BenQ LK990 First Impressions

[Dylan Seeger]

Dave, I'm going back this Friday to play with the LK990 again. I will do a calibration on the projector. What settings do you recommend me use for HDR content? I will try those. I want to be sure I'm giving the LK990 a fair shake and want to try your settings.

I also want to tone map to SDR and compare projectors that way too. I think this way will take as many differing variables out of the equation.

[Dylan Seeger]

Dave, I did some digging. I'm assuming these are your "HarperVision"settings?

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/24-digital-hi-end-projectors-3-000-usd-msrp/2917348-benq-lk970-4k-dlp-laser-12-999k-msrp-23.html#post57478486

Calvin has a Panasonic DP-UB820 so I should be able to copy them verbatim. Please let me know if you have any other thoughts. I see you're recommending Custom laser mode set to 100 (full power). So no dynamic dimming?

[Set11]

Would you be able to test input lag as well Dylan?

[Dylan Seeger]

Would you be able to test input lag as well Dylan?

Yes, I own a Leo Bodnar input lag tester. The issue is that it only outputs 1080p. But I've read if you measure the middle flashing box this simulates a 4K input. I'll let you know Friday after I spend some time with it.

[Set11]

Do you have hdfury integral and linker?
From Rtings:

To test the input lag of 4k and HDR signals, the output of the Leo Bodnar tool is passed first through an HDFury Integral, then an HDFury Linker, before finally outputting to the TV. The HDFury Linker can perform many modifications to the video signal without adding measurable input lag, including upscaling the signal to 4k and adding HDR metadata. All our input lag tests were done using this HDFury chain, including the 1080p tests, to remain consistent.

https://www.rtings.com/company/input-lag-tool

[Dylan Seeger]

I own an Integral and I think Calvin (the LK990's owner) has a Linker. We'll try and measure input lag on both the JVC and BenQ this way on Friday.

[HarperVision]

Dave, I'm going back this Friday to play with the LK990 again. I will do a calibration on the projector. What settings do you recommend me use for HDR content? I will try those. I want to be sure I'm giving the LK990 a fair shake and want to try your settings.

I also want to tone map to SDR and compare projectors that way too. I think this way will take as many differing variables out of the equation.

I highly doubt my LK970 settings will work on the LK990. They didn’t transfer from the Epson LS10000 to the LS10500 which was a similar upgrade.

No I wouldn’t use Custom at 100% Power. I must’ve had that on accidentally while playing with it and didn't realize when I posted it there. I would use SmartEco or at worst Normal so there’s dimming.

[Dylan Seeger]

You have no recommendations whatsoever? The projector really doesn't seem too different than the LK970. I'm only asking because I don't want to hear from you or others that I haven't set the projector up properly if I go back and don't see better picture quality results. You said:

It is actually easier if you ask me than doing all that, especially if you have my baseline settings to start with, which I easily share for all that wants it....BTW, did you have a chance to totally calibrate and tweak the LK990 like I am sure your JVC was?  If not, how could that even be a fair comparison then?  If you didn't, then who calibrated his LK990, or did anyone at all?


It is quite apparent that the LK990 there wasn't in an optimal state when you take into consideration all the replies and glowing reviews, even of it having good enough black levels and contrast overall, over on AVSF. 

What will constitute an optimal state? I will do D65/REC709 calibration and use madVR's tone mapping (the best out there) to send the same tone mapped image to both projectors. I will even try the UB820's tone mapping too. Will this be a fair way to compare them? If I don't have your settings which you say are better than the built-in HDR settings I guess it's pointless to use HDR mode altogether. Calibrating both to D65/REC709 and sending the same tone mapped image will put both in the the closest state to one another I can think of. It will remove as many image setting variables and level the playing field. Do you agree?

[HarperVision]

You have no recommendations whatsoever? The projector really doesn't seem too different than the LK970. I'm only asking because I don't want to hear from you or others that I haven't set the projector up properly if I go back and don't see better picture quality results. You said:




What will constitute an optimal state? I will do D65/REC709 calibration and use madVR's tone mapping (the best out there) to send the same tone mapped image to both projectors. I will even try the UB820's tone mapping too. Will this be a fair way to compare them? If I don't have your settings which you say are better than the built-in HDR settings I guess it's pointless to use HDR mode altogether. Calibrating both to D65/REC709 and sending the same tone mapped image will put both in the the closest state to one another I can think of. It will remove as many image setting variables and level the playing field. Do you agree?

Not really. It is very different than the LK970. I had the same assumptions you are with the Epson LS10000 and LS10500 and they were totally different.

Just as you don’t want anyone coming back on you if you don’t see a difference, I don’t want YOU coming back on ME saying it sucks when the settings don’t translate well or at all.

I don't use tone mapping to SDR/BT2020.  I use full HDR/BT2020 so there’s going to be a difference right there anyway.

I am not the only one saying my settings are better than stock HDR settings and I can almost guarantee they will be on the LK990 as well.

I was just told today that my LK990 isn’t shipping today so i should have further info soon. Have patience. I guess for now just test its stock HDR calibrated and then both with MadVR tone mapping as an interim and then maybe later try what I get on it after I have those settings.

[Dylan Seeger]

Fair enough. I think I'll still plug your settings in (while using SmartEco mode instead of Custom) just to see what they look like. I still plan on measuring Custom mode for native contrast as you guys are saying this is the only mode that truly has no dynamic laser stuff going on. Then I'll switch over to the tone mapped content. I hope I have enough time with the LK990 to get everything accomplished. I want to do split screen photos as well to try and help facilitate roughly, in photo form, the relative differences Calvin and I see on Friday. I will do my best to get photos if we have enough time.

[Javs]

Fair enough. I think I'll still plug your settings in (while using SmartEco mode instead of Custom) just to see what they look like. I still plan on measuring Custom mode for native contrast as you guys are saying this is the only mode that truly has no dynamic laser stuff going on. Then I'll switch over to the tone mapped content. I hope I have enough time with the LK990 to get everything accomplished. I want to do split screen photos as well to try and help facilitate roughly, in photo form, the relative differences Calvin and I see on Friday. I will do my best to get photos if we have enough time.

I am having an LK990 sent to me in the next couple weeks directly from BenQ Australia in which I should get a couple weeks time to play with it. I certainly think MadVR is going to by the best HDR rendition by a mile, there is no competition, sorry. No static settings can do what this does on a frame by frame basis with dynamic clipping to boot.

I am most interested to see what kind of image I get with peak nits up well over 200, since that's what I will get on my screen, since tone mapping will map true 1:1 pixels from 0-200 unlike any other HDR tone mapping (sans Lumagen), so in that sense low APL content will be the same as I already get here (as you know that's how the tone mapping works), but I am most interested to see what the highlights are going to do, should look pretty excellent with all that brightness on tap.

I will measure the ADL contrast range here too so there will be another data set at least to compare to. I am pretty interested in what it measures above 5% and all the way to ANSI. Under that is going to be a challenge obviously.

[Dylan Seeger]

Wonderful! If I had the projector to play with at my house I could do all of this too, but I'll only have a few hours on Friday to try and accomplish as much as I can. I'm glad someone else who really knows what they're doing is getting their hands on the LK990. Please post your findings here when you get the chance.

[AVSMike]

I still do not get it with these DLP's. We have had bright sharp DLP's for a long time and they have never been able to compete against the projectors with higher contrast, as long as the higher contrast projector was bright enough to light up the screen. I get to see many of these DLP's at CEDIA every year. They look great on bright colorful content, but as soon as you go to a dark APL scene, the image falls apart. Now if you are talking about a screen that would require a high contrast projector that is above your budget, then these DLP's look like a good option. I see no way this projector is better than the 400k Barco and even the Barco falls apart when you throw low ADL scenes at it. 

[AVSCraig]

I still do not get it with these DLP's. We have had bright sharp DLP's for a long time and they have never been able to compete against the projectors with higher contrast, as long as the higher contrast projector was bright enough to light up the screen. I get to see many of these DLP's at CEDIA every year. They look great on bright colorful content, but as soon as you go to a dark APL scene, the image falls apart. Now if you are talking about a screen that would require a high contrast projector that is above your budget, then these DLP's look like a good option. I see no way this projector is better than the 400k Barco and even the Barco falls apart when you throw low ADL scenes at it.

The $80K Barco laser single chip DLP at Cedia ( 2017 ? ) looked horrible with dark scenes from John Wick 2. I just re-watched the same opening scene on my RS4500 with the Lumagen dynamic HDR tone mapping on, and it looked really good. 1/2 of that movie is comprised of dark scenes. 

[Dylan Seeger]

I still do not get it with these DLP's. We have had bright sharp DLP's for a long time and they have never been able to compete against the projectors with higher contrast, as long as the higher contrast projector was bright enough to light up the screen. I get to see many of these DLP's at CEDIA every year. They look great on bright colorful content, but as soon as you go to a dark APL scene, the image falls apart. Now if you are talking about a screen that would require a high contrast projector that is above your budget, then these DLP's look like a good option. I see no way this projector is better than the 400k Barco and even the Barco falls apart when you throw low ADL scenes at it.

I hate to say it but a lot of people get taken in by the mysticism of laser and LED light sources. Many people equate these light sources as automatically making the image better. In the case of the LK990 it doesn't seem to have any of the image quality enhancements laser can offer (large color gamut capabilities and less light scatter) because the LK990 isn't using direct laser. In the case here, I don't see what the benefit is other than it lasting longer and being more stable over time than a UHP lamp. You're still stuck with a color wheel which severely limits things on top of adding issues with visible RBE. I know some don't like it, but the performance really reminds me of a business class projector that happens to have a good lens.