The Epson PowerLite 1785W is a WXGA (1280x800) 3LCD projector intended for the traveling professional, classroom, or anyone who needs to wow their audience on-the-go.  This $899 projector is set to impress with a brightness claim of 3,200 white and color lumens for vivid color, which is great for rooms with little control over ambient light.

Its convenient wireless connectivity provides for a quick and easy setup to existing networks, and it even accepts connection directly from your smart device; incredibly convenient in this day-and-age where students are more likely to have their classroom presentation stored on their smart phone than “old fashioned” flash drive.

The Epson PowerLite 1785W is part of a family of portable projectors – Epson has by far the widest variety of projectors of any manufacturer and currently has the largest market share of all projector manufactures.  The PowerLite 1700 series of ultra-slim, portable business and education projectors includes the 1785W, which we are reviewing here.  Its siblings include: the 1795F, a HD 1080p version with a list price $100 more; the 1781W, WXGA (it’s virtually identical to the 1785W, but with a black cabinet) at $799; and the 1780W, also WXGA with a brightness of 3,000 lumens at a cost of $749.

This review of the Epson PowerLite 1785W portable projector will begin with a short overview and some highlights.  We’ll move on to a list and discussion of some of the special features this unit offers, followed by a tour of the hardware.  We’ll discuss picture quality in the different color modes and dive into how well this projector performed and if it met our expectations as I took it for a spin.  We’ll sum it all up on the final summary page; by that point you should know if the Epson PowerLite 1785W meets your needs for as a portable wireless WXGA business and education projector.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors report.  

The Epson PowerLite 1785W is a 3,200 lumen projector with WXGA (1280x800) resolution with 3LCD technology.  What I love about 3LCD projectors is that they offer as many color lumens as white lumens.  Of course, due to wavelengths of visible light, no color is going to be exactly as bright as white light when using the same light source, but it’s close enough!  We tested the brightness claim and will discuss those on the performance page; we also tried the projector out in moderate ambient light (daytime, windows open, lights off) and we’ll let you see how well it performed there.

This projector is ultra-slim, and that’s another big plus for me.  Who wants to lug a large clunky projector around when you can get features such as wireless networking for smart devices, vivid color, high brightness, and high definition images and video out of something the size and weight of a laptop?

The projector even has automatic vertical AND horizontal keystone correction, which is useful as it makes fitting the image perfectly on the screen so much easier – a real plus if you’re going to be moving this projector from classroom to classroom, or meeting room to meeting room.

There are only a few connectors available on this projector, but the wireless connectivity provides a broader range of devices that can interact with the Epson PowerLite 1785W.  Miracast streaming is supported, so you can turn your display into a smart screen, 30” all the way up to 300” diagonal.

Of course, this is a small, very portable projector; while it is capable of filling a 300” screen, let’s be real here - it’s unlikely anyone would use it to go larger than 120" or 150” diagonal.  Obviously, that would be pushing it without very good lighting control.  On my 90" screen, which is about what you would expect this projector to be used with, it looks fantastic!

This BenQ TK800 review has been a long time in the making. I got a look at a pre-production unit in April and published a respectable “First Look” review and a comparison between the TK800 and their HT2550 from the standpoint of which you should purchase based on your room and viewing habits.  We finally received at TK800 a few weeks ago.  I watched it a bit, took a few “out of the box” photos of picture quality, and sent it off to be calibrated.

Since then, I’ve put dozens of hours in watching the BenQ, replaying scenes, etc.  

Short story:  Want 4K capabilities, a very sharp image, a healthy amount of brightness for rooms with more than minimal ambient light, and a rock bottom price for all of the above?  The TK800 very likely will fit your needs.  There are a few competitors out there.  We'll help you figure out if this BenQ projector is the best choice for your setup.

Editor's note:  I was hoping to get this review published before leaving on an Alaska cruise.  That didn't quite happen so I'm publishing what I can from the ship, on the first full day of cruise'n.  

Regarding performance, here's a very short version.  The TK800 came in just a bit short of the 3000 lumen claim.  Eric came up with an eco (low lamp) best calibration with about 1000 lumens, and a 4K HDR mode was created with more emphasis on brightness, and that came in at 1933 lumens.  Impressive, considering the ending color results.   More when the page is up.  Sharpness is also on that page.  Suffice to say that the TK800 is a very typical 4K UHD projector - very sharp on 4K content.  If you aren't siting really close you probably can' tell the difference between the BenQ and an entry level true 4K projector.  -art

Yes the TK800 is near identical to its HT2550 sibling, and the differences so well defined, that much of this review is pulled directly from the HT2550, for example, only the color wheel and the front color of the projector differ regarding all the aspects of hardware.  But I watched and have written here about the TK800 a bit differently.  This time, because of the differences, between the two, I primarily watched the TK800 with some lights on, or some light coming in from partially or even mostly open shutters on my windows, sometimes a bit of both.  In other words, I have treated this BenQ as a “brighter room” projector, in that we’re talking rooms brighter than the traditional man cave/dedicated home theater.

The TK800 claims 3,000 lumens. 3,000 lumens which is a not uncommon number for 4K UHD projectors to declare and those like the TK800 have a “brighter” color wheel.

The TK800 is a physically small home theater/home entertainment projector. Optoma and other DLP manufacturers, just like BenQ, typically offer two models, generally identical regarding most things, except for using a different color wheel. (That’s the difference between those more expensive Optoma UHD60 and UHD65 4K UHDs.) 

The TK800 uses an RGBW color wheel (red, green, blue, and white slices (white is really a clear slice). This is a typical color wheel configuration found on most business and education DLP projectors.

Traditional home theater projectors avoid using a white/clear slice. The plus side is that with this color wheel, the TK800 gets a significant boost in white lumens (although color lumens suffer). 

When watching something like sports with a lot of amount of ambient light present, that extra boost of white tends to make the image look less washed out, provides more pop to the image, even if colors take a bit of a hit.

I will show you some comparison images of the same scenes on both, to further explain those differences.  The real trick for you is not whether to choose the TK800 over the HT2550, but whether to choose one of these, instead of a competitor. 

Blacklist streamed in 4K from Netflix

One difference that counts for BenQ is they priced both of theirs the same. Everyone else so far charges more money for the RGBRGB projector – the one claiming to be not as bright, but claiming the better picture.

There are plenty of preset color modes to choose from. We’ll discuss and show comparisons between them for those who love the details.

Overall I’ve been pleased with the TK800.  It does very nicely in its brighter modes when I have all my rear lighting on in the theater.  Or with my four window’s shutters open more than usual for sports viewing.

Let’s get this review moving.  Highlights!

The ViewSonic PS750W is a $1,629 list price interactive projector designed for the classroom. Education pricing is $1499.  At both prices, that includes the interactive modules, two pens, digital white board software, and a wall mount, ViewSonic designed the PS750W as a total solution for schools. This is a 3,300 lumen ultra short throw projector, making ideal for those classrooms where ambient light is uncontrollable – with a lumen count like that, you don’t have to worry much about the image being washed out.

Many of my friends are high school teachers, and their classrooms are pretty much an ambient light nightmare. Pair that with a projector that has lackluster brightness, and you’ve got content that is difficult for the students (and teachers) to see. With a projector like the ViewSonic PS750W, their grievances would reduce to zero. The same teachers make great use of their interactive white boards, so the two-in-one action that the PS750W provides would interest them greatly. As for school districts – well, many classrooms these days will have an interactive white board and a projector, so installing a projector that can serve a dual-purpose saves money in the long run.

We gave the ViewSonic PS750W a Special Interest Award because it doesn't have as much potential use as some other interactive projectors, since its interactive software for making lessons is only PC compatible. If there were no Macs in the world, the projector would have received a Hot Product Award - our highest honor - as the PS750W is truly a good interactive projector.

We wish to thank Epson America for sponsoring this year’s Best Classroom Projectors Report. 

The ViewSonic PS750W is a 3,300 lumen, DLP projector with WXGA resolution (1280 x 800). WXGA is essentially the business and education worlds’ 720p, so you can consider the image to be HD. That means text and images should be sharp, with presentations being readable from the back of a regular-sized classroom. It has a decent lamp life of 3,000 hours at full power, 7,500 in ECO mode. Most teachers won’t be running their projector all the time, but let’s say they’re running it 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for about nine months out of the year. That’s just over 700 hours a year, so running at full power, you can expect the lamp to last at least 3-4 years. In any case, replacement lamps are getting more and more inexpensive, so count that as a definite plus.

As mentioned, the ViewSonic PS750W is priced at $1,499. Good news for teachers and school districts – ViewSonic offers education pricing through their ViewSchool program. ViewSchool also has a number of helpful items for educators to get the most out of creating their interactive lessons. The PS750 itself comes with a host of features geared toward the classroom, which I will list in the highlights section of this page, and discuss in detail on the following Special Features pages.

The PS750W has all the inputs and connectors necessary for your classroom needs. It has ports for local area networking, audio and video inputs, and classic computer inputs for the more old-school computers still found in so many classrooms today (those that connect with VGA rather than HDMI). It has an ultra short throw lens, meaning the projector sits within feet of the projection screen. This is ideal for classroom environments where projectors need to be wall mounted, as ceiling mounting is not typically an option – most classrooms have those flimsy tile ceilings. The ultra short throw lens is a necessary component of an interactive projector, but we’ll get into that more on the Hardware pages later in this review.

Though primarily marketed as an education projector, this ViewSonic would be suitable for business applications as well, and would be at home in a conference room or training room. The interactive features allows for engaging presentations that will wow clients and aid in the retention of concepts. Whether in the classroom or a business environment, the ViewSonic PS750W employs multiple learning styles to suit the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learner by combining presentations with physical touch.

Speaking of physical touch, the ViewSonic PS750W can be controlled using fingertips and IR pens. The projector can sense up to ten points simultaneously, making it ideal for situations where multiple students or presenters are up at the screen. That it can be controlled using fingers is a definite plus, as this takes away the need for a good stock of IR pens. Certainly, the pens are attractive and will keep the white board surface free of smudges, but it is good to know the projector’s usefulness doesn’t rely entirely upon these pens. Check out the highlights below, then hop on over to the Special Features page to read about the PS750W’s plethora of features.

The Home Cinema 1440 - An Impressive Brute Force Solution for Living Room Projection

Typically the under $2000 range for home projectors has consisted of two classes of projectors, the entry level of the home theater class - projectors optimized for best possible picture, but primarily geared to be used in fully darkened rooms for movie viewing, but with enough brightness to tackle some sports and other HDTV with some ambient light present. That's not the Home Cinema 1440!

Then there are traditional HE - home entertainment projectors.  They are a somewhat brighter, typically even lower cost, but able to tackle more ambient light, but image processing remains very basic, no match in picture for the Home Theater projectors.

The Home Cinema 1440 projector is mostly "home entertainment" but what it has going for it is some rather dazzling brightness, I mean the kind typically found in a small auditorium, or large training room, not, until now - in the home.  In this case 4400 lumens maximum both color and white lumens (with a pretty impressive picture).  That is a rather incredible amount of brightness for the price.

I'm going to invest a few paragraphs here, to position this projector because Epson makes so many models.

In Epson's Home Cinema line-up, the HC1440 is the top of the line of these exceptionally bright new projector models.  We'll be reviewing in January/February time frame, the step down HC1040, which is a $900 projector by comparison, but still very bright, if not quite as bright.

The thing readers need to understand about Epson's projector strategy/line-up, is that for the most part, Epson seems to want to offer us one of everything.  Epson already sells far more different projector models than anyone else, one reason why they have over 40% of the North American market share despite more than 20 major competing manufacturers such as NEC, InFocus, Panasonic, Sony, Optoma, Viewsonic...   Not satisfied with entry level projectors on the home entertainment side, and serious ones on the home theater side, Epson is making a big push into the concept of selling projectors to people to use in rooms they would otherwise put in LCDTVs, because there haven't previously been projector suitable solutions.

Can't blame Epson.  Big is better, but most people have not had the option - until now, to put a projector in their favorite family or media room, due to lighting conditions.  And we're still talking one of the major advantages of projectors - huge image sizes.  Why settle for a "tiny" 70 inch LCDTV in your favorite room when you can enjoy 100, 110, 120... inch diagonal projection?

BenQ HT4050 is the highest quality of three new DLP based home theater / home entertainment projectors.  How improved over their W1070, HT1075 you may be asking? Is this a serious home theater projector, or "just" another home entertainment projector?  Find out here.

In addition to the HT4050, which is the most feature laden, there are two other new models, the HT3050, and the HT2050.  The HT4050 and the HT3050 tout REC 709 color - while the 2050 info talks about great color.  REC 709 is the modern standard for HDTV, etc.  Of course there's a difference between having a REC 709 mode, and it actually measuring color that precisely meets that claim. We, of course, have calibrated the HT4050, and will report on how close the HT4050 comes to hitting the target on the money.  The HT3050 is pretty similar for less money, but is missing a couple of key features.  You'll have to make that call.  We received an HT3050 for review as well, and I'm told by BenQ, that the same calibration settings should work for both, or rather be close enough to not matter.

Similarly, a number of projectors are THX certified, which normally implies a REC 709 accuracy, but our experience is that many projectors with THX modes are merely close, and sometimes not all that close.  Let's just say, for now, that the BenQ HT4050 starts out with especially good, accurate color, yet can still benefit slightly from further calibrating the REC 709 mode, more accurate color.  No surprise there!