Comparison BenQ TK810 vs BenQ TH585

— Smart TV (proprietary system). The operating system of the projector is represented by the proprietary software shell of the manufacturer. Usually such operating systems have an attractive and convenient menu, similar to a traditional Smart TV. A proprietary operating system is developed by the manufacturer for the hardware resources of a particular projector model or a whole line. But, as practice shows, compared to the classic Smart TV, the functionality of proprietary system often has significant limitations, and the system itself, in fact, is a stripped-down version of a full-fledged Smart TV.

— Smart TV (Android AOSP). This type of operating system is a modification of the popular Android OS, mainly notable for being open source. It is a versatile operating system that gives the user much more freedom to create changes and customizations within the system. At the same time, the installation and work stability of certain applications on this platform are not guaranteed, and the overall system management was not specially “tailored” for large screens, which may cause some inconvenience. First of all, such solutions will will generate interest among users who understand the features of the Android OS, like to customize and control everything, and have time for this.

— Android TV. This type of projector has full-fledged Android TV software, spec...ially adapted to work on large screens. In accordance with the name, it is a type of Android OS, specially designed for projectors/TVs, etc. In addition to the common features of all “Androids” (such as the ability to install additional applications, including even games), it has a number of special features: optimized interface, integration with smartphones (including the ability to use them as a remote control), voice search, etc. Thanks to this, TVs with this feature are significantly superior in functionality to models with a Smart TV. Of course, a dedicated processor, graphics subsystem and memory are provided for the operation of a multifunctional OS, and the presence of such hardware resources is reflected in the total cost of the projector. Given the same optical design, models with Android TV will cost more than classic projectors with a simple multi-line menu.

The lamp model that the projector is designed for. Most projectors come with lamps included, so this information is not needed for normal use. But when looking for a spare lamp or replacement, information about model can be very useful: finding a spare part by the exact name is much easier than by general data like the brand of the projector.

The power consumption of the backlight lamp installed in the projector.

Theoretically, the more powerful the lamp, the brighter it is. However, this is only true when comparing lamps of the same type (see above); and even in this case, the brightness may also depend on the nuances of the design. Therefore, when evaluating the capabilities of a lamp, it is worth focus not so much on power, but on the directly claimed brightness in lumens (see below).

But what this parameter directly affects is the total power consumption of the projector: the lamp is the most “greedy” component of the device, compared to it, the power consumption of the rest of the electronics is very small. Also note that many powerful lamps have high heat dissipation and require cooling systems, which affects the size and weight of the projector.

This parameter largely determines the ability of the projector to work in a well-lit room. For a dark room, 1000 lumens is enough to make the projection picture bright, rich, clear and understandable. But when working in a lit room, the projector will need at least 3500-4000 lumens. Do not confuse ANSI lumens with Peak lumens. These are two different brightness standards. To convert one type of brightness to another, you need to multiply Peak lumens by 10-12. The result will be an approximate value of ANSI Lumens.

However, experts do not recommend chasing high ANSI lumen brightness values. There are many professional projectors with brightness up to 3500 lm. The lower the brightness, the lower the power consumption, and at the same time, the life of the illuminator increases. Of course, if the projector will be installed in a work office or classroom where good lighting is required, it is recommended to purchase a model with ANSI Lumens brightness of 4000 lumens and more.

Any color gamut is indicated as a percentage, but not relative to the entire variety of visible colors, rather relative to a specific color space (color model). This is because no modern screen can display all the colors visible to the human eye. Nevertheless, the larger the color gamut, the broader the capabilities of the projector, and the better its color reproduction quality.

Nowadays, sRGB is essentially the standard color model adopted for computer technology; for television, a similar standard in terms of parameters, Rec. 709, is used. These models are identical in terms of color range, and the percentage of coverage for them is the same. As of today, values below 90% sRGB are characteristic only for the most budget-friendly devices.

Horizontal frequency supported by the projector.

This parameter is relevant when working with analogue video signal. In such a video, the image is formed line by line: each pixel in the line is highlighted in turn, then the next line is highlighted, and so on. The horizontal frequency describes how many times per second the backlight beam runs from edge to edge of the screen. For normal playback, the projector must support the same refresh rate as the input signal was recorded. However, most models support a fairly wide range of frequencies, and there are no problems with support. Also note that if you are not a professional, then when choosing a projector, it is quite possible to focus on the frame rate (see below) — this parameter is simpler and more intuitive, and support for a certain frame rate automatically means support for the corresponding line rate.

The size of the panel/chip affects the depth and final quality of the image. The larger the panel/chip, the more light it is able to process, which means the picture will be clearer and more structured. The average projector has a sensor of 0.5-0.7″, advanced projectors use sensors of 1.2-1.5″ and more.

The native resolution of the image produced by the projector matrix.

The minimum for modern projectors is actually the VGA standard, which assumes a resolution of 800x600 or close to it. The most limited of modern high-definition standards is HD (720); the classic size of such a frame is 1280x720, but projectors also have other options (up to 1920x720). A more advanced HD format is Full HD (1080), which also has several variations (the most popular is 1920x1080). And among high-end projectors there are models of Quad HD, Ultra HD (4K) and even Ultra HD (8K) standards.

In general, the higher the resolution, the clearer and more detailed image the projector can produce. On the other hand, this indicator directly affects the cost, and all the benefits of high resolution can only be appreciated if the reproduced content also corresponds to it. Note that modern projectors can work with higher resolutions than the “native” ones – for more details, see “Maximum video resolution”.

Support for HDR technology — expanded dynamic range — by the projector.

This technology allows for extending the brightness range displayed within a single frame — in simpler terms, it enables displaying both very bright and very dark colors on screen simultaneously. This significantly improves color reproduction; furthermore, small details on very bright or very dark parts of the frame that would be invisible on a regular image remain visible. However, it's worth noting that all the advantages of HDR become noticeable only on a high-quality screen with maximum dimming. Additionally, this function significantly affects the cost of the projector, and the content being played back must initially be recorded in HDR — using exactly the technology supported by the projector (this detail can be clarified in the manual). In light of this, HDR support is mainly found among high-end models for home theaters. It should also be noted that there are several different HDR technologies that are not compatible with each other. Therefore, when purchasing a projector with this function, it's crucial to clarify which exact version of HDR it supports. The following are available:

— HDR10. Historically the first of the consumer HDR formats, less advanced than the options described below but extremely widespread. In particular, HDR10 is supported by virtually all streaming services that provide HDR content at all, and it's also standard for...Blu-ray discs. It allows for working with a color depth of 10 bits (hence the name). At the same time, devices with this format are compatible with HDR10+ content, although its quality will be limited by the capabilities of the original HDR10.

— HDR10+. An enhanced version of HDR10. With the same color depth (10 bits), it uses so-called dynamic metadata, which allows transmitting information about color depth not only for groups of several frames but also for individual frames. This leads to further improvement in color reproduction.

— Dolby Vision. An advanced standard used, for example, in professional filmmaking. It achieves a color depth of 12 bits, uses the aforementioned dynamic metadata, and also allows transmitting two image variants simultaneously in one video stream — HDR and regular (SDR). Dolby Vision is based on the same technology as HDR10, so in modern video equipment, this format is usually combined with HDR10 or HDR10+.

— HLG. An HDR format initially designed for TV broadcasting and live transmissions; hence, it is designed for "working without metadata" and is easier to transfer between different sources. Unlike HDR10, which uses static metadata, and particularly HDR10+ / Dolby Vision, which can dynamically adjust the picture frame by frame, HLG often provides a more universal and predictable HDR signal, although not as precisely tuned for a specific display. However, HLG has a strong point — excellent compatibility: the same stream can appear acceptable even on devices that are not fully HDR-capable, which is crucial for broadcast/satellite content. An example of use is viewing HDR broadcasts and TV content from a set-top box/tuner or streaming where HLG is encountered: the projector will correctly receive the signal and display the extended brightness range and more vibrant colors without manual tweaking of settings.