BenQ HT2050A Review

We purchased the BenQ HT2050A so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

Projectors like the BenQ HT2050A are an intuitive option for those looking for a display for a home theater or a smooth gaming experience. With it, you can enjoy a massive screen size without having to deal with the logistics of moving and mounting a traditional TV. It’s also more portable than a TV, so moving it into another room is a breeze. 

Yes, projectors typically trail traditional TVs on resolution and have more latency/input lag than gamers want. But the HT2050A offers lag-free processing and is suited for small spaces, capable of producing a 100-inch-long screen from just 2.5 meters away and up to a 300-inch image total. It provides a brightness of 2,200 lumens and a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 for a display that is comparable to the best HD TVs, with a variety of picture modes (e.g., Bright, Vivid TV, Cinema, 3D, etc.)

Design: Big in size with an abundance of capabilities

The BenQ HT2050A is a hefty but very capable projector with connectivity. Measuring approximately 15 x 10.75 x 4.5 inches, this is not a petite device, and takes up a fair amount of space on a coffee table or mounted to the wall. We suggest that you note the dimensions to see how the projector would best fit into your environment.

The 2D keystone feature offers horizontal and vertical keystone correction. This essentially eliminates the trapezoid effects when the projector is placed at an angle rather than head-on. The device also has a vertical lens shift feature, which moves the picture up and down without sacrificing image quality for easy tabletop setup or mounting installation. Both the ultra-low input lag of 16 milliseconds and the special Game Mode should give users smooth gaming experiences.

It’s also loaded with a ton of ports, including two HDMI audio-outputs, two USB’s and a 12V trigger. The projector can connect to most major gaming consoles, media players, and mobile devices.

Setup Process: Hassle free

We found the setup to be pretty straightforward (though not as easy as some smaller projectors), and the BenQ HT2050A comes with a remote, batteries, a power cord, and a quick start guide.

Choose your basic preferences (like if you’d like the projector to automatically search for a source when it’s turned on) in five simple steps upon installation, and you can then plug it into a computer, a Blu-ray player or a cable box for daily use. It’s basically a one-time setup.

The option for side projection with 2D keystone and the option to mount it make for flexible setup. You may mount the BenQ HT2050A upside-down, so that you can hang it from your ceiling if you’d like. It doesn’t come with mounting brackets but the instruction manual does provide details to help you through the process. You can also just set it on a flat surface without any additional effort.

Image Quality: Superior lighting and image quality

Image quality is surely the main feature to consider when buying a projector for your home theater, and the BenQ HT2050A delivers in spades. It offers 1080P resolution and 2,200 lumens and produces a crisp and vibrant picture. The projector employs CinematicColor, 6x speed RGBRGB color wheel, and high native ANSI contrast ratio performance to ensure detailed, sharp, and crisp visuals to accompany your home cinema experience.

At eight feet away from the projection surface the BenQ delivers a beautiful 100-inch image, and really captures the feeling of big-screen theater entertainment. However, even with so many lumens, the device struggles in a well-lit room. In ideal dark conditions, on the other hand, the colors and clarity can compete with a modern TV.

Sound Quality: Good for a projector

One quick way to disrupt a home cinematic experience is to introduce the loud roaring of a fan. To our delight, this BenQ projector performed really well in this area, with hushed fans that created little distraction.

The built-in speaker is 10 Watts and is neither fantastic nor terrible. In a larger room, we’d recommend an external speaker for an ideal cinematic experience.

Usability: User-friendly

The BenQ HT2050A remote is user-friendly, as it offers lots of direct-access keys and red backlighting. The user interface is easy to navigate. The only major usability drawback was that the BenQ HT2050A gets hot very quickly.

Price: Great value

At around $700, the BenQ HT2050A is pretty affordable considering its image quality and performance, and can theoretically replace more expensive TVs, the prices of which start to get pretty astronomical when you approach the sort of display size the HT2050A is capable of outputting. 

BenQ HT2050A vs. Anker Nebula Capsule II

Unlike the other projectors we tested, the BenQ HT2050A isn’t particularly portable, so whether you decide to go for something as hefty as the BenQ HT2050A or as compact as the Anker Nebula Capsule II will largely depend on what you’re looking for in a projector.

Are you building a home theater, and looking for a quality projector in this price range (the Nebula II goes for around $579, the BenQ for $700) that only needs to be set up once? If so, then the BenQ HT2050A is a great option. If you’re looking for something travel-friendly, and you’re willing to sacrifice brightness for portability (the BenQ HT2050A offers 2,200 lumens, the Nebula Capsule II only 200), the Anker Nebula Capsule II is a better choice.

Check out our other reviews of the best mini projectors on the market today.

Similar Products We've Reviewed:

• Apeman Projector M4
• Vankyo Leisure 3
• Optoma ML750ST