BenQ TH671ST projector review: Superb viewing for gaming and movies

BenQ is a major player in the monitor and projector infinite, and its TH671ST gaming and cinema projector is a competitively priced option that brings a lot of great features and few flaws in a relatively meaty package. I used the TH671ST for a couple of weeks for both gaming and movie watching to see how well it fits in and whether or not it's worth your hard-earned cash.

Curt-throw projector

BenQ TH671ST

$799

Bottom line: The BenQ TH671ST brusk-throw projector can easily replace a large TV in your living room, and information technology'due south capable of equally delivering a satisfying gaming or movie house experience.

Pros

Low input lag for gaming
Bright enough to utilize anytime
Well-baked FHD resolution
Robust speaker
Slap-up picture out of the box

What y'all'll honey about the BenQ TH671ST projector

The BenQ TH671ST is designed in the same manner every bit a lot of smaller dwelling house projectors — like the ViewSonic PX607HD that I also reviewed — with a compact white chassis, commencement lens, manual focus and zoom wheels, and some venting on the side. You go a total set of controls on the top of the projector, and it comes with a small remote for convenience. The dorsum of the unit is stocked with quite a few ports, including dual HDMI, and everything is spaced well, and so there'due south no congestion if you're simultaneously hooking upwardly multiple devices.

Category	Spec
Resolution	1920x1080 (FHD)
Effulgence	iii,000 ANSI lumens
Pic size	Upwards to 120 inches
Respone time	16.67ms
Throw distance	100-inch picture at 5 feet
Attribute ratio	16:9
Lamp life	Up to fifteen,000 hours Lampsave mode
Ports	Two HDMI ane.iv (1 MHL/HDCP USB-A 2.0 Mini USB-B RS232 3.5 mm in and out D-Sub in and out
Speakers	Unmarried v watt
Weight	5.95 pounds (2.7 kg)
Size	xi.65 inches x 4.72 inches ten eight.81 inches (296 mm x 120 mm 10 224 mm)

Setup takes no more than two or three minutes, and it involves choosing a projector position — low, high, or behind a screen — as well as basic or advanced settings. I recommend choosing advanced, as basic mode but lets you switch between a few preset picture modes, sound modes, and some LumiExpert options. Out of the box, the preset modes offering a great picture, and I didn't have to suit much other than the wall color offset since I didn't accept a white screen to utilise with the projector. If you find that the picture isn't quite upwardly to snuff, you lot can tweak just near every aspect of any of the modes to get information technology looking just how y'all want it, and there are ii custom modes to switch between. Y'all can expect about 92 percent coverage in the Rec. 709 color space; the standard mostly used to measure modern TVs.

I first gear up up the projector in the heart of a sunny day, and information technology's safety to say yous shouldn't accept any problems with using it whenever you lot wish, as long equally it's non in straight sunlight. The lamp hits upwards of 3,000 ANSI lumens on the brightest setting, which is plenty to offering a vivid if slightly washed image. In a darker room without direct sunlight, the picture is crisp and clear, even in SmartEco mode that helps extend lamp life. Using the lamp normally, expect well-nigh 4,000 hours of life, all the way upwardly to about 15,000 hours of life with Lampsave mode. The TH671ST's LumiExpert feature includes a light sensor on top of the projector that measures how brilliant the room is and adjusts motion-picture show gamma automatically. It'southward subtle but welcome.

BenQ'south TH671ST offers upward an enormous picture with full color, groovy contrast, low input lag, and enough brightness to exist seen in but virtually any setting.

The TH671ST has a respectable 16.67ms input lag in Fast Fashion, which makes it suitable for gaming. I tried out a Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart viii Palatial multiplayer and hooked up my PC for some Battleground V, and even with the high visual demands of a commencement-person shooter, I constitute the experience enjoyable if not ideal for a competitive loonshit. The moving-picture show has excellent color and dissimilarity, and the single 5-watt speaker gets quite loud without whatsoever distortion. If you're going for a true home movie theater setup, 3.5mm jacks on the back are there for external speaker hookup, but in my case I found the built-in speaker to be enough. I wasn't able to test it, but the TH671ST volition project 3D movies with a dedicated mode.

The "short throw" aspect of the projector means it only has to exist about five feet from the wall to get a 100-inch moving picture. The keystone can be corrected with but a few presses of a push, and 2 adjustable feet on the bottom of the projector as well help get a perfectly rectangular picture show. Zoom and focus are handled manually with two wheels accessible from the elevation of the projector. If you lot're not oft moving the projector, y'all should be able to set it once and not have to touch on it again. During use, the fan stays quiet enough that it doesn't interfere with any you lot're watching, no dubiousness helped along by a sizeable exhaust on the front corner.

What y'all'll dislike about the BenQ TH671ST projector

The BenQ TH671ST is tough to dislike, and anyone who would like to become the projector road instead of investing in a Television set should find plenty to appreciate. However, dropping this much money on a device means you'll expect it to last well into the future, and it would be nice to see a USB-C port included for quick hookups of multiple devices. It's not a bargain-breaker, but we have seen the modern port on some other projectors in the same category.

Anyone who's looking for more than a casual gaming experience where refresh rates and response times need to be as depression as possible will as well no doubt want to lean toward a gaming monitor, equally the TH671ST is better suited for consoles and coincidental PC gaming. Information technology'due south a thrill seeing Mario Kart eight Deluxe on a 100-inch screen, merely those sitting down for some sweaty Apex Legends matches will probable still plow to something with meliorate overall operation.

Should you lot buy BenQ'due south TH671ST projector?

BenQ'southward TH671ST short-throw projector is an excellent alternative to a standard Idiot box for coincidental gaming and movie watching, offer up an enormous motion-picture show that has full color, fantabulous contrast, low input lag, and enough effulgence to exist seen in just about any setting. All picture show modes can exist extensively adjusted to get the all-time picture possible, and the additional LumiExpert characteristic that adjusts gamma automatically is a nice improver. Information technology would be nice to see a USB-C port on the back, but information technology'due south not a dealbreaker.

The $799 price tag might cause interruption, merely recall this is designed to replace an enormous Goggle box that would no uncertainty cost quite a flake more. Information technology does come with a three-year warranty and a lamp that can last up to xv,000 hours under optimal settings, with lamp replacements costing well-nigh $58. Bottom line? If you're looking to recreate a cinema experience in your dwelling, the BenQ TH671ST is a great place to start.

Short-throw projector

BenQ TH671ST

Movies and games on a vast screen

If you're looking for relatively low input lag for casual gaming, an enormous picture with excellent color and contrast, and plenty of effulgence for apply any fourth dimension of the mean solar day, the BenQ TH671ST brusque-throw projector is a nifty pick with a competitive cost.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Xbox Insiders Update

This huge Xbox 'Quick Resume' update will give gamers more control

Microsoft is adding a new feature to Xbox consoles, assuasive you to permanently store upwardly to two games in a Quick Resume country at all times. The feature is heading out first to Xbox Insiders in the Blastoff testing band before hitting the general public.