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BenQ Joybee GP2 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £450
inc VAT

A portable projector with a fairly high resolution, plenty of connections and comprehensive file format support, but it's expensive compared to the competition

Specifications

1,280×800 resolution, 200 ANSI lumens, 53x140x130mm, 560g

http://www.apple.com/uk
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The reasonably high resolution for such a small projector means you can use the Windows desktop without having to compress it into a smaller resolution, but the GP2 still suffers from inconsistent focus across the screen. There’s an auto-keystone control, but we didn’t notice it making much difference, so we switched it off, as keystone correction generally degrades the image. You also get wall colour correction – you select the approximate colour of your wall from a list, and the projector adjusts colour balance to compensate, helping image quality.

Despite this, colours weren’t very accurate, but their boldness made up for this to a certain extent. We noticed problems with skin tones from the start that the GP2’s colour temperature control didn’t fix, and you certainly wouldn’t use the GP2 to judge photos, but for watching movies it’s more than adequate. We had no problems viewing detail in dark scenes in Casino Royale, such as the folds in the black velvet dinner jacket worn by Le Chiffre.

BenQ Joybee GP2

Presentations are fine too, although if you’re using images you’d be advised to turn the lights down, as the projector’s limited brightness means your audience won’t see much detail. Charts and graphs were fine, however, and text was clear – you’ll be fine with high-contrast content, even under office lighting.

The GP2 is a versatile portable projector with reasonable image quality and a wealth of connections. If you don’t need the iPod dock there are cheaper alternatives, though; 3M’s PocketProjector MP180 and MicroVision’s Showwx+ HDMI should be on your shortlist depending on where you store your files and the type of content you want to project, while if you’re mainly going to project from a laptop’s VGA port the Asus P1 Pico Projector has better image quality than the GP2 and costs over £100 less.

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Details

Price £450
Details www.benq.co.uk
Rating ****

Specifications

Projector technology DLP
Lamp brightness 200 ANSI lumens
Lamp life 20,000
Lamp life in economy mode 30,000
Contrast ratio 2,400:1

Picture

Native resolution 1,280×800
Max compressed resolution 1,600×1,200
Aspect ratio 16:10
Other aspect ratios 4:3, 16:9
Max diagonal at 7ft 88in
Throw ratio 1.13:1
Optical zoom 0.0x
Projection distance 0.5m to 3.9m
Mirror image no
Invert image no
Lens shift horizontal 0%
Lens shift vertical 0%
HD Ready yes
Special view modes Bright, Cinema, Game, Standard, User

Inputs/Outputs

VGA input yes
DVI input No
Sound inputs 3.5mm
Composite input yes
S-video input no
HDMI input yes
Component input no
PAL support yes
SECAM support yes
NTSC support yes
Audio output 3.5mm
Video output none
Others inputs/outputs mini-USB Display/Client, USB Host

Other

Noise (in normal use) 29
Size 53x140x130mm
Weight 560g
Internal speakers yes (2x 2W)
Extras remote, cables (HDMI adaptor, VGA/composite adaptor, power, USB), case
Remote special features keystone, iPod controls
Power consumption standby 1W
Power consumption on 36W

Lamp

Lamp cost (inc VAT) N/A
Lamp supplier N/A
Lamp cost per hour of use N/A
Lamp cost per hour of use (economy) N/A

Buying Information

Price £450
Supplier http://www.apple.com/uk
Details www.benq.co.uk

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