The BenQ GV30 is a lightweight 720p projector. It's small and light, can be rotated vertically on its stand, has an integrated battery, and has auto vertical keystone correction and autofocus, making it easy to carry around and install anywhere. The projector uses an LED bulb as its light source with a rated lifespan of up to 30,000 hours. Optimal projection quality is achieved at a distance of 5.2 feet for a 60" image up to 7 feet for an 80" image. It comes with the Android TV 10 QS01 Media Streaming dongle, which has Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast support, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 4.2. Finally, it has a 2.1 sound system with dual 4W midrange tweeters and an 8W woofer.
Our Verdict
The BenQ GV30 is inadequate for watching movies. It's not bright enough for even moderately lit rooms, and its contrast is poor, so it looks disappointing in dark rooms. The projector has poor pre-calibration image accuracy, and there's no way to improve it as it doesn't come with any calibration options. The unit does come with a wide color gamut, but it's just not bright enough for it to matter.
- Included QS01 Android 10 dongle has smart features and wireless support.
- Is very small, has a battery, and has many image correction features for easy portability.
- Bad brightness levels results in very dim images.
- Poor pre-calibration accuracy that can't be improved due to the lack of any calibration options.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 02, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9. We've overhauled our Contrast tests, as we now measure contrast at various average pixel levels (APL). You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Feb 28, 2024: Mentioned the newly-reviewed KODAK LUMA 350 in the Contrast section of this review.
- Updated Feb 22, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Feb 17, 2024: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the BenQ GV30 projector. The manufacturer has replaced it with a newer model, the BenQ GV31, which projects a 1080p image and has an extra USB-A port for data transmission. There's also a lower-tier model, the BenQ GV11, which projects a lower resolution 480p image.
| Model | Dongle | Resolution | Throw Ratio | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GV31 | QS02 (Android 11, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.0) | 1080p | 1.2 | 2x 8W tweeters, 8W woofer |
| GV30 | QS01 (Android 10, Wi-Fi 5, BT 4.2) | 720p | 1.2 | 2x 8W tweeters, 8W woofer |
| GV11 | QS01 (Android 10, Wi-Fi 5, BT 4.2) | 480p | 1.3 | 5W chambered speaker |
Popular Projector Comparisons
The BenQ GV30 is a small, lightweight, portable projector. It's not very good, but it's quite cheap. The XGIMI MoGo 2 offers better image quality at this price point, but the GV30 has an integrated battery. You can rotate it vertically on its stand, so you can easily switch from watching content on the wall/screen to the ceiling, like if you want to watch movies while lying in bed. Otherwise, if you'd like much better image quality, you'll have to get the more expensive XGIMI Elfin or the much bigger Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-W01.
Check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors and the best outdoor projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for another product in the same price range, look up the best projectors under $500 instead.
The Anker Nebula Capsule Max and the BenQ GV30 are similar projectors that are both very portable and are better than each other in different ways. The Anker has better contrast, so blacks are a bit deeper in a dark room. The BenQ has better color accuracy, so colors are displayed closer to how they're intended, but it's still not very accurate, and you can't calibrate either projector to improve their accuracy further. The BenQ is cast-capable, while the Anker is limited to screen mirroring, so content from your phone looks much better on the BenQ.
The XGIMI Elfin is better than than BenQ GV30. It's brighter, has better contrast, and is much more accurate than the BenQ. The BenQ has two advantages over the XGIMI: it has an integrated battery and can rotate vertically on its stand. That does make it slightly easier to carry around than the XGIMI, but the XGIMI is even smaller and has a full suite of automatic correction features, so it's equally, if not more, portable than the BenQ if you have access to an outlet.
The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-W01 is much better than the BenQ GV30, but they're different products. The BenQ GV30 is a small portable projector with an integrated battery and inadequate image quality. The Epson, for its part, is a bigger projector meant for office use, so it's not very easy to carry around, but it's no slouch as a home theater machine due to its impressive brightness and good pre-calibration color accuracy.
The XGIMI MoGo 2 is better than the BenQ GV30. They're both small and light projectors that are easy to carry around. The BenQ GV30 has an integrated battery and can be rotated vertically on its stand, while the XGIMI doesn't have those features but has a full suite of auto keystone correction features. The XGIMI offers better image quality, with higher peak brightness and better color accuracy, although you need to calibrate the XGIMI for its colors to be decent.
We've independently bought and tested over 80 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
Throw Calculator
Global Controls
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
