbpr Tuning Sequence, But The Next Window (which Includes The 'auto' Function) Would Not Let Me Select Any Of The Options, From 'frequency' On The Top To 'auto' On The Bottom.
Any Suggestions?
Bob

Did you hook up the cable correctly? RGB connections should be easy, but the H and V connectors may need to be swapped.

If you have DVI use that instead, if not try maxleung's suggestion, you may also have to send the 8700 a non interlaced signal, if I remember correctly.

Thanks for the advice, but the cables are hooked up correctly, with black on vertical and gray on horizontal. I even switched them with no result.
The two other cables I'm using are for S-video to my DVD and a 3-color component cable to my HDTV cable box. Could one of these be used for the PC? I'm not sure what DVI is, or what connection it requires.
And if anyone knows how to send a non-interlaced signal, or where I can find the info, I'll give it a try.
Bob

Thanks for the advice, but the cables are hooked up correctly, with black on vertical and gray on horizontal. I even switched them with no result.
The two other cables I'm using are for S-video to my DVD and a 3-color component cable to my HDTV cable box. Could one of these be used for the PC? I'm not sure what DVI is, or what connection it requires.
And if anyone knows how to send a non-interlaced signal, or where I can find the info, I'll give it a try.
Bob

Bob, you may be better served looking for an 8720 thread. This is the 8700+ thread, which is the actual model name and not meaning "8700 series pj"
We only have DVI on our projector. ;)

Hi,
I have searched for the post by Drapp you speak of...re: cleaning the benq 8700 but I'm unable to find it. I feel pretty foolish even writing you. I actually tried to review all of "Drapp"s posts...to no success. I am having the same problem of many...where the projector just stops...and the hours on the bulb are such...we shouldn't have a problem. Can you direct me to the post you speak of if it is not too much trouble?

I thank you
Brenthttp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5903575&&#post5903575

This may reference a post in a BenQ 8700 thread that may be archived. It's possible overheating is causing the shutdown, versus a bad bulb, so give the fan/filter cleaning a try. There's no difference in the procedure for the 8700+.

Dan

Hello, :)

I tried to connect a Sony camcorder HDR-HC3E (European version with Pal signal) to my BenQ 8700 through HDMI-DVI adaptator.
I got a signal but the Benq said it was only 625P-50 and not 1080i-50.
The picture is more soft and gives less details in HDMI than in component (1080i-50hz eccepted by the BenQ in this case). so I think 625P-50hz is the real signal accepted by the BenQ through HDMI... :(
It works fine with my Xbox 360 in 1080i, both 50 and 60 hz.
I don't understand...

I've read on this thread that it is possible to change te edid of the projector by using powerstrip.
Please, can someone explain me how to proceed or give me a link to an explanation ? :)

By the way, is it possible to change the edid on rearprojector TV, especially with Toshiba ones?
I ask it for my parents who own a Toshiba Dlp rearprojector TV that doesn't accept computer signal above 1024 x 768 through VGA because of the limitations of its edid... :mad: My young brother should be happy to play his Xbox360 through VGA in 1280 x 720. :p

Thanks a lot. ;)

Hello, :)

I tried to connect a Sony camcorder HDR-HC3E (European version with Pal signal) to my BenQ 8700 through HDMI-DVI adaptator.
I got a signal but the Benq said it was only 625P-50 and not 1080i-50.
The picture is more soft and gives less details in HDMI than in component (1080i-50hz accepted by the BenQ in this case). so I think 625P-50hz is the real signal accepted by the BenQ through HDMI... :(
It works fine with my Xbox 360 in 1080i, both 50 and 60 hz.
I don't understand...

I've read on this thread that it is possible to change te edid of the projector by using powerstrip.
Please, can someone explain me how to proceed or give me a link to an explanation ? :)

By the way, is it possible to change the edid on rearprojector TV, especially with Toshiba ones?
I ask it for my parents who own a Toshiba Dlp rearprojector TV that doesn't accept computer signal above 1024 x 768 through VGA because of the limitations of its edid... :mad: My young brother should be happy to play his Xbox360 through VGA in 1280 x 720. :p

Thanks a lot. ;)

Tricky. You might want to go to the Powerstrip support forums for tips on EDID editing.

I think Viewsonic also has an EDID viewer (and editor I think - I can't remember). Hopefully a google search will help you!

Also try searching for my posts on EDID issues I had with the 8700+. It's been a long time, I can't remember where they are here, but you should find some links to EDID editing steps.

Hello
I am new to avsforum and also new to PJ world
I recently purchased a demo Benq 8700+ but one of mount hole has piece of mount bolt stuck in it.
I would like to try fix this by myself so I need to take it apart.
If any of you still carry service manual for this PJ, please let me have a copy
my e-mail address: tamahome@aei.ca

Thank you very much for your help!

Alex P.

Tricky. You might want to go to the Powerstrip support forums for tips on EDID editing.

I think Viewsonic also has an EDID viewer (and editor I think - I can't remember). Hopefully a google search will help you!

Also try searching for my posts on EDID issues I had with the 8700+. It's been a long time, I can't remember where they are here, but you should find some links to EDID editing steps.

Thanks for your answer... I've been away for a long time so I couldn't thank you before.
I didn't find the post you were talking. No matter ;).
I use my HC3 Camcorderin with component cable and it works fine.

Actually, i'm aiming a PS3 as Blu-Ray disc player and i'm confused : will my Benq 8700 (not "+" one) accept 1080i through HDMI-DVI adaptator or will it give me 576p resolution ???

Does anyone try this ?

Thanks a lot.

Prostic

It will down convert it to the native resolution of 720p.

It will down convert it to the native resolution of 720p.

Hi clubfoot, :)

Are you sure about this ?
I ask it because I don't wanna buy a PS3 if it downconverts HD signal to SD with DVI input.
My BenQ (8700 not "+") only gives me a 576p (Pal signal) with my HDV camcorder when I use the DVI input (with HDMI adaptator). I tried a lot of things such as turning off/on the camcorder while the projector was on or turning on the camcorder and then turning on the Benq but neither those solutions worked... :(

I want to sell one of my computer and I've heard that the PS3 is a good upconverter dvd player.
But before buying one, I want to be sure that my old BenQ will give me a upconverted picture with DVI input (I expect 720p) and not a picture in standard definition.

720p is ok for me as it's the native resolution of my BenQ. ;)
But 576p doesn't fit me with high definition content. :mad:

Thanks again for your answer. :)

Bye.

Hi clubfoot, :)

Are you sure about this ?
I ask it because I don't wanna buy a PS3 if it downconverts HD signal to SD with DVI input.
My BenQ (8700 not "+") only gives me a 576p (Pal signal) with my HDV camcorder when I use the DVI input (with HDMI adaptator). I tried a lot of things such as turning off/on the camcorder while the projector was on or turning on the camcorder and then turning on the Benq but neither those solutions worked... :(

I want to sell one of my computer and I've heard that the PS3 is a good upconverter dvd player.
But before buying one, I want to be sure that my old BenQ will give me a upconverted picture with DVI input (I expect 720p) and not a picture in standard definition.

720p is ok for me as it's the native resolution of my BenQ. ;)
But 576p doesn't fit me with high definition content. :mad:

Thanks again for your answer. :)

Bye.
The PAL version may be different and others here are sure to jump in, but.....if I feed my PE8700+ an 1080i HDTV signal, component to component, it displays as 720p and when fed 720p with my HTPC DVI to DVI it displays 720p. SD DVD fed component displays 480p.

I'm planning on selling my Benq 8700+. Do you guys know what they are selling for ?
Thanks, George

The PAL version may be different and others here are sure to jump in, but.....if I feed my PE8700+ an 1080i HDTV signal, component to component, it displays as 720p and when fed 720p with my HTPC DVI to DVI it displays 720p. SD DVD fed component displays 480p.

Thanks again. :)

Bye.

Tricky. You might want to go to the Powerstrip support forums for tips on EDID editing.

I think Viewsonic also has an EDID viewer (and editor I think - I can't remember). Hopefully a google search will help you!

Also try searching for my posts on EDID issues I had with the 8700+. It's been a long time, I can't remember where they are here, but you should find some links to EDID editing steps.

Very interesting, I must have missed that, and would really like rto know how to do this. I always have trouble with the search function on this forum, I'd really appreciate it if you could post this information here again.
Thanks.

Anyone else having HDMI to DVI issues with the Toshiba HD-A1? Everything seemed to be fine until firmware 2.0 (on the Tosh) "I think" I'm now getting "HDMI ERROR 1" 95% of the time. Have to go to great lengths to get communications (handshake) going. Still do not know what the exact combination is to get it working. Think there is a delay in handshake somewhere along the line. PLayer says play, followed by the above error, followed by brief image of "FBI" warning on screen, followed by player "stop."Projector works fine with other HDMI devices and the A1 works fine with other DVI devices. Cables eliminated as issues as well. Have the latest firmware (1.07) for the 8700+ as well. Even tried the "Secret" factory menu on the Benq in hopes of finding an input search switch of some sort. Anyone have a clue for me? :)

Yes!!!! My buddy has had an issue w/ the DVI/HDMI input. Strangely enough though, everything has been working fine for a couple of years then all of a sudden it turned problematic. He has been using an upscaling DVD player from Samsung & connected it to the 8700+ via HDMI using a DVI/HDMI adapter.

He said with this connection from time to time, the picture would momentarily blink out, but that was on rare occasions. Most recently, the picture would not come on at all, so he surmised it was his DVD player. During all of this, the components input would always work flawlessly.

So as an experiment last week, I brought over a Sony S300 blu-ray player which I've been using & that thing wouldn't even play via DVI/HDMI on his 8700. On components inputs, however, everything works fine again! This means we've narrowed it down to the projector & the digital input. Doing research on avs & other forums, it seems there's some kind of software "handshaking" issue, whatever that means.

Regardless, I urged my buddy to contact customer service (the unit has a 3-year warranty) & here's what he just sent me: "I think I'd rather shove a stick up my a$$ than by another benq. I called these guys and they said their older projectors are not hdmi compatable and they have no plans to release any fixes because the pe8700 is past it useful life."

Any suggestions, guys?

bump

Danont, does it work with a PC hooked up to the DVI port?

Danont, cyborgx, here is a thread that may give you guys some insight, if it is indeed an EDID problem with the 8700+:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=656032

Thank you for the information about the previous troubleshooting thread! Unfortunately, we have no PC equipment w/ DVI or HDMI output, so we can't test it out. But I see that many people are having the same issue, with no real fix other than to send in the unit or purchase a video processor. I just thought that there might be simple fixes. :(

Yes!!!! My buddy has had an issue w/ the DVI/HDMI input. Strangely enough though, everything has been working fine for a couple of years then all of a sudden it turned problematic. He has been using an upscaling DVD player from Samsung & connected it to the 8700+ via HDMI using a DVI/HDMI adapter.

He said with this connection from time to time, the picture would momentarily blink out, but that was on rare occasions. Most recently, the picture would not come on at all, so he surmised it was his DVD player. During all of this, the components input would always work flawlessly.

So as an experiment last week, I brought over a Sony S300 blu-ray player which I've been using & that thing wouldn't even play via DVI/HDMI on his 8700. On components inputs, however, everything works fine again! This means we've narrowed it down to the projector & the digital input. Doing research on avs & other forums, it seems there's some kind of software "handshaking" issue, whatever that means.

Regardless, I urged my buddy to contact customer service (the unit has a 3-year warranty) & here's what he just sent me: "I think I'd rather shove a stick up my a$$ than by another benq. I called these guys and they said their older projectors are not hdmi compatable and they have no plans to release any fixes because the pe8700 is past it useful life."

Any suggestions, guys?

Why can't the culprit be the cable or the HDMI/DVI adapter itself? Cheaper cables tend to die over time, especially after being bent and stretched over distances.

I had my PE8700+ connected to a Pio 59 using an HDMI/DVI cable (not adapter) and it performed flawlessly. You would do well to switch to a higher quality cable or buy a dedicated HDMI/DVI cable. Length may be a factor too. How long is the cable?

Thanks for the tip on the cable. I've read in most places & also believe that expensive vs. cheap HDMI/DVI cables do not exhibit highly varying characteristics. In other words, the signal is either there or isn't, ON or OFF, regardless of whether it's a $200 Monster Cable or $30 Monoprice Cable. From my own experience, I believe it.

With that said, we really didn't go there since it was never perceived to be an issue, especially when the cable box works. But we shall try a shorter cable, since the existing runs about 20 ft or so. Thanks again for the tip!

Thanks for the tip on the cable. I've read in most places & also believe that expensive vs. cheap HDMI/DVI cables do not exhibit highly varying characteristics. In other words, the signal is either there or isn't, ON or OFF, regardless of whether it's a $200 Monster Cable or $30 Monoprice Cable. From my own experience, I believe it.

With that said, we really didn't go there since it was never perceived to be an issue, especially when the cable box works. But we shall try a shorter cable, since the existing runs about 20 ft or so. Thanks again for the tip!

Usually the more expensive cables have a netting that protects it from getting frayed from excessive rubbing against other objects. Also, all cables are vulnerable to kinks due to being over-stretched or abuse. 20 ft is kinda long for a digital cable. Usually the more expensive ones will guarantee your signal but the cheap ones will not.

I read through a lot of this thread and couldn't find a specific solution to my problem. I'm not even sure if it's something I can fix.

When I mounted my 8700 3+ years ago I ran a DVI cable through the ceiling thinking that some day I might want to use it. I just recently decided to use it and got a Pioneer cable box from Time Warner that has a DVI output (I previously only used it for movies).

When I switch to the DVI-I input on the BenQ I just get a box on the screen in three languages, presumably from the cable box, which says something to the effect that the video device I have connection is not HDCP compliant.

I've tried turning the box and the projector on in different orders as I saw suggested earlier in the thread but I couldn't get anything different. Is the BenQ 8700 simply not HDCP compliant? If so, is there anything I can do to make it work (some kind of converter or translator?)? If it is compliant, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks to anyone that can help me!

Benq 8700+ does have HDCP.

It does, supposedly, but it still doesn't get recognized as HDCP-compatible by PowerDVD Ultra on my HTPC. AnyDVD HD saves the day.

There are HDCP-removers available, I don't remember who makes them though.

I read through a lot of this thread and couldn't find a specific solution to my problem. I'm not even sure if it's something I can fix.

When I mounted my 8700 3+ years ago I ran a DVI cable through the ceiling thinking that some day I might want to use it. I just recently decided to use it and got a Pioneer cable box from Time Warner that has a DVI output (I previously only used it for movies).

When I switch to the DVI-I input on the BenQ I just get a box on the screen in three languages, presumably from the cable box, which says something to the effect that the video device I have connection is not HDCP compliant.

I've tried turning the box and the projector on in different orders as I saw suggested earlier in the thread but I couldn't get anything different. Is the BenQ 8700 simply not HDCP compliant? If so, is there anything I can do to make it work (some kind of converter or translator?)? If it is compliant, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks to anyone that can help me!

I had the same problem. The issue is not with the projector but with the cable box. I was unable to get mine to sync for several years so I was forced to use component. Around 6 months ago, Time Warner sent out a firmware update for my DVR and now it works fine with the Benq.

My OPPO DVD player, PS3, and HD-DVD player all use HDCP and sync to the Benq with out any problems. If you can not get Time Warner to update you box to the latest version your only options will be component or to by a HDCP removal box. (http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/search2.pl?seller&Moome&1&1&1&).

Thanks very much Nitemage! I will call Time Warner to see what they can do to start, and will let you all know.

My PE-8700 Mustang-2 is having a bad color wheel problem. It is just out of warranty, and I'm hoping that there is a way I can fix it. It makes a noise which I am sure is from the wheel. The color changes to a solarization type of look. So, I get in to the service menu, and adjust the wheel timing to a pic that I use. I get it PERFECT once more, and about 5 mins to an hour later, it goes off again. I can readjust it every time, but It's a big pain.

So my questions are, is this a known issue? Does anyone know how I can get in to the unit, and fix it? BenQ is saying it may cost between $300 to $800 to fix.

Any ideas would be VERY welcome.

Many thanks.

Dave :(

If the problem is mechanical, and if you are very careful (and very handy), you can disassemble the projector and try to clean and lube the area around the color wheel. You may be surprised how much dust and junk you will find in side the projector.

If the problem is electrical, then you are probably stuck with getting it repaired or getting a new projector.

If the problem is mechanical, and if you are very careful (and very handy), you can disassemble the projector and try to clean and lube the area around the color wheel. You may be surprised how much dust and junk you will find in side the projector.

If the problem is electrical, then you are probably stuck with getting it repaired or getting a new projector.I should've answered you earlier. Thanks Kevin. Yes, recently I fixed a Sansui receiver, under the advice of another forum. The idea of dismantling the BenQ is a bit scary though. I don't want to wind up like a Dennis the menace cartoon that I saw. "I fixed this clock, and I have all these parts leftover!"

:( My 5 year old PE8700 went toast on me. Blades on the cooling fan in the bottom of the unit are melted. I removed the fan but I am having a hard time finding a replacement. BenQ indicated that they do not sell parts.
Fan assembly is made by TOTO PN. TYF207. D.C. burshless motor inside the unit is made by Mitsumi Elect. DC mini-motor PN is M29BLF-1 R-14 7269 12VDC 9.6W.
Any help would be appreciated.

Does the benq 8700+ support the new 24frame rate?

Got a PS3 and HDMI wont work with my PE8700+! Called Sony and they said not guarenteed to work with HDMI to DVI.

I also Get HDCP errors with my cable box whenever I turn it on.

Can the HDCP DVI inputs on the PE8700+ go bad?

Or is there a firmware update for the 8700+?

I have read other places in this forum that the 8700 is the same as another manufacturers projector and you can use different firmware??

My cable box still works DVI, but it promps me to disable HDMI protection. Also I have a Oppo Digital DVD player hooked up via DVI and it works fine.

Mike: The Benq 8700+ is quite old - I don't think it will ever do 24 fps!

mrpman: It is possible you have an EDID corruption issue. With that said, I have NOT tried the 8700+ with a PS3 - I had a PS3, but returned it 3 times because of fan noise issues.

Maxleung,

I looked through all of the threads, if the EDID is corupted, that is from the PJ right?

Are there any fixes?

Got a PS3 and HDMI wont work with my PE8700+! Called Sony and they said not guarenteed to work with HDMI to DVI.

I also Get HDCP errors with my cable box whenever I turn it on.

Can the HDCP DVI inputs on the PE8700+ go bad?

Or is there a firmware update for the 8700+?

I have read other places in this forum that the 8700 is the same as another manufacturers projector and you can use different firmware??

My cable box still works DVI, but it promps me to disable HDMI protection. Also I have a Oppo Digital DVD player hooked up via DVI and it works fine.

I hook up my PS3 to the PE8700+ using a DVI/HDMI cable and it works fine. Are you using a DVI/HDMI adapter on the cable or is the cable purchased as DVI on one end and HDMI on the other? Sometimes buying a dedicated cable is better than using the adapter. I'd try a dedicated cable before giving up. If you currently are using a dedicated cable, then it probably is the EDID as someone suggested. One last question: is a receiver in the middle of your video connections?

EWL5,

I do use a DVI to HDNI adapter on a DVi to DVI cable between the 8700+ and a Monoprice 1x5 switcher.

I have tried bypassing the switcher and going directly to the PS3, and nothing happens.

One thing I did notice was my PC conection to the 8700+ stopped working a while back. The DVI input on the 8700+ still works,and both my Oppo DVD player and SA cable box workd.

EWL5,

I do use a DVI to HDNI adapter on a DVi to DVI cable between the 8700+ and a Monoprice 1x5 switcher.

I have tried bypassing the switcher and going directly to the PS3, and nothing happens.

One thing I did notice was my PC conection to the 8700+ stopped working a while back. The DVI input on the 8700+ still works,and both my Oppo DVD player and SA cable box workd.

I have taken my PS3 back and forth from the home theater room (with the BENQ pj) and the living room (Pioneer Elite plasma) many times and since one is DVI whereas the other is HDMI, I wind up having to "reset" the video connection. Resetting video involves holding the power button (not on the remote, on the console) on the PS3 for about 5 seconds while it is in standby mode. Once you hear a beep, let go of the power button and you should see a screen that asks if you want to use the current video connection. Make sure the pj is properly warmed up and you have the DVI input selected before doing this.

If the above doesn't work, buy a dedicated DVI/HDMI cable from a store with a liberal return policy like Best Buy to see if the adapter is the problem.

I'm using a lot of cabling and connections with my install without a problem. I would check the HDMI-DVI adapter.

I'm using a MonoPrice 35' HDMI to DVI cable and have no problems with my PS3.

Hookup:
PS3 -> 6' HDMI-HDMI cable -> Pioneer Receiver -> 6' HDMI-HDMI cable -> HDMI-HDMI Wall Plate -> 35' HDMI-DVI cable to 8700.

Maxleung,

I looked through all of the threads, if the EDID is corupted, that is from the PJ right?

Are there any fixes?

My 8700+ worked just fine with my PS3 until a Toshiba HDXA1 firmware update occured, then both stopped working. Contacted BenQ an sent it in for repair and it's been working like a champ ever since. Never got an explanation of what was done; but, I suspect it was EDID related.

BTW - working like a champ means that the XA1 never touched it, the XA2 replaced it and is working fantastically.

mprman - sorry for the late reply. Yes, it is possible that the EDID information on the 8700 got corrupted. A way to verify this is to find an EDID reader tool, copy it to a bootable USB flash drive or CD, then reboot the PC with the projector attached to the main video output (and a PC monitor on the other output) and boot the disc. Run the utility, and it will tell you if the EDID is corrupt or not.

The procedure is a bit more complicated than the above - especially if you cannot get a picture on the projector, which is where the dual-monitor comes in. :(

Unfortunately I do not have a link to the procedure, but it should be somewhere on AVS (probably the HTPC forum - and it MIGHT be in the AVS archives).

Hi, :)

I just bought a PS3 (European version... I'm french ;)).
I was a little bit afraid when i had to connect it to my BenQ 8700 (not the "+" version) because when I tried to connect my HDV camcorder (Sony HDV HC3-E) few months ago, it only gave me 625p instead of 1080i. :confused:
I expected the BenQ to accept 1080i but it will do so only with component connexion.
I connected my PS3 to my BenQ with a 30 feet DVI (Real Cable) with an HDMI-DVI adaptator (after choosing 720p resolution while the PS3 was connected to LCD tv because I suspected that my BenQ do not accept 1080i on DVI entry). ;)
Guess what ? It worked perfectly !!! :p :)
Of course, it worked with 1280 x 720p@60hz resolution.
I didn't try anything else, specially 24hz (the reason is simple, i still haven't got any BD ;)).
It's nice to see that I won't have to change my projector before next year. :D
I'm not sure but i think my BenQ has the original firmware and not one of the latests. ;)
By the way, for PS3 owners, what's the best with this game console (for game, dvd upscaling and BD) : HDMI entry with 720p resolution or component entry with 1080i resolution ?

Best regards.

Prostic

Hi, :)

I just bought a PS3 (European version... I'm french ;)).
I was a little bit afraid when i had to connect it to my BenQ 8700 (not the "+" version) because when I tried to connect my HDV camcorder (Sony HDV HC3-E) few months ago, it only gave me 625p instead of 1080i. :confused:
I expected the BenQ to accept 1080i but it will do so only with component connexion.
I connected my PS3 to my BenQ with a 30 feet DVI (Real Cable) with an HDMI-DVI adaptator (after choosing 720p resolution while the PS3 was connected to LCD tv because I suspected that my BenQ do not accept 1080i on DVI entry). ;)
Guess what ? It worked perfectly !!! :p :)
Of course, it worked with 1280 x 720p@60hz resolution.
I didn't try anything else, specially 24hz (the reason is simple, i still haven't got any BD ;)).
It's nice to see that I won't have to change my projector before next year. :D
I'm not sure but i think my BenQ has the original firmware and not one of the latests. ;)
By the way, for PS3 owners, what's the best with this game console (for game, dvd upscaling and BD) : HDMI entry with 720p resolution or component entry with 1080i resolution ?

Best regards.

Prostic

That is strange that you cannot get 1080i through the DVI connection. Can you get 1080i consistently through DVI from ANY source? Perhaps your HDMI/DVI adapter is the culprit?

As far as I know, the PE8700 does not support inputs from 1080p/24. I tried that with my PS3 and the screen got pinkish and unwatchable. Since the PE8700 is 720p native, I would stick with that rez only regardless of whether it's HDMI or component.

Note that upscaled DVD's will work at 720p or 1080i through component only if the Macrovision protection is not present. Otherwise, only HDMI/DVI with HDCP will get you those upscaled DVD resolutions.

I have the 8700+ and recently bought a European PS3 (Ireland). I can't get any kind of picture throught the DVI input at all.

I connected the Benq to the PS3 using several different DVI cables with an HDMI/DVI adapter, did the "power cycle" reset on the PS3, nothing. The PS3 HDMI output works fine on my LCD tv, and the Benq DVI input works fine with my old upscaling DVD player with DVI output.

Fortunately the component cables work fine for 720p and 1080i, so I just use those to connect the PS3 with the 8700.

Prostic: Thanks for the PS3 report!

I believe that the Benq 8700(+) will take the 1080i signal - however, it will convert it internally into a 525p signal and then convert to 1080i - so you will get LESS real resolution than 720p! So your choice of 720p should be a good one.

hi

Hi,
I have a Benq 8700+ for 3 years now. Since one week the pop up on the right bottom of the screen stays there, it used to fade out after a few seconds. Can anyone help me to get this pop up disappear again?

Raymond

Happened to me a couple of times. I just unplug it for about 30 seconds and it goes back to normal.

Troy

Thanks Troy.
Nice simple solution.

Just popped my first bulb tonight, 3 years 2 months, only 1200 hours.
Used for movies on weekends only.
Curious, what is your experience ?

And where is the best source for PE8700+ bulbs ?

I just picked up the A30 and can't seem to get the HDMI -> Adapter -> DVI connection to work. The Benq keeps displaying:
"Searching DVI-I"

I tried various resolutions in the A30, including 720P, with the same results.

Is this due to some content protection issue due to the 8700+ being DVI and not HDMI? Is there a firmware upgrade?:confused:

Thanks.

I just picked up the A30 and can't seem to get the HDMI -> Adapter -> DVI connection to work. The Benq keeps displaying:
"Searching DVI-I"

I tried various resolutions in the A30, including 720P, with the same results.

Is this due to some content protection issue due to the 8700+ being DVI and not HDMI? Is there a firmware upgrade?:confused:

Thanks.

There is a firmware update for the A30 but it corrects the 1080p/24 mode frequency in the HD-DVD player, which shouldn't matter to us since the 8700 can't accept 1080p/24. My A3 has worked fine through a single DVI-HDMI cable when it was connected to the 8700. Try a different cable or don't use an adapter but use a single cable with dedicated ends instead like me.

EWL5 - Thanks for the reply. Are you able to play HD-DVDs on your 8700? I was wondering whether the content is protected such that it cannot be played over DVI...
Also, how's the quality of the upconversion of SD DVD compared to other players you have used? I'm currently running a Momitsu 880 and was hoping to see a significant improvement.

I already have the latest firmware in my HD-A30. I also tried to drive the DVI port of my Dell 2407 monitor using the HDMI->DVI adaptor and also had no video. I'm beginning to think the HD-A30 might be defective.

EWL5 - Thanks for the reply. Are you able to play HD-DVDs on your 8700? I was wondering whether the content is protected such that it cannot be played over DVI...
Also, how's the quality of the upconversion of SD DVD compared to other players you have used? I'm currently running a Momitsu 880 and was hoping to see a significant improvement.

I already have the latest firmware in my HD-A30. I also tried to drive the DVI port of my Dell 2407 monitor using the HDMI->DVI adaptor and also had no video. I'm beginning to think the HD-A30 might be defective.

I've watched bits and pieces of Batman Begins HD-DVD on the 8700. I don't watch SD DVD's on the A3 as my other DVD players are the Oppo 971 and the Pioneer Elite 59. I think these HD-DVD players do a decent enough job upconverting that at least you have an upconverting DVD player should HD-DVD fall. Since the Momitsu 880 is a Sigma Design 8500 chip, I don't expect it to be as good a solution as chipsets like HQV Reon (ie. XA2) or Faroudja DCDi (Oppo, Denon). From what I understand, Toshiba uses ABT in their players and should be "good enough" for upconverting purposes.

The A3 supposedly passes below black over DVI (which the A2 did not) but I have yet to test that as the A3 is normally attached to my plasma in the living room.

Content is always protected but the 8700+ is DVI-HDCP so there should be no compatibility issue. The Dell monitor is not a good test unless you know for sure it is HDCP compatible. I have a widescreen Dell monitor and unfortunately it is not HDCP through the DVI connection. It's possible that either the HDMI or DVI was fried where the EDID was no longer recognizing the HDCP.

Do your other HDMI-HDCP devices work w/o a problem and it's just the A30? Did you try a different cable as suggested? Try outputting only 1080i from the A30 to see if it makes a difference.

Just popped my first bulb tonight, 3 years 2 months, only 1200 hours.
Used for movies on weekends only.
Curious, what is your experience ?

And where is the best source for PE8700+ bulbs ?

Mine died at 1100 hours. :(

I purchased a replacement bulb from FrontierPC I think - a Canadian store. It was around $350 CDN. Or maybe it was $400. It was expensive enough that I don't want to remember. :)

Do your other HDMI-HDCP devices work w/o a problem and it's just the A30? Did you try a different cable as suggested? Try outputting only 1080i from the A30 to see if it makes a difference.
Thanks for the suggestions.

I just connected the HDMI/DVI adapter-cable to my TivoHD, and was able to watch several HD channels, so I guess the 8700 can deal with HDCP properly.

On the A30 I've tried outputting 1080i as well as other resolutions with the same results, no video. It's is looking more like a bad HDMI port on the A30...

Mine died at 1100 hours. :(

I purchased a replacement bulb from FrontierPC I think - a Canadian store. It was around $350 CDN. Or maybe it was $400. It was expensive enough that I don't want to remember. :)

Thanks, seems 1150avg/2000 is only 57.5% of rated life. Not too good. At $400 a lamp, the cost is about .35/hour. So a long movie cost about $1.00 to watch.

Can't believe that these lamps cost that much. I guess that's the price of the big screen.

1500 hours and still going strong. By the way, when you are sending a signal through the DVI port it only accepts one type of color space. On my Panasonic S97 upconverting DVD player it has an HDMI output with 3 separate color space: RGB, YCbCr (4:4:4) and YCbCr (4:2:2) and the only one that works is RGB.

Don't know if that helps.

EWL5 - Thanks for the reply. Are you able to play HD-DVDs on your 8700? I was wondering whether the content is protected such that it cannot be played over DVI...
Also, how's the quality of the upconversion of SD DVD compared to other players you have used? I'm currently running a Momitsu 880 and was hoping to see a significant improvement.

I already have the latest firmware in my HD-A30. I also tried to drive the DVI port of my Dell 2407 monitor using the HDMI->DVI adaptor and also had no video. I'm beginning to think the HD-A30 might be defective.

I am in the same boat as you my friend. 2407 monitor WILL NOT work with the HD-A30 player with HDMI to DVI cable so far out of the box. I called Dell and they said it should work. But all I get on my screen is to check resoultion of 1920x1200 and 60hz. I am going to try this weekend to connect via the Composite or Coponent to check/adjust the Resoultion settings on the A30 and see if maybe that will help. Have you had any luck yet? Could not find any other source online reguarding this problem except for here. I am at wits end, and am eather going to return the A30 or force myself to buy a big screen tv. Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding while we troubleshoot this problem.

I thought the A30 was defective, so I exchanged it for another one. I tried the following:

1. Hooked up to the PJ using HDMI/DVI adapter and my current DVI cable to the 8700. Keep getting "Searching DVI-I". On the A30, I tried 720p, 1080i, etc. with the same results.

2. Followed advice from EWL5 and bought a new HDMI-DVI cable. Same results as above.

3. Connected to my Dell 2407 using the HDMI/DVI adapter to the Dell DVI cable. Initially all I saw was a blank screen. I then noticed that the HDMI cable was not plugged in all the way (2 mm showing). So, I pushed in the connector with a little more force and was succesful in displaying the setup menu! Did not go farther than this, i.e. playing HD-DVD to check HDCP compatibility. ->caspersavs, you might want to make sure the connector is firmly seated.

4. Went back to the 8700, checking that the HDMI connector was bottomed out, and still no luck. Since I can't even display the setup menu, this is not an HDCP issue, right?

Any suggestions before I give up on the A30?

Could this be an EDID problem?

Thanks.

*** UPDATE *** I finally got the A30 to work with the Dell 24". I setup and connected the LAN port so the A30 can update the latest firmware online. It took about a half hour but after that was done it was working. I also changed the default resolution from "Up to 1080I" to "Up to 1080P" by connecting the A30 via composite video cable to my monitor. After the firmware is updated, then change your resolution and then power down. Next remove the yellow composite cable and connect your HDMI to DVI cable. Power on the Dell and select the DVI port, then power on the A30. After 10-20 secs you should see the A30 startup screen. Good luck, you can do it!

Was able to play 300 and Transformers so far with no problems.

To make a long story short, my problems were due to a corrupted EDID. Gained some very useful info from a post by HokieEngineer over at satelliteguys

This little exercise was sure time-consuming, but it fortunately paid off.:)

Now it's time to do some comparison of upconversion quality between the A30 and the Momitsu 880...

Skeet25

Can you post the thread for the EDFID problem. I have a PE8700+ and think I have a similar problem with the EDID. It worked with my computer for a few weeks and then stopped. I looked into the edid thing a while back, but not sure if the registry changes on my pc worked or not.

I have been trying to get it working with my PS3 without luck.

Thanks

mrpman, I found the following threads very useful in getting my EDID problem solved:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-technical-discussions/113975-vip211-l434-broke-my-hdmi.html

as well as this one:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12439632#post12439632

As it turned out, in my case, only the first 8 bytes were corrupted, so all I needed to do was: ddcd -p

You might find this useful: since you can't display anything with the 8700+, you will need another monitor to watch your PC boot up into DOS, and to execute the ddcd command at the prompt. So, ideally your graphics card will have a VGA (for the monitor) as well as a DVI output (8700). Mine did not, so I hooked up my spare LCD to the DVI port with an adaptor, booted up, typed in the command, switched to the 8700+ and then hit <Enter>

Good luck

Hi, :)

Just coming back to confirm you that my BenQ 8700 (not "+" and european version) accepts 1080i from the PS3.
If I choose autodetection from the PS3, the BenQ turns to 576p...
If I choose 720p ---> 720p on the BenQ.
If I ask 1080i on the PS3 ---> 1080i on the BenQ (1080i@60hz says the BenQ).

More stranger : if I put a Pal dvd and ask the PS3 to ouput 1080i, the BenQ accepts and delivers a nice 1080i@50hz.

Remember my problems with my camcorder (Sony HC3 1080i - European version).
If I still put the camcorder (which is 1080i@50hz) then the Benq switches to 576p.
So that means that the problem is not from the BenQ but from the fuc***g Edid of the camcorder... :( :( :(
It won't be a problem for a long time since I have chosen to switch for a Mitsubishi HC6000 on next June.
But I wanted to tell you the last results of my test. ;) If it can be useful for somebody... ;)
Have fun with your BenQ...

Prostic

I'm really debating whether to buy a new bulb or a new 1080p projector once my current 8700+ bulb goes out. It would be a tough pill to swallow to put down another 3k but it would be the first 1080p display in my house. What are you guys planning on doing?

Skeet25


Thanks, I will look at those threads and try some stuff.


mrpman

I'm really debating whether to buy a new bulb or a new 1080p projector once my current 8700+ bulb goes out. It would be a tough pill to swallow to put down another 3k but it would be the first 1080p display in my house. What are you guys planning on doing?

Facing a similar issue. 3yrs/1400hrs on the bulb. A replacement is $400 or I can eBay it, save the $400 and spend the rest on a better Epson 1080p....hmmmm.

My 3.5 yr old 8700+ seems to be overheating. I replaced the lamp for the first time a couple of months ago, but tonight, the I couldn't seem to watch more than an hour or so before the lamp would shut down. Then, I'd have to wait about 15 minutes for it to cool off before I could restart. Any other 8700+ owners have this problem? Should I open it up and see if the fan needs to be cleaned or is this only something I can go to BenQ to fix?

I would try to do a cleaning first (remove the bulb first!). Have a look at the air intakes too - they might be clogged!

Good luck!

I'm really debating whether to buy a new bulb or a new 1080p projector once my current 8700+ bulb goes out. It would be a tough pill to swallow to put down another 3k but it would be the first 1080p display in my house. What are you guys planning on doing?Hmmm. I'm coming up with that dilemma soon. I think I'm going to get the new lamp. The alternative seems worse, because if you replace the projector, the old one is a useless paperweight. LOL I think I'll buy the new lamp, then turn around and get the 1080 Ver later. I can put the 8700 in the bedroom or something. Another idea would be to use it as a second one, and watch the less important stuff, such T.V. on it or something. That would save a lot of the life of the 1080P ver. Just a thought.

Has anyone found a cheaper price on the lamp? part# 60.J2104.CG1 If you Google it, you get all kinds of hits. I THOUGHT I got it for about $20 less at Newegg, but right now they have the same price as BenQ. If I can't find it much cheaper, I'll get it at BenQ again, because I trust them the most.

Found it here (http://www.buy.com/prod/60j2104cg1-replcmnt-lamp-for-pe7800-pe8700/q/loc/111/10388249.html) for $20 less, with free shipping.

Found it here (http://www.buy.com/prod/60j2104cg1-replcmnt-lamp-for-pe7800-pe8700/q/loc/111/10388249.html) for $20 less, with free shipping.Great. Thanks JimMac!:)

Well, it's over 1,950 hrs. Any advice on how long I should run it? I found one HERE (http://www.provantage.com/benq-60-j2104-cg1~ABENP030.htm) For $369.84. I don't know about buyer protection or anything.

I'd change it now, you won't believe how much brighter the image will be with the new lamp. Happy, someone got the full length of rated hours.

I've had my PE8700 hooked up to a HTPC through DVI for a few years now and its worked fine, but I've just bought a PS3 and am having trouble hooking it up to the projector.

First I tried a HDMI-DVI cable, but all I got was a black screen with the projector showing 'Searching DVI-I'.

Then I tried a component (3xRCA) cable which works fine at 576i, but anytime I try to increase the resolution via the PS3 settings, the projector just flickers and doesn't display the correct image.

Does anyone know how I can get it running at 720p?

I've had my PE8700 hooked up to a HTPC through DVI for a few years now and its worked fine, but I've just bought a PS3 and am having trouble hooking it up to the projector.

First I tried a HDMI-DVI cable, but all I got was a black screen with the projector showing 'Searching DVI-I'.

Then I tried a component (3xRCA) cable which works fine at 576i, but anytime I try to increase the resolution via the PS3 settings, the projector just flickers and doesn't display the correct image.

Does anyone know how I can get it running at 720p?

Hi, :)

I still own a BenQ 8700 (not the "+" one) and a PS3 (european version).
The BenQ accepts to sync with the PS3 when I put the 720p resolution on the PS3 dash.
Do not choose "automatic detection" from the PS3 because from what I've seen, the BenQ will only display 576p. :mad:
You must force the PS3 to display 720p. Then the BenQ should sync to 720p.

Unfortunately, the BenQ 8700 seems to be a very "temperamental" projector.
Some of us can sync the BenQ to 1080i on the DVI input and some others can't (me for example). :mad:
I always be very happy with the BenQ but I know I will enjoy more my next projector (full HD) because I won't have any problem with the resolution : it will be full HD and nothing else. ;)

Prostic

Hi, after nearly 5 years I'm having a problem with my PE8700+. When I switch on there is no light output from the projector and after a while the Power LED goes green and the Lamp LED flashes red.

According to the manual this is a lamp cover or overheating problem. However both fans can be seen running and I see the same behaviour when I start it up with no lamp installed. The lamp is an open circuit when I test it with my multimeter. Is the manual wrong and do I need a new lamp, or is there something else I should check? The lamp was at about 1500 hours before this happened.

Any advice appreciated

Thanks
Simon

Is there dust in the unit that prevents the fans from cooling the electrical circuits?

My lamp died after 1100 hours. The new lamp worked. I bet 1500 hours was your lamp limit! However, my 1100 hour lamp went very very dim in the last hour of use before dying completely while watching a movie.

Hi, after nearly 5 years I'm having a problem with my PE8700+. When I switch on there is no light output from the projector and after a while the Power LED goes green and the Lamp LED flashes red.

According to the manual this is a lamp cover or overheating problem. However both fans can be seen running and I see the same behaviour when I start it up with no lamp installed. The lamp is an open circuit when I test it with my multimeter. Is the manual wrong and do I need a new lamp, or is there something else I should check? The lamp was at about 1500 hours before this happened.

Any advice appreciated

Thanks
Simon
Along with the new lamp you might want to get the directions elsewhere on the forum to open up the 8700 and do a full cleaning. be VERY careful though with the color wheel. When I cleaned mine I could not believe how much grunge was everywhere. Good Luck.

I'd have to say, it really sounds like a new bulb is in your near future, or maybe a projector upgrade ?

So, on the subject of an upgrade (as I can't say for sure that it needs a new bulb) how does one of the new cheap projectors compare to the Benq? I'm thinking specifically of the Optoma HD65 which is about twice the price of the bulb.

It's the same resolution but (in theory) brighter and with a better contrast ratio.

Anyone seen one?

Cheers
Simon

Hi,

The color wheel on my 8700 shattered inside projector not sure how this happend but I will need new color wheel, have couple of questions :

1 - Where can I get the color wheel, any off the market place or only from BenQ ?
2 - Where is the color wheel located in the projector and how do I access this ?
3 - Any tip or guideline or reference that can be helpful to get this job done.

Any helpful tip is highly appreciated.

Thanks
Nadeem

Hi,

The color wheel on my 8700 shattered inside projector not sure how this happend but I will need new color wheel, have couple of questions :

1 - Where can I get the color wheel, any off the market place or only from BenQ ?
2 - Where is the color wheel located in the projector and how do I access this ?
3 - Any tip or guideline or reference that can be helpful to get this job done.

Any helpful tip is highly appreciated.

Thanks
Nadeem

I have a 8700 that just decided not to power up one day. Completely dead, no standby power when plugged in. I did a little research (not much as there was no way I was going to repair it) that would suggest motherboard failure.

It's going to the recycle soon, but will send it to you for shiiping cost if you want to use it for parts.

I have two lamps, one with 1100 hrs and one with about 600 hrs availabe for shipping costs if anyone wants them as well.

I would be interested in the unit please let me know the shipping cost. Thanks for the offer.

Regards
Nadeem

I have a 8700 that just decided not to power up one day. Completely dead, no standby power when plugged in. I did a little research (not much as there was no way I was going to repair it) that would suggest motherboard failure.

It's going to the recycle soon, but will send it to you for shiiping cost if you want to use it for parts.

I have two lamps, one with 1100 hrs and one with about 600 hrs availabe for shipping costs if anyone wants them as well.

I am interested in the lamps if they are still available. I sent you a PM as well. Please let me know the shipping costs.

Thank you!!

Massimo

Ok, Both PJ and bulbs spoken for. Will try to get those out next week. Hopefully, you can make use of them.

Any of you gurus need to exercise some Christmas spirit? Any help with the following would be great...

I bought a used pe7700 to transfer the color wheel to an 8700...(it had shattered, and the manufacturer is out of business)

First issue: The color wheel component (the wheel, it's turnable base, with a chip and ribbon cable on the back) are slightly different. The wheel appears ok (I can't compare since the other is not all there anymore) but the chip on the back sticks out a bit, so when mounted in the 8700, it has a slight tilt with the top of the wheel closer to the front of the project than the back...I am willing to try it...

Now, I have not powered this beast up since receiving it back from Benq repair with their apologies for not being able to fix it...so I replaced the wheel and put things back in the right spots, I thought...but I get no power. No lights anywhere....Is there some boot up sequence that would check something I have not attached...or should I at least get some lights or something?

Any online manuals for the insides or more trouble shooting help anywhere?

PM me with your email and I can send you the Benq 8700 service manual. Dunno if it will help you much - but you could at least use a simple RJ->RS232 adapter to try to talk to it.

My 8700+ lamp LED is coming on in the middle of a show and picture goes dark. No increase in fan speed like on shut down. I have to cycle the power to restart it. WAPITA. 100 hrs on the Lamp. Guess should check the lamp contacts.
I would be very interested in seeing the service manual SVP.
I had to replace the isolation glass between the lamp and the color wheel because it cracked when I first put this lamp in. Had to trim some stock AR coated glass to fit. Nice and bright now since old glass had dark residue on half on it. The replacement part included part of the light path and was not sure how line it up etc.
Anyway I would really like to have that service manual for future repairs.
Thanks

PM me with your email and I can send you the Benq 8700 service manual. Dunno if it will help you much - but you could at least use a simple RJ->RS232 adapter to try to talk to it.

pm sent thanks
Hi there,

would you please email me the benq 8700 service manual my email is : allforumemail@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance

I have a dead 8700 with a bulb with only a hundred or so hours used on it -- my power supply is shot according to Benq and there is no way to fix it. So if anyone is looking for a 8700 for parts/bulb contact me. Thanks!

I have a dead 8700 with a bulb with only a hundred or so hours used on it -- my power supply is shot according to Benq and there is no way to fix it. So if anyone is looking for a 8700 for parts/bulb contact me. Thanks!

Same thing happened to me this week. The first time it was within the 3 yr warranty. Now I'm out of luck. Luckily for me, I'm still on the original bulb with about 1600 hours on it. Still debating whether to shell out for one of them new-fangled 1080p ones. :D

U still got the 8700 for parts? My 8700+ needs a lmap cage. I made the mistake of buying a bare bulb. while installing, I noticed the cage screen was almost burnt through. used the new bulb for 1 month and now I get no image. fan works. i think.

If you have a working color wheel I'm interested in purchasing it :)

U still got the 8700 for parts? My 8700+ needs a lmap cage. I made the mistake of buying a bare bulb. while installing, I noticed the cage screen was almost burnt through. used the new bulb for 1 month and now I get no image. fan works. i think.

My lamp cage is a bit burnt also but not through. My bulb has about 500-600 hours left.

If you have a working color wheel I'm interested in purchasing it :)

AFAIK it still works. Debating whether to sell the pj to a coworker as he has offered to try changing out the power supply. I probably couldn't sell enough parts to recoup the loss.

What happens your pj says the lamp needs changing but you just ignore it and reset the counter and continue using the same lamp? Any risk to damaging the pj once the lamp really does burn out?

Can anyone tell me if this projector(8720) can output resolutions lower than 640x480? I am using a PC running windows 7 and I use a lot of arcade emulators such as Final Burn Alpha. There are a few applications that allows nVidia and ATI graphics cards to output very low custom arcade resolutions such as 304*240 and at 15Hz. Can the BenQ handle this rez?

According to the manual for the 8700 (and I assume the 8720 is the same), it will not. Only the standard TV/HDTV resolutions are supported.

Anyone have a main power board for the 8700? I think mine recently bite it.

maddogpilot, my 8700 is doing the same thing, no power at all. Benq said I could send it in and they would look at it for $65, and if repairable it could be $250 or more. Did you send it in, and then they told you it was unrepairable? Or over the phone? With a bulb replacement looming, I don't know about getting this thing fixed. Did you replace the 8700 with another projector? If so, mind asking what you got and your satisfaction with it? Thanks for your time!

I just replaced my bulb for the first time on my Benq 8700 + and started up... Everything started up OK... Was in the middle of a movie when I noticed a burning smell... I turned everything off and let the projector cool down... when I opened up the projector and removed the bulb, I noticed that the window between the bulb and color wheel was cracked... The viewing picture was not affected by the crack but i suspect that the heat is getting through and may cause the wheel to explode.. I've had this projector almost 4 year, is it worth getting it fixed? Does the window need to be replaced? Has anyone had this problem before? If so, how much did it cost you to repair?

sorry if this is old, but I could really use some help/advice:

Last September, I replaced the bulb on our 8700+ but I bought a bare bulb. It was never really bright and eventually the picture developed 'symptoms'. The picture would flicker, and strobe, etc.

The usual start up sounds also changed. The sound that the color wheel made to start up was 'lagged'. it would click a few times, then spin up. But once it spun up, everything was fine. The picture would take a lot longer to come on and display the Benq splash screen.

Today, after sitting around for about 3 months without use, I turned on the projector and it ran for about 60 minutes, I saw what others described: a green light and a flashing red lamp light. The fans were running but the picture was gone.

Is it possible that a bad bulb is causing all of these symptoms or is this a systemic problem and I shouldnt even bother tryign to get a new bulb ($440).

I have no desire to upgrade, I'm quite happy with our setup, but I dont want to sink money into a sinking ship. I am confused on what i should do...

It depends on if the color wheel or in my case the blower fan is making noise. If it's the color wheel I have a spare working one I could sell you but if it's the blower fan bearings(my case) then it is very difficult to change. I also have a used bulb that still works, but I changed it at the recommended interval. If you still have your old bulb why not put it back in and try it?!

1. is it easy to change out the color wheel?

2. i bought just the bulb and put it in the original casing. In the process, the casing kind of broke a little where the clips where held. I guess I could put in the original bulb to see what would happen, but I'd rather just get a new bulb and a case.

I also did something else... The projector was randomly making a lot of noise a few months back, it seemed like it came from the fan, so I stuck a q-tip in there while the fan was running. it stopped the noise, but soon after all these other symptoms started occurring. I'm wondering maybe I hit the color wheel or something in my haste/stupidity?

also, is your spare bulb in its case? ie can I just swap it in? i'd be more interested in that option to test this unit out to see if that even fixes it. how many hours do you think i could get out of it? i'd like to test the projector for like 5-8 hours or so

The color wheel isn't too bad to change if you know how to disassemble things and are careful. You may want to open it up anyway to see if some q-tip lint tangled up the other fans/color wheel inside.

Just remember where all the screws came from and take your time disconnecting the pull connections for the cover,....etc.

Once your old bulb was still working you should be able to test out the projector.

so... can i have your bulb? I sent you a PM about it.

Replied to your PM.

Component connections says "searching" and never connects. Are there any quick-fixes for this problem? DVI connection works fine. Does the same thing on the Component HD connection option.
Are there firmware updates to correct this or other solutions?

What signal are you feeding the inputs?

I should have said I'm trying to use the component HD setting on the benq.
From the DVD player I have it set to 720. On regular component I can get it to display on 480i but not 720 from the dvd player with it set to component hd.

I should have said I'm trying to use the component HD setting on the benq.
From the DVD player I have it set to 720. On regular component I can get it to display on 480i but not 720 from the dvd player with it set to component hd.

That's because the "regular" component input only accepts 480i, you have to buy some RCA adapters from RS to use the the progressive inputs.

OK, who is RS, can you send me a link?
I connect these adapters to my existing component cable and then plug them into the component inputs (red, blue, green) on the projector?
Sorry, a little lost on this one. I always thought component cables would handle 720

Sorry, RS=Radio Shack.
IIRC, the bayonet connections are for progressive connections so you will need adapters from bayonet to RCA to feed a 720p signal.

Connector panel. The connector panel gives you three inputs in the "video group" and two in the "graphic group." The video group consists of one composite RCA, one S-video, and one set of three component RCAs for component interlaced input (no 480p available on this input). The graphic group gives you one DVI-I connector and a set of 5 BNCs for component interlaced, component progressive, HDTV, and computer input. The PIP and POP features let you select one signal from each group. (Thus you may not, for example, access the S-video input and the 3-RCA component port via PIP simultaneously.) The connector panel also incorporates an RS232c port and a 12-volt trigger.

Since you cannot feed 480p into the 3-RCA component port, you must use the BNC port for this signal. You can use a standard component video cable by attaching three RCA-to-BNC adapters to one end. These are cheap and available at Radio Shack or any local electronics store.