The renowned projector brand BenQ has today presented the presentation of a new premium model, aimed (pun intended) at movie fans who want to install themselves with a dedicated home theater system.
The W5800 is off to a strong start by combining what BenQ calls true 4K UHD resolution with high dynamic range video support. Some may disagree with the W5800’s 4K claims, as the 4K resolution is achieved by ‘flashing’ the mirrors that DLP projectors use to take their pictures multiple times per image frame, rather than having the projector take a has a full mirror count of 3840×2160. However, the independent Consumer Technology Association in the US considers the W5800’s approach to 4K to be the real UHD deal.
The BenQ W5800 is aimed at dedicated home theater installations.
The W5800’s HDR capabilities go beyond those of most projectors by including an HDR Tone Mapping system designed to optimize the contrast and detail of an HDR feed for the projector’s capabilities, as well as support for the HDR10+ HDR format in addition to the more basic HDR10 and HLG formats. This means the projector can take advantage of the extra scene-by-scene image data that the HDR10+ format provides.
The HDR support is also backed by a precisely calibrated coverage of 100% of the digital cinema DCI-P3 color range (with an accuracy level of less than 2 Delta E), which means that the tones should not look washed out. off or bleached out even in the brightest parts of HDR photos.
Speaking of brightness, the W5800 claims a peak light output of 2,600 lumens. This isn’t as high as the 3000 and (sometimes much) more we’re starting to see these days with more ‘casual’ projectors that support HDR – but at least on paper I don’t have a problem with that. While 3000 lumens and above can be useful for combating ambient light in normal living room situations, dealing with that much brightness can make it difficult for projectors to also deliver good black levels and contrast. So 2,600 lumens feels like a potentially well-judged number for balancing punchy brightness in a well-blacked home theater against strong black levels and contrast.
The BenQ W5800 projector uses a 14-element lens system for greater 4K clarity and uniformity.
It probably won’t hurt this situation that the W5800 takes advantage of BenQ’s proprietary Local Contrast Enhancer algorithm, splitting images into more than a thousand separate zones to enable more advanced, effective analysis through the projector’s image optimization processing.
The W5800’s brightness is considered sufficient to power a screen as large as 200 inches, making even the largest currently available TV screen look like a portable screen by comparison.
As we’d expect from a serious home theater projector these days, the W5800 offers an impressive range of both basic and advanced setup features. A 1.6x motorized zoom lets you achieve the screen size you want in virtually any room, and there’s a comprehensive vertical/horizontal image shift system that lets you get photos on your screen without having to use image-distorting keystone correction.
The projector is also ISF certified, meaning it can be calibrated by a professional ISF engineer to deliver peak performance for your specific room setup. Features available for calibrators include 11 levels of color temperature tuning. However, if this all seems like too much work, or calling in a professional calibrator is too expensive, BenQ has equipped the W5800 with a Filmmaker mode that attempts to deliver as accurate an image as possible according to the settings defined by the Ultra HD alliance.
Detail of the connections of the BenQ W5800.
Other features that will hopefully help the W5800 deliver truly premium image quality include a custom 14-element lens system and BenQ’s Dynamic Black system for dynamically adjusting the laser projector’s light output to match the image content. While other projector brands offer similar features, BenQ claims its approach delivers 20% more contrast than those competing systems.
As usual with dedicated home theater projectors, the BenQ W5800 doesn’t have a built-in smart/video streaming system or integrated speakers. Of course, you can always add a streaming stick if you wish, and the W5800’s connections include eARC support via HDMI, so you can pass full-resolution 7.1 channel/Dolby Atmos sound through the projector to a connected soundbar or AV recipient.
The BenQ W5800 is available to order in the US from today (May 20), priced at $5,999, and should be available in Britain from around the end of the month for £4,599.
—
Related reading
Optoma launches new ultra-short throw laser projector for games and home entertainment
JVC announces four new premium D-ILA laser projectors, all with ‘8K’ and 4K/120 support
Hisense unveils new 4K Ultra Short Throw laser projector for home theater and gaming fans