There’s never been a time where so much buzz and consumer interest has surrounded the home projector category. It’s hardly a surprise. Many of us haven’t been to the Movies in a long time, catching up on big screen live sports action in a neighbourhood bar with your drinking buddies has also been an on and off activity. Big screen action has now shifted to homes with home projectors offering a break from laptop fatigue thanks to COVID-driven WFH routines. BenQ’s new projector is pitched as a portable, compact option that offers bang for the buck especially for first time buyers.
If you’re planning a large family reunion within a travel bubble – once travel somewhat normalises, you can toss this in the backseat of your car. The GS2 is remarkably portable and weighs just above 1.5 kg. It comes with a carry case, making it easy to cart around. Our tests over a month validate BenQ’s battery life claims. A single charge gives you about 3 hours of battery life, enough to catch a longish movie without power backup. It’s drop proof up to 0.5 metres, making it pet and kid-proof. I knocked it over once and it survived. The IPX2 rating adds to its durability making it resistant to the occasional water (and hopefully beer) spills. 
Set up is seamless and quick. It talks wirelessly to Android and Apple devices, allowing you to cast your screen directly from your phone. You could hook it up with a casting device via the HDMI port – I set this up with an Apple TV. The other option is to connect to your Wi-Fi network and download Apps like Netflix or YouTube directly to the device via the Aptoide app store. Like all other projectors, you can also stick in a USB drive with your media Content.
An Auto Focus Lens and 15-degree tilting make it easy to set it up even if you keep moving this projector around your house. The GS2’s small footprint also means that it doesn’t need much room in your living spaces. In terms of audio, there’s a built-in 2Wx2 chamber speaker set-up. That wasn’t enough for me, I paired the projector via Bluetooth to a soundbar; I’d expect most users would opt for external sound especially when you need that extra thump.
While the BenQ GS2 projector scores on convenience, the affordable price tag means you have to trade-off on the picture resolution. This DLP 720p projector (1280 x 720 pixels) offers a brightness of 500 Lumens and a contrast ratio of 100,000:1. BenQ promises an impressive lamp life of 30,000 hours (on the Eco mode) or 20,000 hours on full brightness. If you’re super finicky about picture quality, you’re better off with a 4K projector; but those cost much more than the GS2. This one’s aimed at users who are seeking a budget option with decent picture quality for their large screen entertainment fix. Add to that is the convenience of projections within compact spaces – it worked well even with a projection distance of 6 feet during our tests. The BenQ GS2 delivers good value for its price tag; it works equally well for binge watching or for an online class session for the kids.
The BenQ GS2 projector costs Rs 59,990.
