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BenQ W1000 review - 12/09/2009 UPDATE

At this point, we have put a few more hours of use on the lamp of our BenQ W1000 1080p projector, the much sought after newest addition to the under $1K 1080p projector market. For those of you waiting patiently, it seems the BenQ W1000 is now apparently in stock and readily available for ordering! Interested Puget Sound residents, contact us today to reserve yours! If I were to sum up what I think of the BenQ W1000 projection system in as few words as possible..."BUY IT" would be those words. As far as the 1080p $1K market goes...the BenQ W1ooo is in Sounds Great Audio Video's opinion the "BEST BUY PROJECTOR"!

We have seen a few projectors in our days and visited many a theater in the past, in addition we've viewed the picture on almost every brand, size, and model of 1080p HDTV Televisions - plasmas, LCDs, and the new LEDs. And from that point of view, we can't believe the clarity, crispness, and contrast of blu-ray discs viewed on our budget projection system that combines the BenQ W1000 with an 84" Electric screen and blu-ray player. Our latest testing has ranged from viewing various high definition and standard definition cable television shows, downloadable/streaming content via Netflix and YouTube options on the blu-ray player, blu-ray discs, DVDs, and basic family friendly Wii sports games. We've done just a little bit of calibration, but ultimately returned to settings nearly identical to the out of the box default settings. Again, for the do it yourself or portable user this makes operation or set up easy in a variety of environments and helps to cut down the cost and time of professional installation.

I've read other reviews that criticize the style, appearance, and control placement on the BenQ W1000 - however, as a woman, I find the case, lens, and overall design to be much more appealing than most projectors on the market. It hands down wins this category when compared to the other two under $1000 1080p projectors. As mentioned in the previous review, the connectivity is ample and convenient, bulb access is right where I need it, lamp life on eco mode is a stellar 4000 hours, and the projector is virtually silent when operating. Obviously after only a few weeks, I have no way of knowing how maintenance or reliability over time will be...as I haven't had to do anything. I'll continue to update this review over time to reflect any problems, maintenance, warranty, customer service, etc. issues I encounter. But at this point, the experience has been spectacular.


The rainbow effect mentioned in the previous review continues to be visible to me mainly with scenes including white lettering/credits and such, but has yet to be seen by any one else. It's possibly just a weird personal issue as I have terrible vision to begin with, but again this tends to only occur in the beginning and end of a movie and does not effect the movie experience overall. Other weird occurrences, such as stagnant and moving lines in the screen, pixelation, focus issues, ghosting or shadowy writing, and jumping or skipping of the picture from time to time have all happened, but most of these events have been linked to the poorer quality things we viewed - DVDs, downloaded content, and certain lack-luster high definition cable programming. So, those things are to be expected.

No matter the content 480, 720, to 1080 it's still an amazingly crisp picture for the size and any flaws or picture degradation are understandable considering the lower resolution versus the gigantic size. For instance, one doesn't expect to see the most amazing picture on the Wii, but bowling with a life sized looking lane is pretty sweet, putting practice is pretty awesome, and the experience of playing on this size screen quickly makes you oblivious to the "lackluster picture quality". Some YouTube content looks lousy on a 21" computer monitor, and yes, much more on an 84" screen. It is what it is. Each progressive technology/signal quality provided the expected difference in picture on the BenQ W1000, and quality was always impressive. Again, this system is family-friendly more than the guru's pick. To the naked eye, this thing is jaw-dropping in every way, shape, and form!

That said, the blu-ray experience is completely mind-blowing! I personally have never much cared for going to the movie theater, and now I feel I never have to! Home Theater is worth it's weight in gold, even at today's ever increasing record gold prices! Gone are the days of the tall guy in front of me, the girl three seats over talking, the person behind me kicking my seat while chomping popcorn and slurping soda! Instead, I get the Gold Class Cinema experience at home, with fine dinner, drinks, comfy seating including blankets, and the ability to pause the film should any bathroom or munchie attack strike. We have viewed a variety of films on blu-ray such as: Coraline, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Horton Hears a Who, Monsters vs Aliens, Master and Commander, G.I. Joe, and a few others and some of these movies I had previously seen on DVD or in the theater. I was amazed at the difference in the quality and details of the movies I had previously missed. As a cinematography buff with little movie retention or memory skills, I am so excited to go back and watch all of older movies I've seen and loved to experience everything I missed the first time around!

For example, I saw Star Trek in the theater on IMAX and Digital Projection screens and recently watched it on blu-ray and the BenQ W1000 projection system - and I was shocked that at home, I was noticing the most subtle cinematography elements of the film (best example being when present Spock meets future Spock - Leonard Nemoy's face is blurred slightly. Originally suspecting the "cheap" projector, I suddenly realized the background was crisp and clear as were the pans to the young present Spock. The cinematography student in me suspects this has something to do with the present meeting the future and the fact that this event would possibly skew one's perspective. That, or my awesome picture pointed out a flaw not edited out. Debatable.

However, this isn't the only thing I've noticed as suddenly in other movies the film-makers' intended subtle cinematic nuances seem to just jump right out and stare me in the face. I'm feeling immersed in the picture and engrossed in the experience, stepping completely out of myself and my life or stress for the 2 hours or so of the movie...totally distracted and engrossed. Combined with our 7.1 Onkyo receiver and Jamo speaker surround system, the experience is better than any theater I've been to. Whether it's a simple stereo two speaker tower set up, small home theater in a box, or a fancy higher end surround sound package...I cannot stress the importance of a good sound system to pair with your home theater - be it a projection system or a flat panel television system. I truly feel I'm "getting my money's worth" out of my movie rental or purchase and cable television service between the projection and surround sound system.

As far as the BenQ W1000 projector goes, this is your everyday home theater package for the average home movie enthusiast. Those interested in a dedicated home theater might want more out of their system, so it's not really for that market. This is a family oriented and budget-friendly package that in total retails approximately $3000 with installation. Optional add on with home theater in a box 5.1 surround sound system installed for $4000 or go for the higher end 5.1 Onkyo/Jamo system for around $5000. We also offer various home theater and living room furnishing sets from microfiber sectionals, to leather club chairs, recliners, and sofas to complete the entire room. Add on packages range from $1500-$3000 for the furniture sets depending on style.
(Contact us for pictures and info!)

While in this economy or any for that matter, $3-5000 is by no means cheap, it does bring a 1080p HDTV home theater and true 5.1 surround sound into a more reasonable price range. And the quality of the audio and video experience is that of a system twice it's price! With the BenQ W1000 you can get an 84" to 92" diagonal screen with a picture as clear as your average 1080p flat panel television at about the same price! In all, the picture is equivalent to about 4 x 42" television screens. This picture dwarfs the 65" plus flat panel televisions, offering a better picture for half the price. In a small to average room such as our 16 x 20 demo space, it is quite an impressive site from anywhere in the room. There's nothing like kicking back in your favorite comfy chair, cuddling up under your favorite blanket and watching the latest blockbuster in theater style in the comfort of your own living room. When you consider the price of a ticket and concessions at your local movie theater, this system pays for itself in no time! Believe it or not some say this is the best time to invest in a home theater system! In addition to the savings on movie nights out, a theater system, whole house audio, and other technical additions like security and networking increase the value and desirability of your home. So, in a terrible housing market and a time when everyone needs to tighten the purse strings a bit...a home theater can save you money or potentially make you money in the sale of your home. From that perspective $3-5000 is a deal! This About.com article discusses the ins and outs of that theory better.

So back to sum up this edition of the review, all in all after a few weeks of settling in, I'm tremendously happy in our choice of under $1000K 1080p projector, the BenQ W1000. With no complaints as of yet. While I have yet to see the picture on an Optoma HD20, I can't quite get over it's looks...superficial but true. And Vivitek, I've heard good things about your 1080p projector, but in my eyes, ears, and experience, BenQ's reputation and years of experience in this market greatly outweigh yours. So, this girl is going with the BenQ W1000 and recommends those of you looking for an inexpensive home theater do too.

I welcome comments and opinions from owners of the other models counter to that. However, most feedback that I've read seems like others are getting a great first impression as well.


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Remember, if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest - we service from Everett, WA to Portland, OR and everywhere in between. Prices mentioned above happen to be our average residential installation package pricing, which includes all equipment (projector, screen, blu-ray - and optional surround sound packages), cabling, power outlet relocation (if needed), wire, and more. Some set-ups may cost extra depending on home construction, size of room, etc.

At Sounds Great Audio Video we provide all-inclusive easy to purchase high quality/low budget packaged systems that alleviate the confusion of today's digital age and endless array of electronics products, options, and gizmos. Whether you're looking for whole house audio, surround sound, flat panel television mounting, or a projection system we have a package to fit your needs. Or even if you simply need to figure out why your VCR isn't working, you need a cable outlet moved, or maybe you're moving and need a de-install/re-install of your wall mounted flat panel...we do all of that. Cliche to say, but 'no job too big or small' - we do it all! We're a small town, Olympia based, husband and wife team that delivers honest, affordable, and attentive serve and quality products and fair prices. While we don't have a fancy showroom we do have examples of the products which we can happily demo by appointment in our home or possibly even yours. We're fully licensed, bonded, and insured, have excellent references and years of experience.

See our website, check us out on facebook, twitter, see past install pictures on our flickr page or contact us by phone @ 360-588-6699 or email us @ info@soundsgreatav.com for more details.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have audio video electronics needs or questions. We're here to help! Comments are encouraged - we welcome any other opinions from experts and/or BenQ W1000 owners here.

As always THANKS FOR READING!

Sounds Great Audio Video
Office: 360-588-6699
Email: info@soundsgreatav.com

BenQ W1000 1080p projector review


NOTE: This is just an initial assessment of the highly sought after BenQ W1000's performance and is in no way meant to be a highly technical review of all the bells and whistles. Honestly, we here at Sounds Great A/V haven't had time to fully experience all of them as this projector only just hit the market, and we were among the lucky few who pre-ordered and now have their hands on one of these beauties.



Due to all of the buzz and the long wait for this third contender in the under $1000 1080p market, initial stock sold out and word is the BenQ W1000 is currently on backorder. But rumor is, they should be in stock again soon within plenty of time before X-mas or the big game! Needless to say, there are a lot of people out there left wondering if the BenQ W1000 is worth the wait or will live up to the hype and buzz that it has drummed up for months now.

As of this writing, we personally have yet to fully go through all of the manual, options, or calibrations one needs to, in order to fully assess, understand, and enjoy the equipment. In total, we have only put in a few hours of use on the projector, but have tested the picture using various forms of media and connections. In addition, we have only read the reviews of others who have owned or tested the two other competing models from Optoma and Vivitek, thus we can't say how they compare.



Our initial thoughts are based on comparing the picture quality to more expensive installation grade HD projectors, movie theater experience, as well as to an average 42-55" flat panel television. We plan to update our review and add any information or opinions we find after settling in, calibrating, and getting to know the BenQ W1000 projector a little better.

Please check back for a full review. We've noticed the number of posts on other forums and blogs asking for details and reviews of the BenQ W1000 projector. And as one of the few who got their hands on this new model immediately upon release and just prior to complete sell out, we feel it's our duty to let you know what we know...even if it comes in a play by play, movie by movie form. So in order to help clear up the mystery and help answer the burning questions of others who might be considering this product, we're rushing out this assessment before we have fully come to appreciate all the technical and other aspects of the projector. Thus, we again apologize for the lack of tech or spec talk!

Out of the box, I have to say it's love at first sight. The faux finish case texture and solid construction are immediately impressive and more aesthetically pleasing, compared to many other brands and models of projectors I have seen over the years. The overall look of the lens and case, really set the BenQ W1000 apart from the Optoma and the Vivitek. At least in our book - as this was admittedly a tie-breaking factor in our decision between the three projectors. Honestly, their specs, pros, and cons all seem to be pretty even and you're likely going to get a pretty great picture with any of them.
With the BenQ, you get a pretty face too!


The amount of connections are ample and include HDMI, allowing for great HD picture and for better future proofing of this system. Ventilation is located on the sides, great for both ceiling and table top installations. Control panel buttons, lens focusing dials, and the bulb access door are all conveniently placed and easy to get to even from below. Buttons on the console and remote are large and easy to read. There are two remote sensors (front and back), so control via the user-friendly remote is a breeze when the projector is ceiling mounted dead center in the viewing area, as ours is.

Considering the projector's placement in our theater room, fan/operating noise was also a large factor in our decision, and I am happy to report that the BenQ W1000 is virtually silent. Though I would think even the loudest projector would be no match for our Onkyo receiver and Jamo 7.1 surround sound system!

Menu functions are pretty simple and easy to use, however, at this point we have yet to fully calibrate the picture settings or learn about the various special settings. The picture out of the box utilizing either the HD digital cable connection or via the blu-ray player was stunning and crisp. We have viewed a blu-ray movie, DVD, digital cable, downloaded Netflix shows, and photos via the USB on our LG blu-ray player. We yet to test the gamut of movie genres to see how black and white, animation, dark action movies, etc. compare or to fully say how great the picture is in relation to the refresh rate and black levels. Overall, the picture quality was better than expected. However when viewing some of our scenery photos from a recent trip to Hawaii, we noticed a very notably bright washout of the skies and some portraits' faces became blurred. That said, it could be the photo quality setting or the failings of an amature photographer!

In addition to the fact that we have not yet done the calibrations necessary to perfect our BenQ W1000 projector's picture, our room provides further challenges to the system...and our ability to take great photographs showing the quality of the picture in true detail. There are two sets of lights and two 4 x 2 foot skylights between where the projector is mounted and where the screen is hung. So, the environment is both accentuating the need for the calibrations and challenging the ability of the BenQ W1000 to deal with only semi-controlled ambient lighting. Even so, the picture quality and detail so far is amazing for the size of the screen! Note the above images were taken with the lights that hang right in front of the screen on with late afternoon sunlight still pouring through the skylights above...so the detail present is quite impressive.



I have read other's reviews noting a Rainbow Effect, that not all people notice, which is apparently due to the number of segments on the color wheel and how sensitive you and your eyes are. During a few of the initial testings watching digital cable programs such as CSI in HD, I did notice this rainbow effect but my husband did not. Apparently it is similar to those Magic Eye pictures - some see it, some don't. Unfortunately for me, I never see Magic Eye, but I notice the rainbow effect in my new projector. Luckily, this is not a regular occurrence - as this was not at all an issue during the entire length of a blu-ray movie watched the next day. I will continue to watch for this in the future.

Occasionally, during the CSI viewing I did note a horizontal line that ran down the image. I cannot say for sure if this was a matter of the projector "breaking in", the cable connection, or otherwise. This too, I will be keeping an eye on. It is noteworthy to say that the projector did VERY well with the notoriously dark and fast imagery used on the show CSI.

The following is a short video segment of a holiday HD screen saver to help demonstrate the quality of the picture. Keep in mind the lack of calibration, lighting issues, and amature videographer status!
I assure you, the picture is much more impressive in person.



So all in all, the first impression after the unboxing and set up is that the BenQ W1000 was worth the wait - delivering the kind of quality picture one would expect to see in high end home theater projectors, but at a fraction of the cost.

If you are considering the BenQ W1000 projector, but getting impatient and reconsidering the Optoma or Vivitek, we offer you this advice: WAIT! There are many others out there like us here at Sounds Great A/V that have one of these projectors, and most of us just got them. In the short weeks to come, we will be testing our BenQ W1000 projector and updating our review here. Other owners will likely soon be posting their opinions on blogs, forums, or the sites you can purchase the BenQ W1000 online. So practice a little more patience, wait to see what a bunch of us have to say and then decide which of the three 1080p projectors under $1000 is for you.

Please feel free to contact us or post any questions you might have and we will do our best to answer them or update the review as often as possible.

If you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest - particularly in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland or anywhere in between, please check out our website @ www.soundsgreatav.com. At Sounds Great A/V we offer easy all-inclusive audio video packages at affordable prices, making home theater, surround sound, and whole house audio as simple as can be. We are currently offering great deals on projection/surround sound packages and whole house audio systems.

While we might not be able to beat Black Friday electronics deals the big guys offer, we at Sounds Great Audio Video, can often compete on the latest LCD, Plasma, or LED televisions, so call us before buying elsewhere and we'll let you know if we can beat the price you've found. In addition, we offer professional installation and service calls for any equipment you bought elsewhere yesterday or invested in years ago. So, whether you are interested in the latest 1080p projection system, or 5.1 surround sound or simply need a cable outlet moved or a connection troubleshot, give us a try.

We pride ourselves on our small-town, honest, and attentive customer service and look forward to helping you better understand and truly enjoy the digital age!

Contact us with any questions or comments. THANKS FOR READING!!!

Simplified Sound Systems

Sounds Great Audio Video of Olympia, WA recently finished installing this awesome example of our simplified sound packages for a customer in the Tacoma, WA area. Click HERE to see a short video of the products and install or click the manufacturer links below for more info on the great products these companies have to offer.

Our Surround sound home theater package includes a 1000 watt Danish designed Jamo 5.1 speaker system paired with a THX certified Onkyo A/V receiver.



This customer opted for an upgrade on the sub-woofer, designer speaker stands for the back s peakers, and wall mount installation of a pre-existing flat panel television. The room is cozy and the customer's furniture placement allows for an ideal environment for watching the latest blu-ray blockbuster in surround sound. Every seat's a great seat in this house!


The whole house distributed audio package includes a Russound 4 zone/4 source controller, 4 remote controllable keypads, and Russound ceiling speakers. Our customer's home construction and selection of zones required a variety of speakers. Two zones have pairs of Russound's Kevlar and silk 7" In-Ceiling speakers. The other two zones, the hall and bath, have Russound's 7" single point or dual voice coil speakers, allowing for just one speaker to do the job of two in those tight areas.

The system has an all on/off "party mode", source choice, and volume all controllable by remote and/or keypad. It is easily upgraded or added to.





The installation portion of the job was a "simplified" retrofit, with all of the Cat5, speaker wire, and interconnect cables being run after construction was finished and all drywall, paint, and furnishings were in place. While retrofit audio video installations often present greater challenges than homes that are pre-wired because of drywall or existing furniture, both jobs were amazingly completed over the course of just two 7 hour work days, with a third shorter visit just to make sure it was working right! And while the equipment is high-end, our pricing is not - with BOTH packages AND installation coming in at around $5000 total! For EVERYTHING!

We at Sounds Great A/V are proud of the affordable, high-quality equipment packages and customer service we offer. We strive to simplify the complicated world of electronics and feel these two packages are prime examples of some of our finest work. We look forward to sharing other jobs we perform, things we learn, tips and tricks if you try to go it alone, product advice, and generally spreading the word about how simple and affordable technology can really be.


Sounds Great Audio Video is a small company located in Olympia, Washington, but we perform installation services for the greater Puget Sound area - working just north of Seattle and even as south as Portland, OR. So, if you are in the Pacific Northwest and are tangled in wires, need a TV hung, or could just use a troubleshoot call to get your remotes working right, we might be able to help. Otherwise, we're always happy to give our advice about products or problems or hear your feedback. So comment or contact us, check out our site, keep up with us on facebook, or twitter...