BenQ Unveils Luxury Home Projectors

The Case of the Cinematic Projectors: BenQ’s W5850 & W4100i Under the Microscope
Picture this: another rainy night in the home entertainment jungle, where wallets tremble and projectors promise salvation. Enter BenQ, strutting in with two new shooters—the W5850 and W4100i—dangling specs like a noir detective flashing a badge. But are these projectors the real deal, or just another smoke-and-mirrors act in the land of 4K dreams? Let’s dust for prints.
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The Scene: Home Cinema’s Gold Rush
The home projector market’s hotter than a blacktop in July, with folks trading their flat-screens for wall-sized escapism. BenQ’s no rookie in this game; they’ve been stacking tech like a poker player with aces up their sleeve. But with the W5850 and W4100i, they’re doubling down—laser lights, AI tweaks, and color science so precise it’d make Pantone blush. Question is, who’s the mark here: the cinephile, the gamer, or the casual streamer drowning in subscription fees?
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Exhibit A: The W5850—A High-Roller’s Gamble
*Specs That’ll Make Your Wallet Weep*
Priced at a cool £4,599 (or roughly the GDP of a small island), the W5850’s the kind of projector that doesn’t knock—it kicks down the door. Laser illumination? Check. 200-inch throw? You bet. It’s got more color accuracy than a museum curator, boasting 100% coverage of DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020. Translation: your *Dune* rewatch will look like Villeneuve personally calibrated it.
*Gamer’s Delight or Overkill?*
Here’s the twist: this beast ain’t just for movie snobs. With 17ms input lag in Fast Mode, it’s whispering sweet nothings to *Call of Duty* addicts. But let’s be real—at this price, you’d better be gaming on a throne of gold bars.
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Exhibit B: The W4100i—The Everyman’s Hail Mary
*Streamer’s Paradise*
At £2,999, the W4100i’s the “sensible shoes” of the duo. Same 4K chops, but capped at 150 inches and packing Android TV like a built-in bartender. AI Cinema Mode tweaks your *Stranger Things* binge like a back-alley film lab, juicing colors and contrast while you drown in nostalgia.
*The Compromise*
No laser here—just old-school lamps. But with 100% DCI-P3 and HDR10+, it’s no slouch. Perfect for the dad who insists “the TV’s fine,” right until he sees *Top Gun: Maverick* at 150 inches and weeps into his popcorn.
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Exhibit C: The Fine Print (Because There’s Always Fine Print)
*Audio Alchemy*
Both models flaunt HDMI 2.1 and eARC for Atmos sound—because what’s a spaceship explosion without a subwoofer shaking your fillings loose? But here’s the rub: you’ll still need speakers. BenQ’s not *that* generous.
*Installation Voodoo*
Motorized zoom? Lens shift? The W5850’s got more adjustments than a hypochondriac’s thermostat. Great for custom setups, but good luck explaining “throw ratios” to your significant other without getting *the look*.
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Verdict: Case Closed, Folks
BenQ’s playing both sides: the W5850’s for the tech-obsessed with money to burn, while the W4100i’s the Trojan horse for normies dipping toes into big-screen waters. Either way, these projectors are less “buy now” and more “start saving”—unless you’re cool with ramen for a year. But hey, at least your *Blade Runner* marathons will look divine.
*Mic drop. Lights up.*