Taiwanese BenQ was founded in December 2001 as a division of the famous Acer Communications & Multimedia. It was created for developments in the consumer electronics segment, and BenQ name is an acronym for ‘Bringing Enjoyment and Quality’. Today, the company is one of the industry’s innovative leaders, developing a wide range of models. For example, the company offers some of the best gaming projectors.
The new W2720i is a worthy addition to the mid-focal BenQ Home Theater 4K projectors lineup. Today, this list includes:
– W5800 – laser, 2,600 ANSI Lm, Lens Shift Vertical / Horizontal ±50% (motorized) / ±21% (motorized);
– HT5550 – lamp, 1,800 ANSI Lm, Lens Shift ± 60% / ± 23%;
– HT4550i – 4LED, 3,200 ANSI Lm, Lens Shift 0%-60% / ±15%;
– W2720i – 4LED, 2,500 ANSI Lm, Lens Shift Vertical ±5%;
– HT3560 – lamp, 2,200 ANSI Lm, Lens Shift Vertical +10%.
The W2720i is available from BenQ’s website for £ 1,999 (~$ 2,600), but some retailers are offering it for $ 2,000.
W2720i Key features
W2720i supports for HDR10, HDR10+ (meta data for scene-by-scene adjustment) and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG – HDR open source video format) formats.
BenQ’s HDR-Pro technology uses Global & Local Contrast Enhancers and Dynamic Black, which automatically adjusts contrast and brightness depending on scene content.
Unlike most competitors, the company comes with each projector with a calibration report that includes adherence to D65 color temperature and delta E error < 3. This is the industry standard at which deviations become imperceptible to the human eye. In fact, the model does not require additional calibration, providing optimal settings 'out of the box'.
W2720i provides a max brightness up to 2,500 ANSI lumens and covers 90% for DCI-P3 or 98% for Rec. 709 color space with innovative 4LED light engine. As known, the company first presented it in the gaming BenQ X3000i (2022). This RGBB scheme uses an additional blue LED, which boosts overall brightness.
In fact, ceramic phosphor converts the blue from the additional LED to green because the eye responds maximally to an increase its brightness.
The optical system with 1.3x zoom feature support focusing range of image sizes from 80″ to 120″ inches diagonally.
A vertical lens shift of ±5% and eight-point manual corner-fit correction further simplify installation.
The integrated Android TV provides access to streaming platforms, including Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, etc. In addition, Chromecast built-in supports supports streaming content from compatible devices.
For gaming, the projector offers a latency up to 17.9ms on one of the HDMI ports and supporting the 120Hz refresh rates on compatible content.
Picture modes and AI Cinema Mode
Main picture modes
– AI Cinema/ HDR AI Cinema – settings optimization for various ambient lighting;
– Cinema/ HDR – for darkroom viewing, color-accurate out of the box;
– Filmmaker/ Filmmaker (HDR) – corresponds to the Filmmaker Mode standard, darkroom, 24P True Cinema On;
– User – customizable.
BenQ’s AI Cinema Mode is designed to resolve the most common challenges, including:
– dim or washed-out images due to non-optimal brightness;
– lighting iterference due to ambient light;
– complex manual calibration requires skills.
It uses several algorithms, including:
– Environment Change Detection – the built-in sensors control the viewing conditions and automatically calibrate the settings for optimal performance;
– Auto Tone Mapping – the projector adjusts the tone mapping to maintain the perfect balance of brightness and contrast;
– Automatic Brightness Detection (ALS Detection) – the projector analyzes ambient light and automatically adjusts brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness and HDR Tone mapping, creating a near-darkroom viewing environment;
– AI Scene Recognition and Optimization – an algorithm optimizes the settings for different scene types in real time.
The company calls these technologies CinematicColor and HDR-Pro. In fact, CinematicColor improves color accuracy. HDR-Pro automatically adjusts contrast and brightness depending on scene content with Global & Local Contrast Enhancers and Dynamic Black.
To be fair, TVs and projectors from large companies have been using the algorithms of their own versions of AI Cinema modes for several years now. As a rule, they are effective only for certain content and viewing conditions. But BenQ’s AI Cinema Mode consistently shows a visual effect in most side-by-side comparisons.
Conclusion
Of course, the projector will face tough competition. The specs of the new projector are the closest to the Hisense C2 Ultra. At a price of ~ $ 2,500, it offers:
– 3,000 ANSI Lumens and cokor gamut of 110% for BT.2020 with triple- laser RGB light engine;
– 2000:1 native contrast and 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio;
– Auto Magic Adjusting 2.0;
– multiple install and PanTilt Head;
– 2x 10W JBL speakers.
With some caveats, the list can be continued by Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE ($ 1,100, laser, 1,800 ANSI Lumens).
But considering the actual street price (~$ 2,000 or € 2,000), innovative CinematicColor and HDR-Pro technologies and great calibration ‘out of the box’, the W2720i offers superb value for money, which promises quite cloudless marketing prospects.
This video demonstrates BenQ W2720i unboxing and its start installation.