Table of Contents
In this post, we will compare two entry-level gaming and sports projectors, the BenQ TH685 and Optoma HD28HDR, and see which one would be a smart buy.
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) | 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) |
| Brightness (ANSI lumens) | 3,500 | 3,600 |
| Contrast Ratio (FOFO) | 10,000:1 | 50,000:1 |
| Speaker | 5W Speaker x 1 | 3W Speaker x 1 |
| Price | Check Amazon | Check Amazon |
Display
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Projection System | DLP | DLP |
| Resolution | 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) | 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) |
| Brightness (ANSI lumens) | 3500 | 3600 |
| Contrast Ratio (FOFO) | 10,000:1 | 50,000:1 |
| Displayable Colors | 1.07 billion | 1.07 billion |
| Rec.709 Coverage | 95% | Close to Rec.709 |
| Native Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
Both BenQ TH685 and Optoma HD28HDR are based on a Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology developed by Texas Instruments. Both of them have a 0.47″ DMD chip.
Both these projectors have native Full HD resolution showing 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. Optoma HD28HDR has its maximum resolution mentioned as 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) (60 Hz) for HDMI 2.0 and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) (30 Hz) for HDMI 1.4a. What it really means is, you can input media of max resolution 3840 x 2160 and Optoma HD28HDR can downscale it to 1920 x 1080. For BenQ TH685, the maximum resolution is 1920 x 1200.
The ANSI lumens of both these projectors is bright enough to watch it in your living room with lights on, as they are 3500 for BenQ TH685 and 3600 for Optoma HD28HDR, not much difference between them. You may not have good experience if projected image exposed to direct sunlight or bright lights.
Optoma HD28HDR surpass BenQ TH685 with 50,000:1 contrast ratio. Optoma says in HD28HDR, “bright scenes appear crisp and clear, while dark scenes remain detailed with deep blacks and exceptional light and shade detail” with the help of this better contrast ratio specs.
BenQ TH685 allows you to adjust the picture from its pre-calibrated modes like Bright, Living Room, Cinema, Sports, Game, 2 User Modes, 3D, HDR10, and HLG. Whereas, Optoma HD28HDR comes with Cinema, Vivid, Game, Reference, Bright, HDR, User, and 3D modes.
The ideal wall color would be Gray or White for projecting pictures, but even if you have some other wall color you don’t have to worry. You can correct the picture based on the wall color upon which you are projecting by selecting the wall color within the projector. BenQ TH685 gives you Light Yellow, Pink, Light Green, and Blue as options to choose the wall color. In, Optoma HD28HDR you can select Blackboard, Light Yellow, Light Green, Light Blue, Pink, and Gray.
BenQ claims that its TH685’s Game Mode restores images with enhanced clarity and precision, improving dark scenes. For Optoma HD28HDR, putting your projector in game mode ensures the highest contrast and vivid color to capture every detail.
Light
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Light Source | Lamp | Lamp |
| Light Source Life | Normal – 4,000 hours Eco -10,000 hours SmartEco – 8,000 hours LampSave – 15,000 hours | Bright – 4,000 hours Dynamic – 15,000 hours Eco – 10,000 hours |
BenQ TH685 allows you to save lamp life by providing light modes such as Eco, SmarEco and LampSave, similarly, Optoma HD28HDR gives Dynamic and Eco options. Otherwise, both these projectors on a full range can live for 4,000 hours.
Content Support
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| HDR10 Support | Yes | Yes |
| HLG Support | Yes | No |
Optical
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Throw Ratio | 1.13~1.46 | 1.47:1 ~ 1.62:1 |
| Zoom Ratio | 1.3x | 1.1 |
| Digital Lens Shift | Vertical ±5% | No |
| Keystone Adjustment | Vertical ±30° | Vertical ±40° |
| Image Size | 30″~300″ | 28″ ~ 301″ |
| Horizontal Frequency | 15K~102KHz | 15.38 ~ 91.15Khz |
| Vertical Scan Rate | 23~120Hz | 50 ~ 85 (120 for 3D)Hz |
TH685’s digital vertical lens shift lets projectors move the picture to the screen even when they are off-center from the screen without having to tilt the projector. Optoma HD28HDR is lacking Digital Lens Shift feature.
Both BenQ TH685 and Optoma HD28HDR allows ±30° and ±40° of vertical keystone adjustments respectively to the projected trapezoid image due to the angled projector placement.
Dimensions and Weight
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) inches | 12″ x 4″ x 9″ | 12.44″ x 4.25″ x 9.61″ |
| Net Weight lbs | 6.2 | 5.51 |
HDMI
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | HDMI 2.0 x 2 (HDCP 2.2) | HDMI 2.0 x 1 (HDCP 2.2) HDMI 1.4a x 1 (3D support) |
| USB Power Out | x1 USB-A (1.5a) | x1 USB-A (1.5a) |
BenQ TH685 is equipped with 2 HDMI 2.0 ports which are capable of transferring content with a speed of 18Gbps, where as Optoma HD28HDR comes with only 1 HDMI 2.0 port with these capabilities. Optoma also has another HDMI 1.4a port which can trasfer the content at 10.2Gbps. Both projectors support HDCP 2.2 content via their HDMI 2.0 ports.
If you are plugging-in a streaming device such as Firestick, Netflix or Chromecast, you can use the provided USB Power Out port power the device.
Audio
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker | 5W x 1 | 3W x 1 |
| Audio In | 3.5mm | Not available |
| Audio Out | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
Both BenQ TH685 and Optoma HD28HDR are equipped with a built-in mono speaker for casual watching or business presentations. BenQ TH685’s built-in speakers are more powerful than Optoma HD28HDR. As might be expected, they are not intended to be used in stereo audio reproduction devices for home theatre or cinema rooms. Even with connecting external stereo speakers to the projector via 3.5mm audio-out, these projectors are capable of playing mixed mono audio.
BenQ TH685 allows you plug-in an audio source into the projector using a 3.5mm jack, whereas Optoma HD28HDR doesn’t have any audio-in port.
Performance
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Input Lag | 8.3ms@120Hz | 8.4ms@120Hz |
Power
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Power Supply | VAC 100 ~ 240 (50/60Hz) | 100 ~ 240V, 50 ~ 60Hz |
| Typical Power Consumption | Max-340W Normal-297W Eco-206W | Min-204W Max-282W |
| Standby Power Consumption | 0.5W Max. at 100 ~ 240 VAC | 0.5W |
| Acoustic Noise (Typ./Eco.) | Typical: 35dB Eco: 29dB | Typical: 26dB Max: 28dB |
| Operating Temperature | 0 ~ 40 ℃ | 5 ~ 40 ℃ |
What’s in the Box
| Feature | BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Control | Yes | Yes |
| Power Cord | Yes | Yes |
| Manual | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty Card | Yes | Yes |
| Batteries | x2 (AAA) | x2 (AAA) |
Price
| BenQ TH685 | Optoma HD28HDR |
|---|---|
| Check Amazon | Check Amazon |
Verdict
The presence of HLG 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, HLG Support, and Vertical Digital Lens Shift gives BenQ TH685 the upper hand, however, if you really don’t care about HLG, then Optoma HD28HDR would be a good option as it has good contrast ratio than BenQ TH685.
Both these projectors are great for gaming and sports with their low input lag, so in that aspect, you will not go wrong by choosing either BenQ TH685 or Optoma HD28HDR.