The BenQ TK700STi is a 4k HDR short throw projector primarily meant for video games. Its short throw lens projects a 100" image at a distance of 6.5 feet, 120" at a distance of 7.8 to 9.4 feet, and a very large 150" at a distance of 9.8 to 11.8 feet. The projector comes with 2D Keystone technology to eliminate trapezoid effects when it's installed off-center or at an angle and also includes a picture rotation feature. Finally, it has two external and one internal HDMI 2.0b ports for 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz gaming and an integrated 5W chambered speaker. It has Bluetooth support and comes with the Android TV 10 on its included QS01 dongle.
Our Verdict
The BenQ TK700STi is decent for watching movies. Its native contrast is satisfactory, and its brightness is decent, leading to a pleasant viewing experience when watched in a dark room, although its colors are a bit dull. Unfortunately, the projector's color accuracy before calibration is mediocre, and it doesn't improve much with calibration, so it's not the projector for color purists.
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Satisfactory contrast for a pleasant viewing experience in dark rooms.
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Bright enough to look vibrant in dark rooms.
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Full suite of smart features with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
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Dull and inaccurate colors.
- 7.0 Movies
- Updated Sep 13, 2024: We mentioned the newly-reviewed BenQ X500i in the Contrast section of this review.
- Updated Jun 03, 2024: We mentioned the newly-reviewed BenQ X3100i in the Brightness section of this review.
- Updated May 21, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 0.9, mainly in the Verdict, Compared To Other Projectors and Contrast sections.
- Updated May 21, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9. We've overhauled our Contrast tests, as we now measure contrast at various average pixel levels (APL). You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Feb 29, 2024: We previously stated that the product could do up to 1080p @ 120Hz, but it's actually capable of up to 1080p @ 240Hz. We've updated the text within the review and in the Side by Sides to reflect this correction.
- Updated Feb 13, 2024: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the BenQ TK700STi. This projector has a lower-end model, the BenQ TK700, which doesn't have Short Throw capability and doesn't come with the BenQ QS01 dongle.
| Model | Short Throw | Included Android TV Dongle |
|---|---|---|
| BenQ TK700STi | Yes | Yes |
| BenQ TK700 | No | No |
Our unit was manufactured in May 2023; you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Projectors
BenQ TK700STi is a good gaming projector with 1080p @ 240Hz capabilities. Still, it's also no slouch for watching movies in a dark room with its satisfactory contrast and decent brightness, and it comes with an Android TV 10 dongle with many available apps. It's not the most portable projector due to its size and moderate weight, but its short throw capabilities make it easy to install in small rooms. Still, if you don't need the short throw or the Android TV dongle, consider the cheaper BenQ TK700, which is almost identical, except that it lacks these two features.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors and the best short-throw projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for a cheaper product, look up the best projectors under $1,000 instead.
The BenQ TK700STi and the BenQ X500i are both part of BenQ's 'Immersive Gaming' series, and share many similarities. Still, outside of the TK700STi's higher peak brightness, the X500i is the better product overall due to its much better contrast, wider color gamut, and superior pre-calibration accuracy. Plus, the X500i comes with the newer QS02 dongle, which has more features than the older QS01 dongle that comes with the TK700STi.
The BenQ X3000i is better than the BenQ TK700STi, although the TK700STi is smaller and lighter and is a short-throw projector, so you can place it closer to the wall or screen. Still, the X3000i is brighter, has better contrast, is much more accurate, and has a wider color gamut. They both support 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 240Hz, so they're equally great options for gaming.
The BenQ HT3550 and BenQ TK700STi are meant for different uses, as the HT3500 is primarily meant for home theater use, while the TK700STi is a gaming projector. Still, the TK700STi is no slouch for watching movies due to its satisfactory contrast and decent brightness, although the BenQ matches it for contrast. However, the HT3550 is significantly more colorful and much more accurate than the TK700STi post-calibration, making it the better choice for color aficionados.
The BenQ TK700STi is better than the XGIMI HORIZON Pro. The BenQ is a bit brighter, with better contrast, so it looks better than the XGIMI when a few lights are on. It's also slightly more accurate pre-calibration than the XGIMI, although you can improve the XGIMI significantly more with calibration. The XGIMI has a wider color gamut than the BenQ, but it's not bright enough to make its colors pop. The BenQ is particularly interesting to gamers as it can play games at both 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz, while the XGIMI is limited to 60Hz at both 4k and 1080p.
The BenQ X3100i is better than the BenQ TK700STi. They're both gaming projectors, but the X3100i supports 4k @ 60Hz, 1440p @ 120Hz, and 1080p @ 240Hz, while the TK700STi is limited to 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 240Hz. The TK700STi also comes with the older QS01 streaming dongle, which lacks many of the advanced features of the QS02 dongle included with the X3100i, although you can purchase the dongle on its own to install in the TK700STi. Otherwise, the BenQ X3100i offers superior image quality, with better brightness, contrast, accuracy, and colors.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra offers better image quality than the BenQ TK700STi, but the BenQ is a Short Throw projector, so you can place it closer to the wall or screen. The BenQ is also better for gamers as it can project both 4k @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 240Hz, while the XGIMI is limited to up to 4k @ 60Hz. Still, the XGIMI is brighter, has a wider color gamut, and is the more accurate of the two projectors.
The Optoma UHD35 and BenQ TK700STi are very similar projectors, with little to differentiate them. They're both gaming projectors, so they can project either 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz. The Optoma offers marginally better image quality out-of-the-box due to its better accuracy and contrast, although the BenQ is the brighter projector. The biggest difference between the two products is the lack of wireless connectivity options and smart features on the Optoma. However, the BenQ comes with the QS01 smart streaming dongle with full wireless connectivity support.
Test Results
The BenQ TK700STi projector has a somewhat compact design, but it isn't meant to be portable. You can carry it around, but at 7 pounds, it's a bit chunky. It also doesn't have an integrated battery, so you must ensure you have access to a power outlet to use it. The projector has auto keystone correction, but only on the vertical axis, so you must still center it horizontally. It doesn't have autofocus, so you must manually adjust that to get the clearest image possible.
This DLP projector uses a lamp as its light source, which can last from 4000 to about 15000 hours depending on the selected eco mode, after which you'll need to swap the lamp for a new one. It's not a true 4k projector, as it uses pixel shifting to create a pseudo 4k image. This offers better quality than a pure 1080p projector but isn't as good as a native 4k projector.
This projector has decent brightness on a 100" screen and is bright enough for a satisfactory viewing experience in a dark room. Unfortunately, its colors are a bit dull. If you're looking for a similar gaming projector with better brightness, check out the BenQ X3100i.
The BenQ TK700STi has satisfactory contrast, leading to a pleasant viewing experience in a dark room, even if its blacks aren't very inky. If you're looking for a similar projector with better contrast, consider the BenQ X500i instead.
Before calibration, the BenQ TK700STi has mediocre color accuracy. While its white balance is good and its color temperature is excellent, albeit a bit warm, the projector's color accuracy is poor; all colors are significantly inaccurate, so this isn't the product for color purists.
The projector's image accuracy improves slightly after calibration, but it could be much better. Its color accuracy is better but still sub-par, and its white balance is about the same as before calibration. Its color temperature improved, but it was already excellent.
The BenQ TK700STi's color gamut is decent. It does a fantastic job with the Rec. 709 color space used with SDR content, but it can't adequately display the wider Rec. 2020 space.
The BenQ TK700STi runs the Android TV 10 smart interface on its included QS01 dongle. It's very smooth and has a ton of apps. The projector also has an integrated speaker.
The projector has two external HDMI ports, one of which is also the eARC port. It also has one internal HDMI port behind the rear BenQ cover, which is meant for use with the bundled BenQ QS01 Android streaming device but you can also use it with other devices if you don't need the dongle. Google Cast is supported with the QS01 dongle, and the projector supports Bluetooth.