We purchased the BenQ HT3550 Home Theater Projector so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.

BenQ has consistently made phenomenal home theater projectors, but they’ve upped their game even further with the HT3550. This entry-level 4K projector boasts accurate factory-calibrated colors, dark blacks, vibrant HDR, and an amazingly wide color gamut. It only costs around $1,500 and significantly outperforms its entry-level 4K competition. Better 4K projectors than the HT3550 cost at least $4,000. In 2013, BenQ released the HT1070, a sub-$1,000 1080p projector that performed so well that every other projector manufacturer rushed to make a similarly good projector for the same price. The HT3550 has only been on the market for a few months, but it has the potential to usher in a wave of optical innovation that will force its competitors to improve their budget offerings. The HT3550 could be to 2019 what the HT1070 was to 2013.

The care and attention to detail that BenQ put into this projector is immediately apparent. From its size and lumen output, you can tell that this beauty was designed for a dedicated home theater space: it weighs in at just nine pounds, measures 15x15x10 inches, and can output up to 2,000 ANSI lumens. It’s equally at home on a ceiling mount in a large basement or on a bookshelf in your bedroom, thanks to its ability to have a throw ratio as low as 1.13:1. The HT3550 can project an image between 60” and 180” diagonally, depending on the distance from the screen and the optical zoom.

If you look at the front of the projector, you will notice that there is a small port at the bottom of the lens. This port is a clever, simple way to prevent light from leaking onto ceilings and walls, and we can confirm that it works really well!