January 2018 | What Hi Fi? | 6564 | What Hi Fi? | January 2018

O F F T H E S H E L F

The winning run that BenQ was on in 2017 doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon as we usher in 2018. Following up on the stunning W8000 (1080p) and W11000 (4K) projectors, one of which we use as our reference even now, the Taiwanese company has announced another couple of new entrants that are specced to attract the burgeoning 4K ecosystem. Both of the top streaming service providers, Amazon and Netflix are producing and pushing content that is shot in ultra HD or mastered in HDR while Oppo, Samsung and Sony UHD players have been doing the rounds for over a year now. To add to the mix, Microsoft has just announced the XBox One S in India, so even gamers or casual movie buffs are going to want in on the piece of the 4K action. With the W11000, BenQ crashed the price on high-end native 4K projectors capable of displaying true 8.3M

pixels and now it is ready to do the same in the mid-level segment of the market. The W1700, when it goes on sale soon will be significantly less than Rs. 3,00,000 and for a 4K device that supports HDR10 and throws up an image size of more than 100in, it makes an extremely strong case for itself.

The compact and lightweight form factor has been made possible by working closely with DLP-chip maker Texas Instruments. This brand new 0.47in single-chip DMD will no doubt be seen on other makes and models soon, but the W1700 is the first projector in the world to be equipped with this. The 4K-optimised lens system consists of a 2-piece aspheric lens and another 3-piece lens with a low-dispersion coating on it, maintaining a high optical clarity and allowing the light engine to focus as much energy on the screen as possible without losing it to stray leaks. Even the HDR10 is said to be projector-optimised and BenQ uses Auto HDR Natural Colour Rendition technology that preserves the greyscale and natural colour without adding that reddish tone that a lot of HDR-equipped hardware can do.

in the red and black suit like never before. The fine texture that sits between rubbery and leathery was captured perfectly and the HDR made for colours that make all the difference between merely watching a movie and appreciating the nuances like set design, costumes and background effects. Of course, the 8.3 million pixels work their magic and provide more detail than a 1080p projector, but the difference between a well calibrated Full HD projector and a 4K one like the W1700 isn’t as stark as you would imagine. Instead, the difference is more subtle and will take a few minutes of comparing the same scene in both resolutions to register. BenQ has gauged the colours perfectly with this mid-end product and if you have a top-end throughput system (screen, 4K HDMI cable, 4K pass-through AVR, Oppo 4K player), it will make spending more money feel like an expensive mistake. Watching Ozark on Netflix, the sweeping camera work on the placid lake town on our 120in screen looked mesmerizing enough to watch even during the duller moments of the show. Use of cinematic filters and artistic colour grading comes across with fervour, showing how close the W1700 is to the original vision of the director.

The many settings on offer have varied degrees of effect on the final picture, so depending on your preference and kit, you should spend sufficient time experimenting with each of them. There’s even a 3D option if you’re still stuck in 2014, but the glasses aren’t included. BenQ claims to have put in a lot of work on the built-in speakers and audio as well, but let’s face it, exactly 0.01% of the customers who buy a 4K projector want to use the on-board speakers. What the W1700 is, is a tool to immerse yourself in 4K movies on a shoestring budget. And a brilliant one at that! Highly recommended.

TECH SPECSNative resolution 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)Type Single-chip DLP Brightness 2200 ANSI Lumens Contrast 10000:1 Zoom ratio 1.2X Image Size 30in- 300in Dimensions (WxHxD) 353 x 135 x 272mm Weight 4.2kgs

The fine texture that sits between rubbery and leathery was captured perfectly and the HDR made for coloursthat make all the difference between merely watching a movie and appreciating the nuances like set design,costumes and background effects

The remote controller is well lit in bright orange and has hot keys for most critical functions, making it easy to make quick changes to the video. Cinema Master, Detail Expert, HDR along with brightness, contrast and sharpness all get their own dedicated buttons which is unusual, but welcome. In fact, the amount of fine-tuning that the W1700 offers is no less than a high-end projector and really coaxes you to get the best picture out of it. There is a locked ISF mode too, if you really know what you’re doing or want to get it professionally calibrated. Incidentally, the W1700 comes with a calibration report too to testify its attention to detail. Its six-segment colour wheel has served well on other models in the range and its high-purity colour coatings in the RGBRGB configuration have been perfected to yield it a Rec.709 certification. The effect is quite obvious even at factory settings, the

W1700 looking natural and balanced without tweaking any controls. Its 2200 ANSI lumens ensuring that even in the brightest of rooms, the picture is viewable, if not optimum.

But here at What Hi-Fi?, we’re all about optimising our test products and, while the W1700 doesn’t need much of it, it encourages you to explore the limits of your own skill by empowering you with every tool you need. BenQ’s use of Cinematic Color and CinemaMaster video is a suite of controls that allows you to pick on individual RGB colour streams and fine-tune their Hue, Saturation or Gain values. Partner this with a detailed Colour Temperature menu and Brilliant Colour and you have a device that will cater to virtually any taste, but aims to put accuracy above all else.

We hooked it up to the recently launched Microsoft XBox One S gaming console to try out some 4K gaming and movies. Starting out with the ever-entertaining Deadpool UHD disc that is also mastered with HDR, and the W1700 brought out the details

BenQ brings the Ultra Hi-Def revolution to everyoneFOR Compact form factor, accuracy of colours, detail, backlit remote controller

AGAINST 3D kit not included in the price. Nothing else of note

BenQ W1700 | 4K Projector | ₨2,50,000

Says

VERDICT The most compact way to get big-screen 4K picture. Easy on the pocket and the eyes, it presents colours and contrast in the most natural way. HDR10 is a big bonus!

Backlit like a lightsaber, the remote control is outstanding

January 2018 | What Hi Fi? | 6564 | What Hi Fi? | January 2018

O F F T H E S H E L F

Zoom and Focus controls are easilyaccessible on the toppanel. These controlsaren’t available on theremote though

Connectivity is adequate, including

HDMI with HDCP 2.2 and 1.4 support