Theater Projector » benq

Comparing $999 Full HD 1080p to High End 1080P Home Theater Projectors

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:58:01 +0000

With so many inexpensive full HD 1080p projectors hitting the market, I often see people asking the question “what’s the difference?” This post is for everybody who doesn’t believe that contrast ratios and picture quality are greatly improved between the low and high end models. It’s pretty plain to see how much a couple extra LCDs will add to contrast and colour quality. ProjectorPeople have a video detailing the differences between the new 1080p true HD projectors, all for under $1000, and the current best selling 1080p projectors. They pit a Optoma HD20 up against the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB projector to illustrate perfectly how a new entry level DLP projector performs agains a high end LCD projector.

Keep in mind though, that as the camera shifts between the two screens, some brightness may be lost for a couple seconds while the camera lens adjusts. Also, when the video is compressed into flash video for the web, there might be some artifacts visible. These artifacts are strictly the byproducts of the compression and have nothing to do with the way the projectors perform. There are problems with filming projectors work but I think this video does an incredible job of comparing the two projectors visually which is not a luxury most people are afforded.

So what does it all come down to?If you are looking to get into the full HD home theater projector market but have a limited budget, you can spend $1000 and get a 1080p 300-inch picture with really good black levels in a small easy to transport case, if you’re willing to sacrifice features. On the other hand, if you are looking at upgrading to a full HD theater projector with an incredibly crisp image, some flexibility in how and where you install the projector due to a 2x zoom and lens shift, then the higher end LCD home theater projectors are what you are looking for.

Personally, I think that if you were to spend $999 on an Optoma HD20, a projector that’s truly worth the $999 price tag, you might as well spend the extra $300 and get a $5,000 projector in the Viewsonic PRO8100. I have said it before but this is in my opinion the best price going for a quality home theater projector.

If for some reason you have an aversion to ViewSonic, or you simply don’t have the extra $300 to drop on it, here are the links for the most popular high end LCD and entry level DLP home theater projectors.

High End LCD Home Theater Projectors

Viewsonic PRO8100 (My favorite deal going right now. A $5,000 projector for $1,300)
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6500UB(also a great projector for the price, but the price is twice as much)
Panasonic PT-AE3000U(this one is a fan favorite for a reason, there isn’t a single rating less than five star on Amazon)

New Entry Level DLP Projectors

Optoma HD20(seems to be the favorite, but it’s the only one currently shipping)
Vivitek h3080FD(my pick for entry level DLP HD projectors, from stats only)
BenQ W1000(big fan of BenQ and really looking forward to this little guy’s arrival)

The BenQ W1000 – A Third Contender in the Sub $1,000 1080p Ring

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:53:52 +0000

BenQ has announced their plans to release a very affordable 1080p projector sometime in the coming month. October 5th is a day that keeps getting thrown around but I seriously don’t know if I can wait that long. As I’ve stated before, I’m a little bit of a BenQ fanboy. The first product I bought from them, I didn’t expect much of, but if I turn my head to the right, I can look at my, still functioning perfectly, BenQ T705 monitor. I think BenQ chiseled out a great little niche by building dependable electronic hardware for a very fair price. Granted, they may not produce the at pinnacle of statistic availability, but they do what they do incredibly well.

All that being said, I look forward to this low-end 1080p projector more than any other this year. According to BenQ’s released statistics, it doesn’t quite measure up to the HD20’s contrast ratio, but as I’ve said many times before, and will say many times in the future, you simply can not trust manufacturer’s statistics. All three of the sub $1,000 DLP 1080p projectors sport the TI DLP chip so they are all very similar. Where they will differ though is in lenses and basically everything else that goes into making a projector.

I really can’t get enough of the case. Look at that faux leather texture on the silver part of the casing; it is stunning. The W1000 is by far my favorite of the cheap 1080p projectors aesthetically but we’ll have to wait to see if it outperforms the Optoma HD20 and Vivitek h3080FD. All three projectors should be on the market and shipping to happy households by the end of October but we should be able to compare the W1000 to the HD20 on October 5th. Be sure we’ll keep you posted.

The BenQ MP512 – My Favorite Entry Level Projector

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:38:00 +0000

When my brother told me that he was looking for a TV, I tried to sell him on a projector instead. I recommended the BenQ MP512. He was going to be using it in a dimly lit room so it wasn’t really that hard of a sell. He told me his budget was $700 so I got to work and did some research. I sifted through a sea of cheap Chinese projectors with inflated statistics and a whole lot of cheap computer monitor makers. I have had five BenQ LCD’s previously and didn’t really expect much at the first one. After the first made it a couple years, I bought another, and another. Needless to say, this is a company I really like to support. The prices are completely reasonable and the product is unmatched for the price. I got my brother this MP512 and he’s incredibly happy. Its 800×600 display is plenty for what he needs it for and it is currently projected at eight feet diagonally. If you were going to spend $700 on a TV, increase your screen size incredibly and go pick up an MP512.

The BenQ W5000 – The Pinnacle of Affordable Projectors

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:38:29 +0000

Check out the BenQ W5000 full 1080p DLP projector. Everything from Blu-Ray to PS3 looks a million times better on this beautiful piece of machinery. If you can afford a 60″ 1080p LCD television, you’re doing pretty well, the good news is that this thing dwarfs any television in production and it’s a fifth the price. Imagine having a 30 foot screen instead. Screw your friends, Impress yourself. I have five LCD’s from BenQ, dating back to six years ago, and not one of them has a single dead pixel. I stand behind their product. Go pick up this awesome piece of machinery from the incredibly trustworthy BenQ and blow your mind.