BenQ HT4550i 4K projector evaluation: an out-of-the-box stunner

BenQ HT4550i 4K projector evaluation: an out-of-the-box stunner

MSRP $2,999.00

“The BenQ HT4550i 4K projector is calibrated out of the field, nevertheless it will get even higher with a number of tweaks.”

Professionals

• Amazingly correct coloration
• Vivid 3,200 ANSI lumens picture
• HDR modes for days
• Comes with Android TV
• Vertical/horizontal lens shift is superb
• The fan is quiet

Cons

• Constructed-in sound isn’t nice
• Black ranges undergo a bit in mild rooms

BenQ’s premium-level house theater projector, the HT4550i 4K HDR LED, doesn’t disappoint. Designed for “AV content material fanatics and film aficionados,” the HT4550i sits on the high of BenQ’s choices for 2023 because of 4K UHD (3,840-by-2,160) decision, impressively brilliant 3,200 ANSI lumens, and Android TV built-in (nicely, form of).

The upgraded follow-up to BenQ’s in style HT3550, the HT4550i holds its personal in reasonably brilliant rooms — because it ought to at a value of $2,999 — because of its solid-state LED mild supply. But it surely’s no shock that it excels in the dead of night, the place its unique HDR-Professional (with HDR10+ assist) and CinematicColor tech that permits for 100% DCI-P3 coloration protection pump out respectable black ranges and fantastically correct coloration that’s factory-calibrated and out-of-the-box prepared.

Past the field, although, the HT4550i has adjustable image settings for days, permitting customers to dial of their good picture with ease. And it didn’t take lengthy to show my modest basement right into a gobsmacking house theatre, both. The HT4550i is simple to maneuver round throughout setup, thanks partially to its vertical/horizontal lens shifting and different image-fitting options.

However is it well worth the three-grand price ticket when you could possibly get into an extremely brief throw or laser projector in that very same ballpark? Let’s discover out.

Setup

Organising a projector — particularly one on this worth vary that’s meant for extra devoted house theater setups — could be intimidating. And whereas issues like placement distance and peak, in addition to keystone and focus changes, should be considered with any projector, going from unboxing to showtime with the HT4550i is fairly easy.

The included quick-start information features a useful distance-to-screen chart for determining the place it must be positioned in a variety of room sizes. For instance, whereas the chart has measurements for a picture dimension as small as 30 inches, BenQ recommends a minimal 60-inch picture, with the projector at a minimal distance of round 5 ft. On the utmost finish, it recommends a 200-inch picture at a distance of round 16 ft. I projected a 100-inch picture on a 16:9 display screen and positioned the HT45501 about 9.5 ft away.

The BenQ HT 4550i has a 0% to -60% vertical lens shift and a +/- 15% horizontal lens shift, which implies that you’ve got some leverage for transferring your picture left, proper, and up and all the way down to completely align it to the display screen utilizing the guide shift dials on high of the unit. I did discover that whereas shifting the picture vertically to suit my display screen, the picture skews barely up and to the precise, requiring you to regulate the projector’s place to compensate. It’s not an enormous deal, however price noting. The HT4550i’s guide 1.3x zoom and guide focus enable for simple dimension adjustment, fine-tuned becoming, and focusing, which I really want over automated focus.

The HT4550i additionally has auto 2D vertical keystone adjustment and guide horizontal keystone adjustment, however as a result of I measured issues out appropriately and adjusted the shift myself, there was little or no keystone adjustment wanted (if it did it routinely, I didn’t discover). That is really the best scenario you need, as an excessive amount of keystone adjustment can doubtlessly skew the picture.

The HT4550i (the “i” signifies its deal with streaming content material, BenQ says) has two HDMI 2.0 inputs (with eARC assist) for connecting a spread of sources, from Blu-ray gamers to streaming units like Apple TV or Roku, nevertheless it does include its personal Android TV dongle that you simply set up on the again of the unit. All you want is a screwdriver to take away a small cowl after which the dongle simply connects to an HDMI port after which to a mini-USB energy cable. The duvet goes again on neatly, concealing the dongle. Or, you don’t have to make use of it in any respect. Your name.

Organising the Android TV interface is customary, and it comes with Netflix and a number of other different streaming companies preinstalled. People who aren’t can simply be downloaded from the Google Play Retailer. I opted to additionally join my Apple TV 4K to the HT4550i, which was nice as a result of I might use its AirPlay connectivity to have sound come out of my present Sonos encompass system. In any other case, I used the projector’s built-in 5-watt speaker, which is definitely not dangerous in a pinch, nevertheless it’s not nice as a everlasting choice. With SPDIF and a 3.5-mm audio-out port, connecting to different audio sources you will have can also be simple, however there isn’t any Dolby Atmos assist, simply Dolby Digital Plus.

The unit itself is manufactured from sturdy plastic with a smooth matte end and measures 16.54 by 5.31 by 12.28 inches, and there’s a tethered, snap-in lens cowl and a slide-over cowl for the main target and zoom dials, all to assist maintain mud at bay. Lastly, the HT4550i comes with a distant that controls each the projector and the Android TV dongle.

Brightness, coloration, and HDR

The BenQ 4550i makes use of the corporate’s 4LED mild supply that boasts 3,200 ANSI lumens of brightness, which is impressively brilliant for an LED projector, particularly one on this worth vary. BenQ says that the 4550i is “specifically designed for reasonably darkish AV rooms,” and it’s proper on the cash.. The HT4550i’s picture brightness blew me away when the lights went down, creating a wonderful viewing expertise that’s so clear that I needed to examine it to my LG OLED for reference. Driving that readability is a Texas Devices 0.66-inch DLP 4K UHD chipset able to delivering a local 4K picture of three,840 x 2,160 (8.3 million) pixels.

The HT4550i projector makes use of BenQ’s new CinematicColor DCI-P3 tech to ship what BenQ says is correct enhanced colours. When the projector is in HDR mode (it routinely detects an HDR sign and adjusts), BenQ’s new Huge Shade Gamut (WCG) function is activated (it will also be turned on manually), which widens the colour gamut from 100% Rec.709 coloration house to full 100% DCI-P3. Developed by the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) and the Society of Movement Image and Tv Engineers (SMPTE), Protocol 3 is the RGB coloration house that’s the usual used within the digital cinema and movie {industry}, that means that with this lively, try to be seeing the film’s colours the way in which that the filmmakers meant. On high of that, the HT4550i’s HDR-Professional and Native Distinction Enhancer options allow greater than 1,000 native dimming zones that additional assist with coloration accuracy, in addition to higher protect darks and lights when watching in HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG viewing modes.

Efficiency and movie modes

All of the specs and massive numbers apart, the image on the HT4550i is totally beautiful. In my expertise, a 100-inch picture in my small-to-medium-sized basement TV room was maybe a bit huge for the house, however its readability, coloration, and dynamic distinction made for a wonderful viewing expertise with movie-theater affect, whether or not watching SDR or HDR titles. Certain, after I opened the blinds in by basement and let some daylight into the room, a number of the blacks and shadows suffered (this occurred typically when bumping up brightness ranges, too), and I most likely wouldn’t make a behavior of doing this. However total, distinction (particularly in HDR modes) was higher than anticipated.

The HT4550i provides a variety of image modes which can be well-calibrated and look nice out of the field with none changes in any respect, which is nice in case you’re new to the projector world. However must you wish to tweak issues, the extent of obtainable fine-tuning you are able to do with this projector is off the charts.

For testing out SDR films, I used my Apple TV 4KK, dropping the decision all the way down to SDR 1080p within the machine’s settings. I then threw on some scenes from Pulp Fiction and The Hangover on Netflix. Image modes for SDR embrace Vivid, Vivid Cinema, Cinema, Filmmaker Mode, and Person. For the display screen, I used a mid-priced, 100-inch matte white display screen with a 1.1 achieve reflection, however in case you had been going to get a bit extra critical, you could possibly go for a premium display screen like Elite Screens’ Aeon Collection CineWhite fastened body display screen with a 1.3 achieve, which might add much more brightness.

Though BenQ recommends Filmmaker mode for SDR content material (this routinely prompts the WCG function) to realize the 100% Rec.709 gamut, I really most well-liked the Vivid Cinema mode. Turning off the WCG, because it seems, additionally bumps up the brightness, so I opted to depart this off. For each films, I discovered the colour, brightness, and distinction to be good, and in Pulp Fiction, Jules and Vincent’s black-and=white fits popped, and the sunshine from the window within the hallway as they discuss foot massages is good and clear, too.

I didn’t see an enormous distinction between any of the opposite image modes besides Vivid, which has a noticeable inexperienced tinge — I assume it’s meant to be manually tweaked. There are additionally a number of Mild Supply Modes that have an effect on brightness and the pressure on the bulb. For essentially the most half, I used the Regular mode, as I discovered it to be the brightest. SmartEco and Eco mode had been very related – barely dimmer than Regular — however Eco mode considerably quieted up the projector’s fan.

Whether or not utilizing the Android TV, Apple TV 4K, or no matter supply you like, when the HT4550i detects an HDR supply, it routinely places the projector within the corresponding HDR mode (HDR10, HDR10+, or HLG) and adjusts the settings for optimum use, activating and deactivating options resembling WCG, Native Distinction Enhancer, and the Mild Supply Mode to go well with.

I watched all the things from Avengers: Endgame on Disney+ and The Witcher on Netflix to Sport of Thrones on HBO (for HDR10 examples) and The Tomorrow Struggle on Amazon Prime Video for the tone-mapped HDR10+ supply, and switched back-and-forth between the Apple TV and the Android TV dongle. First, I’ll say that all the things appeared unimaginable, it doesn’t matter what mode was activated by default. Actually, for the worth, setting one in every of these up in your home is a no brainer — it’s a simple path to a killer house theater.

For my HDR10 take a look at with Endgame and GoT, in a darkish room, I switched between it and Filmmaker Mode, the latter of which reveals off the WCG’s super-accurate colours and pores and skin tones (Thanos was certainly Thanos purple). Like with my SDR exams, I did want the picture with the WCG filter off for that additional brightness bump, particularly when placing GoT’s much-criticized The Lengthy Evening episode to the take a look at. The darkish scenes had been certainly darkish, however I might see all the main points simply high-quality (Jon Snow fumbling round in the dead of night killing walkers, the Evening King in all his glory). Though the colour with the Huge Shade Gamut function on is admittedly higher, I didn’t see sufficient of a distinction for me to decide on it over the additional brightness.

In HDR10+ by means of the Android TV dongle, The Tomorrow Struggle, regardless of being a horrible movie, additionally appeared fantastically brilliant, with extra element, s nicely as vivid and correct coloration — barely extra so than its HDR10 model on the Apple TV. The movie does have a great vary of quick motion scenes which can be dealt with properly by the HT4550i, and even some blisteringly brilliant snow sequences on the finish. In HDR10+, content material defaults to the WCG being off and the HDR Brightness setting being unavailable. And though you do get some extra element and coloration accuracy with the WCG on, you guessed it, I nonetheless most well-liked it with it off for that additional brightness, even on the slight sacrifice of some inkiness within the blacks. Possibly it’s simply me (BenQ’s reviewer information likes to recommend the WCG be on so much), however I like a pleasant brilliant picture, which is a part of why I actually just like the HT4550i, because it’s so simply tweakable. With well-laid-out menus that make sense, those that dare can take a deep dive into their very own calibration, grayscale, coloration, and different fine-tuning modes for the proper image. However for many, the built-in pre-calibration setting proved to be distinctive out of the field.

The underside line

The BenQ HT4550i could appear daunting for the uninitiated (and as a consequence of its $3,000 worth), however for a premium LED DLP projector that may flip most medium-sized rooms into a formidable 4K UHD big-screen house theater, it’s simple to arrange and surprisingly simple to make use of. The HT4550i’s blazing 3,200 ANSI-lumens brightness that’s pushed by its 4LED DLP mild supply (with a 20,000-hour life) is superb in rooms with average mild and a champ in the dead of night, to make sure. However the crown jewels of the HT4550i’s specs are its potential to realize film-industry-accurate 100% DCI-P3 coloration and the HDR-Professional tech that helps HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG codecs for spectacular distinction.

However maybe what’s most interesting in regards to the HT4550i is how able to roll it’s out of the field. It’s almost good on the get-go, however provides you the flexibility to simply tweak a variety of settings through superior coloration settings to tailor it to your room and your preferences, which supplies the HT4550i a leg up on cheaper — and even some higher-end — projectors. Plus, even in case you don’t have your personal streaming machine or Blu-ray participant to get began with, the included Android TV dongle is simple to put in and use.

The HT4550i might additionally give some laser projectors and multi-chip DLP projectors a run for his or her cash in brightness and worth. For some comparisons, you could possibly try BenQ’s personal X3000i 4K gaming projector, which shares most of the similar options (together with its 4LED  mild supply and 100% DCI-P3 CinemaColor), however not HDR10+ assist, for $1,000 much less, and even the Epson EpiqVision LS800 UST an ultra-short throw (UST) 4K laser projector with 4,000 ISO lumens of brightness that prices $3,500.

However with its video high quality, ease of use and setup, and piles of adjustable options, it’s price contemplating forking over $3,000 for the BenQ HT4550i.

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