Whether we are watching the 4K vintage world of The Prestige or the starker setting of Die Hard’s Nakatomi Plaza, the W2700 has the colours, the contrast and the brightness bang on, and that’s no mean feat.

I run the PJ in Eco mode. The fans make too much noise in Normal and although the brightness is higher, I did not find it beneficial to the extra noise. In ECO mode and HDR the PJ is still bright enough to display everything with 'a pop' to it. 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?)The chip is flashed at a rate of 240Hz (four times the normal amount) each time in a different position such that a full 4K, 8.3 million distinct pixels are displayed to the viewer per frame of footage.

As a shortcut, with non-HDR, we recommend choosing the Vivid TV preset. We watch Thor in Full HD and the colour palette is well balanced. The gold of Asgard’s palace is as prominent as the green of the planet’s trees and the blues of its oceans in the opening sweeps of the film. Ultra HD 4K resolution gives you four times more detail than Full HD with over 8 million pixels! It delivers a sharper, more life-like picture with richer and more natural colour. It also lets you sit closer to the screen – making it ideal for smaller rooms, too. With the BenQ W1800, you get a crystal-clear 120 inch image, with the projector positioned just 3 metres away. 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. I’m trying to choose between the new BenQ W1800i and the TK700STi. Room will be 3m x 5m. Projector hitting the long wall (under 3m throw distance). keystone eliminates trapezoid effects when projecting from various room locations for ease and convenience.

BenQ W1800 4K DLP home cinema projector review

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. The stunning 4K UHD (Ultra-HD) 3840x2160 resolution is four times the pixel count of 1080p FHD (full HD). With 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame, the W1800i minimizes blur and displays crisp clear video. Additionally, the projector with the new generation 0.47” single-DMD DLP technology (chip) showcases a sleek modern design to complement your viewing space. BenQ describes its approach as ‘true’ 4K, though, and crucially the independent Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in the US agrees. 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.

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. 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). 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. For optimal colour, the W1800 features BenQ’s CinematicColor technology. This tech 100% meets the Rec. 709 HDTV standard for colour accuracy, giving you realistic colour with true-to-life texture and depth. The RGBRGB colour wheel and high contrast deliver crisp images and help maximise the full potential of 4K resolution.The main use of the projector will be for movies, but with some gaming. BenQ tell me that the W1800i runs at 16ms input lag, which is the same as the TK700STi so no issue there. The projector also has a relatively short throw of 1.3:1 with the zoom control at full, giving you a 100in picture at a distance of only 2.5m. The only worrying spec is a maximum brightness of just 2,000 ANSI lumens. BenQ W1800 review: Price and competition Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 29th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)