BenQ W4100i Impressions: A Premium Home Projector That Demands Space

Streaming platforms may have changed how we consume content, but for many people the dream of a true big screen cinema-like setup at home hasn’t gone away. BenQ’s new W4100i 4K projector lands right in the middle of this shift. At ₹4,00,000, it’s clearly targeting enthusiasts who are willing to invest in a premium home theatre experience. The question is, does it justify that price tag?

This isn’t the kind of projector you casually place on a side table and point at a wall. At 6.1kg, it is heavy, bulky, and best suited for a permanent setup ideally done by a professional. The build feels reassuringly solid, which makes sense given the positioning, and there is a neat hidden bay for the Android TV dongle. Oddly enough, BenQ doesn’t bundle the HDMI adapter needed to connect it, at least in the Indian box. I ended up using my Apple TV 4K for testing instead.

Connectivity is generous. You get three HDMI 2.1 ports with one supporting eARC/CEC, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, SPDIF, RS232, and a 12V trigger for motorised screens. This means you’re covered for most kinds of setups, whether that is a dedicated AV room or a living room that doubles as one.

The W4100i uses a 4K UHD DLP system with 8.3 million pixels on screen. In simple terms, the image looks sharp and detailed. Brightness is rated at 3,200 ANSI lumens, which should ideally be enjoyed in a dark room, but in my test space, even with some daylight seeping in, the image didn’t wash out completely.

BenQ’s HDR-PRO tech is meant to give it an edge over rivals, combining hardware-level light control with software-based scene optimisation. With Dynamic Black enabled, BenQ claims contrast can go as high as 3,000,000:1. I can’t measure that, but I can say contrast and black levels looked noticeably better than what I’ve seen on cheaper projectors.

What’s also interesting is that BenQ has built Google-certified Android TV support directly into this model. The included dongle is Netflix-authorised and has Google Assistant, though since I couldn’t test it myself, I can’t vouch for how polished the experience is.

The W4100i has decent flexibility with a 1.15 to 1.50 throw ratio and 1.3x zoom, letting you scale up from a modest 60 inches all the way to 200 inches with 300 at the extreme end. Lens shift is also supported, vertical up to 60 percent and horizontal ±15 percent, so you can correct off-angle placement without losing sharpness. Setting it up in my room wasn’t too painful, despite not being able to position it perfectly.

There’s a 5W treVolo speaker inside, which is fine for casual viewing. But if you’re spending this kind of money, it feels almost criminal not to pair it with a proper surround sound setup. Thankfully, eARC support makes hooking up a Dolby Atmos system straightforward.

For gamers, the projector has a Fast Mode with 17.9ms input lag at 4K and 1080p 60Hz. It even supports 4K 120Hz input, though it downscales to 1080p at that refresh rate. I didn’t play games on it, but watching anime was smooth and colourful enough to impress.

The BenQ W4100i isn’t for everyone. It is big, expensive, and needs a dark room to shine. But if you’re serious about home theatre and want true 4K HDR with accurate colours and a decent amount of installation flexibility, it makes a strong case for itself.

At ₹4,00,000, the price is steep, and the bundled Android TV experience might not be enough to replace a dedicated streaming box. Still, for AV enthusiasts who want a balance of premium picture quality and modern smart features, the W4100i delivers a convincing home cinema experience that feels very close to what you’d expect in a high-end theatre.