This is my 120-inch 4K Laser Projector home studio theater.
It's probably the last piece of the studio puzzle that I've been putting together for
quite some time now, and I'd love to show it to you.
I'll go through the entire setup, how I built it, and the challenges I had!
All the links will be in the description below, so let's not waste any time and get right
to it.
At first, I had the idea of having a ceiling projector mounted here.
My initial thought was to use my backdrop set up as a backbone to where I'd install
a retractable screen and beam from the ceiling.
BenQ, however, really surprised me with the short throw projector they sent over.
I had to come up with a totally different setup concept, and I think it turned out way
better than my initial plan.
So, a laser projector installed right in front of giant windows - challenge accepted!
With this being a laser projector, I no longer needed to mount anything on the ceiling nor
run cables for it - which is excellent.
Another significant benefit of short-throw projectors meant that people could walk around
the studio even when the projector was running without obscuring the picture.
This characteristic comes in handy when the kids are watching something while I work or
as you can see, I can throw in a backdrop and present to you as if I am in the streets
of New York.
This characteristic comes in handy when the kids watch something while I work.
The BenQ V7050i short-throw 4K laser projector is the MVP of this setup.
Price-wise, the BenQ V7050i retails right around what the competition offers while being
on top of its class in terms of brightness and overall picture quality.
I'll talk about picture quality in a second.
First of all, this projector is not something small or portable that you can move around.
The minute the box arrived and I started unpacking it, I felt like I was unpacking an IMAX projector.
It's big, solid, and very classy looking, boasting confidence and for a good reason,
hence the excellent 3-year warranty customer care that BenQ provides.
The package comes with a QS01 Аndroid streaming stick and two remotes, ready to be plugged
in and put to action.
One remote control is for the projector, and the other is for the Аndroid stick.
The stick remote is pretty standard, while the projector remote is oversized and backlit,
which is a nice touch.
Once everything was set up, however, non of these remotes were something I ended up using.
You'll see why in a moment.
The first thing to notice in terms of the design of the BenQ V7050i is that there is
no visible lens.
Unlike many other alternatives, it is hidden behind a motorized cover.
Every time I start it up, I feel like Tony Stark, but what matters more besides the cool
factor is that the lid prevents the lens from accumulating dust.
Once it slides out, the lens appears alongside the eye-protecting sensors.
These sensors are definitely something to appreciate, especially when you have children…or,
let's say, cats.
On the front, the V7050i comes with a pair of 5W speakers, which are hidden being a fabric.
It ventilates from the sides, and on the back, there are 2 HDMI 2.0b ports, audio return
on one of them, and a SPDIF port.
The audio return port is reserved for the Android stick.
On the back, there are hidden rulers, which help position the projector perfectly to determine
the exact distance for the screen size if you install it like most people do - on a
tv unit right next to a wall.
The ideal positioning happens with the help of the rules in combination with the adjustable
feet on the bottom.
BenQ offers a very comprehensive guide as well.
In terms of picture quality, this projector has a lot to offer.
It's 4K with 2500 lumens of brightness and a DLP laser that can run for 20,000 hours.
It can be used from 70" to 123," and it supports DCI-P3 color accuracy and 96% of the Rec.709
spectrum.
It also supports HDR10 and HLG and adjusting it is effortless.
Besides the hardware adjustment I mentioned, an automatic vertical keystone comes in handy,
and oh…I almost forgot it supports 3D.
Focus uniformity is overall excellent, although you can notice some slight disturbance at
the very top portion on the screen, which, as far as I know, is typical for short throws.
Black levels are on par for this category of projectors, where you can expect not such
deep blacks but rather darker greys.
BenQ, however, provides a great range of on-screen settings, some of which can reduce the greys
to a minimum.
Input lag for gaming is apparent and might not be appreciated by the avid gamers, but
it is definitely something to ignore for me and my casual Nintendo Switch sessions.
As I mentioned, it is crazy bright, which means that I don't have to worry about additional
light sources.
I can easily keep some ambient lights on without sacrificing visibility.
When I turn it on, however, the sheer brightness doesn't justify the necessity of any lights
at all.
I can read a book or easily take a selfie purely on the projector's light.
The Android stick comes with Hulu, HBO Max, and countless streaming services, typical
for any Android TV.
However, I am not taking advantage of the Android unit because I wanted to use an Apple
TV because of AirPlay.
The more important part for me, though, was running the audio through my HomePods without
any cables.
The built-in front speakers of the projector are great for some casual listening, but I
wouldn't say they sound immersive or justify the picture that the unit produces.
Since I planned to place the setup in front of giant windows, in fact, this is how I built
my home studio, I had a challenge figuring out the best route to go with a short-throw.
At first, I had the illusion that I would be able to use any screen for this setup,
but as soon as I fired up the BenQ, I realized that I'd need something much more sophisticated
to bring the best picture quality to life.
In my situation, I couldn't mount a permanent screen since the position of the setup is
directly in front of full-sized windows, so it had to be something retractable.
My initial idea was a screen that drops from the ceiling where my backdrops are.
That was quickly debunked because there are not that many great ceiling-mounted solutions
out there, plus the hassle of having to pull the screen from the celling mounts everytime
I want to watch something didn't sound tempting one bit.
BTW…note how a bad screen can ruin a great projector's picture.
Do you see the lines?
Also, BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe…because…WHY NOT?!?
Luckily there was a great solution in the form of a Motorized Floor Rising ALR Projector
Screen.
The size kindly provided to me was 120," and immediately after testing the BenQ on it,
I was amazed at the difference.
ALR stands for Ambient Light Rejection which reflects light to viewers in a controlled
fashion.
Unlike traditional screens that reflect less light and do so in all directions, ALR absorbs
it thanks to a unique prism structure where the source is reflected in parallel.
Incredible technology that can be seen in action by simply pointing your smartphone
flash upwards and downwards.
Even after a few months of using the motorized screen, I still feel special while it lifts.
The actual screen is grey and very thin.
However, the rear scissors mechanism looks like something that can hold an elevator.
I have a simple 3-button remote control for it, and I have yet to figure out how to program
it to turn up once I power on the projector.
I know there is a connector for it and an option, but I haven't done it yet.
What was left was to develop a good housing unit to hold the screen and the BenQ projector
in the ideal position while taking as little space as possible.
Based on some costly projector units out there, I ordered a custom unit for this setup from
a local carpenter.
Nothing fancy, just clever and compact.
The result of which turned out great.
It is not a motorized press-a-button unit, yet it's just as easy to convert into viewing
mode quickly.
All I have to do is press on the TV remote and push the front side of the unit to pull
out the projector underneath effortlessly.
The drawer is weighed and limited to stop at the ideal position where the projector
hits the screen.
When not in use, the entire unit takes very little space.
I could've made the side push doors perforated to hold speakers potentially, but my sound
setup didn't require it.
The final touch for this setup was the pair of discontinued first-generation HomePods,
which are housed inside a couple of Vebos Homepod Stands.
These stands elevate the HomePods to the perfect height, and since they are metal, I don't
have to worry about sturdiness.
They look very stylish, by the way.
I am still going back and forth about whether I'd like to keep them next to the couch or
flanking the projector unit.
Wherever they are, however, I get to enjoy some severe rocking the house vibes, and I
know the sound I hear is at its best because the HomePods have real-time acoustic modeling
- something Apple calls spatial awareness.
They adjust the audio to balance all audio layers depending on the environment.
If you haven't heard the 1st gen HomePods in pair, it is remarkable.
These HomePods are becoming increasingly challenging to acquire second-hand BTW and are becoming
sought-after units.
This wouldn't be a home theater setup without the ideal seating comfort.
I'll talk about that as well as everything else in this home studio in my upcoming video
tour.
Be sure to subscribe to the channel for when it comes out, and as always, it's been an
absolute pleasure, This is E Over and out.