BenQ V6050 evaluate | What Hello-Fi?

The BenQ V6050 ultra-short throw projector is aiming to exchange your TV. Brighter than the typical projector and with a soundbar in-built, it definitely has the correct specs, with its laser gentle supply, 120in most display measurement and straightforward set-up options. Certainly, this BenQ definitely talks an excellent speak.

Extremely-short throw (UST) has proved one thing of a tough area for projectors, although. Burgeoning applied sciences reminiscent of this don’t come low-cost, and the pure image high quality isn’t nearly as good as what you may anticipate from a standard machine at even half the value. Spend just a bit extra and you might get a local 4K projector as a substitute.

Nonetheless, conventional projectors don’t include the identical ease of set up or function flexibility, so if that is what you’re after, then a UST is the place it’s at. And this BenQ may simply be the very best of them to this point.

Pricing

The BenQ V6050 is priced £3999, in keeping with the BenQ V6000, which is definitely the identical projector in a white end. On the time of writing, some retailers embrace BenQ’s advisable ALR projector display within the value.

Options

BenQ V6050 features

(Picture credit score: Future)

Bodily, the BenQ V6050 is pretty typical of a UST projector – about as tall and deep as an AV receiver however, at 50cm extensive, considerably broader. It encompasses a 2x 5W sound system with a pair of two-driver treVolo audio system, engineered by BenQ’s skilled speaker model. Hit the touch-sensitive energy button and the sunroof peels again, unveiling the enterprise finish of this machine.

BenQ V6050 tech specs

Laser life 20,000 hours

Decision 4K HDR pixel shifting

Brightness 3000 ANSI-lumens

Inputs 2x HDMI 2.0 (inc. ARC), 2x USB-A 2.0, USB-A 3.0

Audio out S/PDIF

Dimensions (hwd) 39 x 50 x 16cm

Weight 10kg

The short-throw lens beams the projection nearly straight up at your display. You may create a picture of between 70in and 120in by putting the projector from 7cm to 33cm away out of your display. There are a few retractable steel rods on the rear of the V6050 that will help you measure up. Simply as essential is the vertical distance between the projector and the underside of your display, which must be between 16cm and 31cm.

It may be a contact fiddly getting all that proper – small actions make an enormous distinction and just a little persistence is required. As soon as set, it’s value marking round its 4 round toes so you will get straight again to the place must you want to transfer the V6050 whereas not in use. These toes are additionally the ultimate half within the set-up – screw them out and in to stage off the projector and ensure that your image isn’t skewed.

There aren’t any massive lens shift or zoom options right here. It’s a hard and fast lens and solely just a little fine-tuning with the motor focus setting within the Set up menu is required to sharpen up the perimeters.

The sunshine that’s projected begins with the 3000 ANSI-lumens laser on the core of this machine earlier than it reaches a 0.47in DMD (digital micromirror gadget), the place the picture is shaped. It’s then despatched by a color wheel and targeted by the lens. These delicate to the rainbow fringing from DLP projectors might discover the artifacts on the image.

There’s an honest selection of inputs and outputs on the V6050, together with two HDMI 2.0 ports and a pair of USB 2.0 slots for native recordsdata or laborious drives, plus an additional powered one on the again. You may outsource the audio through the use of the S/PDIF socket and there’s ARC too for connecting to a soundbar. There’s no good platform nor wi-fi connection, although this could simply be resolved by plugging in a media streamer or shopping for one in every of BenQ’s dongles.

When it comes to the on-screen expertise, the menus are usually simple. Just one or two tabs are for efficiency tweaks, whereas most will not be for day-to-day use. Fortunately, there’s a distant management of the calibre one may anticipate of a local 4K machine. It’s an excellent measurement, backlit and has all of the settings shortcuts you might want.

Image

BenQ V6050 picture

(Picture credit score: Future)

There’s definitely sufficient brightness from the BenQ V6050 to look at a movie, TV present or sporting occasion with the lights on. You received’t see a lot in broad daylight although, except you have got a very specialised display. With our reference, reflective, reasonably high-gain display, aspect lighting is so far as we are able to take it earlier than the very best of the image fades away.

All the identical, this nonetheless gives one thing past most conventional house cinema projectors, making the V6050 a viable night different in your major residing area.

We watch Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 on 4K Blu-ray and there’s a decent quantity of HDR image punch for a projector of this value thanks, partially, to the strong black depth that DLP expertise brings. There’s a single HDR preset, however we’d suggest bringing the distinction slider down just a little to maximise tonal element.

Extra care is required whereas calibrating color. There are a good few color controls to think about – Shade Enhancer, Flesh Tone, Shade Temperature, Good Shade and Large Shade Gamut in addition to the usual color setting. That makes for lots of permutations, however we get the very best outcomes with the Large Shade Gamut turned off, the Cool temperature preset, and a lightweight contact on the Good Shade filter.

As soon as locked in, there’s an pleasing steadiness to the early area scenes on the Sovereign planet as our heroes deal with the inter-dimensional ‘area monkey’. There’s a beautiful wealthy golden tone to the anulax battery energy sources, some fantastic kaleidoscopic colors to the rainbow blasts of the Abilisk’s quantum splatters and the correct of inexperienced color to Gamora’s pores and skin. There isn’t a lot life within the movement processing, however the native motion dealing with talents of this projector are adequate to not jar.

Drop all the way down to 1080p with Captain America: Civil Warfare on Blu-ray and the final feel and look is on a par with the higher-resolution image. On condition that it matches the panel’s native decision, there’s no type of pixel-shifting or scaling required. There’s much less color processing to fret about and it’s additionally simpler for consumer calibration. We maintain the distinction setting close to the center to keep up some comparable dynamism to the HDR efficiency.

The chase scene in Bucharest is filled with pleasure. There’s an pleasing distinction between Black Panther’s swimsuit, the sunshine concrete and the brilliant sky on the rooftop struggle. There’s good texture on the pavement beneath too, in addition to on Cap’s defend as soon as the motion hits the streets. The underpass tunnels look good too, accented by the colourful orange of the tiled partitions. It’s nearly all the things it needs to be and makes for a fantastic big-screen watch.

BenQ V6050 picture

(Picture credit score: Future)

However the image lacks just a little subtlety, when it comes to color and tone. The darker scenes in each movies – the opener of Civil Warfare with the Winter Soldier on an evening mission, and the Berhet ambush in Guardians, for instance – are each brief on shadow element. The finer factors of the Ravagers’ outfits and Bucky’s motorcycle quite disappear right into a charcoal haze.

For color, it’s lacking a level of complexity. Tones are extra uniform than they need to be and, as ever, it’s most evident with faces. Peter Quill’s is noticeably rather less than pure as we watch in 4K. Objects generally stand out just a little in a method they shouldn’t too. The yellow avenue traces within the Lagos scene in Civil Warfare are rendered simplistically as flat blocks of color.

We’ve seen these points earlier than on entry-level laser-based units, particularly in comparison with conventional house cinema projectors, however a UST reminiscent of this BenQ is a couple of completely different use case. Thus far, we’ve not seen a greater instance of this kind.

This use case is maybe much more more likely to contain watching SD programming, and you ought to be happy to notice that it does in addition to may be anticipated for any 4K projector on that entrance. We take the brightness and sharpness down a good bit to get an excellent image as we watch Sunshine on DVD however there’s nonetheless a good quantity of element. It’s mushy however watchable.

Sound

BenQ V6050 sound

(Picture credit score: Future)

Two 5W audio system won’t sound spectacular, however this treVolo-speaker sound system is de facto fairly good. There are just a few presets to check out, in addition to a Person mode with EQ entry, however we keep on with Normal to search out the very best audio efficiency.

The V6050 has an enormous chassis and we’re shocked there’s nothing extra advanced right here than a pair of forward-facing audio system made up of tweeters and mid/bass cones. The perimeters of the projector, which may have been used to shoot out extra sound, home the big vents that maintain this UST cool and usually working pretty quietly.

Nonetheless, we nonetheless get a remarkably extensive soundstage which is especially pleasing in the course of the early area battle with the Sovereign drones in Guardians Of The Galaxy 2. There’s a superb swing of the audio from left to proper as Star Lord’s craft dodges laser blasts and the thrill is fuelled by the quite spectacular dynamics. There’s an enormous growl to the rattling engines every time it flies by the digicam and an actual solidity to each shot and second of impression.

There’s additionally a well-tuned steadiness, making certain that every one components of the vary are simple to listen to with nothing too booming nor too shiny. The highest-end is marginally much less developed than the underside, however it not often detracts from the motion.

We’d like just a little extra quantity on board – we discover most of our listening is sort of on the restrict – and if this have been an exterior soundbar, we’d be on the lookout for a greater sense of rhythm too.

As it’s, although, this sound system is excess of an fascinating trinket for this projector. It provides to the general package deal in its personal proper, underlining the case of the V6050 as an all-in-one machine.

Verdict

We’re not satisfied that the BenQ V6050 is shiny sufficient to exchange your lounge TV, however it definitely has loads to supply. The massive and daring image in all fairness detailed, vibrant and pleasing to look at. The built-in sound system might be described in related phrases.

For these on the lookout for that massive display projector really feel with no need to put in a lot of equipment, this UST machine is without doubt one of the finest round at this value. Including a media streamer and probably a greater exterior speaker will stage it up additional. In the meanwhile, it received’t carry out fairly in addition to a standard projector when it comes to pure image however, given its additional brightness and performance, it makes for a compelling package deal.

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