With so many companies these days turning more of their workspaces into hot desks, there is a growing trend of mobility and bring your own devices. Gone are the days that employees each have their desktop. These days, we are all given a laptop where we could hook them up to bigger screens.
Meetings are also commonplace since everyone has their own device. The BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector becomes a very useful device that seamlessly integrates everyone’s workflows in the modern-day work trend.
If you’re choosing a projector for your business, it is best to go for one that is future-proof, and you can get such a projector with BenQ EH600 Smart Projector, which retails for S$1,399.
Tech specs
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Display system: 1-CHIP DMD
- Lens: F = 2.56 ~ 2.68, f = 22 ~ 24.1 mm
- Clear focus range: 1.98–5.94 m @ Wide; 2.18–6.53 m @ Tele
- Lamp: 200W lamp
- Bulb life: 5,000-hour lamp life (Normal mode)
- Internals: 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM
- Weight: 2.5kg
- Dimensions: 29.6cm * 23.2cm * 12cm (W * D * H)
How is this different from a regular projector?
The BenQ EH600 is an Android-based wireless smart projector. This means that it can access the internet, read files, and do wireless casting. So if you wanted to do a meeting but forget your HDMI cable, you can either wireless cast your media across or simply plug your USB drive in.
The BenQ EH600 also comes with apps and functionalities that make it even more useful than a regular projector. There is apps such as WPS office to read document formats such as .docx, .pdf, .pptx, etc, Blizz for video conferencing, and even FireFox for web browsing. The BenQ EH600 is also able to handle audio and video media.
Unboxing
Inside the BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector package, you will be greeted by the following:
- BenQ EH600 Smart Projector
- Remote control
- USB WDR02U Wi-Fi Wireless Dongle
- Quick start guide
- Power adapter
- VGA cable (not shown)
Build quality and features
The build quality is pretty good, with its case made from ABS plastic with a professional finish that feels sturdy and durable. The top of the projector has a subtle pattern which is fingerprint-proof, while the sides have many vents for heat dissipation. On the base, there are six rubberised feet, and of which there are two adjustment feet, allowing more great flexibility during the projector setup and mobility in any room setting.
You have some buttons on the top of the BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector for quick access to certain settings such as source, volume, keystone, settings, etc.
As for the lens, it is completely housed inside the case, so there is not protrusion at all lowering any risk of accidental contact. You can adjust the projection focus and 1.1x zoom on the indent near the lens.
Remote control
The remote control bundled in the package has many useful buttons and even includes a laser pointer if you need one during your presentations. It would have been nice to see a “Magic Wand” touch cursor like those on Smart TVs.
Projection quality
The quality of the projection from the BenQ EH600 Smart Projector is good. It is a sharp 1080p resolution with 3,500 lumens of high brightness bringing clarity in subtle details and is easy on the eyes in terms of readability. With 3,500 lumens, it means that even with lights on, you would still be able to make a presentation.
The BenQ EH600 Smart Projector is a DLP projector which eliminates colour decay, allowing images to look vivid and crisp. Also, the all-glass lens array helps to minimize chromatic aberration.
I am impressed and satisfied with the output of images on the BenQ EH600 Smart Projector. Text and images are generally sharp and detailed. Whether it is a large or small projection, the images remain as sharp regardless of the size. I was unable to test the extreme large 150″ projection due to the constraints of my room. Here is a chart to show the distance-to-size ratio of the BenQ EH600 Smart projector.
Ports selection
There are a variety of ports available, you have:
- USB Type-A ports x2
- Mini USB Type-B port x1
- HDMI 2.0 port x1
- VGA port x2 (in/out)
- 3.5mm Audio In/Out
- RS-232C Serial port
And if there are multiple devices connected to the projector, you can click the “Source” button at the top to quickly cycle through the different inputs.
Speakers
There is a mere 2W speaker built into the projector. It is useful to have to watch short videos or presentations. But the quality of speakers isn’t the best. If you are going to be playing a video with emphasis on the sound, then it is recommended plugging in a speaker via the 3.5mm Audio In slot, or connect a Bluetooth speaker.
How is the user experience like?
The BenQ EH600 Smart Projector is very easy to use. Its launcher has a clean and minimal user interface so navigating to where you want to is as simple as selecting the icon. To be able to use internet-related functionalities such as wireless casting, you have to first plug in the Wireless Dongle into the USB port. Another good feature the BenQ EH600 Smart Projector has is Bluetooth. You can connect Bluetooth devices such as a speaker so that your audio sounds way better.
Wireless casting
The BenQ EH600 Smart Projector has both support for AirPlay and ChromeCast. All you have to do is to get both devices (Projector and casting device) to be on the same Wi-Fi network. Once that is done, all you need to do simply tap on the AirPlay or ChromeCast options and your screen will be mirrored in a jiffy.
If you want to mirror your computer, you could do that with a MacBook since there is AirPlay available. However, you will not be able to mirror your Windows like that. The only way to mirror your Windows computer is through Google Chrome via ChromeCast.
USB drives and connectivity
The BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector supports FAT, FAT32 and NTFS types of drives. Do note that ExFAT format USB drives are not supported. Once you insert a supported USB drive, you will get a following prompt. The navigation of the files in your USB drive will be done using the File Manager app in the projector.
Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF files all open well. Even media such as audio and video. However, I did notice that the projector was unable to handle videos with complicated audio codecs such as movies. The video will display an audio error upon selection and will continue to play the video without sound.
But other than that, the BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector can handle almost all the file formats thrown at it. It is kinda like a mini computer on its own.
Apart from USB drive reading, you can connect a keyboard or mouse via the USB port as well This will make it really fast and convenient if there comes a need to use the FireFox browser on the projector.
BenQ SmartControl app
To get the full benefit of the BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector, there is the BenQ SmartControl app which allows you to use your smartphone as a remote control for the projector. With the app, you can play select videos or audio, go through slides in a presentation, and use the phone like a trackpad.
General comments
The BenQ EH600 remains pretty quiet (34db) and gets decently warm at around 54 degrees. Powering on the projector took me about 35 seconds.
Conclusion
Is the BenQ EH600 Wireless Smart Projector a good buy? That depends on the type of use. For individual home use, it may be better off getting a Home Projector as the features in EH600 may not be used that often. For businesses where your employees are mobile and presentations are common, the BenQ EH600 Smart Projector presents a pretty good offering in terms of its connectivity options, quality of display and versatility.
The BenQ EH600 Smart Projector can help to reduce any occurrence of not having the right cable to connect. Also, the smart nature of the projector means that you could literally show up with a USB drive for a presentation.
Where to buy
Learn More about BenQ Wireless Smart Projector: https://benqurl.biz/2HPycuM
Purchase BenQ Wireless Smart Projector at BenQ Brand Store: http://bit.ly/3bV6ESi