NexiGo PJ40 Gen 3 vs. BenQ TH575
Hi guys, this is my first post on this awesome group and its going to be a comparison I unexpectedly did last year between the NexiGo PJ40 and the BenQ TH575. I wasn't originally going to post this but I used this group a lot when researching projectors last year, so I thought this post might help someone out there who also wants real world comparisons between no-name budget and branded budget projectors. Mind you I don't own the PJ40 anymore, read on to find out why, but I've owned the TH575 for about 11 months.
A backstory, I originally bought a HiSense 55" Mini-LED 4K TV for boxing day '23, but Amazon sent me a cheaper model. After a hectic back and forth with them because they wouldn't accept the return even though it was clearly the wrong model number on the box, eventually they agreed to pay for return shipping but I had to get a friend to drive me to UPS to drop it off. Anyways, once I got my refund, I wanted a new TV asap but boxing day sales had ended. So while waiting for the next big TV sale I got to experience my friend's super cheap Apeman projector. It was extremely basic, 720p with the brightness of a firefly in the daytime. But I loved that it could project a much larger screen than the most expensive TV I could afford but at a fraction of the cost. So I delved into the world of budget projectors. Researched lots of cheap no-name brands, saw lots of comparison videos, most of which seemed like secretly sponsored content or obviously paid reviews with affiliate links. But I settled on the PJ40 (Gen 3) because it had the best image in videos I saw. I also bought a cheap 120", 1.5 gain (allegedly), double layer white screen.
I was blown away at first by the quality of the projection. It amazed me how much better it looked than my friend's Apeman projector. Despite projecting about 100" at only 1080p it still looked crisp. Colours looked nice and even. Didn't notice aberration at first either. And once I updated the firmware the android casting worked okay most of the time. HDR was terrible as is to be expected at this price range. Mind you this was meant to be my 3rd optional display for my PC. So I was happy about everything until I noticed some of the corners would never come into focus no matter what. I ended up returning it, but not before I researched more models and found out the corners being out of focus was normal for many budget projectors. On top, its also common for these no-name budget projectors to have a very short lamp life and no replaceable lamp module. So I decided to get a branded budget projector instead, and upon even more research I decided on the TH575. This cost almost double the NexiGo but imo it was definitely worth it. This was better in almost every way. Much brighter. Better colours. Lower latency in gaming mode. Even had full 3D support although I didn't take that into consideration at the time.
The following is a rough comparison of the two projectors. I didn't compare some things very well, like the speaker quality or volume, because it did not concern me. I have a decent budget Samsung 3.1 soundbar. Didn't try the NexiGo's decoding features either, like 4K decoding. I used both projectors connected to my PC via HDMI. so both can do anything my PC can do. Btw prices are from a year ago.
NexiGo PJ40 Gen 3 (left), BenQ TH575 (right)
NEXIGO PJ40 GEN 3 (CAD $400)
Highlights:
- somewhat smart, capable of decoding different formats and WiFi connectivity
- adjustable fan speed that determines brightness
- more adjustable positioning thanks to longer metal leg screw
- nice rubber cover for the lens
- horizontal keystone
Flaws:
- colour accuracy and contrast are laughable comparatively
- can't comfortably use with indoor lighting or daylight
- HDR is an afterthought, looks terrible when enabled
- can't replace lamp module, so with my usage this would have become an expensive paperweight after about a year
BENQ TH575 (CAD $750)
Highlights:
- super bright, can easily be used with indoor lighting even in LampSave mode
- upto 15,000 hours lamp life using LampSave mode, or 6,000 on max brightness
- replaceable lamp module, costs about CAD $200
- better overall image clarity and colour reproduction in Cinema mode
- sharper image after properly focusing, all corners are in focus as well
- noticeably lower latency and increased brightness in Game mode, at the cost of some colour accuracy
- 3D works really well, Avatar looks way better on this with DLP link glasses than when I watched it in theatres over a decade ago, even the few 3D games I tried look great
- quiet but non-adjustable fans, seems to keep cool forever, I've ran it for 8+ hours at a time without overheating warnings, even when my portable heater is on
- so far just over 2,400 equivalent lamp hours, but I run it on LampSave mode usually so realistically I've likely used it for over double that time
- side facing fans so you can put it as far back against a wall as possible to get maximum throw
- overall very fun to watch movies and play games, even if its only 1080p, works perfectly as a 3rd display for my PC
Flaws:
- one very unstable and short plastic adjustable leg, only useful for some scenarios where the projector has to be slightly inclined, had to buy an Amazon Basics ceiling mount to use as a table mount
- compared to a 4K TV of the same budget, you're only getting a much bigger display at the cost of sharpness, contrast, colour accuracy, latency, and deep blacks
- 3D requires rechargeable DLP link glasses, and while you can get them on AliExpress for about $15 each, it is an extra expense on top of a rather expensive device, and the glasses use IR, so depending on where you situate the projector in relation to viewers and the colour of your room's walls, you may not receive signal on the glasses
- 3D requires a dark room because the glasses are heavily tinted, 3D will force max brightness to compensate though
- lastly, 3D requires some tweaking with your media player to run, you may need additional software, and there's no content awareness so you manually have to enable/disable 3D mode every time
- no smart features, this is a display with built-in speakers and nothing more
- even with the 1.1x zoom it still creates a smaller image at the same distance as the NexiGo, about 90" compared to about 100" on the NexiGo
- jagged edges very noticeable when using a high keystone value
- lacking HDR, higher refresh rates, horizontal keystone, and auto-focus, all things I'd want at this price range
Comparison shots follow, with the NexiGo in max brightness whereas the BenQ is in lowest (LampSave), otherwise all default settings. Redmagic 7 Pro camera. Room lit by a lamp with a 100W RGBWW light bulb with 1% brightness.
Feel free to ask questions about the TH575, like I said I do not own the PJ40 anymore. I can post more pics for anyone interested. Sorry about the picture quality, its a gaming phone, the camera is crap. Also I originally just took these shots for my personal intrigue, and the mount for the TH575 hadn't been installed, that's why the projections aren't centered. Also I had no idea how large the projection would be so I bought the 120" screen, if I had calculated the projection size I would have gone for 100". No matter which projector you get, please get a screen, it looks much better compared to a wall.
Some more recent photos of the TH575 in action:
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (RPCS3)
Halo: CE MCC split-screen (Nucleus)
Avatar: The Game (Xenia) with 3D SBS through DLP glasses
TH575 with Amazon Basics Ceiling Mount
My equipment (not affiliate links):
Screen: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07V23G5PJ
Mount: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MSYK43S (I put counter weights because the projector is heavy)
DLP Link Glasses: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CDQBJ5GK (much cheaper in bulk on AliExpress)
HDMI Cable: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CNJHS6X8
HDMI Right-Angle: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00QV3IYBM (so you can put it closer to the wall)
DP to HDMI: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B017Q8ZVWK
NEMA to C13 Right-Angle: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00213KJZA
EDIT: Sorry I don't know how to add flairs, but I'm posting from Canada.