If you have a modest sized worship space with a budget to match, BenQ has an alternative to expensive large venue projectors. The SH940 not only delivers stunning HD video, but does so at $4,000, a price that's hard to beat.
Under its black curving skin, the SH940 uses a single 0.65 Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing imaging target with a six-segment color wheel that can put full HD 1,920 by 1,080 resolution images onto the screen. Its internal arrangement is simpler than projectors that use a trio of DLP chips or LCD screens, but it provides more image detail than projectors like the Canon Realis WX6000 or InFocus IN5544.
Based on a single 330-watt, air-cooled lamp, the projector is rated at 4,000 lumens. If that's not enough, BenQ has a similar dual-lamp SH960 projector that boosts output to 5,500 lumens.
SOME DETAILS
At 6.7- by 16.8- by 12.5-inches, it's smaller than projectors of comparable imaging characteristics, and its 16-pound weight means that one person can handle most installation and maintenance chores. The SH940 can be set up in a variety of projection orientations and it tops out at a 25-foot image.
The SH940 is different from your typical large venue projector because it comes with a high-quality lens included, although no lens cap. Unlike InFocus, Epson, or Canon, BenQ doesn't have a slew of optional lenses for different locales that can cost as much as the projector itself. This not only reduces the price of the projector, but eliminates extras to buy. On the other hand, the SH940 can be used with a Panamorph lens for converting typical 16:9 aspect ratio images into a 2.35:1 format without annoying black bars above and below
The SH940's lens has a generous 1.5X optical zoom range, which can help make quick work of exactly filling the screen. Unlike projectors like the Realis WX6000, the SH940's zoom is manual and can't be adjusted with the system's remote control. As a result, any tweaking needs to be done during installation while hanging off a ladder.
In addition to a pair of adjustable front feet, the SH940 has four strategically placed mounting holes underneath for ceiling installation, but lacks stacking brackets for linking several projectors together. The projector can correct for image keystoning of up to 30 degrees up and down, as well as side to side.
The projector's initial installation is made easy by BenQ's inclusion of a mechanical lens shift that can move the image 40% horizontally and 125% vertically. Rather than using an electric motor, as is the case with most large venue projectors, the SH940 has a unique four-way lever in the front for manually moving the image into the proper position. When it's just right, the lever can be locked in place—but like the zoom, it can't be adjusted from afar with the remote control.
THE SH940’S LENS HAS A GENEROUS 1.5X OPTICAL ZOOM RANGE, WHICH CAN HELP MAKE QUICK WORK OF EXACTLY FILLING THE SCREEN.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE VIDEO
Inside is Qualcomm's HQV video processing chip that can help make images more vivid and sharper. It includes the ability to finely adjust the projector's color parameters, but, unlike NEC's NP-PH1000U, it doesn't have the capacity of accepting a full video board.
It's great for delivering picture in picture format for things like showing the choir with an inset feed of a soloist. Unfortunately, the SH940 lacks the ability to project a circular image.
The top of the SH940 has a complicated control panel with a series of LEDs, but lacks Hitachi's innovative LCD info screen on its CP-WU 8450 model. Along its back, the SH940 has a good assortment of input ports, which are marked right-side up as well as upside down, a big bonus for anyone who has spent too much time with their heads bent over trying to read a label.
In addition to a pair of HDMI connections, the projector has inputs for VGA, component- and composite-video. It can control a screen with a 12-volt output, send an image stream to other projectors via its VGA-out port, and connect with a wired network. It doesn't have WiFi wireless networking built in or as an option, and the projector lacks a cover to hide the projector's cables.
The projector's remote control is smaller and simpler than others in its class, with about half as many buttons. It does the basics well, though, with the ability to select the input source, adjust the volume, and freeze the image or blank the screen, but the remote's Test pattern key doesn't do anything. Unlike most, it has a laser pointer that puts a small red spot on the screen. The remote has a 25-foot wireless range, but that can't be extended by using a microphone cable.
With a logically laid out menu structure, the SH940 places most of its projecting details at your disposal for tweaking, including black level, color temperature and Gamma settings. Unfortunately, some of the menu items, like adjusting the keystone correction, require an extra click.
While most will use the SH940 with an amplified sound system, it has SRS audio augmentation as well as a 10-watt speaker. It sounds surprisingly good in a mid-sized room and has Crestron RoomView built-in.
PROJECTOR PUT TO THE TEST
The SH940 works well with an iPad, PC and Blu-ray video source—with excellent sharpness across the screen. It was able to start up in 32.6 seconds, but took 1 minute and 37.2 seconds to shut itself down.
Once on and warmed up, the projector put 4,040 lumens of light onto a screen in Dynamic mode, slightly over its 4,000-lumen rating. It had an unparalleled 97% brightness uniformity. In addition to a pair of user-adjustable settings, there are also modes for sRGB, Presentation and Cinema, although the latter was too pink for my taste.
Its primary colors were spot on, although the yellows that the SH940 projects were a little muddy, a common problem with DLP projectors. While running the projector it uses 400 watts of power in Dynamic mode. This consumption can be reduced to 320 watts in the SH940's Economic lamp setting, but reduces brightness to 3,270 lumens. It has the advantage of using less than a watt of power when it's not being used.
Including its $350 replacement lamp, which is rated to last for 2,000 hours, expect that the SH940 will require an estimated $140 a year in operating expenses if it's used for 15 hours a week at full power. This is much lower than any other projector in its class.
Another piece of good news is that the SH940 doesn't require an air filter, which simplifies maintenance. Changing the projector's lamp can be done on a ladder and requires loosening a pair of screws and pulling out the old lamp. Figure on five minutes to do the swap.
While it's being used, the SH940 is surprisingly quiet, which can help when things get hushed. It puts out 38.2 dBA of fan noise at 10 feet, but its exhaust is a slightly warm 135-degrees Fahrenheit.
The projector comes with a three-year warranty, although the lamp is covered for only a year or 2,000 hours of use. Its brightness, low operating expenses and ultra-sharp HD imaging are only outdone by SH940's price. Even though it has a list price of $4,000, if you shop around you can get it for closer to $3,000, making the SH940 a genuine bargain for a house of worship that's trying to stretch every penny it has.
