Review: Benq SP831 split-screen projector

If you’re expecting to pay just a few hundred pounds for a projector then the almost £1,000 ex Vat price tag attached to the Benq SP831 could come as a bit of a shock.

However, you get what you pay for and we found the SP831 to be a very bright business projector, capable of handling dual simultaneous video sources with optional split screen and picture-in-picture (PIP) displays.

The Benq certainly looks the part, housed in a smart and very shiny black casing, which is quite large and clearly designed more for static rather than portable use, although it’s not that heavy and could be transported if required.

The works are fan cooled, but surprisingly quiet, and there’s an optional ceiling mount available. Alternatively, it can be placed on a desk and, with 4,000 Lumens to play with, is bright enough to be used without dimming the lights or drawing the blinds.

A 300W lamp is employed, rated for 3-4,000 hours, depending on use, and is easy enough to change. However, it is a screwdriver job and likely to be a little awkward if the projector is ceiling mounted.

Focusing is done manually which could be an issue for ceiling mounts too, but once setup no further adjustment will normally be needed. There’s also a digital zoom option and an accompanying remote control, which also incorporates a laser pointer.

The various connectors are round at the back, and there’s a veritable arsenal to choose from, including both analogue (15-pin D-Sub) and digital (DVI) interfaces for PC attachment (cables included).

Other devices can then be attached using either RCA or S-video jacks, with an accompanying array of audio connectors, plus a full set of output ports and an optional add-on Signal Shuttle attachment to enable the projector be attached to a PC up to 100m away using UTP cabling.

Setup is quick and easy. We simply plugged in the cables, following the instructions in the very clear user guide, switched it on and the active input was detected automatically.

A simple-to-follow on-screen menu is then used to configure the various settings, either using buttons on the top of the projector or from the remote, with a huge number of options on offer, including keystone correction to get a perfectly square picture.

Five preset modes make for ease of setup, with three user modes for custom setups plus a keypad lock and optional password protection.

The results are impressive, whether using the SP831 for business presentations or watching a DVD or live television feed, for which HD support is also built-in. Native resolution is WXGA (1,280x768) with a default aspect ratio of 15:9, although other ratios can be selected to suit the source involved.

A Texas Instruments Digital Light Processor (DLP) provides the necessary motive power. The same chip is used in a number of back-projection TVs, providing 10-bit colour processing (effectively 1.07 billion colours) and giving really great pictures no matter what you choose to display.

The split-screen and picture-in-picture options also work well enabling, for example, a presentation to be given alongside a video conferencing feed or associated software demonstration.

Sure, it costs a bit more than the average projector, but if you’re looking to setup a presentation suite and want quality results and split screen capabilities the Benq SP831 certainly looks worth it.

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