Pros & Cons
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- 1080p (1,920 by 1,080) native resolution
- Fully integrated Google TV for streaming
- Lightweight, with a magnetic base for easy setup
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- No 3D support
- Loses enough shadow detail with SDR input to make it hard to see what's happening in dark scenes
BenQ GV50 Specs
| Dimensions (HWD) | 8.3 by 5.1 by 7.5 inches |
| Engine Type | DLP |
| Inputs and Interfaces | Bluetooth |
| Inputs and Interfaces | HDMI 2.0b |
| Inputs and Interfaces | USB-A |
| Inputs and Interfaces | Wi-Fi |
| Maximum Resolution | 3840 by 2160 @ 60Hz, HDR |
| Native Resolution | 1920 by 1080 |
| Rated Brightness | 500 |
| Warranty | 3 |
| Weight | 4.5 |
If you're familiar with BenQ's GV projectors, the BenQ GV50 is immediately recognizable as part of the line, looking like a small wheel of cheese poised on a magnetically attached base. But it also takes a step in a different direction, substituting laser light for the LEDs the other GV models use (including the GV31 and the new GV32, which we expect to have in hand for review shortly). The GV50 also lacks the drop-resistance rating of earlier models and has a higher list price of $799 (though it's often available for substantially less). It's not as bright nor as lightweight as the Xgimi Halo+, one of our Editors' Choice picks with a similar list price, but it handles HDR better and is worth considering if you want a lightweight projector with a built-in battery.
Design: Toss the LEDs, Bring in the Laser, Make It Brighter
The GV50 is slightly larger than the GV31. BenQ gives the dimensions as 8.3 by 5.1 by 7.5 inches (HWD). However, since it's wheel-shaped, it's really 5.1 inches thick and 7.5 inches in diameter, except for a bump where the lens increases the diameter there to 8.3 inches. Putting it on the magnetic stand stops it from rolling away, and a finger loop makes the projector easy to carry—as long as your finger is comfortable holding the 4.5-pound weight. The magnets are strong enough to keep the base attached when you lift the projector.
Like most portable projectors, the GV50 is built around a DLP chip with a native resolution of 1,920 by 1,080. BenQ rates the brightness at 500 ANSI lumens, and the lifetime of the laser-phosphor light source at 20,000 hours in full-power mode or 30,000 hours in Eco mode. As is common in models with built-in batteries, switching from AC to battery power lowers the brightness. However, instead of just switching to a different power setting, it delivers a lower power—and a dimmer image—at any given setting. The Eco mode gives the longest battery life, at 2 hours and 30 minutes.
(Credit: M. David Stone)Setup is easy. Unlike some BenQ models, which require you to install a streaming dongle, the GV50 comes preinstalled with fully integrated Google TV for its OS and streaming. All you have to do is turn it on and go through the standard Google TV setup, including connecting to your Wi-Fi network. There's also one HDMI port, one USB Type-A port, and one USB Type-C port. Both USB ports can read files from USB memory devices, and the Type-C port also supports wired mirroring for mobile devices. You can also mirror both Android and iOS mobile devices with a wireless connection.
The lens has no optical zoom, but if you want to avoid digital zoom, the GV50 is small enough to let you easily adjust image size by moving it closer to or farther from the screen. You can also adjust the image position vertically by rotating the projector on the base, and tilt it by sliding out two feet in the base, which lets you put it to your left or right when projecting on the ceiling, and still have the picture directly overhead. Note also that if you place it at the edge of a table, you can increase the adjustment range to roughly 180 degrees—from nearly straight down to straight up, or the entire range from floor to ceiling.
(Credit: M. David Stone)Keystone correction to square off the image is on by default, as part of a full set of standard auto-setup features. Keep in mind that these digital adjustments, whether automated or manual, can lower brightness and introduce artifacts. However, if you're taking advantage of the GV50's ability to rotate on its base to adjust image height, you may well prefer having auto features active for faster setup with a squared-off picture. You'll want to take advantage of the autofocus, in any case. I found I could improve it slightly with manual adjustment, but not enough to notice in most images at a normal viewing distance.
A control panel near the lens lets you turn the projector on and off, adjust volume, and control a few other settings. However, it can't call up or use most of the settings on the menus, so you still need the remote or the SmartRemote for BenQ Projector app to fully control the projector.
(Credit: M. David Stone)The 18-watt audio system, which includes a 10-watt chamber woofer, delivers high enough volume to fill a large family room at good enough quality for casual viewing—or listening, if you take advantage of the Bluetooth speaker mode. You can also connect an external system to the HDMI port, which supports ARC, or the 3.5mm audio output.
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Image Quality: Passable for SDR, Much Better for HDR
For SDR input, the GV50's menus offer five predefined picture modes that don't allow any customization, plus a Custom mode that lets you adjust contrast, saturation, sharpness, hue, and color gain. Notably missing is a traditional brightness setting for adjusting black level. Based on my preliminary testing, I chose Custom mode, which was essentially tied with some of the others for second-brightest but allowed me to adjust the blue gain downward to remove a slight blue shift.
After my adjustment, the GV50 delivered an eminently watchable picture, with nicely saturated neutral color, for scenes dominated by midtones or bright levels. However, the darkest scenes in our test clips showed significant loss of shadow detail, to the point where I probably wouldn't have been able to tell what was happening in those areas if I weren't already so familiar with them. Keep in mind that most movies have few scenes as dark as we pick out for testing, and many don't have any scenes that dark, so this is only a minor issue overall.
(Credit: M. David Stone)For HDR input, the projector switches to an HDR menu that offers essentially the same list of predefined modes as the SDR menu, but with "HDR" tacked onto the names.
Here again, I chose Custom and adjusted the blue gain down, though the blue shift was more subtle in HDR than in SDR. In my viewing tests of the scenes we looked at, using both SDR and HDR discs of the same movies, the overall brightness of clips dominated by midtones and brighter levels was slightly darker in the HDR versions, as is common with projectors that support HDR. However, dark scenes were brighter overall for the HDR versions, and the shadow detail was far better. Color quality and contrast for all but the darkest scenes were essentially the same as for SDR. In short, the GV50 handles SDR reasonably well, but it does better with HDR.
(Credit: M. David Stone)For both SDR and HDR, I saw fewer red/green/blue flashes, known as rainbow artifacts, than with many current DLP models. You may be more sensitive to them than I am, however, so if you're concerned about seeing them, be sure to buy from a dealer that will accept returns without a charge, just in case.
If you're a fan of 3D, note that the GV50 doesn't support it. On the other hand, all but the most serious gamers will be happy with the input lag, which is easily short enough for casual gamers. My Bodnar 4K Lag Tester measured it at 22.3 milliseconds for 60Hz input, for both 1080p and 4K.
(Credit: M. David Stone)Keep in mind that the 500 ANSI lumen rating applies to the projector's maximum brightness, which shows a noticeable green shift. For the settings I used, the brightness was close to what I expect from roughly 350 to 375 lumens, which translates to watchable in a dark room on a 90-inch, 16:9 diagonal image, but a little dim for my taste. I settled on a 78-inch diagonal size for comfortable viewing in a dark room. At that size, it was still watchable, if a little washed out, with a single floor lamp turned on to approximate a low level of ambient light.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: M. David Stone)
BenQ GV50
The BenQ GV50, a 1080p room-to-room portable projector, offers robust audio for its size, an onboard battery, and overall picture quality suitable for casual viewing. Our main quibble: It loses significant shadow detail for SDR input (though not for HDR).