BenQ W1070 : DLP Full HD, 3D Ready with lens-shift for 1000$ - Page 102

So I hope this doesn't get lost on page 101 of this thread...

Received the projector last week, installed in a completely light controlled basement room, no ambient light. "Cinema' settings from Art's ProjectorReviews review seemed a little drab so I opted for "Normal", Brilliant Color On, 2.2 Gamma. This seems to brighten things up and the colors pop way more than they did on "Cinema" in a pitch black room even.

Anyway, I'm hoping someone can agree with that so I feel better, but also tell me why the picture looks grainy to me? I'm coming from a Samsung rear projection 1080p so not exactly cutting edge technology. I'm displaying on a 90" screen and things seems a little rough around the edges. I've played around with noice cancellation all the way up, all the way down - I've also messed around with sharpness full, off, half, etc...still I'm not happy with the picture. For all the sterling reviews this thing is getting, I'm fairly confident it's my settings that are forcing things to look a little washed out, not as crisp, somewhat blurrier than I ever expected.

My first post on this site, one I've been coming back to for a long time over the years. Here's hoping someone can lead me in the right direction.

What source are you using?
I just hooked my w1070 up and i am not noticing any blurriness or noise. And im coming from a 60" plasma which was uber sharp

[quote name="Stuntman_Mike" url="/t/1435626/benq-w1070-dlp-full-hd-3d-ready-with-lens-shift-for-1000/3000#post_23047023"

Anyone using the BenQ with a Harmony One remote? Curious if it's in the list of devices on their web software.[/quote]


I have the Harmony One remote and YES ^_^ it does already have the w1070 in its device list, I jumped the gun and pre-programmed my remote in anticipation of getting this projector in the near future.

Not sure, but probably the fact that you used Art's calibration settings. I think his defaulted at 50 across the board, but people are now saying that their defaults start out in the 90's I believe.

Taking someone else's calibration settings is never the preferred method. You can just as easily make things worse as you can better with the variation between models. Only way to calibrate is to do it yourself with a meter or hire someone.

Thanks for the heads up. Was hoping this was the case. Makes life easier.

When table mounted the top right corner (furthest corner from the lens) seems slightly fuzzy. It's not bad enough to notice when watching something but on the test pattern you can tell it's just not as crisp as the other corners. With some careful adjustment I can almost get it worked out but you can still see it if your looking for it. Once I get it ceiling mounted and adjusted I really don't think it's going to be an issue for me but it may be a factor for others.
Edited by sketch660 - 3/6/13 at 12:25pm

I'm coming from a Bright House Motorola STB. Interestingly enough, when viewing a 3D movie streaming off Vudu on PS3 it looked wonderful.

Cable box is pushing a 1080i signal most of the time (network or ESPN sports) so I can't imagine that being the issue altogether.

Thanks for the info!
I seen over on the W1080ST thread that a few users say that if you don't use zoom then it works/focuses better. I posted a question there to clarify, as some people were noticing some strange things — half of the screen darker.

Since the W1070 has noticeable focus issues when vertical shift is applied, especially if at max, it sounds like the W1080ST is doing good.

Thanks!

I tried Art's settings just to see. . . and, if I'm applying them correctly — applied them to the "color temperature fine tuning" in the "advanced" settings — they are unwatchable. Way too dark! Clearly, if I apply them in the "advanced" settings "color management" they make no difference, as they only change things by one point.

I have the "color temp..." settings at 100 and boosted the saturation to ~55 on RGB in "color management" and this looks decent on my temporary DIY white MDF from HD — could definitely use calibration. On my Sherwin Williams white test panel I didn't need to change anything — it looked very saturated with fairly spot on colors IMO.

HOWEVER, after talking to BenQ customer service — fan bearing started making some noise — and asking them if there should be a noticeable jump in brightness between the lamp settings. They said yes there should be. I get a modest bump in brightness from "normal" to "economic" — about the same as turning brilliant color on/off — however ecosmart is as bright as normal. So, not sure if ours is as bright as it should be — currently displayed at 84" and cinema with 2.4 gamma is OK, but not what I would call bright. I generally operate at 2.0 or 2.2 gamma in ecosmart mode with brilliant color on — it's pretty bright but not overly. . . and that's only 84". It can handle a little ambient light but if I open the shades at all it's nearly unwatchable unless the scenes are all daylight. So, I really would not classify ours as a "living room projector."

EDIT
Sorry, forgot about the grainy. If I'm using a good source it's super clear and looks great however, any material that is poorly compressed will look. . . well, poorly compressed and that often shows up as "grainy" or fizzy, etc. . .
Edited by CharlesZ7 - 3/6/13 at 2:53pm

For you W1070 users out there - - outside of the throw ratio, I can't see many differences between the W1070 & W1080ST - - especially based on BenQ's website when you do a "compare" projectors.

I've read through both threads and is it safe to say that I can expect the same performance, PQ wise, out of the W1080ST as the W1070?

Mine will be a ceiling mount on a farther end of the setup (minimal "Zoom" - from what I've read, that's the best setup) and will be run through a Pioneer SC65 AVR with an OPPO BDP 103 player. 16 X 9, 100" FAVI screen - 1.3 gain.

Any issues with connecting everything via HDMI 2 out of my receiver for all video sources? (Directv, Bluray and Media Player).

I also know that taking someone else settings doesn't mean you'll get the same picture, but any caveats on what not to do or how to get the best PQ - - i.e., what's worked for you? Everything gets upscaled to 1080P from my AVR. Man cave in basement with minimal light but off white walls with dark paneling three feet high from the light carpeted area. No windows.

Thx,
Rico

SmartEco is easily visible on a PC, if you play a video in a window with another window with white text in it, then maximize then re-window the video, you'll see the projector instantaneously get darker. It's like an iris, but with zero lag. You don't notice it normally from one movie scene to another because the brightness pops are continous. Trust me, we all went through this, you'll see what it does...it's a great feature, leave smart Eco on all the time, it's for optimal white/black performance not just to save $$$ in electricity.

Hi guys. What picture preset mode would you guys recommend for gaming on this projector? I hope the 20ms input lag applies to all picture modes.

You have to try them out and see what you like.

I game with my XBOX in Cinema mode. I find other modes a little washed out, and a tad too bright. Cinema is still plenty bright for gaming. But I am in a batcave.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

This morning I went to turn on the projector and it is not working! You can hear it turn on and it shows the blue screen but once it detects a signal, the screen will remain blank. I tried using different sources but the same problem persists.

I try hitting the menu, info, ECO Blank, etc etc buttons on the remote control but nothing works.

I've also powered it up and down several times to see if it will reset itself, but no joy.

Last time I used the PJ was Tuesday night and it was working fine.

I guess I will have to send it back to Amazon since I still have 4 days left on my 30 day return window. Thank God!

:-/ This really sucks though.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Disregard my previous post. I shut off my receiver, turned it back on and problem solved. Uffff breathes sigh of relief. :-)

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thanks Charles, I'm going to mess around some more this evening and give your settings a shot. What did they say about your fan? Mine is currently loud as hell and I've heard it both ways in the forums, I guess 1.04 was supposed to soften that up a bit, but not the case with me anyway.

I had a few of those, it definitely seems to be a little finicky once in a blue moon where HDMI handshaking is concerned. I moved recently and had a royal pain trying out different projector positions, the hdmi cable kept falling out or even partially, causing wierd colours and so on. Benq should definitely fix the loose HDMI inputs next time around, it really vexes me they don't use standard tightness. Seriously, all my hdmi cables I tried wobble in the back a bit. Not the end of the world, a little tape can help out, but I shouldn't have to think about buying an extra adapter to get a more solid connection.

An extra adapter or 90 degree "adaptor" like solutions can degrade the signal - - I don't think that would be the best solution.

Is your PJ ceiling mounted? Does your HDMI cable come through on the ceiling or on the side?

I'll be mounting my projector soon and it sounds like I need to pay attention to my HDMI cable location and optimize for the best, wobble free connection.

So I know keystoning and lens shift can be bad for the picture, but what about zooming?

If I want to ceiling mount I'm going to have to set zoom near the maximum thanks to my small room and low vaulted ceiling.. Right now it's sitting on a table, which only requires me to zoom about 10%.
Edited by artondrius - 3/7/13 at 8:01am

I have spent about two days with this projector now and am very happy with it. Hey it even supports setting to PC levels, which is awesome for video games, I do a lot of that.

I have only one teenie weenie problem with it that I can live with, and that's the focus control on the top of the PJ. When I have set it, and then am finished with the PJ and put the lens cap back on, it turns as you fit it to the lens, meaning you have to reset it again everytime you use it.

Are you worried about dust on your lens or it getting scratched/damaged (children?)?

If it's dust, I would think that it would take an awful lot of dust on the lens for it to affect PQ. In any event, should be simple enough to clean with a lens cloth or air canister. Why bother with the lens cap? I would only use it to protect the lens from damage during transit.

Yeah, I understand the concept of it . . . HOWEVER, I don't seem to get darker blacks with ecosmart on. I've done all the "tests" to see how blacks look Vs whites, etc. . . and the blacks are grayer than on economic. In other words, for me ecosmart seems the same as normal mode for both blacks and whites.

I do use ecosmart all the time — it's as bright as normal so no point in using any other setting.

thx

I wasn't talking to them about the fan noise in general. Mine started making a different noise — the sound of a bearing wearing out. Since we are still within the 30 day window we can send it back if we choose. We ordered direct from BenQ.

I am confused as to where to register my newly-purchased w1070 online. Does BenQ require registration for warranty service, or do I just need to retain my original receipt for proof of purchase date?

Yeah, pretty much dust. Sounds like I don't need it on, awesome lol. Do I need a specific cloth to clean the lens or is a micro fibre cloth ok?

The 1070 and Epson 8350 are on my short list and one of the issues I'm wrestling with is the noise of the w1070. Each projector has it's own "issues". I'd almost rather spend $300 on a new bulb once every year then listen to an overly loud fan the rest of the year. Not surprisingly, I guess, the noise bothers some more then others. Ultimately this projector (if I go with it) will be mounted on a 9' ceiling a few feet in front of the main seating area.

Any microfiber cloth suitable for cleaning a lens or disc should do. Just something that won't scratch it.

Until my mount comes I have this projector set up directly above my head behind my couch (like 10" away), and the noise really isnt noticable. My computer fan is louder than the PJ. As others have pointed out unless it is completely quiet during the movie/tv show your watching you wont hear it at all. Especially if it is a few feet away from you.


I was wondering this as well, anybody?

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.

Using Stereoscopic Player (SP) for 3D

Some have suggested using this player and that it will automatically change your graphic settings to 1080p/24hz and output either frame-packing or over-under — those are the only two formats that the W1070 will play at that resolution (1080p).

The problem. . . "auto" doesn't work for everyone
It was suggested that in SP under "view" -> "viewing method" the graphics card of your system would be there — select "intel" if you have intel graphics, etc.

However, for some of us that option does not appear. Therefore, SP will NOT automatically change our graphic settings over to 1080p/24hz, at least not with my craptastic hardware . BTW, I download an older version of SP that works much better for me and doesn't need .net 4.

Manual setup
Therefore, you will need to know how to change your graphics settings for the BenQ W1070 to 1080p/24Hz manually. If you do change your graphic settings manually to 1080p/24hz then use SP to play your SBS 3D files you can select a "viewing method" in SP that *should* work with the BenQ W1070. In other words, with SP your input SBS 3D files will be converted to 'frame-packing' or 'over-under' (depending on your "viewing method" setting in SP).

*Note. . . I currently do not have 3D glasses that work with the W1070, thus I'm going off the projector properly overlapping the images.*

What's the optimal "viewing method" in SP for the W1070?
So, now the question is, what "viewing method" in SP works best for those of use that don't have our graphic card in SP's "viewing method"?

Well, the "over-under" should work — looks like it is properly over lapped when over-under is selected in the W1070's 3D settings.

I'm not sure about any of the other "viewing methods" — someone with 3D glasses will have to let us know which one works best — as they are most likely frame packing.

Summary
To use stereoscopic player with the BenQ W1070 when you don't have the proper graphics to choose in "viewing method"

1. manually set your computer's output graphics for the BenQ W1070 to 1080p/24Hz (see documentation for your OS & graphics card)
2. the first file you play with SP you will be asked to select the input type — sbs, ou, etc. . You can change this setting later under "file" -> "layout"
3. in SP select the output for your 3D file via "view" -> "viewing method"
4. press the "3D settings" button on the W1070's remote
5. in the 3D settings menu you will see ONLY two choices — frame-packing & over-under (if the 3D settings don't appear you most likely have the graphics set incorrectly and not at 1080/24hz as they need to be)
6. select either FP or OU depending on the "viewing method" you selected in SP

Conclusion
If you have a not so great graphics card, like myself, that doesn't have 1080i settings for SBS then your options for SBS 3D viewing become limited to 720p unless you can convert the SBS 3D to over-under or frame-packing. Stereoscopic player does just that, converts the input into an output of your choice, thus it seems to be the only solution to maintain 1080p for your SBS 3D files with the W1070.

I hope this makes the 3D issues clearer.