BenQ has expanded its Home Cinema Series with two new projectors designed to satisfy different levels of home theater enthusiasts. From the laser-powered W5850 aimed at serious cinema connoisseurs to the versatile 4LED W4100i for the everyday movie lover, these projectors offer impressive specifications and features tailored to different needs and spaces.
Premium Light Sources: Laser vs 4LED Technology
At the heart of BenQ’s new projectors are two distinct premium light source technologies, each offering unique advantages for different viewing environments and preferences.
The flagship W5850 employs a sophisticated laser light source capable of producing 2,600 ANSI lumens of brightness. This laser system shines through a complex 16-element lens designed specifically for “theater-grade large screens” in dedicated darkroom setups. The laser technology offers exceptional longevity and consistent brightness over the projector’s lifetime, eliminating the need for lamp replacements that plague traditional projectors.
Meanwhile, the W4100i utilizes BenQ’s 4LED technology, actually outshining its more premium sibling with an impressive 3,200 ANSI lumens and other brightness units.. This additional brightness makes the W4100i more versatile for rooms with ambient light, where maintaining image quality can be challenging for less powerful projectors.
These different light sources represent BenQ’s strategy of targeting distinct user groups – the laser technology offering premium image quality and longevity for dedicated cinema enthusiasts, while the brighter 4LED system provides more flexibility for everyday use in various lighting conditions.
Image Quality and Color Accuracy: Professional-Grade Performance
Both projectors deliver exceptional image quality, though with different maximum capabilities designed for their target audiences.
The premium W5850 can project 4K UHD visuals up to a massive 200 diagonal inches, creating a truly immersive cinema experience for those with the space to accommodate it. It achieves professional-level color accuracy with 100% coverage of both the Rec.709 and DCI-P3 color gamuts – the latter being the standard used in commercial digital cinema. Each unit comes factory-calibrated to a Delta E measurement of less than 2 (where values under 2 are considered imperceptible to the human eye), ensuring colors appear exactly as the content creators intended.
For those who want to fine-tune their viewing experience, the W5850 offers 11 levels of white balance adjustment and a remarkable 3-million:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It also supports HDR10+ content with BenQ’s proprietary HDR-Pro technology for enhanced detail in both bright and dark scenes.
The W4100i maintains similar color accuracy standards and 4K UHD resolution, though with a maximum screen size of 150 inches. It adds AI processing that analyzes each frame to optimize detail, plus support for judder-free 24p playback – the frame rate used in most films – ensuring smooth motion during movie viewing.
Both of these projectors deliver cinema-quality visuals that far exceed what was possible in home theaters just a few years ago, bringing professional display standards into the living room. See our best projectors list for the cream of the crop.
Installation Flexibility and Connectivity: From Basic to Advanced
Understanding that proper installation can make or break the home theater experience, BenQ has incorporated several features to simplify setup while accommodating various room configurations.
Both projectors offer four-way motorized lens shift, allowing users to adjust the image position horizontally and vertically without physically moving the unit. This is complemented by keystone correction to ensure a perfectly rectangular image even when the projector can’t be positioned directly in front of the screen.
The throw ratios differ slightly between models, with the W5850 requiring a minimum distance of 14.5 feet (4.4 meters) from the screen for a 200-inch display, while the W4100i needs at least 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) for its maximum 150-inch projection.
Connectivity options reveal the different target audiences for each model. The premium W5850 lacks built-in Wi-Fi and onboard speakers, assuming users will pair it with dedicated audio systems and external streaming devices in a custom home theater setup. It provides HDMI 2.0, Ethernet LAN, eARC, and S/PDIF connections, plus a powered USB port for streaming sticks.
The more versatile W4100i comes with an Android TV dongle that plugs into a covered HDMI port, providing immediate access to streaming services including Netflix. It also includes a 5-watt speaker for basic audio needs, though external sound systems can connect via eARC or S/PDIF for better quality.
Gamers will appreciate the W4100i’s 240Hz mode for 1080p gaming, which reduces input lag to just 6.5 milliseconds via HDMI 2.1. The W5850 offers respectable gaming performance as well, with 17.9ms input lag at 4K/60Hz and 13ms at 1080p/120Hz, though it’s clear gaming is a secondary priority for this cinema-focused model.
These comprehensive connectivity and installation options ensure that whether you’re building a dedicated home theater or seeking a versatile entertainment solution, BenQ’s new projectors offer appropriate flexibility for their intended use cases.
