www.hometheaterhifi.com

Heres the direct link: (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_14_4/benq-w10000-projector-12-2007-part-1.html)

Nice review by Kris as always.

Hopefully the W20000 will follow in the same footsteps with a few tweaks. Could be an awesome projector.

Seems strange to me that Marantz and Sim2 pj's have a minimum throw of ~ 1.5 screen widths, while BenQ's min throw is quite a bit longer. I guess that the light engines of these dlp pj's, though they all use the same dmd chip, are quite different. Optoma and Infocus also are dlp's with long throws. So are Marantz and Sim2 the only two with a relatively short throw?

The shorter the throw the more of the lens, in theory the closer to the center of the lens the less CA/better picture quality, is having to be used. Maybe that has a little bit to do with it.

Good point, Catdaddy. I take this to mean that if you restrict the pj to longer throw, you can get by with a less expensive lens system. Makes sense.

I would think it goes both ways, Bill. The longer throw options, of the Marantz and SIM2 projectors, also are more pricey, but there I believe its because there are more elements/pieces of glass involved.

I know that the BenQ did a great job with the optics they have. I could get the 10K to deliver one of the sharpest images I've seen to date and pretty much no CA at all, even at the far end of the screens. As I mentioned in the review I could focus tight enough to see the dimple in the center of the pixel on the screen clearly. That is crisp!!

Thanks for that review, Kris. I've owned the W10K for a couple of months now watching standard dvd only and I am amazed at the quality of the picture. Your review only served to reinforce my decision to buy this prohjector when I decided I wanted a 1080p projector. I will be getting a Bluray player and a HD DVD player in the next week or two and can't wait to see the Benq do its stuff with HD material.

Re: HDMI connection. Did you encounter any problems ? I read elsewhere in the forum about a color issue ( purplish ) when using HDMI with the W10K.

I hear this projector could be had for an amazing price. Funlvr has it has his main PJ right now while he waits on his new PJ, in the next few months, and he tells me while it isnt quite his 11S1 that it is not too far off, and that he believes it does a couple of things better .. like blacks, or brightness when he needs it (likely due to dual-iris.)

Never had an HDMI issue. Most of the time if you see purple when a projector locks on it means there was something wrong with the EDID polling and the wrong colorspace was selected. This was a frustration I had quite a bit with the Anthem D2 and I've seen the same thing happen with some Denon receivers. It just depends on whether or not something in the chain changes the color space.

How is the black level and brightness at the best black level setting with the iris?

Great blacks and decent brightness. I was getting about 8-9 fL with the iris completely closed. Remember, the BenQ also lets you run high lamp mode with no increase in noise so if you need brighter you have that option. You can also open the iris slightly since it has so many settings.

Is it not a serious design flaw that a high-end projector cannot decode the HD 709 color space?
I recall Stacey Spears posting SD and HD colorspace decoding errors and the deviation was significant.

I mentioned it in the review. It is a flaw and one that I hope they'll fix. Funny thing is all of the HD content out there is encoded in SMPTE C right now as opposed to HD, but how many people are harping on that? Or the HUGE deviation of color you see with the JVC design.

It would be interesting to look at it side by side with one that does do the decoding correctly to see how much variation there is.

That was a one highly intelligent, well thought out and crafty response. Hopefully though we didn’t forget the subject of this thread. :)

Perhaps we can agree there is no real or absolute (re: Alan’s essay) color standard as color accuracy has been replaced by artistic indulgence and varies from scene, program and advertisement. Frankly, I don't care for the 709 standard anyway, as it leaves out to many pleasing and saturated colors.
Absolute color accuracy must not be too important at Secrets either, as the review of the BenQ W10000 is closed by stating:
"Those looking for high quality 1080p performance, image accuracy, and lots of flexibility in setup and calibration should put this one on their short list. The W10000 gets my highest recommendation."

Well considering it is one of the VERY few projectors that allows you to dial in gamma, primaries, secondaries and the iris (fL), I think that closing statement is quite accurate.

We might as well get the other Benq W1000 nasty out of the way.
quote:
"The HD side is another story. This projector cannot do proper inverse telecine de-interlacing of 1080i sources to its full 1080p resolution. It essentially does a "Bob" style weaving which results in several artifacts and an apparent loss in resolution compared with a good 1080p feed."

As we both know "Bob" deinterlacing throws out 50% of the films vertical resolution. The W1000's crude form of downsampling only displays 1920*540 lines of resolution, which looks just terrible, especially when highly magnified.
Therefore this projector should not be recommended for use with any cable or satellite HDTV receiver.
The real issue is the projector is an older design and about to be replaced with updated technology.

Lastly, as you are probably aware a current poll asks display owners if they noticed any clarity differences with 1080i (broadcast) vs 720p sources. If I owed the W1000 and voted truthfully, I might well be the only respondent in this forum to have selected 720p as superior.

Thanks for the good review! :)

I mentioned it in the review. It is a flaw and one that I hope they'll fix. Funny thing is all of the HD content out there is encoded in SMPTE C right now as opposed to HD, but how many people are harping on that? Or the HUGE deviation of color you see with the JVC design.

It would be interesting to look at it side by side with one that does do the decoding correctly to see how much variation there is.

Hey kris!

If it's doing 601 as you say, the error isn't particularly minor. Significance is subjective, but greens will look pretty funky (green push). Things with grass, especially sports will look kind of fake neon-green. Keith Jack has put up some little demo images that show the degree of error, and it is mostly with green.

http://www.sigmadesigns.com/public/Support/chromaticity.html

For some people it may be a big deal, for others they'd probably never know or care. I think it's a fairly crude(and kind of clumsy design mistake) error though, but an easy one to fix hopefully.

As I understand it, the proj is doing Rec. 601, but the studios and engineers are still using SMPTE-C monitors, also Rec. 601, even for mastering HD material, so the outcome will be perfect.

The problem will arise when the studios and engineers switch to Rec. 709. It is a defect waiting to happen.

The new BENQ W5000 amd W20000 use HQV proc, eliminating one problem. Dual Iris: one manual; one automatic. Philips VIDI Bulb.

see www.benq.com European site.

All we need now is reviews for the Benq 5000 and 20000.:cool:

The W5000 is currently available in Europe. Hold your breath for reviews.

I know and it can be had for 3000$ at some places. But the reviews in the german boards don't seem to be overly euphoric. :rolleyes:
I also would need 10cm more room for my 2.5m screen with the 5000 than with a 9000 or 10000. Decisions are so tough these days.

I have a similar problem. If I go for any of these BenQ pjs I'll have to either do the DIY tweak on the W10000 to extend the throw due to my desire for a 133" screen with only 17' from screen to projector wall, or I'll have to just be satisfied to continue using my 106" screen.

Another option for me is to go slightly bigger to a 110" or 112" screen which would be the absolute limit for my room's dimensions.

However, there is another way that I don't hear much about these days and that would be to use a first surface mirror in conjunction with facing the projector to the back wall and reflecting it off this mirror which would then be painstakingly adjusted to send the image to the screen.

Has anyone tried this successfully and might it be an option for the BenQ pjs given that those with average sized rooms need some creative solutions in order to utilize larger screens?

Wayne

Great blacks and decent brightness. I was getting about 8-9 fL with the iris completely closed. Remember, the BenQ also lets you run high lamp mode with no increase in noise so if you need brighter you have that option. You can also open the iris slightly since it has so many settings.

Interesting. Unless my math is worse than I think, 9 Fl with a contrast ratio of 4200:1 would give a black level of .002 (using the Ultimate AV system). Very close to the RS1/VW60 but less bright. Brighter however than the Sharp z20000 I should have bought on eBay for under $3k.

9 Fl is a tad dim, but the same Ultimate AV system gives my current projector (VP4001) a mere 6 FL in its High Contrast 6K:1 mode and I actually use the HC mode with my 120" grey screen for dark movies.

So the W10000 could be a comparative bargain at the prices I am seeing them for.

As for the W5000, after the initial very positive review from Germany, subsequent chatter on the forum there is less positive. Consensus seems to be that native and ANSI CR is rather lame for DLP, the new Epson has deeper blacks, and that the iris is less effective than the Sony one. This is a shame.

Kris, great review but I was hoping to see some comparisons to your reference Marantz projector. I know in the past youve frequently made reference to it but not here, any reason why?

I think we can draw our own conclusions on the video processing but things like black level, brightness, sharpness, video noise would be useful comparisons.

Steve:

The DC3 chip in the W20000 might take care of the On/Off and ANSI contrast issues in the W5000. But it wouldn't do a thing for the Iris problem, as they are the same in both projs.

Kris, great review but I was hoping to see some comparisons to your reference Marantz projector. I know in the past youve frequently made reference to it but not here, any reason why?

I think we can draw our own conclusions on the video processing but things like black level, brightness, sharpness, video noise would be useful comparisons.

I reserve comments like that for forums normally. The review does make some comparisons to other models out there though and if you read the two reviews it is easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of both.

The 11S1 was slightly sharper than the BenQ, but absolute blacks and overall contrast was slightly better with the BenQ. Video processing is MUCH better with the Marantz models. I wish Marantz would include more tweakability like the BenQ though for dialing in gamma and color, but the Marantz performance out of the box is better than the BenQ in these areas. The 11S1 requires almost no calibration at all whereas the BenQ does.

The BenQ is slightly brighter and with the iris having so many steps it is easier to dial in a brightness you like (while sacrificing contrast of course) as the bulb ages. It is also a lot quieter and can be run in high lamp mode with no increase in sound.

It is surprising just how good the BenQ is in comparison to the 11S1. The S1 is just a tad more refined in certain areas (sharpness, uniformity) and has better processing and performance out of the gate. It wouldn't take much for BenQ to get there though.

Kris-

And how about the VP-15S1 compared to the W10000 (and VP-11S1)?

I don't comment much on projectors that I am still reviewing. I can comment more after the review is published.

I reserve comments like that for forums normally. The review does make some comparisons to other models out there though and if you read the two reviews it is easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of both.

The 11S1 was slightly sharper than the BenQ, but absolute blacks and overall contrast was slightly better with the BenQ. Video processing is MUCH better with the Marantz models. I wish Marantz would include more tweakability like the BenQ though for dialing in gamma and color, but the Marantz performance out of the box is better than the BenQ in these areas. The 11S1 requires almost no calibration at all whereas the BenQ does.

The BenQ is slightly brighter and with the iris having so many steps it is easier to dial in a brightness you like (while sacrificing contrast of course) as the bulb ages. It is also a lot quieter and can be run in high lamp mode with no increase in sound.

It is surprising just how good the BenQ is in comparison to the 11S1. The S1 is just a tad more refined in certain areas (sharpness, uniformity) and has better processing and performance out of the gate. It wouldn't take much for BenQ to get there though.

Dear Kris,

thank you very much for your review of the W10000 pr. May i ask you one question? Due to the actual discussion here in Germany I would like to know whether the W10000 does correctly work with the 1080p/24Hz signals. Does the pr. accept the signals and does the pr. displays the signals in 24H oder 48, 72, etc.? Woulb be great to know. In Germany there are rumors that the W9000 and W10000 have the same problems like the W5000. This does mean that they accept the 1080p/24Hz Signal but they "recalculate" it internally into 1080p/60Hz which consequently results in the pulldown bug. Especially with HD DVD there seem to be specific problems. Would be great to get an expert answer for the W10000.

Best Regards from Germany
Jo

The W10000 will properly synch to a 1080p24 signal. It does not recalculate it back to 60hz. My DVDO video processor has a specific test pattern for this, and the W10000 passes it without issue.

Dear Kris,

thank you very much for your review of the W10000 pr. May i ask you one question? Due to the actual discussion here in Germany I would like to know whether the W10000 does correctly work with the 1080p/24Hz signals. Does the pr. accept the signals and does the pr. displays the signals in 24H oder 48, 72, etc.? Woulb be great to know. In Germany there are rumors that the W9000 and W10000 have the same problems like the W5000. This does mean that they accept the 1080p/24Hz Signal but they "recalculate" it internally into 1080p/60Hz which consequently results in the pulldown bug. Especially with HD DVD there seem to be specific problems. Would be great to get an expert answer for the W10000.

Best Regards from Germany
Jo


As Josh mentioned it has no issue at all with 24p material. And the player does not need to have a forced output either. I used the BenQ with several Blu-ray players outputting 24p and the Toshiba A35 and never had a single issue. The 10K displays it as 48Hz.

Kris,
Would one of the newer AV receivers using HQV video processing even the playing field with the 11S1?

It would even the playing field in terms of video processing, yes. The difference between the BenQ and the Marantz isn't that dramatic, you're paying for refinement in some areas. Most of the 1080p projectors are pretty damn close in performance these days. You are essentially looking for the small things more than huge differences.

Does the BenQ use a 5x color wheel? How does RBE on it compare with say the Sharp 20K?

Good review, Kris!

It sounds like a good VP would take care of most of the minor issues you had with this pj.

Good review, Kris!

It sounds like a good VP would take care of most of the minor issues you had with this pj.

Thats exactly why I use it with my Anthem D2, its a great combo, I see none of what Kris speaks about since I dont use any of the processing from the projector itself

It would even the playing field in terms of video processing, yes. The difference between the BenQ and the Marantz isn't that dramatic, you're paying for refinement in some areas. Most of the 1080p projectors are pretty damn close in performance these days. You are essentially looking for the small things more than huge differences.

Kris, this is exactly right, I owned both of these projectors at the same time, and while I feel that the Marantz 11S1 edges out the W10000 in certain areas, after I got the W10000 calibrated I was content that it was close enough to the 11S1 that I could sell the Marantz, whats new on the horizon? W20000, Marantz 11S2 or perhaps sim HT 3000E, all of which interest me to some degree and for different reasons. The W10000 is a bargain at its price point especially when you think of how it performs

There's a seller with good prices for these used at Projector Central, with new bulb and full factory warranty.

Kris,
Would one of the newer AV receivers using HQV video processing even the playing field with the 11S1?

It would even the playing field in terms of video processing, yes. The difference between the BenQ and the Marantz isn't that dramatic, you're paying for refinement in some areas. Most of the 1080p projectors are pretty damn close in performance these days. You are essentially looking for the small things more than huge differences.

Good to know. One more Q. Would using the AV receiver's processor nullify the W10000's compatible with Panamorph; 2.35?

I was wondering about the colour wheel speed as well. I know that it states there is a 5x wheel, but I've heard that if you select the quieter fan mode (whisper) it slows to 4x. Is this true? Also, I read that you can also select either 200W or 250W lamp power. Does this affect fan noise, and/or wheel speed?
Thanks

I was wondering about the colour wheel speed as well. I know that it states there is a 5x wheel, but I've heard that if you select the quieter fan mode (whisper) it slows to 4x. Is this true? Also, I read that you can also select either 200W or 250W lamp power. Does this affect fan noise, and/or wheel speed?

Turning on Whisper mode reduces the lamp mode to 200W and the color wheel to 4x. Turning that off gives you 250W and 5x.

Kris wasn't bothered by the difference in noise between the two settings, but in my room the projector is very close to my seat, and I do find the noise increase with high power mode to be objectionable. Your mileage may vary.

Thanks.
Mine should arrive today actually. It was sort of a spur of the moment thing when I bought it last week. A well known store had it on sale her in Canada for less than the 9000. I've been using an HD70 for a few weeks, but it's got some issues, so it's going back to BB. I just figured I didn't want to pass up such a great price on what seems to be a sound machine. I have yet to see any rainbows with the Optoma, but I have had a bit of eye strain the last few days. I'm hoping the W10000 with more segments (plus no white one) and faster wheel might just be the ticket.

Kris-

What is the vertical lens shift on the W10000? I thought it was top to bottom of screen, but your review seems to indicate otherwise. Thanks.

Bob

I reserve comments like that for forums normally. The review does make some comparisons to other models out there though and if you read the two reviews it is easy to see the strengths and weaknesses of both.

The 11S1 was slightly sharper than the BenQ, but absolute blacks and overall contrast was slightly better with the BenQ. Video processing is MUCH better with the Marantz models. I wish Marantz would include more tweakability like the BenQ though for dialing in gamma and color, but the Marantz performance out of the box is better than the BenQ in these areas. The 11S1 requires almost no calibration at all whereas the BenQ does.

The BenQ is slightly brighter and with the iris having so many steps it is easier to dial in a brightness you like (while sacrificing contrast of course) as the bulb ages. It is also a lot quieter and can be run in high lamp mode with no increase in sound.

It is surprising just how good the BenQ is in comparison to the 11S1. The S1 is just a tad more refined in certain areas (sharpness, uniformity) and has better processing and performance out of the gate. It wouldn't take much for BenQ to get there though.

Thanks Kris, thats the impression I had but always good to hear it straight from you. I mostly wanted to confirm that the performance on all technologies is still progressing at such a rapid rate that if youre willing to wait, you can get todays high end performance in the midrange 6-12 months down the road.

I wonder how long digital display tech will continue down this curve before it starts to flatten out...

It's amazing how fast technology evolves, and prices drop. With what I paid for the Benq, it should be in the other forum. Waaaay less than what it cost just a few months ago. Hopefully if all goes well, I'll be keeping the 10000 for a few years. It's less flexible than other pj's I was considering, because I'll be projecting from about 18 feet back, up on a shelf. But, all that means is I'll have a 120 plus" screen instead. With 1080p, that's just fine. Can't wait.

Turning on Whisper mode reduces the lamp mode to 200W and the color wheel to 4x. Turning that off gives you 250W and 5x.

Kris wasn't bothered by the difference in noise between the two settings, but in my room the projector is very close to my seat, and I do find the noise increase with high power mode to be objectionable. Your mileage may vary.


Actually I never even used the whisper mode. I left it in normal. I simply switched between low and high lamp mode from the user menu and never heard an increase in noise between the two.

Hi Guys,

I am just about thinking to return my W5000 in order to get the W10000! I cannot accept the 24p problem with the W5000.

Does anybody allready use the W10000? What is your experience with Blu Ray and HD DVD. Can you confirm to 100% that there is no studdering or 3:2 pulldown!

Sorry for asking you guys this again but I am a bit insecure due to my W5000 experiences. So when I now switch to the W10000 I want and need to be 100% sure.

@Kris and Josh: Thanks for your replies!!!

Thank you so much.

Jo from Germany

As the review stated the W10000 has absolutely no issues with 24p playback and certainly doesn't do 2-3 pulldown. It plays the material back at 48Hz.

As the review stated the W10000 has absolutely no issues with 24p playback and certainly doesn't do 2-3 pulldown. It plays the material back at 48Hz.

Many Thanks!!!

Jo

So here's a question: Why does the BenQ product page state the following?

"SenseyeTM Contrast Enhancement technology takes contrast (10000:1 in the W10000) far beyond the 2000:1 ratio considered excellent by automatically adjusting the bright and dark areas of an image separately."

http://www.benq.us/products/Projector/?product=613&page=features

That sounds an awful lot like an auto iris function, but the W10000 only has a manual iris.

I don't know but this is right after the line you quoted:

"As responsive as the human eye
Advanced Continuous Electronic IRIS mimics the human eye's own iris by varying the lens aperture, to filter a scene's lighting and render the same sense of realism as movies at a cinema, regardless of a scene's lighting."

I agree, sounds a lot like dynamic iris. Which if true, brings up the question:

What does the ViDi lamp tech in the W5000/W20000 bring to the table? It's basically that and the HQV processing that they add.

It seems to me like BenQ wanted to incorporate a dynamic iris into the W10000 but decided not to, and then never updated their product literature.

Josh

We figured out a work around for the decoder issue. If you have an outboard video processor like a DVDO set the colorspace output to SMPTE C or REC 601. That forces the color space in and fixes the issue. This makes the processor do the decoding so you don't have to worry about the BenQ doing it.

Josh

We figured out a work around for the decoder issue. If you have an outboard video processor like a DVDO set the colorspace output to SMPTE C or REC 601. That forces the color space in and fixes the issue. This makes the processor do the decoding so you don't have to worry about the BenQ doing it.

Thanks, Kris. I expected that would be the case, but that just means that another thorough calibration session is in order. :)

It also means you have to add a video processor to the cost of the projector if you want proper color decoding. :(

Okay for those who already own one but for people like myself who don't, well, you either pick another projector or see if you can live with the problem.

I guess the good news is that at least there's a workaround.

Wayne

It also means you have to add a video processor to the cost of the projector if you want proper color decoding.

I'm already covered on that end. :)

Does anyone know what the "with SLR" or "without SLR" settings that go along with the color wheel speed in the "DLP" section of the service menu mean?

I would also like to know what exactly the "Filter" setting in the basic picture controls menu does.



(I stupidly posted these questions in the wrong thread earlier, so I've deleted them from the RS-1 thread and moved them here.)

Damn it, I used to know what the SLR thing was and now I've completely brain farted on it. I can ask BenQ about it though.

The filter seems to interact with the sharpness setting. I set both as low as possible to avoid ringing.

The filter seems to interact with the sharpness setting. I set both as low as possible to avoid ringing.

It also seems to interact with contrast. I leave it off, but I'd like to know exactly what it does.

How W10000 compares to 1080UB?

From what I read

1) W10000 is sharper.
2) Black level and shadow detail quite comparable.
3) W10000 is brighter in best mode and 1080UB brighter in dynamic mode.
4) W10000 is physically bigger.

But how about the image quality? Anyone saw both, can you please comment on it.

How W10000 compares to 1080UB?

From what I read

1) W10000 is sharper.
2) Black level and shadow detail quite comparable.
3) W10000 is brighter in best mode and 1080UB brighter in dynamic mode.
4) W10000 is physically bigger.

But how about the image quality? Anyone saw both, can you please comment on it.

I would be completely shocked to fine the 1080UB comparable in black level and shadow detail. I only had mine for two hours, but it did not compared to the BenQ8720 in those areas...noticable right off the bat. The W10000 is a step up in both of those areas vs the 8720.

Obviously the 1080UB was not ISF calibrated, only did some of the quick basics out of the box with AVIA. So that would be my one disclaimer.

I would be completely shocked to fine the 1080UB comparable in black level and shadow detail. I only had mine for two hours, but it did not compared to the BenQ8720 in those areas...noticable right off the bat. The W10000 is a step up in both of those areas vs the 8720.

Obviously the 1080UB was not ISF calibrated, only did some of the quick basics out of the box with AVIA. So that would be my one disclaimer.

Your personal opinion will be W10000 is a better projector - sharper, better black and shadow detail. Since I am on a limted budget, I am considering a used W10000 from a dealer around $2500 or a new one from ebay around $3000. It sound like a pretty good deal. Right :confused:

Your personal opinion will be W10000 is a better projector - sharper, better black and shadow detail. Since I am on a limted budget, I am considering a used W10000 from a dealer around $2500 or a new one from ebay around $3000. It sound like a pretty good deal. Right :confused:

Yes, I would want a BenQ W10000 over the Epson. I am a self confessed DLP fan. I've owned my share of LCD's before I jumped into the Mits 3000, then the BenQ 8720. So I wanted to gauge how far LCD's had come since I owned one...hence the demo of the Epson. I knew shortly after firing up the Epson, I wanted to stay with my BenQ. Once I remounted the 8720, I knew I wouldn't be happy with the Epson. Again, to be fair I would love to see one after a full ISF calibration (though my 8720 had been tweaked, but not ISF calibrated, at that time).

As far as the pricing, the used price from a dealer is very good. Assuming the dealer is authorized, you might want to buy a mack camera extended warranty from Texas Tape Works (see the AVS power buy forum) for an extra $260. It would cover the projector for add'l four years from the end of the BenQ warranty AND give you a 3 yr bulb warranty for up to two lamps.

I bought my 8720 for authorized dealer as a refurb. I also bought the Mack warranty and have used it for a replacement lamp without issue.

Ron

I favor DLP as well. I've seen a few LCD projectors on display (although probably not calibrated) and they made me want to hug my DLP projector! :)

I'm willing to give either the Mitsubishi HC6000 or the Epson 1080UB a look see though. They've both gotten very good reviews and have been compared to DLP.

Too bad about your short experience with the Epson. :(

The W10000 is still on my short list depending on final pricing on the W20000.

Wayne

I favor DLP as well. I've seen a few LCD projectors on display (although probably not calibrated) and they made me want to hug my DLP projector! :)

I'm willing to give either the Mitsubishi HC6000 or the Epson 1080UB a look see though. They've both gotten very good reviews and have been compared to DLP.

Too bad about your short experience with the Epson. :(

The W10000 is still on my short list depending on final pricing on the W20000.

Wayne


Wayne the W2000 will not be much less then $4500 - if at all

Thanks SOWK.

I guess that's just made my decision a whole lot simpler. :o I'll probably either go for the W10000 or W5000 if I don't take a chance on one of the newer LCD units. Maybe a second go round with the Optoma HD7100. :eek:

Wayne

Look, I am a BenQ and DLP fan. I love them and appreciate their value. But don't discount the new LCDs. I have had the Mits 6000 and now using a Panny 2000 until the BenQ arrives. I could live with either PJ easily. They do some things better than the BenQ and their image is just "more stable", for a lack of better words. I love the CMS, easy calibration and their absolute black (with Iris on) is better by a decent margin than the W10000. Ultimately though, it is the higher ANSI and depth to the image that brings me back to DLP.

So, I can't say that I've really ever been all that impressed with this projector's black level. For my screen size, it has plenty of latitude on the bright end, but not enough on the dark end. I'm been thinking about experimenting with a neutral density filter, but I don't know where to start. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Damn it, I used to know what the SLR thing was and now I've completely brain farted on it. I can ask BenQ about it though.

Any luck with this, Kris? Still wondering about that one and the "filter" setting.