BenQ TK700STI 3000-Lumen XPR UHD 4K Gaming DLP Projector with Android TV Wireless Adapter

TLDR version: Heaven for PC gaming and movies alike. Long version below.

I use this projector for PC gaming (I run an RTX 3080) and as a home theater for steaming movies and shows (right now, primarily the latter, but that more because of my schedule, and I hope to change this soon).

The picture quality (to include brightness and HDR) on this thing is top notch, so let’s get that out of the way. Frame rates at resolutions that are pretty competitive with high end PC gaming monitors give you a lot to love about this monitor for gamers… oh and at 100 inches. The price for performance on how this thing functions as a gaming monitor is pretty incredible at this size. Also, for the picture quality at the size you can easily get out of this thing, it beats the snot out of paying 5k + for an 80ish inch OLED TV. This thing compares favorably in terms of brightness, resolution and color with all but the highest end OLED TVs for a FRACTION of the price. Picture-wise, this thing is nothing short of amazing. I do not have this set up in a completely blacked out room, and I would say that the issues I have with natural lighting while using the projector during the day are different but equal to the issues I have watching a TV in a similarly lit room (light dilution vs glare, etc.). That’s a solvable problem; consider a window blackout solution if that’s a concern. Also, if you’re going to go in for this beast, I highly recommend a dedicated screen. Don’t debase the amazing picture quality of this beautiful machine by projecting onto a painted wall, that’s just silly.

The Meh: Sometimes the projector seems to get confused with input devices; when I want to use the projector as a computer monitor, sometimes I need to power cycle one or the other. Not sure what this is about, but it’s barely a minor inconvenience, and the couple of times it’s happened it has been when I am deliberately messing around with display settings pretty hard. It may very well be entirely on my PC. The remote that comes with the projector is… mixed. The Android TV dongle that comes with the projector and the way the remote controls both projector AND the “smart TV” ish functionality is pretty great, the remote just isn’t the most responsive. Slow, spaced-out and very “deliberate” button pressing seems to be the key. This is not a big deal in itself; the finicky remote is particularly annoying when adjusting projector settings and the volume on the onboard speaker (which functions but isn’t going to win any awards). So, while the android TV dongle and it’s seamless integration with the remote is a really, really nice touch, it isn’t perfect. Beyond some of the remote clunkiness, there isn’t an organic solution for Netflix, and in general, I found that a 4K fire stick it more responsive as a streaming device… the great news is that you can pop a fire stick into the same HDMI slot AND power source on the monitor that is intended for the android TV dongle. Right now, that’s what I’m doing, and the biggest downside seems to be that I have another remote in the mix (but I like the Amazon one better anyway). When I’m feeling brave I’ll see if I can figure out how to power on the projector through the Amazon remote, but it hasn’t bothered me enough to try yet. Anyway, to me this is more of an option than a real complaint, and the fact that the projector comes equipped with what is essentially an organic smart TV functionality should be seen as a bonus… especially at this price point.

EDIT: I definitely recommend a sound system that matches the quality of the picture on this projector to do the experience justice. Finding a sound bar that worked with this set up was a BIT of a challenge. At the end of the day, something that has eARC/HDMI functionality is the key, but I also recommend something with a wide variety of input format compatibility. My initial review was pretty heated because I fought a Klipsch Cinema 600 for 2 weeks with missed results – after all that it turned out it was the soundbar (I’m fairly tech savvy, but the problems and solutions to them when they worked were way bizarre, and the soundbar was theoretically compatible). I went with a Samsung HW-Q800, and that was easy to set up, and HDMI ARC worked with the normal amount of setting fiddling, and it sounds great. I edited my review to hopefully save someone the headache, and to correct my mistake in thinking the issue with connectivity was on the projector – it was not.

Bottom Line: this projector is…. Amazing. The price per performance on a projector that delivers most of the functionality you’d expect out of a high end gaming monitor (for a similar price on a WAY smaller screen) at up to 120 inches is just. Plain. Dumb. In the best way possible. If you have a stereotypical “man cave” game room and you want to add a screen that is just stupidly big and beautiful for both a quality gaming and home theater experience, look no further. As a point of comparison: Next to a top of the line OLED TV (my original option for down here) that could perform in gaming at the same level, you might say that the OLED looked better- but for 83 inches you’re going to pay something like 4 times the price of this projector (my reason for taking the plunge and buying a projector for the first time). To me, this projector offered 85% of the experience I wanted from an OLED TV at 25% of the price- that math was easy. I personally feel that by almost any other metric, this projector matches or wins in all categories against any remotely comparable TV.

Do not buy this projector if you intend to use it for 3d blu rays (as I did). Despite the list of supported features, 3d blu rays do not work. I discovered this after setting up and discarding the shipping supplies, so now I am stuck going though customer support. There is an issue with the new 4k TI chips they used, and as of now the only response anyone can get is “it should be resolved soon”, however may require you to send your projector back for this update.

Make sure you really want this project because the return policy is something you should consider.

This beat out my old BenQ HT2150ST projector!
My old projector was a 1080p projector and it was great for gaming. I play a lot of fighting games and it’s a real let down when I can feel the delay! I bought a 4K projector from Optoma and it was ok but not for gaming, I waited and finally when I saw this model, I decided to try it out and it’s well worth it! I have my PS5 and my PC hooked up to it and it’s been a great experience! If you’re looking for a 4K gaming projector then I definitely recommend BenQ TK700STi and if you don’t need the 4k then I would recommend the BenQ HT2150ST.
Both BenQ projectors are short throw so you can get a big sized image from about 3-8 feet.
Well done BenQ! If I get the chance I will upload some videos to show the Ps5 being used with the TK700STi

BenQ sent a review unit to my YouTube channel (My Life in Gaming), where we featured the TK700STi alongside several other projectors in an episode all about… well, gaming on projectors. I’ve included several screenshots from the episode to illustrate this review. I’ve only been using projectors for about 3 years now – mostly older ones, and rather casually at that. I say all this to say that my direct experience with the TK700STi’s contemporary competition is somewhat limited, but I do have years of experience in analyzing video game image quality in general.

The key feature for the TK700STi is that it does indeed deliver only about one frame of lag (about 17 milliseconds by my readings). From what I hear, it’s quite difficult to find such low lag among other 4K-capable projectors. However, this low lag only applies to 1080p and 2160p input. 480p and 720p cannot use “Fast Mode,” which means lag is more like 34 milliseconds (about two frames).

The biggest issue for me is that I really wish the black levels were better. I’ve been using an LG OLED TV since 2017, and I have quite a collection of CRTs for retro gaming, so black levels are important to me. I can’t say for sure whether you’re very likely to find darker black levels among projectors in this price range, let alone ones with low enough lag for gaming, but black screens in a dark room still look quite gray to me. Dark games also really bring out the DLP “rainbow effect” for me – look it up if you’re unfamiliar… some people see it, and other people don’t. That said, games that use enough brightness and color still look fantastic, and of course, the perceived black levels improve in such scenes. There is also a “Smart Eco” mode that is supposed to save lamp life and improve black levels in dark scenes, but it makes the colors do really strange things, so I’m sticking with the “Normal” lamp mode even if it uses up the lamp the quickest (supposedly a life of 4000 hours).

Otherwise, the picture quality is really solid. HDR looks quite nice, and colors pop in both HDR and SDR modes. I recommend using the “RPG” game mode setting because the colors are much more natural and it has better black levels than the “FPS” mode. There is quite a bit of chromatic aberration from the lens when looking at the screen up close, but I personally cannot see it when sitting back on my couch. It’s a short-throw projector, which means it can make a much larger picture in a small room. You can get about a 100-inch picture with the projector about 6.5 feet from the wall.

The most interesting thing to me is how the TK700STi (and most other relatively lower-cost projectors) actually produce their 4K picture. As it turns out, the core imaging chip is actually 1080p but is capable of building a 4K projection through a technique called “pixel shifting.” This is something that BenQ would probably rather people don’t know, but the reality is that for me personally, it’s actually a point in its favor. This is because the TK700STi can actually display natively in 1080p when using a 1080p signal, such as with a Nintendo Switch! Matching a console’s output resolution to a display’s native resolution pretty much always results in a cleaner image since it doesn’t have to scale a lower res signal to a higher resolution (even though 1080p could just be an integer scale to 2160p, virtually all TVs do a soft scale anyway). While I’m sure that a true native 2160p imaging chip would have possible clarity advantages for native 4K content, PS5 and Xbox Series X often do not render games natively at 2160p anyway, especially not in 60fps performance modes, so I feel that basically nothing of value is lost through the pixel-shifting technique, while the ability to have native 1080p is a plus for anyone who still uses a lot of 1080p content. I think it’s a really smart trade-off that helps keep the price down – still quite expensive, but nowhere near as much as more premium projectors. Projector manufacturers seem to hide pixel shifting as a point of shame, but I dunno, I’m strangely fascinated by it.

I know that hardly anyone who reads this will know what I’m talking about here, but for those who do care, you can indeed play classic consoles through the OSSC and RetroTINK 5X with some gorgeous gorgeous scanlines and really low lag. Even Super Nintendo and RGB-modded NES work, which are the fussiest consoles when it comes to interfacing with modern displays.

Because of the black level situation and rainbow effect that I see in some games, the TK700STi could not be a complete replacement for an OLED TV for me personally, but I do enjoy it as an alternative display. It fulfills its purpose of being a very low-lag projector that is useful for both my older 1080p consoles, my newest 2160p consoles, and even my vintage consoles through my favorite upscalers. And for that, I think it deserves a good rating. If I’d been under the impression that it could replace my living room TV, I think I’d have been more disappointed and rated it lower. I think I might like to go in that direction someday… like, the “someday” that’s probably at least 10-15 years from now… but for now I’m just not sure any projector ticks all the boxes for me, at least not one that wouldn’t be way more expensive… and I seriously doubt many of those are nearly as low lag since they aren’t targeting gaming. At least BenQ is positioning this as a gaming projector, so you know what you’re there for. But for those of us addicted to OLED black levels, the TK700STi is a fun alternative gaming screen, but just not quite a living room centerpiece.

Ceiling mounting has to be spot on, in game mode all alignment settings are not used to increase speed, so mounting is critical. Using HDR on movies, picture seems darker than id like.
The 3D playback is progressive only! Although most reviews says it fully supports 3d, IT DOES NOT support playback of 3d bluray movies, It only supports “progressive” After calling benq, there will be a firmware update that has not been released yet, and when it is, it will REQUIRE the unit to be sent to benq for this type of upgrade to support 3d bluray playback (side by side or top & bottom). When unit is connected to a PC, pop up windows seem out of focus unless you move them out of the center of screen, (my screen is a perfectly flat fixed frame drapier screen is almost the cost of the projector, in a light controlled room with no outside light) Gaming is good, didn’t notice anything life changing gaming, going from 1080p to 4k on my xbox x. This is my 3rd Benq pj, almost wish I went with the ht3550i. I was looking for an “all around 4k projector” but clearly this is greared solely as a gaming unit. So if movies and tv are your priority, with ocassional 30-40% gaming, you may be let down a little.

This has everything I needed, especially for my PS5. Native 4K, 60hz (120hz at 1080p) and short throw. Excellent for movies as well. I have a 110 inch screen and the projector sits about 7 feet from the screen. Also HDR is wonderful! I upgraded from a Viewsonic 1080p gaming projector and I am happy I made the switch! It comes with an Android dongle, but I use my 4K Firestick and the picture is amazing. Low video game input lag as well. Pull the trigger on this one… For those who say “where’s the 4K 120hz?” Look guys, the tech isn’t there yet for projectors. It may come soon, but for now, THIS IS THE ONE!!! I bought this from the BENQ website before it was available on Amazon and I’ve had it for a month. Buy it!

This is supposed to be a great projector for gamers, which I’m not, so primarily will be using for movies. The reason I purchased this one is that I wanted to project a 150″ image from about 10 feet distance. Not very many short throws that have 4K, adequate brightness, half decent contrast, and good quality within this price range. I must say I was pleasantly surprised after hooking it up, which was very easy, that I didn’t need to do any picture adjustments at all, and the clarity, color, brightness, and sharpness of the picture exceeding my expectations. I thought the fan noise might be an issue, but not noticeable at all. Now for the shortfalls. This projector is really finicky! I had to send it back to get the latest update, but even after that, has some quirks. For one, takes a few seconds to ‘search’ for the connected input, even with auto search off. Screen tends to go blank after every change, eg. watching the next youtube video. Sometimes it can take a few minutes to find my ps3, tried changing the hdmi cable but same issue. Tried the 3D, and works great, but during a 10 minute preview of a 3d movie, lost the 3d signal half a dozen times. Gaming is flawless! Also one final thing to note. Most people may not notice it, but the room tends to get a bit warm and stuffy after a couple of hours as this thing puts out a lot of heat, as most projectors do. This is my 4th projector and overall the best I’ve ever owned. Picture quality, brightness, clarity, and resolution are the best for the price.

Have been using this projector every weekend for movies and PS5 & Xbox Series X gaming. Even a little Nintendo Switch. This projector looks absolutely amazing with its image quality. Shines with 4k hdr content. Only minor nitpicks is the short throw at about 6-7 feet gets you a 100inch screen, not bad but at that distance would have been nicer for an little larger screen size. The built in speaker isnt great, they never typically are. But with a projector like this youd definitely want to use a decent sound system.

I am happy I bought the BenQ TK700STi. I am a gamer with a PS5 plugged in to an hdmi switcher, which is plugged in to the projector that is a 50′ cable-run away. I bought the projector, and after using the device for about a month, I was very disappointed. When I turned on the projector, 50% of the time it had difficulty finding/keeping signal: It would boot, and show a low res version of what should be on the screen, and would refresh often for 1-2 minutes until the signal was clear. I was concerned about my unit being faulty, so I returned it back to Amazon.
I loved the BenQ700, when it worked, so I bought another one. Imagine my dismay when the same lossy signal was true for this unit as well. This time, I wrote to BenQ’s tech support, and I’m here to share a quote from one of their emails to me:
“For connections over 10ft. We recommend using 10ft or fewer cables with repeaters between connections to keep the signal strong enough,” so my problem was using a 50′ hdmi cable only.
I was, and am, unhappy that I couldn’t use the device as intended without spending more money, but I was outside of the return window for the projector, and when the projector worked it was glorious.

I was able to solve the problem with a 20′ hdmi cable, a 30′ hdmi cable, and an hdmi repeater, all from Amazon.

It works with:
– HDMI Cable 8K & 4K – HDMI to HDMI – 20 ft & other HDMI Cables from 1ft to 50ft (supports 8K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz, 1080p & all HDMI devices like PS5, Xbox, Switch – Ultra High Speed HDMI cord with Ethernet) CableDirect
– HDMI Cable 4K – 30ft – with A.I.S Shielding – Designed in Germany (Supports All HDMI Devices Like PS5, Xbox, Switch – 4K@120Hz, High Speed HDMI Cord with Ethernet, Black) by CableDirect
– Cable Matters Active HDMI to HDMI Repeater (Female to Female HDMI 2.0 Signal Booster) with 4K 60Hz Resolution and HDR for Blu-ray Player, HDTV, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift VR Headset and More

Now, so far, it works like a charm. If anything changes, I will update here.