It wasn’t that long ago we were praising BenQ for a reasonably priced 4K HDR projector, the HT2550. That projector ended up selling for $1,500 in the US, and compared favorably to the budget 4K offerings from Optoma. But now, just a few short months later, BenQ is back with another $1,500 4K HDR projector: the TK800.
The TK800’s standout spec is its 3,000 lumen rating, which is a good bit brighter than the HT2550’s 2,200 lumens. BenQ also claims the TK800 has improved color accuracy and reproduction. It’s still nothing nearly as impressive color-wise as a modern HDR OLED or LCD TV, but you’re almost always trading away a good amount of quality for screen size when you get a projector.
Also, if the price didn’t make it obvious, it’s good to point out that the TK800, like the HT2550 before it, and every other projector which costs less than a car, isn’t “native” 4K, but instead is based on a 1080p chip combined with XPR pixel-switching (not to be confused with pixel-shifting) to create the 8.3 million pixels that the 4K spec requires. The image on your wall is still a lot sharper than a 1080p projection, but the compromise bothers some people. If you are one of those people, I highly recommend this AVSForum thread on the topic.
The BenQ TK800 will be available in April.