BenQ’s CP120 has a useful feature that no other projector here can boast: Wi-Fi. Apart from making a VGA cable redundant, you can easily share the projector with others in a meeting.
A wireless notebook utility is bundled to aid connection. The CP120 uses 802.11a, b and g, and the remote has buttons to swap modes (a to b/g) or change channels if there’s interference from another network. The projector can be assigned to the next user via the utility.
Although it’s a neat way to make presentations, there are some limitations. You can’t control slides from the remote without connecting the projector’s USB cable, and since it works by capturing screenshots to send for projection it isn’t suitable for video or large images, taking several seconds for a full-screen JPEG. It’s snappy enough with regular slides and charts, though, which have much less information to process.
Unfortunately, the BenQ’s downfall is image quality. For standard text-based presentations, the BenQ is adequate, but pressed harder it falls behind the others. Photo reproduction was poor and images lacked impact. Highlights were blown out, yet shadowy areas were murky and indistinct. Low saturation left greens and blues looking too similar in colour, and in regular Windows applications it was difficult to distinguish Excel file icons from Word icons.
The sRGB/photo mode provides better colours, but is dull overall and soft shadows in the montage looked blotchy. Movies are likewise drab in video mode. We saw the best results from the gaming mode, with improved colour saturation and a good middle ground on brightness. A fair amount of fan noise (46dBA) accompanies the image, and it isn’t much quieter in eco mode.
With a warranty that doesn’t match the leaders, the Wi-Fi feature is the BenQ’s highlight at this price. But, it isn’t enough to compensate for the poor image quality.
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