Professionals
- Compact design
- The comfort of a short-throw lens
- Constructed-in streaming
Cons
- Nothing dangerous, however nothing wonderful both
The BenQ TK705STi is a short-throw, Google TV-enabled projector, excellent for small rooms that may’t match a standard mannequin. Total picture high quality is superb. Brightness is… good. It is in keeping with equally priced opponents, although not class-leading.
The silver and gray design is both stylish or mundane, relying in your perspective, however on the very least it is non-obtrusive, similar to its dimension.
Whereas its goal efficiency is not fairly pretty much as good as some latest projectors, the picture it creates is greater than the sum of its elements. It is pleasing and lifelike, with not one of the potential artifacts of its laser-powered brethren.
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Specs and such
- Decision: 4K
- Lumens spec: 3,000 (ANSI)
- Zoom: No
- Lens shift: No
- Mild supply sort and life: LED, 20,000 hours (30,000 ECO mode)
The TK705STi is a short-throw projector, which implies it sits farther from the display screen/wall than an ultra-short throw projector, however nonetheless nearer than a standard or long-throw projector. Make sense? Principally, to create a 100-inch picture the TK705STi must be rather less than 6 ft away from the display screen.
BenQ says the projected picture has 3,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, however that is fairly removed from what I measured. In its most correct mode I obtained round 1,280 lumens. In its less-accurate Vibrant mode I obtained 1,786. These are all affordable numbers, greater than sufficient to create a shiny picture and much like what you will discover within the worth vary. However within the projector brightness arms race, these are mild moonbeams in comparison with the blinding supernovas of latest Anker, Xgimi and Valerion fashions. These are all costlier, to be honest.
Mild output performs double responsibility with projectors, in that you really want a shiny picture as a result of it is pleasing to look at, however it additionally determines the dimensions of the picture you’ll be able to create. That stated, it is honest to query how a lot mild most individuals want. No projector can compete with an excessive amount of ambient mild and all look higher with out it. So after a sure level, its brightness is a bit superfluous.
The lens within the TK705STi is mounted, no zoom or lens shift. Behind all of it is an LED mild supply that is rated for, primarily, the lifetime of the projector (round 30,000 hours).
Connections
- HDMI inputs: 2
- USB port: 1 USB-A, 1 USB-C
- Audio output: 3.5mm analog, eARC
- Web: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz
- Streaming interface: Google TV
- Management: 12v set off
- Distant: Not backlit
The TK705STi has a reasonably commonplace assortment of connections for a contemporary projector. There’s Google TV streaming, HDMI inputs and even Bluetooth if you wish to use it as a speaker. These audio system share 8 watts of energy and, as with most projectors, it is higher off paired with separate audio system and a receiver or a soundbar.
In a nod to conventional residence theaters, there’s additionally a 12-volt set off port for powering on through a house automation system.
Image high quality
I have never reviewed any quick throw projectors recently, so I did not have any readily available to instantly evaluate to the TK705STi. The ghost of the BenQ X500i, one in every of my favorites of the previous few years, looms giant, nonetheless, as you will see. I’ve included the efficiency of some equally priced non-short throw fashions, however even that is a bit deceptive. Manufacturers similar to Xgimi and JMGO drastically drop the costs of their projectors after they have been obtainable for a number of months. So it is debatable as to what’s precisely honest to check the BenQ to in a evaluation, a projector at its full retail worth, or one at a reduced, however related worth. I am going to solid a large internet so you may get an thought the place the 705STi’s efficiency sits compared.
I spoke about total brightness above, and to place the TK705STi’s 1,280 lumens (or 1,786 in Vibrant mode) in perspective it is roughly the identical because the Xgimi Horizon S Max (1,300) which value a bit extra when new, however is barely much less now. Apparently, Xgimi claimed 3,100 lumens for that projector. So that they’re each off by related quantities. The BenQ’s mild output can also be near the JMGO N1S Professional (1,198), which was additionally costlier when new. So whereas there are some projectors that provide even brighter photographs, the bonkers Xgimi Horizon 20 Max (2,699) involves thoughts, they’re all presently costlier. Regardless, 1,280 lumens is greater than sufficient to create a shiny picture on a 100-inch display screen.
The BenQ’s distinction is okay, although not a standout. I measured 545:1. That is beneath the typical of all of the projectors I’ve reviewed for CNET, however spot on the median. Very like brightness, its distinction is in keeping with equally priced 4K projectors, which is suitable for the cash. But, this does imply the picture is not fairly as punchy as some costlier fashions, with shadows and black letterbox bars extra gray than truly black.
Risking a little bit of repetition, colour can also be good, although not as correct as some. Total colours are real looking and pleasing, with accurate-looking pores and skin tones. It is equally correct because the like-priced projectors talked about above, however much less correct than BenQ’s W4100i and GP520. That is normally a side of projector efficiency BenQ does properly, so I used to be shocked that it was merely common right here.
That each one stated, the top end result simply kind of works. Whereas “every thing is sweet, however not nice” would not sound like reward, it additionally implies that the TK705STi would not do something incorrect, which is the place a number of the competitors will get tripped up. A number of its opponents will mess up how they deal with colour, or have laser artifacts (extra on these in a second), and total create a picture that technically measures properly, however is much less interesting to look at than the TK705STi’s. There’s a naturalness to the BenQ’s picture that is straightforward on the eyes, even when the projector’s headline specs aren’t exceptional.
The competitors
Fashionable projectors use two major applied sciences to create mild: LEDs (similar to with this BenQ) and lasers. Some fashions use a mix of each, or add a phosphor, and arguably all lasers are LEDs, however for simplicity these are the principle classes. In our testing, most projectors utilizing laser mild sources are brighter, and may have deeper colours. A number of that may depend upon the mannequin and the way it’s designed, however for this dialogue that is the principle “professional” of lasers.
The “cons” are twofold: speckle and chromatic aberrations. Speckle is a kind of shiny grain added to the picture, kind of like a sparkle texture or glitter. Relying on how large the picture is, and the way shut you are sitting, it’s possible you’ll not discover this artifact. The opposite side, chromatic aberrations, are solely a problem for sure folks with glasses, particularly excessive index lenses. Once more, relying how shut you are sitting, mild coming in to the lenses not within the middle of the lens will get bent otherwise. The result’s a cut up of sure wavelengths, so objects, particularly white objects like textual content on a darkish background, will appear like they’ve coloured halos. As somebody who wears glasses and sits pretty near a big display screen, I personally would not select a three-laser projector in my theater.
As an alternative, I’d select one thing like BenQ’s personal X500i, which can also be an LED projector. I reviewed the X500i in late 2024, and I nonetheless give it some thought. It created top-of-the-line total photographs of any projector I’ve reviewed in the previous few years. That was due in no small half to a implausible distinction ratio of 1,990:1, top-of-the-line I’ve measured in a fairly priced 4K projector. Paired with a few of the most correct colour of any latest projector, it was beautiful. Because of my theater’s structure I could not mount it, in any other case I’d have purchased it. It went again to BenQ over a yr in the past, however my measurements bolster my reminiscence of it. No different sub-$2,000 4K projector comes shut by way of distinction and accuracy.
Nevertheless, the X500i is just not almost as shiny as this TK705STi, 30 to 50% dimmer relying on the mode. In case your objective is the largest, brightest display screen doable, the X500i is not that. Its 911-as-measured lumens is loads for a 100-inch picture, nonetheless, and appears nice doing it.
Little black… uh, gray field
The TK705STi is the consummate “B” pupil: good, however not nice. It isn’t a standout in any particular means, however it’s strong all-around and would not do something poorly. It won’t be the brightest mannequin you should purchase, however the picture it creates is pure and pleasing to look at. That is very true for those who put on glasses, as talked about above. For smaller, or narrower, areas, it is an important choice. Personally, I would get the larger, and presently cheaper, X500i which creates an incredible picture. That projector is just not as shiny, nonetheless, so you’ll be able to’t get as large a picture as you’ll be able to with the TK705STi. There are at all times tradeoffs, however I believe that the X500i is wirth it.
Associated to the TK705STi is the TK705i, the longer-throw model. I hesitate to name it “lengthy throw” since most BenQ projectors nonetheless want lower than 10-feet to create a 100-inch picture. The TK705i can sit between 87.2 and 113.3 inches (round 7.3 to 9.5 ft) for that dimension picture, whereas the TK705STi solely wants 69.7 (5.8 ft). Whereas they share related specs the lenses are totally different so their precise efficiency is probably going considerably totally different.
