IHMO, the HDMI has a poor physical design. I've seen this many times where one needs to plug and unplug the cable to get a solid connection. Failure to provide screw attachments, like with VGA or DVI, has also caused problems as people move their DVD player or projector to make other connections (e.g., it is too easy for the cable to get pulled or torqued resulting in possible damage to the cable or the female input). As the proposed "standard" for HD A/V interfaces, the HDMI cable should have been made more robust.

Does the projector display HDMI(720P x 50) when you press the HDMI button on the remote? I do get a picture playing PAL at 60Hz

sorry the reply is a bit late. yes it shows 50hz for PAL and 60hz for NTSC.

btw I'm trying to get 48hz to work.

yes it shows 50hz for PAL and 60hz for NTSC. Thanks a lot to you and the other good folk that followed this up. As onorlin mentioned, it is definitely a problem with the oppo and benq 7700 combination. I am in Australia and had my oppo shipped from the US. I am unaware of any mods. With the help of a benq sales rep and his travelling 7700, we were able to replicate the problem on another 7700. A pana AE700 worked fine with the oppo but the 7700 blanked out. That makes three 7700s that don't work with the oppo at 720p 50Hz. I was impressed with the help I got from the benq rep. I had the option of ditching the benq as I had had it for less than 2 weeks. Decided to keep it because the picture is still damn good. The ozzie tech folk are fairly busy at the moment and I was warned that it will be a few months before they can look at it. Either oppo or benq are not adhering to the DVI interface standards. I am willing to wait as long as I can keep the projector at home.

Walter

got new hdmi cable today...it works perfect, old one goes back. Hopefully they will refund me as I already bought the new vs. swapping for a new one. I did notice my new cable has the ferrules or whatever they are called at the ends of the cable by the connector...donuts basically. shielding I think, I forget.

Jim

Thanks a lot to you and the other good folk that followed this up. As onorlin mentioned, it is definitely a problem with the oppo and benq 7700 combination. I am in Australia and had my oppo shipped from the US. I am unaware of any mods. With the help of a benq sales rep and his travelling 7700, we were able to replicate the problem on another 7700. A pana AE700 worked fine with the oppo but the 7700 blanked out. That makes three 7700s that don't work with the oppo at 720p 50Hz. I was impressed with the help I got from the benq rep. I had the option of ditching the benq as I had had it for less than 2 weeks. Decided to keep it because the picture is still damn good. The ozzie tech folk are fairly busy at the moment and I was warned that it will be a few months before they can look at it. Either oppo or benq are not adhering to the DVI interface standards. I am willing to wait as long as I can keep the projector at home.

Walter

I think the problem can be solved by OPPO, Early firmware Oppos did not play 1080i 60Hz either. It was fixed with new firmware early in the production. I have spoken to BBK here in Scandinavia and the guys in China are working with the problem as i reported it early this spring..

/Oscar

@Waltbach: for what it is worth I also have a similar HDMI problem with a Marantz 7600 in combination with a Denon AVC-A11XV (4806 in US) and a MT700 (Benq7700 clone from Toshiba).

I solved this puzzle but it is hell:

It only works when I completely have the projector turned off (so powerswitch off not standby), then first powerup the Marantz and play something, then turn on the Denon AVC- amplifier and select the correct input (the Marantz then seems to stop and start again playing back, i suspect due to the HDMI HDCP handshake or whatever is going on) then add power to the projector (standby led goes on) then again the Marantz stops and restarts (at least audio part) due again to what I suspect to be another HDMI HDCP handshake ) then I turn on the Projector from standby and select the correct HDMI input and everything works brilliantly.

If I do not do the previous things in the correct order or mix up anything I get a totally black screen with the correct resolution in little blue box on the right downside of the picture.

I sometimes use the HTPC on HDMI and after that also the connection with the Marantz is "lost" and no way of getting it back without powering down the projector :mad:

I have had bugreport to Denon, they claim it works fine with a couple of projectors and also the AE700 (so? I want it to work with every HDMI display), but I think it is really a Toshiba/Benq problem.

I suspect the problem is in the power to the HDMI chipset in the projector, even in standby the HDMI chipset is operational. I found this out when I turn power on to the projector so it goes into standby it affects the behaviour of the Marantz7600 dvd player. For instance if i pause the Marantz and powerup the projector, the Marantz starts "magically" playing the disc further :confused:
I am not sure what the hell is going on but it sure has something to do with the encryption stuff of HDCP. Hopefully Benq/Toshiba will have a new firmware for the end of the year if only I knew how to send in a bugreport to those guys.

I have a 12m hdmi cable connecting my 7700 on the ceiling with an extension adapter on the other end. So I can plug / unplug between my Samsung 850 and HTPC, both with its own 1m hdmi cable. I am afraid too much pluging/unpluging action can ruin the connector so this can limit the damage, if any, to only the adapter and the short cable. Which is cheaper to replace. Until an AV receiver with hdmi switching is available, I think I will have to keep doing it.

As for the sync issue, I have no problem switching between device on the fly. May be because I have done the hdcp/region hack on the player. Don't know if that really helps but my DVD player/htpc/PJ combination had no issue with any output resolution from both hdmi and component so far.

Well guys (and gals), add me to the list of those with an early bulb failure... Almost exactly 200 hours, and it just burned out. Unfortunately, due to four weeks of military training in the past few months, I wasn't able to use it as much as I would have liked to, and am now 12 days past the 90 day warranty period. Lovely.

this has me worried as I've recently purchased the pe7700, I'm gonna jack up the hours on it to start with... :(

I think this 90 day bulb warranty is junk. It should be based on lamp hrs not time Why penalize those that do not have the time to watch as much...I guess I could leave my projector on for a week straight to verify I dont get failure...but that just feels crazy and expensive. I am only at 81 hrs and bought it in early July....HT is really just done and football has started so hrs will crank up now, but not in 1 month.

grr

Longtime lurker, first-time poster....

I had been considering a purchase of a 7700 for some time now, but was apprehensive about the bulb reliability issue some have experienced. Hearing Tim's lament about a bulb failure at 200 hours has me considering other units.

For those who have replaced failed bulbs, what kind of reliability did you find with the replacement bulb? Was it enough to make up for the disappointment of the original failure?

I have to chime in here to say, owning a mT700 for a while,

I love these projectors, but with the new units and sub 3k hd2+ and dc3 machines 1 month away, I would steer far clear of either of the Pe7700 or Mt700.

They are both the best value for the money, but reliability and parts availability is among the worst I have seen in a while...

Look at the;

H77 sub 3k right now, should drop to 2500 soon
H78dc3 ( price should now drop on that to aprox 3200-3400 short term, 3k couple of months) guess?
Hc3000 Mits DC3 1280x768 with the 3020 chipset 3K msrp?!?!

I feel so lucky to be out of my Toshiba, because at least Benq is still supporting the PE7700, Toshiba will support/repair it, but is out of HT for good, confirmed during my refund process.

Don't want to offend anyone, just my opinion... kinda like you know you are sick but you let someone take a drink out of your glass....

there are better options now and even better ones shortly around the same price..

TJ

I suspect the problem is in the power to the HDMI chipset in the projector, even in standby the HDMI chipset is operational.

I can confirm this is the case. For my pio 59avi, there is a blue HDMI indicator light on the player. It is always on even when the PJ is on standby.

well I'm not sure if it's a gd or bad design. I connect the player to the Pj directly. there is no initial delay when I play any disc. i.e. no HDCP negotiation as it's already done.

I agree this is going to be tricky when a receiver comes into the picture.

I love these projectors, but with the new units and sub 3k hd2+ and dc3 machines 1 month away, I would steer far clear of either of the Pe7700 or Mt700.

i really hate to agree with you, but i do. as i've watched my construction time go from weeks to months, i was actually excited because the pe7700 creeped down in price and replaced the infocus 4805 on my list.

but i've been watching these threads with growing trepidation for the last few months with all the bulb problems. and then out of nowhere, a couple of weeks ago i saw the optoma h77 had gone down below 3000. so the construction delays definitely were a blessing in disguise.

this and the toshiba are great pjs and i was reeeeaaaally excited to think i could get one. but it makes me sick to think of everyone who's having this bulb problem, and if there's anyone still on the fence about it, there are other good options out there, now.

I am also starting to get real nervous about all the lamp failures and may have to look at other options. Any other DLP 720p projectors around 3K that have an HDMI connection instead of DVI like the H77 has?

There aren't really any other options fitting your description, Tim. I'd say get the BenQ or Toshiba, and an extended warranty for the lamp and/or PJ and you'll be fine. That is, if you can handle a wait for a bulb. I'm about to call BenQ about this, as that is what my dealer just told me to do.

Thanks to everyone for all their helpful info and comments.

I've lurked around here on and off and had finally decided to purchase an NEC HT1100 at the reduced price and rebate. Imagine my pleasure when I visited TVauthority and was shown the PE7700. What great colors and film-like quality compared to the NEC. A justifiable price premium for this step-up. I was sold.

It was curious however, to observe the opening fade-in of Smeagol's face as he is holding a worm in "LOTR - Return of the King" with pronounced color banding. "Must be the DVD", I said outloud. Hmmm.... Later that day, my copy of "LOTR-ROTK" looked great at home on my PC-driven Sony GDM W900 btw. No banding. Well, duh, why don't I check out what must be a topic thread on the avsforum? After all, I registered last year didn't I?

From this thread I learned about the firmware, CW-delay, wheel speed, color banding and radically different lamp-bulb-life (my sympathies to miltimj et al) issues.

I went back to TVauthority (nice people BTW) to check out the firmware date and service settings. I changed the wheel speed from 5x, to 6x (terrrible image, why is it even there?), to 4x and could not observe any real difference. CW delay was already @ +51. Firmware info on the floor unit is May, A3 00, as I recall. Puzzlement and nothing conclusive. :confused:

So, before I commit to purchasing the 7700 I need satisfactory answers to the following:

1-I'm very confused about the needed production tweaks to get what is obviously a great image from every unit that leaves the factory. Will there be an official service field note/firmware update and/or recall program? No owner should be cheated out of what this unit is capable of. (Kudos and props to the talented designers and engineers that developed this unit.)

2-When will these issues and subsequent fixes be finalized? I do not want to purchase a unit and then have to send it to BenQ later.

3-The lampbub-life policy is COMPLETELY UN-ACCEPTABLE. 90 days is a deal-breaker from what I have learned. I noticed that the 7700 reports lamp hours and minutes. Nice feature. Let's USE IT! The warranty should cover a reasonable amount of hours of usage and not days from lamp purchase. Maybe lamp production quality is not something that BenQ is directly repsonsible for but, I am familiar with industrial practices of statistical sampling and MTBF (mean-time-between-failures) and any qualified OEM supplier (a lamp manufacturer for example) can agree to a modern quality-control requirement as part of their supply contract.

So, here I am, an eager customer with Ben-Franklin bills stacked and poised for purchase BUT, will I be a satisfied customer in the near future? Or, will I just wait to see what other brands are offering in the coming months?

It's up to you, BenQ.

With all the new units emerging and pricing to be changed, I just don't feel these units are the best option, they do have an amazing picture and feature set. I just feel they were a rush to market.

Gamma issues

Firmware issues

Hdmi sync issues

Early lamp failures ( which alone is a deal breaker, even with a warranty that could be exhausted in months instead of 3 years...imagine all of you already using your first of 2 bulbs in the first 100 days of ownership....I even know of a few on the Toshiba side that had failures with the replacements after the fix!?!?)

Electronic/ballast failures

Parts supply/PJ issues, to the extent that none of these units were even available a few weeks ago in the US for replacement

8 week horror story turnarounds


These are all real, not speculation, I don't see how knowing this we can give a new purchaser the option without knowing a very real risk

It would take an official statement from Benq, saying they recognize the lamp issue and are putting special arrangements in place until they work out the issue for me to even consider it.

The single worst part of owning a PJ is the the bulb, and without stable ground that makes owning a flaky model a nightmare

I would bet that the 7700 is not long for this world in their lineup, the river is moving fast and DC3 will hit this pricepoint shortly as evidenced at Cedia...from a manufacturers standpoint a problematic PJ in the line built on an older DMD is not a profitable arrangement. If I were the manufacturer I would release the next HT unit in the line, and sell through my stock, hoping to bring positive press to obscure a marginal release



Sure the competition has their problems, but take a 77 for instance, it has been around, mature firmware, much better contrast and high end features.

That and just a year ago it was a flagship projector, so the support will be there considering their installed base more than likely bought it at 5K plus....


These scenarios are real, if in April when I bought mine they were available to me, I would have made a different choice, that's all I am saying.


TJ

What other 720p options are out there besides the H77 at this same price point?

Okay, off topic, but I just called BenQ's technical support number (1-800-452-2237) and listened to a song on hold that sounded like they were actually singing about the BenQ company... Sure enough, they were (http://www.benq-eu.com/news/?year=2003&id=435). Apparently they've been using the song for two years, but this was my first call to BenQ TS. Found it humorous nonetheless.

Back on topic... after talking to the rep, he said that he'll email me a UPS label and gave me an RMA # to put on the box and that I should ship the PJ back to him. The PJ needs to have an HDMI upgrade along with a new lamp. After further inquiry, he said the HDMI upgrade is a physical one, not a firmware upgrade. He also said that they don't have any PJs available to send me, so that's why I need to send mine in for repair. Supposedly a 3-5 day turnaround time + shipping both ways.

Today, there is only the 77, but in OCT Mits is shipping a DC3 Brilliant Color equipped 1280x768 PJ 4000:1 1000 lumens all the bells and whistles, with a manual iris to suit your conditions and material.

That has a MSRP of 3K

I am sure that is not the only one and with all the other 1080p single chippers the 4K current guys will be forced into the 3500 price point... from an industry perspective 720p is going to be mid range very soon and pricepoints will relfect it.

Right now I am waiting on a shift in pricing for the 78dc3, but would behappy to own a 77 if that takes more than a month or so.


TJ

Any idea of the model # of the Mitsubishi you referenced?

Good info TIm. They have a one year free replacement warrenty, you should get a new one. However when my lamp failed on the last day of Warrenty the support girl decided to DOA it for me so I could get a new one. That was seven weeks ago and still no new projector. They have sent me a refurb to use while I wait more for the new one. Should get here today. Pretty sad being projecorless for seven weeks. I would have taken a repair job a long time ago if I had known.
Tomas, BenQ doesn't have product, but they do have really good support. I wouldn't worry about the 90 day thing.
As for alternatives I would come up with the extra bucks for the 78dc3.
Warren.

Any idea of the model # of the Mitsubishi you referenced?

HC3000U - See this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=573673)

Tim,
Sorry about your bulb going out. I was impressed when I saw your PJ in action, I feel bad now that you had the same fate as others. Do many sellers offer an extended bulb warranty?
As much as I was psyched up to get this BenQ I am getting very cold feet because of all these problems. It is too bad. Seemed to be a great product. Now I have to do some more thinking and looking.

I guess it depends if you can deal with a week out of service. I think the problems are getting less as it's maturing. I can only hope that my PJ will return in a timely manner working as well (or better) than when I sent it.

Tim, How did you know your HDMI was bad? Since that was a problem, they decided to cover the bulb as well?

Any one know if you can get lamp warranties with this projector and what they might cost?

Got my PE7700 fired up yesterday after 3 mos. of remodelling my bonus room. I have to fix 2 problems. First is Win2k screen edges are "off" the display. For example the Start button shows only "art" on lower-left corner. Will Power Strip help me fix this? Widescreen movie played via WinDVD fit perfectly in anamorphic mode though. Second gotta get Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound working on my (newly-built) HTPC.

Mike,
What's up at the BenQ and Toshiba booth? Do they include the PE7700 and MT-700 as current models? What is Toshiba saying as to whether they will continue their HT PJ line? Any acknowledgement of problem with early bulb failure/voltage issue, etc.?

Tim, I haven't seen any HDMI problems yet. The BenQ rep just said that they have a fix/upgrade for it that they'll do as long as I'm sending the PJ in to them anyway.

Zilla, you must be using anamorphic or wide mode. Switch to "Real" and it will be a 1:1 pixel map of your HTPC screen.

Thanks Tim, I'll try that. Yes I was in anamorphic mode - makes sense.

I found a vender that offers a lamp warranty. They told me that to get the lamp warranty you have to buy the projector extended warranty which is $219 for 2years beyond the BenQ 3 year warranty or $279 for 4 years extra. Then you can purchase the 2 year lamp warrany for $99. That might be WELL worth it in light of the early bulb failures! Maybe as Tim says it would still give you security when buying this nice unit. Does anyone know if sponsors on this forum offer a lamp warranty for this unit? And how do we get a quote?

Why do we figure these lamps are failing? Projector hardware causing it? Poor lamp technology? This projector's high light output?
Have other PJ's had this kind of problem or is it only this unit?

Why would you need the extended warranty on the projector to get the extended lamp warranty? I'd ask to see that one in writing.

It would be very helpful if someone from BenQ could comment on these questions.

With all of the work on my theater I have had minimal time to enjoy the projector. I watched a few DVD’s but last night was the first time I watched football on it in HD. I must say WOW. Fantastic. I have a 5 year old mitsu 65 HD set” and the BQ blows it away. Sorry to hear about the bulb issues, I hope it gets worked out. I would hate to have a bunch of people over for a football party and the lamp fail.

is there any way to purchase an extended warranty post purchase? I'm not trying to cheat the system as my MT700 projector is working fine so far *knock on wood* but I am more paranoid about the bulb and the ballast system (my understanding is that it's crap shoot as to which one fails).

Most likely not -- there's no way for them to know it really is working fine right now without sending it back to the dealer. They'd be very suspicious (rightfully so) if you purchased the extended warranty, then your bulb died a few days later (even though it may have happened that way).

Not always. I called sears to have them fix my fridge. The ice maker was broken. They said I could pay for the repair, or I could buy an extended warranty and it would be repaired under the new warranty. I took the warranty and the repairs ended up being much more than the extended warranty so I came out ahead. This is different, but it can't hurt to ask.
Warren.

Interesting..what rep did you talk to? Have their extension, still? :) Our range broke, we called Sears, and even after inquiring about getting an extended service plan (any one of them), they explicitly said we couldn't get one after the purchase. Of course, it broke 2 months after the initial warranty expired. They don't make appliances like they used to.

Weird, Sears sent me letters every six months or so asking if I wanted an extended warranty. Maybe Ranges are different. Yeah, they don't make them like they used to. The stupid ice maker is a horrible design and I see the exact same one in fridges that cost 7 grand. Crazy.
Warren.

Just buy an extra bulb. When the other one craps out or passes 2000 hours, you'll have one on hand.

I wouldn't have an extra $400 to throw around to have an extra bulb. Besides, there would be no warranty on the bulb if you kept it around until you needed it.

I just picked up my Benq7700 today. Hooked it up and right out of the box I'm getting purple and greenish horizontal bands going across the screen. Triple checked the component cables and all are hooked up right. I'm running a 25 foot run. Anyone have some ideas to get things right? Thanks.

Blasst, try a different set of cables, and/or a different source.

Sears offered me the warranty option on my fridge when it croaked recently as well.

I hear the bulbs have a short shelf life too, so buying an extra isn't a good idea. Also it could turn out you will be ready to upgrade projectors by the time the bulb is dead. I put 150 hours on in three months. That works out to 3.3 years for 2000 hours. It is supposed to be 3000 in enono mode which would be 5 years. I will certainly be ready to upgrade to a 1080 projector by then.
Warren.

Interesting..what rep did you talk to? Have their extension, still? :) Our range broke, we called Sears, and even after inquiring about getting an extended service plan (any one of them), they explicitly said we couldn't get one after the purchase. Of course, it broke 2 months after the initial warranty expired. They don't make appliances like they used to.
They must have to call you. :p

Xcel or Centerpoint cover ranges with their service plans. They usually have a 30 day wait before you can use it.

Well after I played around all day I finally figured out what was causing the purple and greenish horizontal moving bands on my projector. Art from Projector Solutions gave me a tip to try a power center..... it worked! I have to have both the cable and the projector plugged into it. I was getting pretty discouraged to say the least. Never had a problem with this on my Mitz HDTV but I guess the Benq is a little more sensitive. A couple of questions to whomever would like to answer:) Have you noticed enough difference using the HDMI over component to go that route? And what setting provides the correct setting for viewing HD, Wide, Real, or Anamorphic? Thanks. All in all I'm happy with the projector and its time to enjoy it!!!

Blasst, now that you have it working right I hope you are having a blasst watching movies. sorry. The projector has the good Fajoura [sp] chip in it so if you have a lesser DVD player send it 480i over component so it can scale and de-interlace. If you have a really good dvd player you would be better off sending it hdmi. My guess is the average person would never know the difference. If you are sending it an HD signal then have the projector in Real mode.
Warren.

Warren, thanks for the info. I have a Philips Q-50 DVD player with the Farouja chip in it. Of course no hdmi on it. My question concerning hdmi was more for coming from the cable box to the projector. I have comcast cable and the dvi is enabled.... it looks better with dvi than component even on my Mitz CRT HDTV..... slightly. I was just wondering if other Benq 7700 owners had played around with hdmi (or dvi to hdmi) vs component coming from their cable box and found a notable difference in picture quality? And yes I'm having a Blasst ( I drive a 94 Impala SS):)

I am using DVI-D to HDMI on the PE7700 and the picture quality (sharpness) is improved greatly using HDMI at 720P native res of the pj's chip. I use the OPPO DV971H DVD player.

I have tried a Samsung 480I and a Samsung 480P and the OPPO at 480i component but the HDMI cable and up conversion to 720P from the Oppo improves picture sharpness and picture depth a large margin. Don't know what that says about the BQ internal chip but that my experience. :)

I am using DVI-D to HDMI on the PE7700 and the picture quality (sharpness) is improved greatly using HDMI at 720P native res of the pj's chip. I use the OPPO DV971H DVD player.

I have tried a Samsung 480I and a Samsung 480P and the OPPO at 480i component but the HDMI cable and up conversion to 720P from the Oppo improves picture sharpness and picture depth a large margin.

I agree. I'm using the same combo with an MT700. I've tried every other possible combination with the Oppo and another upscaling player, as well as using component inputs with a Panny RP-82. Letting the Oppo scale to the projector's native resolution over DVI/HDMI produces a noticeably better picture.

There is a buzz going around that the early batch of bulbs for the 7700 was bad and that the current ones are better or have fixed the problem. This would be great news if it holds true especially since there are many on this forum considering buying this PJ. I don't know how we could substantiate this claim but it would be good if we could confirm it or get some official word. I had emailed BenQ support a few days ago about the bulb issue and am waiting for a reply.
There is talk on this issue at the Bulb failure thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=579808

All you owners, be sure you vote in both polls. The one that talks about bulb failures and the one that is linked to it about bulbs that are still going strong.
We appreciate it, that way we can get more data about this issue.

Just got a reply from BenQ CS:

"Dear Tim Sly,

--------------------Replied by CSD Lisa Sierra at 2005/09/16 22:42:51--------------------
A lot of factors can take part in a lamp failing and since each case is different when a customer calls in we are taking detailed information as to the envoirnment conidtions the unit is in. We do replace lamps for any of our units while under warranty with no problem. For questions on purchasing the unit please call 1-866-700-2367."

Interesting. What does she mean by under warranty? The 90 day lamp warranty or the 3 Year PJ warranty? I know some on this forum have had the bulbs replaced by BenQ after the 90 day warranty. The issue is still not crystal clear.

The bulb has a 90 day warranty. Per my support girl, the same Lisa Sierra, if you get a replacement, the new one gets the remainder of the first bulbs warranty. Mine failed on the last day of warranty. If I had got a new one it would have had no warranty at all. I asked what if it broke the day after I got it and she said they would do something if that happened. I think they are good people.
Warren.

Is anyone experiencing any white sparklies(mainly on people's faces) thru a HDMI signal. Then when the resolution is changed from 720p to 1080i to 480p back to 720p it is fixed. Sometimes it takes a few cycles to get it to go away. Can be quite annoying, especialy when there are red sparklies in blacks. BenQ says it could be because of a longer HDMi cable (24.6 feet). It is a bettercable great quality cable. The next idea is to try a belkin Razorvision HDMI circuit box to help boost the signal in case it is too long of a cable.

I have a BenQ 7700 (My third one!) and I'm having a problem with what I think is light spill on the left hand side of the screen. I also see a long diagonal thin lighter tint of light (only on blacks) going through the bottom left hand corner of the screen and even going further onto my wall! The first two had random lighter blobs in the middle of the screen on dark scenes and now THIS!

I dislike BenQ customer support and they always seem to be rude... is there anyway of sorting this problem myself or do I have to go through this AGAIN with BenQ!

Is anyone experiencing any white sparklies(mainly on people's faces) thru a HDMI signal. Then when the resolution is changed from 720p to 1080i to 480p back to 720p it is fixed. Sometimes it takes a few cycles to get it to go away. Can be quite annoying, especialy when there are red sparklies in blacks. BenQ says it could be because of a longer HDMi cable (24.6 feet). It is a bettercable great quality cable. The next idea is to try a belkin Razorvision HDMI circuit box to help boost the signal in case it is too long of a cable.
Definitely sounds like the cable. Ultralink makes an HDMI repeater that requires no external power and can throw 1080p/60 over 100 feet. And I've used their HDMI Pro cable at 1080i/60, 720p/60 over 30 feet with no "Sparklies" or signal loss artifacts.

I'm wow'ed so far with 1 week of viewing. I've logged 14 hours already since last Monday.

Yes, I have confirmed it is the cable length. When I switched to my component cable there was no sparklies. I just ordered the HDMI repeater from Ultralink and will see soon (next day shipping) if it does the trick... I will use the component out from the HD TIVO til then. Even though there is not much difference from the HDMI signal (except the sparklies)... More on this later...

Is anyone experiencing any white sparklies(mainly on people's faces) thru a HDMI signal. Then when the resolution is changed from 720p to 1080i to 480p back to 720p it is fixed. Sometimes it takes a few cycles to get it to go away. Can be quite annoying, especialy when there are red sparklies in blacks. BenQ says it could be because of a longer HDMi cable (24.6 feet). It is a bettercable great quality cable. The next idea is to try a belkin Razorvision HDMI circuit box to help boost the signal in case it is too long of a cable.

I had something like that when I had my PC hooked up to the 7700 via component. It was because I was using an 85Hz refresh rate, going down to 75Hz solved the problem.

I haven't seem the problem since I switched to HDMI, but then I seem to be stuck at 50Hz anyway.

Anyway, your problem could be related to the refresh rate :)

Edit: Oh you fixed the problem while I was posting, cool :)

Help with 1920x1080i please

Using PowerStrip for the following settings (preset 1920x1080i HDTV), but I get a blue display using either HDMI or RGB inputs.

Parm. H V
Ref. Rate 34 30
Front Porch 184 27
Sync width 184 1
Back porch 108 16

What settings work?

I used 1280 x 720 (the native PJ resolution) to my MT700. I also had to install the latest ATI Catalyst (Ver 5.8) software before it would work. If your using a Nvidia card, I can't comment. IMHO, you really should set Powerstrip up for 1280 x 720 (EIA standard?) so there is no scaling in your PE7700.

Well, I have no sparklies when I use component in at 720p via the HD TIVO. I feel I have no choice but to try the HDMI repeater to see if it works. I have been told by more folks that the repeater will make a difference when one is using a longer HDMI cable...Now, I am using my SP1000 HDMI to DVI to the HD+ (which does seem overkill) with great picture results. The picture does have even a little more pop then it did going HDMI out to the pj...

Tim, I do use 1280x720p, and like it, but I just wanted to try 1080i. I have an nVidia GeForce FX550 and it accepted the settings when I clicked "Add Resolution" so I believe my card can handle the 1920x1080i.

Joerod, I have a $99.00 50ft. HDMI cable, and use a cheap $5.00 DVI-to-HDMI adapter I won on eBay with no sparkles

LAMP ISSUE

This lamp issue with the MT700/PE7700 is really starting to get scary. It seems like there have been so many more lamp failure reports the last few weeks. This is going to steer a fair number of people away from these units. Its too bad. Those of us who have spent months and countless hours reading about and planning to purchase one of these units, now have a hard decision and may have to look at other projectors (or wait for others to come). Those who just came here to learn about these projectors will quickly steer away when they hear these stories.
They don't have as much time or emotion invested. Those who own one, will probably stick with it because of the great picture and the money they have invested and hope and pray they don't have to replace the bulb too many times out of warranty at $400 a crack.

If only Toshiba & BenQ would admit the problem and figure out how to fix it. If not, the fall out will be greater.
This is such a shame because I had my heart set on this projector. There really is no other native 720p DLP projector in this price range. I imagine there will be if a person can wait.

At least I will have a few more months to think about it since I broke my foot and had to stop construction on my home theater for a while.
I feel for all of you who are having lamp/projector problems.

LAMP ISSUE

This lamp issue with the MT700/PE7700 is really starting to get scary. It seems like there have been so many more lamp failure reports the last few weeks. This is going to steer a fair number of people away from these units. Its too bad. Those of us who have spent months and countless hours reading about and planning to purchase one of these units, now have a hard decision and may have to look at other projectors (or wait for others to come). Those who just came here to learn about these projectors will quickly steer away when they hear these stories.
They don't have as much time or emotion invested. Those who own one, will probably stick with it because of the great picture and the money they have invested and hope and pray they don't have to replace the bulb too many times out of warranty at $400 a crack.

If only Toshiba & BenQ would admit the problem and figure out how to fix it. If not, the fall out will be greater.
This is such a shame because I had my heart set on this projector. There really is no other native 720p DLP projector in this price range. I imagine there will be if a person can wait.

At least I will have a few more months to think about it since I broke my foot and had to stop construction on my home theater for a while.
I feel for all of you who are having lamp/projector problems.

You beat me to it Tim. We're on the same page. After first wanting to buy a HT1100, then switching to the pe7700 when I saw the picture, and going through this entire thread, I'm giving up on this projector. I would have purchased this unit by now but much to my disappointment, I'm going to wait several months to see what new models look like and what kind of user feedback will be forthcoming.

In the mean time, I've purchased a second SONY HD CRT unit, the FW900, which displays 1920x1200 and I drive with my PC. Great colors, blacks and detail but not size. I wanted a BIG beautiful image on my wall and the PE7700 looked like the best in the 720p class but alas.

I started to consider one of the new SONY 40" lcd units which will probably operate for years and years without an issue but it's not BIG.

Sigh...

Good luck everyone.

what SLY said...

except I'm ready to buy a pj now! :(

A fellow seattle PJ enthusiast has invited me to check out his 7700. I'm sure I'll be blown away by it, but I'm still scared of the bulb issues I've seen on this board. I've got y DirectTV NFL ticket ready to view, but no PJ to take advantage of it. Ugh.

Gotta agree with Tim, it's a crapshoot at this point. To any potential owners: Weigh this issue carefully. But it throws a damn fine pic!

On the sparklies: If you have a Bettercables 25' cable, it should NOT have the sparklie problem. Check your connections, make sure they are seated perfectly. I have a $34 25' cable, also going from an HDTivo and have no problems. I don't see how you could need an amp on the cable, note the post that recommended it said it would be for 100' or more. The Bettercables model should be better than mine, perhaps you should contact them if you can't get it to work, they stand behind their products very well. Maybe you just got a dud.

I've been trying to figure out the "white sparklies" also Joerod. I'm running 25' of component cable. It seems like the problem is worse when using the Family room setting. I notice it in white areas like clouds, white background etc. Maybe I'll have to move the cable box to a new location and try shorter runs, or maybe I'm seeing something else entirely. I know this is a bright projector but I can't help feeling like mine could be alittle brighter, especially in dark scenes in a movie. Can anyone offer me some settings to try and improve the brightness without washing out the picture? I made the mistake of turning on my 42" Mitz CRT RPHDTV and then I saw what blacks really look like:) The whites were white on the CRT, while the whites on the 7700 looked noticably dimmer, and the entire picture was brighter on the Mitz making it easier to see detail in dark scenes. I was watching Return of the King.... dvi to the mitz and component to the 7700 at the same time. Yes I know that DLP's will not have the same blacks as the CRT's. But I can't figure out why the whites were so much better also.... So bottom line is I could use some pointers on how to get the best picture out of the 7700. My IRE is set to 0 and is grayed out so I cannot change anything there if that was the case. Ideas? Blasst

You can't mistake the sparklies for something else. They almost look like stars twinkling. I do not have them from my component cable. It seems to only show up from my HDMI cable. I will call bettercables.com Monday morning about this. We were watching Lost on dvd tonite and I had to change (cycle) the resolution a few times to get them to subside. Even if I get another HDMI cable I will have peace of mind attaching the repeater to it. BenQ mentioned that if all I am sending is 720p sources(HD TIVO, Onkyo SP1000, JVC HM5 U) thru the HDMI input that it maybe to rough for the HDMI input. I thought the customer service rep was nuts but for all I know maybe he is right...

Blasst -- I don't know if this will help, but here are my basic settings for my MT700 (106" Da-Lite Hi-Power screen, ND2 filter, Panny RP91 DVD player - component connections, calibrated with AVIA and double-checked with DVE):

Contrast: 6
Brightness: 0
Color: 6
Tint: -2
Filter: 1
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm

It is not as bright as my Sony 27" TV set either, but the Sony is set too bright (I didn't calibrate it, so it's the normal, too bright, factory settings).

NOTE: It takes about 10 minutes, or so, for the lamp to come up to full brightness.

BTW, the original owner of my MT700 used the following, different, settings with his screen and equipment:

Contrast: 9
Brightness: -9
Color: 5
Tint: 0
Filter: 1
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm

I thought the "lamp issue" was attributed to a "bad batch" of lamps, and NOT the PJ (PE77 or MT700) itself?

You can't mistake the sparklies for something else. They almost look like stars twinkling. I do not have them from my component cable. It seems to only show up from my HDMI cable. I will call bettercables.com Monday morning about this. We were watching Lost on dvd tonite and I had to change (cycle) the resolution a few times to get them to subside. Even if I get another HDMI cable I will have peace of mind attaching the repeater to it. BenQ mentioned that if all I am sending is 720p sources(HD TIVO, Onkyo SP1000, JVC HM5 U) thru the HDMI input that it maybe to rough for the HDMI input. I thought the customer service rep was nuts but for all I know maybe he is right...He's nuts, no reason this could be the case, and even more unlikely as the native res of the 7700 is 720p.

"Too rough"?? That's just silly. That's like saying you shouldn't run water through a hose because it will get wet.

what SLY said...

except I'm ready to buy a pj now! :(

A fellow seattle PJ enthusiast has invited me to check out his 7700. I'm sure I'll be blown away by it, but I'm still scared of the bulb issues I've seen on this board. I've got y DirectTV NFL ticket ready to view, but no PJ to take advantage of it. Ugh.

I hate to say it but you may have to consider other PJs. Almost daily we are hearing more lamp failures between this and the MT700 thread.
I was so set on this PJ that I didn't think anything else would do. I started researching LCD projectors and so far the Sanyo PLV-Z3 might do the job for a first-time PJ. Everything I have read is that there is no vertical banding on this unit a no SDE at normal distances. LCD technology has come a long way. The blacks aren't quite as good as DLP but in a light controlled room they can look awesome. The Z3 is native 720p, 16:9, with HDMI, two components, VGA, etc AND it has a SHORT THROW DISTANCE like the PE7700 which I need for my home theater. (10-13' throw distance for 100" screen) It also has a 3 year warranty and I haven't heard of bulb problems and it was released a year ago. The Z3 is way cheaper (retail) now than the 7700 and I have seen rave reviews at several sources. Side by side comparisons by several people give it an edge over the AE700. Guess I will be spending days reading the AVSForum thread on the Z3.
I really feel sad having to turn away from the 7700 but maybe the Z3 will be a good starter PJ until a few years when the 1080p projectors get affordable. ;)

I hate to say it but you may have to consider other PJs. Almost daily we are hearing more lamp failures between this and the MT700 thread.



Also keep in mind hearing from the relatively few people that are having lamp problems does not mean this is a widespead problem. Those with problems are the ones that tend to post more about them, the rest of us who are happy and having no problems rarely post just to say things are great.

I did quite a bit of research before buying my 7700 and I must say I am still very happy with my purchase.

Question on "recalling" RGB gain/offset settings..
I know how to "Store" the RGB gain/offset settings, but how do I recall them? Better yet how do I make my current settings my "power-on" settings?

Question on service menu...
How do I toggle back to the regular menu? (I've read it here but can't find it)

You exit the factory OSD (service menu) by: "Factory"-->"Return User OSD".

Found answer to my second question (I knew I've read it here)

Hello gang,

I thought it would be nice to try connecting my wifes laptop to my benq pe700 projector.

I connected the cable that came with the projector - a vga to 5 BNC. Hooked it up and selected BNC -HD source. Okay so far.

On the projector, I could see the beginning Window XP screen. On the laptop screen, nothing!!!!

I guess okay. Then I entered my wifes password to enter into Windows, I guess, or some kind of Windows option that allows you to continue. But as soon as I entered the password, the projector lost the picture. The projector says BNC-HD searching....

Meanwhile, on the laptop, I see the desktop, with all the icons available. the image is on the laptop screen, but on the projector I just get SEARCHING...

Could anyone help me with this? I believe the laptop is 1024x768 resolution.

Thanks in advance.

regular guy, you probably have to enable the laptop's LCD screen & VGA port to be active at the same time -- that's what I need to do with my IBM thinkpad at work.

Also keep in mind hearing from the relatively few people that are having lamp problems does not mean this is a widespead problem. Those with problems are the ones that tend to post more about them, the rest of us who are happy and having no problems rarely post just to say things are great.

I did quite a bit of research before buying my 7700 and I must say I am still very happy with my purchase.

Agreed, that is why those who are having a good experience need to share it. You and others need to cast your vote on the Lamp poll at:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=3033

So far, out of 45 people on the poll 42% have had lamp failure! That is not a comforting thought that nearly half of those in the poll have had lamp failure.
It doesn't matter to me if that is a small sample, that is not a good figure. I hope you don't ever have problems with your unit. It doesn't comfort those who have had early lamp failure or double lamp failure, including Miltimj who was kind enough to show me his PJ but now his lamp has died.

Why have reports of lamp failures increased so much in the last few weeks? This PJ was released in April and the lamps are starting to hit 50, 100, 300 hours and are dying. Perhaps you believe that these are isolated instances, but it scares me too much to spend several thousand dollars only to have the lamp burn out in a few months. BenQ needs to get their act together on this otherwise great projector.

I refuse to post anything about my lamp for fear of jinxing it. I'm hesitant to click Submit even for this.

Hello all,

I just purchased a 7700 after researching LCD projectors for the last 9 months (my wife might have rainbowitis, but I figured it's worth the restocking risk). So, I don't know much about this projector, other than its the only 720p DLP I could afford and my buddie has the PE5120 and loves it.

I also ordered the Da-lite Model B 92" (HC White) as this is also the same screen my buddie has and I've seen it in person. I got it pretty cheap and have not heard much, but I think its pretty solid.

I will ceiling mount this thing in my basement, which is beige drywall and completely light controlled.

So my question it this: I have a 12ft DVI to hdmi cable that I plan on using with my cable box (they are still on DVI (cablevision, ny)). Is there any disadvantage in using a DVI DVD Player as opposed to an HDMI DVD player video-wise? I plan on using the coax digital out to my amp, so I'm not sure there is any benefit for me to get an HDMI player... plus, I'd hav to get another cable if I get an HDMI player.

Finally, if get a DVI player, can you guys suggest one? I'm familiar with the Bravo d2, but I cannot find it. And the Oppo, but I'm hoping there is a comparable unit for a little less $$$

What about the Denon 755S or the any of the Samsungs?

***

Any other general suggestions about this projector?

Thanks again.

I refuse to post anything about my lamp for fear of jinxing it. I'm hesitant to click Submit even for this.

Be careful, the lamp in my MT700 died within 48 hrs of me voting in the original bulb life thread. Needless to say, my vote was then wrong.

That said, I wouldn't trade my projector for any other (in this price range) - I feel like I made the best possible choice and I still don't regret it. I will only sell it if I lose another two bulbs and start having to pay for them (thank god I got the lamp warranty for $80). However, at that point I'd bet that it would be a lamp ballast problem or something and Toshiba would fix it. My guess is a bad batch of bulbs; probably low bidder to hit the price bracket they wanted. We'll see I guess.

PS,

Can any suggest the best calibration disc for this projector?

Thanks again and I can't want to set up my new 7700 next week

Well our bulb just popped with less than 200 hours on it. Not good BenQ, not good at all. We'll see how they process the warranty replacement. I'll post back.

Yahmoncool. Sorry to hear about your bulb. Did that make you decide to get a Infocus 4805?

nah, the benQ is my dad's. I can't afford that ;) - the 4805 is mine.

Hello!

I have not heard of many lamp failures in Scandinavia, actually just one in Norway.
There are a couple of threads around here and the PJ is very popular. My thought is that it has something to do with 110V versus 220V. Has anyone with lamp failure been using a power filter of any kind?

/Oscar

Is Benq better of infocus?

ohcello -- Your best bet is to get the AVIA "Guide to Home Theater" DVD, it's easier to use than the DVE (Digital Video Essentials) DVD. Both are considered the best for basic calibration. DVE has more tests, but is harder for the uninitiated to use (a more difficult and lengthy learning curve).

I have both, and I can say that AVIA is quicker and easier to get a good setup. When I double-check with the DVE, I don't find any significant difference. If you're into tweeking, DVE gives you more detailed checks.

LAMP FAILURES: BTW, I'm up to 387 hours (at this moment) on my MT700 lamp (twin of the PE7700). One owner was told, by the servicing depot, that his PJ had loose wires to his Ballast Regulator (which controls the lamp power), and that caused his lamp to fail. Therefore, not all early lamp failures are due to defective lamps. BenQ does not make the lamps, they are made by 3rd party companies that specialize in the construction of these high pressure arc lamps.

It sounds like part of the problem is that they have tried to cut corners in order to increase the number of lamps delivered, in order to meet the high demand. This has happened before, in other industries, with the same kind of results.

simplyjaz -- IMHO, the PE7700 (it's a 720p PJ) has better PQ, the 4805 (it's a 480p PJ) has better reliability.

I have not heard of many lamp failures in Scandinavia, actually just one in Norway.
There are a couple of threads around here and the PJ is very popular. My thought is that it has something to do with 110V versus 220V. Has anyone with lamp failure been using a power filter of any kind?
How hilarious would that be to be proven right. Every PE7700/MT700 owner with a transformer, adapter, and using the european cable to connect the power to their PJ... I think that'd be a first.

It sounds like part of the problem is that they have tried to cut corners in order to increase the number of lamps delivered, in order to meet the high demand.

Why do they use a new designed lamp for each and every new projector?
If the price would be lower each time I would understand but this is clearly not the case.


My thought is that it has something to do with 110V versus 220V.

I think there are far more projector buyers and owners in the USA then in the total of Europe.
I would rather hear of the people with lamp failures if they live in a rather big city or far away on the countryside. I am not sure with american powerdistribution but I do know that here the farther you're away from a decent powerdistribution network the less stable the voltage is.

Tim,
Did you get your PJ back yet? I think they told you 3-5 days?

They received the PJ on Friday, so I'm not expecting it back until the end of the week, or maybe beginning of next week depending what method they use to ship it (and whether it's 3 or 5 days...)

The Vikes game was doubly painful yesterday... Both in the way they played, and the fact that I had to watch it on the 32" SDTV.. But I digress..

My brother is a BIG Vikings fan and he came over to watch them on PJ. He was very amazed at how great they looked in HD! It was like we had 50 yardline seats. Unfortunately, they were losing bad in the first few minutes of the game. Looks to me like they really do MISS randy Moss. Especialy Daunte Culpepper. I am liking the cool setting for sports so far. What is everyone else using for sports?

Someone mentioned a light quality issue (flashing or something I can't remember) and they put a power filter in place and it fixed the problem. A good power filter sounds like a wise investment right now.
BTW My bulb blew and I was without my projector for 7 weeks and I still would take this over an LCD projector, however if I had my money back I would come up with the extra bucks to get the Optoma 78DC3.
Warren.

The benQ is better for the lack of SDE. This alone makes it a worthy purchase over the IF, its also quieter and brighter.

BUT... their reliability is questionable. I'd get the Optoma H77 if I were to do it again.

Multimj, what happened to your PJ? How was your experience with BenQ customer service? We need them to replace our bulb as it just died 2 months after we bought the unit (not even 300 hours).

What brand lamp is supplied with the Benq in the US? Is it the same as in Europe, Osram?

There is a sticker on the outside of PJ with the brand is someone could please check!

/Oscar

I have got a new PJ from Benq because of the BTB problem and the problem with HDMI. BTB is fixed and I am able to choose between 0 an 7.5 IRE, great. The HDMI does still not work with 50Hz and Oppo. The new fan is terrible when lamp is set to full and something that more looks like a BIG JOKE is the macro blocking on component. We are not able to watch TV via component, it looks terrible. Anyone else with this macro blocking problem? The PJ is going back, again..

Tim, I hope you do get your PJ back in a timely fashion!
As far as LCDs, I do not like SDE but the most recent LCD technology has improved a lot and made smaller pixels. It isn't a real issue unless you push the limit and get closer than 1.5x viewing distance. 99% of the reviews(consumer and industry reviews) I have read about the Sanyo PLV-Z3 say that they see no SDE at normal distances. I have been to several AV stores looking at LCD projectors and RPTVs and have noticed SDE on some and not on others unless real close to the screen. I think it is highly PJ specific. I think they are worth a look and way cheaper than DLP. Industry is showing that the lines between DLP and LCD projectors is getting closer and closer.

Off topic, yes it was very painful watching the Vikings look as bad as any team can look. You guys in the Twin Cities are lucky to get the HD signal for Fox. Right now I can only get the Fox HD eastern feed since I am rural Minnesota. But Directv has plans in the works to provide local networks in HD next year. Of course it will be the new MPEG4 coding and will require new hardware.

The DirecTV Sunday ticket is the ONLY way to go. With many game options in HD, we are one step closer to heaven!

I am one of those weird people who like IMax theaters. Bigger = better. I sit at 1x and love it and I have perfect vision. I guess that isn't normal but my 7700 looks great there to me. An LCD projector wouldn't.
I am still debating on HD DirectV vs HD Cable. I gotta have cable. I have 6 tv's in the house and one outside. The kids would never figure out DirectV's horrible menu and they just watch cartoon network anyway. I would be getting it just for HD football and my family room is too bright in the day when Sunday Ticket is in effect.
Warren.

Warren,
You wouldn't leave us po' fok for the >$3500 forum and the H78. :)

Jeff, I would hate to do that. Besides it is best to save the money for 1080. :)
Warren.

Multimj, what happened to your PJ? How was your experience with BenQ customer service? We need them to replace our bulb as it just died 2 months after we bought the unit (not even 300 hours).They received the PJ on Friday, so I'm not expecting it back until the end of the week, or maybe beginning of next week depending what method they use to ship it (and whether it's 3 or 5 days...)I didn't receive the projector in the 5 hrs, 13 mins between our posts.. ;) As far as customer service, the CSR was very helpful, if a bit hurried. Certainly satisfactory in my mind, but it really comes down to results, IMO. In other words, how fast I get it back and how long this new bulb ends up lasting.

I refuse to post anything about my lamp for fear of jinxing it. I'm hesitant to click Submit even for this.

And look what happens.

My bulb didn't blow, but I turned my 7700 on tonight to watch Rome in HD. Instead, I now have huge black, flashing, vertical patches of black across the entire screen. It isn't solid vertical bars, more of a crosshatch type of pattern but in 5-6 inch wide vertical bars.

I will try to take a pic of it and post it to show what's going on. I've turned the unit off, let it cool down and plugged the surge protector into a different outlet. Powered it back up and still the vertical flashing bars.

This is on all of the input settings. HDMI, component, S-Video..everything. Ruined..completely ruined. No clue what is causing this or how to fix it. I've had the projector since late July and have approximately 300 hours on the lamp. The sections of the screen that don't have this black patchwork look fine, no change in brightness, so I assume there is no issue with the lamp.

Needless to say I'm disappointed beyond words, mostly because of how great the unit performed up until now. Now, I will surely be without a HD screen for several weeks of the Colts season. We'd even made plans to have people over to watch the games as we'd done for Week 1. BenQ will definitely be getting this one back if I can't find a way to fix it.

Edit for new info:

I just went back to check the Factory Menu settings which I've never changed....looked at but never changed. When I go to the DLP tests - curtain tests...the red, green, blue, black and white curtains all look fine. Solid colors with no black vertical flashing patches. However, any mixture of those colors (yellow, cyan, any gradient ramps, etc, etc), all have the black patches. I'm guessing this means there's something wrong with the color wheel? I also tried changing the color wheel speed in the factory options and no help. Hopefully, this info might give some insight to one of the more knowledgeable members here. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Well, i just got my PE7700 and silly me, first thing i do is srew up in the service menu, now i can't change my black level, and my color weel changes setting everytime i turn it on :mad: ..All my own fault, anyone have any ideas to help me with this mess?? Thank in advance.

Well Smooth317 it looks like I might be in the same boat, last night I was finishing up a movie and decided to watch another as the DVD was loading I decided to kick up the brightness and on the black screen before the movie I saw vary faint vertical bars with a cross hatch type patteren about 6 inch wide.

I first thought it was my eyes, I sometimes see the grid pattern for a few seconds after I use it to focus the PJ. The lines were moving like the data stream you see on the movie Matrix just in B&W not green. They would go away if I went back down into LOW bulb mode. Did they go away of are they just to dim to see because it is a vary faint image anyway.

Keep me posted if you find out anything I'll let you know what BQ says I think I will give them a call and see what they say.

Dave_G -- There is a menu item for resetting to factory defaults (Menu -> Options -> Reset Settings). I think there is also a Factory Reset in the Service menu too.

Failed Lamp Club -- I just joined the club. My MT700 lamp died (it's 4.5 months old, 390 hours on the lamp). I've posted the details on the MT700 thread and on the "Poll: MT700/PE7700 Lamp Life III" thread.

..as I am on the side line to pick 7700 for my home theater but given the posts for faulty lamps I am bit concern… may ask this two questions:

A. Has anybody figure out if the lamp issue affecting Toshiba machines more often than Benq ? (this is my idea going through the threads…)

B. Is the US sold machines more venerable to the lamp issues than the European sold pj ?( I have not heard any lamb issue in my country (Greece , and I mean in the local AV forum, then again the size of the market and the volume moved is far less than in other countries …)

Thanks in advance for your responses…and hope for the quickest fix for owners with the lamb issue…

Geia Sas !!!

Well Smooth317 it looks like I might be in the same boat, last night I was finishing up a movie and decided to watch another as the DVD was loading I decided to kick up the brightness and on the black screen before the movie I saw vary faint vertical bars with a cross hatch type patteren about 6 inch wide.

I first thought it was my eyes, I sometimes see the grid pattern for a few seconds after I use it to focus the PJ. The lines were moving like the data stream you see on the movie Matrix just in B&W not green. They would go away if I went back down into LOW bulb mode. Did they go away of are they just to dim to see because it is a vary faint image anyway.

Keep me posted if you find out anything I'll let you know what BQ says I think I will give them a call and see what they say.

The bars I'm seeing are solid black with some rainbows scattered through it. No faintness to these...big black stripes up and down the screen regardless of bulb setting.

Claus,

Sorry to hear about you lamp failure. That is disappointing because you'd think if you get to 390 hours you would be safe. And I know you are very careful with you lamp usage minimizing on/off. You should also add your vote to the "PE7700/MT700 Lamp Life" poll besides the poll "III".

Chris, it really sounds hosed. Good thing the BenQ has a full year free replacement. Bad thing is they don't have any projectors. Maybe they do now. Make sure you find out before you send yours in and have them send you a refurb as a temporary replacement if they don't.
Anyone have an idea how many of these projectors they have sold? I like to hope we are a small minority and almost all of the BB (broken bulb) club members are here, but many of us were on this thread long before our projectors broke.
Warren.

Well, I just got off the phone with BenQ. They want it sent back for repairs. The CSR seemed extremely nice. I asked her if there was a temp replacement for repair work and she said they could send one out simultaneously while I send mine back in, but that they would have to put a refundable $2500 charge on my credit card to do so. I said no thanks, but can you check and see if you have any in stock should this one need completely replaced. She checked for 5 minutes or so and came back saying they had plenty. I then asked what kind of a turnaround we're looking at and she said 5 days from the time they get it to the time they send it back out.

They offered to have UPS pick it up or email me a shipping label. They're overnighting it there and back. Overall, I'm still pissed about the unit breaking down, but, if they keep their schedule, at least I'll only be without for a week. They've done everything they can to make the return process as easy as possible thus far, however. Seems BenQ Support for the US is a different story than EU.

Sounds the same as the info I got, Chris. Mine was received by them on Friday, so it looks like I'm about a week ahead of you in the process. I'll be letting everyone know how long it takes to get mine.. I think I'm going to call on Friday to get a status since that will have been 5 business days.

GeonX -- They seem to be split pretty evenly between MT700 and the PE7700. In some parts of EU the BenQ service seems to be poor, from what I've read.

Tim Sly -- I forgot that that one is still going. Thanks, I'll post there too (I'd already voted in that one).

Ok I'm seeing what I think is an artifact.

I'm watching a Yes concert video and scenes where there's a solid blue background, for example, I see blue "squares". Foreground looks ok. What do you call these "squares?"

That sounds like the descriptions of "macroblocking" that I've read. It could be on the source material (DVD?). You didn't say if it's a DVD (and what you're playing it on - and the details) or if it's from cable or satellite or OTA STB.

Ok I'm seeing what I think is an artifact.

I'm watching a Yes concert video and scenes where there's a solid blue background, for example, I see blue "squares". Foreground looks ok. What do you call these "squares?"

Macro blocking I believe, the only thing to be careful of it's most likely be DVD related. My son put in a DVD of a rock group form an early 70's band, originally shot on 16mm and the back ground through the whole concert had macro block squares all over the place, this is the only time I have seen this on my unit, I just figured the person that did the DVD transfer was an x photo mat employee from the 70’s that had inhaled a little to hard on the bong. LOL

Serious some of these concert DVD’s have the worst lighting, worst camera work, I have ever seen, something tells me they try to electronic color enhance the old faded film and it sends the modern digital projector in convolutions.... :)

CT_Wiebe,

Thanks for your reply, fortunately until now in Greece the local rep has shown good business reaction for people that had problems with BenQ Pj in the past, I hope it will continue to do so... ;)

Yes it's from a DVD via HDMI @ 1280x720p playing on my HTPC. Trying different settings from the service menu (wheel speed, delay) did not make a difference. I haven't seen this on other DVDs so yes (excuse the pun) it may be the source, though this is NOT a 70's concert film but a more recent one, the concert where they play with a symphony, titled Yes - Symphonic Live.It's in true 16:9 format. Steve Howe looks like a grandpa. :)

I had problems with macroblocking on component with my second 7700, I had two for a while and the first one did not show any signs of MB with same source. Now my second 7700 has gone back for repair, hope they can sort this out.

/O

They had a newer concert film playing on a 10 grand projector at a B&M home theater store here and it just looked horrible. My wife was worried the projector I wanted (the 7700 which cost less than a third the price) would look that bad. I was worried too cause on the next projector that cost only a little less they had a documentary going and it looked bad too. Luckily my 7700 blows them away. Stupid store obviously. They were playing Finding Nemo on the plasmas so they looked infinitly better than the projectors.

I still need to know how to recall the RGB gain/offset settings that I stored as User1.

I just picked up a motorola 6412 phase III box (Comcast L.A.) and the HDMI port will not work with my Benq 7700. I've tried the rebooting procedure without any success. When I select HDMI on my projector the picture comes on for about 3 seconds, then I get a green screen. Component connections work fine for HD. Grrrrr, being an early adopter for these cable boxes can be a pain!!! Ideas anyone? Zilla I have the same question you do concerning RGB settings. Onorlin, it sounds like the video source to me. I just compare to my other HD set and it does it there also depending on the program.

Blasst, No I had my old pj side by side for a while, there was no MB whatsoever on that one. Scary as hell. Will let you know the result when I get PJ no.2 back from service.
/O.

I've installed my second 7700 in my theater. This projector works perfectly without any adjustments. The first projector had a serious misadjustment of the black level (flipped to green). The dealer replaced it at no charge, just two weeks lost for shipment.

Set up: Dedicated dark theater, 16 ft wide and 16.5 ft deep. Two rows of 4 seats per row with 12 inch riser. Riser is 6 1/2 ft wide. Screen is 10ft wide DayLite with 1.3 gain. Projector is mounted near ceiling in adjacent room closet. Opening cut through wall for projector simular to commercial theater. Throw distance to screen is 17.5 ft. Placement was difficult to ensure proper alignment.

Observations so far.

Concerns the picture would be to dim were unfounded, I actually use the power down mode with little noticable reduction in brightness.

The screen gain is to high. 1.0 gain would have given better contrast and darker blacks. My options are filter or new screen. The DayLite screen is manually retractable and mounted on the wall. There is some curtain sagging in the screen due to it width. This is noticable and annoying. Another reason to change out the screen.

DVD viewing is soft or fuzzy due to the large projection area (137 inch diagonal) and 525 line projected source. HDTV viewing at 720p is much sharper. However 720p is a compromise for such a large viewing area, 1080i or p would be much better. The projected image cannot be reduced in size since the 7700 zoom will not provide a smaller image with a 17.5 foot throw.

Front row seating is great except in fast panning sceens. Even my wife enjoys sitting in the front row. She get motion sickness very easily and is not bothered by it.

Shutter wheel vertical banding can be seen but is not annoying. I believe everyone can see it if you know what to look for. Go to the test patterns provided in the control panel and select the simple white grid on black background static pattern. Sweep your eyeballs back and forth from screen edge to screen edge once a second. The color wheel bars become very evident. On my screen (130 inch wide) the width of each bar is about one inch and four bands can be observed side by side. A person with natural rapid eye twiching would be more sensitive to this effect.

This will be a good system for the next one to two years. If a reasonable 1080i or p projector should become available in that time line, I'll move this projecotr to my computer room and play games with it :)

Hello all,

I have a 92" screen (Dalate HC White) on the way and I have 2 mounting options based on the studs in the ceiling. My viewing distance will probably be about 12'.

My room is narrow and long - 19.5' long x 10' wide

***

Option #1 - 9'8" from lens to screen , 1.24x zoom,

Option #2 - 11'2" from lens to screen, 1.07x zoom.

What are the pros and cons with these 2 options?

---- Its better not to use the zoom correct?
---- Is it better to have the projector right over your head, or in front of you a few feet from a noise standpoint?

Any other factors I should consider?

I will be setting this all up next week... thanks for your help!

Ohcello,

I am using a coffee table placement projecting onto a 97" screen. The zoom is set to maximum wide angle and I see little, if any, difference in PQ when zooming out to a smaller image. I think the noise level is quite tolerable in this location....noticeable only when there is absolutely no audio signal. And this has been confirmed by others who have spend considerable time sitting behind the projector.

I choose the coffee table placement because I did not want to mount the screen high on the wall which would be required for a ceiling mount. I prefer a more "straight ahead" viewing angle versus a "eyes up" viewing angle, and with a screen size of less than about 115" diagonal, the ceiling mount required the screen to be too high for my taste.

I installed my projector last week. DirecTV installed my HD receiver on Tuesday. I am running HDMI cable from my projector to the HD receiver.

I am experiencing a shift in the picture. For example, if I am watching a news broadcast, the anchor is shifted to the left and you only see half of them.

How do I determine if this is a cable problem, projector problem or an HD receiver problem?

Thanks in advance for any input!!

Ohcello, most of the sound comes from the front of the projector so if sound were and issue putting it closer would be better, less zoom is better optically so putting it back further would be better if visuals were your priority. In effect though, it probably wouldn't be noticable either way. I would suggest the further back mount, because 92" is a tiny screen for this projector. You may want to get a larger screen I am sure once you look at it.

Chuck, you could get a ceiling mount with a drop. I did the coffee table mount for a while and am much happier now that my projector is up out of the way. People walking in front of it are annoying and fear of someone dropping a beer on it bothered me.

Stilin John, try setting the projector to "Real" mode and make sure your HD Receiver is set to output 720p.

I just picked up a motorola 6412 phase III box (Comcast L.A.) and the HDMI port will not work with my Benq 7700. I've tried the rebooting procedure without any success. When I select HDMI on my projector the picture comes on for about 3 seconds, then I get a green screen. Component connections work fine for HD. Grrrrr, being an early adopter for these cable boxes can be a pain!!! Ideas anyone? Zilla I have the same question you do concerning RGB settings. Onorlin, it sounds like the video source to me. I just compare to my other HD set and it does it there also depending on the program.

I have the same box through Insight (Indianapolis) and had similar issues. To fix it, I think I had to unplug the box completely (it will have to redownload the guide by the way) and plug it back in, then turn on the projector. From then on I've always just left the cable box on and have had no problems. I could be remembering it wrong in that you may have to turn on the projector, set it to HDMI and then plug the power cord into the cable box.

Quick update on my broken 7700:

Received the UPS shipping label from BenQ. I turned it on one last time before packing it up and suddenly it works. No issues whatsoever. I have no idea why. I'd tried resetting the unit the night it broke, the day after and finally last night. Keeping my fingers crossed for now, but I assume the issue will pop up again. I may send it back sometime before the warranty is up to have it looked at just in case, but if its not producing the error, I don't see them being able to fix it.

Dogorbit:
what DVD player r u using? I do find DVD not as good as HD of course, but found my DVD player choice made a big difference in picture quality. I had a Panasonic S77 and switched to S97 with a much sharper picture...the S77 was a bit blurry/fuzzy...figured it was screen size (114") and/or not perfect film photography. However, the same movies now look much better.

Jim

Dogorbit:
what DVD player r u using? I do find DVD not as good as HD of course, but found my DVD player choice made a big difference in picture quality. I had a Panasonic S77 and switched to S97 with a much sharper picture...the S77 was a bit blurry/fuzzy...figured it was screen size (114") and/or not perfect film photography. However, the same movies now look much better.
Take a look here http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all
for comprehensive comparisons of both using either component or HDMI output. The rest of the articles here about dvd and video can give you a much better perspective of what to look for in a video source and dvd player.

Thanks for the input guys...

A few notes..

I cannot get a bigger screen as the wall just barely accommodates the DaLate 92 (skinny room). I think I will mount is closer so the noise is lower and so my wife can zoom out and make the image smaller (she has rainbowitis and if there is ever a problem, I think the smaller image will help her a little... she definately sees them less when the image is smaller)...

It sounds like the full zoom won't be that big a deal from an image quality standpoint.

Hey did anyone see the new Panny AE900 review on projectorreviews? They did a lot of comparing to the 7700... 7700 still had better blacks, but not by much..

I'll take the 7700 with the 3 year warranty though =)

Stilin John, try setting the projector to "Real" mode and make sure your HD Receiver is set to output 720p.

Thanks, that seemed to help. My DirecTV installer said that the HD receiver would automatically choose the out put based upon what was best. Wondering why I had to manually choose.

Thanks for the input guys...

Hey did anyone see the new Panny AE900 review on projectorreviews? They did a lot of comparing to the 7700... 7700 still had better blacks, but not by much..

I'll take the 7700 with the 3 year warranty though =)
I see what you mean ohcello, the new Panny is a improved LCD but talk about stretching the contrast numbers, we always knew MFG's fudge a little, but Panasonic has taken Round THE FIGURE up to a new LEVEL.

I really hate to see a MFG play with the numbers that much, it just hurts everyone by making written specks worthless.

I'll keep my 3 year warranty too.

Dogorbit, what frequency are you syncing for 1080i? Also HDMI or component?

This brings up an interesting point, does anyone still have a "virgin" 7700 from which they can post a full set of factory settings. I'd be interested to see how the original settings differ to the ones here in OZ.
cheers

This brings up an interesting point, does anyone still have a "virgin" 7700 from which they can post a full set of factory settings. I'd be interested to see how the original settings differ to the ones here in OZ.
cheers

Mine is one of the first production units and is still has the factory settings, I'll check the setting tonight and report back.

This brings up an interesting point, does anyone still have a "virgin" 7700 from which they can post a full set of factory settings. I'd be interested to see how the original settings differ to the ones here in OZ.
cheers
Which settings are you looking for? There are quite a few... Anyway, to bide time until checklst can report them all, here are the factory settings (that I wrote down before changing) on my May 05 production unit:

Contrast 4
Brightness -8
Sharpness 0
Color 7
Tint 0

Which settings are you looking for? There are quite a few... Anyway, to bide time until checklst can report them all, here are the factory settings (that I wrote down before changing) on my May 05 production unit:

Contrast 4
Brightness -8
Sharpness 0
Color 7
Tint 0

I have the same as above except
Filter at 1

OSD position H 10
OSD position V10

RGB Gain
Red 512
Green 466
Blue 468

RGB offset
Red 11
Green 11
Blue 11

The Black leval was IRE 7.5 but it looks much better at IRE O

Hope this helps

Thanx guys, I should have been more clear, I was interested in the settings for scaler, gamma and dlp in the factory menu. I guess specifically at 720p. I wanted to achieve 2 things,
1 - to see if they've changed anything,
2 - to see if those changes may be the cause of this strange problem I'm having.
When I run my xbox at 720p and then go back to digitv (576i - PAL), I sometimes get this strange pulsating on the picture. At first I thought it was the globe, but I can make it go away by changing the cw speed to 4 and then back to 5 w/o slr ( where it defaults to). Very strange. I have seen in this thread that someone mentions flashing and a power filter, this is not flashing, it is definately pulsing. Any thoughts on this issue? Is this some strange new bug in the firwmware, or do i have a defective unit?
This is my second unit now as the first went beresk in the first week ( strange colour artifacts - which i think was now caused by the unit doing a full reset on itself - again after 720p and I suspect I had the faulty default cwdelay of 70 - at that time i was not aware of the factory menus, this happened after a minor reset to defaults in the user osd). Unlike some, this failure does not concern me as I work in the computing industry and doa's, faulty units and firwmare issues are expected. My dealer was excellent and replaced the unit on the spot. I'm looking forward to some f/w updates to make this already fantastic projector even better.
Cheers again.

What brand lamp is supplied with the Benq in the US? Is it the same as in Europe, Osram?

A good question. The Australian grid is 240V and the lamp used is also an Osram. Would be interesting to know the lamp type in the models for the US market.

The lamp doesn't take 240v or 120v directly. That's why there is a power supply and a lamp ballast, to change the power to what it needs. I would guess only the power supply would be different in different areas, potentially. The power supply is listed as "VAC 100 - 240V, 4.0 A, 50 / 60 Hz (Automatic)" in my downloaded manual. I'm not sure if this is the same as a USA-only manual, I think the download was from Europe.

I would guess the power supply is the same in the US and Europe, as the PJ comes bundled with all three cables (Europe, UK, US).

Update on my bulb replacement and HDMI upgrade...

I had sent the PJ in on Sept 14th, they received it Friday, Sept 16th. I just called and the CSR said that the status was "repair in progress". I told him that the Irvine, CA facility received it 10 days ago, and he said he'd try and get more info. He found out that the bulb had been replaced, but that they were waiting on the HDMI upgrade kits to arrive to swap those out, and that the current estimated time to receive those kits was two weeks.

I asked him what the HDMI upgrade actually was (since mine seemed fine), and it's related to HDCP compliance. Apparently some people have received an error message regarding HDCP compliance on their PJs that shouldn't have happened, and a physical upgrade fixes this issue.

Since I don't have any issues with HDCP that I know of, and I know I'm not going to be changing my components for about two years, I asked him to have the repair facility send the projector back to me, and if I run into an issue later I'll send it back.

So I should receive it back sometime this week..

After i read this thread. it is a bit scary about bulb life but ... i put this up to join some idea about bulb lifei don't know and really what to say after read nearly 60 pages this thread i will get my 7700 tomorrow, after all i get nuts and confuse many times to get my frist projector. About a week ago i have already confirmed i would get 8720 but after CEDIA finished the show. I concern and get more confuse of coming DLP 1080p and Ruby in Nov or maybe in Jan 2006 here. i turn my point to 7700 to saving some money that i can use 7700 for a year or 18 months before going to get 1080p (either ruby or dlp 1080p)so i tell my dealer and order 7700 because it is very good deal from my start. i have asked and get to know about Benq 7700 before i turn to it. 9 or 10 of owner have a one user has problem with bulb becasue he does not use UPS ( powers supply ) in my country AC power *220V* is not really good and not stable.
I only hope i will not have any problem about bulb life after while.

Well, I just joined the burned out bulb club. After a little more than two months and about 130 hours (last time I looked), the bulb just quit last night.

I will call BenQ tomorrow to see how fast they can fix this. Bummer. I will post back on what they do to take care of me. I have had no other problems with the unit.

Given that you are at a high altitude, did you use that setting on the projector?

Yes. I did use the high altitude setting from the outset. The projector is a bit noisy, but I have never had a projector before so I have no comparison point. When the sound levels are up, you don't notice it.

The lamp doesn't take 240v or 120v directly. That's why there is a power supply and a lamp ballast, to change the power to what it needs. I would guess only the power supply would be different in different areas, potentially. The power supply is listed as "VAC 100 - 240V, 4.0 A, 50 / 60 Hz (Automatic)" in my downloaded manual. I'm not sure if this is the same as a USA-only manual, I think the download was from Europe.

Yes I'm pretty sure it is the same power supply. What I was guessing was that both power supply and ballast might work better with 230V as this often is concerned to be not as shaky as 110V. But then again I'm just guessing.. I would recommend using an external power supply with a filter to be sure.. :o

*posted on other forum too*
Ok, I went into thermal test. After 10 minutes the Ballast was running 6500, After watching the Bronco's kick butt on KC and then Charlie's Angels 2 (just wanted to watch a brighter movie for the thermal test. I don't like that stuff of course.... really.. ) it was running 7100. Half way through The Incredibles it was still 7100. Seemed to be pegged there. My room temp was 78 when I started (I live in Phoenix so that is a normal room temp in summer.) I turned the thermostat down to 76 but that didn't make a difference. I then turned on High Altitude mode and watched the rest of The Incredibles. Ballast temp was now 4800. What an aweful howl it makes in High Altitude mode though. It is simply not bearable on my projector. I don't think it is the fan noise, but an airflow howl. I guess I should play with the fan speed to get it up somewhere between normal and high altitude modes. If it is on Auto it should keep the thing at a proper tempature shouldn't it? I would think it would automatically turn it up all the way to high altitude mode if it had to.
Warren.

Do any of you guys see macroblocking on HD sources? How about when the camara is moving? Should I be seeing artifacts on HD sources even if my screen is 123"?

Thanks guys

Max

Not from the PJ. Every now and then from D* HD channels, but that's the source creating it. Frequently on SD channels, but that wasn't the question.

Anyone traded up to 7700 from 8700, and if so did it through Benq sales or support? I've heard they will trade up for a price.

Bob

There's nothing the 8700 has that I'd want over my PE7700 anyway. Now trading up for an 8720 is another matter... The specs on that thing look awesome -- but will probably be quite a bit more expensive though.

Not from the PJ. Every now and then from D* HD channels, but that's the source creating it. Frequently on SD channels, but that wasn't the question.

Im making a list of everyhting that is wrong with my PJ. I have a ton of macroblocking on HD channels specially when there is camara movement. I even see some artifacts when watching HD Football.

This is totaly wrong, right? Is there anything that can e done?

I also have color wheel issues so I will be returning it, I just want to get excited over what I will get with the new one.

Thanks,

max

Do any of you guys see macroblocking on HD sources? How about when the camara is moving? Should I be seeing artifacts on HD sources even if my screen is 123"?

Thanks guys

Max


Are you sure it is not coming from the source? That is a pretty large screen, how far back are you sitting?

Not all HD signals are equal.

You don't mention if you are getting OTA or SAT HDTV or whether the connection from your STB to your projector is DVI/HDMI or component -- both of which will have a big impact on PQ.

1080i HDTV inherently has the potential for more motion artifacts on fast moving images (motion and interlacing don't mix well), and it only gets worse when broadcasters limit the bandwidth with which they record or send the HDTV signal or if the event is filmed with less than optimal conditions. Sometimes bandwidth “choke” originates with the network at the source and sometimes it is a problem of the local broadcaster.

This is why FOX and ABC opted for 720p because it does a better job at sports such as football and NASCAR (progressive inherently handles motion better than interlaced). ABC and FOX broadcast HD in native 720p, which perfectly matches the native resolution of the BenQ, and you should get 1x1 pixel matching if you use the DVI or HDMI connection. Nonetheless, your HD picture will only be as good as the broadcasting source.

My point is that your HDTV viewing experience may not improve with a different projector.

Anyone else trade up for an Optoma? I did. I just don't trust BenQ and their product. I went with the h 79 and I can only hope I will have better reliability. I doubt the picture is that much better because in HD the 7700 looked stellar! Goodluck all...I'm out, Joe...

Anyone else trade up for an Optoma? I did. I just don't trust BenQ and their product. I went with the h 79 and I can only hope I will have better reliability. I doubt the picture is that much better because in HD the 7700 looked stellar! Goodluck all...I'm out, Joe...


That was the other PJ I was considering when I bought my BenQ. It looks like a great unit, but it is almost double the price. You could get the BenQ, a couple spare bulbs and still have a couple grand left to spend somewhere else.

I think this bulb issue has been blown way out of proportion. I remember back a couple years when I was first looking at buying a Sony Grand Wega LCD and all I heard was the bulb will go out in 3 month's time, this was a very big deal on these forums. Glad I took it with a grain of salt as I bought the Sony LCD and I have been very happy with it and my stock bulb lasted well over a year.

You don't mention if you are getting OTA or SAT HDTV or whether the connection from your STB to your projector is DVI/HDMI or component -- both of which will have a big impact on PQ.

1080i HDTV inherently has the potential for more motion artifacts on fast moving images (motion and interlacing don't mix well), and it only gets worse when broadcasters limit the bandwidth with which they record or send the HDTV signal or if the event is filmed with less than optimal conditions. Sometimes bandwidth “choke” originates with the network at the source and sometimes it is a problem of the local broadcaster.

This is why FOX and ABC opted for 720p because it does a better job at sports such as football and NASCAR (progressive inherently handles motion better than interlaced). ABC and FOX broadcast HD in native 720p, which perfectly matches the native resolution of the BenQ, and you should get 1x1 pixel matching if you use the DVI or HDMI connection. Nonetheless, your HD picture will only be as good as the broadcasting source.

My point is that your HDTV viewing experience may not improve with a different projector.

Thanks for the input, Im getting the signal through DirecTV, I think I have the problem all HD channel. The only thing other than this, is that, (you guys might kill me), I am using component not a digital input. I thought that even though there is a difference that it wasnt that "mind blowing".

Anyway, the problem with the colors, and the color blocks I sometimes get require the change, and I will let you know how it goes when I get the new one (november).

Thanks,

Max

This is why FOX and ABC opted for 720p because it does a better job at sports such as football and NASCAR (progressive inherently handles motion better than interlaced). ABC and FOX broadcast HD in native 720p, which perfectly matches the native resolution of the BenQ, and you should get 1x1 pixel matching if you use the DVI or HDMI connection. Nonetheless, your HD picture will only be as good as the broadcasting source.
Interesting - this should be accurate in theory, but in practice FOX is about the worst HD feed of them all (except for perhaps ESPN that isn't shot from a studio). All of the 1080i HD feeds that I watch are much better than the 720p ones, no matter whether it's slow or fast action.

That was the other PJ I was considering when I bought my BenQ. It looks like a great unit, but it is almost double the price. You could get the BenQ, a couple spare bulbs and still have a couple grand left to spend somewhere else.

I think this bulb issue has been blown way out of proportion. I remember back a couple years when I was first looking at buying a Sony Grand Wega LCD and all I heard was the bulb will go out in 3 month's time, this was a very big deal on these forums. Glad I took it with a grain of salt as I bought the Sony LCD and I have been very happy with it and my stock bulb lasted well over a year.

No pun intended but it was BLOWN out after 86 hours...Others have had it "blown out" twice now... BenQ support has a different story everytime, plus their hold times are very lengthy. Oh, and their cheesy them song, "benq, I love you, and I'm crazy for you" is forever tattoed into my brain...I actualy purchased an Optoma h 79(brand new) for under double the price of the benq...I think after hearing and reading about more potential problems this unit may have (Toshiba already gave up on their MT700 twin) I feel safer with another PJ...

Hey Tim:

You are right that the theory and reality of HDTV seldom seem to match up.

However, I thought FOX's Superbowl broadcast in 720p last Feb. looked pretty amazing on the BenQ while NBC's showing of the Summer Olympics in 1080i was problematic anytime water was involved.

The real issue is that if you feed the BenQ a quality 720p signal over an HDMI connection, you will get picture that is as good as it gets for under $5,000.

BenQ support told me yesterday that they have a batch of new lamps coming in next week and that the problems have been resolved. I am sending them my burned out lamp and they will send me one one next week.

When I looked at the lamp inside its plastic case, it appeared that the end of the bulb was melted, but maybe that is the way it was manufactured. Other than that I couldn't see any obvious black spots or other indications of it being burned out.

I've been feeding the 7700 a steady diet of 1080i from my Scientific Atlanta 8250 cable box thinking that the PJ's scalar will do a better job than the set top box. Also, most of the available HD channels are 1080i native. The box supports both a native pass through mode and a mode where you could fix it to something else like 720p or 1080i. Should I set the box to output 1080i, 720p or pass through. I played with pass through on my old X1 with this box but it took a long time to sync between channels. This behavior was annoying so I turned it off.

Anyone else trade up for an Optoma? I did. I just don't trust BenQ and their product. I went with the h 79 and I can only hope I will have better reliability. I doubt the picture is that much better because in HD the 7700 looked stellar! Goodluck all...I'm out, Joe...

You are smart. When I purchased a BenQ LCD I returned three off them for dead/stuck pixels and splotches under the screen. I ended up getting a refund because they couldn't give me a perfect panel. The real kicker is that all three of the panels found their way into other purchasers' hands without having the panels swapped or any attempts to fix the problems. I only found out about the issue because I had used the serial numbers to get the free DVD recorder with the purchase and other people had used them after me so BenQ called to confirm I had swapped units and to get my new serials. Sure enough after checking the serials with some other users having defective panels and examining the screens they turned out exactly the same. Needless to say, I doubt I will ever buy a BenQ product again unless there is no alternative.

BenQ support told me yesterday that they have a batch of new lamps coming in next week and that the problems have been resolved. I am sending them my burned out lamp and they will send me one one next week.

When I looked at the lamp inside its plastic case, it appeared that the end of the bulb was melted, but maybe that is the way it was manufactured. Other than that I couldn't see any obvious black spots or other indications of it being burned out.

I just talked to BQ service about 1 hr ago I was watching a movie and marking off my screen masking size so I could install my screens black boarder(Acrylic painted screen) and my bulb blew. This was the second bulb as the first had a flicker at 60hours and this one only has 70hrs but is 26 days out of warranty. I purchased the unit back in April and the bulb was June 2.

TWO THUMBS UP TO THE BENQ SERVICE DEPEARTMENT they emailed me a service call tag for shipping. They will install a new bulb from the new batch Dennis spoke of, clean the optics and mirror/chip for possible dust and will give the electronics a once over because I thought the fan might have quit working just before the bulb went. No charge and I don't even have to pay shipping, sweeeeeet.

I can't say enough about their great service, and this is the vary reason I purchased a BQ with a 3 year warranty. THANKS BENQ!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :)

I have a problem switching between HDMI and component inputs; here's my scenario.

I'm watching a source through my HTPC, which is via HDMI directly to my PJ. I use Power Strip and have resolution at 1280x720; it works great.
Then I switch to watch HDTV from my cable box, which is hooked up to my receiver, and from receiver to PJ via component; it equally works grean.
Now I switch back to my HDMI source, and PJ just says "HDMI(searching)"

I have to unplug/plug the HDMI cable to get a signal back (which forces the PJ to sync).

Any pointers? Sorry if this has this been discussed here before?

I realize this is an obvious answer, but mine gets fixed when I move the mouse or hit a key on the keyboard, which sends a signal back down the DVI cable. Other than that, I haven't had that problem..

I was planning to buy this as my first foray into PJ world especially due to the PIP of this unit. After reading about the bulb problems I'm not sure anymore. Does anyone know of another good FP with PIP? The PIP would be used for football of course. How does the PIP work on the Ben Q anyway? Haven't heard much mention of it. :confused:

In order to use PIP (or POP), you have to be running from two different groups of inputs (one Video and one Graphic). The Video group is Composite or S-Video, and the Graphic group is Component, RGBHV, or HDMI.

The Video group is very low quality. This feature is not very useful, it's not like the PIP/POP on CRT TV sets where the PQ of the 2 signals are identical.

Thanks Claus,

I guess I'll do old fashioned PIP. {another TV in the corner}. I'm waiting to see how the 7700 stacks up against the newer units coming out. Good luck to all with bulb failures.

Thanks Tim, but you're correct, that's too obvious - it does NOT work for me in this case. That's what I usually do though to get the PJ to display when my HTPC has been idle for a while, but it does not work in this case.

Hello all,

Just set up my new 7700 with a 92" Dalite Model B HC White screen in a completely light-controlled room. Everything looks great and it is everthing I expected. The one thing I notice is you have to watch out for a little white crush if you don't have the contrast down enough.

I wanted to see if anyone else had this combo and what their settings are? I have a calibration disc on the way, but would like to get other peoples input.

Also, what is the difference between the preset modes and why does 'home theatre' mode seem to be the best/most popular

Thanks

In order to use PIP (or POP), you have to be running from two different groups of inputs (one Video and one Graphic). The Video group is Composite or S-Video, and the Graphic group is Component, RGBHV, or HDMI.

The Video group is very low quality when in a PIP window. This feature is not very useful, it's not like the PIP/POP on CRT TV sets where the PQ of the 2 signals are identical.
I don't think S-video is that low of quality. Perhaps compared with HDMI at full screen, but I only have one HD source, so if that's taking up the 106" of real estate on my screen, it looks great (obviously). Then I have an SD source that can play through S-video, and the limiting factor by far is the source, not the S-video connection.

When using the projector, I get my room as dark as I can typically. Using old fashioned PIP (my 32" SDTV in the corner, to the left of the screen) is way too bright to allow them to work simultaneously without eye strain, going between the two.

PIP & POP work great for me -- sure I wish you could PIP or POP any two inputs, but I'm sure it was a cost/design decision, and not many people have multiple HD sources at this point.

I have a problem switching between HDMI and component inputs; here's my scenario.

I'm watching a source through my HTPC, which is via HDMI directly to my PJ. I use Power Strip and have resolution at 1280x720; it works great.
Then I switch to watch HDTV from my cable box, which is hooked up to my receiver, and from receiver to PJ via component; it equally works grean.
Now I switch back to my HDMI source, and PJ just says "HDMI(searching)"

I have to unplug/plug the HDMI cable to get a signal back (which forces the PJ to sync).

Any pointers? Sorry if this has this been discussed here before?

I'm doing the same except that I'm not using powerstrip. I can switch back and forth between the two sources. Why are you using powerstrip? I think most PCs with recent drivers can do 1280x720.

My lamp died last night after only 83 hours in economy mode. I came here to see if I was alone, but I guess I'm not. I suppose there's some comfort in that.

I will call BenQ and see what they say.

On PIP/POP, I agree with Tim. The PQ of the Video group is just fine in a small window since it is actually downrezzed to fit into the number of pixels used. Depending on how large you've set the PIP size, of course. 480i looks great on a DLP using 150-200 lines.

I haven't done much of this, but I used PIP for watching HD tennis and SD preseason NFL a while back and it was great. I was watching the football on a screen bigger than my analog 27" and it looked just as good. I ought to do this on Sunday afternoon. I seem to have a game or 2 every week that is not offered in HD, anyway. Probably be great in PIP.

The only problem I have with it is the aspect ratio. You cannot use different aspects for the 2 screens, and the SD is typically 4:3 stretched to fill 16:9 in real-world use. Maybe there's a workaround, I haven't played too much with it.

Basement, I have an nVidia card (GeForce FX5500) and 1280x720 does NOT seem one of its built-in settings, though it supports resolutions higher than that.

Download the latest drivers Zilla. They make a big difference.
Warren.

Basement, I have an nVidia card (GeForce FX5500) and 1280x720 does NOT seem one of its built-in settings, though it supports resolutions higher than that.

Hi zilla,

I just sent you a pm. I'm afraid I don't have any direct experience with nvidia cards. Check in to the HTPC forum.

So I know this is the proiector Thread but It looks like BENQ has introduced the 1920 x1080 LCD
Its not bad and here are the specs - I'm messing around with it for the next couple of days....

The picture looks great so far...

DV3750 (37") Specifications


Screen Size 37"
Aspect Ratio True 16:9
Resolution 1920(x3) x 1080
Brightness 550 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 800 : 1
Viewing Angle (L/R;U/D) (CR>=10) 85/85 (H), 85/85 (V)
Response time 8ms (Gray to Gray)
Video Compatibility PAL / SECAM / Full NTSC (M4.43) *
* PAL and SECAM not supported by TV tuner
Dimensions (W x H x D) (with stand) 40.33" x 25.94" x 4.80"
Weight 52.91/44.75 lbs
Power supply 200W (typical)
Input Signal Composite Input x 3
S-Video x 3
Component Video x 2
D-Sub 15 pin x 1
TV Tuner
DVI-D
Audio Input Stereo PC Audio x 2 (RCA)
Subwoofer x 1
Video Features 3:2 Pull Down Recovery
3D Edge Filtering
HDTV Compatible (480p, 720p, 1080i)
3D Y/C Comb Filter
Ultra High Contrast
Gamma Correction
User Situation Mode
Dynamic Cinema Scanning
Picture-in-Picture/Picture-on-Picture
Audio Features Detachable Speakers: 15W x 2 (Optional)
SRS TruSurround XT Sound Effect
Box Dimensions (W x H x D) 40.33" x 23.26" x 4.80"
Warranty 1 year limited warranty

More details on the LCD thread

OPPO DV971H DVD PLAYER ONLY SUPPORTS 480i W/COMPONET HOOK UP& DOES NOT DO NONE OF THE OTHER FORMATS (480P,720P 1080i) W/COMPONET VIDEO. WHY WOULD EVEN USE COMPONET VIDEO CHORD WHICH LEAVES NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO USE DVI OUTPUT FOR A GOOD PICTURE HOW DO I GET THE SCALING I NEED FOR THE REST 480P-720P-1080i etc WILL MY BENQ 7700 DO THE SCALING FOR ME. THE REASON I BOUGHT THE OPPO IS BECAUSE OF ITS HUGE SUCCESS WITH SCALING NOW I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THIS WITHOUT COMPONENT VIDEO SINCE THE COMPONENT OUTPUT ONLY SCALES 480i AND NOT 480p, 720p, 1080i, etc. W/OUT BUYING A SWITCH BOX TO GO TO MY PROJECTOR & DIRECT TV HD DVR TO GET ALL DIGITAL? IF I KNEW THIS (EXTRA $200-$400) I WOULD NEVER PURCHASED THIS UNIT! PLEASE HELP ME.THANKS
(ALSO IS THIS TRUE?I GOT THIS FROM ANOTHER POST) I organised a test on another 7700 today. The benq rep provided his projector and we experienced the same problem. It has also been a report of this by a someone in Europe. The oppo OPVD971H DVI output at 720P 50Hz is not supported by the benq 7700.)................. WHAT?PLEASE HELP ME

For the love of all that is good in this world, please turn off your caps lock.

A simple solution would be a DVI-HDMI cable.. It'll give a better picture than component anyway.

One of the things that turned me off with one of the lower end (800x600) projectors from infocus was the Mega blocky pixels. On some sources it made it looks like someone routed a signal through an Atari 2600. That pretty much did it for me for DLP and I bought the Panasonic ae500 and although the SDE was almost invisible, it reared it's ugly head in bright scenes.

My question is if the TI chip that the 7700 uses eliminates the SDE. I don't have a problem with the Rainbows, but the SDE drives me nuts.

Even with all of the bulb problems I am seriously considering either the 7700 or the Sanyo Z4. Why should I go back to DLP and is the picture laden with blockiness?

Thanks
Blake :)

You won't see SDE on 720p projectors when sitting at 1.3 x screen width or more. Your SDE was due to the use of a low resolution PJ and possibly sitting too close.

I still don't like Infocus PJs because I can't stand the way they process motion artifacts (they give me headaches). This does not show up on the PE7700, MT700, H77 or other DLP PJs.

Calibration question. I have the PE7700 and a matt-white 120" screen with 1.3 gain. I have the Avia disc with resolution set to 1280x720p via HDMI.

When calibrating brightness (black) level am I not supposed to see the moving bars on the "black half" of the image? Well I don't see them no matter how bright I set it. Is this my misinterpretation of the tool? If not, what am I doing wrong?

I just set up my Benq pe7700 and everthing is great, but I have a Dalite Model B 92" screen in a light-controlled environment and while I do like the screen, I notice a 'frosty' effect when projecting bright scenes. The 'reflective' material is showing up I guess and it is annoying me. Also, the whites are a lot brighter than any other tone or color and I can't seem to get rid of this with calibration, etc.

I'm thinking maybe I should get the Matte White as there is no reflective material on it, etc (The gain is only .1 less (1.1 to 1.0).

I'm thinking that 1100 lumens (880 in econo) is bright enough at 92" not to need any 'help' with HC material. What do you think?

Has anyone seen both screens?

Thanks.

ohcello, have you tried calibrating your PJ to your settings/environment?

ohcello -- I agree, you really need to calibrate. I am using a Da-Lite Hi-Power 106" screen (gain = 2.8) and I had to use a ND2 filter to cut the brightness to acceptable levels (MT700, the PE7700 twin). It sounds like your Contrast (white level) isn't set right, the max brightness (1100 lumens) isn't helping. With "only :rolleyes:" a 92" screen, a MW screen is very bright but the HCMW should really give you a spectacular picture, since it should enhance the CR even more. And use the eco (880 lumens) mode, it's more than bright enough and you will get much better lamp life to boot.

Zilla -- You need to switch the input to component and then set the NTSC Mode to "Japan" (Menu -> Setup -> NTSC Mode -> Japan, US). You cannot change it while you are in the HDMI input mode. The US mode sets the minimum black level at 7.5 IRE and will crush the blacks (so you won't be able to see the moving black bars).

I only use econo mode, and I've tried extensive calibration... it seems more a function of the screen material itself,.... that 'frosty' effect that is not present on the wall, etc.

I think its due to the 'reflective' material on the screen.

I'm just trying to see if the matte white has any reflective material or not, or if it still somehow has a frosty effect.

Don't get me wrong, the image is spectacular, but it just bothers me on some screens, and no matter what I do with white levels or other settings, it is there.

Thanks

Claus, my IRE "is" set to 0 - the very first thing I set on the PJ based on this group's recommendation. :) Now having set it to 0 IRE, do I still need component input to be able to view the moving black bars?

You shouldn't have a problem seeing them over HDMI. Component is usually where the problem occurs. You should see at least two vertical bars with the brightness turned up (contrast also affects this so check it as well) and you turn down the brightness until the bar to the left almost dissappears.

If you have a DVD with THX Optimizer (The Incredibles for example), try using it for your black level setting and see if you can see seven horizontal boxes.

I was wondering if any of you would know where I can demo a PE7700 in the Chicago, Illinois area? I currently have a LT240K and have the upgrade itch. If anyone has the PE7700 and would be kind enough to let me come by to see it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Steve

Zilla.
FYI
I just calibrated my 7700 with Avia (Sone 1 NTSC) I also use DVE (PAL Sone 2).
No problems seeing the moving black bars. The difference between using Avia and DVE is very small if not to say neglectable. I am using the HDMI input and 0 IRE.

CameratJoe, thanks for the FYI. I don't understand why I don't see the moving black bars no matter how high I turn the brightness up. I used the THX calibration in Terminator2 to set up blacks, and I can hardly see the 7th black square. Could the blacks in my particular model be that crushed? I calibrated a CRT monitor and I see them.

That does seem strange Zilla that your 7700 would be that far off. Could the DVD player’s settings be affecting your results. Maybe the 7700 can’t compensate enough for the players default settings.

Just a guess

Zilla & checklst.

I was also going to suggest the DVD player, but the Avia disk does say that it is not necessary that the DVD player shows BTB, so I did not mention it? My DVD player is a Pioneer 868 (european version). However if you used the same DVD player & cable to set up the CRT monitor it must be ok.

The settings I arrived at after calibration:
HDMI @720P with Avia
Contrast -7
Brightness 5
Colour 7
Tint 0
Sharpness -1
I also adjusted the colours, but I do not remember the settings.
Forgot to mention it, but I also use a Hoya NDx2 filter.

My bulb just went after less than 200 hours. I am waiting for the warranty replacement. Has anyone had the replacement bulb fail yet?

ACS130, sorry to hear your lamp failed. Mine failed yesterday on my MT700 at about 130 hours.

It seems that the original buld as shipped with the BenQ PE7700 is failing, but what about the replacement bulb? Is that one failing as well. I haven't heard about this happening yet, which is encouraging.

Zilla & checklst.

I was also going to suggest the DVD player, but the Avia disk does say that it is not necessary that the DVD player shows BTB, so I did not mention it? My DVD player is a Pioneer 868 (european version). However if you used the same DVD player & cable to set up the CRT monitor it must be ok.


Thanks CameratJeo for the Avia info, I am still in the new learning curve so pay no attention to my babble.

The DVD player could be the culprit if it has Brightness adjustments available for the output you're using. In the case of a Bravo D2 I used to use, dropping the Brightness level just one notch was enough to lose the second black bar from being displayed.

My "DVD player" is an HTPC so I'll look into the color adjustments/controls of my video card, which is an nVidia GeForce FX 5500.

The second bulbs are failing for some. It seems there was a bad batch of bulbs that was just recently fixed.
Warren.

Dear, All
I got my 7700 for a week i can't wait for RUBY or 1080p anymore now so far I AM VERY impress, happy with PQ only some noise that makes me anony. i dont know and i am not sure it is from the DVD or scaler...or 7700 my system setup and carlibated by pro team from dealer that i bought 7700 ...
what i can tell to join you guys here
1. Noise becomes getting anony yes sometime not all the time :mad: i really want to get rib of it.
2. i saw and got lipsynce only from Die another day last night ( dise US Zone 1 NTSC) after i try another movie i dont feel it.
3 I saw jaggie mostly all the time from musice vdo or some logo wanner borhter
4. noise of fan comes from UPS i can live with it.
5. saw RBE only once time and then later on never see it again i think becasue i moved my head fast pass the screen
6. artifact lack or .... i think it is ok coz 7700 tells me enough now how good is it :D

I try to compare noise from DVD and my cable TV( it is really bad Quality in my country) we have NOT had good quality likes HD on air here yet even HD cable. Of cause PQ DVD is the best but nosie come along too.
I DO try watch SDTV via my system upscale to 720p it is ok It's less less NOISE but if I watch dvd i mean I saw " noise" sometimes i feel it too much :eek: :mad:

i ask the dealer and he said it is new all machines need to run burn for awhile and after 100 hrs they will come to reset and calribate again.. and the noise mostly comes from DVD player 969avi(59avi US version) as he said. i want to modify the AC part of DVD because it does not have AC ground yet also i may use isolater to connect with DVD player .. and get better AC cord for DVD

Anyone ??? use the simmilar system or any advice please tell me if you have the same problem or how to get rid of it i want to get it less NOISE

my bed room 4x5 m. system
7700 memo 1 RGB gain 487 R 12
contrst 4 G 469 G 11
brightness -8 B 429 B 2
colcor 6

HDP
memo A 60 Hz NTSC
memo B 50 Hz Pal

audio system
AV3805 change AC Cord VHL streampower version
delay time L 0
C -8
R -1
SR +5.5
SL +5
SW -3

M&K xeon 25 set 5.1 Van Den Hul cable snowline
moster cabel 2.5 m. for SuB crossover Freg 100Hz

seat from screen 3.8m. and lay in bed to watch it
pe 7700 mount on ceilling it is far 3.66m. from screen no zoom NOW RUNNING NEARLY 23hrs
stewart 92" 16:9 grayhawk RS
DVD 969avi 480i via HDMI
scaler LUmagen HDP setup 720P
MGE UPS 1100 va true on line + pure sinwave for 7700 and Lumagen ( in my country the AC power is not good enough to stand alone)
use high grade cable HDMI>DVI 2m. dvd969avi > HDP
use high grade cable DVI> HDMI 5m. HDP > 7700

Tanakon

When sending in the BenQ PE7700 bulb for replacement, do I send in the whole thing that I pulled out of the projector or is the bulb removed from the enclosure some how? Thanks for the help.

The bulb is part of the assembly and the entire assemble that pulls out of the projector gets returned.

Zilla & checklst.

I was also going to suggest the DVD player, but the Avia disk does say that it is not necessary that the DVD player shows BTB, so I did not mention it? My DVD player is a Pioneer 868 (european version). However if you used the same DVD player & cable to set up the CRT monitor it must be ok.

The settings I arrived at after calibration:
HDMI @720P with Avia
Contrast -7
Brightness 5
Colour 7
Tint 0
Sharpness -1
I also adjusted the colours, but I do not remember the settings.
Forgot to mention it, but I also use a Hoya NDx2 filter.

Thanks, but settings are really personal, meaning, depending on the screen, room light, etc. Though one can compare with your settings.

I was able to see the moving black bars after I messed with my graphics card's settings. Now I need to re-calibrate.

It looks like benq is offering a free bulb ($18 shipping) via rebate until the end of the year when you purchase a pe7700 from an authorized dealer.

That is a nice move to convince those of us still sitting on the fence.... Now they should ship a free bulb to those of you who had one blow.

hmmmm..can we get a free bulb even if our current bulb hasnt blown yet?

I know they have a shelf life themselves...but free....

Great,

I just purchased mine on 9/17 and now they have a free bulb offer on 10/1.

I called BenQ and they told me no exceptions they could not offer me anything.

Has anyone ever got an exception from Benq or Visual Apex with rebates, etc?

hmmmm..can we get a free bulb even if our current bulb hasnt blown yet?

I know they have a shelf life themselves...but free....


does anyone know what are the shelf lives are?

Update on my projector bulb... I received my PJ back yesterday (shipped last Wednesday), and it works just as well as before. Just a new bulb in it now. They were going to upgrade the HDMI board to one that is more compatible with HDCP, but they weren't going to get the boards in for a couple of weeks and I didn't want to wait that long since I know I won't have any HDCP issues for at least the next couple of years. So it took a bit longer than I would have liked, but I didn't have to pay one cent to get a replacement bulb. I just hope it's from the new batch..

They need to ship them with a new bulb. I still am shocked over the high amount of people reporting bad bulbs. I am even more shocked to hear benq C.S. say, 'This is the first time we have heard of this. " Miltimj, congrats on getting back your pj safely. Hopefuly the bulb is from the new batch. I just hope their "free" bulbs aren't left overs of the defective batch. I guess that got to get rid of them somehow...

I personally would not be to worried about BQ have a back stock on the old bulbs, my dealer said the bulbs have been in short supply since the PJ came out back in April. Inventory is not one of the things companies don't carry much of anymore.

Well that’s just my opinion and info from my dealer anyway. :)

They need to ship them with a new bulb. I still am shocked over the high amount of people reporting bad bulbs. I am even more shocked to hear benq C.S. say, 'This is the first time we have heard of this. " Miltimj, congrats on getting back your pj safely. Hopefuly the bulb is from the new batch. I just hope their "free" bulbs aren't left overs of the defective batch. I guess that got to get rid of them somehow...

I may be wrong but I think I've heard a report of this from Toshiba, not Benq.

I just got off the phone from Benq. My old bulb was shipped to them late last week and I'm waiting for a replacement. As noted by others, there is a supply problem. A batch of bulbs had just been received through their overseas supplier late last week and is now in the process of clearing customs. They expect to have them late this week and will ship to those waiting for them soon after.

I too hope that these bulbs deals with this problem. Even though benq seems willing to replace them, it's an annoyance to have to do it over and over.

They expect to have them late this week and will ship to those waiting for them soon after.

Bummer. Another full week or so with no projector. The idea of a spare bulb is sounding pretty good.

No exceptions on the free bulb; it's exclusively for "new" customers - per BenQ customer service.

I think the 7700 is being replaced shortly. Look at the prices at AVS sponsors.

I think the 7700 is being replaced shortly. Look at the prices at AVS sponsors.


Possible, but I think it could be a response to hold market share and keep sales up with the release of the AE900 and Sanyo. All the reviews show the picture quality of the completion is now on an equal footing. I think lowering their street price and offering a bulb coupon makes good business since, it throws the advantage in their favor if the fight comes down to warranties and service.

The Sanyo has a 3 year, Panasonic 1, but Sanyo has taken quite a beating on this form and other forms over not replacing over heated burnt LCD panels under their warranty. So I think BQ is playing the game well!!!!!!!

JMO

Yep, you're right. I hadn't taken into account the price pressure from the D5 720P LCD projectors. It would be nice to know if you're ordering a 7700 *with* the new bulb. What would the chances of that be?

hi
i am in milwaukee with a pe7700 if you get up this way
Eric
262-344-3728

I was wondering if any of you would know where I can demo a PE7700 in the Chicago, Illinois area? I currently have a LT240K and have the upgrade itch. If anyone has the PE7700 and would be kind enough to let me come by to see it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Steve

Responding to Steve ... see above

Hello,
I've been thinking of buying a PE7700 since the prices have come down and now they offer a free replacement bulb but I would like some basic information that I can't seem to find in the 7700 manual and that is when the projector is connected via component cable can the user adjust the aspect ratios e.g. anamorphic, 4:3, Letter-box, etc.? Also, when connected via HDMI can the user use different aspect ratios? I need this info since I will mate this projector to my Zenith DVD player that upscales via component cables. Thanks for any help.

Yes, you can adjust aspect ratios independent of the connection method (any of them). If they didn't, nobody would buy it. :)

On the Tosh, you can't adjust AR when fed HD signals over component. Only SD signals. You can adjust AR with the HDMI input regardless of signal type.

On the Tosh, you can't adjust AR when fed HD signals over component. Only SD signals. You can adjust AR with the HDMI input regardless of signal type.

Ok I'm officially confused, but that’s easy today since I'm running on 3 hours sleep.
I know my 7700 will AR a HDMI from my DVD and I have AR a DVD 480I over component and was going to responded I was not sure it would do a 480P/720P ect..... over component because my Oppo does not up scale DVD over component.

Spiky are you talking HD as in HDTV signal coming in from cable or satellite or are you talking about up scale over component 480p/720p or 1080I from a DVD player that can up scale over component and Tosh does not have AR control over dvd up scale component.

Man I need a nap!!!!I ‘m confused over what I typed LOL!!!!!! :confused:

BigLouGI, aspect ratio adjustment is "independent" of video source or connection.

The 'zoom' setting (intended to fill the 16:9 projected area with the video from a 4:3 signal that contains 16:9 letterboxed content) does not work properly-it does not zoom in equal amounts vertically and horizontally. If there has been any 'firmware update' announcement to fix this yet, I am not aware of it.

I was in my local big box store and I was surprized to see this model there. I didnt get to play around with it as I was ina rush (Just picking up my powerbook), but I think I'm going to head back this weekend to see it.

I haven't used it in awhile, but when my HDTivo was hooked up via component, I could not change AR/zoom. Pressing any of the 5 buttons had no effect. This was a 720p signal. I can change AR/zoom with my DVDp whether sending 480i/480p over component.

Repair up date!!!!!! last Friday I was marking out my screens black boarders, due to some ambient light I kicked my 7700 up on high and noticed the fan was rather quiet. A few min's later it went black and gave me an overheat light. I called my dealer and left message with my sales person of possible bulb problem, and then called Benq tech support.

Long story short he said he would fix the fan and clean the entire optical path and chip housing due a dust problem I was having and even though I was well past the 90 day bulb warranty he was going to replace the bulb free with the new designed bulb they just got in and emailed me a second day air ship label for the return. WOW nice service!!

Then on Monday the service manager from my dealer called and offered me a bulb from his stock if BQ was out of stock. I appreciated his offer and service, but said I’ll wait on the redesigned bulb from Benq. My unit left this Wed on the return trip to me and I should get it today or Mon. Not sure what service and warranty backing everyone else is getting, but mine has been Red carpet for sure!!!!!

Now if I could only get my drywall guys back in to fix this crap job they did, I could complete this HT and enjoy my new projector!!!!!!! :D

Heading out PJ shopping tonight...wish me luck...

Okay...I'm trying to juggle between this projector and the Z3. Now this is more but I'm willing to pay the extra money to have it.

I plan on using it for videogames, movies and some HD (football and fight nights).

Now are there any member here that have used this PJ for gaming? if so how was it?
Was there a delay like some of the rear DLP PJ out on the market?.

Unfortunatly, there are no stores that have it on display in my area so I have to go on what you guys here tell me. The big box store setup was terrible. They had one but it was sold as there was little in their warehouse (the guy checked, there was 2) so it was not on display. They had others but even if it was there the show case was terrible.

Please help...

Most projector displays are aweful anyway. I used it for gaming just a bit. Played Chronicles of Riddick on it. I didn't notice any problem, but that isn't a terribly fast game.
Warren.

Was talking with someone at Harmony remote who happened to play a lot of games on his PJ, chose the BenQ because of their zero dead pixel policy and three year warranty.

Just passing this along.

I'm afraid to hook up our Gamecube since the kids might (will) like it. I may just have to do that this weekend though just to try it.

I had sent my 7700 into BenQ for repair of an HDMI issue. When I received it back the lamp counter was showing a little over a hour of use (previously had 200+ hours on original bulb). Tech support stated the bulb had been replaced and the new one was had tested for an hour. He stated some wire in the bulbs were too thin and getting burned out because of the high temperatures. The new bulbs being sent out had a heavier gauge wire. Don't know anything about the bulbs so am unsure of the validity of his statement.

Sure is nice to receive a new bulb without even having a problem. I have become impressed with BenQ's support.

I just got my replacement bulb today. They sent it Fedex second day air and I was only down a little over a week. Installed the new bulb and things are back to normal. I hope that this one will last a LONG time. So far, I am impressed with BenQ support.

I found that I have been using my Benq 7700 more and more for gaming lately. I notice no delay or lag. There is nothing like playing Medal of Honor in my theater with the bullets wizing by and bombs going off in surround sound not to mention the huge screen :).

I will soon be added to the 7700 ranks. I ordered it today and (needless to say) I'm excited.

It is replacing my H31. I opted to stay DLP during the "upgrade". I was going to opt for the Z4 but I can't wait for mid-Nov.

Besides, I think that DLP is better. That's right... I said it.... better. ;)

I will soon be added to the 7700 ranks. I ordered it today and (needless to say) I'm excited.

It is replacing my H31. I opted to stay DLP during the "upgrade". I was going to opt for the Z4 but I can't wait for mid-Nov.

Besides, I think that DLP is better. That's right... I said it.... better. ;)

You are going to love it!!!!!!! BQ really stands behind their product, you can see my post in this thread a few days ago about how well Benq has giving me the red carpet treatment.

I just un pack my unit from repair and can't wait to try out the new redesigned bulb, you might want to verify from your dealer you are getting a unit with the new bulb or at lease a free redesigned bulb on the new program they offer!!!!!

Just as a FYI the tech rep I talked to said the new bulb has a thicker heaver coil in the bulb.

Good choice :)

Hiya fellas,

Great board, been lurking for awhile.

I've decided to purchase a BenQ 7700 and I'm using it for movies, HDTV, and some gaming.

I'm currently in the process of remodeling my house, and will be moving back in the next couple months, and I needed to start deciding how I was going to purchase the PJ, etc. I'm a total newb to all this stuff. So I have a couple questions that I'd appreciate answered, if any of you have the time.

I live in Los Angeles. What's the best place to purchase the PJ in the area? I'd really like to physically buy it from somewhere in case of a malfunction. However, I'm also looking for a good price and good warranty and no-dead pixel clause (I've had some LCD monitor nightmares with dead pixels...).

How do I get one with the new bulb?

What's the best screen to buy? I'm not Mr. Moneybags, but I don't want to shaft the picture quality big-time just to save a buck. I have a 6 ft. wallspace and my viewing distance is between 9-11 ft.

Do I absolutely have to mount it to the ceiling?

How do I calibrate the darn thing? I know a lot of it is personal preference, but is there any no-brainer things I should know going into it?

Thank you very much in advance and I apologize for my newbness in the art of projectors .