Ultra poor throw ( UST ) projectorsare fast becoming the salutary way to bring that swelled , motion-picture show theater of operations - like experience to your home . They may be pricier than standard - throw projectors , but what you could get for that supernumerary money is a machine with excellent brightness and color that , most importantly , can throw an mental image of 100 inches or more from just a few in away . This eradicate the need for complicated ceiling setting and long speaker conducting wire runs , as well as the need to rearrange your whole living elbow room .
And while BenQ has been shit some of thebest projectorsyou can grease one’s palms for long time , the company has just lately bug out getting more serious about its UST offerings , found only its 2d modeling , the V5000i , late last class . A animal of a projector ( most USTs are , though ) , the V5000i is BenQ ’s first 4 K HDR projector to use an RGB triple - optical maser loose source . And even though it may not be the brightest UST around , its 2,500 - lumen yield present surprising performance even in undimmed rooms , which is a feat in and of itself .
colour and contrast is spot - on out of the box , but it ’s also deucedly configurable for those who like to tweak . Gamers will also wish the V5000i ’s Auto Low Latency Mode ( ALLM ) with support for 4 K 120Hz . And like other BenQ projector models , such as the excellentHT4550i we reviewed last twelvemonth , it comes with an Android TV dongle to get you streaming tight .
The BenQ V5000i is n’t cheap though , at $ 3,500 , and that ’s not let in the supernumerary $ 400 for theambient light rejecting ( ALR ) screenyou should get to maximize the projector ’s performance . BenQ was prissy enough to place me one , and while I ’ll get into it more below , let ’s just say assembling it was almost the closing of me .
However , once it was frame-up , configure , and run swimmingly , my family and I expend nearly a month with the V5000i as our main “ TV ” in our life way . The 100 - in picture ameliorate everything from movie nights to binge sessions ofLove Island Australia . My 12 - class - old also found the projector light to utilise , and even the build - in 40 - watt talker sounded goodly .
Has all this made the hefty price tag easier to swallow ? Let ’s find out .
Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
Features and design
radical light stroke projectors are fully grown , and the BenQ V500i is no exception . It measure two - and - a - half foot wide , 14 - inches deep , and 6.4 - inch high . It also weights nearly 30 Pound , so be thrifty raise it into blank space . It ’s big , yes , but its pitch-black outside and contoured fabric speaker grille on the front make it look slimmer than you ’d expect .
On top , you ’ll find the projector ’s lens and superpower button , but that ’s it . Well , almost — beneath a removeable corner cover is a compartment for hiding aside theAndroid goggle box dongle(more on this later ) . BenQ might have done better by offering a electron lens cover like the one that ’s found it the V5000i ’s elderly sibling , the unmarried - optical maser V750i , to keep debris and favorite haircloth at bay , but sadly it ’s missing .
The bottom of the V5000i features four top - adjustable infantry to all right - tune the projector ’s positioning during setup , which is also helped along with some pretty ingenious retractable , telescopic rear rods that are slot and measured to aid you set the correct distance from the wall or screen without the enjoyment of a measuring magnetic tape ( although you probably should apply one anyway ) .
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The back of the V5000i is litter with connectivity option , including two HDMI 2.0 ports ( one eARC ) , a singleHDMI 2.1 portthat will enable all that rapid gaming , two power USB - A port , an optic S / PDIF out , and a 3.5 mm AUX outturn for audio recording .
Speaking of audio , this is one area where I was pleasantly surprised . Most projectors , UST or otherwise , that come with built - in audio frequency run to lean toward “ you’dbetter get a soundbarwith that ” territory . But behind the V5000i ’s grille sit two 5 - watt tweeters and two 15 - watt woofers , which delivered some eyebrow - raising auditory sensation . I ’d stillrecommend a soundbaror properhome theatre receiver , to be certain , but I found the build - in audio from the V5000i exonerated , reasonably full , and more than enough in my modest keep way .
Aside from the sometimes finicky shifting and correct I had to do with the V5000i ’s feet on my living elbow room carpet ( I set mine up on the trading floor as opposed to on top of a media unit ) , the V5000i has the same first-class auto screen meet , alignment , and mainstay features of many of BenQ ’s other projectors , do setting , adjusting , and readjusting the picture to fit the screen pretty easy . Of course , there ’s also some pretty user - friendly manual conjunction and corner - accommodate features .
Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
What was n’t easy , however , was get together the BenQ ALR Fresnel screen .
The ALR screen
While I ’ve review my middling share of projectors , a first for me with this review was doing it with the recommended ambient lighting rejecting , or ALR , screen that is paired with the BenQ V5000i . Is an ALR screen required with a UST projector ? No , it will work with any screen or even on a nice clean wall . But ALR screen are design to absorb ambient light from window or other informant in a way , as well as eliminate reflections and glare , to get the expert potential image from the projector .
BenQ ’s 100 - inch SNS21 Fresnel screenis an $ 800 ALR concealment that can be purchased with the V5000i for just $ 400 , which is really a steal when equate toother ALRs on the market . It ’s a big , uncompromising , and beautiful - looking CRT screen with thick material , and it matter roughly 30 pounds when assemble . BenQ even offers a free instalment serve for V5000i possessor , which I extremely recommend because putting it together myself was a challenge .
As a caution , the SNS21 ’s assembly instruction were well lay out and the BenQ website has some excellent videos and resourcefulness to steer you through . In theory , it should have been straightforward and I have take in video reassessment of this projector where the screen fabrication looked like a piece of cake . Without stick too detailed , I do n’t know if it was the unit I was sent or what , but while the frame assemblage went smooth , the 20 or so springiness - load screws that needed to be instal around its inside border , which are meant to stretch the cloth perfectly matt , were nearly out of the question to know in by paw .
Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
It also became clean to me that the blank cotton glove that come with the installation kit are less for safely handle the fragile screen or frame part than they are for shielding your hired man from the frame ’s razor - sharp aluminum border . I study that the strong way .
After twist with it for a couple of hours , I ’d almost yield up when I resolve to attempt aset of gun trigger clinch , my tycoon drill , and some undecomposed old elbow joint grease to get the screws connected to their bolts .
Was it worth it ? From a picture view , perfectly , and I ’ll get into that below . But unless you plan on using BenQ ’s gratis installation avail , I would seriously consider looking at other options for ALR screen door .
BenQ
Picture, brightness, and HDR
The BenQ V5000i is an RGB triple optical maser projector scab at 2,500 ANSI lumens of luminousness with support forHDR10 , HDR10 + , and HLG(but , sadly , noDolby Vision ) . It also feature local contrast enhancement that separate the characterisation into 1,000 zones that are analyzed on the fly front and adjusted to optimize line .
The V5000i is capable of stick out a 4 K UHD ( 3840 x 2160 ) image from 70 to 100 inches in size of it . BenQ ’s FAQ states that you’re able to go big , but you might see some blurring . For my review , I used it with the supplied 100 - in BenQ SNS21 ALR screen , which BenQ says has been specifically designed for the V5000i , and I ground the impression to be really good in pretty much every room / lighting situation , for which the ALR screen can take much of the credit .
With the light source on or with daylight coming in from my small basement window , color and demarcation faded to satisfactory levels , but not nearly as much as with other projector I ’ve tested , such as theBenQ H4550i . This is really where I mark the benefits of the ALR screen . Also as to be expected , in a dark room , the luminance , direct contrast , clarity , and colour of the V5000i is exceptional . Its 2,500 lumens is n’t the highest on the market , but it ’s comparable to others in the same price range , such as theSamsung Premiere LSP7Tor theHisense PX1 - professional .
Cinema modeDerek Malcolm / Digital Trends
The V5000i is capable of displaying 98 % of the DCI - P3 color gamut ( the mastering standard for the digital movie house industry ) , 95 % of the BT.2020 , and 100 % of the Rec.709 criterion , BenQ says . I did n’t measure it , but the colors were splendid out of the box .
Across the projector ’s various picture modality , including a Filmmaker , Bright , Bright Cinema , and Living Room , as well as several modes for HDR content , the projector has a short ton of manual calibration place setting , including an advanced color temperature tuning and a Color and Flesh Tone adjustment . Like I say , this projector is almost infinitely adjustable to your precise liking , which I really appreciated .
For my testing , I primarily used myApple television 4Kas my source to see moving picture and TV show . The includedAndroid TV dongledoes a hunky-dory job , too , and comes with Netflix preinstalled . Compared to my Apple TV , though , I witness the dongle sluggish , but this seems to be coherent with other projectors that have Android TV built in as well , so no surprisal here .
Bright Cinema modeDerek Malcolm / Digital Trends
For movies , I lead off withStar warfare : The Rise of Skywalkerin HDRon Disney+because I bang the plastic film ’s function of dark and light ( hem ) contrast , with lightsabers and chargeman ardor against infinite or dark Sith universe . The HDR10 picture of the V5000i displayed attractively active on the ALR screen , with the burn wild blue yonder of Rey ’s lightsaber and the push bolts from Palpatine ’s hands filling the elbow room with light .
The skin tone and texture on Rey ’s face during the snug - up scene where she ’s foretell on all the Jedi was excellently detailed . Sometimes I found the HDR modes ( which are automatically take when an HDR source is detected ) can seem darker for some content . I also seek the Filmmaker mode here , which is supposed to be an accurate representation of what the movie maker ’s intend . I found it to be not as shiny and a shade blue though . to boot , for each mode , you may adjust direct contrast , brightness , people of color , tincture , sharpness , and more to your taste sensation .
switch my Apple TV to 4 K SDR mode , I spin up some scene from one of my go - to motion picture , Avengers : Endgame , to bicycle through some of the other picture style that are n’t present when an HDR signal is detected .
Filmmaker modeDerek Malcolm / Digital Trends
Again , this is all about preferences , but I establish that my favorite were the Cinema and Bright Cinema modes for the undecomposed demarcation and vivid colors that I prefer . DuringEndgame ’s last battle chronological sequence , Captain Marvel ’s radiating radiance against the black clouds and Thanos ’ purple skin were accurate and reckon great . trash and fast - moving sequences also exhibit well on the V5000i , with minimal motion blur and judder .
move on to television receiver display , I spent some time with Apple TV+’sFoundation(I guess I wish infinite stuff ) , which has a sequence in its season finale ( no spoiler , do n’t worry ) that I could use to toggle through some of the picture modes .
Bright Cinema was again my pet , as it displayed just the right amount of extra contrast and vividness in the colour . I detect this a lot during a specific chronological sequence inFoundation — the grim suit and dress of Brother Dawn and Queen Sareth were much more vivacious than in the other preferences . And in a view with the two of them sitting at a port window with the burnished sun backlighting them , the lens flair is beautiful and white in the center , and the gold Inner Light on the sides is much strong and more crimson than in Cinema mode .
Cimema modeDerek Malcolm / Digital Trends
Bottom line
It may be big and on the pricy side , but the BenQ V5000i is an excellent 4 K UST projector that looks arresting in both bright and black room situations , has bright pictorial and exact colors and demarcation , and comes with some visceral auto setup feature that make it easy enough for beginner to configure ( be sure to get the ALR screen instal professionally ) .
Plus , if you care to take control yourself , the manual adjustment features and childlike computer menu are second to none . And although I did n’t habituate the projector for play ( I ’m not much of a gamer ) , it ’s Game Mode and low input lag specs outperform most other UST projectors , making the V5000i a good choice for the thumb and induction crew , too .
For these reasons , the BenQ V5000i ’s $ 3,500 price ticket ( $ 3,900 if you add the ALR screen ) might be worth it . But when you consider that there are several other relatively priced USTs on the grocery , such as theAwol Vision LTV-3000andEpson EpiqVision Ultra LS800Wthat provide gamey brightness degree and features like Dolby Vision , then the choice becomes more difficult .
Bright Cinema modeDerek Malcolm / Digital Trends
Overall , though , you ca n’t refuse the excellent word picture quality , ease of use , and customization of the BenQ V5000i , making it a solid choice .
