Customer Reviews

BenQ PB6200 DLP Video Projector

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I did a fair amount of research prior to the purchase of this DLP projector and found nothing to sway my decision to make this purchase. Generally you can find BenQ offering some kind of special, in the last couple of months they've offered a free lamp (retail cost about 4 hundered) and at the time of my purchase they had a two hundered dollar rebate. By a good margin, you get far more for you're money in this unit than in any other that I could find to compare, including the 1/3 cheaper version PB6100 that has a 800x600 resolution.

After unboxing the unit, I set it up to test on a couple milk crates and shot the image on my wall at about 85" wide. Plugged in to my PC my native desktop of 1600x1200 had to be reduced down to 1024x768 before I could switch the VGA cable over. Checking the image closely I looked for flaws such as blank patches, rainbows, or any other types of problems that would cause a reduction in enjoyment of the picture. I found that the pixels are way more pronounced fully zoomed in from the unit than if I were to just move the projector back to get a bigger picture. I also noticed that the whites and blacks were displaying very nicely considering I was shooting on a semi tan color wall (no screen).

Bulb life is rated at 2000 hours, but from what i've read, if the unit is set in economy mode it will extend the life about 1000 hours. Under heavy usage of 8 hours a day or so, that would equate to approximately an entire year of use. Average use of about 2-4 hours a day would extend bulb life to over 2 years.

Though I havent seen it project over 85" yet (my plans are a 110" screen), the projector is rated to shoot a 300" screen. Feel free to compare any of those numbers to a plasma or projection big screen of any kind. DLP projectors yeild the most bang-for-the-buck available.

I was able to play a video game at 1280x1024 85hz on it and it performed flawlessly. DVD movies are just incredible, I cant wait to get it hooked up in the living room.

For people who want the extra size view without the weight or price of the alternatives . . .

Picture quality - XGA is beautiful; most people should be very pleased. Daylight and other light sources outside of the projector do affect the viewability of the picture, but it is not extreme. Dark parts of movies or games may be harder to see during the day. Different settings - economic, presentation, vivid, video may improve the picture. During dark hours, no problems exist, even in economic mode.

My main reason for going this route for my home theater was to tie the unit in with my computer. I previously installed a tv tuner card and a DVD burner in my home-assembled computer. Since most projectors, including the Benq, have a vga input port (the 6200 even comes with the cable), the connection couldn't be simpler. I also use a 4-input switchbox to handle my VHS player, XBox and anything else that comes along (for example, a regular DVD player, a tv, my son's Gamecube etc.) I set my computer to 1280x1024 which the Benq can handle, compressing it to 1024x768.

Tips -

1) Placement If you own your home, you could work a ceiling mount. I used a very reasonably priced étagère.

2) Screen I can't comment on how good a white wall works, because mine isn't white. I made my own 4:3 ratio screen from 1x2 douglas fir and 2 yds of 54" wide blackout cloth (from a regular fabric store). Many people on the internet offer advice on how to do it. Mine is quite light. I used two plastic anchors and extra long screws to hold the bottom edge of the top of the frame on the wall. Since many alternatives for a screen drive up the price of an economical "luxury" system, they were not for me.

3) Bulb (Lamp) With a lifespan of 2000-3000 hours and the price of a replacement currently running at $400, I am picky about when I plan to use the projector tv - only for special events (when I get an HDTV tuner card for the computer, I might feel differently) . . . Video games - often . . . Movies - virtually every time . . . Computer/internet - occasionally When any of these sources are well done, one is interested on any size screen.

4) Sound The Benq only handles the video signal. I'm using my computer sound card, which can handle 5.1 sound. With my quality 5.1 speakers, I'm in home theater heaven. Which brings to my last item, where I could use a tip.

5) Wires With the Benq projector I have a power cord, a vga cable, an s-video cable, and a composite video cable. Add to that all the cables for the aforementioned items, and you have cable jungle - guaranteed not to please any woman that I know. I plan to handle part of it with throw rugs. As for the rest . . . help!

Lastly, I need to mention two things. First, Benq is coming out soon with a replacement for the 6200 with the latest DLP chip from Texas Instruments. Second, the 6200 keeps track of how many hours that it has been used, which you can monitor from its menu program. It will warn as the hours limit approaches and actually refuse to start at 3000 hours, until you replace the lamp.

Quite happy with with the quality of the picture. My bulb lasted 370 hours. Disappointing for an item that claims a bulb life of 2000-3000 hours! Tech support is fairly open about the nature (...): bulbs start to grow dim at about 300 hours, dying well before their box specs; replacement lamps average (...). Someday some bright soul on the internet will find a way to replace the mercury vapor bulb within the lamp for a few dollars, rather than the whole lamp for a few hundred, but until then I would urge buyers to avoid this knockoff of the higher-quality, name-brand DLP projectors. Alas, I have learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.

We purchased a BenQ PB 6100. If the overall quality of the projector is fine, such is not the case of the lamp which blew up in less than 6 weeks!!! and worse BenQ does NOT honor their international guarantee and the support center does not respond to the emails for exchanging the lamp (priced 400$!). Overall a very poor support. My last Boxlight lamp is still running after 4 years. This was my first BenQ but surely the last. A strong suggestion, Don't buy BenQ.

I've had this projector setup since Oct '04 and use it as a daily TV. I currently have it projected on to a blank wall, which works just fine. I have logged over 1000 hrs on the unit and it is still working great. It does not work well in a brightly lit room, but with only low watt accent lights it seems to be just fine. I have it setup with my computer and use a HDTV OTA card and the image blows me away. I use a DVD player on the s-video and it seems to run fine, although the only way to get the crisp HD is to use the XGA port. The only time I've really noticed anything on it and this is pretty small, but on a really dark movie and say there's a light post or car light driving by... if you look away at that point you'll see a rainbow tracer as you look away in the shape of that white light. Oh and Analog cable seems to be a little grainy and is really noticeable on cartoons like the Simpsons. But with High Def or digital cable you should be just fine. I would recomend if you can find one at a reasonable price to buy a ceiling mount. I just bought one and installed it last week and the native off-axis angle is set to be ceiling mounted so no need to keystone. The remote is a small credit card size with bubble buttons. The source button went out on me after 4 months, but there is a option in the menu to have auto-searching on the source so you don't have to change it manually. The PIP option is kind of cool with 9 different positionings for it and two different sizes small and medium. And on a 6' x 6' wall the small is hard to see. Lets see what else, oh the fan noise is very quiet. The spin up of the xbox DVD's are louder. I chose this one over the 6100 because of the native resolution. 1024 x 768 (max 85hz) on the 6200 vs the 800x600 on the 6100. I have played Halo2, Halflife2, Rise of Nations, watched DVD's from Futurama - AVP, use it as a daily TV - hosting a great Superbowl party. This is a must have in my book. Hope this helped as a review...

The picture from this projector is good for its price range, but the bulb failed after 300 hours. Other reviewers have experienced this, so it sounds like the lamp rarely lasts the advertised 2000 hours. At $350 for a replacement lamp, it makes this a poor choice for a budget projector.

Rebate and recent flickering problems aside, this model is good for my DVD viewing. The projector works best with an additional component to RGB cable and a progressive scan DVD player. S-Video is too blurry for the 70-inch wide spread I'm using. After a year of use (~400 hours), it exhibited intermittent flickering in Cinema Mode and then began spreading to my other modes. BenQ quickly sent a refurbished replacement.

THE REBATE PROBLEM
I bought the projector at the end of March 2004 and promptly sent the rebate form to them within the week. In the week of August 16-20, 2004, I received a postcard that stated "Unfortunately, we could not honor your request because of the following reason: Unfortunately, the serial number you submitted is invalid or invalid due to special pricing." I contacted the online retailer where I bought the projector, and they promptly got me in touch with someone at BenQ. That person responded, and throughout the next two months, we exchanged a few e-mails. The BenQ official said that the lamps were backordered and there had been problems with their rebate handler. I received my free projector lamp the second week of November (8 months after my rebate had been sent).

THE FLICKERING PROBLEM
After a year of use (~400 hours), the projector had an intermittent flickering that worsened the longer it was left on. The flickering was noticeable at the top of the image as well as the top and bottom left areas. In layperson's terms, the flickering appeared as if someone was rapidly turning the brightness up and down in those spots on the screen. I troubleshooted the problem with the default blue screen display and discovered that switching from Cinema mode to Economy mode would make the problem disappear. When switching back to Cinema mode, the flickering would return after a few minutes. The problem then spread to Economy mode a few days later. I had the projector plugged into an APC surge and power filter throughout this process.

REMOTE CONTROL PROBLEM
Now, the power button on the remote control sometimes acts as if it has been pressed twice and turns the projector off without waiting for the second press confirmation.

REFURBISHED PROJECTOR CLARIFICATIONS
Contrary to the review published here, according to one BenQ official I e-mailed, *all* replacements are refurbished and the warranty for the refurbished replacement is only as long as the warranty for the original projector. The "hot swap" process involved BenQ mailing a Word document to me (accidentally including all their tracked changes to the document), my printing and filling out the form as well as including my credit card information, and faxing it back to them. The credit card information is required because BenQ charges $1795 (the MSRP) to your card until you return your original one. This process also required me to print out a mailing label from a Web site for the return box. Return postage was handled by BenQ. When I received the replacement projector, I noticed some differences from my original one. Although the box and packaging was sealed the same as my original projector packaging, the projector menu indicated that the bulb had been used for over 19 hours. The remote control also had some food and/or debris on it while the back of its casing had been pried open with a tool that left marks (even the protective plastic had been peeled off its face). The replacement projector also makes a noticeably louder high-pitched squeal when on than my original one, and I had to clean off several smudges and fingerprints from the front lens. So far, it is working good, but it's used and the warranty is less than my original. BenQ should have made this information available upfront for buyers and prospective buyers.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
BenQ's customer service was average to good. They lacked following up with e-mails that I sent requiring me to forward my previous messages and indicate how long it has been since the original (I waited one to four weeks between messages.) There is also a bit of a disconnect between support and their promotional materials. The Qxchange service (i.e., the hot swap process) was not defined on BenQ's Web site--I had to look at other sites (and this review) to determine what it meant. I then e-mailed the BenQ officials I had been in contact with and they cleared up the matter. When I called their returns department, the person I spoke to did not even know what the word "Qxchange" meant. BenQ's Web site uses an outdated and non-user friendly Web form to contact the company's departments. No carbon-copy is sent to a person filling out the form, so users have no record of when they submit a request.

Have been able to use mine for about 40 hours. After that it failed to respond to any input from any source. Contacted Benq and they said there was nothing they could do but send it in for repair since they have been having problems with these units. Sent it in and got it back. It worked once during a test preparation for a presentation but once again failed to acknowledge any input when turned on the next day during the actual presentation. Contacted Benq and they said I could have it repaired (wasn't repaired last time) or receive a refurbished unit (someone else's problem). So am working on my third round,maybe I'll be LUCKY this time. It will be my last Benq product. I can not recommend the product or company.

I will say this without any hesitation, I haven't had a single problem with my projector and I have had it for 6 years. When I see so many people say they have bulb problems, I can't help but to think that they must be turning the projector off without allowing it to cool. At the moment, I am at 2943 hours and I have had no issue what so ever. I allow the fans to cool the bulb before I turn it off. That is so crucial.

The picture quality is great, especially in HD. I won't say it's as clean as a plasma screen tv, but if you have the space, you can have a screen that is big as any wall in your house. I built a screen that is 77 inches. The picture is stunning. The fan fades to the back as you are watching. It's quiet enough to forget it's on when you are watching a movie.

The only issue I have with the projector is that the connection is odd. You have to find a 16 pin cable that connects to the RBG RCA cable to connect to the DVD. Most stores don't carry these but you can find them on EBAY. Just for the record, this projector is great in my book. Just follow the instructions in order to maintain the life of your bulb and you will be fine.

The BenQ PB6200 DLP works very well. Good quality, the presentation photos are clear and colorful. No problems to adjust.