BenQ

W4000i 4K LED Projector

£2,999 RRP

It's been a while between drinks for Taiwan-based manufacturer BenQ – four long years and one global pandemic since we reviewed the company's talented little W2700, in fact. The undisputed king of value 4K projectors at the time, it represented excellent value for money - a baton it passed on to the more recent W2700i. Its bigger and more expensive brother, the W5700 – which added better optics, light output and full DCI/P3 coverage – also reviewed well.

Of course, a lot has changed since then, with 4K projectors maturing significantly, particularly with HDR. So when BenQ announced the W4000i, we were all ears, eager to discover what this mid-priced home cinema projector offers…

UP CLOSE

The W4000i is a 4K DLP projector with a stated resolution of 3,840x2,160. It achieves this courtesy of a Texas Instruments 0.65” DMD (Digital Micromirror Device). Limited to a native resolution of 1080p, the 0.65” DMD produces 3,840x2,160 by flashing its 2 million + micrometre-sized mirrors four times in fast succession.

It forgoes the lamp-based light source of the W5700 in favour of a four-LED light source. This also enables it to dispense with a colour wheel, which can be the cause of RBE or Rainbow Effect for some viewers. The W4000i boasts a quoted 3,200 ANSI Lumens and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, with a stated 20,000-hour lifespan in Normal and 30,000 hours in ECO Mode. The actual contrast ratio, though, is likely to be much lower. This staggering figure was achieved with FOFO (ANSI is preferred) measurements and Dynamic Black engaged.

Like the similarly priced W5700, the W4000i is quoted as being able to produce 100% of the DCI/P3 Colour. It uses BenQ's proprietary HDR Pro technology, which incorporates both Dynamic Black and Local Contrast technologies. Dynamic Black delivers software-based dimming of the LED light source, which is faster in nature than a mechanical iris. Meanwhile, Local Contrast analyses the brightness of multiple zones, adjusting the gamma of individual of each zone accordingly.

This, the company claims, lets the W4000i preserve subtle details in dark and bright areas enriching the depth of 4K HDR images. As a calibrator, colour accuracy is close to my heart. It's also something that BenQ embraces; each of its projectors is factory calibrated. Although it's impossible to account for differing screens and environments, they're usually more accurate than rivals.

The W4000i supports HDR10, in addition to HDR10+ and HLG. It's equipped with an Android TV Dongle, providing access to Google's Play Store and a host of streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube. Gamers will also be delighted to learn that the W4000i offers some of the fastest response times available.

UNBOXING AND SETUP

The W4000i arrived securely packed with enough packing foam to make damage in transit nigh-on impossible. Unboxed, it's an attractive piece of kit with a distinctive lifestyle charm. Its gunmetal-on-black finish means that it is going to be equally at home in a dedicated bat cave as it would be on a coffee table in a lounge room.

Lens control is strictly manual; horizontal and vertical lens shifts, as well as focus and zoom controls, are located on top of the unit. Vents are situated on the front and both sides of the projector. Around the back, you will find an abundance of connection options, including two HDMI 2.0b (HDCP 2.2) inputs. In addition to a LAN port, there's also a 12V Trigger, an RS-232 port, and two USB-A inputs, one of which is reserved for service.

A small housing extends from the back of the W4000i in which the Android Dongle is installed. The unit can also be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi courtesy of the Android dongle. An internal 5W speaker is fitted, although it can connect directly to an AV receiver or processor via TOSLINK, 3.5mm minijack or HDMI 2, which also supports ARC.

The lens is located on the side of the projector and incorporates a ten-element six-group array. It's the very same type that is found on the W3000i with a generous 1.15 ~ 1.50 throw distance, which BenQ states allows it to fill a 100” screen from 2.5 metres. Keystone correction is also provided; vertical (0-60%) and Horizontal (max. ±15%), which should be more than enough.

The projector also comes with a power cord, user manual, certificate of calibration, Android dongle and two remote controls. The larger remote, which operates the projector, is one of the finest I have used. The white on the black finish is positively eye-catching, while its simplicity makes it a joy to operate. Sporting the same finish, the smaller remote is for navigating the Android interface.

Setting up is, for the most part, straightforward. Android dongle installed and powered on, a GUI guides users through everything from pairing remotes to connecting to the internet. Some misspellings and incorrect diagrams did cause a little confusion, but there's nothing too mind-bending here for most users.

The W4000i may be able to fill a 100” screen from 2.5 metres, but frustratingly I couldn't get it small enough to fill 100” at 3.5 metres. Designed to project big images from a fairly close distance, owners of dedicated home theatres will need to be mindful of this. Ultimately, I had to accept a small amount of overscan in my own home theatre. That aside, the vertical and horizontal lens controls made it relatively easy to get everything lined up. There's enough range in the controls that keystone correction shouldn't be necessary, and I'd strongly encourage you not to use it, as it tends to soften images.

For this review, the W4000i was connected via HDMI to the video output of a JBL SDR-35 AV receiver. Source devices comprised a Magnetar UDP800 4K Blu-ray player and Apple TV. Images were projected onto a 100” (1.0 gain) Severtson Cinegray 16.9 screen. Speakers consisted of VAF Signature i91 front and centre and four VAF i90 speakers for surround and overhead Atmos channels. Two Ascendo SV-12 were used for a 5.2.2 Atmos layout. Read on if you want to learn more about how this product is measured and calibrated. Otherwise, feel free to skip the following section…

MEASUREMENTS AND CALIBRATION

The W4000i has five selectable picture modes – Cinema, Filmmaker, User, Bright and Bright Cinema. Calibration controls include two and eleven-point grayscale controls and a CMS or Colour Management System. Unsurprisingly perhaps, Bright produced the brightest images with peak white measuring 165 nits. It did, however, come at the cost of accuracy, the greyscale emphasising green. This translated to limey whites, making images unwatchable.

Bright Cinema proved to be a better compromise for bright rooms, producing a respectable 107 nits without making images look radioactive. In Filmmaker mode, the W4000i yielded 62 nits, enough for SDR viewing in all but challenging environments. However, grayscale performance exhibited more error than expected, with delta E ranging between 1.5 and 7.6. While this projector may be factory calibrated, you can't account for differing screens and viewing environments. Colour fared slightly better, with dE's ranging between 1.8 and 6.2, while gamma tracking was excellent.

Both the User and Cinema Picture modes produced very similar results to Filmmaker mode, although the WCG Filter needs to be turned off for better SDR colour accuracy in User. Ultimately, I settled on the Cinema Picture mode for the SDR calibration.

Combining the two-point and 11-point grayscale controls enabled me to dial an extremely accurate grayscale and gamma tracking with a maximum dE of 1 at 80%, the remainder tracking well below this number. Colour accuracy was likewise superb, with a maximum dE of 1.7. This level of accuracy, in theory, should result in accurate and more lifelike colours. Switching to Smart-ECO, the peak light output of the W4000i dropped to a still very healthy 88 nits for SDR. It also engaged the Dynamic Dimming and significantly improved black levels.

With the WCG Filter engaged, the W4000i produced 100% of the DCI/P3 Colour Gamut and between 77-81% of BT.2020. While the 4K Ultra-HD Standard uses BT.2020, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays are typically limited to DCI/P3 colour. The challenge of introducing a colour filter in the projector's light path is a reduction in light output. In HDR10 mode, peak light output dropped from 90 to 57.2 nits. Favouring brighter HDR images and better black levels, I opted to disengage the WCG for HDR10.

The W4000i was calibrated to industry standards for SDR and HDR with a Klein Instruments K10A colorimeter, profiled against a high-res (2nm) JETI 1501 spectroradiometer. Test patterns for SDR and HDR were generated by a Murideo 6G, with 10% window patterns used for calibration and measuring light output. The unit was calibrated using Calman Ultimate (2023) Calibration Software. The Spears & Munsil HDR Benchmark (2023) was also used for evaluation and calibration.

PERFORMANCE

The 4000i is superbly colour-accurate, with images looking incredibly lifelike and natural. While it can't match other technologies in terms of black levels, it produces sharp, crisp images all the same. HDR performance is likewise strong, and the W4000i is a clear improvement over its predecessors in terms of HDR imagery.

With the ever-familiar but often challenging 1080p SDR Blu-ray of The Wolverine, the W4000i produced a level of colour accuracy that had to be seen to be believed. It gave the varying skin tones a wonderful realism that some projectors costing many times more can struggle to match. It's not just the skin tones that benefit from the colour accuracy, with even the more mundane given a new lease of life. For instance, the white shirts of the bodyguards were crisp, looking as though they'd just been laundered, while set pieces such as painted vases were incredibly realistic.

Switching to the often drab hues on the 1080p SDR Blu-ray of The Revenant, the W4000i put in an equally impressive performance. Its excellent greyscale and colour performance made everything from snow to rock look real, while the differing shades of a character's fur coat were made out with ease. The deep dark blacks in the opening scene of the Ultra HD Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens provided the perfect opportunity to test black levels. And, as good as it was in terms of colour performance, it struggled with the challenging space shots, blacks looking closer to a darker grey.

With such material, the dynamic dimming of Smart Eco pays off in spades. It provides a significant improvement in black levels, with blacks possessing a faint glow without it. Engaged, it's still a far cry from the black levels of my own Sony VPL-XW5000ES, but nonetheless offers a significant improvement over the native contrast of the W4000i.

Despite its limited black levels, the attack on the village was a visual feast. The blasts of lasers and fires looked satisfyingly HDR-like. While the Dynamic Contrast Enhancer did little for black levels, it added lustre to brighter objects, such as stars and explosions. When the Rey character was introduced, the W4000i did a wonderful job rendering the fine detail of her desert garb. While the detail and crispness can't quite match more expensive native 4K projectors, the W4000i produced some of the sharpest images I've seen at its price point.

Moving to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Avatar: The Way of Water, the clean visuals of the W4000i imparted a great sense of dimensionality. Experimenting with the HDR Brightness control pays off, taming blown-out highlights and providing yet more depth to images. With a 4K Ultra HD transfer of Netflix's 6 Underground via the projector's Android interface, the colours were as riotous as expected. While quite usable, the interface wasn't as snappy as the trusty Apple TV. Likewise, getting sound to a receiver or processor is a challenge if the W4000i can't be directly connected. I suppose most like me will have an external streaming device.

THE VERDICT

It may have been a while between models for BenQ, but it is evident that the Taiwanese manufacturer has been busy doing good work. While the W4000i's black levels may not be its strong suit, it is capable of colour accuracy that puts more expensive projectors to shame. HDR performance has also been significantly improved; the combination of dynamic dimming and local contrast enhancer makes for fun, poppy imagery. Also, the sharp images it produces are hard to beat at this price point.

Although functional and a handy addition, the Android interface presents some challenges in getting sound to an external processor or receiver. As such, it's better reserved for impromptu movie nights, to which the W4000i is highly suited due to its low weight and compact form factor. It's also a non-issue if you have a dedicated streaming device already.

So if you're a fan of the film-like images produced by DLP, this new projector needs to be on your audition list. Everything about it is an improvement over the W5700 and W2700, offering the perfect upgrade path for owners of such projectors. In fact, the W4000i may be the best DLP money can buy at this price point right now.

For more information visit BenQ