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Hi guys, I received the BenQ W500 Home Entertainment projector as an user review sample courtesy of Mia Shen of BenQ America Corp. I'll be reviewing the BenQ W500 as an introduction to the [H]ardforum members to an alternative display for people who are interested in having a big display with a modest budget. Some of you may remember the user review I did on the BenQ V2400W 24 LCD monitor a short while ago. I guess I did a pretty decent job last time and now BenQ has contacted me again to review their other display products.
1. BenQ W500
-Initial overview of general specs and info
Sample arrived in good condition.
Box contents laid out on the floor.
The main projector unit, pretty sleek looking and a lot lighter and smaller than I expected.
Frontal view of the W500.
Top view of the projector, the unit controls on located on at the bottom right corner.
Zoomed view of the control buttons and the indicators.
The I/O panel located behind the projector unit.
Bottom view of the projector, the two round legs on top here can be twisted to elevate the front of the unit
in order to raise the projected image to provide more mounting flexibility.
The unit label shows the W500 is built in China on Feb. 2008.
2. Movie Viewing
I connected the projector through the PS3 HDMI connection and fired it up.
I quickly ran through the OSD to see what options I can mess with and to my surprise there are way more options than I expected and most of which I don't fully understand what it does.
Fortunately the user manual (you can check out the online manual in PDF if you're interested in the full OSD menu options) that came with the unit clearly explains all the settings and features the W500 provides, but for now I basically left everything default and went ahead and popped in Casino Royale in Blu-ray.
Do note that the OSD interface is the same as most BenQ monitor displays, it's pretty familiar if you've owned any BenQ display products previously.
Do note that although the native resolution is 1280x720, the W500 immediately recognized the movie is in 1080p/24 and showed that the unit is indeed running in 1080p mode.
Although the native projector resolution is only in 720p I'm guess the W500 automatically down scales the signal into 720 horizontal lines from the 1080 line samples.
My immediate impression is holy crap, I've brought the movie theater into my living room. The picture is extremely sharp and the brightness and contrast is pretty good compared to a desktop monitor.
But consider the price, it's around $800USD for the projector and about another $100+USD for the desired screen size of up to 100"+ you can't beat the value.
The projector screen I'm using as I mentioned above is the Apollo Boone W60 Wall Screen (60 x 60). So the actual screen size across as you see in the picture is around 68" across as there are about a inch wide black border on the left and right side of the projector screen.
As you can see from the screen shots, the picture is very clean and clear, although there are some resolutions lost from the down sampling from 1080p blu-ray resolution to 720p projector native.
This picture really showcases the incredible picture clarity this relatively tiny projector is able to produce.
Hello there.
Can't wait for the new 007 to come out!
Next I popped in Ratatouille, the Disney CG feature film.
The preview showcasing Cars in 1080p.
Another shot of Cars during the preview of Ratatouille.
Computer generated films in HD is truly incredible to watch, the details are amazing.
Colorful CG shots really pops out compare to real life pictures.
There is something about watching the movies on a projector, it's so much more satisfying. It's truly a whole different experience.
Overall, I must say the W500 is definitely more than capable as a home theater projector.
The pictures are clear, and brightness is great, the details are amazing. the only downside that can be said is the down conversion resulting in some details lost from the down sampling.
1. BenQ W500
-Initial overview of general specs and info
W500 User Manual
Keep in mind the W500 has been around for awhile, the original unit launch date is around July of 2007.
Native Resolution: 1280 x 720(16:9)
Projection System: 3LCD
Brightness: 1100 ANSI lumens
Lamp: 140W, 2000/3000 hours (Normal/Economic mode)
Contrast Ratio: 5000:1 Weight 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg)
Noise Leve:l 32/28 dB (Normal/Economic mode)
Resolution Support: 640 x400 to 1920x1080
Dimensions: 13.7 x 4.7 x 10.9 inches (349 x 120 x 277 mm)
Image Size: 23.5" to 300"
Throw Ratio: 100"@3.3m (100"@10.8 feet)
Throw Distance: Min:1.20m Max:9.00m
Zoom Ratio: Manual Zoom 1.2:1 Lens F=1.6 to1.88, f=18.6(wide)~22.3mm(tele)
Display Color: Full 16.7 million color palette
Aspect Ratio: Native 16:9 (5 aspect ratios selectable)
Horizontal Frequency: 15~17 KHz
Vertical Scan Rate: 50~100 Hz
Projection Position: Front/Rear, Table/Ceiling
Input Terminals:
Analog RGB
-sub x1
Digital: HDMI (with HDCP)x 1
Composite Video: RCA x 1
S-Video: Mini DIN 4 pin x 1
Component Video 1: RCA x 3
Component Video 2: RCA x 3 (shared)
Output Terminals:
12V Output x 1 Control Terminals RS232: Mini DIN 8 pin x1
USB: B type x1 Speakers N/A Video Compatibility NTSC, PAL, SECAM, EDTV, HDTV
(480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)
Auto Switching Power Supply: 100 to 240 V AC, 50 to 60 Hz
Power Consumption: Max 200W, 5W (Stand-by)
On-Screen Display Language: English/French/German/Italian/Spanish/Japanese
/Russian/Dutch/Korean/ Czech/ Swedish/Polish/ Portuguese/ Thai/ Turkish
/Simplified Chinese/Traditional Chinese
Preset Modes/ Application Modes:
Cinema Mode
Dynamic Mode
Standard Mode
Photo Mode
3 kinds of user mode
Functions:
HD ready
5000:1 contrast ratio
Dynamic IRIS system
HQV ( Hollywood Quality Video) picture quality
Horizontal and Vertical Lens Shift
Professional digital AV input (HDMI)
User memory settsing
BenQ proprietary Senseye Technology
Independent Color adjustment
Accessories (Standard):
User Manual
Quick start card
Remote Control
Batteries for R/C
Power Cord
Component cable
Test Setup:
BenQ W500
Apollo Boone W60 Wall Screen (60 x 60)
Keep in mind the W500 has been around for awhile, the original unit launch date is around July of 2007.
Native Resolution: 1280 x 720(16:9)
Projection System: 3LCD
Brightness: 1100 ANSI lumens
Lamp: 140W, 2000/3000 hours (Normal/Economic mode)
Contrast Ratio: 5000:1 Weight 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg)
Noise Leve:l 32/28 dB (Normal/Economic mode)
Resolution Support: 640 x400 to 1920x1080
Dimensions: 13.7 x 4.7 x 10.9 inches (349 x 120 x 277 mm)
Image Size: 23.5" to 300"
Throw Ratio: 100"@3.3m (100"@10.8 feet)
Throw Distance: Min:1.20m Max:9.00m
Zoom Ratio: Manual Zoom 1.2:1 Lens F=1.6 to1.88, f=18.6(wide)~22.3mm(tele)
Display Color: Full 16.7 million color palette
Aspect Ratio: Native 16:9 (5 aspect ratios selectable)
Horizontal Frequency: 15~17 KHz
Vertical Scan Rate: 50~100 Hz
Projection Position: Front/Rear, Table/Ceiling
Input Terminals:
Analog RGB
-sub x1 Digital: HDMI (with HDCP)x 1
Composite Video: RCA x 1
S-Video: Mini DIN 4 pin x 1
Component Video 1: RCA x 3
Component Video 2: RCA x 3 (shared)
Output Terminals:
12V Output x 1 Control Terminals RS232: Mini DIN 8 pin x1
USB: B type x1 Speakers N/A Video Compatibility NTSC, PAL, SECAM, EDTV, HDTV
(480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)
Auto Switching Power Supply: 100 to 240 V AC, 50 to 60 Hz
Power Consumption: Max 200W, 5W (Stand-by)
On-Screen Display Language: English/French/German/Italian/Spanish/Japanese
/Russian/Dutch/Korean/ Czech/ Swedish/Polish/ Portuguese/ Thai/ Turkish
/Simplified Chinese/Traditional Chinese
Preset Modes/ Application Modes:
Cinema Mode
Dynamic Mode
Standard Mode
Photo Mode
3 kinds of user mode
Functions:
HD ready
5000:1 contrast ratio
Dynamic IRIS system
HQV ( Hollywood Quality Video) picture quality
Horizontal and Vertical Lens Shift
Professional digital AV input (HDMI)
User memory settsing
BenQ proprietary Senseye Technology
Independent Color adjustment
Accessories (Standard):
User Manual
Quick start card
Remote Control
Batteries for R/C
Power Cord
Component cable
Test Setup:
BenQ W500
Apollo Boone W60 Wall Screen (60 x 60)
-Unboxing pictures
Sample arrived in good condition.
Box contents laid out on the floor.
The main projector unit, pretty sleek looking and a lot lighter and smaller than I expected.
Frontal view of the W500.
Top view of the projector, the unit controls on located on at the bottom right corner.
Zoomed view of the control buttons and the indicators.
The I/O panel located behind the projector unit.
Bottom view of the projector, the two round legs on top here can be twisted to elevate the front of the unit
in order to raise the projected image to provide more mounting flexibility.
The unit label shows the W500 is built in China on Feb. 2008.
2. Movie Viewing
- Viewing Blu-ray movies through the HDMI connection on the Playstation 3
Since the W500 is mainly labeled as a home theater projector, let's see if the unit delivers on that front.
Before we continue I'd like to mention that I am in no way a projector expert therefore I have a very limited scope of reference as to whether or not something is outstanding or something is subpar.
I have previously spend some time with another projector, the Panasonic PT-AE1000U at a friend's place so that is about as close a comparison I can provide. However do note that the Panasonic unit is at a completely different price range therefore it's no at all an apples-to-apples comparison if I do mention the AE1000 further down the review.
With that disclaimer out of the way, I will try to provide as much information as possible from an end-user point of view and point out purely what I think is outstanding and what maybe is not as good as it should be for the respective usage context.
Before we continue I'd like to mention that I am in no way a projector expert therefore I have a very limited scope of reference as to whether or not something is outstanding or something is subpar.
I have previously spend some time with another projector, the Panasonic PT-AE1000U at a friend's place so that is about as close a comparison I can provide. However do note that the Panasonic unit is at a completely different price range therefore it's no at all an apples-to-apples comparison if I do mention the AE1000 further down the review.
With that disclaimer out of the way, I will try to provide as much information as possible from an end-user point of view and point out purely what I think is outstanding and what maybe is not as good as it should be for the respective usage context.
I connected the projector through the PS3 HDMI connection and fired it up.
I quickly ran through the OSD to see what options I can mess with and to my surprise there are way more options than I expected and most of which I don't fully understand what it does.
Fortunately the user manual (you can check out the online manual in PDF if you're interested in the full OSD menu options) that came with the unit clearly explains all the settings and features the W500 provides, but for now I basically left everything default and went ahead and popped in Casino Royale in Blu-ray.
Do note that the OSD interface is the same as most BenQ monitor displays, it's pretty familiar if you've owned any BenQ display products previously.
Do note that although the native resolution is 1280x720, the W500 immediately recognized the movie is in 1080p/24 and showed that the unit is indeed running in 1080p mode.
Although the native projector resolution is only in 720p I'm guess the W500 automatically down scales the signal into 720 horizontal lines from the 1080 line samples.
My immediate impression is holy crap, I've brought the movie theater into my living room. The picture is extremely sharp and the brightness and contrast is pretty good compared to a desktop monitor.
But consider the price, it's around $800USD for the projector and about another $100+USD for the desired screen size of up to 100"+ you can't beat the value.
The projector screen I'm using as I mentioned above is the Apollo Boone W60 Wall Screen (60 x 60). So the actual screen size across as you see in the picture is around 68" across as there are about a inch wide black border on the left and right side of the projector screen.
As you can see from the screen shots, the picture is very clean and clear, although there are some resolutions lost from the down sampling from 1080p blu-ray resolution to 720p projector native.
This picture really showcases the incredible picture clarity this relatively tiny projector is able to produce.
Hello there.
Can't wait for the new 007 to come out!
Next I popped in Ratatouille, the Disney CG feature film.
The preview showcasing Cars in 1080p.
Another shot of Cars during the preview of Ratatouille.
Computer generated films in HD is truly incredible to watch, the details are amazing.
Colorful CG shots really pops out compare to real life pictures.
There is something about watching the movies on a projector, it's so much more satisfying. It's truly a whole different experience.
Overall, I must say the W500 is definitely more than capable as a home theater projector.
The pictures are clear, and brightness is great, the details are amazing. the only downside that can be said is the down conversion resulting in some details lost from the down sampling.