BenQ TH685P 1080p Gaming Projector a beacon of light for the gaming community, promises to bring the immersive gaming world into your living room with stunning clarity and responsiveness. This review delves deep into the heart of the TH685P, dissecting its features, performance, and how it stands up in the competitive arena of gaming projectors.
A notable contender in the gaming projector market, offering a blend of features catering to gaming and home entertainment needs. Here’s an in-depth review of its key aspects:
Our Top Pick
Key Specifications
| Features | BenQ TH685P | |
| 1 | Item weight | 6.2 pounds |
| 2 | Dimension | 12.28 x 8.56 x 4.33 inches |
| 3 | Resolution | 1080p (1920 x 1080) |
| 4 | Brightness | 3500 ANSI Lumens |
| 5 | Contrast Ratio | 10,000:1 |
| 6 | Colour Accuracy | 95% Rec. 709 color coverage |
| 7 | Keystone Correction | Vertical ±30 degrees |
| 8 | Lamp Life | Up to 15,000 hours in Eco mode |
| 9 | Input Lag | 8.3ms |
| 10 | Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| 11 | HDR Compatibility | HDR 10 |
| 12 | Built-in Speakers | 5W chamber speaker with Bongiovi DPS technology |
| 13 | Audio Output | 3.5mm audio out |
| 14 | Input Ports | 2 x HDMI 2.0b (HDCP 2.2), 1 x USB Type-A (power supply), 1 x VGA, 1 x RS232, 1 x 3.5mm audio in |
| 15 | Throw Distance | 1.13-1.46′ |
| 16 | Wireless Connectivity | No |
| 17 | Remote Control | Included |
| 18 | Warranty | 3 years |
Key Features
Performance and Image Quality
Gaming with poor image quality could be quite off-putting!
For this reason, the BenQ TH685P projector has everything to make the gaming experience worthwhile.
The TH685P shines with its 3,500 ANSI lumens brightness, ensuring clear and vibrant images even in well-lit rooms. Its 1080p resolution may not be 4K, but it delivers a highly detailed full HD image that can reach up to 100 inches at 8.2 feet from the wall.
Now, with this Godzilla-sized screen, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of an action game.
The projector supports HDR, enhancing the contrast and color range of the picture. However, it does show rainbow artifacts, which are brief flashes of red, green, and blue, a common trait in DLP projectors.
Design and Build Quality
Weighing just over 6 pounds, the BenQ TH685P is characterized by its compact and portable design, making it ideal for gaming setups that require mobility or frequent adjustments. Its dimensions of 4.3 x 12.3 x 8.9 inches underline its mid-sized nature, perfect for fitting into different entertainment spaces without needing a permanent installation. Structurally, the projector sports a sleek, modern look that complements its technological prowess.
The build quality of the TH685P assures durability and reliability. Designed as a long-throw DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector, it requires some space from the wall to project. Still, it can deliver large display sizes, essential for an immersive gaming and viewing experience.
This design choice reflects a balance between compactness and performance, suited for users who might want to move the projector between rooms or even take it to events.
Image and Display Capabilities
Central to the TH685P’s appeal is its robust image and display capabilities. With a brightness of 3,500 ANSI lumens, the projector operates brilliantly under various lighting conditions, ensuring clear, vibrant visuals even in well-lit rooms. This high brightness level is particularly beneficial for gamers and movie watchers who prefer not to be confined by darkened environments.
Color accuracy is another critical aspect, with the TH685P covering 95% of the Rec. 709 color space, providing rich and accurate colors that enhance the visual fidelity of games and films. Furthermore, the projector supports HDR and is compatible with 4K inputs despite its native 1080p resolution. This feature means it can downconvert 4K signals to fit its resolution without losing the clarity or detail that higher-resolution content provides.
The display also benefits from a 120Hz refresh rate and an impressively low input lag of 8.3ms, which is crucial for gaming where every millisecond counts. These specifications ensure that the gaming experience is smooth and responsive, with minimal delay between the input from the controller and the reaction on the screen, a necessity for competitive gaming and enjoyable casual play.
Gaming Performance
One of the BenQ TH685P’s standout features is its gaming prowess, designed specifically for gamers. One of the key attributes of this projector is its remarkably low input lag of 8.3ms at 1080p/120Hz, which ensures that the action on the screen keeps up with the gamer’s inputs without any perceptible delay. This feature is crucial for fast-paced games, where a delay of even a few milliseconds can affect the outcome of gameplay.
Moreover, the TH685P enhances the gaming experience through its ‘Game Mode’, which optimizes the display for gaming. This mode adjusts the contrast and brightness to reveal greater detail in dark scenes while maintaining vibrant colors in brighter areas.
Additionally, it fine-tunes the audio to be more immersive, making it easier for gamers to pinpoint the direction of sounds in the game, such as footsteps or gunfire, which can provide a competitive edge.
Audio and Sound Quality
While the BenQ TH685P does not feature a high-powered built-in audio system, it has a basic 5-watt speaker that provides adequate sound for casual use. External speakers or a sound system are recommended for gamers and cinephiles looking for a more immersive audio experience.
The projector supports audio pass-through via HDMI, allowing it to easily integrate with existing audio setups without requiring additional equipment.
Because of its size, the integrated speaker is tuned to deliver clear and balanced sound, sufficient for dialogue-heavy content and background music. However, for action-packed games and movies where sound plays a pivotal role in the immersion, external audio solutions will enhance the experience significantly.
Connectivity Options
Connectivity is another vital aspect of the TH685P. It features multiple HDMI 2.0 ports, facilitating easy connection to gaming consoles, PCs, and other media devices. The absence of VGA ports is a nod to modern needs, emphasizing the projector’s focus on high-definition sources.
This selection of ports ensures that users can maintain a high-quality digital video and audio connection, which is essential for preserving the integrity of media in today’s digital age.
Additionally, the projector supports wireless streaming through its built-in Android TV platform, which can access streaming apps directly and mirror content from smartphones and tablets. This feature enhances the TH685P’s role as an all-in-one entertainment hub, allowing users to switch from gaming to watching their favorite streaming content seamlessly.
Including features like Google Cast and AirPlay further broadens the connectivity options, providing flexibility in how content is viewed and shared.
Additional Features
Beyond its core functionalities, the BenQ TH685P has several additional features that enhance its utility and appeal. One notable feature is the vertical digital shift, which allows users to adjust the image vertically without moving the projector physically or resorting to keystone correction. It preserves the image quality and is particularly useful in setups where the projector cannot be placed directly in front of the screen.
The TH685P also includes a built-in Android TV, providing access to a wide array of streaming services directly from the projector. This integration turns the projector into a standalone entertainment system capable of streaming content without the need for external devices, except when accessing non-supported apps. The convenience of having an all-in-one system cannot be understated, particularly for users who value a streamlined setup.
Price and Value for Money
The BenQ TH685P typically retails depending on the area, retailer, and current discounts. With a mid-high price range, this projector hits the mid-range market for gaming projectors and has a wide audience reach with its advanced features.
With a compelling package of features like high brightness and contrast—3500 ANSI Lumens, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, low input lag of 8.3 ms at 1080p/120Hz, HDR10 support for enhanced image quality, and 95% of the Rec. 709 color space—this projector provides excellent value for money.
BenQ TH685P 1080p Gaming Projector
This gaming projector is a beacon for immersive entertainment, offering a vivid canvas for every virtual adventure.
Why Choose the BenQ TH685P 1080p Gaming Projector?
The BenQ TH685P stands out in the competitive market for several compelling reasons:
- Superior Performance: It offers a high brightness of 3,500 ANSI lumens, ensuring vivid and clear images even in well-lit rooms, essential for gaming and home theater settings.
- Gaming Excellence: With an incredibly low input lag of 8.3ms at 1080p/120Hz, it provides a seamless gaming experience, making it a favorite among gamers.
- Color Accuracy: The TH685P produces color-accurate images, covering 95% of the Rec. 709 color space, a significant advantage for those who value visual fidelity in their games and movies.
- HDR and 4K Compatibility: Despite its 1080p resolution, it supports HDR and is compatible with 4K inputs, offering flexibility and future-proofing for various media formats.
Comparison With Competitors
| Features | BenQ TH685P | Epson Home Cinema 2150 | ViewSonic PX706HD | |
| 1 | Item weight | 6.2 pounds | 7.7 pounds | 6 pounds |
| 2 | Dimension | 12.28 x 8.56 x 4.33 inches | 12.2 x 11.2 x 4.8 inches | 11.5 x 8.7 x 4.3 inches |
| 3 | Resolution | 1080p (1920 x 1080) | 1080p (1920 x 1080) | 1080p (1920 x 1080) |
| 4 | Brightness | 3500 ANSI Lumens | 2500 lumens | 3000 lumens |
| 5 | Contrast Ratio | 10,000:1 | 60,000:1 | 22,000:1 |
| 6 | Colour Accuracy | 95% Rec. 709 color coverage | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| 7 | Lamp Life | Up to 15,000 hours in Eco mode | Up to 7500 hours in Eco mode | Up to 15,000 hours in Eco mode |
| 8 | Input Lag | 8.3ms | 29ms | 16ms |
| 9 | HDR Compatibility | HDR 10 | HDR10 | No |
| 10 | Built-in Speakers | 5W chamber speaker with Bongiovi DPS technology | 10W Stereo Speakers | 3W Stereo speakers |
| 11 | Audio Output | 3.5mm audio out | 3.5mm audio out | 3.5mm audio out |
| 12 | Input Ports | 2 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x USB Type-A, 1 x VGA | 2 x HDMI, 1 x USB, 1 x VGA | 2 x HDMI, 1 x USB, 1 x VGA |
| 13 | Throw Distance | 1.13-1.46′ | 1.33-2.16 (100″ @ 3.0 meters) | 0.69-0.83 (100″ @ 1.7 meters) |
| 14 | Wireless Connectivity | No | No | No |
| 15 | Warranty | 3 years | 2 years | 3 years |
In an overall market comparison between the competitors, the BenQ Projector TH685P stands out as an all-rounder because of its high brightness of 3500 ANSI Lumens and contrast ratio of 10,000:1, minimum input lag of 8.3ms, variety of input options, and color accuracy. It has some cons, like inefficient gaming speakers, and users might need external speakers to make the listening experience more immersive.
On the other hand, one of its potential competitors, Epson Home Cinema 2150 offers similar features with a great contrast ratio of 60,000:1 and 10W built-in stereo speakers; however, it has an input lag of about 29ms, which is quite off-putting. In addition, it also has a lamp life of 7500 hours only, which is quite less than the BenQTH685P, which has a lamp life of Up to 15,000 hours.
Furthermore, the brightness value of this projector is only 2500 Lumens, which is way less than that of its former competitor. Despite all this, it’s still a viable option for someone seeking more budget-friendly gaming projectors.
Finally, the ViewSonic PX706HD is another budget-friendly option, with a low-value input lag, 1080p resolution, and lamp life of up to 15,000 hours in Eco mode. However, its brightness with a value of 3000 Lumens and color resolution could be clearer than BenQTH685P. Furthermore, it doesn’t have HDR support and an input lag of 16ms, which is more than BenQ TH685P.
Conclusion
The BenQ TH685P is a solid choice for a gaming projector that balances performance with affordability. While it may not offer the highest resolution on the market, its features make it a versatile projector that can enhance your gaming and home theater experience.
Its ability to handle HDR content well and its low input lag is particularly appealing for gamers, while its brightness makes it suitable for various lighting conditions.
The few downsides, such as the potential for rainbow artifacts and the lack of a robust audio system, are common at this price point and can be mitigated with additional equipment if necessary.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can the BenQ TH685P be used for outdoor movies?
Yes, the TH685P is quite suitable for outdoor movies due to its high brightness and large projection size capability. However, for optimal audio quality, external speakers are recommended.
Does the TH685P support 3D content?
The BenQ TH685P does support 3D content, allowing users to enjoy 3D movies and games, making it a versatile choice for all kinds of media consumption.
What is the lamp life of the TH685P projector?
The TH685P offers an impressive lamp life of up to 15,000 hours in Eco Mode, which means it can last for several years even with regular use.
Is there a warranty included with the purchase of the TH685P?
Yes, the TH685P comes with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty, providing peace of mind and protection against potential defects.
Can I stream from my phone to this projector?
Absolutely, the TH685P supports streaming from phones and other devices via its built-in Android TV, Google Cast, and AirPlay functionality, allowing for easy content sharing and viewing.
