BenQ has announced the launch of three new 4K projectors that promise to deliver high color accuracy without breaking the bank.
The new models comprise the W5700, W2700 and W1720, which are set to cost around $3300 (£2500 / AU$4000), $1900 (£1500 / AU$2500) and $1300 (£1000 / AU$1800) respectively – not bad for high-spec 4K projectors.
However, pricing is still to be confirmed in the US and UK for all three of the models, while Australian pricing for the W5700 and W2700 has already been verified by BenQ.
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All three of the new projectors support 4K, and as such, come with a UHD lamp. They also come fully calibrated straight out the box, which means you can start enjoying your 4K movies without messing around with the settings.
Super accurate color
The main calling card of these projectors is their high color accuracy, something that BenQ found was very important to filmmakers when it began the research process for the new models.
In a presentation, a spokesperson for the company told us that the company had to make a choice between “favored” and “faithful” color representation – in other words, a choice between highly saturated colors and the colors that the filmmakers intended the viewer to experience.
In the end, BenQ opted for the latter, and claims that the W2700 and W5700 models are the first “4K home theater DLP projectors featuring DCI-P3 color.”
In short, DCI-P3 is the cinematic industry's film projection standard, which covers over 20% more “color space” than the previous standard, sRGB.
The back of the W2700
Image credit: BenQ
This, in tandem with BenQ's own CinematicColor technology, means that the W2700 can cover 95% of the color standard, while the W5700 covers the full 100%. In layman's terms, this means colors should look fantastic when you're watching films with these new projectors.
As well as that, the W2700 supports a brightness of 2000 lumens and 30,000:1 contrast ratio, while the beefier W5700 puts out 1800 lumens and sports a 100,000:1 contrast ratio.
This means that you films should look great, even if you can't watch your films in total darkness; that alongside the factory calibration makes these new projectors fantastic for people who don't want to spend too long setting up.
While they share some similarities, the W2700 and W5700 have been designed to suit different scenarios. Created for easy home viewing, the W2700 has a modern, light design that will fit into most living rooms unobtrusively, and features two built in 5W speakers in a 2:1 stereo configuration.
4K viewing on a budget
The W5700 however, is designed to be used in a dedicated home cinema room, and features a matte black design so that it doesn't detract from the viewing experience in the dark.
Finally, we have the cheapest of the new projectors, the W1720, which builds on the success of its predecessor, the W1700.
Thanks to a short throw feature, it can beam a huge 100-inch image from just over 3 meters away, and have a 2000-lumen peak brightness, and 10:000:1 contrast ratio.
If it's anything like the W1700, this latest model could represent fantastic value for money, but only time will tell – all three of the new projectors are set to go on sale at the end of March / beginning of April.
- Not sure what to watch with your new projector? Check out our roundup of the best Netflix films in 2019
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