The BenQ W5700 is part of the CinePrime series of single-chip DLP projectors from the manufacturer that use Texas Instruments’ latest 0.47-inch DMD chip. This uses a quad flash (moving pixels) that tricks the eye into seeing an image of 8.3 million pixels on the screen. The DMD is 1920 x 1080 in resolution, but using this technique can give a pseudo 4K image on the screen and at a significantly lower cost than a native 4K chip.
The BenQ W5700 is designed to be used in low-light cinemas and as such is intended more for home theater use than other 4K DLP projectors at this price. It comes with a number of image quality features and factory pre-calibration features, with a printed sheet telling you what the results are on the box. After seeing some BenQ projectors now, we can say that the sheet is the same in each box and not specific to the projector. However, it’s great that BenQ is taking this approach and trying to educate its customers towards accurate image quality.
The lens itself has a series of 11 very high-resolution elements that is structured in six groups that BenQ says will help with sharp 4K images from the W5700 across the screen. On each side of the central lens are the vents and exhaust and have been designed, like the lens, to reduce the light leakage from the frame and repel dust. The lens scrolling and zoom ratios used allow you to place the BenQ perfectly for the best possible image without the need for keystone correction. Keystone can destroy the image quality and fine line details when used, so being able to properly configure the W5700 is welcome.
On the back, we have connections within a slightly recessed area that provides some cable handling when ceiling mounted. Wise connections we have a DIGITAL LAN and optical output, a 12V and IR trigger on, a ready USB 3.0 media playback port, two HDMI 2.0b inputs that support HDCP 2.2 and will take 4K 60P hDR signals, a mini USB power, RS232C port , this time 2.0 and round is a 3.5mm audio jack. The power outlet is located at the bottom center of the back plate and on the left side we have manual menu buttons in case you lose the remote control.
The BenQ W5700 is a great single-chip DLP projector that is designed for home theater activities. It provides an accurate SDR image which is an excellent result for a DLP machine, as they usually have difficulty producing accurate colors at this price. It is pre-calibrated in the factory and BenQ should be congratulated for taking the accuracy of the image seriously at this end of the market.
HDR is a mixed fit on the BenQ W5700 in the same way we found the previously revised W2700. Any projector at this market level will have problems with HDR content and even the most expensive units on the market are unable to provide enough dynamic range and color to produce eye-catching HDR images. As mentioned earlier in the review, BenQ does its best with the content, but can’t produce 100% DCI-P3 as stated and found that using the projector without the extensive color filter was a much better experience. The BenQ W5700 is also able to reproduce 3D with its excellent movement providing a very convincing 3D experience. The game is also possible, but the input delay is a bit high at 55 ms.
Watching SDR and HDR content in best BenQ settings is a very good experience with some of the best SDR accuracy we’ve seen from a single-chip DLP projector. It’s not the brightest unit out there and is designed for slit rooms and home theater use, so it’s not suitable for ambient light or normal living rooms with white ceilings and walls. And this is the main difference between the W5700 and the W2700 in general, since in most other aspects they are very close to each other in terms of performance. Which of which you decide will certainly be reduced to the environment and use and there are also competing Epson models out there that offer slightly different performance parameters and technology at similar prices.
Overall, the BenQ W5700, although faulty like most other projectors in this area with HDR content, provides a decent account of itself with the use of mixed films in dim environments. We believe it is worthy of a demonstration if you are looking for a projector at this price for home theater use and it is recommended. Photo:BenQ
