Bigger screen action
Quality projector makes movies, gaming, sport more appealing
FOR a long time I’ve thought about buying a quality projector and even of forgoing a TV completely.
So I decided to dip my toes into the mid-tier range of the consumer market by testing out one of the most affordable 4K-capable projectors on the market.
When it comes to this type of product, affordable is a relative term.
You will need to set aside about $2000 to get something truly decent. But playing around with the BenQ TK800 cemented my suspicions that a good projector could transform a space.
The walls of my living room happen to be ivory white, proving a rather adequate surface to turn it into a minitheatre. With the projector set up and the doors of my living room open, it had that romantic cinematic feeling akin to a drive-through cinema.
Watching a movie or catching up on World Cup highlights from the night before felt like a whole new experience.
When it comes to projectors, there’s often a trade-off between picture quality and size as the image can look a bit washed out.
But that wasn’t noticeable with the TK800, thanks in part to its “Projector-Optimised” high dynamic range (HDR) imaging.
Positioning the projector about 3m back from the wall, you’ll get a sharp and bright picture that’s 2.6m wide.
The BenQ TK800 supports 4K ultra high definition picture, qualifying for the 4K designation by boasting an impressive 8.3 million pixel resolution.
The result is a clear and crisp picture, even when it’s covering almost the entire wall of your living room.
The projector provides a warm ambience thanks to its 3000 lumen rating, which is a good bit brighter than the company’s previous W1700’s 4K projector, which had 2200 lumens.
When it comes to audio, the TK800 packs a pretty decent punch with its 5-watt chamber speaker and CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 technology.
At $2199, it’s not cheap, but when it comes to genuine 4K projectors it’s still one of the most affordable on the market and well worth a look if you want to bring a cinematic atmosphere to your home.