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#527 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by svosteve /forum/post/0



Try adjusting the Detail Enhancement to 2. That seemed to sharpen the picture up for me.

I tried that and still no luck. I have tried every setting in that menu and I still can't get it to look the same. I just tried different HDMI ports... Next I'm going to try a different cable.


It looks blurry to me (the picture is focused), very soft. My W5000 was very sharp.
 
#529 ·
I have now tried different cables, running the signal through my receiver, running it through an HDMI splitter and nothing changes. The picture looks the exact same either way.


Could I have a defective unit?


If my setup worked fine a few days ago with my W5000 you think it would with the W7000 (other than the 3D).
 
#531 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by "Cru-Jones /forum/post/0


I tried that and still no luck. I have tried every setting in that menu and I still can't get it to look the same. I just tried different HDMI ports... Next I'm going to try a different cable.


It looks blurry to me (the picture is focused), very soft. My W5000 was very sharp.

I think they need another "Firmware" update AGAIN!!!!


I'm just going to return mine till I think they know what the hell they are doing!!!!


BenQ, if you read this, you just lost a customer, until you fix this ridiculous issue. This is basic 101.


Or... Allow your users to upgrade the firmware themselves!!!


You have both a USB and RS-232 port of the thing....
 
#532 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/0


what material are you using to compare? do you have any test patterns to get a closer look at what's going on?


I didn't notice any issues with the v1.0 back in December, it was razor sharp. the replacement will be here tomorrow and I'll let you guys know what I see.

I have used various Blu-Ray discs, I also have my HTPC running to it with XBMC. Both methods before produced a razor sharp image as you described with my W5000.


Basically the first thing I tried was swapping projectors with the exact same hardware config. I know I will have to upgrade a few components to get 3D working, but everything else should produce the same if not better image.


The first image I used for comparison was my XBMC main menu. Everything looked soft almost blurry. Then I noticed the cover art for my films were hard to focus on... My wife sat there while I tried adjusting the lens to get a better image and I got it as focused as I could.


Next I thought it was my HTPC hardware that was preventing the sharp image so I tried my PS3 next. When I got it up and running the XMB looked the same... soft almost blurry.


I then ran the cable directly from my PS3 to the projector and the image didn't change one bit so I then figured out it had nothing to do with my components.


I have messed around with every setting in that projector and still get the same results.


No I haven't tried any test patterns other than the BenQ one.


It's only been two days without my W5000 so it's easy for me to remember the quality difference.
 
#533 ·
thanks for the info, it sounds like you are seeing a noticeable difference between the older BenQ and this new W7000.


I definitely remember the original one we demo'd in dec was very sharp, so i'll be curious to see the one arriving tomorrow to see if this a trend or some issues with particular copies.
 
#534 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/0


thanks for the info, it sounds like you are seeing a noticeable difference between the older BenQ and this new W7000.


I definitely remember the original one we demo'd in dec was very sharp, so i'll be curious to see the one arriving tomorrow to see if this a trend or some issues with particular copies.

Yes it's a huge difference... very frustrating to be honest. I was very excited to get this thing home and see the amazing picture everyone was raving about.


On a more positive note I am please with the improvements they have made with this projector compared to my W5000... lens shift, discreet on and off, brightness and a few others.


I don't know if this helps at all, but the 3D switching (auto, off and on) takes a really long time and like others have said everything seems to lock up. Not sure if I have an older version/firmware. I will hook up the rs232 and pull the firmware version out...


Looking forward to your findings tomorrow.. I will be contacting BenQ in the morning.
 
#535 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmalto /forum/post/21697690


I did extensive testing yesterday and found setting noise reduction to 0 and detail enhancement to 1 (max of 2) produced the cleanest picture with way less artifacts. Anything over 2 looked very unnatural and like the pixels were smeering into one another. I also turned off brilliant color although it did make the colors pop more. Image was still super, super sharp even with such low settings.

did you see any difference in sharpness between this one and the w7000 from December?
 
#536 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/0


thanks for the info, it sounds like you are seeing a noticeable difference between the older BenQ and this new W7000.


I definitely remember the original one we demo'd in dec was very sharp, so i'll be curious to see the one arriving tomorrow to see if this a trend or some issues with particular copies.

If you can resolve a pixel on / pixel off pattern you are ok.


My unit does not support 1:1 mapping at all. The internal Menu GUI is perfect, but no external source can be 1:1 mapped correctly.


And a pixel on / pixel off pattern is just all grey.
 
#537 ·
I just tried moving my PS3 to the projector and running a 6' cable. I'm getting the same picture with this config. I tried adjusting the noise and detail and I barely notice a difference from 0-Max.


Is it normal not to be able to adjust the Black Level IRE when hooked to HDMI?


I downloaded a 1:1 pixel on/off video in 1080p and put that through the PS3 and it shows a grey picture... is that normal?


Aspect ratio is set to REAL... All other settings have been reset to factory to give it another go and the picture remains the same.


I see samples online when a projector is not displaying 1:1 pixel rendition and it looks very similar.. blended pictures very soft edges. The text looks alright, but it's a very noticeable difference in the pictures.


I put on Gran Turismo and went to the main menu and so much of it looks soft... no sharpness.


I don't know what else to try. If a anyone has a suggestion I will give it a go. If not I will put the call into BenQ tomorrow and see what they can do for me.
 
#538 ·
I thought I would try something and see what happens. I plugged my component cable into my PS3 and the projector. Changed the settings to match the HDMi and low and behold my sharpness appeared!


I adjusted the detail to 4 and it looked great. Ran some 1080p and 720p material and it looked great. You could notice the difference in the menu.. the XMB icons were a lot clearer now.


I tried 3 different HDMI cables and they all produced the same picture as before.. soft almost blurred.


Maybe my HDMI inputs are faulty... there is no reason why the component cable should produce a sharper image is there?
 
#539 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cru-Jones /forum/post/21700765


I thought I would try something and see what happens. I plugged my component cable into my PS3 and the projector. Changed the settings to match the HDMi and low and behold my sharpness appeared!


I adjusted the detail to 4 and it looked great. Ran some 1080p and 720p material and it looked great. You could notice the difference in the menu.. the XMB icons were a lot clearer now.


I tried 3 different HDMI cables and they all produced the same picture as before.. soft almost blurred.


Maybe my HDMI inputs are faulty... there is no reason why the component cable should produce a sharper image is there?

Are you using a 1.4 hdmi cable or a 1.3?
 
#540 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cru-Jones /forum/post/0


I just tried moving my PS3 to the projector and running a 6' cable. I'm getting the same picture with this config. I tried adjusting the noise and detail and I barely notice a difference from 0-Max.


Is it normal not to be able to adjust the Black Level IRE when hooked to HDMI?


I downloaded a 1:1 pixel on/off video in 1080p and put that through the PS3 and it shows a grey picture... is that normal?


Aspect ratio is set to REAL... All other settings have been reset to factory to give it another go and the picture remains the same.


I see samples online when a projector is not displaying 1:1 pixel rendition and it looks very similar.. blended pictures very soft edges. The text looks alright, but it's a very noticeable difference in the pictures.


I put on Gran Turismo and went to the main menu and so much of it looks soft... no sharpness.


I don't know what else to try. If a anyone has a suggestion I will give it a go. If not I will put the call into BenQ tomorrow and see what they can do for me.

We must have the exact same firmware. I was told I got a new hardware and firmware one, and have all the same issues you are.
 
#541 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/21700027


did you see any difference in sharpness between this one and the w7000 from December?

Not at all. Once I changed the settings under the clarity control it fixed my issues outside of having to switch the video source mode on my receiver to keep it 1:1. When noise and detail enhnacement were cranked the image looked sharp and yet soft at the same time because the pixels looked like they were smeering into one another.


I think the unit looks just as sharp as the one I had in December and the screen shot of the fast and furious should prove that even though it is not of great quality. After switching from the BenQ to the Sony I definitely favor the BenQ in terms of sharpness over the HW30.


For those that are having issues, change the 3D modes back and forth and see if it hangs. If it does not, you probably do indeed have one of the newer units. I will be very curious to see what zombie's firmware says the revision is because even though mine was 1.00, it was definitely better than my first unit.
 
#542 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by svosteve /forum/post/0



Are you using a 1.4 hdmi cable or a 1.3?

I have tried both (one I bought claiming to be 1.4). From what I have read though there is no difference between 1.4 and 1.3 when it comes to cables. There is a difference between speed though... You cat get a Cat1 or a Cat2 (2 being high speed). High speed is advantageous when running long distances, 3D or 1080p. Other than that any HDMI cable will do... Test it yourself. Personally I have yet to see one of my 15 HDMI cables (ranging from 3-50ft) produce a different image.


The type of HDMI cable should have no bearing on the sharpness... the unit accepting the signal decides that fate.


Correct me if I'm wrong... I'm just writing what I have read and personally tested.
 
#543 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmalto /forum/post/0



Not at all. Once I changed the settings under the clarity control it fixed my issues outside of having to switch the video source mode on my receiver to keep it 1:1. When noise and detail enhnacement were cranked the image looked sharp and yet soft at the same time because the pixels looked like they were smeering into one another.


I think the unit looks just as sharp as the one I had in December and the screen shot of the fast and furious should prove that even though it is not of great quality. After switching from the BenQ to the Sony I definitely favor the BenQ in terms of sharpness over the HW30.


For those that are having issues, change the 3D modes back and forth and see if it hangs. If it does not, you probably do indeed have one of the newer units. I will be very curious to see what zombie's firmware says the revision is because even though mine was 1.00, it was definitely better than my first unit.

Yeah mine hangs for a very long time switching 3D modes. It's firmware 1.00.
 
#544 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmalto /forum/post/21700933


having to switch the video source mode on my receiver to keep it 1:1.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by this? I didn't know an A/V receiver could screw up the 1:1 pixel mapping so now it makes me wonder for my setup.


I have an Oppo BDP-93 with its HDMI 1 output going to an HDMI input in my projector Epson 6010 (HDMI 2 output of Oppo going into my A/V receiver for sound).


I have a Denon AVR-3808 which doesn't support HDMI 1.4 is why I bought the Oppo so I could do 3D to the projector. But when I watch my Dish HD DVR it's going through the Denon and I'm not happy with the picture quality, have been blaming it on Dish compressing everything but if my Denon could also be doing something to the video signal I'd like to know about it and how to correct it...
 
#545 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WynsWrld98 /forum/post/0



Can you elaborate on what you mean by this? I didn't know an A/V receiver could screw up the 1:1 pixel mapping so now it makes me wonder for my setup.


I have an Oppo BDP-93 with its HDMI 1 output going to an HDMI input in my projector Epson 6010 (HDMI 2 output of Oppo going into my A/V receiver for sound).


I have a Denon AVR-3808 which doesn't support HDMI 1.4 is why I bought the Oppo so I could do 3D to the projector. But when I watch my Dish HD DVR it's going through the Denon and I'm not happy with the picture quality, have been blaming it on Dish compressing everything but if my Denon could also be doing something to the video signal I'd like to know about it and how to correct it...

I can't really explain what it was doing, if I can get the unit back I will take a video and upload it.


My buddy wants me to go over to mount it tomorrow so I may be able to still get it. He has my old Onkyo NR1007 so it will be interesting to see what his unit does. When I had my receiver set to Through it would cause the image to look very "hazy" and appeared to have a type of overscan applied is the best way to describe it because the screen was not lining up properly. I also noticed the signal processor inside the projector going nuts if you took it off real and applied wide.


You could see it best by putting up a test pattern and the lines would become uneven by switching through the receiver. The 809 is known to have issues and it doesn't play 100% nice with my HW30 either (crushes blacks like crazy unless I use DIrect mode) which is a known issue apparently.


SOWK said no receiver in between his input chain so there may be some bad units floating around or another issue we aren't aware of yet with the updated firmware.
 
#546 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmalto /forum/post/21701337


I can't really explain what it was doing, if I can get the unit back I will take a video and upload it.


My buddy wants me to go over to mount it tomorrow so I may be able to still get it. He has my old Onkyo NR1007 so it will be interesting to see what his unit does. When I had my receiver set to Through it would cause the image to look very "hazy" and appeared to have a type of overscan applied is the best way to describe it. I also noticed the signal processor inside the projector going nuts if you took it off real and applied wide by switching the receiver through these two different modes.


You could see it best by putting up a test pattern and the lines would become uneven by switching through the receiver. The 809 is known to have issues and it doesn't play 100% nice with my HW30 either (crushes blacks like crazy unless I use DIrect mode) which is a known issue apparently.

So the options are Through and Direct? Through means it goes through some video processing circuitry which manipulates/can manipulate the image and Direct bypasses all of that?
 
#547 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cru-Jones /forum/post/21700765


I thought I would try something and see what happens. I plugged my component cable into my PS3 and the projector. Changed the settings to match the HDMi and low and behold my sharpness appeared!


I adjusted the detail to 4 and it looked great. Ran some 1080p and 720p material and it looked great. You could notice the difference in the menu.. the XMB icons were a lot clearer now.


I tried 3 different HDMI cables and they all produced the same picture as before.. soft almost blurred.


Maybe my HDMI inputs are faulty... there is no reason why the component cable should produce a sharper image is there?

Well it looks like the W7000 is doing the exact same thing the H9500BD does via the HDMI/DVI ports. I bet if you compare a PCs window screen via HDMI and then via a VGA input you will see a remarkable differens in pixel display quality. I had been examining this on the Acer ad-nauseum and gave up. We are waiting for Acer's response on a couple units but to be honest with you if BenQ is doing the same thing there must be some kind of picture smoothing going on and I am not sure they are going to be fixing that. Video looks great but there is some blurring for PC text and the like. Lucky for me I mostly watch movies and TV programs and the IQ is very good. Very interesting the BenQ is doing the same thing.
 
#548 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmalto /forum/post/21700933


Not at all. Once I changed the settings under the clarity control it fixed my issues outside of having to switch the video source mode on my receiver to keep it 1:1. When noise and detail enhnacement were cranked the image looked sharp and yet soft at the same time because the pixels looked like they were smeering into one another.


I think the unit looks just as sharp as the one I had in December and the screen shot of the fast and furious should prove that even though it is not of great quality.

thanks for the info, I'll post the firmware version tomorrow night and run through a few quick tests.


WynsWorld98 - thanks for the ZD201's, these are nice, comfortable glasses.
 
#549 ·
Are you guys sure the HTPC sharpness issue is inherent to the projector?


I am not questioning anyone's findings, I am just a little confused that Benq would have this issue since I have never seen, nor heard of this issue on other Benqs. When I say not seen it, I mean it can be there until you fiddle with the settings of the HTPC and projector and get it matched up. I think on the Acer we are sure the problem is there, but I didn't know the Benq would do it.


It almost sounds like resolution or aspect ratio confusion, this is not an uncommon problem and not necessarily the projector. For instance, on some DLP's I have owned, setting the aspect to 16:9 (even though the video card is set to output 16:9) does not work. What happens is the projector misinterprets the signal as being smaller than it really is and it blows it up around 5% to 10% into a re-scale, or sometimes it can do it more severely or even be completely confused. For my Pro8200 DLP, I have to set it to 16:9 for a bluray player, but must change back to AUTO for the PC. Only in AUTO aspect mode does it not cause scaling and does it properly interpret the size of the display, and it doesn't matter what I have overscan set to, it will do it regardless.


I would play around in the HTPC video control panel's scaling settings for the video card itself, as well as the projector's aspect ratio options and see if any combination produces any results that are better. It may take several different combos to find one that works. Then I'd try different PC's and remove any receivers or HDMI switches from the equation.
 
#550 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coderguy /forum/post/21702088


I would play around in the HTPC video control panel's scaling settings for the video card itself, as well as the projector's aspect ratio options and see if any combination produces any results that are better. It may take several different combos to find one that works. Then I'd try different PC's and remove any receivers or HDMI switches from the equation.

We have been there done that in the other thread. The dead giveaway is when game consoles do the same thing.
 
#551 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coderguy /forum/post/0


Are you guys sure the HTPC sharpness issue is inherent to the projector?


I am not questioning anyone's findings, I am just a little confused that Benq would have this issue since I have never seen, nor heard of this issue on other Benqs. When I say not seen it, I mean it can be there until you fiddle with the settings of the HTPC and projector and get it matched up. I think on the Acer we are sure the problem is there, but I didn't know the Benq would do it.


It almost sounds like resolution or aspect ratio confusion, this is not an uncommon problem and not necessarily the projector. For instance, on some DLP's I have owned, setting the aspect to 16:9 (even though the video card is set to output 16:9) does not work. What happens is the projector misinterprets the signal as being smaller than it really is and it blows it up around 5% to 10% into a re-scale, or sometimes it can do it more severely or even be completely confused. For my Pro8200 DLP, I have to set it to 16:9 for a bluray player, but must change back to AUTO for the PC. Only in AUTO aspect mode does it not cause scaling and does it properly interpret the size of the display, and it doesn't matter what I have overscan set to, it will do it regardless.


I would play around in the HTPC video control panel's scaling settings for the video card itself, as well as the projector's aspect ratio options and see if any combination produces any results that are better. It may take several different combos to find one that works. Then I'd try different PC's and remove any receivers or HDMI switches from the equation.

I can speak from experience when I say it's not the HTPC I'm having trouble with. I owned the W5000 two days before I bought the W7000... I shipped to the person who bought it and two days later I picked up my W7000.


I had to tweak my HTPC to work well with my W5000... only a little though.


The problem I am having is with my PS3 and the projector. It looks soft and blurry using HDMI. After playing with it and trying Component I managed to make it look a whole lot better, but still not the clarity of my W5000.


I can remember the day I got my W5000 and plugged it in for the first time. I had just sold my NEC HT1000 and brought home the W5000. I plugged it in, hooked up my XBOX and was floored by the picture quality. Later getting my PS3 making things even better. After I played with it and adjusted some of the colors and other image settings I was thrilled. Never did I have an issue like this.


I was expecting to install the W7000 where my old one was mounted, hook up the cables and turn on my equipment and be blown away or at least see the same quality but brighter... I can't tell you how poor the image is compared to my W5000. Yes it's brighter and yes the colors are more vibrant, but not even close to the same sharpness.


I'm going to try hooking my HTPC via RGB tomorrow and see what that looks like. Also going to call BenQ first thing in the morning.
 
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