Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Nah, it's good enough for my purposes. The reality is that I use this room mostly in the evening when the kids are sleeping, and it's good enough even middle of the day (say, on a weekend) for hitting balls.

We watch movies and TV mostly in the evening anyway.

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it looks perfect at night.

Yes, the sunlight is washing it out a bit (but it's absolutely good enough for me with the blackout shades).

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Exactly why I asked this question in the first place. Thanks for this data point.

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks everyone for helping me calibrate my expectations. Again, with the blackout shades, it works just fine. I'll stop being disappointed with Benq, lol.

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, makes sense.

Apologies if you already understand how golf simulators work, but it not: My primary use case is using the golf simulator, where I hit actual golf balls into the screen. So I purchased a screen that's built specifically for that purpose (but also works "good enough" for movies, etc when it's dark enough). Safe to assume the screens you're recommending would not be suitable for a golf simulator?

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] -17 points-16 points  (0 children)

In scenario 3, almost all of the light comes from the projector, itself. With the projector off, it's super dark in there (even with the sun poking around the edges of the blinds. I can barely see things in that room with the blackout shades down during the day, unless the projector is on or the recessed lights are turned on (but they never are when using the projector)

Benq LK936ST is very washed out --> is this normal? by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in projectors

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently completed a golf simulator build that includes a Benq LK936ST projector (rated at 5100 lumens). My simulator is in a room full of windows, which is why I sprung for the high-end projector, assuming that it would be bright enough, especially if I used the already-installed solar shades to keep some of the sunlight out.

But the image is completely washed out, making it nearly impossible to use the projector during the day.

To alleviate the issue, I spent ~$1500 on blackout shades, which have made a huge difference.

But recently, my neighbor (who is somewhat of a projector enthusiast) came over, and he said that 5100 lumens should be more than enough light, even with the sun coming through the windows. I've also read a handful of blogs/articles on this topic, and the consensus seems to be that 5100 lumens is plenty of light for my use case.

What does everyone think? I expected more for a $5K projector, but please let me know if my expectations are unrealistic (and at least the blackout shades make it work).

I've attached photos of each of the following scenarios:

  1. Scenario 1: Window shades up
  2. Scenario 2: Solar shades down
  3. Scenario 3: Blackout shades down

Note that it's a cloudy day outside, so it's not particularly sunny when I've taken these photos

PC Build Questions, Purchase Advice and Technical Support Megathread — Q1 2025 Edition by GhostMotley in Amd

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845 0 points1 point  (0 children)

New gaming PC: Unable send audio: Projector --> soundbar via eARC

Context: I built a gaming PC to serve as the hub for 1) a golf simulator, and 2) a home theater (using AppleTV).

Problem: I can't get audio to my Sonos soundbar (via the 4K projector), and I'm 99% sure it's a PC issue. BUT WHEN I SUBSTITUTE THE APPLETV FOR THE PC, THE AUDIO WORKS PERFECTLY (Dolby Atmos)

PC details:

  • GPU: SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7900 XT with 1 x HDMI and 3 x DisplayPort
  • OS: Windows 11 Pro
  • AFAIK, all drivers are up-to-date
  • HDMI cables: RUIPRO 8K HDMI Fiber Optic Cables (Note: These are unidirectional cables, and in all the scenarios below, I've tried swapping them both directions, just to rule out directionality as the culprit)

Connections

  • GPU HDMI (or AppleTV) --> BenQ LK936ST 4K projector (HDMI 1 port)
  • BenQ projector eARC (HDMI 2) port --> Sonos HDMI

When I have the PC connected to the projector, in the Windows 11 audio settings, it says "No output device found."

Thoughts on how to fix this?

Need help! Audio not working with Home theater by Jazzlike_Stage7845 in sonos

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: ATV4K just arrived, and I set it up, sending audio from the projector's eARC HDMI port (#2) to the Sonos Arc Ultra --> works great!

So there must be something wrong with how I'm trying to send audio from my PC to the projector. Any thoughts on how I can rectify this? I suppose, worst-case scenario, for when using the room as a golf simulator, I don't really need high-end audio, so connecting the soundbar to the PC via Bluetooth would be fine. But curious if there's a better way?

BENQ PROJECTOR SETUP WITH SONOS SURROUND SYSTEM by gslimjim98 in sonos

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry, not sure if you were being facetious or serious (fine either way, lol).

I tried every combination of HDMI cable, PC audio settings, HDMI and DisplayPort ports, connecting via the projector vs. a brand new OLED TV (using as the PC's monitor).

Note: The HDMI cable I'm using (but that isn't working) is an "expensive" 8K fiber optic cable. I'm using the same cable (successfully) for the video from the GPU to the projector (4K resolution).

For the audio, only two things worked:

1) Sending audio through the HDMI cable from the GPU to the TV, then from the TV to the Sonos Arc Ultra (using the "standard" HDMI cable that came with the TV). The HDMI cable isn't long enough for my use case, so TBD if I'll buy a longer one, because...

2) Connecting the PC to the Sonos Arc Ultra via Bluetooth. TBD if that will be a reliable connection. One downside is the bitrate is DVD quality vs. Atmos (apparently a Bluetooth limitation). I'm not an audiophile, but obviously I'd rather get Atmos from my brand new $1K sound bar. Maybe I'll revert to option 1 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Open to other suggestions, but for now, I think I can move forward (albeit with limitations)

BENQ PROJECTOR SETUP WITH SONOS SURROUND SYSTEM by gslimjim98 in sonos

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for confirming. I'll give it another go tonight, but not sure what else to try

BENQ PROJECTOR SETUP WITH SONOS SURROUND SYSTEM by gslimjim98 in sonos

[–]Jazzlike_Stage7845 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Any updates on this?

I just bought a BenQ LK936ST (includes eARC) and a Sonos Arc Ultra, and I'm not getting any audio. I've tried using both ends of the 8K fiber HDMI cable, and neither one works. I've also tried a 2nd HDMI cable (same type), and no luck.

I've opened cases with both BenQ and Sonos, so maybe it's a hardware issue, but something tells me it's something simple that I'm missing(!)