If you’re looking for versatility and value in your home theater projector, BenQ is a brand name you should know. This BenQ TK700STi review takes a close look at the features of the company’s May 2021 release to see if it lives up to its billing as a user-friendly gaming and home theater projector. (>>> Check on Amazon)
BenQ TK700STi Review of Main Specs:
| BenQ TK700STi | |
|---|---|
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| Resolution | 3840x2160 |
| Brightness (Lumens) | 3,000 ANSI |
| Contrast Ratio | 10,000:1 |
| Input Lag | 16ms |
| Throw Distance | 2.4' - 19.6' |
| Screen size | 30" - 300" |
| Speakers | 5.0 Watts Mono |
| Price | BHPhotoVideo.com |
Installation
The BenQ TK700STi is perhaps best called a “short-ish”-throw projector. For a 100” image, you’ll need around 6-8 feet between the lens and screen, which is a reasonable distance for most homes and viewing areas, though you’ll likely still want to ceiling-mount it. This comparatively short throw is also good news from a light level perspective, maximizing the brightness of the 3,000 lumens on the screen and reducing the likelihood of washout from ambient light.
The TK700STi has good installation flexibility, as well. It has both horizontal and vertical keystone correction and Corner Fit picture rotation correction, letting you get a square image even if you can’t install it head-on to the screen. It’s also relatively compact and lightweight, at right around 7 pounds, so it will fit standard ceiling-mounts and is easy to move from room to room.
Wireless and Streaming Capabilities
The BenQ TK700STi has an Android operating system that you can control using the same remote that changes the projector settings. It’s linked to the Google Play store and has full access to the thousands of streaming, music, and gaming apps available on that platform. Thanks to this, many users don’t need to connect external content sources. You can also use your voice to search for content since it supports Google Assistant by holding the Voice Search button on the remote.
If you want to watch shows or movies that aren’t on these streaming services, you still may not need to use the wired inputs. The TK700STi supports screen mirroring through AirPlay or Chromecast, supporting a wider range of device operating systems than many projectors with mirroring capability.
Pros
- 4K resolution with high image contrast
- Full coverage of Rec.709 spectrum
- Bright enough for most indoor light environments
- Low input lag
- Easy and flexible installation
- Android TV interface with access to over 5,000 apps
Cons
- Weak built-in speaker
Picture Quality
The sharp HDR-enabled 4K resolution of the BenQ TK700STi brings excellent detail to all kinds of content. It maintains that clarity at all screen sizes and isn’t prone to motion blur, so fast-paced content like live sports look as crisp and realistic as more static content.
We’re also impressed by the color performance of this projector. It supports most of the Rec.709 spectrum and the bright lamp keeps those colors as vibrant on the screen as they are when they leave the lens. The image contrast is acceptable if not especially impressive. While it lacks the dynamic iris and other contrast enhancement features you’ll find on other projectors, we still found it produced rich black levels overall.
Responsiveness and Gaming
The BenQ TK700STi is the company’s first 4K gaming projector, with a 60Hz frame rate and 16ms input lag for Ultra HD content. It supports all the latest-generation systems, with dual HDMI ports for easy connectivity. While it’s not the fastest projector on the market (or even in BenQ’s catalog), it’s responsive enough to avoid frustrating lag and image issues, even during multi-player online games.
The dedicated gaming modes on the TK700STi are another handy feature. It has picture setting pre-sets for sports, RPGs, and first-person shooters, optimizing the picture and sound to bring out the details most crucial to each gaming style. The Game Sound Mode does the same thing for effects and in-game dialogue, ensuring the audio is as crisp as the picture, though you’ll want to use external speakers if you want a really immersive gaming soundscape—the 5-watt one installed in the TK700STi is pretty weak, especially in the bass end of the frequency range.
BenQ TK700STi Review in Summary
There is a lot to love about the BenQ TK700STi, especially at the price. Admittedly, it’s not the best home theater projector on the market from a picture perspective, and you’ll find higher contrast and better color from models that don’t cost much more. That being said, though, it’s picture quality is more than sufficient for most viewers, and it’s as effective for gaming as it is for watching shows and movies. Add in the Android streaming interface and user-friendly setup, and the BenQ TK700STi lives up to its hype as an all-around projector. (>>> Check the current price on ProjectorScreen)