THE BIG PICTURE

This projector-based home cinema set-up aims to please

API RESPONSE

THE SYSTEM

PROJECTOR BENQ W1800 1,49,999

BLU-RAY PLAYER PANASONIC DP-UB150EB 30,499

VIDEO STREAMER APPLE TV 4K 14,900

AV AMPLIFIER DENON AVR-X2800H 99,990

SPEAKER PACKAGE WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 12.1 1,50,000

TOTAL PRICE 4,45,388

Television-based AV systems can make film nights in your living room a truly visceral and immersive experience, but if you really want to recreate the full-on experience of going to your local cinema, there is no substitute for a projector. Curtains closed, lights off, film on - it's big-picture viewing in the fullest sense of the term.

Of course, we would all love to enjoy the specialised delights of the top-end system on p62, but most of us live in the real world and so, for our second projector-based system we have made a point of keeping a close eye on the budget.

The BenQ W1800 is living proof that proper home cinema doesn't have to cost the earth. Sitting at the budget end of the company's CineHome range of projectors, it is exceptionally good value. But that's just one of the reasons we made it our Best Projector in 2023. Not only does it boast 4K and support for HDR, it also includes CinematicColor technology and Filmmaker Mode (the latter developed by industry watchdog the Ultra HD Alliance), both of which aim to deliver images that reach as closely as possible the video standards used by the creative industries when they master their content. The W1800 can also deliver a 100in image from a throw distance of 2.5m.