BenQ MS524 Review

Business and schools on a tight budget should consider the BenQ MS524 ($359). As a low-resolution data projector with few frills, it provides good brightness and solid data-image quality.

This DLP-based projector has an SVGA (800-by-600) native resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a rated brightness of 3,200 lumens. It’s lightweight and portable, at 4.2 pounds and 3.7 by 11.1 by 8.7 inches (HWD). Its 1.1x zoom, although modest, is better than none.

The MS524 ($798.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) has a basic set of ports: two VGA-in ports (which double as component video); one VGA monitor-out port; an HDMI port; an RCA jack for composite video; an S-video port; one audio-in and one audio-out jack; and an RS232 jack. There’s also a mini USB Type B port for connecting with a computer for downloads and page up/down.

Data-Image Testing
The BenQ MS524 projected a 60-inch (diagonal) image on our test screen from about 7 feet away. I noticed no image degradation with the introduction of a fair amount of ambient light.

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In our testing using the DisplayMate(Opens in a new window) suite, the MS524’s image quality proved suitable for typical business or classroom presentations. Text quality is reasonably good; black type on white is readable down to 7.5 points, while white text on black is readable down to 9 points.

I saw slight pixel jitter in several images. There is also mild green tinting in some gray areas. Colors, particularly yellows and reds, are on the dull side. This is not unusual for DLP projectors which—unlike LCD-based models—tend to have lower color brightness than white brightness.

I saw rainbow artifacts—little red-green-blue flashes, particularly in bright areas against dark backgrounds—in images that tend to bring them out. This rainbow effect, which is always a potential issue with single-chip DLP projectors, is seldom a problem in data images, and it shouldn’t be with the MS524.

Video and Audio
Video is best kept to shorter clips as part of a presentation. Video quality is limited by the projector’s resolution, with substantial hatching due to pixelation. I noticed a loss of detail in many brighter scenes. There’s also posterization, the tendency for sudden shifts in color where they should be gradual. Rainbow artifacts are more obvious in the MS524’s video than in data images, and although the effect is not particularly severe with this projector, people sensitive to the effect may well be distracted by them.

Audio from the single 2-watt speaker is very soft, suitable only for a small room.

Lamp life is very good, at up to 10,000 hours in Smart-Eco mode. The MS524’s EcoBlank mode lets presenters blank out the screen while taking a break, and lowering energy consumption up to 70% while it’s paused. The projector will also automatically enter EcoBlank mode after 3 minutes without a signal. SmartEco mode automatically adjusts lamp brightness, depending on lighting conditions.

See How We Test Projectors

This projector is capable of projecting 3D content, with support for 3D video from Blu-ray players, as well as PCs. Active-shutter 3D glasses are not included. Even buying the glasses at a discount through an etailer, though, could quickly add up to cost more than the projector itself.

The MS524 is brighter than the 2,800-lumen Epson EX3212 SVGA 3LCD Projector ($599.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , our Editors’ Choice SVGA data projector. The Epson model offers excellent data-image quality, however, and better video quality. The BenQ MS524 provides a bright, lower-priced choice, and is a good pick for a school or business looking for a basic projector to run data projections.