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BenQ V7050i Smart Projector

BenQ V7050i Smart Projector

By BenQ · Smart Projectors · Audio & Electronics · More from BenQ

  • Native resolution 4K UHD (3840x2160) via TI DLP XPR pixel shifting
  • Brightness 2500 ANSI lumens
  • Color coverage 98% DCI-P3, 100% Rec.709, 1.3x color volume
  • treVolo-tuned stereo speakers 5W x 2 (10W total)
  • Connectivity: HDMI 2.0b x2 (one with ARC), SPDIF out, Android TV via QS01 dongle

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Used, refurbished, open-box

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Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A 4K ultra-short-throw laser TV projector that fills an 80- to 120-inch screen from close to the wall, rated at 2,500 ANSI lumens with 98% DCI-P3 color. Check what you plan to plug in before you buy: the included Android TV dongle takes one of only two HDMI ports, and it has no Netflix app.

Strengths

  • Out-of-the-box color is excellent, with 98% DCI-P3 coverage and only a slight green cast in the brightest mode.
  • Sharp optics with good focus from corner to corner, and HDR handling ProjectorReviews rated among the strongest it has seen from a laser TV.
  • A motorized lens cover slides shut over the glass when the projector is off.
  • The laser light source is rated at 20,000 hours, and no consumable parts are listed for the projector.
  • The QS01 dongle brings Android TV and Google Cast, and two remotes come in the box.

Weaknesses

  • The QS01 dongle takes one of only two HDMI ports, leaving a single free port for your source.
  • Input lag runs 69-105 ms and there is no game mode, so fast console and PC play feels laggy.
  • No Netflix app on the dongle, which means a separate streaming stick or a PC to cast from.
  • PCMag saw more frequent rainbow artifacts than on most ultra-short-throw DLP projectors, which bothers sensitive viewers.
  • Blacks sit closer to dark gray than deep black, and 3D mode is dimmer than 2D.
  • No optical zoom, no lens shift, no Ethernet port and no TV tuner, so the smart side is dated.

Verified specifications

Projection0.47-inch DLP DMD with TI XPR pixel shifting, 3840x2160 (4K UHD).
Color98% DCI-P3, 96% Rec.709, 1.3x color volume, 30-bit color (1.07 billion colors).
Light sourcesingle blue laser phosphor, rated 20,000 hours.
Throw ratio0.252 (0.23:1 per ProjectorCentral); recommended image size 80-120 in, with up to 123 in in BenQ’s own marketing.
Keystone1D vertical, plus or minus 30 degrees.
Input lag83.34 ms at 1080p/60 per BenQ’s spec sheet.
Smart systemAndroid 9.0 on the included QS01 dongle, Google Cast, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2.
I/OHDMI 2.0b x2 (HDCP 2.2), USB Type A x3, RS232, 3.5 mm audio in, S/PDIF (2-channel PCM), HDMI ARC (2-channel only). No eARC, no Dolby Atmos.
AudiotreVolo-tuned 5 W x 2 (10 W total).
3Dfull HD 3D over DLP-Link, with optional DGD5 glasses.
PowerAC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz; 480 W typical at 110 V; standby under 0.5 W.
Noise34/29 dB in Normal/Eco per BenQ; 38.7/35.8 dB measured at 3 ft.
Dimensions500 × 157 × 388 mm (19 × 6.18 × 15.2 in); 9.9 kg (22 lb).
Chassisblack aluminum and plastic with a charcoal cloth speaker cover, plus a motorized sliding lens cover.
In the boxQS01 Android TV dongle, two remotes (RCI067 and RCV024), 1.8 m power cord, user manual CD, quick start guide, warranty card.
Warranty3 years parts and labor on US units bought from authorized retailers.
Full research notes and sources

Picture quality and brightness

Independent reviewers measured brightness close to the rating. ProjectorCentral, in September 2021, logged 2,464 ANSI lumens in Bright mode and 2,200 lumens calibrated to Rec.709, with 77% brightness uniformity across the image. ProjectorCentral’s calibration landed on 95% DCI-P3 coverage against the 98% BenQ claims.

Color is where the reviewers agree. ProjectorReviews called color reproduction excellent out of the box and rated the HDR handling among the strongest it has seen from a laser TV. Both ProjectorCentral and ProjectorReviews found the Bright mode usable with only a slight green cast.

Two caveats sit against that. ProjectorReviews also found blacks closer to dark gray than deep black.

Input lag, ports and streaming

This is where the daily friction sits. The QS01 Android TV dongle plugs into one of the projector’s two HDMI 2.0b inputs, so you are left with one free port for a console, a streamer or a PC. There is no Ethernet jack, no built-in TV tuner and no analog audio output. Audio comes back over HDMI ARC as 2-channel PCM, with no eARC and no Dolby Atmos, so a soundbar has to decode the surround formats itself.

Input lag is the other problem. 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 that further, and one ProjectorCentral reader asked BenQ for a firmware game mode to reduce lag. Reflex-dependent gaming is where the delay shows most.

For streaming, the dongle runs Android TV 9 with Google Cast and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, but it 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.

Screen, sound and setup

The V7050i sits almost under the screen. There is no optical zoom and no lens shift, so the placement you set up is the placement you keep, and the 1D vertical keystone covers plus or minus 30 degrees of tilt.

The screen matters as much as the projector. Reviewers recommend an ultra-short-throw or ambient-light-rejecting screen if the room has ambient light, which is a separate purchase.

The motorized lens cover drops over the glass when the projector is off, which keeps dust off it. For 3D, the projector handles full HD over DLP-Link with optional DGD5 glasses, though 3D mode is dimmer than 2D. Fan noise is 34/29 dB in Normal and Eco per BenQ, and ProjectorCentral measured 38.7 dB Normal and 35.8 dB Eco at 3 ft.

Ownership costs and warranty

The running costs here are accessories, not consumables. Nothing in the sources lists a bulb or a filter for this projector, and the laser light source is rated at 20,000 hours. What you may still need to buy is an ALR screen, a streaming stick for Netflix and better speakers, because reviewers recommend all three.

BenQ’s US warranty on digital projectors is 3 years parts and labor for units bought from authorized retailers. BenQ also carries pre-installed lamp coverage for 2,000 hours or 1 year, whichever comes first, ships the unit both ways for in-warranty depot service, and asks you to report a dead-on-arrival unit within 30 days.

Repair parts availability and out-of-warranty repair costs are not documented in any source I checked. Neither is a cleaning or filter schedule, since the manual was not retrieved for this write-up.

Is it worth it?

The V7050i launched in August 2021 at $3,499 MSRP, and ProjectorCentral listed a $2,970 street price before BenQ discontinued the projector in January 2024. At launch it sat $200 above the Optoma CinemaX P2 and $500 below the Hisense 100L5F. Because it is discontinued, what you will find is used or refurbished stock, and none of the sources I checked document what those units sell for.

The case for the machine is the measured brightness, the color accuracy and the 20,000-hour laser source. The case against it is 2021-era connectivity: HDMI 2.0b, Android TV 9 on a dongle, no eARC, no Ethernet, and input lag that no game mode fixes.

Which model this is

This page covers the BenQ V7050i, the black 4K ultra-short-throw laser TV projector. BenQ also sold a white twin, the V7000i, described as identical apart from color. Do not confuse it with the V5000i and V5010i triple-laser models, or with BenQ’s other ultra-short-throw projectors. The US Amazon listing for the black V7050i carries ASIN B091WRKPDH.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

  • No forum threads were collected for this model, so every owner voice in this page comes from the reviews above.

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