Article by Dick Tan
BenQ, a Taiwan based, digital video solutions company has over the years chalked up an enviable reputation among big screen pundits for producing affordable home theatre projectors that ‘deliver the goods’.
While BenQ’s series of home theatre projectors cover both the affordable as well as the high performance range it is for the former that it is better known.
This is not to imply that BenQ does not make technically competitive high performance projectors, they do. It’s just that over time they have somehow developed this knack for filtering crucial projection technologies into an affordable, attractive package.
Best reflecting BenQ’s policy of getting you the best for less is its current W1070+ DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector.
An updated version of its highly successful and popular W1070 the W1070+ offers improved light output from 2000 Lumens to 2200 Lumens, better perceived contrast ratio in excess of 10,000:1, MHL standard compatibility for smart phone connectivity and perhaps more importantly, claimed improvement in perceived reproduction of black which should enable the W1070+ to project a more palpable and solid colour palette.
Featuring a full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution the W1070+, as with all BenQ projector utilizes a Texas Instruments DLP Darkchip3 imaging device. Being a single chip design the Darkchip3 device works in conjunction with a six segment colour wheel to produce a full colour spectrum.
Other important features include up to 2 HDMI 1.4 connector, 3D capability, extreme short throw placement, vertical lens shift, legacy analogue video connectors and an audio input to power a built-in 10 watts sound system.
The aesthetics at the W1070+ is attractive in a dual tone grey and gloss white finish. Measuring 312 x 104 x 244 mm and weighing only 2.75 kg the W1070+ is compact and light enough to move about without causing any undue physical strain, perfectly underscoring BenQ’s intention to have users treat the W1070+ as a easy to set up, plug and play projector.
As it was designed to do, setting up the W1070+ is virtually ‘child’s play’. Being a very short throw projector the W1070+ required only about 2.5 metres to achieve a big bright 100″ diagonal 16:9 aspect ratio picture.
Although a pedigreed home theatre projector in every aspect the W1070+ is designed to go where other home theatre projectors world fear to tread. Hints of this are the built-in sound system which enables videophiles to use the W1070+ anywhere without an external audio system, the short throw capability that significantly increases placement flexibility and the high brightness output that gives it an edge over conventional home theatre projectors when used in a brighter than usual environment.
According to BenQ’s General Manager Chaw Foo Hong a decision was unanimously arrived at BenQ to inject a high degree of fun and flexibility in the usage of home theatre projectors which, rightly or wrongly have been categorised as ‘serious, videophile products’ that require serious setting up procedures for optimum performance.
“The plug and play and use anywhere features of the W1070+ will, we hope, attract the younger and more upwardly mobile video consumer to seriously consider the projector as an affordable yet effective alternative to the fixed sized HDTV”, says Chaw.
Its extreme flexibility aside the W1070+ is indeed capable of projecting a very bright picture, even in a room infused with a higher than normal amount of light that most home theatre projectors are required to work in.
While the W1070+ can work off a white or light coloured wall we projected it onto a grey 100″ screen. Of the W1070+’s several available pre-set video modes, all of them, with the exception of ‘Cinema’, proffered extremely bright light output. Many would like that I suspect but the purist videophile in me, moulded by years of properly calibrated video conditioning consistently steered me to use the slightly toned down but more accurate ‘Cinema’ mode.
Inspite of its high degree of flexibility BenQ has incorporated serious video enhancing features such an ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration mode, high accuracy REC 709 colour space and a very comprehensive set of colour management system to remind the serious videophile that the W1070+, everything being equal, is more than capable when pitted against other home theatre projector in its category.
At RM3,999 with a pair of active shutter 3D glasses thrown in the W1070+ most certainly constitute an exceptional buy. It is not without faults, no projectors are perfect irrespective of price but the faults of W1070+ are fewer than most at any price level.
With its more than decent level of black level performance and contrast it would appear that BenQ with the W1070+, has managed quite admirably to achieve both a very good level of serious video performance while incorporating a degree of flexibility not known before with home theatre projectors.
For further information contact:
BenQ Service and Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd.
Tel: 03 79547800
Article by Dick Tan
