The front of the BenQ LK953ST
The left side of the BenQ LK953ST
The right side of the BenQ LK953ST
The back of the BenQ LK953ST
The BenQ LK953ST, ceiling mounted
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The BenQ LK953ST is a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) laser projector claiming 5,000 lumens – and it beat its claim! Reaching 6,089 lumens at full wide angle, this projector is bright enough to handle some serious ambient light. When measured at mid-zoom, the typical installation for business and education projectors, the BenQ hit 4,965 lumens. This DLP projector features an RGBY color wheel, and, good news – no Rainbow Effect! The LK953ST is intended for use in higher education environments such as university classrooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, and museums, and in business environments like conference rooms, board rooms, retail spaces, smaller entertainment venues, convention halls, and houses of worship. This $5,099, 4K UHD projector’s performance is hard to beat, which is why we gave it our Best Performance Award in the Higher Education Class in this year’s Classroom Projectors Report.
Though the LK953ST doesn’t have a lot of zoom – 1.10:1 – it still manages to have excellent placement flexibility! This is due to a generous amount of vertical lens shift (+60%, and +23% horizontal) and built-in HDBaseT for running AV signals over several hundred meters, via low-cost CAT5/CAT6 cabling. It features more advanced networking features in addition to HDBaseT – compatibility with control software such as Crestron RoomView, Extron XTP, AMX, PJ Link, and BenQ’s proprietary Multiple Display Administrator (MDA) software. The projector also has optional wireless capabilities. The BenQ LK953ST is equipped with three HDMI inputs – one of which is an HDMI Out – which allows the projector to be daisy chained for multi-projector setups and for large meetings and image stacking.
In addition to those three HDMIs, the BenQ LU953ST a port for a wired remote control, a RS232 connector for old-school command and control, two USB ports (Mini-B and Type-A), a LAN connector for local area networking, and an HDBaseT port for running AV signals over long distances. It also has an old school S-Video and Component Video ports, two VGAs (one for PC In, one for Monitor Out) and Audio In and Out ports. This BenQ has excellent connectivity, and everything you need for your typical (and advanced) business and education applications.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from Journey to Space, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from the Netflix show Explained, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from the Netflix show Explained, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A scene from the Netflix show Explained, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A PowerPoint Presentation, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
An Infographic, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A presentation slide, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A presentation slide, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
Our Test Image, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
An X-Ray, projected by the BenQ LK953ST in DICOM SIM. Mode.
A website, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A website, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A website, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
A website, projected by the BenQ LK953ST.
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The BenQ LK953ST has five color modes: Dynamic, Presentation, sRGB, Vivid, and DICOM SIM. As mentioned, the projector exceeded its 5,000 lumen claim, coming in at 6,089 lumens in its brightest mode, Dynamic, when measured at full wide angle, and 4,965 when measured at mid-zoom. The next brightest mode is Presentation at 4,180 lumens, then DICOM SIM. (4,091), sRGB (3,853), and finally, Vivid, at a respectable 3,779 lumens. sRGB, Presentation, and Vivid all have stellar color, with some advantages to each. I count sRGB as the best mode for video projection, and Presentation the best for presenting. The BenQ LK953ST has a beautifully sharp, vibrant image with excellent color, is exceptionally bright, and has many desirable features for a business and education projector.
