BenQ W5000 DLP 1080p Home Theater Projector Review

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Art Feierman

Specs Preview

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BenQ W5000 Specs
Price	4995
Technology	DLP
Native Resolution	HD 1080p (1920x1080)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)	1200
Contrast	10,000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio	1.20:1
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life	3000 hours at low power, 2000 hours at full lamp power
Weight	1 year
Warranty	One Year Parts and Labor standard

Overview

Click to enlarge. So close.

I was impressed with the W5000 from the first moment I turned it on. As is usual, before any testing and calibration, I viewed the W5000 in action, on segments of a number of movies (mostly Blu-ray), and HDTV, to get an initial feel for the projector, and get a handle of how good it is, "out-of-the-box" without any calibration. With my 1080p Projector Comparison Report due out next, I pretty much had figured out which projectors would take honors in the price range that the W5000 competes with. By the time the review was finished, it caused me to change my thinking. For the final results, of our Best In Class awards, you'll have to stay tuned for the report itself.

In an attempt to paint a broad picture of what the BenQ W5000 home theater projector has to offer, here are some highlights:

Click Image to Enlarge

BenQ W5000 Projector Highlights:

Extremely sharp image
Very good "out of the box" color performance in Cinema mode
Limited zoom lens (1.2:1) typical for DLP projectors
Vertical lens shift - a real plus, and rare for DLP projectors
Brighter than most competitors
Brilliant Color adds brightness and dynamics, but sometimes degrades picture quality a little too much
Only a one year warranty
Very competitive, provides an excellent value proposition
Street price around $3000 - as of 2/2008

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I'm a BenQ fan, having owned two in the past. The W5000, like others before it, provides a very sharp image, seems very well built, and offers lens shift, a valuable feature rarely found on "affordable" DLP projectors.

Of the current 1080p DLP "powered" projectors, reviewed so far, it is one of two standouts. The other being Optoma's extremely bright HD81-LV, the brightest home theater projector under $10,000, and over twice the W5000's price. Of course we expect the step up, BenQ W20000 projector, which claims higher contrast, to also join this "stand out" group, when we finally review it.