Whether it's movies shows sports or live TV the BenQ Smart TV wireless Projector powered by Android has the most extensive entertainment library available. Access Google Play through the user-friendly interface for hassle-free entertainment. The BenQ W1800 sets out its home cinema stall in a number of key ways. For starters, it claims to be a 4K projector, and can support both of the HDR10 and HLG HDR formats. There’s no Dolby Vision or HDR10+ ‘active’ HDR support, but projectors that support those premium HDR flavours are currently as rare as the proverbial hen’s teeth. Picture detail is generally good and it’s worth noting how impressive that is given that this projector doesn’t actually have the 3840 x 2160 micro-mirrors on its DLP chip as you might expect. Instead it uses Texas Instruments’ lens shifting DLP XPR technology to effectively quadruple the number of pixels produced by its 0.47in chip, with only 1920 x 1080 micro-mirrors.

The W1800 claims a promising contrast ratio of 10,000:1, and a brightness of 2,000 Lumens. This latter figure might not sound like much compared with the daylight-challenging laser projectors we've auditioned lately, but experience suggests that at the W1800's level of the market, brightness around this level is often conducive to a solid contrast performance.

Rivals win on brightness and HDR, but this is a superb-value home cinema projector

For some products such as screens are also shipped via UPS, TNT, DHL, DPD and some accessories are shipped via Royal Mail. I was pretty set on the TK700STi, which could give me 120” screen from that throw. The W1800i would give me a screen closer to 100”. I’ve read that 120” at that viewing distance is too close, but I’ve seen people on here say that they love it (too big is a myth, right?) Filmmaker Mode preserves motion cadence cinematic colour dynamic range and brightness that directors intended for the big screen. BenQ smart home projectors support the filmmakers’ desire for home viewers to relive majestic scenes and tender moments the way they were meant to be seen I’m trying to choose between the new BenQ W1800i and the TK700STi. Room will be 3m x 5m. Projector hitting the long wall (under 3m throw distance). There aren’t any specific gaming modes here, but the BenQ W1800 can run PC and console games at 1080p with a refresh rate of 120Hz or 240Hz. And while it’s no match for the UHD38 or TK700 on this ground, it’s still great for a spot of Destiny 2 or Elden Ring when you’ve finished watching films. You will need an external sound system, though. While the 5W internal speaker can get loud enough for casual viewing, the sound’s a little too flat and boxy for anything more.

The Filmmaker Mode plays so nicely with the W1800’s home cinema-tuned capabilities, in fact, that we don’t actually mind not having the option to switch to a different preset with HDR content. The main use of the projector will be for movies, but with some gaming. BenQ tell me that the W1800i runs at 16ms input lag, which is the same as the TK700STi so no issue there.

BenQ W1800 4K DLP home cinema projector review

Unfortunately, it is not possible to access Netflix from the BenQ W1800i, which is not compatible with this streaming service. Even when enabling wireless screen sharing from an Android smartphone, we couldn’t access it. So those who want to enjoy Netflix with this projector will have to do so from a Netflix-compatible computer or AV network player connected to the W1800i via HDMI, or via a Chromecast Video. BenQ W1800i: 4000h, 2000 lumen lamp Supercharged by HDR10 and HLG support with BenQ exclusive projector-optimized HDR the W1800i’s high dynamic range performance offers greater brightness contrast range and image optimization in a single step bringing out every detail in 4K video content for superior cinema enjoyment. The BenQ W1800’s built-in audio support consists of a single speaker driven by five watts of amplification. Unsurprisingly, this only provides pretty rudimentary audio support for the projector’s images. There’s neither enough projection of the sound nor enough raw volume for it to feel like an adequate audio partner for the massive pictures the projector can produce.

We just aren’t taken into the auditorium in The Prestige in the way the Optoma can. The audience is flat to the stage when we want to feel as if we’re sitting there watching Angier and Borden’s obsessive rivalry play out. It’s not easy to achieve, but we know it can be done at this price point. As respectable as the BenQ W2700 is, it doesn’t quite manage that. So I bought the W1800 (minus the i). And I am thoroughly impressed with the picture quality and the brightness. The only complaint that I have is with the choice of fans. They run at a low RPM and there is an inconsistency in speed, and the combination with the type of bearings in the fan makes it produce a whirring noise. The entire PJ is rather quiet so anything that is off, is noticeable, especially if it's right above your head. I tried two PJ's and the second one had a much louder noise coming from the pixelshifter, so I kept the first one. It's something you need to get used to I guess. The projector also has a relatively short throw of 1.3:1 with the zoom control at full, giving you a 100in picture at a distance of only 2.5m. The only worrying spec is a maximum brightness of just 2,000 ANSI lumens. BenQ W1800 review: Price and competitionThis is crucial, as it means that you don’t feel like you’ve suddenly had your connection with what you’re watching broken every time a film shifts from a bright scene to a dark one. Such consistency is massively important for any projector that’s serious about home cinema. This BenQ W1800i UHD-4K projector is not equipped with an LED lamp or laser, but with a conventional lamp that provides a brightness of 2000 lumens, allowing it to be used in a semi-dark or dark room. During the day or in a bright room, however, its brightness is a bit too low to achieve a sufficiently vivid and contrasted image. The lamp’s lifespan reaches 4000 hours in normal mode and 10,000 hours in eco mode. The lifespan of the BenQ W1800i’s lamp ranges from 4000 hours (normal mode) to 10,000 hours (eco mode) depending on the mode of use, which is equivalent to between 5 and 13 years at a rate of 2 hours of daily use. BenQ W1800i: zoom and keystone correction As a shortcut, with non-HDR, we recommend choosing the Vivid TV preset. We watch Thor in Full HD and the colour palette is well balanced. The gold of Asgard’s palace is as prominent as the green of the planet’s trees and the blues of its oceans in the opening sweeps of the film. Once this module is connected to the projector, all that’s left to do is to connect to your Google account to take advantage of the online application catalog and to rent movies. You can also enjoy your subscription to Disney+, YouTube or Prime Video, as well as stream content wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android). The brand's latest affordable 4K HDR beamer is out to show John Archer exactly what the director intended