Review: Benq MP622c projector

Although built around the same Texas Instruments Digital Light Processor (DLP) chip as the Benq SP831 we reviewed recently, the much cheaper MP622c isn’t quite in the same league.

That said, it’s still a very bright and capable projector with a lot to offer and is well within the financial reach of most small businesses.

The latest Benq projectors are all housed in shiny black plastic casings and the MP622c is no exception.

It’s also a very compact and portable device that comes with a padded carry case for ease of transportation. A removable cap protects the lens and there’s a drop-down foot to adjust the rake angle.

An optional ceiling mount can also be purchased and although focusing is done manually there’s access to do so both from above and below the device.

The all-important lamp is rated at 200W giving a brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens - bright enough for most situations, with a wall colour correction facility to give a good picture even if a proper display screen isn’t available. Special circuitry is also built in to protect the bulb when the projector is turned on and off with, as a result, a guaranteed bulb life of three years or 2,000 hours of use. Moreover, the projector as a whole is covered by a three-year warranty. Should it go wrong, an engineer will bring out a replacement for use while yours is being repaired.

A hatch on the top of the projector makes the lamp easy to change, with the various connectors located at the rear. For PC attachment there’s the usual 15-pin video interface (cable included), while other sources can then be attached using either RCA or S-video jacks. PC video and audio output connectors are, similarly, to be found on the rear panel.

We found it very easy and quick to set up with an on-screen menu to configure the various settings, either using the buttons on the lockable top panel or from the remote control shipped with the projector. Just about everything you might want to adjust can be set this way including, for example, keystone correction to get a perfectly square picture, a digital zoom facility, a security password and a range of colour and picture management options. There’s even a presentation timer that can be set to beep at preset intervals so you know how much time you have left.

Four preset modes further simplify setup with a couple of user modes also available to enable commonly used configurations to be saved.

Native resolution is XGA (1,024x768), but others are also supported along with different aspect ratios, enabling the projector to accommodate a wide range of video sources. For example, we used it both for a business presentation and to watch a DVD movie with a good clear picture in both cases, although we did need to darken the room for maximum visual effect.

Another nice feature is the lack of noise. As with most projectors it is fan-cooled, but the components inside and airflow over them have been especially designed to avoid vibration and give almost silent running. It’s not totally silent, but around 26dB, which is pretty unobtrusive even when watching a movie at home.

It lacks some of the bells and whistles found on more expensive projectors, but we were impressed with what the MP622c had to offer. And, at the price, that’s quite a lot.

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