With everyone staying safe at home, I can’t think of a better time to create a Home Theatre. The first thing people get for a home theatre room is a new television. Consider a projector instead. Provided you have space like a basement or den, a projector can turn any wall into a full HD screen in 4K. 

Today I’m reviewing the BenQ 4K UHD HDR Smart Home Theatre Projector (TK850i). This will be the second 4K projector I’ve reviewed this year. This one has a Google-certified Android TV and Chromecast built-in. As an Android user, these two features immediately catch my attention. 

Design of the BenQ TK850i projector

The TK850i looks like a conventional projector with a low-profile look that doesn’t take too much space. It weighs approximately 9lbs and measures 15 inches wide, 5 inches tall, and 10 inches deep.   

On the back are two HDMI ports, USB Type-A, USB Type mini-B service port, SPDIF, audio output, RS-232 control, and a 12V trigger. The top of the projector features the power and menu button. A small cover on the top unveils the dials for focus, zoom, and lens shift.

The front features the projector lens that produces 3000 lumens of brightness. The lamp life depends on the brightness level. At full, medium, and low brightness, the lamp life is 4000, 10,000, and 14,000 hours respectively. At four hours of use per day at medium brightness, the lamp would last 6-7 years. 

 The TK850i also comes with a remote controller with illuminating buttons. This comes in handy at night but these lights can also be turned off.

Setting up the BenQ TK850i projector

The projector comes with the BenQ QS01 Certified AndroidTV Dongle. This needs to be installed into the projector. I used a Phillips screwdriver to unscrew a faceplate. Inside was a dedicated spot for the dongle with an HDMI port and micro-USB power. I inserted it in and screwed the faceplate back on. The dongle has its own dedicated remote for navigating Android TV.

The next step was setting up the position of the projector. The TK850i has a throw ratio of 1.13-1.47. To get a 100” screen, it needs to be approximately 8 feet away from the screen. 

My projector wall can produce a max screen size of 137”. I placed the TK850i approximately 10’ away from the wall and adjusted the focus. The setup was easier than I expected. I placed it on a coffee table and pointed it to the wall. It didn’t need to be elevated to get the image to the center of the wall. 

Using the BenQ TK850i projector

The TK850i can produce 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160). It also uses BenQ’s HDR-PRO technology to provide a more dynamic range in light and dark areas. This means darker blacks and brighter whites. 

I used the controller to select YouTube on Android TV. To search, I pressed the microphone button and said “8K macro footage of everyday objects”. I selected a video from the search results. 

Even in daylight, the images were stunning. The colours were bright and clear. Even up close, you can still see all the detail of the images. I could visually see the higher dynamic range in the light and dark areas. The best viewing experience is at night. I turned off all the lights and the 3000 lumens lit the whole room.

HDR viewing is especially notable. It’s optional but you can visually see the difference. With it on, the contrast is enhanced and the colours are richer. Looking at macro footage of insects up close displayed deep-textured colours and bright images. 

Audio options on the BenQ TK850i projector

The TK850i comes with a built-in 10-watt speaker. Usually, internal projector speakers don’t sound very good, but this one impressed me. It has three different modes for cinema, music, and game. The sound quality is actually quite good. If you sit next to the projector, it’s enjoyable. It still cannot replace the auditory experience of a dedicated soundbar or surround system. Consider it as a good backup option. 

Missing from this projector is Bluetooth connectivity. Setup to home theatre sound systems is done by a wired connection to the SPDIF and audio out.

I have a Bluetooth soundbar mounted on my projector wall. One workaround is installing a Bluetooth receiver to the audio out on the back of the projector. That will wirelessly send the audio signal to my soundbar but there will be some latency. I’m perplexed why a 4K home theatre projector would not have Bluetooth 5 built-in. 

Android TV 

 The addition of AndroidTV is a huge selling point for me. I already use Google Assistant a lot at home, and having it on the AndroidTV controller is life-changing. It makes it super easy to find videos and other information.

Casting off my phone was seamless. It’s one thing to cast to a TV, but it’s a whole different experience casting content to a 137” 4K projector screen. With the Google Play Store, I have also had access to 500,000 TV shows and movies.

Both Amazon Prime Video and YouTube are embedded into Android TV, but not Netflix. To watch Netflix, users have to use a laptop to cast Netflix to the TK850i from the web browser. That’s no fun.

Amazon Prime Video gets a dedicated button on the Android TV controller. Obviously, there is some type of licensing issue going on here. Sadly, we the consumer have to jump through hoops to watch Netflix on this projector. 

Final thoughts

What could be better than a 4K projector? A 4K projector with Android TV. That is the main takeaway I had from this review. The TK850i produces sharp resolution, vibrant colours, and high contrast between dark and white. The lamp worked well in the daylight, making it a potential replacement for a television in a home theatre room. 

I love that Android TV is built-in, but that’s not entirely the case. It comes with the BenQ QS01 Certified AndroidTV Dongle. Users have to unscrew a faceplate and manually install it. 

I can’t figure out why. It doesn’t make sense to me. Roku comes built-in to TV’s, why couldn’t Android TV be embedded into the TK850i? While we’re at it, can someone explain why Netflix is not built-in? I can download the Netflix app on my Android phone, why can’t I get it on Android TV? 

The workaround is to just install a Roku streaming stick to watch Netflix on the TK850i. That introduces a third controller into the mix.  If anything, the TK850i should just have a single controller for the projector and Android TV. Three controllers, just to be able to watch 4K Netflix? That seems overkill, totally unnecessary.  

Ranting aside, I really enjoyed the TK850i. The more 4K projectors I review, I’m becoming even more convinced that they provide a better entertainment experience than televisions. Whether it’s watching sports, Youtube, gaming, or casting off a phone, it’s a versatile 4K projector. 

If you have at least feet of throw distance to a wall in your home theatre room, I highly recommend you consider the BenQTK850i smart home theatre projector.

Andy Baryer
Andy Baryer
http://handyandymedia.com
Andy Baryer aka “Handy Andy” is a technology journalist, gadget reviewer, and DIY/how-to content creator. Known as the handyman of tech, Andy enjoys fixing poor wireless networks, building smart homes, and cooking with the latest kitchen gadgets. He’s a competitive whistler, a budding woodworker, and loves gardening in his home-built smart garden.
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682 COMMENTS

  4. I would love to watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with this projector! The 100 m Sprint would be amazing to watch!

  8. This would make an awesome addition. Just in time to watch the Olympics! But the Olympics are only short lived, sort of like the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff run … which I also watch. American football season is right around the corner and I need to watch my beloved Detroit Lions lose horrifically in 4K.

  14. The sport that I would love to watch this summer with my family on the TK850i would be Olympic rowing. I have a niece that is an Olympic hopeful for the 2024 and/or 2028 Olympics so I would be awesome to get my young twins engaged in watching the Olympics THIS summer to prepare them for viewing down the road.

  21. If I win the projector would not arrive in time, but I’m excited that the Summer Olympic Games are finally here and I will be watching many of the sports.

  28. My son is old enough to appreciate the Olympics and that’s the first sports we’d watch on this!

  31. My wife and I would love to watch the Olympics on this projector this summer. Otherwise, golf with my father or baseball with my father-in-law.

  33. If I won the projector, it would be just in time for the start of the CFL season – Canadian football on a huge 4k screen would be awesome!

  34. I would love the BENQ TK850i so that I can watch baseball this summer and football and hockey in the fall in 4K. (If I had the BENQ x1300i Gaming projector, I’d never get to use it as my son would be playing games outdoors 7/24, 365 days a year)

  35. Great review Andy!
    I’ve been wanting a projector for some time & this sounds like & looks fantastic!
    I would love to watch the Summer Olympics in Tokyo with this projector along with some Jays baseball

  36. Big fan of tennis, would like to be able to see the tennis ball in a large projected wall.

  38. Would love to have a home theatre that is great for all the movies we have downloaded over the pandemic. I would love to win this

  39. Both of my kids have wanted a projector for…idk, quite some time now lol. They absolutely love the movie theaters! It’s hard to get them outta there once the movie is over lol. Receiving a BenQ TK850i would not only change the way we view our shows but it would their world up! And they already have the movie picked out. The Croods: A New Age

  40. Great review! Would love this for my family and to be able to escape the lock down and stress of covid and go back to a time where we can enjoy our selves by going to the movies by have a movie theatre like experience. I would love to watch the new Spider-Man movie on this!!

  41. I’d love this BenQ projector because it would give me back all the space taken up by our TV. I’m looking forward to watching Nomadland.

    • I would love to watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer in my BenQ projector if I do win one.

  42. I would love to win this 4K projector to watch lord of the rings. It would be a wonderful surprise for my husband.

  43. I want this projector because I would like to watch hockey with family and friends. One new movie I would like to watch is the Snyder Cut.

  44. I would love the BenQ projector to watch movies with my family in our home! and at least one new movie you would love to watch on the big screen produced by this projector. We would watch Raya the last Dragon and The Little Things!

  46. I would love to upgrade all of my viewing entertainment and this Ben Q projector would definitely make watching everything better. The first new movie I would watch would be Godzilla vs. Kong

  48. Would love a chance to see this projector in action, miss seeing all these amazing films on a large screen! Would be awesome see Lord of the Rings in 4k on this big of a screen!

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