BenQ TK850 VS BenQ HT3550 – Best Comparison

Greetings projector enthusiasts! Today we are comparing yet another pair of ultra-high definition projector pairs by the company BenQ.

The main difference between BenQ TK850 and BenQ HT3550. The HT3550 will give you better color reproduction in a perfectly dark room. That’s because it uses the RGBRGB color wheel. Whereas, the TK850 model will give you more brightness as it has 3000 lumens and uses the RGBW color wheel.

Now, we know that BenQ is loved because it offers some of the best projectors at affordable price points. This review is about the BenQ TK850 which is 3000 lumens and the HT3550 which comes at 2000 lumens brightness.

These BenQ projectors are less expensive, both are 4K UHD and they differ from the entry-level models in terms of better color and deeper black levels.

But which one to get for your home theater needs? Do they look the same? They certainly do have a lot of similarities, and they come at similar price points.

BenQ TK850 VS BenQ HT3550 Side-by-Side Comparison

You’ll mainly notice differences in their installation ease, flexibility, and versatility. Let’s take a look at the key features in-depth so you can get a better sense of what we mean.

Similarities

So, both BenQ TK850 and BenQ HT3550 have a lot of similarities, which you may have noticed. In fact, both of these projectors are identical in almost every other feature except the color wheel, brightness level, and input lag.

They both have the same design and come with the same accessories in the box. They also weigh the same, which is approx 10 pounds. Both of them come with 2 internal 5W speakers

Furthermore, they both have 3D, HDR, and HLG support and use Dynamic Iris Lens for deeper black and more depth.

Differences

So the important difference between the BenQ tk850 vs ht3550 lies in the color wheel they use. The TK850 uses the RGBW color wheel 98% (Rec.709) in TK850 and it can produce up to 3000 lumens.

And the HT3550 uses the RGBRGB color wheel and can produce up to 2000 lumens.

Another notable difference lies in the input lag. The HT3550 comes with an input lag of around 50ms. The TK850, on the other hand, has an input lag of around 81ms, which is pretty high if you are into hardcore gaming.

Brightness

You’ll find that the BenQ HT3550 projector is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a bright, crisp picture on a large screen.

However, it can be a bit expensive if you want to add a couple of extra features to your projector. For instance, you won’t be able to use this projector with a 4K TV.

If you want to get more out of your projector, you may want to consider the TK850.

The BenQ TK850 and 3550 perform equally well when it comes to overall picture quality. You’ll mainly notice differences in their installation ease, flexibility, and versatility.

Let’s take a look at the key features in-depth so you can get a better sense of what we mean.

Installation and setup

As both these models are standard throw projectors, you just need an 8 feet distance to get a 100-inch screen. What this means is that you would probably want a ceiling mount for these projectors.

Luckily, these BenQ projectors already come set up for this! Thanks to the automatic vertical keystone correction, you will have no problem getting the accurate alignment for your screen!

However, the expanded adjustment options on the BenQ TK850 will definitely give you more flexibility in terms of installation and setup

BenQ TK850 Review

Specifications

• 4K Ultra HD
• 3840 x 2160, 8.3 million pixel resolution
• RGBW color wheel 98% (Rec.709)
• Dynamic Iris for deeper black and more detail
• 3000 Lumens brightness
• Contrast ratio of 30,000:1
• The input lag of 80ms
• 1.3x manual lens zoom
• Throw distance of 3.2′ – 24.6′
• Screen size 30”-300”
• Dual 5W internal speakers
• Vertical lens shift
• Motion Enhancement
• Automatic vertical keystone correction
• HDR10 and HLG support
• Supports 3D

The BenQ comes in sport mode and this provides a nice balance between brightness and color accuracy, although it does have a slightly cooler color temperature.

The sharpness from this projector looks absolutely fantastic, and you will have less trouble getting good focus across the entire screen than the previous BenQ 4K projectors, thanks to the new lens design.

However, the color accuracy as compared to the new HT3550 is noticeable. This is because the RGBW color wheel on this projector lets in more white light while producing slightly less accurate color. This is one of the reasons why this projector is not suitable for a dark room such as a home theater.

With that said, if you don’t mind sacrificing some brightness, you can change the settings on the projector to get more color accuracy!

The gaming performance on this projector is decent enough for casual gamers. However, hardcore gamers are likely to be annoyed with the input lag of over 70ms. But one up-side is that the games do look good on it!

Pros

• Better sharpness.
• Can be used in ambient light and outdoor settings
• It has calibration settings for more accurate color
• Added brightness helps the image pop more
• Auto-vertical keystone correction makes setup easy
• Lightweight means it is portable

Cons

• Not suitable for fast-paced critical gaming
• More brightness means less accurate colors
• High input lag is not suitable for gaming

BenQ HT3550 Review

Specifications

• 4K Ultra HD
• 3840 x 2160, 8.3 million pixel resolution
• RGBRGB color wheel
• Dynamic Iris for deeper black and more detail
• 2000 Lumens brightness
• Contrast ratio of 30,000:1
• 1.3x manual lens zoom
• Throw distance of 3.2′ – 16.4′
• The input lag of 50ms
• Screen size 30”-300”
• Dual 5W internal speakers
• Vertical lens shift
• Motion Enhancement
• Automatic vertical keystone correction
• HDR10 and HLG support
• Ability to project on a 100-inch screen from just 8 feet away

So the BenQ HT3550 also has some pretty impressive features for a mid-range DLP projector. Some important stand-out features include the dynamic iris, motion enhancement, 100% Rec.709 coverage, and 95% DCI P3 coverage.

Another feature that makes this projector stand out from the rest is the addition of 3D, although it is not mentioned on the BenQ product description page. It actually displays 3D in 1080p instead of downscaling it to 1080i like some other 4K projectors. This makes the 3D effect nice and sharp.

What makes this projector better than the TK850 is that it has incredible color accuracy. You will get some of the best-looking images you’ve ever seen from a DLP projector!

The Dynamic Iris combined with the high color accuracy produces an amazing picture with great tone mapping and contrast. This means that this projector will really shine with HDR content.

The 2000 lumens brightness is perfectly fine with dark rooms and the vibrant colors definitely help with the picture quality!

For gamers, this projector has a lower input lag, although it’s not low enough for professional gaming. But most of you gaming addicts will be happy when the good quality graphics when you’re playing games with this projector!

Pros

• No light border around the picture
• Much better black levels
• Much better color accuracy and tone mapping
• Lower input lag

Cons

• Requires light-controlled room for the best picture
• The pictures are not super sharp.

Conclusion

The BenQ TK850 is great for a room that has a moderate amount of ambient light like a living room or a game room since it can produce up to 3000 lumens.

Whereas the BenQ HT3550 is great for a dedicated home theater where you can control the lighting, and you want the best-looking, vibrant, color-accurate pictures. 

Frequently Asked Questions