REASONS TO BUY
Makes a large image possible in a small space
Backlit remote control
Front and rear legs for leveling
REASONS TO AVOID
No onboard smart features
Better image quality available from similarly priced competitors
BenQ HT2150ST Review
This short throw projector makes big-screen real estate possible in small spaces, but it lacks smart features and the image quality of its peers
Credit: Matt Lighthart
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Our Verdict
The BenQ HT2150ST showed decent resolution and color accuracy during our testing, and it fits nicely in a home cinema environment. However, the lamp is too dim for projecting in a bright business setting, despite other features that lend themselves well to business use. Thanks to its short-throw capability, it is especially well-suited for small spaces where you want to cast a big image but don't have the available screen-to-projector distance to make that possible. With the short-throw technology, you can have a larger screen with the projector sitting closer to it.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The BenQ HT2150ST performed reasonably well in most of our testing, and it's a good fit for those seeking a solid short-throw projector to cast a big screen in a small space. The 1080p resolution is crisp, the colors are nice, and while the HT2150ST is not an inexpensive device, it is on the lower side of high performers and provides a pleasant home theatre experience.
Performance Comparison
The BenQ HT2150ST is a short-throw projector, making it possible to enjoy a very large picture in a relatively small space.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Entertainment
The HT2150ST has a lot going for it on the entertainment front, but it's missing some key features that others in its class have at a similar price. We really appreciate this projector's short throw capability, which allows you to cast a huge screen without setting the projector up at the back of a large room. The native resolution is a full HD 1920 x 1080, and we enjoyed the color and nice deep blacks, which provide good contrast in high-dynamic scenes, but we've seen better overall clarity in some other units.
The most notable omission of this projector, at least in the entertainment category, is its lack of smart features like native streaming apps and mobile device mirroring. If you can live without those or pipe them in from a dedicated device, this is undoubtedly a projector worth consideration for your entertainment needs.
Although it's missing smart features, this is a solid entertainment projector as long as you don't set it up in a bright room.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Business
When it comes to business use, the HT2150ST is a mixed bag. It isn't quite bright enough to shine through in well-lit office environments. Especially given that when we crank up the brightness on this projector, the color quality and contrast start to fall off. At full output, colors will not match the source document of your spreadsheets and presentations, and clarity will also suffer.
However, the HT2150ST is portable; it even comes with a travel case and has an excellent selection of input/output ports to connect to most any laptop or mobile device. We also appreciated that the zoom ring and focus controls were conveniently located on the top of the unit.
We always appreciate top-mounted focus and zoom controls on projectors.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Contrast Ratio
With a measured contrast ratio of 141:5, the BenQ HT2150ST does not blow its competitors out of the water. During our ANSI contrast ratio test, it became clear that whites are not quite bright enough, and mid-tones are difficult to distinguish.
The darkest blacks are dynamic, but greys can be challenging to differentiate. Overall, there seems to be a shift towards blacks, make the BenQ HT2150ST a rather average performer in contrast ratio.
Contrast ratio refers to the difference in brightness from the darkest blacks to the lightest whites.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brightness
As we've established, the BenQ HT2150ST trails behind other units in its class in brightness. The manufacturer claims 2200 lumens for this product, but we conducted an ANSI lumens test with a light meter and found an average lux reading of 1,240 lumens at the highest setting. We also noted that running this projector at maximum brightness negatively impacted the color contrast.
This relatively dim brightness level is satisfactory for viewings in a dark home theater, though weak in a well-lit room. The HT2150ST retained its sharp resolution and stellar contrast ratio when projecting in ambient light, but some colors became washed out when we cranked up to maximum brightness. White areas in text and graph-heavy pages take on a blue tint. Skin tones lose their healthy glow and look a bit paler.
This projector's contrast and color suffer outside of dark environments.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Setup & Use
This metric is all about the built-in features that make setup and daily use of a projector more intuitive and enjoyable. We award points for basic and advanced implementations of keystoning, focus, leveling legs, remote control features, and more. The BenQ HT2150ST offers a relatively average feature set, with a few nice touches peppered in.
It is one of the few models in our review that offers a lens shift feature. Lens shift lets you move the image up or down without digital distortion. Its 1.3x zoom also gives you some screen size adjustability. Vertical keystone correction is controlled via an easy-to-use remote, and the knobs that control lens shift, zoom, and focus all feel smooth and solid. They also have a retractable cover that hides them away, which is nice if you plan to put the projector on a permanent mount, as you can dial in all the ideal settings and then close the cover to make sure the knobs won't accidentally get nudged out of place.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Both of the back feet of the HT2150ST sit on adjustable screws, allowing you to level the unit if it's sitting on a tilted surface. The front leg slides freely up and down when a button is depressed and locks into place when released.
The remote control for the HT2150ST is also a favorite among our testers. Its buttons are well-labeled and easy to press. The button layout is intuitive, allowing you to quickly scroll through color modes, adjust contrast and other settings, and correct for keystoning. The entire control panel is backlit with a red light that doesn't affect your night vision but allows you to read the labels on each button. This backlight is handy for using the projector's built-in speakers, allowing you to adjust the volume easily.
We appreciate a backlit remote for finding buttons in dark home theate
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Input Lag
Projector input lag may be a concern if you have plans to compete in online gaming, where milliseconds matter. The HT2150ST placed above average at a respectable 49 millisecond average response time when we measured it with our video signal input lag detector.
The HT2150ST is a pretty portable projector and even comes with a travel case.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the BenQ HT2150ST?
For those looking to spend less for a home theater rig, the BenQ HT2150ST is a good choice. It offers decent image quality and some nice features, but other more versatile units outshine it at similar price points.
What Other Projectors Should You Consider?
If you need something more budget-friendly for at-home use, the ViewSonic PA503W is half the price with a bright image that offers decent enough images for enjoying on movie night, but you sacrifice some quality for the price cut.
—
Hayley Thomas, Sentry Kelly, Jessica Riconscente, and Adam Stout
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