In the world of projectors, there are three broad categories. At one end are traditional projectors (long throw), which are placed about 10 feet (sometimes more) away from a 100″ screen. At the other end are ultra-short throw projectors, which are placed just a few inches from the screen. In between these two categories are short throw models like the BenQ X500i, which are placed about 5 feet from the screen and can fit on a coffee table, allowing them to project a large image even in a small room.
8.4
BenQ X500i
Like
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Excellent contrast
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Accurate Color
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bright
I don’t like it
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expensive
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Not everyone can throw short.
The X500i also has 4K resolution, four LED light engines capable of powerful light output, and Android TV built in, so the BenQ has a lot going for it in theory – and it also comes with a fairly steep price tag at $1,700.
Surprisingly, the X500i lives up to its price with excellent overall performance. It has one of the best contrast ratios we’ve measured in years of testing, producing above-average brightness, excellent detail, and an overall beautiful image. Due to the “leg room” it requires, the BenQ X500i will only fit in certain rooms, but in those that do, it delivers great image quality.
Specifications etc.
1.2x zoom lens.
- Resolution: 3840×2160
- HDR Support: Yes
- 4K compatible: Yes
- 3D Supported: Yes
- Lumen Spec: 2,200
- Zoom: 1.2x
- Lens shift: None
- Lamp life (normal mode): 20,000 (30,000 in eco mode)
The X500i is a 4K HDR projector with all the usual features, and it’s even 3D capable, so if that interests you and you have the compatible glasses, you can get away with 3D as well. Get the most out of your HDR contentHowever, BenQ’s tone mapping has been good so far, so compatibility won’t hurt.
The unit has as much optical zoom as other projectors in this price range; it’s enough to give you some flexibility as to how far away you need to place the projector to fill a particular screen size. There’s no lens shift capability, but that’s something of a rarity in DLP projectors; however, BenQ’s own, less expensive lens shift capabilities are not available. HT2060 and TK860i There’s a little bit of both.
Rated at 2,200 lumens, I was expecting a fairly bright projector. In the most accurate mode, I measured 911 lumens, which is decent but not amazing. In the brighter but more environmentally friendly Bright mode, I measured 1,549 lumens. I’ve certainly measured brighter projectors, especially in this price range. Xgimi Horizon UltraHowever, a 100-inch screen, or even a little larger, will suffice.
It’s easy to operate even if you can’t find the remote control.
Where the X500i really excels is in its contrast ratio. I measured The average is 1,990:1, the highest since the $4,000 mark. Epson LS11000 2 years ago. That’s a truly impressive figure, more than six times better than the aforementioned Xgimi and almost 50% better than our Editors’ Choice winner, the BenQ HT2060. It’s only rivaled by its peers at this label, the BenQ X300G (review coming soon), at 1,762:1. As with the X300G, we suspect there’s some brightness tweaking going on in the LED light engine to boost that figure a bit, but subjectively, when viewed with real-world content, it looks as great as the numbers suggest.
Like most new projectors, the X500i doesn’t use mercury-filled UHP lamps, but instead uses the aforementioned LEDs – in this case a four-LED design that adds an extra LED on top of the usual RGB for extra brightness. This configuration has a rated life of 20,000 hours, which is essentially the lifespan of the projector. At four hours of viewing per night, that works out to about 14 years.
connection
Plenty of connection and control options. The vented box area houses the included streaming stick.
- HDMI inputs: 2
- USB ports: USB-C x 1, USB-A x 1
- Audio Output: Speakers (5Wx2), HDMI ARC, Optical, Bluetooth, 3.5mm Analog
- Control: RS-232
- Internet: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G/5G)
- OS: Android TV
- Remote control: Backlit
Two HDMI inputs are actually more than enough, considering the X500i comes with an Android TV streaming stick that doesn’t require HDMI – there’s a proprietary connection hidden behind a removable panel on the back of the projector.
The backlit remote control has all the controls you need to control the projector and streaming stick.
The two 5W speakers are plenty. There’s not much bass (obviously), but they’re loud and clear enough to enjoy a movie. With any projector, Soundbar or Receiver Speakers are also worth adding.
The remote is backlit and connects to your streaming stick via Bluetooth, giving you quick access to frequently used features and settings.
Image quality comparison
BenQ TK860i
BenQ X300G
Check out a rare single-brand projector showdown. The TK860i is a more recent 4K projector that’s a bit cheaper but performed well in our tests. It’s not a short throw, but it can get a bit brighter. The X300G has very similar specs to the X500i, a cute cube shape, but it’s not a short throw. I connected all three to a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amp and displayed them side-by-side with a 102″ 1.0 gain screen.
First, in terms of light output, the X500i and TK860i are pretty much the same, at just over 900 lumens in their most accurate Cinema mode. Aside from this limitation, both are able to put out much more light in Bright mode, which has a pronounced green tint. In this mode, you get about 25% more light from the TK860i. The X300G is a step behind, being about 25% dimmer when all in Cinema mode. In its greenish Bright mode, it puts out about 25% more light than the other products’ accurate modes, but it’s still far less light than the brightest mode can produce.
Zoom and focus are manual, but there is no lens shift.
What really separates the three is the contrast ratio. The TK860i is a bit below average; we measured it at around 551:1. That’s not bad, but it’s up against two of the best performers of the last few years. The 1,990:1 we measured on the X500i is outstanding, the best we’ve measured in years. The X300G is close behind at 1,762:1, meaning that both seem to have much more depth and realism than the TK860i.
The X500i’s colors are also more vibrant than the TK860i. Greens, blues and reds are rich and natural, while mid-tones are also very accurate, producing healthy skin tones and realistic variations in grass green. The X300G is similar in that respect, but not quite as good. The TK860i is a step behind; it’s not bad, but it’s less colorful and less accurate. The color temperature is also a little less “true” making the image look a little cooler compared to its more accurate X sibling.
Detail is roughly the same across all three, which isn’t too surprising since they’re all 4K, and because all three are DLP, there’s no motion blur, which is something that can’t be said for other current display technologies, so in many situations they’ll look sharper than an LCD projector of similar resolution.
Overall, the X500i stands out above the competition with its punchy contrast, great colors, and above-average brightness. The TK860i’s better light output may come in handy in some situations, but on all but the largest screens, the X500i produces better-looking images.
Close-up candidates
The performance of the X500i is great, and I wish it wasn’t a short throw projector. This is due to the way my home theater is set up, where a projector like this would not be possible to properly install. The contrast is great, it’s bright enough, and the colors are accurate and vibrant. It has all the elements of a great projector, with the small caveat that short throw projectors are not for everyone. Of course, the same can be said for “normal” projectors, but if you already have a room set up for a projector, it may be difficult to reconfigure it for something like the X500i.
Price is also an issue. With top-tier performance, 4K, and streaming capabilities, the BenQ isn’t exactly cheap. Throw in the usual (but unnecessary) short-throw “tax” and you’ll find the X500i to be quite pricey compared to other 4K projectors. But if you have a small room or can only position the projector very close to the screen, the X500i can produce a pretty impressive image. So impressive that it’s worth the several hundred dollars more than lesser short-throw projectors.
