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The W1800i maximizes available space with a range of throw distances enabling 4K big-screen entertainment in tight quarters. Lastly, if you’re using the included Android TV module, you’ll have to log into your Google account to access the Playstore and enjoy the different services available. BenQ W1800i: our impressions The BenQ W1800 can do up to 15,000 hours in its lamp save mode, but only 8,000 in the most balanced Smart Eco mode and just 4,000 when it’s set to normal. After that, you’re looking at a pricey lamp replacement. The BenQ W1800i projector effectively harnesses Texas Instruments’ DLP technology to project well-defined and highly detailed 4K images. The HDR rendering is quite convincing, even though we would have preferred even more detailed dark areas and brighter light areas. The Filmmaker mode offers a fairly accurate colorimetry but does not seem to be able to be disabled on HDR sources. The projector isn’t particularly difficult to install, but its short focal length means it has to be placed rather close to the viewers (in front or just behind), with the consequence of being able to hear the ventilation quite clearly. The eco lamp mode is therefore preferable for a pleasant home theater experience (33 dB measured at 1m compared to 36-37 dB in normal mode).
Images live up to BenQ's home cinema promises, achieving a cinematic feel that humbles a good number of more expensive projectors. BenQ describes its approach as ‘true’ 4K, though, and crucially the independent Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in the US agrees. The brightness limitation means the BenQ isn’t the best projector for use in brighter rooms. It is usable with some ambient light but it’s undoubtedly at its best in a darkened room. But there’s more to picture quality than brightness, as I’ll get to in a minute. It is worth noting that our first review sample had a fault that left a split in brightness down the middle of the picture when we adjusted the gamma settings. This doesn’t happen with the second unit, so we don’t expect it to be an issue.If you’re mad about movies, you’ll love Filmmaker Mode on this BenQ projector. Designed in collaboration with filmmakers and Hollywood studios, Filmmaker Mode lets you experience the cinematic vision, exactly as the director intended. Overriding the TV’s own motion and picture processing, Filmmaker Mode presents the correct aspect ratio, colour and frame rate – just as the filmmakers intended. Enjoy 5000+ of the latest Android apps movies TV shows live sports news games music and more. Anytime anywhere across your devices there’s something here for everyone to love.
While many BenQ projectors sport CinematicColor technology, the W1800 adds another video-facing feature that we haven’t seen from a BenQ projector before: Filmmaker Mode. Developed by the Ultra HD Alliance, an industry body comprising a broad church of content creators and consumer electronics companies, the Filmmaker Mode picture preset is designed to deliver images that resemble as closely as a device can manage the video standards used by the creative industries when they master their content. Filmmaker mode is quite common on TVs now, but it’s still rare in the projector world. What’s more, potentially controversially, the W1800 actually defaults to the Filmmaker Mode whenever it receives an HDR image, and then won’t let you switch to any other preset. These are the standard cut-off times below, however if you require an urgent shipment after these times, please call on +44 (0)1924 589 589 Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 29th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) For some products such as screens are also shipped via UPS, TNT, DHL, DPD and some accessories are shipped via Royal Mail.The single most striking strength of the W1800 is its colour performance. Whether you’re watching in one of the movie-friendly standard dynamic range picture presets or the Filmmaker Mode with HDR, colour tones across the board look beautifully natural, richly nuanced and remarkably well balanced for such an affordable projector.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to access Netflix from the BenQ W1800i, which is not compatible with this streaming service. Even when enabling wireless screen sharing from an Android smartphone, we couldn’t access it. So those who want to enjoy Netflix with this projector will have to do so from a Netflix-compatible computer or AV network player connected to the W1800i via HDMI, or via a Chromecast Video. BenQ W1800i: 4000h, 2000 lumen lamp The Filmmaker Mode plays so nicely with the W1800’s home cinema-tuned capabilities, in fact, that we don’t actually mind not having the option to switch to a different preset with HDR content. Notice: Netflix only supports specific authorized devices and is not natively available on projectors. Please follow these recommended viewing methods.
Rivals win on brightness and HDR, but this is a superb-value home cinema projector
The picture settings of the BenQ W2700 aren’t as straightforward as the initial set-up, but it’s easy if you’re watching HDR content. With HDR set to Auto, this 2,000 lumens projector does all the work for you, automatically switching the major picture settings to optimum. This BenQ W1800i UHD-4K projector is not equipped with an LED lamp or laser, but with a conventional lamp that provides a brightness of 2000 lumens, allowing it to be used in a semi-dark or dark room. During the day or in a bright room, however, its brightness is a bit too low to achieve a sufficiently vivid and contrasted image. The lamp’s lifespan reaches 4000 hours in normal mode and 10,000 hours in eco mode. The lifespan of the BenQ W1800i’s lamp ranges from 4000 hours (normal mode) to 10,000 hours (eco mode) depending on the mode of use, which is equivalent to between 5 and 13 years at a rate of 2 hours of daily use. BenQ W1800i: zoom and keystone correction The W1800’s excellent colour and light control plays its part, too, in making pictures exceptionally sharp and detailed for such an affordable projector. In fact, its pictures really do look like 4K, as billed. Certainly denser, more nuanced and, as a result, more three-dimensional than you would see with a regular 1080p DLP projector. This really matters, of course, when you’re talking about images as massive as those the W1800 can provide.
Setup is aided by a decent 1.3x zoom and flexible 2D keystone adjustment. There's no optical image shifting, but this is never a given with 4K projectors as affordable as this.
The chip is flashed at a rate of 240Hz (four times the normal amount) each time in a different position such that a full 4K, 8.3 million distinct pixels are displayed to the viewer per frame of footage.
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