Two 4K projectors, two different claims about the same number
Which 4K projector should I buy?
In brief
Prefer the Epson if the picture itself is the priority: three panels, a published contrast figure, and color brightness stated alongside white. Prefer the BenQ if the projector has to be the whole system: Google TV built in, HDR stated, and the same ANSI figure without a separate box to feed it. On October 25, 2026, Amazon.com had the Epson Home Cinema 3200 at $1,600 and the BenQ TK705i 4K HDR projector at $1,399.
Both machines state 3,000 lumens and the two figures are not the same measurement. Epson publishes white brightness and color brightness separately, which a three-panel design allows; BenQ publishes ANSI lumens, a standardized measurement taken across nine points of the image. Neither is a lumen in the sense the portable-projector shelf uses the word, and both are far better than an unqualified number. The rest of the comparison is a straight split: Epson brings imaging technology and a contrast figure, BenQ brings an operating system and HDR.
| Compared on | EH-TW7000 4K PRO-UHD 3LCD projector | TK705i 4K HDR projector with Google TV |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness (two different units) | 3,000 lumens white brightness and 3,000 lumens color brightness — both stated | 3,000 ANSI lumens — stated in a measured unit |
| Imaging | 3LCD, three panels — stated | Not stated in this listing |
| Contrast | 40,000:1 — stated | Not stated in this listing |
| On Amazon.com, Oct 25, 2026 | $1,600, sold as the Home Cinema 3200 | $1,399 |
| HDR | Not stated in this listing | HDR supported — stated |
| Operating system | Not stated in this listing | Google TV, built in — stated |
| Network | Optional Wi-Fi — stated | Not stated in this listing |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Prefer the Epson if the picture itself is the priority: three panels, a published contrast figure, and color brightness stated alongside white. It expects a source of its own.
Prefer the BenQ if the projector has to be the whole system: Google TV built in, HDR stated, and the same ANSI figure without a separate box to feed it.
Not exactly. ANSI lumens are measured to a defined procedure across nine points of the image; a plain lumen figure is stated by the maker in its own form. Epson publishes white and color brightness separately, which tells you something a single number cannot. Both are better than the unqualified figures used on cheap projectors, but they are not the same measurement, so the row is not scored.
Yes, under another name. The EH-TW7000 is the European reference; Epson sells the same design in the United States as the Home Cinema 3200, which had an Amazon.com offer at $1,600 on October 25, 2026, against $1,399 for the BenQ TK705i.
It is a published figure from a maker that also publishes color brightness, which is a reason to take it more seriously than a seven-digit number from a listing that publishes nothing else. Contrast figures of that magnitude are still measured in conditions no living room reproduces.
4K PRO-UHD · 3,000 lumens white AND color brightness · 40,000:1 stated contrast · 3LCD · optional Wi-Fi
A 3LCD projector that publishes white and color brightness as the same figure — a distinction single-chip machines rarely make, and one that decides how a saturated image actually looks.
Best for: A viewer who notices color rather than pixel count, and anyone bothered by the rainbow effect single-chip projectors can produce.
≈ $1,600
4K HDR · 3,000 ANSI lumens · Google TV built in
A 4K HDR projector with Google TV on board and a stated 3,000 ANSI lumens — the built-in system is the reason to choose it, and the reason to check licensing before buying.
Best for: Someone who wants one object rather than a projector plus a streaming stick, in a room where the light can be controlled.
≈ $1,399
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
