BenQ W1070 - dark band visible when playing 3D content

chrisp39

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I have had a BenQ W1070 projector since early 2015 and have noticed an issue during 3D BluRay playback. 2D playback is not affected. I cannot be sure whether this is something that has only relatively recently started happening or whether it's always been there and now I've seen it I can’t unsee it. A friend couldn't initially see what I was referring to, so it is quite subtle.

It's difficult to describe but essentially what I am seeing is like a band, or strip, at the top of the image, which is very slightly darker than the rest of the image. In fact it is so subtle I am not entirely sure it is darker as such, but just different in some way. It is almost as if the top portion of the image is at a slightly different brightness setting, but not otherwise distorted. It is only visible in certain scenes and how noticeable it is depends on the scene. I haven't been able to ascertain precisely when it appears but the darker, or greyer, the scene, the more likely it is that you will see this band. It doesn't come and go as such; if it's present in a scene it will always be present in that scene and if it's not (e.g. in a bright / colourful / daylight scene) then it will never be there.

I am projecting onto a 106 inch screen and the band is probably about four inches thick and runs the entire top length of the image. If the aspect ratio is any wider than 16:9, such that there are black bars above and below the image, so covering the area that would otherwise be affected, the issue does not arise (or is at least not visible).

I've recently started watching a lot of 3D content and would like to get the issue resolved. I just don't have a clue what could be causing it. It's not a player issue (I have tried my PS3, PS4, Panasonic BluRay player and the issue occurs in each case). Might it be an HDMI cable issue? I don't currently have a spare HDMI that is long enough for me to test this, but I had thought that an HDMI cable either worked or it didn't, so a faulty cable wouldn't be the likely cause. It's not an issue with the 3D glasses because you can see it without the glasses as well.

Any thoughts gratefully received!
 
I tried to take a photo of the issue. This was taken from the 3D BluRay of Creature from the Black Lagoon.

You can see the strip I’m referring to running along the top of the image. The block of black right at the top is the edge of the projector screen itself, then below that there is the black bar within the image itself (due to the aspect ratio), and then below that is the strip I am referring to. You can see it's quite faint but noticeable (this is about as noticeable as it ever gets; in many scenes it's not present at all). You can also see vertical bands in the image but that's just the way the photo has come out; you can't see those in real life.
 

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Hm. I was about to ask you if it could possibly be the actual framework of your screen, but in that case you would likely see it mostly in bright scenes as opposed to dark scenes.
Not sure what that is, but it's nothing I ever noticed whan I had my 1070.
 
Thanks. No, definitely not that unfortunately. I'm going to try a different HDMI cable and if that doesn't solve it see what BenQ customer services can do.
 
OK so I took it back to the shop (it was still under warranty), who sent it off for repair. I didn't hear back for around 2 months so contacted the shop for an update and was told today, apologetically, that a fault had been found with the optical board and the unit had been disposed of! Without reference to me no less.

I am slightly ticked off because (a) they had no right to dispose of the unit without my consent and (b) the W1070 is no longer available.

However, putting to one side any grievance I might have with the shop/repair service, what would people recommend as a good equivalent projector, in around the same price range. For me, 3D is very important and I was very impressed with the quality of the 3D on the W1070. A quick look at the BenQ website suggests that the W1050 might be similar, but I haven't had chance to research properly.
 
The W1050 is very similar to the W1070, but has a longer throw range. The W1090 has the same throw range as the W1070, as well as the models below.
Other similar units would be W1110, W1120, W2000, W2000+. These last 4 are on a larger chassis (quieter), glass optics, a small amount of vertical lens shift, 16ms latency on the W1120, vertical and horizontal keystone (vertical only on the W1050/W1090), and better audio on some, as well as other minor differences.
Cheaper lamps on the W1050 and W1090.
 
Thanks. The W1050 doesn't appear to be 3D compatible, and that's a deal-breaker for me. The W1090 looks ideal, but unfortunately does not appear to be stocked by the shop in question (although perhaps they can source one).

The shop in question has the W2000 (last few remaining, appears to be discontinued) and the W1210ST. These would appear to be the best two replacements of those available.

Should all DLP 3D projectors work with the same DLP link glasses? I have four pairs that were reasonably pricey.
 
I bought some new glasses when I got my 4k Optoma UHD 51A DLP projector as my old ones were 96Hz and my new one does 144Hz, but other than the newer ones possibly being a little lighter in weight and with a clearer lens they all seem to work the same and I can not see any difference in flickering or flashing or anything like that which I thought may have been noticeable.
 
Thanks. I've just seen that neither the W1090 nor the W2000 are ceiling mountable, so they're out as well :-(

I'm considering the W1210ST but apparently it's first and foremost a gaming projector, which is not what I am going to use it for. Will it nevertheless have broadly equivalent image quality to the W1070 for (3d) film viewing?

Edit: scrub the W1020ST, I'm reading that it requires a super flat screen otherwise the image looks terrible. Mine is reasonably flat (looks fine with the W1070) but is not fixed/tab-tensioned. The ultra-short throw distance will also mean that it will need to be placed nearer to the screen and mess with my set-up. Contrary to what I stated above, it seems that the W2000 is in fact ceiling mountable, so I'm gravitating back towards that one! Alternatively the W1090 if that is also ceiling mountable (I believe it was the same source that said both the W1090/W2000 weren't ceiling mountable).
 
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As I own one I can confirm the W2000 is indeed ceiling mountable. However ...

Should all DLP 3D projectors work with the same DLP link glasses? I have four pairs that were reasonably pricey.


As someone who had to replace all my 3D glasses because of "sync-issues" I am sorry to tell you this is unfortunately NOT the case. Click the link and read the stories.
 
Thanks. I've just seen that neither the W1090 nor the W2000 are ceiling mountable, so they're out as well :-(

I'm considering the W1210ST but apparently it's first and foremost a gaming projector, which is not what I am going to use it for. Will it nevertheless have broadly equivalent image quality to the W1070 for (3d) film viewing?

Edit: scrub the W1020ST, I'm reading that it requires a super flat screen otherwise the image looks terrible. Mine is reasonably flat (looks fine with the W1070) but is not fixed/tab-tensioned. The ultra-short throw distance will also mean that it will need to be placed nearer to the screen and mess with my set-up. Contrary to what I stated above, it seems that the W2000 is in fact ceiling mountable, so I'm gravitating back towards that one! Alternatively the W1090 if that is also ceiling mountable (I believe it was the same source that said both the W1090/W2000 weren't ceiling mountable).

All of these projectors are ceiling mountable.
As per Benq's specifications, the W1050 can do 3D: Specifications

The W1020ST does not exist, that must be the W1210ST. Short throw projectors do require to be placed closer to the screen. They do not require super flat screens more than regular projectors do. Will be less sharp due to the closer placement.

The W1120 is very similar to the W2000, and cheaper.

Not all glasses all guaranteed to work, but if it's DLP link rated for 144Hz (if that is what the 3D on the projector is on as well) it probably will. Check on reviews/comments to see if other people are using them with a similar projector you intend to use. For Benq, the ones sold by them are regarded as some of the best.

Some of the 4K projectors, including budget units, can do 1080p 3D.
If the Benq selection is not enough Optoma has a interesting line up.
How far away is the projector placed?
 
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Thanks for your response! The shop's own website unhelpfully indicated that the W1050 was not 3D compatible but thanks for pointing out that it is. You are right; I meant the W1210ST.

Having considered all the options, I am going to plump for the W2000. I'll have to pay a little bit more (the shop won't do a straight exchange as it's a pricier model) but I'm happy to pay for the upgrade, based on reviews I've read. Also, given it has an identical throw ratio to the W1070 I can mount it in the same location (roughly 2.8m away from my 106 inch screen).

After reading the thread that jacobe helpfully linked to, it seems that there are some syncing issues with some of the 3D glasses in the case of the W2000, but that the BenQ D5 glasses work perfectly. I actually have the Estar America ESG-601 glasses, but have purchased a couple of pairs of the BenQ D5s as I saw them for a decent-ish price (I understand they are not always easy to get hold of so I thought I'd bite whilst I could get them).
 
Reason the W1120 is recommended over the W2000 is the small differences between the two:
2 speakers on the W2000 and 1 on the W1120.
16ms lag on the W1120 vs ~40-50ms on the W2000.
W2000 is supposedly calibrated, the W1120 is not. But this calibration could be some sort of semi automatic process, especially at this price point. In any case the calibration is done in their setup. Since every setup is different it would not match your room/screen/setup. The W1120 out of the box is pretty good accuracy wise.
There is an older version of the W1120, the W1110 with 33ms lag, only vertical keystone (which should not be used anyway), and a weaker speaker.
W1120/W1110 have the same throw range as the W2000.

The difference in price (locally) is ~$250 in favor of the W1120 (cheaper). Depends what prices are in your area.
Even if the W2000 would be $100 more expensive, I would still go for the W1120. It's got lower lag,the calibration and the extra speaker on the W2000 are not worth that much.
 
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Thanks for your further advice, much appreciated.

Unfortunately, neither the W1110 nor the W1120 are stocked by the shop in question (and in fact do not appear to be available locally anywhere). I'm getting what I think is a decent price on the W2000; I have done a deal whereby I can exchange it for my defunct W1070 for £100 extra, which means overall I'll get the W2000 for a couple of hundred quid under its asking price.
 
Then the W2000 seems a good choice.
If 16ms lag is required (for gaming) there is an upgraded version of the W2000, the W2000+. It's black in color, but that's about it. Price wise not really worth it unless lag is important.

Depending on how far the current projector mount is, there is another popular alternative, the Optoma HD29H (HD27HDR in the US):
HD29H vs W2000:
Throw Ratio 1.48 – 1.62 :1 vs 1.15 - 1.5. So longer throw on the Optoma.
Lamp Life Up to 15000 hours (ECO+ mode) vs 7000h in SmartEco
Similar in noise to the W1070, the W2000 is quieter than both of them.
120Hz vs 60Hz.
8ms vs ~45ms.
Optoma: Can accept a 4K HDR signal (HDR10). The projector is still 1080p SDR, but it will downscale the resolution and tone map the image to the brightness of the projector.
The Benq cannot accept an 4K HDR signal.
Out of the box the Benq is more accurate than the Optoma. The Optoma can get better with calibration.
The HDR mode is brighter than the Cinema mode (on the Optoma).
There seems to be some inconsistency regarding the brightness, with Projector Central measuring it similar to the Benq, but Passion Home Cinema much brighter. Maybe PC calibrated all the modes before measurement.
Optoma HD27HDR Projector Review
Test Optoma HD29H : l’avis de Grégory – – Le Blog de PHC –
BenQ HT3050 & HT2050 Projector Review
 
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