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If you’re mad about movies, you’ll love Filmmaker Mode on this BenQ projector. Designed in collaboration with filmmakers and Hollywood studios, Filmmaker Mode lets you experience the cinematic vision, exactly as the director intended. Overriding the TV’s own motion and picture processing, Filmmaker Mode presents the correct aspect ratio, colour and frame rate – just as the filmmakers intended. The only other note to consider is the noise of the projector fan, which is noticeable, but nothing beyond what we’d expect. If you’re sitting right next to the W2700, you’ll hear it, but otherwise it’s not a problem. Verdict The W1800i maximizes available space with a range of throw distances enabling 4K big-screen entertainment in tight quarters.
The BenQ W1800 can do up to 15,000 hours in its lamp save mode, but only 8,000 in the most balanced Smart Eco mode and just 4,000 when it’s set to normal. After that, you’re looking at a pricey lamp replacement. BenQ describes its approach as ‘true’ 4K, though, and crucially the independent Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in the US agrees. The single most striking strength of the W1800 is its colour performance. Whether you’re watching in one of the movie-friendly standard dynamic range picture presets or the Filmmaker Mode with HDR, colour tones across the board look beautifully natural, richly nuanced and remarkably well balanced for such an affordable projector.
BenQ W1800 4K DLP home cinema projector review
It is worth noting that our first review sample had a fault that left a split in brightness down the middle of the picture when we adjusted the gamma settings. This doesn’t happen with the second unit, so we don’t expect it to be an issue.
BenQ’s decision to focus with the W1800 on what we guess could be considered good old-fashioned home cinema values has paid off handsomely. Its pictures might not be the showiest around, but they’re refined, natural, authentic and, to use that word again, cinematic. Notice: Netflix only supports specific authorized devices and is not natively available on projectors. Please follow these recommended viewing methods. Once this module is connected to the projector, all that’s left to do is to connect to your Google account to take advantage of the online application catalog and to rent movies. You can also enjoy your subscription to Disney+, YouTube or Prime Video, as well as stream content wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android).
Setup is aided by a decent 1.3x zoom and flexible 2D keystone adjustment. There's no optical image shifting, but this is never a given with 4K projectors as affordable as this.
Suitable for living room projection, the BenQ W1800i UHD 4K projector has a 1.3 manual zoom that gives the user some freedom when it comes to placement. The BenQ W1800i’s zoom and focus are adjusted manually using two rings on the top of the projector. The Filmmaker Mode plays so nicely with the W1800’s home cinema-tuned capabilities, in fact, that we don’t actually mind not having the option to switch to a different preset with HDR content. I was pretty set on the TK700STi, which could give me 120” screen from that throw. The W1800i would give me a screen closer to 100”. I’ve read that 120” at that viewing distance is too close, but I’ve seen people on here say that they love it (too big is a myth, right?)
We reserve the right to charge for any postal surcharges levied by the courier eg for non mainland UK, Highlands and Islands. Lastly, if you’re using the included Android TV module, you’ll have to log into your Google account to access the Playstore and enjoy the different services available. BenQ W1800i: our impressions Unfortunately, it is not possible to access Netflix from the BenQ W1800i, which is not compatible with this streaming service. Even when enabling wireless screen sharing from an Android smartphone, we couldn’t access it. So those who want to enjoy Netflix with this projector will have to do so from a Netflix-compatible computer or AV network player connected to the W1800i via HDMI, or via a Chromecast Video. BenQ W1800i: 4000h, 2000 lumen lamp The W1800 also seems to take great care about the way it maps HDR sources to its inherent capabilities. There’s precious little clipping of detail in bright peaks, for instance, and colours look authentic rather than strained (even when it comes to notoriously difficult skin tones). The projector also sensibly uses HDR’s expanded light range more to deliver subtler light differences than to push the extremes. As noted earlier, the W1800 supports an optional extra Android TV dongle if you want it to go ‘smart’, and finally lamp life is claimed at an impressively long 15,000 hours. This will greatly reduce, though, if you watch a lot of HDR.
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