Taiwanese electronics giant BenQ is expanding its range of 4K ultra short-throw projectors with the launch of the V7000i and V7050i models powered by Android TV.
Ultra short-throw projectors are superior to classic models in that they can be placed very close to a wall and still throw up a massive image onto it. So the obvious advantage is that users don’t need to fiddle around trying to hang the machine to a ceiling, or suffer from the family cat walking in front of it, casting an enormous shadow over where the image should be. They also make it easier to keep all of the cables neat and tidy in many situations.
That’s all well and good if the projector actually delivers, and BenQ’s latest models’ specs suggest that they do. The company says they’re built to operate in well-lit environments during the daytime and can project a 4K image with a maximum throw of 120 inches and brightness of up to 2,500 nits with 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast.
So far so good, and the company further promises 98% coverage of the super wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which should ensure extremely accurate pictures. Indeed, BenQ says the V7000i and V7050i ultra short-throw projectors deliver 1.3 times more colour volume than other laser TVs that can project an image of greater than 100 inches.
Android TV is a big draw too, providing access to dozens of apps such as Netflix and YouTube and lots of other content and games. It means the V7000i and V7050i can also receive content casts from smartphones and tablets thanks to the built-in Chromecast capability.
The smarts don’t end there. Perfectionists may well appreciate the projector’s support for Filmmaker Mode, which disables post processing features such as motion smoothing and retains all of the correct colours, aspect ratios and frame rates to ensure an experience that’s as close as possible to what the content creator intended.
For those who do like their processing, they’ll be pleased to know BenQ’s latest devices support high dynamic range in the form of HDR10 and HLG. They also feature dynamic tone-mapping that helps to adjust brightness and contrast in real-time according to the ambient lighting conditions to optimise the picture in every situation.
On the sound side they come with two 5 watt treVelo speakers built in. BenQ says these deliver fairly punchy sound in their own right, though of course they can’t beat an external speaker system. Thankfully, the projectors come with HDMI 2.0 and SPDIF ports to connect them to additional speakers.
Other tidbits include an integrated auto eye protection sensor, automatic keystone correction and a laser light source that has a lifespan of at least 20,000 hours, BenQ said. The automatic sliding lid that closes when the unit is switched off is a nice touch that should help to prevent dust building up on the lens.
Of course, a high-end short-throw projector with so many premium features does not come cheap. So its no surprise to see BenQ quoting a price tag of £3,499 for each of the models when they go on sale later this month.
There is one important distinction to be made between the two models, though. The BenQ V7000i only comes in white, while the V7050i is only available in black. A tough choice.
