Question JVC DLA-X3 vs benq w7500

a1blues

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Hi, just a quick question.
I own the w7500 benq projector.
It is currently broken and I will need to repair it.
However, I noticed the JVC DLA-X3 for sale locally and I wondered if anyone had knowledge of the picture quality of this projector and is it better or worse than the w7500 and how is it?
Thanks.
 
The JVC X3/ X7 / X9 / X30 / X70 / X90 have weak ballasters, and in many cases die around 1000-2000 hours, if you are prepared to repair/ change ballaster and lamp, and you have a meter and know how to calibrate and can correct the gamma drop in the JVC X3 its actually a very good projector, it will not be nearly as bright as the BENQ, so its a projector best used in a dark lightcontroled room, on a not to big screen, ill say max 100-110"
On off contrast is likely 40-50x higher than the Benq, but if you just buy a old unit and think it will look good as is i think you will be disapointed, and is very likely to break down in near future when you start using it, unless it got cleaned and changed ballaster recently.
 
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The JVC X3/ X7 / X9 / X30 / X70 / X90 have weak ballasters, and in many cases die around 1000-2000 hours, if you are prepared to repair/ change ballaster and lamp, and you have a meter and know how to calibrate and can correct the gamma drop in the JVC X3 its actually a very good projector, it will not be nearly as bright as the BENQ, so its a projector best usid in a dark lightcontroled room, on a not to big screen, ill say max 100-110"
On off contrast is likely 40-50x higher than the Benq, but if you just buy a old unit and think it will look good as is i think you will be disapointed, and is very likely to break down in near future when you start using it, unless it got cleaned and changed ballaster recently.

Hi Stridsvognen, thanks very much for the detailed response, very informative.
I am not too up on projector maintenance, what is a ballaster and how much do they cost?
The jvc has only 200 hours so lamp should be good.
The benq has a faulty voltage regulator apparently, but the repair man can only see half the code written on the part so is struggling to identify the part he needs, hopefully he can suss it out or even better if anyone might know, I could tell him.
Failing that, I will be looking to perhaps get the JVC, so your info is most useful to me!
Thanks!
 
200 hours seems unlikely on a 8-9 year old JVC and you wont be able to tell as its just resetting the lamp counter, also be very aware of the lamp in the projector most chinese knock off lamps only deliver 50% of the lightoutput, wich basically makes the projector useless.
Addet a picture of a original lamp, notice the marking 002 on the top line, thats a 2nd generation lamp for this series, the last ones is 004, if the projector comes with a 001 lamp its very likely the original lamp.
And a picture of a X3 waiting for a ballaster, ill normaly pay around 60£ for a X3 add a 300£ ballaster and 200£ lamp, a full day of work replacing taking it apart cleaning all the fans ducts and optics, and then run it some hours and correct the gamma drop.

In most cases you will be better off looking for a X35 or X500 wich is the next generation lamp engine, wich dont have all the typical issues of the 1st generation like lamp ballaster ir board.
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200 hours seems unlikely on a 8-9 year old JVC and you wont be able to tell as its just resetting the lamp counter, also be very aware of the lamp in the projector most chinese knock off lamps only deliver 50% of the lightoutput, wich basically makes the projector useless.
Addet a picture of a original lamp, notice the marking 002 on the top line, thats a 2nd generation lamp for this series, the last ones is 004, if the projector comes with a 001 lamp its very likely the original lamp.
And a picture of a X3 waiting for a ballaster, ill normaly pay around 60£ for a X3 add a 300£ balladter and 200£ lamp, a full day of work replacing taking it apart cleaning all the fans ducts and optics, and then run it some hours and correct the gamma drop.

In most cases you will be better off looking for a X35 or X500 wich is the next generation lamp engine, wich dont have all the typical issues of the 1st generation like lamp ballaster ir board.
View attachment 1183624 View attachment 1183625

Wow, now you have explained the issues with the jvc, I am not so sure to go for this one anymore.
It would be second hand and I would only know the state of the projector once it had arrived.
I was also looking at panasonic pt-ae4000e projector as a replacement or maybe the 5000?
Do you know if these are a good replacement for the w7500 benq?
 
As i mentioned i would look for the JVC X35/ X500 they will most likely last much longer only needing a lamp when that time is up.
However if your pleased with the BENQ W7500 i doubt any of the other projectors will disapoint you. in the end it comes down to your screen, room, and what you have of expectations to lightoutput and black level.
 
Some people buy good projectors like JVC models and hardly use them. I’ve met quite a few people who built a cinema room but never used it.

Anyhow, my JVC X3 has had thousands of hours use and no issue, ballast or otherwise. Actually I did have the front IR issue but that was fixed in warranty and was a trivial thing really. Ballast issues usually result from buying non-JVC bulbs to save money but in trying to save money they kill the projector.

If I was to buy a 2nd hand JVC I would need to know the owner had only ever used original JVC bulbs. Of course I’m sure Benq projectors also have things to watch for if buying 2nd hand.

My X3 gets used about 12 hours a week still, they are quality kit that lasts. Of course buying 2nd hand is always a risk, but old models like this are dirt cheap now.
 
Btw, the Benq projector is a lesser projector (a newer but lower quality product). It is brighter than the X3. Edit: I misread that you already owned the Benq, I thought you were considering both.
 
Some people buy good projectors like JVC models and hardly use them. I’ve met quite a few people who built a cinema room but never used it.

Anyhow, my JVC X3 has had thousands of hours use and no issue, ballast or otherwise. Actually I did have the front IR issue but that was fixed in warranty and was a trivial thing really. Ballast issues usually result from buying non-JVC bulbs to save money but in trying to save money they kill the projector.

If I was to buy a 2nd hand JVC I would need to know the owner had only ever used original JVC bulbs. Of course I’m sure Benq projectors also have things to watch for if buying 2nd hand.

My X3 gets used about 12 hours a week still, they are quality kit that lasts. Of course buying 2nd hand is always a risk, but old models like this are dirt cheap now.

I have replaced a few JVC ballasters and so far none of them had more than max 1400 hours in total, most on the first original lamp, my own X7 i bought from new lasted 1400 hours = 2 original lamps, wich mostly would loos so much lightoutput that they were not really any good after 500 hours, so to your point about non JVC lamps ill say that i think the JVC projectors would benefit from a quality non JVC lamp and save the money.
Some ballasters last, but there is way to many trouble ballasters, and the issue is actually on the controle daughter board of the ballaster wich has nothing to do with the actual lamp, that dont mean you should run out and buy a 50£ chinese bulb and put in your projector.

Conclusion is the JVC lamps are to low quality and over priced, and there is better alternatives, however its impossible for normal consumers to figure out wich ones is good and wich ones are bad and do more harm than good.

last, most of the old JVC like the X3/ x30 series with the troublesome ballasters also collect a lot of dust in the lamp blower, so after 1000 hours i would recommend to take the projector apart and clean all the ventilators, power supply and ballast for dust acumulated, wich have a drastic effect on air flow to these parts, and might have some effect on lamp lifespan, and those parts of the ventilation have no connection to the filter, as they take air in directly from the rear vents.
 
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Well my experience differs.

I use my X3 for over 1000 hours a year. Average is a movie a night, some nights 2 or 3 movies, others none.

Always bought genuine bulbs, think I’m on my fourth in 7 years.

This forum (and the US equivalent) has had numerous examples of ballast boards blowing and every single time it was after using 3rd party bulbs. Anyone using non-JVC bulbs in such an expensive piece of kit after being warned of this is crazy in my opinion.

The first JVC bulbs weren’t great (mine got replaced under warranty as it ran out before a year was up), the second versions were better and the 3rd (current) version new JVC bulbs are really great in my experience.

My X3 hasn’t had any dust issues ever. It was cleaned once as a courtesy when the IR was being sorted almost 3 years into ownership, and hasn’t been opened since (4 years ago). I have once or twice taken the air filter out for a look. Maybe my environment is less dust prone.
 
Well my experience differs.

I use my X3 for over 1000 hours a year. Average is a movie a night, some nights 2 or 3 movies, others none.

Always bought genuine bulbs, think I’m on my fourth in 7 years.

This forum (and the US equivalent) has had numerous examples of ballast boards blowing and every single time it was after using 3rd party bulbs. Anyone using non-JVC bulbs in such an expensive piece of kit after being warned of this is crazy in my opinion.

The first JVC bulbs weren’t great (mine got replaced under warranty as it ran out before a year was up), the second versions were better and the 3rd (current) version new JVC bulbs are really great in my experience.

My X3 hasn’t had any dust issues ever. It was cleaned once as a courtesy when the IR was being sorted almost 3 years into ownership, and hasn’t been opened since (4 years ago). I have once or twice taken the air filter out for a look. Maybe my environment is less dust prone.

How many ballasters have you changed yourself, and how many jvc projectors have you opened up to check the dust acumulation on.?

As i explained earlier all the ballasters i changed was with original lamps, and all the ballasters had failed on the controle daughterboard, have you ever troubleshooted on these ballasters.?

And the JVC lamps for these models have 4 different revisions, my last original lamp is a 4th revision. However i have bought and tested quite a few other lamps, and while there is extremely shitty lamps out there i never seen any blow a new ballaster, in general these models start to flake out slowly, and most people buy a new lamp and put in, no matter if original or unoriginal shortly after the ballaster dies, sure some might blow the ballaster part that feeds the lamp, happens in all projectors, just that is not the most common issue with this JVC series, and yes some runs 10000hours with the original ballaster, and your experience is with a single unit and forum reading dont realy document much of whats the general issue here, and ill say its higly misleading, and line up with the way JVC wanted it to look like back in the days, blaming it on everybody else, they did poor quality ballasters and lamps, and flaky ir boards, they never admitted to it, and never caled back any of these models to correct issues.
Try take a picture of your lamp blower as it looks today.
 
I had a JVC X3 when it first came out, had the usual Bulb issues and was replaced under there 1 year warranty scheme. They then did a new version of the bulb that had a different air intake flow, most I got out of the all the bulbs I had was 2789 Hours then it died.

I had the typical IR Freeze Ups where either the remote or both the projector and remote would freeze up, there was a guy on here I think a few years back took an X3 apart and found that the Capacitor on it was put in the wrong way around causing electrodes to go back on itself.

From what I remember anyway but due to that little fault also that was on quite a few was discovered on mine when I sent it off to Sontec for repair when I had it.

In terms of the X7 I haven't really seen any major Issues reported in the sense that the X3 did but that's from only what I haven't seen. I know my friend to who got the X55R has never had one single issue so from then onwards the manufacture issue they had was well resolved by then.
 
I had a JVC X3 when it first came out, had the usual Bulb issues and was replaced under there 1 year warranty scheme. They then did a new version of the bulb that had a different air intake flow, most I got out of the all the bulbs I had was 2789 Hours then it died.

I had the typical IR Freeze Ups where either the remote or both the projector and remote would freeze up, there was a guy on here I think a few years back took an X3 apart and found that the Capacitor on it was put in the wrong way around causing electrodes to go back on itself.

From what I remember anyway but due to that little fault also that was on quite a few was discovered on mine when I sent it off to Sontec for repair when I had it.

In terms of the X7 I haven't really seen any major Issues reported in the sense that the X3 did but that's from only what I haven't seen. I know my friend to who got the X55R has never had one single issue so from then onwards the manufacture issue they had was well resolved by then.

The X7 is in most regards identical to the X3, the reason you dont hear about as many issues with the X7 is there were sold much less of those compared to X3 units, i seen multiple defective X7 projectors as well, same ir capasitor and ballaster issues as the X3.
I bought my X7 from new and today also having multiple X3 units, i feel ripped off buying the X7 as it has no advantages over the x3 in my setup, it was mostly marketing BS, promoting the CMS THX and higher contrast, which had no benefits in a real life.

Same about the X90, calibrated one of those in Indiana some years back, it had also gotten a new ballaster, and always been using original JVC lamps.
 
I've had my Panasonic 5000e since new so now around 6 years and it's been faultless. I have been looking for something approaching 4k etc but everytime i fire it up i change my mind. There was one in the classifieds for around £400, imo an excellent bit of kit
 

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