1080P Not Enough? Time to Upgrade to a 4K UHD Projector

As a 1080P projector user, pursuing extraordinary visual experience is an enjoyment in life. 4K UHD resolution is today’s trend in the evolution of technology. Having 8.3 million pixels from 4K UHD, which is four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p, could bring awe-inspiring clarity and crisply defined details and an immersive viewing experience. From movies to sports events to video games, there are more and more contents presenting in 4K resolution. In order to enjoy the ultimate 4K visual experience, you may be wondering if it’s time to upgrade your 1080P full HD projector to 4K UHD. How do you upgrade? Other than buying a 4K UHD projector, is there anything you need to know before upgrading?

The clarity of an image produced by a projector is referred to as resolution. A general screen image is made out of tiny dots called pixels. The more pixels on a screen, the better the quality of the image is going to be. HD refers to High Definition, by which we mean the resolution size, in this case 1920x1080 pixels. 4K resolution is widely available nowadays and considered an upgrade or the next generation of Full HD. For reference, BenQ’s W2700 4K home cinema projector has 4K UHD and 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame, four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p.

In terms of 4K, There are mainly two kinds of 4K projectors: 4K UHD projectors and 4K enhanced projectors. Both of these play 4K content, but there is a difference. 4K UHD is 8 megapixels, and is considered to show 4K resolution by using a DLP 4K UHD chipset with advanced image processing, ensuring incredibly fast switching speed. This delivers a 3840x2160 resolution with 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame, four times higher than Full HD 1080p. Enhanced 4K mainly refers to pixel shifting technology, which mostly shows 2K resolution, thus 4 megapixels, but fired twice with pixel shifting to show seemingly 8 megapixels on the screen. Both enhanced and 4K UHD projectors show excellent, fantastically detailed images, and the difference is still visible when projected onto the cinema screen.

4K is superior in terms of quality, details, sharpness and all other aspects you look for in creating your home cinema experience, and nowadays it doesn’t have to be an expensive investment, as 4K projectors are increasingly more affordable.

If your current 1080P projector is ceiling mounted, here are a few things you need to check before starting to upgrade.

1. Cinema setup:
You should check your current cinema setup before getting a new 4K UHD projector, including the ceiling mount position, screen, cable and player.

2. Ceiling mount position and screen size:
Most people would not like to get involved in complicated installation projects or make changes to their interior design when it comes time to renew audio equipment. Being able to keep the existing ceiling mount and screen set up makes it a lot easier for 4K home cinema upgrades. Therefore, you should be aware of the projector and screen distances. If the current distance of your ceiling mount to screen is within 2.5m-3.94m, then with BenQ W2700 home cinema projector you could simply enjoy 4K content with a 100” screen without repositioning the mount. It makes upgrading even easier if you already own one of the popular BenQ projectors (W1070 / W1070+ / W2000 / W1110 / W1090) since the W2700 was designed with the same throw ratio in order to be compatible with your existing cinema setup.

3. Ceiling mount:
Usually universal projector mounts can fit most projectors on the market, so you don’t have to stress about compatibility. All you need to do is to align all screws from the spider adapter of your ceiling mount and holes from the bottom of your projector* and fix it tightly on the mount when upgrading to a 4K projector. In addition, be sure to line up the center of your lens, screen, and projection beams vertically with the screen to show the perfect squared image. You can see the bottom of latest BenQ W2700 home cinema projector pictured, which shows the screw holes pattern as well as the length in between.

* Please note that each projector has a different pattern design of screw holes. In order to assure accurate installation, we recommend you have assistance from a professional. You may request the service from local distributors.

4. Cable:
Not all HDMI cables can support 4K UHD resolution or HDR content. You must have a 4K HDMI 2.0 cable for optimal 4K output. In addition, HDCP 2.2 compatibility is important. Due to the fact that all 4K HDR contents are protected by HDCP 2.2, all the DVD players, amplifiers, projectors and HDMI cables employed should be checked for compatibilities with HDCP 2.2 decryption to ensure 4K content is played properly.

5. 4K media player:
A 4K UHD media player is one of the ways to access 4K content. For instance Apple TV 4K, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S / Xbox One X, etc. all support 4K UHD content.

4K Content: Other than 4K UHD Blu-ray discs, there are some streaming platforms where you can enjoy 4K content as well. All it requires is a stable internet connection.

I. Netflix: One of the first streaming services to use 4K UHD content, its use of 4K UHD is growing, with all of Netflix’s major series now shot in 4K or HDR. Netflix even gives you the option of double-checking whether you’re actually watching 4K content using a handy tool they provide.

II. Amazon: From comedy, originals or documentaries, as well as a rotating selection of movies, Amazon has all kinds of content available in 4K. The catch is you must have an Amazon Prime subscription, but if you’re looking for amazing quality content, movie fanatics will tell you that it’s worth it.

III. YouTube: Yes, even YouTube offers 4K content now with its Premium account. Nowadays a lot of creators own 4K camera equipment so a lot of YouTube 4K footage can be watched without extra charges or any membership fees.

In sum:

• 4K content is getting more and more common nowadays. If you already own a home cinema and entertainment is essential to you, then it is a good time to upgrade to a 4K home cinema.
• Upgrading to 4K with the W2700 home cinema projector is easy, especially for those who already own a BenQ W1070 / W1070+ / W2000 / W1110 / W1090. You can even upgrade without repositioning the mount!
• Make sure that you have a HDMI 2.0 cable connected to HDMI port.
• Get your 4K player or streaming service ready for your 4K cinema experience