iMac to Ben-Q Projector

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Level 1

31 points

iMac to Ben-Q Projector

I am interested in having my own home theatre and have read generous reviews about the entry level Ben-Q W1070 projector. My concern, as I have not done so before, is how to connect it up? I have a iMac 27" Mid 2011 model.

I see from the specifications on the manufacturers website that it uses HDMI, of which I understand there is a Thunderbolt adapter for from Apple and wanted to know if it was that simple to connect up?

HDMI adapter: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monoprice-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Adapter-Support/dp/B00 25V2VO0

Next I am unsure of the sound, where does it come from exactly? I have some wireless headphones that I would like to use instead of the ones on my iMac or those on the projector itself. So where does the sound come from, the iMac or projector? I gather there is an headphone port on the projector so probably there, but cannot be sure.

datasheet: ftp://supportfiles.benq.eu/projector/datasheets/new%20folder/w1070+marketing+spe c_r3_0613.pdf

Finally, I am unsure what the UI will be like and this is important for what I would like to achieve: I have a collection of DVDs and would like to stream them from my computer, they're on an external HDD. Secondly I would like to sometimes stream a movie from iTunes that I have or an AVI/MP4 file directly from my computer and even just YouTube that is in the browser. I know that a lot of services exist like Hulu and such, especially from current generation consoles, but I am plugging into a computer and do not rely on those services for my media, I don't want to be on the wrong side of a walled garden.

Thanks!

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), 16GB RAM, late 2011

Posted on Jun 26, 2015 2:02 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Shadowisper

Level 1

107 points

Jun 26, 2015 2:34 PM in response to Hamper

Hello,

First of all, you will need to purchase a thunderbolt adapter to connect it. However, if the projector has bluetooth technology, you can use System Preferences>Bluetooth to connect it wirelessly.

The sound can come from either the mac or the projector, depending on System Preferences. If you want it to connect via wireless headphones, simply go to System Preferences>Sound>Select Wireless headphones (after you have connected it via Bluetooth). Then you will hear it from your Wireless headphones as long as you are in range of your Mac.

To stream and such, the projector plays what you have, so just open up your movie in Finder and it should play well on your projector. If you have an iTunes movie, just search for it in the "This Mac" section of Finder. Then it should play.

If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to reply with them.

Hope this helped you out!

-J

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Answer 2

Hamper Author

Level 1

31 points

Jun 26, 2015 2:48 PM in response to Shadowisper

Thank you for your help.

There is a newer model of the 2012 W1070 with a "+w" suffix that came out in 2014 that allows for wireless streaming, but it requires additional hardware that is a quarter to half of the cost, so, at this level, I am not interested and Bluetooth is not going to cut it at 1080p. I will need a cable and it seems that the HDMI->Thunderbolt cables are 3rd party only for some reason, can you recommend on please?

My headphones use a proprietary streaming technology called Kleer, it's lossless and outdated now but the cradle does the work and only required an Audio out socket to connect to, so I wasn't sure if it would remain plugged into my computer or if it would need to be plugged into the projector.

I found a short video online of the settings menu and it clearly showed the Desktop from Windows in use so that pretty much answered my question, which is good to know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVtKZ4MOrmk

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

Jun 26, 2015 4:39 PM in response to Hamper

Great!

About the headphones, if you need to connect it, then just use the Sound Preference to stream into the projector and then plug it in there. That should work out just fine.

As for recommendations, I use these two the most, and they are not that expensive compared to others and they work great, so check them out.

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Mini-DisplayPort-Thunderbolt-Adapter/dp/B00NH 13K8S

http://www.walmart.com/ip/V7-CBL-MH1WHT-Mini-DisplayPort-to-HDMI-Adapter-White/2 0896475

Hope this helped you out!

-J

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Answer 4

Hamper Author

Level 1

31 points

Jun 26, 2015 4:21 PM in response to Shadowisper

I see, so any DHMI converter will work. I'm surprised, there's always a premium on Thunderbolt devices, so I didn't consider anything under £30.

Thanks for your help!

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