Sometimes, a specialised instrument is required. Maybe that Swiss Army knife has gotten you out of some jams, nevertheless it lacks helpful issues like a hammer or a belt sander. Most residence theater projectors are generalist instruments as properly, equally adept at a wide range of content material. BenQ TH685 will not be a Swiss Army knife. It’s a hammer. With low enter lag and an enormous, brilliant picture, that is the form of show players can use to successfully pwn the noobs, on a 100-plus-inch display, whereas even leaving some lights on.
LikeExceptionally brightAccurate colorsLow enter lag for gaming
Don’t LikeMiddling total picture qualityShort-ish throw distance
The draw back is that its distinction ratio and total picture high quality come up a bit brief, and when utilized in its most correct mode for shade, its brightness is principally the identical because the competitors. The TH685’s short-ish throw distance enables you to get an enormous picture out of your espresso desk, however mixed with lack of lens shift it limits placement in comparison with different projectors.The BenQ TH685 was designed to fill its area of interest as a gaming projector, however exterior that function it falters a bit. The cheaper BenQ HT2050A has a superior image with punchier distinction and comparable brightness in correct image settings, making it a more sensible choice for all types of normal viewing. But in case your main use is enjoying video games, and also you wish to fill an enormous wall doing it, the TH685 is a superb instrument for the job.
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Basic specsNative decision: 1,920×1,080HDR-compatible: Yes4K-compatible: Yes (1080p decision)3D-compatible: YesLumens spec: 3,500Zoom: Manual (1.3x)Lens shift: NoLamp life (Normal mode): 4,000 hoursThe TH685, just like the Optoma HD28HDR ($649 at Best Buy), can settle for a 4K decision sign, nevertheless it’s a 1080p projector. Ultra HD photographs will likely be scaled all the way down to 1080p. This is probably going accomplished as a result of 4K and HDR typically go hand in hand, although that is not technically needed. Both HDMI inputs can settle for 4K. If you are still a fan of 3D, the TH658 can try this too, although the glasses aren’t included.BenQ claims 3,500 lumens of brightness. In its most correct setting, with shade near what you need in a house theater surroundings, I measured simply over 1,600. In the Bright image mode the picture is noticeably and unpleasantly inexperienced however measures a powerful 2,782 lumens. I do not suggest watching on this mode for any size of time, but when the room has ambient gentle, gaming with the lights on throughout a celebration, say, being able to be this brilliant can turn out to be useful.
Though I ought to point out, no projector can compete with ambient gentle. All projectors will look higher with some gentle management.There’s no handbook lens shift, a characteristic discovered on the TH685’s cheaper brother, the HT2050A. The TH685’s digital lens shift is not pretty much as good, however it’s one thing. It strikes the picture heart up or down on the DLP chip, cropping no matter a part of the picture does not match. If you are watching a widescreen film, for instance, you’ll be able to place the picture up or down the display for the reason that again bars could be cropped out with out dropping any pertinent data.Read extra: Home theater projectors: Eight ideas for arrange, placement and movie settingsThrow distance is on the shorter facet. Despite having a 1.3x zoom, it requires nearer placement to the display than a few of its direct competitors. If you do not wish to mount it on the ceiling, it isn’t going to work behind your head except your couch is pretty near the display, or the display itself is kind of huge. Conversely, you’ll be able to put the projector nearer to the display, so espresso desk placement would nonetheless enable a giant picture. It will not be, nevertheless, a real short-throw projector.For perspective, I’ve a 102-inch display, and most sub-$1,000 projectors can fill that sitting on a stand behind my couch, roughly 12 ft from the display. The TH685 joins us on the sofa like an untrained pet. Also like a pet its breath is sizzling and its bark is loud — once you sit too near any projector you’ll be able to really feel the warmth in addition to hear extra fan noise.Lamp life is a reasonably common 4,000 hours within the Normal mode. This jumps as much as 10,000 hours within the Eco mode, although you lose about 35% of the sunshine output. There are two different lamp modes that sound like they do the identical factor, however work barely completely different. SensibleEco mode decreases lamp energy in darker scenes “while optimizing display quality,” as BenQ describes. This ends in a claimed lamp lifetime of 8,000 hours. LampSave, alternatively, decreases lamp energy in darker scenes “while offering a longer lamp life.” It does this primarily by limiting most gentle output to what you’d get within the Eco mode. It balloons lamp life out to 15,000 hours. Since the lamp itself is round $160 as of this writing, and even within the Normal mode will final upwards of three years, you most likely needn’t sweat this an excessive amount of.
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Connectivity and convenienceHDMI inputs: 2PC enter: Analog RGB (additionally Analog RGB out)USB port: 1 (1.5A energy)Audio enter and output: 3.5mm for eachDigital audio output: NoLAN port: No12v set off: NoRS-232 distant port: YesMHL: NoRemote: Not backlitBoth the HDMI inputs are HDMI 2.0 and have HDCP 2.2, to allow them to settle for 4K HDR alerts from any present supply. The USB has 1.5 amps of energy obtainable, which means you’ll be able to drive a streaming stick just like the Roku or Amazon Fire ($42 at eBay). Interestingly, there is a legacy analog PC enter and output, although I can not think about both will likely be utilized by many individuals. The identical goes for the RS-232 port, one thing required by some high-end residence theater management techniques.
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There’s a 5W inner speaker that’s about pretty much as good as you’d anticipate. A 3.5mm audio output is obtainable to attach an exterior speaker. The distant is not backlit, nevertheless it’s small and easy and has devoted and shade coded on and off buttons.Picture high quality comparisons
I linked these three projectors through a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier, and seen them on a 102-inch 1.0-gain display. The TH685 was like a combo of the Optoma and the HT2050A, sharing the above-average shade accuracy of the HT2050A with the middling distinction ratio of the Optoma.The BenQ TH685’s shade accuracy is welcome, and uncommon with projectors on this worth vary. Most sacrifice shade for gentle output. The TH685 has each, which is nice. Greens, like grass, crops or a TIE fighter’s lasers, are all particularly life like. What, are you saying TIE fighters aren’t actual? How dare you. Both the BenQs outdid the Optoma right here, with the 28HDR simply trying a bit much less vibrant.
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Contrast ratio, as has been the case with all of the projectors I reviewed this 12 months, ended up being a no-contest win for the HT2050A. It’s simply noticeably higher on this extremely essential take a look at. The TH658 and 28HDR are principally tied, when it comes to distinction. Their slight variations aren’t seen facet by facet. The HT2050A has practically 3x the distinction ratio, and it is apparent. Shadows are darker, the picture has extra obvious depth, it simply has extra punch. The different two look flat as compared. I would not name them “washed out” like early LCD TVs or projectors, however the 2050A simply attracts the attention to its extra pleasing picture. The HT2050A is not HDR, so for my closing take a look at I targeted on the Optoma and the TH685. The Battle of Crait within the Last Jedi was an excellent take a look at of the HDR, with brilliant white salt/sand, explosions, and the vivid reds of the underlying minerals. The TH685 had extra pure colours, and a extra pure shade temperature, the Optoma having a inexperienced tint. The sky, nevertheless, was a richer blue on the 28HDR. In the top, the TH685’s additional brightness and higher shade accuracy received out, nevertheless it was onerous to choose a favourite right here. Neither appeared vastly completely different with HDR in comparison with SDR, which is to be anticipated with projectors.There is one final oddity. There are slight chromatic aberrations, brought on by, I believe, cheap lens components. It’s probably not apparent from a standard viewing distance, however with effective traces, like white on a darkish background, the difficulty turns into fairly apparent. Closing credit in a film, for example. One edge could have a inexperienced tinge, the opposite magenta. It seems like a panel misalignment, besides this can be a single-chip projector. This slight tinted halo is not one thing that you just would possibly discover when watching a film, however in case you’ve received a menu up, you would possibly discover it.
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Conclusion: Game onThere are two issues that stand out in regards to the TH685: the brightness and the colour. It’s nice to have each these issues obtainable in the identical projector. Adding in low enter lag, and it is simple to see a spot for this projector in some individuals’s properties. That stated, extra individuals would most likely have higher luck with the HT2050A. Putting out the proper shade temperature, these two projectors have principally the identical gentle output, with the HT2050A having a considerably larger distinction ratio. The HT2050A additionally has a recreation mode that matches the HT685’s enter lag, and it has lens shift. So when it comes all the way down to it, the TH685 is actually only for individuals who want the acute gentle output potential, both for a ginormous display or in the event that they wish to depart some lights on in a room. If that is not you, the extra well-rounded HT2050A is a greater possibility.
Geek Box
Test
Result
Score
Black luminance (0%)
0.233
Poor
Peak white luminance (100%)
182.2
Good
Derived lumens
1641
Good
Avg. grayscale error (10-100%)
4
Average
Dark grey error (20%)
6
Average
Bright grey error (70%)
3.427
Average
Avg. shade error
11.056
Poor
Red error
6.484
Average
Green error
16.314
Poor
Blue error
7.199
Poor
Cyan error
16.345
Poor
Magenta error
11.645
Poor
Yellow error
8.35
Poor
Avg. saturations error
5.04
Poor
Avg. shade checker error
4.8
Average
Input lag (Game mode)
16.4
Good
Measurement NotesFor probably the most correct image, I used the Cinema mode, together with the Normal shade temperature mode. This resulted in a reasonably constant and pretty correct shade temperature throughout the brightness vary, although it was a bit hotter than D65 with an extra of purple. With these settings, the TH685 was able to 182 nits on a 102-inch, 1.0-gain display, which calculates out to round 1,641 lumens.Switch to the Bright mode and issues change fairly a bit. Color temperature accuracy goes out the window, every thing seems fairly inexperienced, however there is a practically 70% improve in gentle output, roughly 309 nits, or 2,782 lumens. In a darkish room that is extremely brilliant. So brilliant, I doubt most individuals would use it on this mode to look at a film. Movie theaters, for comparability, are a faction of this.Back within the Cinema mode, colours are surprisingly correct. Red is a bit orange, magenta a bit purple, and inexperienced a bit undersaturated, however total fairly good for a projector on this worth vary. You can regulate these some within the image menu, however not completely. Color temperature adjusts much better, although it is fairly shut out of the field.Contrast ratio is pretty common for this class, measuring a median of 853:1 throughout a number of lamp modes. For comparability, the BenQ 2050A, which can also be a DLP projector, averages over 2,000:1. This improves a bit within the Bright mode, due to the far higher gentle output. SensibleEco, which varies lamp output relying on video content material, has a dynamic distinction ratio of two,844:1. This mode retains the sunshine output of the Normal lamp mode. The LampSave mode does the identical, however makes use of the max gentle output of the Eco lamp mode. This mode has a dynamic distinction ratio of two,208:1.Picture Mode: CinemaSkilled settings:Lamp: Normal, Eco, or SensibleEcoBrightness: 47Contrast: 49Sharpness: 12Color: 50Tint (G/R): 50Sensible Color: 6-10Color Temp: NormalGamma: 2.2