BenQ V7050i: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-21
Summary
The BenQ V7050i is a 4K ultra-short-throw laser TV projector that fills an 80- to 120-inch screen from close to the wall, and what owners complain about is what it lacks rather than what breaks: the included QS01 Android TV dongle takes one of only two HDMI ports, input lag runs 69-105 ms with no game mode, and the dongle carries no native Netflix app. Running costs are electricity alone, because the laser light source is rated 20,000 hours and no bulb, lamp or filter is named for the machine. At its $3,499 launch MSRP in August 2021 it was a good buy for a bright-room TV replacement, but with BenQ discontinuing it in January 2024, a used unit is only worth chasing well under the $2,970 street price ProjectorCentral last listed.
Common problems and fixes
- Only one free HDMI port — the QS01 dongle occupies one of the projector’s two HDMI 2.0b inputs, so a console, a streamer and a PC cannot all be plugged in at once; the workaround is an HDMI switch or an external hub, and the warranty is not involved because nothing has failed. [5][6][9][11]
- High input lag with no game mode — BenQ’s spec sheet lists 83.34 ms at 1080p/60, ProjectorCentral measured 104.6 ms at 1080p/60 and 69.1 ms at 4K/60, and PCMag measured 83 ms and 70 ms for the same two modes; there is no game mode to cut it further, one ProjectorCentral reader asked BenQ for a firmware game mode to reduce it, and reflex-dependent gaming is where the delay shows most. [2][5][6]
- No Netflix app on the dongle — the QS01 runs Android TV 9 with Google Cast but carries no native Netflix app, so casting from a PC or adding a separate streaming stick is the route; it is not documented whether Netflix support ever arrived on the dongle. [8][11]
- Rainbow artifacts — PCMag saw more frequent rainbow artifacts than on most ultra-short-throw DLP projectors; it is a handful of pixels rather than a fault, but rainbow-sensitive viewers should read it before buying, and no setting removes it. [6]
- Fixed placement — no optical zoom and no lens shift, so the 0.252 throw ratio puts the unit in one spot and the placement you set up is the placement you keep; only 1D vertical keystone of plus or minus 30 degrees is available to correct it. [2][9]
Parts and consumables
Yearly running cost
Not enough data. There are no consumables to buy: the laser light source is rated 20,000 hours, no bulb, lamp or filter is named in the specification listings, and no cleaning or filter interval is published. The money that does show up is one-off: a streaming stick for Netflix, an ALR screen for a bright room and better speakers. [2][4][8][9]
When it is a good buy
Observed prices: the launch MSRP was $3,499 in August 2021, and ProjectorCentral listed a $2,970 street price before BenQ discontinued the projector in January 2024. Because the model is discontinued, only used or refurbished stock remains, and no source documents what those units sell for. At launch the V7050i sat $200 above the Optoma CinemaX P2 and $500 below the Hisense 100L5F, with the $6,499 triple-laser Samsung LSP9T well above it. [4][6][7][11]
- At or below about $2,970 — the last street price ProjectorCentral listed; a good buy for a 2,500-ANSI-lumen ultra-short-throw laser unit if you can live with one free HDMI port and no Netflix app.
- Between $2,970 and $3,499 — fair; the measured brightness and color justify it, the 2021-era connectivity does not, so negotiate hard on a used unit.
- Above $3,499 — poor value; the same money buys better picture or more ports elsewhere.
Named alternatives:
- Hisense 100L5F — the other UST laser TV in this class, $500 more at launch; better if you want the alternative unit and the budget stretches further.
- Samsung LSP9T — $6,499 triple laser; better if picture quality is the priority and the budget is not the limit.