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Choosing a HT projector...Projector Central ranks BenQ W1070 above Epson 5030UB?


dewthedru

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Sounds crazy, particularly because the BenQ's contrast ratio is only 10,000:1 vs Epson's 600,000:1.


I'm looking for a projector and had been really only considering the Epson. Should I also consider the BenQ? I'm going to be projecting onto a 120" or 133" screen in a completely light controlled environment if that helps.



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I don't know how the BenQ stacks up but I have had an Epson 1080UB for just over 5 years and it has been great. I switched from a couple InFocus projectors and not only was it superior in performance and reliability but the one issue (self inflicted) that I had was dealt with under warranty with ease.

The only input I can provide is the Epson customer service was great , the unit has been reliable and definitely factor in the cost of replacement bulbs when making your decision.

Good Luck

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I have the Epson 5010 (slighter older generation of same proj) and I can assure you that he Epson 5030 is in a different class than the Benq w1070. There is a bang for the buck component inflating the Benq ratings, but the Epson is brighter (I light up a 152" diagonal screen on even on low lamp - and I like a pretty bright pic), has much darker blacks and is materially quieter than than Benq (even though that chart shows only 1db difference). The Epson also has a much wider throw range, but that is generally true of all LCD vs DLP projectors.

Edited by davecraze
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The contrast ratio stats on the esp and the pannys are measured totally different than how most other projectors measure. A jvc rated at 50,000 to 1 has higher contrast than an esp at 600,000 to one. That's why they don't need an iris for blacks. The esp are awsome projectors but the stats are different from what others measure by.

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I had a Epson 1080 when they first came out and I just got the BenQ w1070 in July 2013...

The negatives to the W1070 are... The lens shift is very minimal, and I do occasionally see rainbows. The positives are... The bulbs last 3 times as long, and the projector is much brighter. I dialed mine in, and I am running it in low power mode and I was getting 21 ftl on a 134" screen. This is considerably brighter than my Epson was but the biggest thing for me was bulb life.

IMO the only advantages to the Epson are:.. Overnight replacement during your warranty and the Lens shift makes it easy to put the projector virtually anywhere you want to.

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avsforum has a very long thread on the BenQ. I would suggest skimming through, as it is 258 pages. You should know what you need to in the first 20 or so. After that avsforum threads drift and repeat. Here is that thread: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1435626/benq-w1070-dlp-full-hd-3d-ready-with-lens-shift-for-1000

With a light controlled environment, 2000 lumens is more than enough. As for the contrast, 10,000 to 1 is a more than enough also. It just doesn't sound like it compared to 600,000 to 1. What if there were a projector that was 100,000,000,000 to 1? Would it be all that much better?

+1 for Visual Apex.

Edited by mustang guy
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I would look at the JVC projectors as well. IMO they are the best out there in their price ranges and even their lower budget projectors will blow you away. My buddy bought a JVC RS-15 a few years back for under 3k and the picture is amazing. From everything I have seen, JVC is out front when it comes to 2D picture quality. They are at the top of list when I get ready to start looking myself.

Edited by Vital
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It seems like there has been a big push for more lumens over the last several years, but sometimes I think it might be a case of "too much of a good thing".

After spending several happy years with an Epson 7500UB Pro Cinema (pretty much same as 6500UB), I recently decided to upgrade. I wanted to stay under $2000, so a couple weeks ago I bought one of the last Epson 5010 "B-Stock" units from Projector People for $1649 shipped (it only had 10 hrs on lamp, and comes with the full 2-year warranty.) The 5010 is 95% the same as the 5030, particularly in 2D performance.

After reading all the great reviews of the Epson 5010/20/30 projectors, I was disappointed when I got it installed and discovered that it was actually too bright. I'm using it on a 108" 16:9 matte-white screen in a basement room with no windows, but with light walls. Even with the lamp in Eco mode, the iris enabled, and the projector set to Cinema Night, the image was still blazing, resulting in a room that was too bright, blacks that were not very black, and colors that were washed out. I do photography as a hobby, and it was basically like take a picture that was overexposed.

I ended up fixing the problem by affixing a 77mm ND4 "Neutral Density" filter in front of the lens. Unfortunately, Epson did not include threads on the lens ring of the 5010, so there is not an easy way to put a filter in place. So right now it's kind of rigged up with a piece of stiff paper and tape, and I'm trying to think of a more elegant way to mount the filter. But at least I have my image quality back for movies.

Don't get me wrong, the extra brightness is definitely nice for watching sports and TV with some lights on, and it would probably be good for video games (as well as 3D). But I watch 95% movies on my projector, so I just didn't need all that brightness. I just wish Epson would have put threads on the lens ring. I was just at my parents house the other day, and I was annoyed to see that even their old Panasonic PT-AE900U has threads!

I'm just surprised that I haven't seen more people complaining about their newer projectors being too bright.

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It seems like there has been a big push for more lumens over the last several years, but sometimes I think it might be a case of "too much of a good thing".

After spending several happy years with an Epson 7500UB Pro Cinema (pretty much same as 6500UB), I recently decided to upgrade. I wanted to stay under $2000, so a couple weeks ago I bought one of the last Epson 5010 "B-Stock" units from Projector People for $1649 shipped (it only had 10 hrs on lamp, and comes with the full 2-year warranty.) The 5010 is 95% the same as the 5030, particularly in 2D performance.

After reading all the great reviews of the Epson 5010/20/30 projectors, I was disappointed when I got it installed and discovered that it was actually too bright. I'm using it on a 108" 16:9 matte-white screen in a basement room with no windows, but with light walls. Even with the lamp in Eco mode, the iris enabled, and the projector set to Cinema Night, the image was still blazing, resulting in a room that was too bright, blacks that were not very black, and colors that were washed out. I do photography as a hobby, and it was basically like take a picture that was overexposed.

I ended up fixing the problem by affixing a 77mm ND4 "Neutral Density" filter in front of the lens. Unfortunately, Epson did not include threads on the lens ring of the 5010, so there is not an easy way to put a filter in place. So right now it's kind of rigged up with a piece of stiff paper and tape, and I'm trying to think of a more elegant way to mount the filter. But at least I have my image quality back for movies.

Don't get me wrong, the extra brightness is definitely nice for watching sports and TV with some lights on, and it would probably be good for video games (as well as 3D). But I watch 95% movies on my projector, so I just didn't need all that brightness. I just wish Epson would have put threads on the lens ring. I was just at my parents house the other day, and I was annoyed to see that even their old Panasonic PT-AE900U has threads!

I'm just surprised that I haven't seen more people complaining about their newer projectors being too bright.

Did you try going into the settings and calibrating the picture... It will usually make the picture less bright.

Edited by ellisr63
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I'm just surprised that I haven't seen more people complaining about their newer projectors being too bright.

Did you try going into the settings and calibrating the picture... It will usually make the picture less bright.

Yes, I have messed with every option I can find, and I have run Disney's World of Wonder calibration disc, which many consider to be the best of the end-user calibration discs. The thing was just too darn bright! The ND filter is what eventually tamed it. If my room was all black with reflections all controlled, perhaps I wouldn't have had as much trouble, but I still think the picture would be much brighter than I wanted.

With how bright this projector is, I think that Epson should have either included 1) a user-adjustable manual iris, 2) an internal ND filter that can be selected to be inserted into the light path, or 3) threads on the lens ring for adding a filter.

Since originally getting the projector, I have changed from a 108" screen-size to a 145" screen-size and I think that helped.

Edited by Edgar_in_Indy
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Well when the picture starts to dim you will be able to remove the filter and re calibrate it... I still think it is better to have a picture that is too bright to start off with as it will last longer between bulbs.

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Well when the picture starts to dim you will be able to remove the filter and re calibrate it... I still think it is better to have a picture that is too bright to start off with as it will last longer between bulbs.

I tend to agree, which is why I've decided to keep the projector, rather than look for something with less maximum output, like a JVC. As you point out, I have light to spare for when the bulb starts to dim, and the extra brightness is very handy when viewing TV with some lights on. I haven't tried 3D yet, but I hear the extra brightness will also be appreciated for 3D. And removing the filter is as easy as flipping it up. I just need to design a classier looking filter holder.

I guess it's kind of like complaining that a new Corvette has too much horsepower because it spins its tires too easily in the snow. But still, the brightness issue is something that people should be aware of.

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