BenQ HT4050 Projector Review: Summary – 2 Posted on November 6, 2015 By Art Feierman 1. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ HT4050 Projector Overview - BenQ HT4050 Highlights2. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Special Features - BenQ HT4050 Placement Flexibility - ISF Certification - REC 709 - HT4050 Projector - CFI - smooth motion aka - HT4050 3D - BenQ HT4050 - Optional Wireless HDMI, Streaming Stick - HT4050 Speaker3. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Hardware Tour 1 - BenQ HT4050 Hardware Overview - BenQ HT4050 Lens Throw - HT4050 Control Panel - HT4050 Inputs and Connectors4. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Hardware Tour 2 - BenQ HT4050 Remote Control - BenQ HT4050 Menus - HT4050 Venting and Light Leakage5. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Picture Quality - HT4050 Out of the Box Picture Quality - HT4050 Black Level Performance6. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Sports and General HDTV Viewing with the HT4050 Projector - Dark Shadow Detail - Overall Picture Quality7. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Performance - HT4050 Brightness Measurements - Color Temps of Different Modes - Affect of Zoom Lens on Brightness - HT4050 Eco Mode, Brilliant Color's Affect on Brightness - HT4050 Post Calibration Color Accuracy, Brightness8. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Performance 2 - HT4050 Sharpness - HT4050 Audible Noise - HT4050 Image Noise9. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Calibration - BenQ HT4050 Pre-calibration Settings - BenQ HT4050 Calibration - Mike's General Notes - Mike's Grayscale Calibration Notes10. BenQ HT4050 Projector – Advanced Calibration - About this Calibration Information - BenQ HT4050 CMS - Mike's CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)11. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Summary - HT4050 Overall Picture Quality - Practical Usage: Is this a Home Entertainment or Home Theater Projector - HT4050 Value Proposition12. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review: Summary – 2 - BenQ HT4050: The Bottom Line - HT4050 Pros and Cons13. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Specifications BENQ HT4050 PROJECTOR – SUMMARY – Page 2: The Bottom Line, Pro and Cons BenQ HT4050: The Bottom Line If you are spending around $1399, and this projector fits what you are looking for in terms of type of viewing, and room conditions it’s a really good choice and it’s versatile. This is definitely a step up projector from all those sub $1000 models out there. The picture is Really, Good! It would certainly be on my short list of projectors between $1000 and $2000. And I say that after watching 60+ hours, and switching back and forth between it, the Epson 5030UB, and even a $10,000 DLP (which was way better, btw). This is our top regular award for projectors. We offer additional awards in our special reports If your budget is tight, room less than great, and you really are looking for a basic family projector, you should definitely consider those lesser BenQs, Epsons, Optoma’s, Viewsonics, Viviteks etc., but if you are looking for a step up projector in terms features and picture quality, you’ve found one of the better choices here. If you need the maximum brightness for rooms with quite a bit of ambient light the HT4050 wouldn’t be near the top of my list, as there are some true light canons out there. But then, most folks don’t really need that much brightness. There are some other factors you should also consider, and most will show up in the Pros and Cons below. But here are a few other things of note. Lamp life is on the short side. I assume BenQ is trying to max brightness out of its 260 watt lamp, and that means lamp life that’s barely half that of some competitors. If you are going to be a heavy user – say 30-40 hours a week, you will likely be replacing the lamp in a year and a half or two. Warranty is one year parts and labor on the projector. There are competitors with one year (including Optoma) but many offer 2 years, and even some three years. In other words, the HT4050 is a bit weak when it comes to warranty duration at this price point. Personally I think a projector at this price should come with 2 years minimum. The remote control – is excellent, and it’s not just back lit, but it’s white, which makes it possible to find in a really dark room. Also it supports HDMI link so can be used to control your Blu-ray player, etc. BenQ offers an optional wireless HDMI solution. That’s nice if you want to stick with BenQ brand, but I didn’t dwell on that because there are now plenty of 3rd party ones that will work with any display. While the HT4050 does leak some light out of its front vent, it’s a lot less than many other sub-$2000 DLP projectors. It shouldn’t be a real issue. The very Bottom Line: This is a clean projector – no really rough spots (I refer to a number of projectors as “rough around the edges,” this isn’t one of those. An impressive picture that can only be significantly improved by having much better black level performance, and that isn’t something readily available down around $1399. Thus, the HT4050 earns one of our Hot Product awards for a number of reasons, but primarily the color and skin tone handling, plus placement flexibility, and of course, good brightness for most rooms. Note that I’ve got a a couple of additional projectors to review in the under $2000 price range before I revise our top 15 projectors list (found on the homepage), but the HT4050 is definitely a consideration for that list. Certainly, to me, at least, the HT4050 seems a solid value for a step up from entry level projector, one with extra features and extra performance. HT4050 Pros and ConsLet’s start with the Pros! Excellent Color right out of the box And full controls for a proper calibration Enough brightness for typical Home Entertainment setups Plenty of brightness for a really large screen in a dedicated theater/cave (150″ diagonal no problem) CFI for smooth motion ISF Certified (two password protected modes for calibrators, etc.) 3D built in, has 2D to 3D conversion The 3D is nicely clean, no crosstalk Uses lamp dimming for step up (from entry level) black level performance Really good dark shadow detail Great remote control Lots of placement flexibility 1.6:1 zoom modest, but both vertical and horizontal lens shift slightly shorter throw than most Built in 10 watt speaker is pretty hefty easily carries most rooms Nice styling Definitely can double as a high quality portable business projector Energy saving features (typical DLP types – 70% reduction with static signal…) MHL on one of the HDMI ports for streaming USB source input Audio out to feed a bigger sound system Has port for optional 3D RF emitter (instead of using DLP-Link) A very good overall value proposition Cons: Lamp life is on the short side – barely half of those with the longest claims Black levels – while up from entry level – could, of course be better It’s time someone put a good dynamic iris on a DLP projector around this price point – but still waiting! Audio out defeats the internal speaker so you can’t hook up a powered subwoofer for enhanced bass Could be quieter! Although typical in terms of audible noise, could be quieter in Eco mode, also, some (the most noise adverse folk) may notice the variable whining in Smart Eco mode on quiet scenes of movies Remote lacks direct source buttons, it’s nice to just be able to go back and forth one touch between the ones you use 1. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review - BenQ HT4050 Projector Overview - BenQ HT4050 Highlights2. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Special Features - BenQ HT4050 Placement Flexibility - ISF Certification - REC 709 - HT4050 Projector - CFI - smooth motion aka - HT4050 3D - BenQ HT4050 - Optional Wireless HDMI, Streaming Stick - HT4050 Speaker3. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Hardware Tour 1 - BenQ HT4050 Hardware Overview - BenQ HT4050 Lens Throw - HT4050 Control Panel - HT4050 Inputs and Connectors4. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Hardware Tour 2 - BenQ HT4050 Remote Control - BenQ HT4050 Menus - HT4050 Venting and Light Leakage5. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Picture Quality - HT4050 Out of the Box Picture Quality - HT4050 Black Level Performance6. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Sports and General HDTV Viewing with the HT4050 Projector - Dark Shadow Detail - Overall Picture Quality7. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Performance - HT4050 Brightness Measurements - Color Temps of Different Modes - Affect of Zoom Lens on Brightness - HT4050 Eco Mode, Brilliant Color's Affect on Brightness - HT4050 Post Calibration Color Accuracy, Brightness8. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Performance 2 - HT4050 Sharpness - HT4050 Audible Noise - HT4050 Image Noise9. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review – Calibration - BenQ HT4050 Pre-calibration Settings - BenQ HT4050 Calibration - Mike's General Notes - Mike's Grayscale Calibration Notes10. BenQ HT4050 Projector – Advanced Calibration - About this Calibration Information - BenQ HT4050 CMS - Mike's CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)11. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Summary - HT4050 Overall Picture Quality - Practical Usage: Is this a Home Entertainment or Home Theater Projector - HT4050 Value Proposition12. BenQ HT4050 Projector Review: Summary – 2 - BenQ HT4050: The Bottom Line - HT4050 Pros and Cons13. BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Specifications BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Summary BenQ HT4050 Home Theater Projector Review – Specifications