BenQ HT2050A 1080P Home Theater Projector | 2200 Lumens | 96% Rec.709 for Accurate Colors | Low Input Lag Ideal for Gaming | 2D Keystone for Flexible Setup

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This is a review for the BenQ HT2150ST. Seeing as Amazon combines numerous models into the same review pool, I felt the need to specify. I have only had the projector for a couple days so this is a honeymoon-phase review and I will try to remember to update this review later on after I have had a while to put it through the ringer. I will compare the 2150ST to the Optoma GT1080 in this review as well. Having said all of this, lets get to the review. **Picture Quality** This projectors picture quality is simply remarkable. I am highly critical of anything I purchase with my evaluation of electronics being especially stringent. Compared to the Optoma GT1080, the BenQ has better colors; equal or better black levels; less rainbow effect (abbreviated RBE); and better focus uniformity (perfect). Many people are concerned about the rainbow effect, so I am here to say that it is all but non-existent on the BenQ. The Optoma had some rainbowing that wasnt bad by any means, but it did show up without even purposefully looking for it. It didnt bother me much, but having now used the BenQ I feel spoiled. Quite literally the only way I can even observe the RBE is by putting up a high contrast scene like the grid test pattern and darting my eyes across the image. Even then it takes a few passes with my eyes to find it. The black levels are as dark as or darker than my TV (Sony KDL W700B). For empirical comparison the Sony TV has a Black level of about 0.020 cd/m2 (taken from the W800B review on Rtings.com. The W800B is the W700B, just with 3D). This is with my projector being used on a light-green wall. Theoretically a darker wall would improve the black levels and contrast overall. The colors are even better than the Sony TV and much better and more natural than the Optoma (This and the lack of RBE are thanks to the 4X/6X speed, RGBRGB color wheel compared to the Optomas 2X speed, non-RGBRGB color wheel). The final point of comparison in this category would be focus uniformity. Here the BenQ takes the win with no question. The Optoma had fairly blurry corners as well as chromatic aberration (especially the top right corner) when the middle of the screen was used to adjust focus. This resulted in me having to find a happy middle-ground between top-right corner focus and center picture focus. The Ben Q immediately provided perfect focus without any chromatic aberration across the entire ~135" image. In short, the picture quality on this projector is remarkable. **Operating Experience** This section is meant to address the ease of operation, the operational capabilities, and the things that may be easily overlooked by potential projector purchasers. First of all, the BenQ has MANY more options provided in the menus than the Optoma. They both have digital, vertical keystone and the usual gamut of gamma, color, contrast, etc. settings. The Ben Q, however, has many other settings on offer for the person who really wants to tinker with the projector. My personal favorite is the color correction option that adjusts the image based on the color of the surface you are projecting upon. The remote has all of the things that you use frequently/somewhat frequently on it (I will post a picture). Please note that at least one of the buttons (PiP) is a dummy for this model, at least as far as I can tell. The remote also has a red backlight (Woohoo! Backlit remotes just like the old days!). The brightness of this remote is much more usable than the blue backlight on the Optomas remote (the Optomas was positively blinding). The BenQ has a slightly longer requirement for projection distance than the GT1080, but both being short throw in nature, this isnt a huge problem. You can look up the specific values for yourself if you want more detail. The BenQ is also slightly more forgiving than the Optoma when it comes to placement due to its 1.2X zoom capability. This also has a VGA port and a Serial port which the GT1080 does not. **Value** Seeing as this projector just released a few months ago (August 2016) it is at full price, $1000 (~$1060 after Michigan taxes). I am not at all upset with the price I paid considering the quality I received. The Optoma left me a little underwhelmed, it lacked a bit of color and the issues I mentioned earlier bothered me enough to return it after about a week, at which time I decided to purchase the BenQ instead. Now, the Optoma is around $400 cheaper than the BenQ, so yes the BenQ should provide better overall quality. The GT1080 is not a bad projector, I know my words may make it seem like it is, but this is an objective, critical review, there are no participation ribbons being given. For me, even though the Optoma is much cheaper, I think the BenQ has a better value, the higher price point is more than made up for. **Gaming** Ill keep this short and sweet. There is no perceivable input lag. I would say it is equal to or faster than my Sony TV (24.3ms via Rtings W800B review). Remember, INPUT LAG AND RESPONSE TIME ARE NOT THE SAME THING. atleast 70% of the time when I see someone say "response time" they actually mean input lag. Input lag is what makes your controller seem out of sync with your TV, like when you hit a button on the controller to make your character do something and there is a delay before your character on screen actually executes that command. Most people cant notice anything less than 30-35ms, while some people can notice anything above 10 or 20ms using a controller, although at that point it isnt really a problem even though it can be noticed.. Response time on the other hand has to do with how quickly the pixels on your screen can change color (usually gray to gray or black to white). Response time on any respectable display will be 5ms or less. A slower response time will lead to "smearing" or "blurring" on your display. Think of it like in a movie or show where the character takes drugs and everything seems to look really flowy when they move or like they have a trail following them. That is an extreme example, but it gets the point across. This projector uses Digital Light Processing (DLP) to create its image, with DLP any ghosting/blurring is actually impossible from what I have learned through numerous articles. I never see any response time symptoms as I shouldnt. Think of it as posessing a response time of 0ms. **The Little Things** Both the Optoma and BenQ came INCREDIBLY well packaged. The BenQ even more-so. The remote for the BenQ has a satisfying tactile feedback/click to it. Both projectors have built-in speakers should you need them. I havent used them on either one so I cant comment on their abilities, but they are there. If you are buying a decent projector, you should have something better than the built-in speakers to use, hence my avoidance of using them. However, they do have their place. Its really comforting to know that I can bring the projector over to a friends house or outside and, with no further equipment besides a Blu-ray/DVD player, have a movie theater-like experience, especially with the short-throw nature that makes it easier to find a spot to project. **Negatives** If I had to pick out some negatives, it would be that the black level could be better and it could run a bit cooler. It is not plasma level or OLED level blacks, but it is most certainly as good as the high-end LED TVs. The temperature level isnt something that affects my viewing environment in any substantial way, however, being a techie, it bothers me when any piece of technology runs hot. Perhaps this high heat is just inherent of traditional projector lamp technology, but it still bothers me. In all honesty, these are the only things I think could be improved on this projector. Also, at this price point, I dont think you will find anything better. When I update this review later on, I will be sure to include any new or exacerbated issues that I encounter. **Conclusion** If you are deciding between the Optoma GT1080 and the BenQ HT2150ST, get the BenQ. They both are good projectors, but the BenQ is a tier or two above the GT1080 in quality and experience while coming in at a price that is only 1 - 1.5 tiers higher. **Full Disclosure** I purchased both the Optoma GT1080 and the BenQ HT2150ST with my own money. I was not in any way, shape, or form compensated for the review of these projectors. I am just a 22 year old college student with high standards and the desire to give credit where credit is due and call out any downfalls so that they can hopefully be improved upon in the future. Being one of the first reviews for this product, I really hope this is comprehensive enough for anyone looking to purchase this projector. Thanks for reading!

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Total projector rookie here but these pictures are on a flat gray, no texture wall (brand new home literally a week old) and the screen size is approximately 150". While I hate flat gray paint when I put the projector up it was like Id discovered the holy grail. I already had bought a silver screen 120" but I am returning it. Getting a projector with keystone adjustment is crucial and this one worked wonders. I had originally mounted the projector in the corner and while the keystone adjustment worked great I realized that even though the screen was centered the light projected was not. I ended up with the right side having a "screen area" lit up with nothing on it. Technically there was nothing wrong but it bothered the hell out of me so I just centered the wall mount. The pictures provided are of my son playing the ps4 and some Netflix lost in space. Since the minute this thing has been hooked up my kids have been living in this room. I also want to add that while there are epson projectors out there with very comparable specs I went with benq specifically for video games and low lag. I had a couple of friends with epsons who love their projectors but warned me that there are moments where video games have lag on the projector. With this benq there is zero lag. I absolutely love this purchase and my new home theater room has already compelled three other people to go buy a projector!

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This is my second projector. My first was the Optoma GT1080. Going from the Optoma to the Benq was a much bigger leap than what I was expecting, in every way. The high quality of this projector makes the Optoma seem like a toy. The device alone looks much nicer, the remote feels nicer, setting it up is far nicer and easier. But, to be fair the Optoma GT1080 is a good bit cheaper. Image quality wise the Benq has amazing colors thanks to the RGBRGB color wheel, its incredibly close to the colors of my Samsung Plasma TV, which is very impressive. It also has great sharpness and clarity, I honestly did not think a 126" 1080p image could look as sharp as a much smaller 60" 1080p Plasma TV, but it very much does. So to sum up the pros, I very much understand why so many others gave this thing 5 stars. Im loving it so far. For the cons, I dont have many, overall they are nothing major. The biggest one is when I first plugged everything up I could not get a signal with my Sony receiver. Odd thing was I had audio, but no video. It took me a while to figure out it was the HDMI cable, which worked fine for my Optoma. It turns out the Mediabridge HDMI cable I was using had a too short male connector (the tip), no idea how it worked in the Optoma, but the only way to get a signal with the BenQ was to push really hard so it would reach the back of the input, then if I barely touched it, the signal would drop. So once I got a new HDMI cable it was perfectly fine. My other problem is much smaller and has to do with the front leg adjustment. Its a bit of a pain to use and doesnt exactly have the finest positioning. This will only be a problem if you use the projector on a table though. So all I ended up doing was getting a super thin piece of cardboard and put it under the front leg so my image was positioned exactly at the top of my screen. Besides that I havent had any other issues. Im very much enjoying it with movies and video games. The picture is just incredible to me. The best way I can describe it is, it just looks right. It really looks like a giant plasma screen. I uploaded some pics of Horizon Zero Dawn, SteamWorld Dig 2, some colorful parrot, and a pic of some mountains from the Amazon Fire screensaver. (Im also using a Darbee 5000S)

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I bought a Optoma GT1080Darbee first, and while that one claimed to have 3000 lumens, it only had 3000 lumens of WHITE light output. The colors were dull and dark. So I did more researh and apparently, projector manufacturers bump up their WHITE output so that they can claim to have X number of maximum lumens, but in reality their actual COLOR lumen output is mouch lower than the claimed one. The Optoma I bought, for example, only had something like 800 lumens of color lumens - the claimed "3000 lumens" is just pure white light, which is great for use as a business projector or as a flash light I guess, but horrible for theater and gaming as it produces a washed out picture as I experienced. NOW THEN, I moved onto this BenQ HT2150St. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. Even though it claims a lower max. lumen of only 2,200, its COLOR lumen output was, to my untrained eyes, probably actually close to 100% of its claimed value. So basically, even though the BenQs specs say 2,200 lumen vs. the Optomas whopping 3,000, the BenQ is actually MUCH BRIGHT and more brilliant and vivid than the Optoma. Sneaky businesses and their sneaky practices be damned. Visual quality aside, the response time/input lag on this is excellent as well! On this front, the Optoma and the BenQ performed similarly. Pair this baby with a ceiling light rejecting screen and you can watching things day and night!

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0:00 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player This is a great gaming projector overall. Its very bright and has great input lag. I personally think it has a better picture than the GT1080. It does fall short to the HT2150ST but costs considerably less. Its definitely worth checking out. PROS: Bright, colorful, and sharp Short Throw (100" screen from 5ft away) Great input lag for gamers Small and lightweight Competitively priced CONS: Fan Noise. Can be distracting if youre sitting right next to it. 92% Rec. 709 Color Coverage (less than HT2150ST) 2x Color Wheel No lens shift

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I had purchased this projector after countless hours of research on the internet. I had come to the conclusion that while 3LCD technology gave more life the image, DLP technology kept the contrast at very good levels, and the color more true to life. Unfortunately, after hurrying home to un box this projector, I was very unhappy to find the black levels were not up to par with a cheaper DLP projector that I had purchased years ago. While the color was indeed more "lively" and had better accuracy, I felt that it only was on average 10% brighter and 10% more accurate. Please keep in mind I am using a very high quality HDMI, as well as a Da-Lite fixed projection screen. Unfortunately the story only gets worse from here. I noticed that while on a complete black scene there was light leakage through the top of the projector. I believe this may have led to the not so great image quality, however I will never know because this projector is being returned as I type this. The reason that I wrote poor manufacturing quality is because there were dust blobs already stuck in the lens upon receipt. I had chosen this project for many reasons, and one big reason was the "near" sealed lens. The fact that there was dust already caked in the lens is not a good sign. The last issue I had with this project is connectivity issues. The projector would very randomly have a flash of static, followed by a "lost signal" on the screen, only to regain signal and repeat the process at random times. I checked the source, tried different sources(Xbox, Cable Box, Computer), different HDMI cables (I was using Audio Quest cables), and also confirming that the HDMI cable was pushed in all the way. I also tried different length cables. The projector would not lose a signal if I wiggled the HDMI cable, instead it was at random intervals. Ben Q has left a sour taste in my mouth, and although I wish I could give them a better review and be happier with their project, I will instead have to move onto another company.

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Review for BenQ HT2050A. I had an Acer P1500 for 4 years and the BenQ appears to be 2x better. Colors are amazing. Very bright. I was concerned about the 2200 lumens part. Seemed pretty low but I saw sample pictures on this site from a reviewer and that made my decision final. Short throw is great. About 11 ft away = 125" colorful diagonal display. I dont use the speaker but when I first hooked it up, the speaker even sounded great. I am very pleased with this purchase. Dont forget to add the extra warranty. In the long run, it may be worth it. One last thing, I hooked up my smart blu-ray player and I was getting an "Out of Range" or I would get a picture then it would start searching again. I have a 25 ft. HDMI cable. I had no trouble with the cable coming from my cable box. I hooked up my device with a shorter cable and I had no issues. I ordered an HDMI signal booster and hopefully that will fix the issue. Update: I bought the booster and that seemed to fix my "Out of Range" and "Searching for Signal" issue. Ive included a product link as well. For the power source, I did what another user suggested. I used an Apple iPhone charger block. Flashmen 4K2K 1080P 3D HDMI 2.0 Repeater Signal Amplifier Booster Adapter Extender Up to 60m/200ft Transmission Distance 18Gbps Bandwidth - Metal Case JustAnOpinion: Sorry, I could not respond to your comment. Thank you for the great suggestion and I will consider it when I have to replace my cable. It would be the better choice. Update: 8/6/18 I didnt have a switch to switch between devices so I bought one. For those that have issues as I had above, with this switch, I do not need the power amp any longer. I use the coaxial out to my surround system and it sounds great. Portta 4-Port HDMI Switcher Box v2.0 with Remote Control Audio Optical TOSLINK Out Supports Ultra HD 3D 4K@60Hz HDCP2.2 ARC HDR for PS3/4/4 PRO/Xbox One/Roku/Apple TV/Fire TV

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Purchased this projector after researching my different options. I knew the screen size I wanted and maximum distance it could be from the wall and it had to be mounted to the ceiling. Produces a nice image with great colors. The focus ring is a little finicky, lettering will be perfectly in focus while imagery in movies is slightly blurred. If I bring the video into focus the lettering is then hazy looking. Overall purchase has been great though. Attached some photos from my installation, hanging on the ceiling (75" from wall) to dial in the 135" screen size.Then first night after everything was install sitting on the FireTV menu with some slight ambient light from the hallway, playing COD WW2 during the day with only the blinds drawn (no black out shades as of yet) and finally... watching Blood Sport in pitch black room.

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If you have started looking into creating a home theater, you know that picking a projector can be a daunting task. It is not at all as simple as pick a TV and throw it on a wall. You have to know your wall/screen size, the intended placement of the projector (both height and distance from said screen), and the brightness of the projector based on the needs of your room. What I found in my research is that BenQ makes some of the best DLP projectors - made to fit most rooms and distances while producing some of the best images on the market. And for the price - it only enhances that statement further. I bought the 2050a back in May 2018, after much back and forth over it and the 3050. I simply could not pass up the increased user adjustments, low input lag, and many dollars saved for a 4% reduction in an already impressive color accuracy that I will likely never ever be able to tell the difference. And Im so glad I did, as this projector has been awesome. It was easy to mount and set up. I have it mounted on a Pearless PRG-UNV and paired with a 100" Elite Screen CineGrey 5D from about 8.75 and in a moderately light controlled room, the images are nothing short of spectacular. The 2050a has near perfect color calibration for the average consumer right out of the box (confirmed by using a well reviewed calibration disc), has no DLP rainbows, can project a massive, crisp 1080p image from a relatively short throw, has a 10% vertical lens shift, has both vertical and horizontal keystone adjustments, is whisper quiet, and has a dedicated 3D mode that is a astonishing to see in person (ie. we have fallen in love with it). If fact, Ive yet to find one thing that I really dont like about the projector. Family movie night night has taken on a whole new meaning now. If your going to do a home theater and you have only a small space to work in, you really owe it to yourself to check out the BenQ line of projectors. If you are not ready for 4K, Im not convinced you can find a better 1080p projector for the price than the 2050a. That said, If you are 4K ready and have to sources ready to feed a 4K projector, be on the lookout as the 2050a has a 4K short throw brother coming out very soon.

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Hi Would like to be short. Ill try: This is the PJ to buy if you dont want to spend $3000 or more for a great Picture. Lets get it out of the gates: Cinematic Experience requires a large picture... It begins IMO at 100 inch diagonal. For that , at this point in time you need a Front PJ .. This PJ can light up a 10 feet wide neutral (1.0) gain screen with ease.. any gain and it would go 15 feet IME . You need a good screen... a decent one. There are bargains out there.. a subject for a different review. I havet tested 3D... So ... Perhaps this is the best PJ under $1000. It rivals the color quality of many well -reviewed projectors that cost 4 times (or more) as much. Out of the box, the colors are spectacular. The picture is bright, very bright. 10 feet wide screen is lit easily .. No issue.. The image remains BRIGHT. Color accuracy is spot-on. There are weaknesses when out of the box .. I dont know if they can be alleviated through ISF. Lack of uniformity. if you project a white field it is not uniformly white ... I have not measured it but it is there and so far doesnt bother me much om most movies (maybe on all movies i have watched frore the 3 weeks Ive acquired it ...) .. Contrast could be better .... Shadows details is clearly lacking ..perhaps can be improved with calibration... The issue is that most people that would acquire a $700 PJ would not bother to have it calibrated for $700 .. So unless you can calibrate it yourself ... I can but havent :D... What else? is a con? I dont know yet .. still not glaring. There are PJ that do beter of course. They cost a lot ore and for most people ... including videophiles ., they may not even notice ;) A few issues: Once you go front PJ, the room must be dark, very dark. IOW please control the lighting.. No light is better ....else get a big flat screen! No PJ works well with ambient lighting present . Room color better be neutral.. grat yo blackish.. Else Contrast is lost . On this PJ contrast can be lost easily Get yourself a good mount. They dont cost much these days.. I got this one: v" Suptek White Universal Projector Ceiling Mount Bracket" for $18 at Amazon and it is good. Screws are over specs... Huge screws for a relatively light PJ but better be safe than sorry with PJ falling .. over people with dire consequences ... Get a HT system or a good sound bar .. The sound system in this or any PJ is a joke... This PJ needs to be closer to the screen than most . Can be an advantage .... or not. Installation must be carefully planned: POwer source on the ceiling, Long HDMI cable...IR repeater system, etc. Dont expect the electronic keystone correction to work for you . Vertical lens alignment is not that great either so ...Align the PJ with the screen and ... prepare to get your jaw off the floor :D 10 years ago that kind of performance was only attainable by PJ costing $10,000 or more .. Some of those old time greats may have had better lenses or better white-field uniformity , even better contrast .. Choose the area of superiority that suits you most but not overall better than this $700 machine ... not a slam-dunk ... rather subtleties that may be lost on many... Enthusiastic recommendation!!

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