BenQ LK953ST 4K UHD Laser Projector Review – Hardware 2

BenQ LK953ST 4K UHD Laser Projector Review – Hardware 2: The Control Panel, The Remote Control, The Menus

The BenQ LK953ST’s control panel can be found on the right side of the projector, alongside the cool air intake vent. It’s simple in design, with a typical layout – there are three rows consisting of three buttons, some with multiple functions. The Power Button is to the left of the second row. There is, of course, the navigational button arrangement, which is surrounded by four buttons on each corner of the configuration: Menu in the top left, Auto in the top right, Source in the bottom right, and Back in the bottom left.

A classic four-directional-arrow setup surrounds the OK button, and each of those arrow keys serves a dual purpose. The Up and Down arrow buttons also function as the Keystone Correction controls, while the left and right buttons control volume. Their primary function, of course, is to navigate the menu system. Control panels are typically only used during installation, but I think you’ll find this BenQ’s to be straightforward and easy to use. For all else, use the remote control.

The LK953ST has the same remote control as the LU950, so I am copying and pasting the information from that review:

“The BenQ LK953ST’s remote control is well laid out, and comes in a nice white to match the projector. A major plus for this remote – it’s backlit! We love this at Projector Reviews, and will often include it in the Cons section of our Summary Page if the projector does not have a backlit remote. Nice touch, BenQ. As always, I will discuss the remote control in sections.

The top section has a large green On button on the left, and a red Off button on the right. The next section consists of six buttons: Source, Aspect, Quick Install (quickly selects several functions to adjust the projected image and displays the test pattern), Picture, Light Source, and Info. Just below that are the navigation buttons surrounding the OK button, which, again, serve the dual purposes of Keystone Correction and volume control.

Below that are six buttons: Back, Menu, Auto, Mute, Light (for the backlight function), and Blank. The next section consists of a 1-9 plus 0 numeric pad, used for entering numbers in the network settings or when setting the remote control ID. On either side of the 0 button are the All button (left) and ID Set (right).

The final section of the BenQ LU953ST’s remote control contains six buttons. Zoom + and Zoom – are paired together, with Zoom + on the top and Zoom – on the bottom. Same setup for Page + and Page – with Page + on top and Page – on the bottom. The final two buttons, stacked on top of each other, are 3D and Freeze. Overall, I found the remote control easy to use and quite enjoyable with that backlight.”

On this projector, the final section’s buttons serve no function. It is typical for manufacturers to use the same remote across many projectors, and as not all projectors have certain functions, the buttons relating to those functions become null.

The BenQ LK953ST has a menu system that is well laid out. Photos of the menus coming soon!