TK850 Home Theater Projector

Running a BenQ TK-850 that we have been Very happy with. 110" Silver Ticket fixed screen; about 9.5ft viewing distance; projector is mounted overhead - probably 10.5 ft back. Disclaimers: 1) Have had multiple BenQ DLPs over the years: don't "see" rainbows, and like the color output. 2) This unit was installed - and has been Calibrated - by someone who Knows What They Are Doing (not DIY...). 3) The person who did the install / calibration is currently running a BenQ W2720i, on a 120" Silver Ticket fixed screen. I have seen that unit running on a 100" as well as his current 120" screen, and in various states of "tune" (calibration / settings). If (when...?) the TK-850 failed, the W2720i would Immediately become my "Standard of Comparison" when shopping for a replacement. To be fair, the 2720i IS more expensive up front (exceeds $2k, at least at list) - but it also does NOT use a traditional Lamp, which ought to help offset the initial cost over a reasonable life span. Best of Luck in your search. EDIT: Corrected reference projector model to "W2720i" to fix incorrect "W1720i" in original. Thanks for Jred... for catching this!

How critical are you about picture quality? The "Convenience" of Portable Projectors comes in one's willingness to project upon whatever reasonably flat wall you have at hand. Which means a wall that has enough clear area (no shelves; pictures; hangings; protruding furniture....) to allow for a picture size that exceeds whatever TV you would otherwise buy (or already own). The next step up is to either mount a Pull Down Screen or perhaps a motorized one (whether rising or falling...). Alas, inexpensive "pull down" screens have the same problem as the vast majority of walls: they are Not Flat, and "critical eyes" will be bothered by the imperfections (esp in panning scenes). The best pull down / rise up screens Presumably manage to avoid those imperfections - but at a $$$ cost. So now you are talking about a Fixed screen. These don't HAVE to be Expensive, but decent ones are not Cheap, and you still need a large blank wall to mount them.... UPSHOT: a) Visit a friend who runs a nice projector set up; and then b) Visit a friend who has a "lifestyle, picture on the wall" set up and see how Sensitive YOU are to PQ. ELSE: follow advice others have given to buy an inexpensive "lifestyle" projector (or borrow one if you have an accommodating friend!) and see how well it works in your home. FWIW: We started out with a 1080p projector and an inexpensive 100" pull-down. Got tired of the "waves' in the screen but decided we liked the "Theater-like Experience" enough to opt for a fixed screen (alas, 110" was all we could make room for). Several years later we are still using that same screen, but have been through several projectors (now running a 4K BenQ TK-850) - but we have a dedicated space for the screen in our basement, and the projector (and screen) were both setup and calibrated by a (semi-) professional. In other words: We ended up going down the proverbial rabbit-hole of "it could be better...." : )

Not true "all DLP projectors have it" Seen any IMAX or Dolby movies lately? No RBE there. They use DLP. Rainbow effect is caused by single chip DLP (one chip for all colors) and the use of a Color wheel to split the light into RGB, or in Valarion's case an RGB laser that modulates between the 3 primary colors. The color wheel is the worst, and RGB laser light tends to be better, but still shows up in very dark scenes with super bright highlights, during fast motion. Now not all Epson projectors have no RBE, but what are you looking for if you don't want that is 3 Chip products. The home cinema Epson uses 3LCD panels. JVC projectors use D-Ila panels (again 3, 1 dedicated to each color) All theater projectors and high end home models will use DLP chips but have 3, 1 for each color and do not have any issues with RBE. DLP isn't the problem. That being said, I own an Epson 3800, BenQ tk850, Optima HD27, JVC-Nz700, and the Valiaron Pro2 and MAX (not yet released) I currently have been using the Pro2 for everything and absolutely love it. Yes it's worth it and best in its class.

Same here never trust the .47!  Chip i had 6x benq tk850 replaced cause of this issue now they are All in a closet boxed up never had  .47 projector last more than 2 years and now 2 years later optoma uhd55 same issue .

I want one but it has the .47 DMD chip and those all go fast never had a projector lasts more than 2 years and I went through 7 Projectors in 5 years .

I had the TK850. Poor quality. I can't trust in BenQ anymore. I bought a ViewSonic LS710 4K to replace it. Way better for me. 1000% !

I had a BenQ TK series projector (TK850) the durability Of this one was really bad. It stopped working 2 year after I ordered a refurbished one on BenQ official website. I replaced it with a ViewSonic LS710 4KE and damn ! It's so good ! Way better than BenQ wich I can't trust anymore !

I cannot stress how much OLED snobbery plagues this sub. Picture quality does not matter THAT much... I game on a 110" screen powered by a 4k BenQ projector (very cheap but solid projector for gaming) and the size of the screen alone absolutely blows everything else away for the gaming experience. Size is truly king over everything else in the theater world.

Incorrect. It is picture SIZE first, then audio, then picture quality. Movie theaters have existed for 100 years with what would now be considered terrible picture quality yet they were still great experiences because of the size of the image and the immersion it brings.

Literally my journey. Cheap Amazon projector as an emergency display while on the road. Lasted us a year and change at home. When the filter burned through upgraded to a BenQ 4K setup. No way my wife would have been interested in the cost for the system without testing a cheap version first.

Looks great. Got a mate with benq 4K projector and The feeling playing at 130 inch screen is amazing. This nebula projector looks even better. Enjoy!

I have the Valerion pro 2 and it was a massive jump from my 4k BenQ.

I have a 110" ALR screen paired with my BenQ 4k projector. Space limitations kept me from the 120" screen. I still have my 40" Sony. I think we get conditioned to the TV image, and forget what being in a movie theater is like.   Are the images different? They most certainly are....and you will never get eye strain from a projector. IMO, the images are more realistic with a projector and the large screen adds to the viewing pleasure, be it your favorite film or sporting event. I love watching hockey and football!

Projectors have as many settings as a tv. Adjustments can be made to your viewing pleasure. There's no denying that ambient light is the enemy of all projectors....even in a movie theater. When the lights are "up" in your local theater, the image on the big screen is impacted....and so it is with your home set up. I have my projector set on Filmmaker mode, and laser set at Eco mode...higher settings are available, but these give me the most satisfying image to my eyes, with no worry of eye strain. Again, the images via projector are different than a tv.