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Time of India
07-05-2025
- Time of India
BenQ W2720i 4K projector review: Home cinema gets smarter
Everyone's been cramming "AI" into everything these days, whether it be phones or even TVs, so why should projectors be left out? BenQ's W2720i home cinema projector is exactly that—the first of its kind bringing artificial intelligence to the big screen experience, literally. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now What's the use of artificial intelligence, you may ask? BenQ says that the projector will intelligently adapt your viewing experience based on ambient light, content, and possibly your emotional state (okay, I made that last one up). But this smarts comes at a cost: a fairly high asking price of Rs 3,50,000. With impressive specs including 4K resolution, HDR10+ support, and a 30,000-hour LED light source, BenQ's latest offering certainly looks good on paper. However, given you could find short-throw projectors at this price, and it's not that but rather so-so short. This is also the first AI projector available, and BenQ is making a big deal out of it. So, after spending weeks with this projector, I've got some thoughts about whether its intelligence is actually, well, intelligent. And perhaps most importantly, does this projector deserve a place in your home cinema? Let's dive into the bright spots and shadows of the BenQ W2720i . Form follows function BenQ hasn't taken any revolutionary design leaps with the W2720i, sticking to their tried-and-tested projector aesthetics—a bulky rectangular unit with rounded edges that screams "serious home cinema equipment." At 6.4kg, this behemoth isn't something you'll be casually moving around the house, and with dimensions of 420×143×305mm, it's demanding a permanent spot in your setup. The all-white chassis with matte finish does look premium, though the glossy sections are absolute fingerprint magnets, so keep a microfibre cloth handy when you're setting it up. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The front fascia houses the centrally-positioned lens with manual zoom and focus rings that operate with satisfying precision. What sets the W2720i apart visually are the two distinct "eyes" flanking the lens—the Time of Flight sensor and AI camera that form the heart of its intelligent capabilities. These sensors constantly monitor your viewing environment, theoretically optimising the image in real-time. One design quirk worth noting: while the unit features vertical lens shift (±5%), there's no horizontal adjustment, which might complicate ceiling mounting for some setups. The top panel features a dedicated lens adjustment section, slide the door open and there you'll see dials for zoom, focus, and vertical lens shift that are tactile and precise. A clever touch is how BenQ has integrated the Android TV dongle inside the projector's body itself—no unsightly sticks hanging from HDMI ports here. Pop open a discrete side panel, and you'll find the Google-certified dongle neatly tucked away, giving you access to streaming services without additional hardware cluttering your setup. The side features the usual physical controls, power and menu navigation, while the rear hosts an connectivity array including three HDMI ports (one with eARC support), two USB-A ports, and legacy RS232 and also an 12V trigger connections for the home automation enthusiasts. Ventilation grilles are placed on both the sides to keep the projector cool without creating a hurricane in your living room. The W2720i runs surprisingly quiet even after hours of operation. The included remote is backlit (thank goodness) with sensibly arranged buttons that don't require a PhD to understand, though the separate menu systems for Android TV and the projector's own settings can initially confuse. It thinks, therefore it projects The W2720i's 4K image quality immediately impresses, delivering crisp, detailed visuals that make you question whether you've actually been watching proper 4K content all these years. But, before we go in deep there, let me touch upon a few quirks I couldn't get past while setting up this speaker. I'm talking about Screen Fit. In theory, the auto Screen Fit should detect your projection screen boundaries and automatically adjust the image to fit perfectly—no manual tweaking required. However, this proved frustratingly inconsistent in practice. Multiple attempts often yielded error messages about "reflective surfaces" or "excessive ambient light" even in a completely darkened room with a standard matte white screen. I just couldn't fix it, and even internet didn't have much idea about how to get it working. So, I had to manually adjust the screen fit with the buttons on the remote. The much-vaunted AI Cinema Mode is BenQ's party trick, and it's more hit than gimmick, though not the revolution in projection technology the marketing might suggest. In practice, it subtly adjusts brightness, contrast, and colour temperature in response to ambient lighting conditions and on-screen content. It noticeably improved shadow detail in darker scenes when minimal ambient light was present, and dialled back the overall brightness during predominantly white scenes to prevent eye strain. While these adjustments might seem minor, they accumulate into a genuinely more comfortable viewing experience over a three-hour movie marathon. That said, the AI occasionally overcompensates for ambient light, resulting in slightly washed-out black levels that had me reaching for the remote to switch back to Filmmaker Mode . Speaking of black levels—this remains the W2720i's Achilles' heel, as with most DLP projectors in this price range. In a perfectly dark room, blacks appear more dark grey than true black, though BenQ's tone mapping does an admirable job maintaining shadow detail without crushing darker scenes into muddy oblivion. The contrast ratio, while respectable, can't match what you'd get from a premium OLED TV, so those expecting absolute blacks might be disappointed. HDR performance is impressive for the category, with HDR10+ content looking particularly striking thanks to dynamic metadata that prevents the blown-out highlights or crushed shadows common in projectors with less sophisticated HDR handling. Motion handling is excellent with 24fps film content, though some minor judder is noticeable during rapid camera pans in 60fps streaming shows—nothing deal-breaking, but videophiles will spot it. For a projector where visuals are clearly the priority, the W2720i's audio capabilities are surprisingly competent. The dual 5-watt speakers won't replace a proper home theatre system, but they deliver clear dialogue and reasonable bass response that outperforms the tinny sound typically associated with built-in projector speakers. At moderate volumes, there's minimal distortion even during explosive action sequences, though cranking it to maximum reveals the system's limitations with some high-frequency harshness. The sound stage is naturally constrained by the projector's physical dimensions, but BenQ's implementation of Dolby Audio processing adds welcome width and depth to the audio presentation. For casual viewing, you might not immediately feel compelled to connect external speakers, though for movie night, you'll want to take advantage of the eARC-enabled HDMI port to connect a soundbar at minimum. Gamers should note that while the W2720i isn't marketed as a gaming projector, it performs admirably with an input lag measuring around 18ms in its fastest mode—not competitive esports territory but perfectly acceptable for most single-player experiences. The HDMI 2.1 port supports 4K/60Hz but downscales to 1080p when handling 120Hz signals, a compromise that prioritises fluidity over resolution. PS5 games look particularly impressive, with the projector's excellent colour reproduction bringing the neon-drenched streets of Spider-Man 2 or the otherworldly landscapes of Horizon Forbidden West to life on a massive scale. The projector's cooling system remains whisper-quiet even during extended gaming sessions, though the unit does get noticeably warm after several hours—something to consider if you're planning to place it in a confined space. A thoughtful projector in search of the right buyer After several weeks with the BenQ W2720i, I'm left with mixed feelings about the world's first AI-powered projector. On pure image quality, it delivers gorgeously vibrant colours, impressive brightness, and sharp 4K detail that genuinely elevates your home viewing experience. The AI Cinema Mode, while not revolutionary, does make subtle but welcome adjustments that improve viewing comfort during extended sessions. For cinephiles who prioritise colour accuracy and overall picture fidelity, the W2720i delivers an experience that rivals commercial theatres, especially when paired with a decent sound system. The four-LED light source's 30,000-hour lifespan also means you won't be budgeting for replacement bulbs every couple of years—a hidden cost with traditional lamp-based projectors. The integration of Android TV is thoughtfully implemented, and the overall build quality feels premium and substantial. Gaming performance, while not class-leading, is more than adequate for all but the most competitive players. BenQ's attention to detail in the physical controls, comprehensive connectivity options, and surprisingly capable built-in audio system demonstrates their understanding of what home theatre enthusiasts actually need. The projector runs remarkably quiet—a blessing during quiet dialogue scenes—and the included remote is among the better ones I've used, with logical button layout and helpful backlighting. At Rs 3,50,000, however, the W2720i occupies an awkward middle ground in the market. It's significantly more expensive than entry-level 4K projectors while lacking some of the refinements (particularly in black level performance) that justify top-tier pricing. The AI features, while functional, don't quite deliver enough transformative benefits to justify the premium over BenQ's non-AI models with similar core performance. For many buyers, this leaves the W2720i as a 3.5/5 proposition—an excellent projector with genuine innovations that's neither an obvious bargain nor an absolute must-have. That said, if you're specifically looking for a maintenance-free LED projector with superior colour performance and don't mind paying extra for the extra features, the W2720i remains a strong contender that will reliably deliver beautiful images for many years to come.
Forbes
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
BenQ Unveils Two New 4K HDR Home Cinema Projectors—Including One With 4K/120Hz Gaming Support
BenQ has unveiled a new pair of additions to its home projector range: The W5850, designed to deliver a premium home cinema performance for 'theatre-grade large screens', and the W4100i created to offer more versatility for more mixed use home entertainment rooms. The W5850 can deliver images capable of satisfying screens as big as 200 inches across from a flexible, shorter throw ratio than BenQ's previous W5 series models. It also features new solid state illumination technology; next-gen LED and laser light sources claimed to extend the projector's lifespan, deliver more consistent brightness than regular DLP-type projectors usually do, and run more efficiently. The AI Cinema system introduced on the previously announced W2720i BenQ projector a couple of months back also returns for the W5850, enabling the projector to analyse the composition of incoming images in real time and optimise colour saturation, sharpness and the way HDR is handled accordingly. The W5850's innovative optics support 4K and high dynamic range video playback in the HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ formats, the latter of which adds extra scene by scene picture information to help compatible displays deliver more accurate and punchy images. It can also cover a claimed 100% of both the DCI-P3 wide colour spectrum used for most home entertainment HDR mastering, and the Rec 709 standard dynamic range standard. In fact, as part of BenQ's CinematicColor technology, every W5850 will ship having been already factory calibrated to a DeltaE 2000 error level of less than two, meaning that right out of the box its colors will look so close to the HDR and SDR standards used when TV shows and films are mastered that your eye won't be able to detect the difference. In fact, BenQ's dedication to accuracy with the W5850 has earned it both THX and ISF certification, backed up by a Filmmaker Mode picture preset designed to satisfy the 'as the director intended' wishes of the independent UHD Alliance. The BenQ W5850 projector. Photo: BenQ BenQ claims that the W5850 can deliver an impressive (for a serious home theater projector) 2,600 lumens of brightness form its blue laser lighting system, while its powerful 1.6x motorized zoom makes it possible for the projector to produce a 180-inch image from a throw distance of just four meters, meaning you no longer need to have a cavern of a home theater room to enjoy a truly cinematic big screen experience. The W5850 also carries the fullest version of BenQ's HDR-Pro technology, which combines global contrast enhancer, local contrast enhancer and dynamic black image adjustments to deliver as punchy and dynamic an HDR experience as the projector's optical system can manage. The W5850's uncompromising home theater focus is apparent, too, in its lens design, which features no less than 16 different elements – including an aspheric lens coated with low dispersion materials – to help the projector deliver its 4K images with more clarity and uniformity. Connections on the W5850 include two HDMI ports, one with HDMI's audio return channel technology for passing audio out to AVRs or soundbars; a pair of powered USB ports; an RS-232 control port; an optical digital audio output; and a 3D sync out. This latter port, of course, indicates that the W5850 supports 3D playback. This is an increasingly niche market, with an ever dwindling amount of 3D content available. There's still a passionate 3D fanbase out there, though, and 3D always works more effectively at the sort of image scale a projector can deliver than it does on relatively small TV screens. The W5850's desire to help you enjoy a pristine home cinema experience extends to a four-way optical image shifting system so that you should be able to position the image perfectly on your screen without having to distort its presentation with any keystone correction. It also carries a multi-channel cooling system to keep its running noise down to a maximum 30dB that shouldn't disturb you too much during quiet movie moments. Turning to the W4100i, this shares a few key features with the W5850. It also uses a new Solid-State Illumination system, for instance, for a more consistent image, as well as AI Cinema technology to enhance picture quality, especially with streamed sources. The W4100i joins the W5850, too, in being factory calibrated for exceptional color accuracy out of the box, and can also cover 100% of the Rec 709 and DCI-P3 color gamuts. The W4100i can again play the HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ HDR formats, supported once more by BenQ's HDR-Pro system. The W4100i is actually brighter than the W5850, though, with a seriously punchy claimed light output from its LED light source of 3,200 lumens. As well as potentially helping deliver more of the bright end of HDR's extended light range, this extra brightness indicates that while the W4100i is still designed for a dedicated home entertainment room, it offers more flexibility for environments that might not be able to be as consistently fully blacked out as the rooms the W5850 is aimed at. The W4100i's more 'lifestyle' approach is also backed up by a built-in 5W audio speaker and built-in Android TV smarts, complete with all of the most popular global streaming services, Google Assistant voice control, and built-in Chromecast support. It carries plenty of 'lifestyle' set up flexibility, too – including another four-way optical image shifting system. It only supports a 1.3x level of optical zoom, though, versus the W5850's 1.6x. The W4100i's connections differ from those of the W5850 too – most notably in the addition on the W4100i of a third HDMI port that's impressively capable of handling 4K/120Hz feeds. This instantly marks the W4100i out as wanting to extend its appeal to gamers rather than being more laser-focused on a premium home cinema experience like the W5850 is. The W5850 is available now for $4,999 in the U.S. and £4,599 in the U.K. The W4100i is only available now in the U.K., for £2,999, with its U.S. launch date and price yet to be confirmed. — Related reading Optoma Launches New 'Photon' Projector Series With Portable Triple Laser UST Model LG Unveils New Home Entertainment Projectors – Including The World's Smallest 4K UST Model BenQ Launches New 4K HDR Projector With Innovative AI Cinema Mode
