BenQ AH700ST Review: Bright, Golf Tuned, Still 1080p

Four thousand lumens and a Golf picture mode, at Full HD rather than 4K.

The verdict: Buy it if you want a bright, colour-accurate, laser short-throw projector tuned for golf and you value brightness and longevity over pixel count. Skip it if resolution is what you are paying for, because $2,287 buys a true 4K short-throw projector elsewhere and this one is Full HD.

Specifications

Specifications above come from BenQ's published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Four thousand ANSI lumens is measured brightness rather than a marketing number, and in a bay with any ambient light that is what decides whether the image holds up.
• A laser light source rated at 20,000 hours removes lamp replacement from the ownership cost entirely.
• Ninety five percent Rec. 709 means the greens look like grass rather than like a neon lawn, which matters more over a long session than resolution does.
• The 0.69 to 0.83 throw with 1.2x zoom gives real placement flexibility, which is what saves a ceiling mount from being in the wrong place by six inches.
• Golf mode is not decoration. Simulator content is rendered differently from film, and a mode tuned for it reduces the fiddling most owners otherwise do.

Where it falls short

• It is 1080p at $2,287. True 4K short-throw projectors exist at and below that price, and buyers who care about resolution will feel that.
• A 0.69 to 0.83 throw ratio is short throw but not ultra short throw. On a wide screen the projector sits further back than people plan, which usually means a ceiling mount rather than a shelf.
• Ceiling mounting is a job and a cost, and a projector in the swing path is the most expensive mistake in a bay.
• Brightness figures apply to the brightest picture mode, which is rarely the most accurate one. Colour-accurate modes are dimmer on every projector.
• DLP projectors produce a rainbow effect for a small proportion of viewers, and it is worth knowing that before mounting one to a ceiling.

What owners report

Owners consistently report a bright, punchy image that holds up with room lights on, which is the practical difference between a bay you use and one you only use in the dark. The resolution question divides opinion: people who compared it against 4K on a still image noticed, and people playing golf did not. Throw ratio and placement come up constantly, and are the most common reason a projector purchase goes wrong.

Work out where the projector has to sit before you buy it with the projector throw calculator and the throw ratio chart. Short throw vs standard throw explains why this class exists, and ceiling mount vs floor projector covers the mounting decision that follows.

Who it suits

• Bays with ambient light or a window, where brightness beats resolution.
• Owners who want a laser light source and no lamp replacements.
• Anyone who wants a projector configured for simulator content out of the box.
• Rooms where 1.2x zoom flexibility solves an awkward mounting position.

Who should skip it

• Buyers who want true 4K at this price, which is available elsewhere.
• Very shallow rooms needing an ultra short throw ratio.
• Anyone sensitive to DLP rainbow artefacts.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• Short throw vs standard throw projector
• Ceiling mount vs floor projector
• Projector throw calculator
• Best golf simulator projectors
• Optoma GT3900UHD review
• BenQ TH671ST review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.