The portable projector market continues to grow because of the convenience it has to offer. These are not competing with traditional home-theatre projectors because the portability factor sets it apart and it’s a good investment for anyone who likes a weekend getaway or wants to have something inexpensive for entertainment in the home office. It is also for those who like to have the occasional movie night but don’t want a huge TV taking up space in the bedroom.
We had a chance to review BenQ GV11 Compact Portable Projector and like all BenQ projectors, there are some innovative features to make it shine. The two most innovative features here are the inbuilt long-lasting battery and the stand.
You can keep it anywhere
It comes in a carry case, containing the projector, a small base, remote control and even a number of plugs. The base is what the projector needs to be kept on; it has anti-slip pads. I tried keeping it on the floor, on a table, a bookshelf and even tried projecting on to the ceiling. The base is designed to hold the projector in different positions and you can swivel it back and forth to get the best picture. When the box arrived, I didn’t give too much thought to the stand. Over the many hours that I used the device, I began to appreciate the way the projector can be rotated to deliver projection at any angle.
Android TV stick in the box
It’s a compact but very powerful projector, partly because of the Android TV stick that comes in the box. One side of the projector can be slid open and there is a compartment to insert the QS01 HDMI media streaming stick that offers access to everything you need. There is even a power source in the compartment to make things easy. You also have the option to mirror your smartphone, laptop, tablet….
Even though the QS01 can get things done easily, I wish the compartment size was slightly bigger to accommodate something like the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which I think has a better UI. But this is more of a quibble than a drawback. The Android TV stick in the box, in fact, matches the size of the projector, which is smaller than the height of a smartphone. Also, the QS01 is better than a similar device from most rival brands.Since I am in the quibble zone, the other change that I would like to see in future models is a USB Type-C charging port instead of the proprietary charger with a barrel port connector.
The speakers are loud enough to fill a medium-size room
The projector comes with a battery which is powerful enough to showcase a long film
You can connect the projector to any kind of wall power socket
The QS01 HDMI Media Streaming AT A GLANCE stick comes in the box
The compact projector comes in a carrying case that holds the remote control and connecting pins
Time for action
Once you turn on the projector, use the physical ring button on the side to adjust the focus. There are a few buttons on top of the device but I stuck to the remote control, which, in fact, comes with many high-end BenQ models. It’s well-designed and has all the function buttons you can ask for. By way of ports, there is audio out, HDMI port to connect devices and one USB port.
To get the best out of the projector, it’s best to turn off most of the lights in the room. The UI that QS01 has to offer is responsive. Keeping the brightness to 50-60 is enough for most rooms. There are some picture modes to choose from — Bright, Living Room, Game, Sports, Cinema and Day Time. Personally, the Cinema mode has my approval because of the colours it offers.
Natively, it’s a 480p projector offering 200 ANSI Lumen brightness. Don’t go by the 480p part because of the upscaling that happens. If you visit the Projector Information page, you will see “detected resolution” to be 1280x720 at 60Hz. I project videos on to a white wall in my office but if you can get a proper projector screen it will take the experience to a new level because it will reflect more light. Even when using the wall as a projection screen, I got brilliant visuals from a distance of five or six feet. The colours have a lot of depth and the projector outperforms the specs mentioned on the box.
Should you buy it?
The projector comes with a battery but longevity depends on the brightness and volume level. On battery power, the company claims around 2.5 hours or the average length of a Hindi film. You will end up getting around that much, so the claim is valid. And it’s not just a projector meant for videos. You can use it as a Bluetooth device. The 5W treVolo speakers offer a clean soundstage and easily fill a small room. BenQ, Viewsonic, Epson, Samsung… they offer great projectors across a wide spectrum. BenQ has won me over with the colour accuracy on such a small machine. Sure, it doesn’t match the colours of a big QLED TV screen but as far as portable projectors go, this is great. Also, projections can easily be 90 inches but I would keep it to 60 inches for picture depth. There is a need to temper expectations from a portable projector but this one is able to produce bright images. Those who are looking for something more top of the line, there is the BenQ GS50, which is a 1080p LED projector with a built-in battery and a splashproof design. As for the BenQ GV11 Compact Portable Projector, it hits the sweet spot without making too many compromises.
At a glance
All the control buttons are on the top
Device: BenQ GV11 Compact Portable Projector
Price: 37,990
HIGH NOTES
- Compact and can project anywhere
- Comes with a long-lasting battery
- Speakers perform well
- Well-designed remote control
- Picture quality is better than what is mentioned on the spec sheet
MUFFLED NOTE
- USB Type-C charging port would be a welcome feature