BenQ W1500 full review

The W1500 is a model which is BenQ’s attempt to infiltrate a price category that lies between decay and immortality … between cheap and mid-range projection. Has reason to exist; The answers come in just below …

 

The W1500 came to bridge the gap between cheap W1070 series-1080ST and the company’s flagship W7500. With sale price just under 1500 euro will say that perfectly balances between short-and mid-range. The chassis is new, with the torch has come close enough to the Center. San size I’d say it looks pretty … with bloated w1070.

Let’s look at the features that announces the BenQ

Model	W1500
Projection System	Single 0.65′ DC3 DLP DMD
Color Wheel Segment	6-Segment (RGBRGB)
Color Wheel Speed	6X (50Hz)
Native Resolution	1080p (1920 x 1080)
Brightness* (ANSI Lumens)	2200
Contrast Ratio	10000:1
Display Color	1.07 Billion Colors
Lens	F=2.45-3.07 , f=15.78-25.12mm
Aspect Ratio	Native 16:9 (5 aspect ratio selectable)
Throw Ratio	1.07-1.71 (84″@2M)
Image Size (Diagonal)	40 “-300”
Zoom Ratio	1.6:1
Lamp Type	240W
Lamp Mode (Normal/Economic/SmartEco/LampSave/LumenCare)*	3500/5000/6000/NA/NA hours
Keystone Adjustment	1D, Vertical ± 10 degrees
Projection Offset	110%-130%
Resolution Support	up to WUXGA
Horizontal Frequency	15K-102KHz
Vertical Scan Rate	23-120Hz
Lens Shift	Vertical 110%-130%±5%
Interface	Computer in (D-sub 15pin) x 1 HDMI (v1.4a) x 2 Composite Video in (RCA) x 1 S-Video in (Mini DIN 4pin) x 1 Component Video in x 1 Audio in (Mini Jack) x 1 Audio L/R in (RCA) x 1 Audio out (Mini Jack) x 1 DC 12V Trigger (3.5mm Jack) x 1 Audio L/R in (RCA) x 1 Speaker 10W x 2 RS232 (DB-9pin) x 1
HDTV Compatibility	480i, 480p, 576i, 567p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Video Compatibility	NTSC, PAL, SECAM, SDTV(480i/576i), EDTV (480p/576p, HDTV (720p, 1080i/p 60Hz)
3D Support and Compatibility	Frame Sequential: Up to 480i Frame Packing: Up to 24Hz 1080p Side by Side: Up to 60Hz 1080i Top Bottom: Up to 24Hz 1080p

A comparison with Infocus IN81 and JVC X35 to get an idea of the size of

The addition of W1500 bag comes along with a pair of 3D glasses, the remote control and one HDMI wireless stick.

The remote control is quite qualitative and most importantly communicate seamlessly with the projector, I would venture to say better than his older brother, the W7500.

O w1500 wears the familiar Dark chip 3 0.65 with which provides most all home cinema models of the BenQ. Impression makes pretty big zoom ration up to 1.6:1 and that gives us the possibility to open 100 inches by placing the projector anywhere between 1.5 and 3.8 m.

The projector has a rudimentary mechanical vertical lens shift which is revealed by opening a door at the top, just behind the lens. At 92 inches we test the lens shift W1500, move the frame around 10 inches up and down.

From the projector connections is complete. Besides the two HDMI ports 1.4 a, W1500 has a third HDMI port, wireless. Connect with the player becomes a stick with HDMI that we find on the packaging of W1500.

If in addition equation add wireless HDMI only 3.8 kg weighing and the two built-in 10W power speakers, then talking about the ultimate projector-traveler. The greater trumps W1500 but hiding in menus and I cannot deny that I was expecting that and how once activating this option. The reason for the “magical” frame interpolation that furnishes the BenQ series W1500-1400, something that does not exist in the smaller models and who live without travelling out of curiosity to try it.

Let’s see the sliders of W1500 …

 

The W1500, as we have grown accustomed to the BenQ mom on most models, has all the goodies-sliders on the menu. Let’s take a look …

On the first page we find the basic settings, selecting position light bulb (low-high) and the “magic” frame interpolation

The advanced option is an extra menu with several choices looked more … There have access to CMS (color management system) of the projector, in gamma and RGB in temperature sliders sliders, necessary for anyone who wants to get the most out of his picture W1500

Series have the sliders of the embedded audio and various other useful settings such as options for viewing 3D, ISF menu, test patterns and settings for the cooling system.

Finally, we find various information regarding connecting with our source and the firmware version of our projector

Let’s move on to look at how these sliders and what measurements I got from W1500 …

 

The W1500 like all these BenQ I’ve tasted, come very well configured from factory and really need a little clicking on sliders in order to touch the reference. O W1500 owner will see very close to 100% of the capabilities of the projector from the first moment that pulls him out of the box.

Let’s look at the measurements in RGB, gamma and CMS before the calibration

The gamma that is the most important parameter of the image, touch the 2.2 ideal throughout the grayscale, something enviable. In terms of grayscale temperature I would say outside of slightly higher level of green, the graph is really exceptional. Very important point is the uniform conduct of headlight on all IRE.

Color, except blue paint that strays quite, I would say that the projector is pretty balanced something that is perceived in the eye directly at first contact.

Let’s look at the charts after the calibration

Teasing the RGB sliders and the CMS easily balanced projector. Let’s look at the settings that we did …

The measurement on/off contrast took the number 1313:1 which is the lowest number W7500 and very close in on/off of W1070. The conclusion is that the dark chip 3 alone cannot give us a high number on/off contrast unless accompanied by the appropriate Visual. The Visual of W1500 is rather close to what this design of W1070 big brother despite his W7500 Stoy.

Let’s see the brightness measurements that I got from kalimprarismeno W1500

• 186 low lamp-lux off brilliant 437 lumen
• 236 lux low light bulb-554 on brilliant lumen
• 298 high lamp-lux off brilliant 700 lumen
• 374 high lamp lux-879 on brilliant lumen

and the full power of

• 474 lux lamp high-brilliant on-mode dynamic 1090 lumen

Because I am of the opinion that the measurements on a projective instrument always say the half-truth and the other half hide to watch movies and to our personal taste, let’s move on to the main course …

 

The projector I set up opposite the 92ara my screen and as a source I used a WD media player HTPC a gen3 and my own composition.

For authority to say that this is a projector with a very beautiful design in compact dimensions and with very good build quality. The finish reminds him of much more expensive models and perhaps surpasses. The plastic is buttoned perfect and generally anything over doesn’t seem to have been patched. Even regional, such as the remote control and the wireless HDMI stick, follow exactly the same path.

The first test was made with the wireless HDMI which connected it with the gen3 WD media player. The wireless HDMI W1500 connect exclusively with a source at a time and the first logon process is peculiar as difficult. I was forced to go on the user manual to achieve the first connection with my other player after the operation was really uncomplicated. I tried in every possible way to reach the limits of wireless HDMI transmission of other BenQ did not succeed. Just to tell you that carries the W1500 in another room from this player’s and saw completely seamlessly my favorite series 2 episodes without either suspicion or disconnection problem. In about 30 hours I wrote in W1500 watching series and movies I didn’t notice the slightest connection problem and I can say with certainty that the wireless HDMI works over flawlessly.

Not really but restless mind I stopped my tests there. I put the stick in BenQ’s wireless HDMI splitter to see how they’ll react. No problem, the lock between the source and the projector become instantly and seamlessly whenever you choose in the splitter.

To complement that HDMI transmitter of W1500 needs external power (mini usb) to play. The packaging of the BenQ gives a usb cable into usb mini that or should I connect it to some free usb of your player simply for power usage or should I buy a AC adapter 5V usb from the trade.

If you have more than one source and you use HDMI splitter, what you need to do is to connect for the first time each source separately, W1500 saves each source separately, and from there and then use seamlessly like cable connection.

Next stop motion and frame interpolation. The W7500 had impressed in this field and would love to see if W1500 did using the same algorithm. Yes …. the W1500 has the exact same frame interpolation with big brother’s and really leaves me speechless. Having tried all frame interpolation implementations of almost all companies manufacturing headlamps the last two months, I will say with confidence and after many tests, that the implementation of frame interpolation BenQ is by far the best. Putting the low option, the motion becomes “butter” without suspicion artifacts in the image. If I had to choose one word to describe it. .. I would choose the word “miracle”. His movement without the use of W1500 frame interpolation characterized as typical DLPadiki other over-shadowed by this slider in place Low meets by the most skeptical and enemy of interpolation frame until the ultimate believer.

Having the projector over 2 weeks in my possession, I saw several films and series trying to draw safe conclusions about his performance in order to write this review. An evening showcasing a new animated film, specifically the Cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2 on blu ray picture Sony animation’s friend came to my house. Rang the doorbell, I pressed pause on film and I opened. My friend (who has no idea that I mentioned in the review, if you read it and if he wants let him write comment) entering and seeing the picture stayed statue. He holds a DLP projector Optoma HD800 stayed with his mouth open. I pressed play and observe his reactions, which cannot be described in writing. Truly the W1500 in films like digital animation “pulls eyes” you say. The cacophonies coupled with the high ansi contrast makes “Wow Suite” to resemble Word has Greek roots.

The W1500 lacks momentum or incremental IRIS as the eldest brother W7500, nor of course the abysmal of brightness, losing points to watch dark scenes and other 3D hardware. On the other hand has a color wheel 6 colour regions RGBRGB layout with speed 6X which annihilates any suspicion about the so-called rainbow effect.

Theme with light leakage from the front grilles do not exist in W1500 (just if you look you can see that in him there is a lamp lit, all that’s). I guess they got their lesson there in BenQ by the complaints of the owners of “small” and W1070 was more cautious this time in planning.

The operating noise even in the choice of lamp in ECO position is not negligible. We measured 31DB by lamp in Low and 37db with lamp at high that is fairly high numbers (for comparison to say that measuring a W5000 which had Clipboard showed 25/29db respectively). I have the impression that it is the same as W1070 ‘s (in which the company announces 30/33db respectively). Of course I didn’t expect anything better in noise from a projector with compact dimensions.

Sharpness and lens.

Here not happy with W1500 insofar as I would like. To give you an order of magnitude … the lens is considered moderate to good (somewhere in between) … and like all the seasons that the BenQ chose leading lenses for models (see PE8720, W5000-20000) have gone, goddamn crisis …

The lens of W1500 shows cheap construction and to make a process focus not so easy … through arduous … of course once you get nailed there forever … but that is no excuse. The definition of “not pulling out eyes” that say, a pity because with a good lens at the moment we could be talking about a projector “foneas giants”, of course, that you pay you get says the saying and I agree completely. On the other hand, the lens is not experiencing any problems in uniformity focus around the frame, as happens in the majority of his opponents in this price category (mainly of the LCD). The focus is exactly the same from side to side on the image and this for me is very important, perhaps the most important piece in a lens. Also the color aberration is minimal, if not non-existent as in the W7500 and it shows the correct design and Assembly.

Ansi contrast.

In this area the W1500 doing swimmingly. Having enough experience in my back to draw safe conclusions, will say that the W1500 is very close to W7500 (though not at the same level), and clearly better than his little brother’s W1070. You can see in the screenshots yourself. Here you little patience because I’ve already entered in the manufacturing process of special equipment so I can get reliable and comparable ansi contrast.

Dark scenes.

Here the W1500 doesn’t have to demonstrate something worth noting. The low black level (characteristic of DLP technology) do not allow the projector to “paint” on dark scenes as it does on medium and bright. The veil makes its presence felt even though the ideal setting gamma and highlight all the information. This weakness is hard to realize if they do not do direct confrontation with another projector technology and is very easy to fool considering that you see very good dark scenes. Of course once you dropped something bright in the black scene, there begins to show its teeth, others Let’s leave this to analyze when the small BenQ face the heavy artillery of JVC.

Problems.

An important problem of W1500 I had in my hands was the chromatic dispersion. In the piece that I had in my hands there was noticeable chromatic variation, with lower left hand turns green and the top right to blush. The more likely scenario is “bad” lamp, because the Visual of the DLP from design and manufacture cannot create color uniformity … others as you understand I can’t take and oath.

(update) finally confirmed that the problem of the disparity was causing W1500 lamp not lamp like the placement of the other material. I removed and carefully xanatopothetisa the housing to the projector and the variety almost disappeared. Projector DLP owners who encounter corresponding problem try reinstalling the bulb, can give you solution!

Finally we will dwell on the naturalness of the image shows the W1500. In the picture there is not this “digital extravaganza” that we find in most DLP deployments and moves somewhere between DLP and tritsipwn implementations. Digital noise is almost nonexistent and contours in the picture is not overstated as in other models look like other completely natural. A follower of tritsipis technology will find the image of W1500 very close to his liking, in relation to the other DLP deployments that are circulating at the moment.

3D.

For viewing 3D I enlisted my generous the HTPC and some purely 3D blu ray ISO. Here to say that W1500 comes with a pair of 3D glasses Dlp link, other accepts all types of glasses on the market (120Hz and 144Hz).

Putting track the 3D Avatart noticed that and in the crosstalk W1500 is something that does not exist. But what I found quickly and I can’t be sure if it was due to my own fatigue or to the projector, is that I couldn’t concentrate so comfortable in 3D movie objects such as W7500, and as a result I get tired relatively quickly and easily.

I saw all the scenes they had watched and in W7500, even ad klipakia Panasonic’s 3D and Samsung. The wonderfully w1500 passed all the other in direct comparison with the W7500 I had recently tried was losing on points. I don’t know, maybe the greater brightness of W7500 or the best sharpness to made the difference. Without being able to explain it seemed less striking and more tiring. Of course to put things in a class, any projector compared with the “King” of 3D W7500 is doomed to defeat.

On the other side by side options and in 3D to 2D conversion behavior of deemed identical to that of w7500.

The 3D works seamlessly through the wireless HDMI and noticed because throughout the test. .. I don’t ever cable and nowhere …

 

I’ve picked some random film scenes, I’ve cut the concrete frame with special video editor, so that in each review to see the exact same frames so you can make your comparisons. Let’s see …

 

The W1500 is what we call an integrated projector. May grace our home cinema other won’t say no and to temporary transport in our country or in possible professional presentations. All in one that is from the Middle model of the BenQ.

Has nothing to envy from models of lesser or greater grade as weapons of lining up outside the familiar “xyrafenias” image of the DLP (technology that has orkismenoys followers even today), too good to “incredible” frame interpolation, wireless HDMI which works flawlessly and saves its owner sometimes from great hassle, quite good 3D and really excellent behavior of out of the box that makes the calibration almost unnecessary.

I honestly can’t imagine in these money someone worthy opponent who can stand next to W1500. You need to take in enough money in order to get something extra.

For anyone who doesn’t mind the wireless HDMI, there is and where it is essentially W1400 the same model without the wireless image transmission medium and HDMI is available in about 200 euro price lower.

If you move to buy a projector in this price category, really worth to include in your options W1500.

Don’t stray far. .. because it follows the full JVC X35 review and a comparison that is discussed much between W1500 and X35 …

Good and uncomplicated views!

Nikos Tswlas