BenQ PB2240 review

BenQ's PB2240 projector is small, attractive, and weighs only 2kg, which makes it sound ideal for the travelling presenter. By the time you've packed all the cables and accessories into the bag, you're carrying a bit more (3.3kg) - but with its compact dimensions (237 x 195 x 85mm) it's still very portable.

It appears to sit quite high off the table surface, suspended on four legs rather than the customary three, with the height due to an unusually deep underbelly. A lot of light leaks out of the air vent in the back - something that isn't uncommon in smaller projectors - but since it aims down at the table it's of no great concern. More troublesome is the harsh tone of the cooling fans, although we didn't find the overall volume excessive.

The first thing you notice onscreen is how bright the picture can be - so bright, in fact, that images can appear completely washed out. This projector requires careful setting up, which proves a little tricky for a number of reasons. With a change of just a few steps in the menu's brightness setting, the image changes dramatically, moving from washed-out highlights to proper shading.

You also have to balance brightness with the four colour modes - Presentation, Vivid, Video and Economic - to get the best results. Presentation is completely overpowering and explodes any highlights, but it could prove a useful reserve for sunny rooms that have no curtains. Video and Economic modes were cold and bluish, and we found the best results were achieved with the Vivid setting. Once everything was carefully set up, we achieved good colour saturation.

Focus adjustment is a little coarse, and can again be tricky to get just right. The bottom-left corner wasn't in step with the rest of the image, so the Windows Start button was blurred a fraction when the remainder was clear, and vice versa. Black text on a white background also suffered from ghosting around the edges. Differentiation between shades of white work well with the brightness properly adjusted though, and highlights in DVD movies were kept under control. There wasn't as much detail in dark areas, however, and a pure black screen showed up as an uneven dark grey, being slightly lighter in the lower central portion.

To match the trim portability of the projector, a slimline remote is provided. Its signal is weaker than most and needs aiming squarely at the projector; we also found the buttons needed a firm press to activate. A second remote control and a USB flash drive are provided to act as a control system for PowerPoint. The USB flash drive installs as a Human Interface Device on a notebook, and the remote can then be used to flick forward and back through presentations. It's very effective, although PowerPoint locked up when exiting with the remote.

BenQ's PB2240 proved frustrating to set up, but once you become familiar with its operation it's possible to attain a decent picture. Colour saturation is good and the bright image gives flexibility in sunny rooms, but the uneven focusing is a notable letdown.

There's no doubt that the price of the PB2240 makes it a tempting option, and if you need the portability and can't afford more, it's a reasonable choice. Those looking for higher quality should also consider Optoma's bulkier EP739.

Author: ROGER KIRKWOOD