The BenQ W2720i is a short(ish) throw 4K projector aimed at the dedicated home theater market. It’s positioned a bit higher end than the BenQ X500i we reviewed recently, though there is some overlap in their specs. The addition of “AI” features is typical of a new product in 2025, but like nearly all such add-ons, the results don’t justify any increase in price.
7.8
BenQ W2720i
Like
Vibrant Color
Fairly bright
Beautiful, classy design
Don’t like
Contrast ratio
Expensive
Ceiling mount likely required
Overall performance, which CNET usually considers paramount in its reviews, is a step down from the cheaper X500i. The contrast ratio is surprisingly poor, and while overall brightness is fine and color is quite good, there’s not a lot here to justify getting this over the X500i.
Specs and such
Zoom, focus and lens shift.
- Resolution: 3,840×2,1600
- HDR-compatible: Yes
- 4K-compatible: Yes
- Lumens spec: 2,500
- Zoom: 1.3x
- Lens shift: +/- 5%
- Lamp life (Normal mode): 20,000 hours
I refer to the W2720i as a short-ish throw because it sits somewhere between a typical short throw projector and the longer reach of “regular throw” projectors. BenQ projectors have never fit in my own theater correctly; it’s one of the few brands that consistently can’t fill a 100-inch screen from behind my couch. I don’t knock points off for this since it’s clearly a “me” problem.
Where the cheaper short-throw X500i could sit on the front edge of a coffee table, the W2720i needs to sit a couple of feet behind and in front of the couch. This tells me that BenQ likely intends for the W2720i to be ceiling mounted. That’s fine, it’s just something to consider when you’re buying it. BenQ has a throw calculator if you’re curious. Maybe it will fit perfectly in your house and you can skim past this entire paragraph. For comparison, the cheaper HT2060 can be positioned even farther back than the W2720i. The W2720i has some lens shift, though, which is always a nice feature.
BenQ says it measures 2,500 lumens, which is certainly reasonable in this price range. I measured approximately 1,003 lumens in the Filmmaker mode. If you don’t mind a greenish image, the Bright mode is about 50% brighter. Both of those numbers are less than claimed, but that’s normal for projectors. It’s basically the same brightness as you get from other $2,000 projectors. The JMGO N1S Pro 4K claims 2,400, for instance, and I measured 1,198 in its most accurate mode (which wasn’t very). The Xgimi Horizon S Max claims 3,100 and puts out 1,300. Being 20 to 30% brighter might be slightly noticeable side-by-side, but it’s not a huge difference. These are all bright projectors.
Of bigger issue is the contrast ratio, which averages out to a surprisingly paltry 213:1. BenQ projectors usually have great contrast, which is why they so often appear on our list of best projectors. This is one of the worst I’ve measured in a full-size projector, worse than many portable, and far cheaper, projectors. It’s not alone in this basement of washed-out grayness: Several other expensive projectors offer below-average contrast ratio performance.
The Anker Cosmos 4K SE is similarly bright and managed only 232:1. The brighter Xgimi Horizon Ultra was slightly better at 316:1. The cheaper Epson EF21 was one of the few that was worse, at 161:1. This was in the BenQ’s Normal lamp mode, but the High Dynamic mode didn’t fare too much better, at 353:1. For a $2,000 projector, especially from BenQ, I was expecting more.
The light engine has four LEDs which are rated for 20,000 hours in the Normal mode, or 30,000 in the roughly 25% darker Eco mode.
Connections
The W2720i’s case is lovely but a magnet for fingerprints.
- HDMI inputs: 4 (1 internal)
- USB port: 4 (1 internal, 1 service)
- Audio output: 3.5mm analog, optical
- Control: 12v trigger, RS-232
- Internet: Wi-Fi
- Remote: Not backlit
Most new projectors that enter my lab have a single HDMI connection, a trend with many modern “smart” projectors. That’s fine since generally I’d recommend connecting everything to a receiver or soundbar and running a single cable back to the projector. The W2720i has an absolute plethora of connections in comparison to those, with three HDMI connections on the back and another inside that’s reserved for the streaming dongle. There’s also analog and digital audio outputs, plus a 12v trigger and RS-232 for control.
Like many new smart projectors, the W2720i’s streaming is via a separate dongle that you install while you’re setting it up. I assume there’s some import or tax reason for this, since several manufacturers do it. It’s a standard version of Google TV, so all the usual streaming services are here.
The W2720i’s hidden streaming dongle.
There are two 5-watt speakers. These aren’t particularly loud, but since this projector is clearly designed for a home theater environment, I don’t expect most people will use the built-in speakers. Or at least, they shouldn’t. The aforementioned soundbar or receiver with speakers is always a better idea.
Picture quality comparisons
BenQ X500i (in absentia)
The JMGO N1S Pro 4K is one of the better $2,000 options I’ve reviewed recently, despite a few shortcomings. As you’ll see, it contrasts well with the strengths and weaknesses of the W2720i. Unfortunately I had to send back the X500i, so it wasn’t on hand to directly compare. The ghost of its greatness loomed large over this test. I connected the two projectors to a Monoprice distribution amplifier and viewed them side-by-side on a 102-inch 1.0-gain screen.
One of the BenQ’s biggest strengths is immediately obvious when compared with the JMGO. Colors all look far more natural. It’s not the most accurate projector I’ve ever seen, but it does a good job overall. This is something the brand typically does well, sacrificing a little brightness for better color, a tradeoff that’s worth it in my book. Green grass, blue skies and subtleties in skin tones, all look more realistic on the W2720i compared to the JMGO.
While the JMGO is roughly 20% brighter on paper, that isn’t immediately obvious side-by-side. What is obvious is BenQ’s worse contrast ratio. I measured 926:1 vs. BenQ’s 213:1. Even 926 isn’t amazing, but it’s above average, and lets the JMGO create an image with a little more depth. Letterbox bars were a little darker, while the BenQ looked more washed out. With bright scenes, this wasn’t a big deal, but with night and indoor scenes, the BenQ’s grayish blacks were more noticeable.
This doesn’t mean the JMGO ran away with it at this point, however. Its odder colors and gamma — two things the BenQ excelled at — kept it from looking as good as it might have. So, perhaps unexpectedly, when viewing them next to each other, the BenQ is actually the winner. Well, the winner between these two as I’ll discuss in a moment. Yes it looks more washed out, but it does everything else right and just looks more natural overall.
Most of the testing so far was in the Filmmaker and Cinema modes, but one of the W2720i’s headline features is its “Revolutionary AI Cinema Mode.” The mention of “AI integration” makes me roll my eyes so far into the back of my head that I can see the tags on my T-shirt, as it will for most tech reviewers. Here’s how BenQ describes this feature: “AI Cinema Mode uses advanced AI scene detection and picture optimization to automatically adjust settings for different viewing environments, eliminating the need for manual tweaks.”
So, in theory, it adjusts the projector’s settings “better” than you could yourself. I don’t know, I’ve been doing this a while. But OK.
Three eyes for the AI
Not surprisingly, the AI Cinema Mode turns on all the picture enhancement settings that I, and the Filmmaker mode incidentally, turn off. The result is what in my opinion is an over-sharpened image. It looks sharper than the JMGO despite having the same resolution. It doesn’t look better to me, but it’s noticeable. I measured the color in this mode as well, and it was marginally better in some ways, worse in others, so about a wash. It’s worth noting here that setting up a projector is easy and you can do it yourself, no AI “assistance” needed. While this feature can adjust instantly depending on ambient light, no projector can adequately compete with ambient light. So if the shades are open or the lights are on, there’s a limit to how good it can look regardless of settings.
The X500i was not here to compare directly but its measurements tell a compelling story. I measured a contrast ratio of 1,990:1, which is 9x the W2720i’s, with a brightness of 911 lumens, which is just slightly less. I’d frequently watch something and note how great it looked, something that did not happen with the W2720i. The X500i’s colors were also more accurate. In addition it had a shorter throw, which is either good or bad depending on your room. To create a 100-inch image, the X500i needs to be between 60.1 and 72.3 inches to the screen. The W2720i needs 87.2 to 113.3 inches. More importantly, the X500i is 25% cheaper.
Go short or go home
Expectations are a dangerous thing. The X500i was one of the best projectors I’ve reviewed in years. If I could have made it fit in my theater, I might have bought one. Short throws just don’t work with my setup. So I had high expectations for the W2720i. It’s more expensive, with more of a home theater focus. Its overall aesthetic is classy and less gadgety. On paper it looked like it could be even better than the X500i. It is not — its performance is worse than the X500i. Adding “AI” into random things does not justify a higher price, and I fail to see the benefit here when the X500i, without AI, looked better overall.
So yeah, if you want a short throw, get BenQ’s own X500i for 25% less. It’s great. That’s why it’s one of our best projector winners. For something longer throw well, to be honest, I haven’t found many around $2,000 that really impress me. There are some options though.
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