BenQ PB8230
Benq (formerly Acer Communications and Multimedia) has taken the spotlight off many of the other vendors by offering good picture quality at a low price. These guys have been in somewhat of a dogfight with InFocus, which ultimately means lower prices for consumers.
Like the HP model, the Benq is a DLP-based projector. It’s rated at 2600 ANSI lumens, putting it in the middle of the pack in terms of brightness. And the fact that it was the smallest and lightest projector by far impressed us even more. It could almost pass as a portable, however it doesn’t feature a carry handle.
The Benq also had an extremely high contrast ratio of 2000:1. It also had a good range of connectors including all the standard connectors you expect to find except for DVI or a network port.
The Benq didn’t live up to our expectations in terms of brightness, and didn’t justify its brightness rating. There were lower-rated projectors that were brighter, and the brightness was also uneven. Contrast was quite good, but it wasn’t as good or as warm as any of the others, given its rating.
| Product | BenQ PB8230 |
| Price | AU$7999 |
| Vendor | BenQ |
| Phone | 02 9714 6800 |
| Web | www.benq.com.au |
| Interoperability |  |
| Standard connectors only. | |
| Futureproofing |  |
| Lacks brightness for large boardrooms. | |
| ROI |  |
| One of the cheaper alternatives; for a serious boardroom projector, look elsewhere. | |
| Service |  |
| Two-year onsite (conditional) warranty; lamp 90 days or 500 hours. | |
| Rating |  ½ |
Dear Sir,
Just to clarify the review of the XL30U. Contrast ratio is actually 500:1 and the product has a RRP of $8490.
Could we please have this amended.
Mitsubishi Electric
Claudio Cardile