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Best XGA Projector in 2023

  • BenQ
  • 2023-04-13

How do the top XGA projectors compare when it comes to key features such as lamp life, image quality, and price?

If you are looking for a mainstream projector to impress your audience and effectively communicate in even well-lit spaces, then you should look at one of these three top-selling models of XGA projectors.  These models offer a traditional 4:3 format that is popular in businesses and classrooms for spreadsheets, engineering drawings and project management applications.  So which models are the best – and how much do they cost?  We’ll look at top selling models from brand leaders BenQ and Epson to help you decide using the following criteria:

How Bright are these Popular XGA projectors?

If you want to see small text on a big screen – you need a bright projector.  While projectors are rated in lumens, how big the screen is will determine how bright your projector looks in the conference room.  This is determined by both the lamp – and projector lens. For this example – let’s use a 100 inch diagonal screen – about five feet tall.  Here’s how these three projectors match up using the projectorcentral.com brightness calculator.

100” Brightness Comparison

BenQ MX536

Epson EX3280

BenQ MX825STH

100” Brightness Comparison

Lumen Output

BenQ MX536

4000 ANSI Lumens

Epson EX3280

3600 ANSI Lumens

BenQ MX825STH

3500 ANSI Lumens

100” Brightness Comparison

Lens Type

BenQ MX536

Standard Throw

Epson EX3280

Standard Throw

BenQ MX825STH

Short Throw

100” Brightness Comparison

Foot Lamberts on screen

BenQ MX536

115-foot lamberts

Epson EX3280

109-foot lamberts

BenQ MX825STH

106-foot lamberts

How Long do Their Lamps last?

The development of laser projectors has enabled people to buy projectors that will last for years without replacing a lamp.  But one of these projectors has a special mode that enables a single lamp to last up to 20,000 hours.   How does this work?

Smart Eco vs. Regular Eco mode for lamps

BenQ’s lamp technology is more advanced than traditional projector lamps.  With SmartEco technology, the projector can “look ahead” and adjust the lamp power to reduce brightness in darker scenes.  By synchronizing the lamp with the DLP chip, the lamp can adjust the brightness on each frame – saving a little energy – and lamp life only on images that don’t require full brightness on every pixel.   The result is a special long eco mode that can extend the life of the MX536 up to a whopping 20,000 hours – and a brighter picture compared to traditional techniques of just reducing the brightness of the lamp.

 

The Epson model uses a traditional eco mode, where overall power and brightness is reduced – which increases the lamp life – but at the expense of overall less brightness. 

 

Here are how all three models stack up in their different modes.

Lamp Life Comparison

BenQ MX536

Epson EX3280

BenQ MX825STH

Lamp Life Comparison

Normal Mode

BenQ MX536

5500 hours

Epson EX3280

6000 hours

BenQ MX825STH

6000 hours

Lamp Life Comparison

Eco Mode

BenQ MX536

7000 hours

Epson EX3280

12000 hours

BenQ MX825STH

10,000 hours

Lamp Life Comparison

Smart Eco

BenQ MX536

10,000 Hours

Epson EX3280

N/A

BenQ MX825STH

10,000 hours

Lamp Life Comparison

Lamp Save Mode

BenQ MX536

15,000 Hours

Epson EX3280

N/A

BenQ MX825STH

15,000 hours

Lamp Life Comparison

Long Eco Mode

BenQ MX536

20,000 Hours

Epson EX3280

N/A

BenQ MX825STH

N/A

What about image quality?

The two most common imaging technologies used in projectors are either DLP technology from Texas Instruments, or LCD technology.   While both create award winning images, the DLP technology used by the BenQ models is based on the same technologies used in digital cinema theaters.   While XGA projectors have lower resolution than the latest 4K projectors, the DLP technology used on the BenQ models virtually eliminates the “screen door effect” where you can see the lines between the pixels on the screen by filling over 96% of the pixel space with light.  This keeps small text and details visible and easy to read on the screen.

Connectivity

Versatility is key in collaboration environments.  You never know when you need an extra input or need to plug in a legacy device to display on the screen.   Let’s look at what options come with each projector model.  Here – the BenQ MX536 and MX835STH have a dozen different connectors – while the Epson has just three.  Here are the details.

Connectivity Comparison

BenQ MX536

Epson EX3280

BenQ MX825STH

Connectivity Comparison

HDMI Connectors

BenQ MX536

2

Epson EX3280

1

BenQ MX825STH

2

Connectivity Comparison

VGA In

BenQ MX536

2

Epson EX3280

1

BenQ MX825STH

2

Connectivity Comparison

VGA Out

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

 

BenQ MX825STH

1

Connectivity Comparison

s Video

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

 

BenQ MX825STH

1

Connectivity Comparison

Composite Video

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

 

BenQ MX825STH

1

Connectivity Comparison

USB Type A

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

 

BenQ MX825STH

1

Connectivity Comparison

USB Type B

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

1

BenQ MX825STH

1

Connectivity Comparison

RS-232 Connector

BenQ MX536

1

Epson EX3280

 

BenQ MX825STH

1

Usage & Maintenance

Most people think you can use a projector the same way as you can a TV.  With the ability for a lamp to last 20,000 hours, an XGA projector can be a very effective way to create digital signage or messaging in public spaces like hotel lobbies and car dealerships.   But there are significant differences between the most popular models from Epson and BenQ.

 

First, according to the warranty, the Epson EX3280 can be damaged by “excessive, continual use” which is not covered under the warranty.  The BenQ projectors don’t have any usage limitations – so you can use them as much as you want.  Secondly, the Epson projector has a filter that must be regularly cleaned – or the projector will overheat and be damaged.  Failure to maintain the projector can void the warranty.   The BenQ projector is designed to work without a filter due to its advanced DLP imaging technology – and does not lose color fidelity over time – which is why DLP is used in Digital Cinema theaters.

Price

All three projectors are quite affordable.   As you can see above, the BenQ models are more advanced, are brighter, have better connectivity, longer lasting lamps, and in the case of the MX825STH – a short throw lens.  The Epson EX3280 is cheaper.

Usage and Maintenance

BenQ MX536

Epson EX3280

BenQ MX825STH

Usage and Maintenance

Continuous use

BenQ MX536

Yes

Epson EX3280

No

BenQ MX825STH

Yes

Usage and Maintenance

Filter Free design

BenQ MX536

Yes

Epson EX3280

No

BenQ MX825STH

Yes

Usage and Maintenance

Digital Cinema image reliability

BenQ MX536

Yes

Epson EX3280

No

BenQ MX825STH

Yes

Usage and Maintenance

Retail Price

BenQ MX536

$569

Epson EX3280

$499

BenQ MX825STH

$600

So How do They stack up?

On the surface, it looks like these projectors have a lot in common – same resolution, market leading brand, and solid warranty support.   But once you get beyond that, you can see there are many other factors that add to your total cost of ownership – such as how long the lamp will last, how good the picture looks, and how easy is it to connect.   Also, you’ll want to consider if you want the worry and hassle of cleaning filters as part of your value calculation.    And if you have any other questions about these – or other models – just reach out and we’ll do everything we can to help you make the best choice.