BenQ W1200 review

As we would expect at this price, all focus adjustments have to be performed manually. There’s also no physical lens shift, only digital keystone, so you have to be careful when aligning the projector to your screen.

When properly focused, images looked very sharp and detailed, although only when viewed in the dark. The rainbow effect, another inevitability of a DLP projector, was pleasingly absent from most scenes, only becoming visible in high-contrast black-and white images. Frame interpolation managed to smooth out a Blu-ray movie running at 24p, but there were noticeable artefacts in some fast moving scenes; in most cases you won’t notice unless you’re looking for them, but it’s still frustrating when you do. Black levels were reasonable, but nowhere near as good as a Plasma TV or even a high-end LCD.

With a pair of built-in 10W speakers, the W1200 is ready for movie playback right out of the box; unsurprisingly, sound quality was no match for a dedicated speaker system. Volume was reasonable and mid-range frequencies were clear, but there was no discernable bass. The only audio output is a 3.5mm jack, so you’ll need to use an A/V amplifier to get surround sound over HDMI. Video inputs are more plentiful, with two HDMI, D-Sub, component and composite video.

In spite of the usual issues associated with DLP projectors, the W1200 produced a very clear picture that was mostly free of rainbows and artefacts. Plenty of display options and a reasonable range of inputs make it a great addition to any home cinema setup. However, at this price there are several LCD models that are slightly more attractive, including the fantastic Epson EH-TW3200.