Which is better for 4K gaming – BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250? Be amazed by hyper-realistic HDR details on massive Full HD 1080p projected images that put big screen TVs to shame. Team up with these projectors and your favorite video game console to lead your team to victory on the battlefield and the game courts. They are supercharged with low input lag for real-time video game thrills. Stunning 1080p HDR graphics and 2700 – 3500 lumens of ultra-brightness deliver intense action, even in daylight. And, awe-inspiring sound immerses you in epic gameplay like nothing you’ve seen before. Discover more in BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250 comparison chart.
Pros & Cons – BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250
BenQ TH685
Pros
- Exceptionally bright
- Accurate colors
- Low input lag for gaming
- Good color accuracy and contrast for the price
- Supports HDR, including HLG
- Accepts 4K input to downconvert to 1080p
- Low input lag for gaming
- Supports Full HD 3D
Cons
- Middling overall image quality
- Hard to adjust for sharpest image
Epson 2250
PROS
- Integrated Android TV
- Unusually bright 3D mode
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Good color accuracy, contrast, shadow detail, and black level for the price
- Three-chip LCD engine (3LCD) delivers matching color and white brightness and no rainbow artifacts
CONS
- Does not support HDR or 4K input
- Only one HDMI port
Specs – BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250
BenQ TH685
- Display Type: DLP x 1
- Brightness: 3,500 ANSI Lumens
- Contrast: 10,000:1 (full on/off)
- Color Wheel: 6 segments
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Data Modes: MAX 1920×1200
- 3D Modes: Full HD 3D
- Lamp Type: 245W Metal Halide bulb
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (HD)
- Color Wheel: 2x speed
- Color Processing: 10-bit
- Input Lag: 8ms (min)
- Video Modes: 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, 1080p/24, 1080p/25, 1080p/30, 2160p/24, 2160p/60, 576i, 576p, 480p, 480i
- Optional Lenses: No
- Lens Shift: Vertical +/-5%
- Lamp Life: 4,000 hours / 15,000 hours (Eco)
- Lamp Model: 5J.JKX05.001 Buy Replacement Lamp
- Projector Placement: For a 100″ diagonal screen, place the projector lens between 8′-2″ and 10′-7″ from the screen.
- Included Lens: 1.3x manual zoom , manual focus
- Throw Distance: 3.2′ – 24.6′ Calculate Throw Distance
- Image Size: 30.18″ – 300.10″
- Throw Ratio: 1.13:1 – 1.46:1 (D:W)
- Audible Noise: 35 dB / 29 dB (Eco)
- Internal Speakers: 5.0 Watts Mono
- Digital Keystone: Vertical only
- Projector Size: 4.00″ x 12.00″ x 9.00″ (HxWxD)
- Weight: 6.2 lbs
- Power: 340 Watts 100V – 240V
Epson 2250
- Engine Type LCD
- Rated Brightness 2700 LED Lumens
- Native Resolution 1920 by 1080
- Maximum Resolution 1920 by 1080
- Inputs and Interfaces HDMI
- Dimensions (HWD) 4.8 by 12.4 by 12.2 inches
- Weight 8.4 lbs
- Warranty 2 years
Price
That’s a bit pricey compared to some 4K TVs, but in the grand scheme of serious AV equipment, the BenQ TH685 is surprisingly affordable. Take, for example, its 4K stablemate, the BenQ HT3550 that comes in at $1,499. That’s undeniably a better projector, but the TH685 is exactly half the cost.
The BenQ TH685 was released back in February 2020 and comes in at a very reasonable $749 (£659, AU$1,349).
The Epson Home Cinema 2250 ($999.99) doesn’t include Streaming Projector in its name, but Epson lists it as one, and for good reason.
What are the key differences – BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250
Design
At 6.2 pounds and 4 by 12 by 9 inches (HWD), the BenQ TH685 is easy to handle for setup. The digital image shift and 1.3x zoom lens also add flexibility for positioning. At only 8.4 pounds and 4.8 by 12.4 by 12.2 inches (HWD), the Epson 2250 is small enough to fit just about anywhere.
Ports
BenQ TH685
Image inputs include two HDMI 2.0b ports, which both support HDCP 2.2 (the copy protection version on 4K Blu-ray discs). There’s also a USB port, meant strictly for supplying power to HDMI dongles.
- HDMI inputs: 2
- PC input: Analog RGB (also Analog RGB out)
- USB port: 1 (1.5A power)
- Audio input and output: 3.5mm for each
- Digital audio output: No
- LAN port: No
- 12v trigger: No
- RS-232 remote port: Yes
- MHL: No
- Remote: Not backlit
Epson 2250
- HDMI inputs: 1
- PC input: No
- USB port: No
- Audio input and output: 3.5mm stereo
- Digital audio output: No
- Internet: Wi-Fi
- 12v trigger: No
- RS-232 remote port: No
- MHL: No
- Remote: Not backlit (x2)
Resolution
The TH685 pairs a single 1920-by-1200 DLP chip with a six-segment, RGBWYC (red-green-blue-white-yellow-cyan) color wheel, but uses only 1920-by-1080 pixels on the chip as its native resolution. The extra pixels let you shift the picture up or down from the center position by 5 percent of the image height, as a convenient way to position the image for your screen.
The Epson 2250 has a native 1080p (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) resolution, courtesy of three 1,920-by-1,080 LCD chips. The 3LCD design guarantees both that you won’t see rainbow artifacts and that color brightness will match white brightness, so color images will be fully as bright as you would expect from the 2,700-lumen white brightness rating.
Brightness
BenQ TH685
The rated 3,500 lumens is bright enough, according to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommendations, to light up a 270-inch diagonal screen in a dark room or a 150-inch screen in moderate ambient light, assuming a 1.0-gain, 16:9 white screen.
Epson 2250
At 2,700 lumens, it’s bright enough to fill a 235-inch diagonal 1.0-gain 16:9 screen in a dark room, according to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommendations, and suitable for a 130-inch screen in moderate ambient light.
Contrast Ratio
The Home Cinema 2250 offers a contrast ratio of up to 70,000:1 vs. 35,000:1 found in the Home Cinema 2200. The Home Cinema 2250 has a 1.6x zoom with a vertical lens shift of 45-60 percent, while the Home Cinema 2200 is a 1.2x zoom projector with no lens shift.
Gaming
Gamers will appreciate the TH685’s fast lag time. With Fast mode on—the default setting for Game picture mode—my Bodnar meter measured the lag for 1080p, 60Hz input at 16.4 ms. This gaming projector also sports a 120Hz refresh rate, which is commendable on most gaming monitors, let alone a projector. That means motion is smoother as the screen is refreshing its image more frequently.
The Epson 2250 has an input lag on the upper end of the “acceptable” range for gamers, with a lowest recorded lag of about 28ms. While this makes it a suitable choice for casual gaming, serious gamers will prefer the BenQ HT2050A. Its input lag measures as low as 16ms in Advanced Gaming Mode, letting users play online or graphic-intensive games without frustrating delays.
Setup
BenQ TH685
If you plan on ceiling mounting the projector just be warned that the included power cable is a bit on the shorter side, but it should be enough to reach an outlet if you put it on a table.
Setup is fairly simple, too: to help position the picture you’ll use a bottom foot that’s used to adjust projection height and the manual zoom / focus dials along the top.
On the front left face of the projector you’ll find the fan that operates at a fairly quiet 50db – which is a bit more than a whisper, but not much. Note, however, that the fan does output a fair amount of heat, especially if you’re unfortunate enough to be sitting right next to it.
If you plan to put the projector out of reach, there’s also a basic remote included that has all the same features and gets the job done.
Epson 2250
Setup is a breeze. Plugging in the power cord, optionally connecting a video source with an HDMI cable, and adjusting the manual zoom, focus, and vertical lens shift. The 1.6x zoom adds screen-distance flexibility, and the vertical lens shift, at 15% of the image height, lets you match the image’s vertical position to the screen without having to tilt the projector and use digital keystone correction.
Audio
In BenQ TH685, audio is handled through a 5W chamber speaker that really rocks the mids and highs but leaves almost nothing in the bass range.
As with almost any projector, for the best sound quality, you’ll want to use an external audio system. However, the onboard 10-watt speaker delivers high enough volume to fill a large family room and good enough sound quality to be usable.
Alternate of BenQ TH685 vs Epson 2250
BenQ HT2050A Movie Projector
The BenQ HT2050A offers the best image contrast of any sub-$1,000 projector we’ve tested, and it produces richer, more vibrant colors than many budget DLP projectors. This 1080p projector provides a variety of inputs and is easy to set up thanks to a flexible lens that has both zoom and vertical shift. The 1.3x zoom gives you some wiggle room in how close to the screen you can place the unit, while the vertical lens shift allows you to avoid the keystone effect.
Like most projectors under $1,000, the HT2050A has a built-in speaker; it’s not amazing, but it does produce a fuller sound than what most budget projector speakers offer. The HT2050A’s biggest drawback is that its single-DLP-chip design can produce a visible rainbow effect for some viewers, but most people either can’t see it or won’t be bothered by it.
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