This latest BenQ offering continues the company’s record of making capable but affordable lifestyle projectors. Naturally, the HDR GP520 is quite at home with the latest 4K blockbuster, but it has so much more to offer. Its diminutive stature and weight (3.7kg), coupled with a range of mounting options, make it ideal for impromptu movie nights or gaming sessions in pretty much any room you care for – or even outdoors.

The inclusion of quarter-inch screw fittings on the back and underside of the projector is a stroke of brilliance in my view, as they let it project directly on to a wall or ceiling. BenQ recommends Jusmo’s Desktop Projector stand for this, though any stand that supports 4kg or more will do the trick – I attached the GP520 unit directly to a camera stand.

Powered on, the GP520’s Auto Cinema Mode performs automated focus and keystone correction in addition to ‘object avoidance’. It also adjusts colour based on the surface it is projecting onto, and compensates for ambient light. Enter your Google password – the GP520 uses the Google TV platform – and you’re up and running. Welcome to the world of plug-and-play projection!

Like other BenQ projectors, the GP520 is a single-chip DLP design, incorporating a 0.47” DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) with a native resolution of 1,920x1,080. It achieves its 4K resolution by flashing its micro-mirrors four times in rapid succession for each frame. It sports an LED light source with a quoted 2,600 ANSI lumens and a FOFO contrast ratio of 200,000:1, although I imagine 2-3,000:1 would be closer to the mark. This has a quoted life span of 20,000 hours, or 30,000 in ECO mode.

Quoted throw ratio is 1.2, and the GP520 has a fixed lens. It supports 98% of the smaller HD/Rec. 709 colour space. As for connectivity, there are two HDMI inputs with ALLM/CEC and eARC, two USB-A inputs (one reserved for service) and a USB-C input. It also has dual 12W speakers, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm audio output for connecting other speakers. Wi-Fi compatibility includes 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz.

VISION ON

Even with heavy auto-keystone correction, the GP520 produced sharp images, albeit with a very subtle border of light around them, which is an artefact of the DMD technology, BenQ says. It’s normally barely visible, or not visible at all with higher ambient light levels, and can be minimised by watching the projector square-on. It has an impressively high brightness capability for a portable, but images still look slightly washed out in brightly lit rooms, so it’s unlikely to replace your TV anytime soon.

I’m not a fan of any system that alters colour and light based on the environment, as such systems hardly produce film-accurate images. However, with Netflix’s Another Favour, the GP520 did a pretty good job against a white wall, creating lustrous, punchy colours and good-looking skin tones. It’s hardly the stuff of critical colour reproduction, but neither is it distracting, and most viewers will be very happy. Black levels are good enough to get the job done, but don’t expect inky blacks at this price point.

Whereas I find the HDR tone mapping of many budget projectors unusable, the GP520 performed admirably. Although Netflix's The Residence's images were a tad on the dark side, I also experienced the same issue with my more expensive Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Lumagen combination. For what is essentially a small box, sound quality is decent enough at the price. The only caveat is that if you watch the GP520 off-axis to where it's projected, there’s a disjoint between the image and where the sound is coming from. If needed, this can be easily fixed by connecting to a Bluetooth speaker.

THE VERDICT

The GP520 is primarily a lifestyle projector, so those looking for a home cinema model would be better advised to look at BenQ’s static designs. Yet it carries out its intended role admirably, getting many things right. Versatile mounting options and an automatic adjustment system make it a true ‘plug-and-play’ design. This, in turn, means that even the most technically challenged should be able to get it up and running in minutes. Its versatility and diminutive size mean it can cater to practically any scenario. From footy games outdoors with a BBQ, to watching blockbusters on the bedroom ceiling, the GP520 has you covered!

For more information visit BenQ