BenQ W5000 review

Full HD projector, capable of delivering striking three-dimensionality Tested at £1400.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

It's a shame this isn't cheaper: a fine projector if you're prepared to pay a premium for Full HD

Pros

  • +

    Simple to operate

  • +

    full HD specification

  • +

    sharp, detailed, bright, colourful images with good black levels

Cons

  • -

    Big and bulky

  • -

    relatively expensive

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

It's not often that a BenQ projector finds itself at the top of the price pile in a Group Test. But, fortunately for the BenQ, it has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Most notably, this is a Full HD projector. While the jury is out on the value of those extra pixels on TVs, especially at 32-37in screen size, when it comes to projecting a 7ft image, we think a 1920 x 1080 resolution might carry a little more weight.

Talking of weight, this is a bulky unit. Though, it's what's inside, and the picture it produces, that matter.

To this end, the W5000 uses the same DarkChip3 chipset as many others, and in so doing claims a 10,000:1 contrast ratio as well as a 1200 ANSI lumens rating.

Again, this projector is fairly easy to set up, with a decent, relatively large remote control that sports what we think is a quite crucial component - a backlight.

Though it's worth pointing out that the projector has a long-throw lens, so it's not suited to providing a big image in a small room.

Deep blacks, smooth action
We fire up our first video content, noting as we do that the fan is nice and quiet, and... we're mightily impressed.

As we watch the Blu-ray version of Ghost Rider, we fall silent and simply start watching the film - a sure sign that the image is a good one. Most striking is the three-dimensionality and depth of field that this BenQ is capable of delivering.

Furthermore, not only is the colour striking, the black levels deep and dark, and fast motion handled smoothly, but the detail picked up in the distance is second to none here.

Similarly, watching the BD of Casino Royale (it's been a while, after all), the picture is staggeringly crisp and sharp for a projector of this price.

Bright scenes are bright, dark scenes are dark but detailed, and all the time there's little sign of instability.

BenQ clearly hasn't scrimped on the scaler either, the W5000 delivering high-quality DVD images, with the positives still apparent.

So why the four stars? Well, it's nearly twice as expensive as the Panasonic PT-AX200E, and the performance gap isn't that big.

If you can't look past Full HD - we'd think maybe you should - and don't mind paying a premium, then you could do a lot worse than investigate this bulky beauty.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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