Epson Home Cinema 3800 vs BenQ X500i

Which Projector Is Better?

Products

Epson Home Cinema 3800
BenQ X500i

Tested using Methodology v0.10

Updated Oct 02, 2025 04:39 PM

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Tested using Methodology v0.10

Updated Nov 24, 2025 05:27 PM

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  1. Recommended in 2 articles:
  2. Short-Throw
  3. Gaming

Our Verdict

Epson Home Cinema 3800

BenQ X500i

The Epson Home Cinema 3800 and BenQ X500i are very different projectors and appeal to different needs. The Epson is a barebones projector that offers the best possible image quality at its price point but without any streaming features or any advanced gaming capabilities. The BenQ, on the other hand, has a well-rounded set of features, looks great in dim or dark rooms, and has full streaming and wireless connectivity due to its included dongle. If you're looking for the best possible image quality and you don't care about extra features, go for the Epson, but if you have varied needs and are mostly planning on using the projector in a dim or dark room, then for most people the BenQ has a bit more to offer.

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Variants

  • Home Cinema 3800 (White)
  • X500i (White)

Check Price

White
Home Cinema 3800
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Amazon.com
White
X500i
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Amazon.com
White
Home Cinema 3800
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BestBuy.com
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
Home Cinema 3800
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B&H
White
X500i
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B&H
White
Home Cinema 3800
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Walmart.com
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com

Main Differences for
Movies

Threshold 

0.10

Movies 

8.2
7.8

Brightness 
 

8.7
6.7

Color Gamut 
 

7.2
8.1

Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

8.6
9.4

Full Comparison

Picture Quality

Brightness 
 

8.7
6.7

Brightness Measurement Picture  

White Light Output 
 

2,287 lm
1,046 lm

Color Light Output 
 

2,334 lm
1,029 lm

Brightness Uniformity 
 

94%
74%

Screen Brightness 
 

258 cd/m²
119 cd/m²
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

8.0
8.1

APL Native Contrast  

See details
See details

1% APL Native Contrast 
 

1,235 : 1
1,267 : 1

5% APL Native Contrast 
 

745 : 1
798 : 1

10% APL Native Contrast 
 

507 : 1
536 : 1

15% APL Native Contrast 
 

389 : 1
405 : 1

25% APL Native Contrast 
 

265 : 1
271 : 1

50% APL Native Contrast 
 

147 : 1
138 : 1
Show Text 

Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

8.6
9.4

Pre White Balance Picture  

Pre Gamma Curve Picture  

Pre Color Picture  

White Balance dE 
 

1.81
0.86

Color dE 
 

1.82
0.85

Gamma 
 

2.16
2.16

Color Temperature 
 

6,774 K
6,492 K

Picture Mode 
 

Natural
Cinema

Color Temp Setting 
 

6500 K
Normal

Gamma Setting 
 

0
2.2
Show Text 

Post-Calibration Color Accuracy 
 

9.5
9.4

Post White Balance Picture  

Post Gamma Curve Picture  

Post Color Picture  

White Balance dE 
 

0.29
0.86

Color dE 
 

1.17
0.85

Gamma 
 

2.18
2.16

Color Temperature 
 

6,489 K
6,492 K

White Balance Calibration 
 

11 point
2 point

Color Calibration 
 

Yes
Yes

Picture Mode 
 

Natural
Cinema
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

7.2
8.1

Gamut Picture - Rec. 709  

Rec. 709 xy 
 

95.23%
96.16%

Rec. 709 uv 
 

94.54%
96.64%

Gamut Picture - Rec. 2020  

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

53.96%
62.57%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

57.31%
72.27%
Show Text 
Design

Imaging 
 

Style Picture  

Imaging Technology 
 

LCD
DLP

Light Source 
 

Lamp
LED

Spectral Power Distribution  

Show Text 

Optics 
 

Optical Zoom 
 

Manual
Manual

Focus 
 

Manual Focus
Manual Focus

Keystone 
 

Manual Keystone
Auto Keystone

Aspect Ratio 
 

16 : 9
16 : 9

Minimum Throw Ratio 
 

1.32
0.69

Maximum Throw Ratio 
 

2.15
0.83

Horizontal Lens Shift 
 

24%
N/A

Vertical Lens Shift 
 

60%
N/A
Show Text 

Portability 
 

4.0
5.0

Dimension Picture  

Height  

6.3" (16.0 cm)
4.7" (12.0 cm)

Width  

15.9" (40.5 cm)
14.4" (36.5 cm)

Depth  

13.0" (33.0 cm)
9.7" (24.7 cm)

Weight 
 

15.1 lbs (6.8 kg)
8.3 lbs (3.8 kg)
Show Text 

Noise 
 

5.8
7.0

Noise @ Maximum Brightness Video  

Noise @ Maximum Brightness 
 

58.9dBA
53.0dBA
Show Text 
Inputs

Inputs & Connectivity 
 

Inputs Picture  

HDMI 
 

2 (2x HDMI 2.0)
2 (2x HDMI 2.0)

HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed 
 

No HDMI 2.1
No HDMI 2.1

USB Data Ports 
 

1
1

Audio Out 3.5mm  

1
1

Digital Optical Audio Out  

0
1

Wi-Fi  

No
Yes

Ethernet Speed  

No Ethernet
No Ethernet
Show Text 

Supported Resolutions 
 

7.3
9.6

Native Resolution 
 

Pixel Shift 4k
Pixel Shift 4k

4k @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

4k @ 120Hz 
 

No
No

1440p @ 60Hz 
 

Scaled (Forced)
Scaled

1440p @ 120Hz 
 

No
Scaled

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 
 

Yes
Yes

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

No
Yes

1080p Maximum Refresh Rate 
 

60 Hz
240 Hz
Show Text 

Input Lag 
 

6.6
7.2

4k @ 60Hz 
 

20.7
20.3

4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

21.2
19.4

4k @ 120Hz 
 

N/A
N/A

1080p @ 60Hz 
 

26.9
19.8

1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode 
 

27.0
19.5

1080p @ 120Hz 
 

N/A
11.9

1080p @ Max Refresh Rate 
 

26.9
5.7
Show Text 

HDR Format Support  

HDR10 
 

Yes
Yes

HDR10+ 
 

No
No

Dolby Vision 
 

No
No

HLG 
 

Yes
Yes

Audio Passthrough 
 

ARC/eARC 
 

No
Yes (eARC)

eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus 
 

No
Yes

eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 
 

No
Yes

eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT 
 

No
Yes

eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 
 

No
Yes

eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA 
 

No
Yes

eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 
 

No
Yes

eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream) 
 

0
2.0

ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

No
Yes

ARC: DTS 5.1 
 

No
Yes

Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1 
 

No
Yes

Optical: DTS 5.1 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

3D  

3D Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Features

Smart Features & Sound 
 

Smart OS 
 

No
Android

Cast Capable 
 

No
Yes

Speaker(s) 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Picture  

Show Text 

Check Price

White
Home Cinema 3800
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
Home Cinema 3800
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
Home Cinema 3800
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
B&H
White
Home Cinema 3800
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
White
X500i
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com

Epson Home Cinema 3800

BenQ X500i

Comments

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Epson Home Cinema 3800 vs BenQ X500i: Main Discussion

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