BenQ W500 3LCD 720p Home Cinema Projector Review

The BenQ W500 is a 720p resolution projector. Its brightness of 1100 ANSI lumens makes it a projector which needs the low ambient lighting of a home cinema to look good. The unit has an excellent contrast ratio of 5000:1 although as discussed in an earlier article, contrast ratio should not be a deciding factor in selecting between projectors. The BenQ W500 is the only one of the three BenQ Home Cinema Projectors which incorporates 3LCD technology. The PE7700 and W100 are both DLP projectors.

BenQ W500 Projector

BenQ have made the W500 simple to set up with horizontal and vertical lens shift and horizontal and vertical keystone correction. Lens shift would be the alignment method of choice as it does not tend to introduce video artifacts. The W500 is reasonably quiet with a noise level of 28dB in economic mode. It has a good range of connectors including HDMI.

HQV ( Hollywood Quality Video)

The BenQ has a powerful video processor in the form of a Silicon Optix HQV Video Processor. Silicon Optix gained some significant recognition last December when it was selected as a 2006 Technology Pioneer by the World Economics.

The HQV processor performs more than one trillion operations per second and delivers superior video image quality using 10-bit video processing and other features to resolve conflicts between native pixel resolution and different pixel source material. The technology uses pixel-based (rather than frame-based) motion adaptation and detail enhancement to more accurately process de-interlaced images. Even standard broadcast video images are upscaled for improved viewing on a large screen.

Unlike some similar technologies, HQV technology processors have sufficient power to perform the full suite of image-enhancing processing calculations on two, simultaneous, high-definition sources without losing any resolution. This capability allows picture-in-picture or split screens to be displayed in full resolution.

The Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 810 HQV and Mitsubishi HC5000BL projectors also have a Silicon Optix Video Processor.

3LCD Projection Technology

The W500 projection system is based on 3LCD technology, a video projection system that uses three LCD panels to produce an image. This technology has three main advantages:

A brighter picture even in high ambient light situations
More natural colors
Greater resolution - high definition performance

3LCD is an active-matrix, HTPS (high-temperature polysilicon) LCD projection technology. From its active matrix technology it inherits sharp images, brightness and excellent color reproduction. Deeper blacks are contributed by the HTPS technology.

Application Mode Selection

For instant settings for various applications, BenQ a number of application modes (cinema mode, home theater mode, family room mode, photo mode and gaming mode,) are available. The application modes customize the projector output for each video source, for four different lighting environments or other preferences.

Specification BenQ W500 Home Cinema Projector

Display Technology	3LCD
Native Resolution	WXGA (1280 x 720)
Resolution Supported	480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720i, 720p, 1080i,1080p
Brightness	1100 ANSI lumens
Contrast Ratio	5000:1 (Full on/Full off)
Image Size (Diagonal)	23.5”~300”
Throw Ratio	100”@10.8′
Zoom Ratio	Manual Zoom, 1.2:1
Color	Full 16.7 million color palette
Aspect Ratio	Native 16:9 (5 aspect ratio selectable)
Light Source	140W, 2000/3000 hours (Normal/Economic mode)
Operational Noise	28 dB (Economic mode)
Horizontal Frequency	15 ~ 75 kHz
Vertical Scan Rate	50 ~ 100Hz
Input Sources	Analog RGB :D-sub x1(Shared) 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)
Video Compatibility	NTSC, PAL, SECAM, EDTV, HDTV (1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i)
Lens	F=1.6 to 1.88, f=18.6(wide) ~ 22.3 mm(tele)
Power supply	100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz
Power Consumption	200W (Max.), 5W (Stand-by)
OSD (On-Screen Display)	languages English/ French/ German/ Italian/ Spanish/ Japanese/ Traditional Chinese/ Simplified Chinese
Accessories Included	Users’ Manual Remote Control AAA Batteries Warranty Information Booklet Power Cord Video Cable S-Video Cable VGA- BNC x3 Cable
Accessories (Optional)	Ceiling Mounting Kit Spare Lamp Kit Micro Dust Filter HDMI Cable
HDTV Compatibility	480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i
Control Terminal	RS232 Serial Control: Mini DIN 9 pin x 1
Dimensions (WxHxD)	13.7″x 4.7″ x10.9″
Weight	8.6 lbs
Preset Modes	Cinema Mode Home Theater Mode Family Room Mode