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But even with the W2700’s CinematicColor tech boost, it doesn’t match the Award-winning Optoma UHD40 for colour. Some parts of the spectrum lag behind – blues and reds are good, but the middle colours aren’t quite as vibrant. BenQ’s decision to focus with the W1800 on what we guess could be considered good old-fashioned home cinema values has paid off handsomely. Its pictures might not be the showiest around, but they’re refined, natural, authentic and, to use that word again, cinematic. The sharpness remains strikingly high during camera pans and over moving objects, too. Judder without motion processing in play doesn’t look excessive – in fact, if anything it feels natural enough to simply add to the W1800’s key cinematic feel. Nor is there much trouble from the sort of fizzing and double edging around the edges of moving objects that affordable DLP projectors often struggle with. The W1800i maximizes available space with a range of throw distances enabling 4K big-screen entertainment in tight quarters.
The main use of the projector will be for movies, but with some gaming. BenQ tell me that the W1800i runs at 16ms input lag, which is the same as the TK700STi so no issue there. The BenQ W1800’s built-in audio support consists of a single speaker driven by five watts of amplification. Unsurprisingly, this only provides pretty rudimentary audio support for the projector’s images. There’s neither enough projection of the sound nor enough raw volume for it to feel like an adequate audio partner for the massive pictures the projector can produce.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. For optimal colour, the W1800 features BenQ’s CinematicColor technology. This tech 100% meets the Rec. 709 HDTV standard for colour accuracy, giving you realistic colour with true-to-life texture and depth. The RGBRGB colour wheel and high contrast deliver crisp images and help maximise the full potential of 4K resolution. The W1800 claims a promising contrast ratio of 10,000:1, and a brightness of 2,000 Lumens. This latter figure might not sound like much compared with the daylight-challenging laser projectors we've auditioned lately, but experience suggests that at the W1800's level of the market, brightness around this level is often conducive to a solid contrast performance. Suitable for living room projection, the BenQ W1800i UHD 4K projector has a 1.3 manual zoom that gives the user some freedom when it comes to placement. The BenQ W1800i’s zoom and focus are adjusted manually using two rings on the top of the projector.
This BenQ includes support for HDR10 and HLG. HDR10 is widely used on UHD gaming consoles from Sony and Microsoft. HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma HDR) is a broadcast and user generated standard format that is seen as the standard for transmitting 4K signals.Supercharged by HDR10 and HLG support with BenQ exclusive projector-optimized HDR the W1800i’s high dynamic range performance offers greater brightness contrast range and image optimization in a single step bringing out every detail in 4K video content for superior cinema enjoyment. The projector also has a relatively short throw of 1.3:1 with the zoom control at full, giving you a 100in picture at a distance of only 2.5m. The only worrying spec is a maximum brightness of just 2,000 ANSI lumens. BenQ W1800 review: Price and competition Rivals have the W1800 beaten when it comes to HDR, brightness and contrast, then, but you’ll struggle to find another 4K projector at this price that delivers a more natural, cinematic image. 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 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 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. I was pretty set on the TK700STi, which could give me 120” screen from that throw. The W1800i would give me a screen closer to 100”. I’ve read that 120” at that viewing distance is too close, but I’ve seen people on here say that they love it (too big is a myth, right?) Whether it's movies shows sports or live TV the BenQ Smart TV wireless Projector powered by Android has the most extensive entertainment library available. Access Google Play through the user-friendly interface for hassle-free entertainment. 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 W1800 also seems to take great care about the way it maps HDR sources to its inherent capabilities. There’s precious little clipping of detail in bright peaks, for instance, and colours look authentic rather than strained (even when it comes to notoriously difficult skin tones). The projector also sensibly uses HDR’s expanded light range more to deliver subtler light differences than to push the extremes.
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