Some of the best things about traditional smart TVs is that they often offer extra-large displays, connect wirelessly to the internet, allow users to install apps for all of their favorite streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Paramount+, etc.), and then can take advantage of the TV’s operating system to easily find and select what to watch — live or on-demand.
A typical 65-inch, 75-inch, or 85-inch TV fills a large area of wall space, but when you’re not using it, there is a large black rectangle taking up space on your wall. While a smart TV offers a large picture, the TV itself is very heavy, and after it’s been mounted on a wall, it’s hard to move. This is not the case with a projector, like the BenQ GP250.
Priced around $1,000, the BenQ GP250 Smart Home Entertainment Projector offers a very compelling collection of features. In terms of picture quality, you get beautiful 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is consistent with many smart TVs. It also offers a maximum brightness of 2,600 ANSI lumens, so it’s powerful enough to showcase a bright and detailed picture, even in a brightly lit room.
BenQ GP520 4K Smart Home Entertainment Projector
In fact, this projector offers technology that adapts nicely to a white wall (or a light-colored wall), so to enjoy this projector, you don’t even need to set up a separate screen. Also built into the projector is a stereo speaker system, although it also supports Bluetooth speakers, headphones, or earbuds.
The BenQ GP250 runs using the popular and intuitive GoogleTV operating system. This means you can install apps for all your favorite streaming services and have instant access to each of them without having to connect additional equipment to the projector.
Controlling the projector is easy using the onboard controls, an optional smartphone app, or the included handheld remote. it can generate a picture up to 180-inches (measured diagonally) and provides a handful of features that allow it to autofocus and adjust the picture size, brightness and quality, regardless of the distance or angle you position the projector in relation to the wall you want to project onto.
Even at an angle, this projector consistently displays a level and in-focus rectangular image with a 16:9 native aspect ratio.
So, for about the same price as a good quality smart TV, this projector includes the same core features, but can deliver a picture that takes up an entire blank wall in your home. But unlike many 4K projectors currently available, this one is easy to move between rooms. After the initial setup process, you can carry it into any room and transform that living space into a home theater in just minutes.
The BenQ GP250 weighs a mere 8.2 pounds and measures just 9.49 x 5.94 x 8.86 inches. It also works wirelessly, without needing to connect it to any other equipment. All the technology needed to watch your favorite programming is baked directly into the projector, although subscription fees for various streaming services will apply.
I found that the BenQ GP250 is hands-down the best room-to-room 4K projector I’ve tested, and I think it can make a great edition to the home of a family that would enjoy a true theatrical experience for movie nights, gaming on a large display or binge watching TV shows in a way that fills much of a room’s wall.
Oh, and live sports look great when viewed using this projector, too.
Specifications
- Price: $999.00.
- Projection Resolution: 4K UHD (3,820 x 2,160 pixels).
- Projection Size: Up to 180 inches.
- Max. Brightness: 2,600 ANSI lumens.
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz.
- Native Aspect Ratio: 16:9.
- Contrast Ratio: 200,000:1.
- Display Color: 30-bit (1.07 billion colors).
- Projection System: DLP 4 LED.
- Light Source Life: Up to 20,000 hours.
- Throw Ratio: 1:2.
- Max. Throw Distance: 15.7 feet.
- Zoom Ratio: Fixed.
- Special Features: Ambient Light Adaptation, Wall Color Correction, Distance-Based Adjustment, Auto Focus, Auto 2D Keystone & Rotation, Digital Zoom, Screen Fit, Image Reposition, Obstacle Avoidance.
- Built-in Speakers: 2x 12-watts with Dolby Audio and CinematicSound support. 7.1 Channel.
- Operating System: Google TV.
- Ports: 2x HDMI, 2x USB Type-A, 1x USB Type-C.
- Wireless Connectivity: AirPlay, Google Cast, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6.0.
- Measurements: 9.49 inches wide by 5.94 inches tall by 8.86 inches long.
- Weight: 8.2 pounds.
- Handheld Remote Control: Included.
Pros
- Offers incredibly detailed and bright picture quality.
- Works on any white or light colored wall (even without a screen).
- Can be transported between rooms and set up quickly.
- Supports all streaming apps, via GoogleTV.
- Impressive sound quality from built-in speakers.
- Automatically adjusts picture size, brightness, and focus.
Cons
- Not water resistant, so not suitable for outdoor use.
- Fixed 1.2 throw ratio.
- No stand or carrying case included.
- Power brick is bulky.
Who Will the BenQ GP520 Projector Appeal To?
First and foremost, families will love this projector because it can be moved around the house with ease. You can set it up in the living room, move it into a bedroom and later reposition it into a playroom.
Based on the size of the room, it can project an extra-large, smooth and crystal clear (4K resolution) picture. Kids, teens and adults alike will love the theatrical viewing experience they can get at home. And for people who play video games, a computer or console system can easily connect to one of the projector’s HDMI ports using a single cable.
Because the projector relies on the GoogleTV operating system, it operates just like a typical smart TV – providing an intuitive user interface. You also get access to a vast amount of free on-demand programming, as well as on-demand and live programming from all of the streaming services you subscribe to.
People who enjoy binge watching TV series will appreciate seeing the plots of those shows unfold via a projection that fills an entire wall. The projector is also great for impromptu gatherings for watching sporting events, since you can set up the projector in any room. Yes, it can also be used outdoors at night, but the projector is not only not waterproof, it’s not even water-resistant.
Because the BenQ GP520 can adjust its picture size based on the distance it’s set up from a wall or screen, you can use it in a smaller size room or an extra-large room without having to tinker with projector settings.
While I would not recommend this as a primary TV in a home or home theater setup, it is certainly a wonderful secondary TV option for a living room, bedroom, guestroom, playroom, or game room, for example.
Based on the type of content you’re viewing, you can optionally switch the projector between specialized viewing modes, such as Auto Cinema, HDR Auto Cinema, Bright, Cinema, Game, HDR Game, HDR10, HDR10+, HGL, Sport or Custom (User).
Regardless of which mode you choose (or if you leave it at default settings), the projector is able to display more than 1.07 billion colors with DCI-P3 coverage of 81 percent and Rec. 709 coverage of 98 percent.
Setting Up and Using the BenQ GP520 Projector Is Simple
After receiving a review unit of the GP250 4K Smart Home Entertainment Projector from BenQ, I plugged it in and logged into it using my existing Google account. During the initial setup process, I installed apps for each of my favorite streaming services. This process took less than 15 minutes and only needed to be done once.
I also paired the projector with my Apple AirPods Pro 3 for when I wanted to enjoy a private listening experience. However, I quickly discovered the speakers built into this projector provide clear, room filling sound that pairs nicely with the projector’s superior (very bright and detailed) picture quality.
To test out the projector, I set it up and then moved it between several rooms, some with solid white walls and others with tan walls. I also adjusted the ambient light in each viewing space, switching from total darkness to artificial light and sunlight shining through windows. I also watched many different types of programming to see how the picture quality varied between programming with minimal action, to high-action movies and thrillers that featured many dimly lit scenes.
Whatever I watched, in whatever setting, the projector was consistent in providing a high-quality and smooth 4K resolution picture, with no picture degradation when going from a 50-inch projected image to a 100-inch projected image. (I didn’t have the available wall space in my home to expand the picture any larger, but the projector could certainly handle it.
My Final Thoughts: Is the BenQ GP520 4K Smart Home Entertainment Projector Worth It?
Over the years, I have reviewed many home, portable, and room-to-room projectors. The BenQ GP520 offers the picture and sound quality of a higher-end, room-to-room projector, with the benefits of a home projector or smart TV and the transportability of a portable projector. The projector’s menu system and interface are intuitive.
My favorite thing about this projector is that once it’s initially set up, you can plug it in anywhere, point it at a wall or screen, and the projector will automatically adjust its settings to provide a perfect picture, even when the projector is set up at an angle from the wall or screen.
Features like ambient light adaptation, wall color correction, distance-based adjustment, auto focus, auto 2D keystone and rotation, digital zoom, auto screen fit, image reposition and obstacle avoidance allow the BenQ GP520 to offer a tinker-free viewing and listening experience.
And if you want to stream content from your computer, smartphone, or tablet, for example, the GP520 supports Apple AirPlay (for use with Apple devices), Google Cast (for use with Android devices), Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6.0. For devices that can’t establish a wireless connection with the projector, you can plug them in using a standard HDMI, USB-Type-A, or USB Type-C cable.
Another thing I love about this projector is the room-filling and robust sound quality offered by the built-in speakers. However, for an even more immersive listening experience, it’s easy to connect the projector to a soundbar, surround sound system, headphones, or earbuds – either wirelessly or using a single cable connection. When you do this, the projector supports 360-degree surround sound with Dolby Atmos support via HDMI 2.1.
For any household that would benefit from a projector that can provide a picture that is up to 180-inches in 4K resolution, I highly recommend the BenQ GP520. The $1,000 price of the projector is very reasonable based on the picture and sound quality it offers. You get really good value from a projector that’s very well designed.
BenQ GP520 4K Smart Home Entertainment Projector
I would have liked to see a custom-designed storage and carrying case supplied with the projector, but BenQ offers one for an extra $99.00. And while the projector can be set up on any flat surface, an optional projector stand/ceiling mount (BenQ ST30) is also sold separately for $99.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in a truly portable projector, I suggest checking out my recent review of the BenQ GV50. It offers 1080p resolution, a more compact design, and a lower price (around $600).
