If you’re building a home theatre, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to buy a projector that’s north of Rs 15 lakh or something of a lifestyle projector, which comes for around half the price. The choice has a lot to do with the lens optics, which mostly provide flexibility in placement using zoom and lens shift. For the last few weeks, we have had the opportunity to experience BenQ W5850. It’s a 4K laser projector that’s more than a lifestyle device but doesn’t reach the price bracket of the highest options available from BenQ.
Calibrated for colour accuracy
What we are looking at is a middle-of-the-room projector. It has been calibrated at the factory… to perfection. Individual factory calibration reports assure 100% Rec.709, Delta E<2,100% DCI-P3 for true Hollywood colours. The review unit we received already had the lens attached, but when you purchase it, there is a chance that the optical unit is given in the box separately, which is something different from what we usually get to see from other companies.
The projector has a wide range of ports to choose from
The projector is designed for fixed installation. At the back, there is a comprehensive set of ports. The W5850 accommodates all kinds of entertainment with universal ports including dual HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.2), two USB-Type A, SPDIF, and eARC, which allows 7.1 channel and Dolby Atmos audio pass through, transmitting the original full-resolution audio signal to your sound system via one HDMI cable.
The resolution on this machine is 4K UHD (3840×2160), besides offering 2600 brightness (ANSI lumens), meaning it is optimised for dark rooms. It dynamically adjusts the projection light output by detecting imagery, ensuring optimal contrast and lifelike images. Laser projectors, equipped with fast dimming, promptly respond to brightness changes, delivering 20 per cent higher contrast than other SSI models.
Let’s talk about lens shift: There is motorised vertical and horizontal lens shift. Also there: Motorised zoom of up to 1.6x. In terms of HDR compatibility, enjoy HDR 10, HDR10+ and HLG.
What makes this a middle-of-the-room video projector is its image size. You can project up to an impressive 180 inches from just four metres away from the screen. Usually, from 4.5 metres away, you get around 135 inches, so we are looking at quite a leap in image size.
At home, we connected the machine to an amplifier via a fibre optic HDMI cable to get the best quality possible. Not having a dedicated wall for video projection, we chose the cleanest and widest wall (off-white) in the house. It took us hardly 10 minutes to get the setup done. Having motorised shift, there is no loss of quality. We kept the machine around three metres away from the wall, allowing a projection of around 125 inches.
W5850 employs four-way lens shift to provide perfectly straight-edged images without loss of resolution, allowing more flexible installation and placement options.
Viewing experience
To get the maximum out of the projector, turn off the lights in the room. Some of the picture settings worth looking at are picture mode and advanced settings for colours. In the latter, there is a dynamic black correction section. Correcting the level of black can make Interstellar look brilliant while viewing at home.
The projector offers advanced colour temperature tuning with 11 levels of white balance controls between high to low brightness
In ‘light source’ mode, switch to ‘normal’ to get the best out of the projector and move to ‘filmmaker mode’ when you are watching films to get a feel of theatres.
The show we watched while reviewing the projector is Apple TV’s latest, Pluribus. It has a range of colours that were projected to perfection. You will clearly notice the calibration that was done at the factory.
In terms of HDR effect, details are preserved in dark and bright scenes. More important is the uniformity of images, which is highly consistent. There is no loss of brightness at the edge of the screen. In terms of sharpness, the 4K rendering is precise. Dark scenes on the BenQ are among the best. Even when you go for higher-size projections, BenQ ensures pictures resemble the quality at source, avoiding blown-up highlights.
BenQ high-end cinema projectors offer advanced colour temperature tuning with 11 levels of white balance controls between high-to-low brightness, enabling viewers to adjust to the most accurate colours in mid-tone colours.
Motion handling? Frame interpolation technology gets deployed to ensure there is no soap-opera effect. Finally, DLP rainbow effect, that is, when the edges of bright objects appear to have a rainbow outline during fast movement. There is almost none of that.
Next, we switched to PlayStation 5 and F1 25. It’s a game with a lot of motion and requires almost zero video lag. This isn’t a projector designed for playing games, yet it does a good job. But it will not get the best out of a game that involves a high degree of movement.
The remote is backlit and sturdy
Make the call
Some of the things that are noticeable about the projector are colour fidelity, which is exceptional, and the depth of blacks is among the best on any projector.
The laser projection source is stable and durable. Having motorised zoom and lens shift, there is no loss of quality. Another advantage is the quality of HDR and there is enough immersion in terms of images. What could be better? It’s expensive. Some of the options available in this category are Sony XW5000ES, Epson QB1000 and JVC NZ500.
When you look at the smallest of text — that too black on white — projected to the side of the screen, the BenQ projector clearly wins with very little chromatic aberration. The W5850 comes with a low-noise multi-channel cooling system, that effectively reduces environmental noise to a quiet range of 27dB to 30dB.
W5850 supports high-definition sources with accurate aspect ratios and colours, without HDR post-processing. We tried watching Pluribus in the highest resolution possible
Overall, the projector is clearly intended for those who want a mini home theatre. You can enjoy a precise and colour-calibrated experience.
At a glance
Device: BenQ W5850 projector
Price: ₹7 lakh
High notes
Excellent colour accuracy
Strong black-level performance
Motorised zoom and lens shift
Solid HDR handling
Flexible placement options
Large image size from a short distance
Muffled notes
Expensive
Best results require a dark room