Priced at $3000, the BenQ HT4550i is the latest addition to their Home Cinema lineup and is currently their second most expensive projector behind only the HT8060. With its higher price tag, you’ll find a slew of premium features for those seeking the best true 4K cinematic and gaming experiences up to 150 inches.
BenQ HT4550i
The BenQ HT4550i uses 4LED and DLP technology to deliver incredibly vibrant, bright, and rich contrast video in sharp 4K, offering you some of the best at-home cinema experiences you can buy in 2023.
Measuring 16.55 inches wide, 5.32 inches tall, and 12.28 inches deep, and weighing 14.55 lbs (6.6kg), the BenQ W4550i isn’t a projector you’ll be taking on the go, though it is easy enough to move between rooms if you need to.
With heat vents on the front right, the HT4550i doesn’t look as modern as BenQ’s other recent cinema projector lineup. Both the TK860i or the HT356 have a sleeker flush brushed metal front panel, which makes them look like the more premium options despite being more than $1000 cheaper.
While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the W4550i looks cheap, its almost all matte black plastic build doesn’t necessarily complement its impressive internal hardware. Likewise, this darker color may not be the most discreet option for ceiling mounting.
Moving to the top of the projector, the W4550i has horizontal and vertical lens shift dials and manual adjustments for zoom and focus.
On the left are control buttons for quick menu navigation and power.
The back of the projector houses an array of ports, including two HDMI 2.0b (HDCP2.2), a LAN port (disappointingly, only 10/100 Mbps speeds are supported, not Gigabit), two USB Type-A ports, and a 12V trigger.
Smart Features
Also found on the back is a removable cover that conceals a mini-HDMI input dedicated to the included Android TV dongle (the BenQ QS02), which you’ll need to install when it arrives. Unlike many modern projectors with built-in streaming capabilities, the W4550i needs an external dongle to access these features.
The QS02 streamer is snappy and most notably, boasts native support for Netflix—something that still manages to be an omission on many competing options. Beyond this, the Android streaming stick offers the expected smart features like access to your favorite apps, Google Voice Assistant, as well as Chromecast, and wireless casting.
Adding unnecessary complexity, the HT4550i has a dedicated menu system for the projector’s settings and one for the Android TV OS.
Unsurprisingly the Android experience feels more modern and polished, and likely is where you’ll spend most of your time after you’ve dialed in your picture settings within the BenQ menus.
What’s odd, but perhaps not immediately noticeable to users is that playback from the QS02 stick defaults to HDR even for SDR content that shouldn’t, which can make your videos look very odd. There doesn’t seem to be a simple fix here, again, highlighting how quirky this external solution can be. Instead, you’ll need to dive deep into the Android TV settings to manually change the Color Space to 8-bit for SDR content to play back properly. As you probably already guessed, you’ll need to repeat this process and switch to 10/12-bit when watching HDR content.
While these quirks may be minor, they highlight BenQ’s need for a more native smart solution.
Picture Modes and Settings
The BenQ HT4550i uses a Texas Instruments 0.65-inch DMD DLP chipset for four-phase pixel-shifting to achieve its 4K UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160. The lens is 1.8-2.25 mm, f/17.02 (Wide)~22.21(Tele), contributing to its shorter throw distance, making it more adaptable to smaller spaces like my cramped NYC apartment.
This meant I could create a 100-inch screen size at around 100 inches (8 feet) from the wall. Its quad LED light source and DLP imager offer excellent color reproduction even with its default factory calibration.
The projector’s LED light source has a lengthy life of 20,000 hours in Normal and SmartECO modes, or 30,000 hours in ECO mode, translating to years of use without the need for a bulb replacement. The HT4550i boasts a contrast of 2,000,000:1 with dynamic light source dimming, although its native contrast ratio measures 900:1 without light source dimming.
With BenQ’s Cinematic Color DCI-P3 technology, the HT4550i achieves full 100% coverage of DCI-P3 and Rec.709 color spaces through a Wide Color Gamut (WCG) Filter. BenQ provides a factory calibration report indicating adherence to these specifications, ensuring high color accuracy.
The projector has several picture modes, including 3D, Bright Cinema, Cinema, Filmmaker, Filmmaker HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, ISF Day, ISF Night, and User. In addition to the standard two-point controls, color accuracy fans will appreciate BenQ’s more advanced color temperature tuning with 11 levels of white balance controls. These span from high to low brightness settings, enabling meticulous adjustments to achieve precise mid-tone colors.
The HT4550i offers BenQ’s Local Contrast Enhancer, a feature enhancing black-level performance by optimizing contrast specifically for 4K HDR content. By analyzing brightness across various areas of the picture, it adjusts gamma independently, preserving details in both dark and bright regions and enriching the depth of the 4K HDR image. The projector also introduces the Filmmaker Mode picture mode, designed to uphold the director’s creative intent. There is 24P playback support with BenQ’s 24P True Cinema motion enhancement, designed to reduce judder in 24Hz film sources, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
While it’s becoming increasingly niche, the HT4550i extends support for 3D functionality, allowing you to enjoy a more immersive experience with 3D content using compatible 3D glasses.
It’s not going to replace a full-fledged home cinema surround sound setup, but the HT4550i gets by in a pinch with its built-in, 5-watt mono speaker tuned by treVolo. Don’t expect it to blow your socks off, but the audio holds its own in smaller spaces (like our cozy living room during testing).
For whatever reason, BenQ opted to forego stereo, which will be noticeable, though won’t completely take away the immersion. Placed on a table, my partner and I lounging a few feet away, the sound came through clear, with a decent thump of bass—not jaw-dropping, but still decent enough for us to enjoy what was on-screen.
Similarly, this little 5-watt speaker can crank up the volume without sounding distorted.
Going back to its quirky two-remote setup, you’ll find the Android TV remote has its own volume controls, which work independently of the main remote. As such, I recommend keeping the Android volume set to 100% and only using the other remote for volume controls. This is pretty convoluted if you ask me.
It’s certainly a step above your typical laptop speakers, though don’t expect it to outshine even the cheapest bookshelf setups. For the best experience, you can use its eARC for 7.1 channel or HDMI Dolby Atmos audio pass-through. Obviously where you sit in relation to the projector will have a significant impact on your listening experience, but as an inbuilt solution, the audio quality is good enough if you want to move the projector from room to room with a quick and uncomplicated audio fix at your disposal.
Viewing Experience
For our tests, we watched and played a mix of content including movies, shows, cartoons/anime, and PC gaming. As we delved into the realm of news coverage, the projector’s color accuracy cast a spell over the ocean blues during CBS Prime Time’s report on shark attacks.
The wide color gamut effortlessly painted the vibrant hues of the sea, immersing us in the waves as the anchor detailed the shark encounters off Long Island’s shores.
Switching gears to entertainment, we joined the antics of Mordecai, Rigby, and their gang in Regular Show on Hulu. The HT4550i’s prowess with SDR content brought remarkable vibrancy to every frame, illuminating the escapades of these lovable slackers as they found ingenious ways to avoid work.
The projector’s punchy and fun colors breathed life into their animated world, making every moment pop with energy and humor.
Our voyage continued with The Grand Tour’s exploration of 2-door V8 sports cars against Scotland’s stunning landscape. The HT4550i’s HDR10 support painted a breathtaking picture, from the gleam of polished metal to the lush greens of the countryside.
The projector’s ability to recreate a wide range of colors and contrasts added depth and realism to every frame, transporting us to the heart of the adventure.
Stepping into the gaming realm, the HT4550i proved its mettle once again. Its low latency 4K picture modes made gaming sessions seamlessly immersive. When we dived into Hogwarts Legacy, the projector’s exceptional blacks and vivid color reproduction brought the magical world to life. Even in the darkest scenes, the characters' robes retained intricate details, adding an extra layer of enchantment.
In the dark and dangerous universe of Diablo 4, the HT4550i’s precision revealed even the smallest menu text with clarity. Its impeccable black levels and dynamic contrast heightened the sense of immersion, drawing us deeper into the game’s challenges and mysteries.
A Worthy Invest for Some
The BenQ HT4550i is a premium offering in the realm of home cinema projectors, catering to those who prioritize top-tier quality. While not without its quirks, such as needing two remotes and a mono audio speaker, the HT4550i truly comes alive in its picture quality.
Whether you’re indulging in movie marathons, gaming adventures, or catching up on the latest shows, the HT4550i’s prowess enhances every moment; its sharp 4K UHD resolution, vivid color accuracy, and dynamic range are some of the best of any projector in 2023.
While its price tag of $2,999 places it firmly in the higher end of the market, its picture quality and versatile features make it a worthy investment for enthusiasts seeking the best in cinematic realism and gaming excitement. If your entertainment journey demands nothing short of excellence, and you’re willing to invest in top-notch visuals, the HT4550i could be the upgrade you need for your home theater setup.
