BenQ HT2050A evaluate: Nice (large) image for the cash

In the event you’re looking for a projector between $500 and $1,000, put together to face a sea of clones. Sizes, designs and even button layouts are sometimes almost similar from one model to the subsequent. However there’s one thing completely different in regards to the BenQ HT2050A. Though it has an analogous value because the competitors, it is bigger and there is a extra aesthetically pleasing, curvy design. It seems to be much less just like the repurposed enterprise projector and extra like one thing you’d need in your own home. 

The distinction is greater than pores and skin deep: This projector’s efficiency is a step above as nicely. Higher contrast ratio and colour than its counterparts create a few of the finest image high quality I’ve seen on this value vary. Darker blacks, paired with brilliant whites, all with correct colour, make for a delightful picture. The cherry on high is a small quantity of vertical lens shift, which is uncommon on this value vary and nearly nonexistent in single-chip DLP projectors. This implies extra folks will be capable of match the projector of their houses. 

Identical to its predecessor, the BenQ HT2050A is without doubt one of the finest projectors you may get for the worth. It at the moment sells for $699 (£550). Pricing in Australia is not out there however that works out to about AU$1,000. 

Primary specs

• Native decision: 1080p
• HDR-compatible: No
• 4K-compatible: No
• 3D-compatible: Sure
• Lumens spec: 2,200
• Zoom: Guide (1.3)
• Lens shift: Guide
• Lamp life (Regular mode): 3,500 hours

Like the opposite projectors on this value vary, the HT2050A lacks 4K and HDR. It’s 3D succesful, although the glasses aren’t included.

BenQ claims 2,200 ANSI lumens. I measured roughly 1,591. It is regular for projectors to measure decrease than their claimed specs. This can be a brilliant picture, and roughly the identical because the Epson HC2150.

Lens shift on this value vary is uncommon, and rarer nonetheless with DLP projectors, so its inclusion right here could be one of many HT2050A’s major promoting factors even when it did not look pretty much as good because it does. That stated, the lens shift is not lots. BenQ says it adjusts the vertical vary by 10%. So relying the place you place the projector, you may have a number of inches of vertical leeway, however that is it. Nonetheless, it undoubtedly helps and is best than the nothing you get with most single-chip DLP projectors.

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The zoom range is only average however, falling behind the Epson. So you won’t be able to place it quite as close, or as far, from the screen as the HC2150. 

Also average is the lamp life, at 3,500 hours in Normal mode. This goes up to 7,000 hours in the SmartEco mode, which maintains the maximum brightness of the Normal mode but drops lamp power during dark scenes for a better black level. Though you can occasionally see this happen, it’s fast enough that it’s fine to leave in this mode (unless you notice and hate it).

Connectivity and convenience

• HDMI inputs: 2
• PC input: Analog RGB
• USB port: 1 (1.5A power)
• Audio input and output: Yes
• Digital audio output: No
• LAN port: No
• 12v trigger: Yes
• RS-232 remote port: Yes
• MHL: Yes
• Remote: Backlit

Both HDMI inputs have HDCP 1.4, meaning you can send each input any video source you want. This isn’t the case with some competitors, which only have HDCP 1.4 on one of the HDMI inputs. The USB connection has a claimed 1.5 amp output, letting you power a streaming stick directly with no external power adapters. 

The HT2050A has several legacy analog video inputs, which is a rarity these days. Not only do you get component video, but composite as well. So if you want to directly connect something like a Nintendo Wii, or, I don’t know, a LaserDisc player or something, you can do it with no extra adapters. These connections share RCA analog audio inputs.

There’s also a 3.5mm audio input and a 3.5mm audio output, the latter to connect to an external speaker or soundbar.

The RS-232 and 12v trigger are useful for those with more elaborate home theater systems.

The remote is backlit with a relatively dim orange backlight. This is a good thing: Many of the current crop of projector remotes have a bright blue backlight. Using them can be like forming your own personal B-type star while you’re just trying to change the inputs in the dark.

Picture quality comparisons

I compared the HT2050A to the Epson HC2150 and the Viewsonic PX727HD. The latter, like the BenQ, is DLP. The Epson, like the majority of Epson’s projectors, is LCD. I connected these via a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier and viewed them all on a 102-inch 1.0-gain screen.

Right away the differences were apparent. Firstly, the Viewsonic was far dimmer, and didn’t have the contrast ratio of the other two. This put it at a distant third, so I spend most of my time comparing the Epson and the BenQ.

Both projectors are far brighter than even high-end projectors from a few years ago. What’s more obvious than the numbers would suggest is how much better the black level, and therefore the contrast ratio, is on the BenQ. This is clear when viewing widescreen movies, with the black bars several shades darker on the BenQ. Because their light output is roughly the same, this gives the HT2050A a bit more dimensionality to the image and more apparent depth. 

A good example of this is the contrasty scene in Avengers: Infinity War where Thor and his pet rabbit help Tyrion Lannister forge the Stormbreaker battle axe. Nidavellir’s colorful neutron star and magical effects are brightly offset compared to the darkness of space and the shadows of the forge. These shots don’t look bad on the Epson, but the shadows are far more gray than on the BenQ, giving the latter a more pleasing look overall.

Color is another point in the BenQ’s favor. It’s just a little richer and more realistic. Greens especially look more natural. The grass in the Battle of Wakanda, also in Infinity War, for example, is just a more vibrant and realistic shade of green. The blue of the shield wall is a stronger, more vivid blue, without the sky looking like candy.

Another place where the BenQ wins out over the Epson is with motion resolution. All LCD-based displays have some degree of motion blur. DLP-based projectors don’t, thanks to the way they create an image. This is most obvious in the way the BenQ maintains detail when things move. Take the camera-panning action of Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow. When there are closeups of Emily Blunt or Tom Cruise’s faces, you can still see fine details throughout.

On the other hand there’s DLP’s long-standing problem: rainbows. These are multicolored trails left by bright objects on screen. You may also notice them if you move your eyes quickly. Most people either don’t see them, or aren’t bothered by them, so they may not be an issue for you. But people who are bothered by them are really bothered by them. In that case, no single-chip DLP projector is likely to work. You’ll have to go with an LCD option like the Epson HC2150, or a higher priced LCOS projector (Sony or JVC) or a much more expensive three-chip DLP projector.

With its high light output, great-for-its-price contrast ratio and accurate color, the HT2050A is a great choice for someone looking to replace their TV, or who wants a projector for the occasional movie night. The icing on the cake is the lens shift, which should allow the 2050 to fit in a lot more homes than most projectors in this price range.

Measurement notes and suggested picture settings

Before calibration the 2050A’s most accurate picture setting was Cinema, which was OK. Its grayscale wasn’t too close to D65, especially with brighter images. This was highly adjustable, however, and was easily dialed in to be accurate. Colors were fairly accurate out of the box: They were all close to their targets except for magenta, which was a little off, but not badly. Colors, just like color temperature, were adjustable. And after calibration, they were far closer.

There’s no iris on the 2050A, but it does have a variable lamp. Eco mode is about 33% dimmer than Normal mode. The contrast ratio in the Normal and Eco modes averaged 2,094:1, which is pretty good for a projector in this price range. The DynamicEco mode, which bases the lamp power on the average picture level of the image, creates a dynamic contrast ratio about 50% higher than the other lamp settings, but the contrast ratio within a single image is still 2,094:1.

Best Picture Mode: Cinema

Expert settings (suggested):

• Brightness: 51
• Contrast: 41
• Sharpness: 7
• Color: N/A
• Tint (G/R): N/A
• Color Temp: Normal
• Gamma Selection: 2.2
• Brilliant Color: On
• Noise Reduction: 7
• Fast Mode: Off