BenQ HT3650 4K DLP Home Theater Projector Review

The BenQ HT3560 is identical to the previous models like the HT3550, HT3550i, and TK850i. The HT3560 is a two-toned, mostly matte white projector with a metal finish semi-gloss front panel. Despite more and more projectors taking new design language, I think there is something to the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Also, sticking with an established design allows BenQ to save money and invest in improving the projector's feature set.

The BenQ HT3560 measures (WxHxD) 14.9 x 4.9 x 10.35 inches (380 x 127 x 263 mm) and weighs 9.25 lbs. (4.2 kg).

The lens, an ambient light sensor, and ventilation are on the projector's front panel. The right and left sides of the projector have more ventilation, and the rear is where all the inputs and connections are located.

The projector's control panel is easily accessible on the top rear of the projector. From this control panel, users can adjust settings, control all the projector's menu-based functions, and even power the projector on and off. The location and design of the control panel make it easy to operate the projector without the remote control and, if necessary, even when mounted on the ceiling.

The HT3560 provides manual vertical lens shift, zoom, and focus capabilities. These allow users to fine-tune the position of the projected image without physically moving the entire projector. This flexibility makes setting up the projector according to different room configurations or mounting preferences convenient.

The projector's ventilation design helps keep the projector from overheating during extended use. Additionally, the HT3560 incorporates noise control mechanisms, ensuring minimal fan noise and minimizing distractions during your viewing sessions.

The HT3560 does not have a HDMI media stick but will support all external media devices. BenQ has removed the projector's onboard media player feature, so the projector will not recognize media on any USB drives, which is unfortunate.

The BenQ HT3560 includes three (3) HDMI 2.0b ports with HDCP 2.2 copy projection. HDMI input #2 provides eARC functionality. There are USB Type-A ports and one USB micro port, which can be used to install updated firmware. One is for PC-free presentations and more, using the built-in media player that supports a range of video and audio codecs and still-image formats, including JPEG, BMP, and PNG.

The projector features two (2) 3.5 mm stereo mini audio inputs and one (1) 3.5 mm stereo audio out. The HDMI inputs carry audio and an S/PDIF or Toslink optical digital audio output.

The rear panel holds a standard 12-volt trigger for a motorized screen (or other uses), enabling the screen to automatically lower or raise when the BenQ HT3560 is powered on or off.

The HT3659’s control panel is located on the top near the back; a Power On/Off button (Press once to power on, press twice to power down) is located furthest to the right. A small LED light indicating power status is just above it. There are two more indicator lights as you move to the right from the Power light, labeled Temperature and Lamp.

Directly to the right of the Power button is the navigation area, consisting of the four arrow keys in a round formation. The enter button (labeled “OK”) is in the middle. All the arrows take on other jobs when you aren’t in the menu system. The up and down arrows let you adjust keystone correction, while the left and right arrows control volume down and up, respectively.

The three remaining buttons activate the Menu, while the one to the left is the Back button, which takes you back up one level in the menu system when pressed. The Source button is to the right of the Menu button, allowing you to select between the various sources you have connected to the TK850i. However, the projector does have an Auto-Source option, which will automatically go to the active live source it finds.

The remote control BenQ included with the HT3560 has been around for as long as this projector body style. The remote is a traditional candy bar-style remote. Like most BenQ remotes, the button assignment is logically laid out and intuitive. By today's standards, this remote is large, but the size is just right for me.

The remote is backlit, and unlike most modern backlit remotes, the light is bright and will stay lit for about ten seconds once a button is pressed. What’s not to like about that? This remote is far better than the more modern BenQ backlit remotes with newer BenQ projectors like the V4550i and the new V5000i. The newer BenQ remotes feel more comfortable in hand, but compared to this remote, their backlight is dim and only stays on for about three seconds.

At the top are three buttons: a green power-on button, the backlight control button, and a red power-off button. Why two separate buttons for power?

The next row features a one-touch keystone control, the Default button, which resets whatever feature you are adjusting, and a test pattern button.

The photo above shows you the rest of the buttons and functions.

BenQ projectors have well-organized menus, so you can find what you're looking for without any trouble. Navigation is straightforward. The menus offer quick access to important functions, so you can easily switch inputs or change the picture mode. With BenQ projectors, the menus are designed to be user-friendly and make getting the best performance from your projector a breeze.

Like other BenQ projectors of its class, this unit works on two different menu interfaces. The first is the BenQ basic menu, allowing users to control the most common projector features. The second is the advanced menu, which allows full access to the projector's electronic features and adjustments.
The menu is typical BenQ; it is easy to navigate with a sensible layout.

The HT3560 is fully configurable with all the controls and adjustments typically found on a BenQ home entertainment projector, including detailed adjustments for calibration. Projector Reviews highly recommends a professional calibration to get the best performance from any projector. Calibrating the projector ensures users get the best performance possible for their screen and environment. Professional calibration opens access to the projector's ISF modes. If professional calibration is within your budget, do it by all means.

BenQ has included five SDR preset picture modes and two HDR modes, not counting the two ISF modes that can only be unlocked by a professional calibrator. I'll go into these in more detail in the brightness section below.

While Laser and LED projectors often have a color gamut advantage, the HT3560’s UHP lamp displays natural, balanced, out-of-the-box colors. The Benq HT3650 comes precalibrated from the factory, so the color reproduction of several picture modes, including CINEMA, FILMMAKER, and USER, was excellent. 

The first content I played on the projector was the new MAX series, The Gilded Age, and I was blown away. I’ve gotten used to the hyper-saturated colors found on new laser or LED DLP projectors in this projector's price range, but the color on the HT3560 just blew me away when watching this content. The HT3560’s color performance also stands out when watching content from National Geographic Presents on Disney+.

Skin tones look excellent rather than oversaturated yellow or red. Was the color perfectly balanced? No, it was not, but overall, BenQ has done very well with the overall color balance. BenQ has been perfecting its color science for years, and it shows on this projector.

It is doubtful that someone would spend hundreds of dollars to calibrate a $1699 projector like the BenQ HT3560. The good news the CINEMA picture mode color reproduction is so good that most customers will be happy with its picture quality out of the box. Since the HT360 targets home theater enthusiasts, we measured the projector's color accuracy before and after adjustment using Portrait Displays Calman color calibration software.

Since your room and screen material significantly impact the overall picture, we don't recommend using someone else's calibration adjustments. If your room is brighter/darker or your walls are a different color, your settings would probably be different. Also, the color characteristics of different individual projectors can vary. Therefore, copying someone else's results can be detrimental to the picture quality rather than improving it. The charts below shows my measurements before and after calibration.

If you want to make quick BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST, and SHARPNESS adjustments to improve the picture quality of your projector in your room, several free test patterns are available on the Murideo website and their YouTube channel. Murideo also has written instructions located under the resource section of its website.

Also, check out our YouTube video on utilizing several test patterns called Optimize The Image of a Projector or TV Using Free Murideo Test Patterns

The HT3560i uses a six-segment RGBRGB color wheel, which is one of the reasons this projector's out-of-the-box picture looks so good. Unfortunately, the downside of a six-segment color wheel is the typical sacrifice of some light output, thus the 2,200 ANSI lumens brightness rating. 

In addition to the color range boost provided by the RGBRGB color wheel, the HT3560 also makes excellent use of tone and color mapping to increase color depth even further. That’s unsurprising, as BenQ has a history of focusing on color performance.

You can see the beautifully saturated colors this projector can produce in the shots from Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy.

The HT3560 is not the brightest projector available under $2,000. For movie enthusiasts who plan on viewing content in a dark space, sacrificing a little brightness for better color reproduction and black levels is worth it.  The projector's overall color performance and BenQ's comprehensive calibration tools put this projector at the top of my recommendation list.

At $1699 MSRP, the BenQ HT3560 is an excellent 4K HDR-capable projector and stands out from the DLP pack when it comes to good black levels with shadow details. The out-of-the-box color on this projector is very good as well.

While it does display DLP’s tendency to lean towards the reds, the red over-saturation level was much less than that of other DLP projectors I’ve reviewed. BenQ has a solid history of color management with their Cinecolor system, which is largely why the visual color accuracy is so good on this projector. 1080p picture quality is very good out of the box and, if calibrated, can be excellent.  The fan noise at full power was noticeable but not distracting.

When it comes to 4K with HDR, the HT3560 looks incredible. The projector's color and tone mapping help display an incredibly detailed and colorful image. The out-of-the-box performance is a step above so many competitive DLP projectors. I'm not saying it's perfect, but with the HT3560, BenQ has upped the entry-level 4K home theater game quite a bit.

The HT3560 has more than enough inputs and connections for almost any setup. BenQ offers three HDMI 2.0b inputs, one with eARC and one with 4K 120 Hz support, plus USB for playing content through the projector's internal media player. The only thing the HT3560 needs is a media dongle for streaming and networking. The lack of a streaming device can be solved by purchasing any affordable Android TV stick for well under $50.

BenQ has improved the sound of the TreVolo 5-watt x2 sound system, with the built-in speaker providing decent volume. Unfortunately, a pair of 5-watt speakers in a small box is no replacement for an entry-level sound bar or step-up external sound system. I’m a strong proponent of investing as much into your audio as you do for video to have the best home theater experience.

The HT3560 is primarily a home theater projector displaying a wide range of movie and television content beautifully, but the projector does more. BenQ has not only improved the picture performance, but the lower input lag ratings make it a very capable gaming projector and I’m not just talking about casual games. The HT3560 does an excellent job with my favorite first-person shooters.

XGIMI HORIZON ULTRA $1,699 MSRP

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a 4K DLP projector that retails for $1699. The XGIMI Horizon Ultra, offers a brightness of 2300 ISO lumens which, based on our testing, comes out to 2335 ANSI lumens of brightness. Based on the Horizon Ultras hybrid laser and LED light source, this projector should perform better than the BenQ in color capability and operation in a room with moderate ambient light.

XGIMI has always been focused on expanding the projection market to include those users who don't typically seek out projectors. Since XGIMI's goal is to broaden the user base of projectors beyond the traditional market, projectors like the Horizon Ultra include all the features found in conventional flat-panel TVs, including Android TV and built-in sound systems. In addition, they are ultra-compact units that can be quickly set up in any room and projected onto a screen or a wall (even one painted a color). The fact that the XGIMI is a smart projector gives it another advantage over the BenQ.

XGIMI’s non-traditional approach to designing home entertainment projectors is helping the company become a leading global projector manufacturer. The Horizon Ultra is XGIMI's new flagship home projector, so it included several technical firsts highlighting their engineering expertise. Although the shape of each projector is different, the overall volume of the two units is about the same, so I’m going to call this point a draw.

The Horizon Ultra is equipped with an automatic iris that improves the unit's black level when viewed in a darker environment while maximizing the projector’s brightness in rooms with ambient light when the black level is not as important. However, the Horizon Ultra cannot match the native contrast and deep black levels of more expensive 3LCD & LCOS-based projectors. I have to give the black-level edge to BenQ between the HT3560 and the Horizon Ultra. Black levels on the BenQ are visually better, with excellent dark area detail compared to the XGIMI.

The Horizon Ultra offers outstanding picture quality for its price point and is the best projector we have reviewed from XGIMI. It is feature-packed (optical zoom, Iris, Hybrid Laser-LED light source), which is an amazing value. The Horizon Ultra is one of the best sub-$2000 projectors on the market today.

Projector Reviews continue to be impressed with the picture quality of the BenQ projectors we have reviewed. The HT3560 is among the best-performing sub $2,000 projectors I reviewed this year. Don’t let the fact that this is a lamp-driven projector put you off because, in the right space, the UHP light source puts out more than enough light. The only downside to the lamp is the noticeable rainbow effect caused by the color wheel. 

Still, if you’re not sensitive to the rainbow effect, and most people are not, then the HT3560 is a great choice for a full-featured projector that produces an excellent picture. The color quality is excellent, and black levels are better than many LED and Laser-based projectors that sell in this same price range.