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BenQ W1200 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £1267
inc VAT

A great DLP projector with plenty of display options, but it costs more than the equivalent LCD competition

Specifications

1,920×1,080 resolution, 1,800 ANSI lumens, 139x339x260mm, 3.6kg

http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk

First impressions of the W1200, BenQ’s latest home cinema projector, are good; it’s compact, quiet and stylish. The glossy white and silver plastic chassis is easy on the eye and the projector is small enough to fit on a shelf. Like most projectors available for around £1,000 it’s a DLP model, but one that supports 1080p resolutions and has multiple HDMI inputs.

BenQ W1200 front

The projector’s bulb is rated at 1,800 lumens, and it’s reasonably bright. At its maximum setting images were clear in a bright room, but turning off the lights and closing the curtains is still the only way to get the best picture. Buttons on the remote control illuminate when pressed, which makes it easier to adjust display settings in the dark. This is useful, as there are plenty of options to change; as well as three pre-set picture modes and three further user-defined ones, the Brilliant Colour setting increases colour intensity to produce more vivid, albeit less natural, images.

BenQ W1200

Of the three preset options, Cinema produced the best image quality; colours were intensified and contrast was increased to draw out better shadows. The Dynamic setting, designed to increase brightness so the projected image is clear even with the lights on, was less impressive. It created an unwanted blue hue that made movie scenes look unnatural. The Standard setting was a decent compromise between the two, but for best results it’s worth adjusting the image manually to suit personal preference. Brightness, contrast and colour intensity settings are all available for tweaking, as are sharpness and flesh tones.

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Details

Price £1,267
Details www.benq.co.uk
Rating ****

Specifications

Projector technology DLP
Lamp brightness 1,800 ANSI lumens
Lamp life 2,500
Lamp life in economy mode 4,000
Contrast ratio 5,000:1

Picture

Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Max compressed resolution 1,920×1,080
Aspect ratio 16:9
Other aspect ratios 4:3, input source native
Max diagonal at 7ft 65in
Throw ratio 1:4 to 2:1
Optical zoom 0.0x
Projection distance 1.2m to 9.3m
Mirror image yes
Invert image yes
Lens shift horizontal 0%
Lens shift vertical 20%
HD Ready yes
Special view modes Cinema, Dynamic, Standard, User x3

Inputs/Outputs

VGA input yes
DVI input No
Sound inputs 3.5mm, phono
Composite input yes
S-video input yes
HDMI input yes
PAL support yes
SECAM support yes
NTSC support yes
Audio output 3.5mm
Video output VGA
Others inputs/outputs second HDMI input

Other

Noise (in normal use) 27dB(A)
Size 139x339x260mm
Weight 3.6kg
Internal speakers yes (2x 10W)
Extras remote, cables (power, VGA)
Remote special features picture mode, colour temp, aspect ratio, zoom, keystone, overscan, black level, freeze, input select,
Power consumption standby 1W
Power consumption on 292W

Lamp

Lamp cost (inc VAT) £150
Lamp supplier www.projectorpoint.co.uk
Lamp cost per hour of use £0.07
Lamp cost per hour of use (economy) £0.03

Buying Information

Price £1,267
Supplier http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk
Details www.benq.co.uk

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