LATEST ADDITIONS

PRICE $8,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great optics
Accurate color adjustments via CMS
Long-life LED light engine
Minus
Lack of key features
Disappointing contrast performance
No HDR support

THE VERDICT
The BenQ HT9050 has DLP’s latest 4K chip design, but its poor contrast and lack of key features result in an uninspiring package that can't compete with other projectors at or near this price point.

It wasn’t long ago — just 10 years, in fact — that the home projection market was all about DLP. It dominated nearly every price point and was always at the cutting edge of features. But eventually, things changed. Texas Instruments stagnated on DLP development. Meanwhile, new technologies like LCOS emerged, taking onscreen performance to an entirely new level, particularly for native black level and contrast. DLP has stuck around, but it's often found on the budget side of the market, with entry-level home/business designs, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, with cost-no-object three-chip designs.

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Q I just bought an Apple TV 4K streaming box and was wondering if I can use it with my surround sound system. If so, how do I connect it? —Mario Caballero

Vutec Stiletto Projection Screen
Stiletto—an alluring name for an alluring projection screen that appears to float in midair thanks to its super-thin bezel. It’s so skinny, you practically have to squint to see it. But the frame is made of extruded aluminum, so it’s anything but flimsy. Lightweight, yes. Flimsy, no.
Wide or Really Wide: A selection of ISF-certified screen materials, with gains ranging from 0.6 to 1.3, are available in standard 16:9 or ultra-wide 2.35:1. Screen sizes range from 92 to 159 inches (diagonal) in 16:9 and 115 to 189 inches (diagonal) in 2.35:1; custom sizes are also available.

New research from financial services company Raymond James shows that almost a third (31 percent) of Internet users polled in November cited streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu as their primary source of video content, up from 24 percent a year ago and just four percent behind the 35 percent of survey respondents who named cable as their primary source of video entertainment.