BenQ - X500i

Good point, but even the x500i has rainbows, perhaps less than the TK700 series but still. From the review on projectorreviews.com: "I noticed rainbow artifacts in some ultra-high-contrast content, like 3D animation"

I think so. I went from an Optoma GT1080 Darbee to a BenQ X500i about 4 months ago and it's night and day better. I use it almost daily for video games and movies. As some might point out, it's not going to be as crisp as a 4k tv. But it's definitely better than a 1080 projector (at least in my case).  Also, I was able to save a few hundred dollars by going refurbished. I know there's a risk there, but the optional extended warranty made me feel better about it. 

Daytime use = control the light in the room. Don't just think a thousand extra lumens will fix things. It won't. The BenQ TK710 or X500i from BenQ, if you can find one within budget, or stretch your budget, is the way to go. The TK710 is brighter but not as good for movie viewing. Both use the larger and (hopefully) more reliable .65" DLP chip. Both are laser/LED light sources, for long term reliability. The TK700 is a lot less money and readily available as a refurb. But, it uses a lamp and the older .47" DLP chip in it. Viewsonic tends to try to put out projectors similar to what BenQ does, but they tend to fail to achieve the same quality that BenQ often delivers, so I'd generally skip them.

If you're using a 2.35 screen, then how do you intend to handle 16:9 content? I'd go with the X500i personally, but it isn't designed to handle 21:9/16:9 effectively I believe. It doesn't have the zoom capability to switch between the two.

If this is a permanent installation, look at home theater projectors, or lifestyle models designed to be easily ceiling mounted. A proper 5.1 audio installation with an AV receiver is a must, especially in a dedicated space with a home you actually own. Run wiring in the walls before you paint, and you will have a life long proper surround system. Avoid equipment at the front of the room if possible. Run HDMI to the projector and make it so you can swap out that HDMI cable. Wireless/screen mirroring is generally quite a lousy way to do anything. Use a wired device like an Apple TV or a Chromecast. If you're just streaming, consider a Roku or similar. The lifestyle models, as seen in the video, and as recommended with the X1 are decent solutions for sure, but are trickier to ceiling mount if they don't have a 3-point or 4-point mounting structure as is common with traditional projectors. Plus, they rarely have zoom and lens shift is almost unheard of. These are more common features on traditional projectors. But, the Hisense C2 Pro is a model with good zoom but terrible mounting. The Nexigo Trivision Ultra is well reviewed and has 4-point mounting which is nice for a ceiling setup. No zoom, no lens shift, so positioning must be very accurate for best results, as is common. Super easy to setup are models like the Epson 3800, but they are lamp-based and pretty much past their prime. A shame we haven't seen a laser version of those models yet. The BenQ X500i or X3100i are considerations as is the TK710 (or TK710STi) which are decent traditional models. High end starts around $5000 with Epson, Sony, and JVC models, all worthy in a good theater. Not sure what you're really hoping to spend here. A fixed frame screen from Silver Ticket is a excellent way to go.

Fair enough, my vote would be for the x500i

Better contrast, color space coverage than the other two listed

I play SF6 on x500i and no issues hitting single frame timings. However with something like an fps you would just need to be back so far that you might as well use a monitor haha

What do you mean? I play SF6 and Khazan on my BenQ x500i with no issues. SF6 specifically requires frame perfect timings. Also, the projector seems to have way less motion blur from what I've noticed

You seem to not understand fighting game frames. When I say frame perfect timings, I literally mean 1 single frame matters.. This means if there was any human-noticeable delay, it would not be feasible.

Had my BenQ 500i since release. Used almost daily. 60fps 4k and 120 at 1440. Great for single player games. Input lag is not an issue. No issues with the Doom games. I can't even hear fan noise from it. I have a light controlled room and don't have issues with that. If you want larger than 120" screen may have to look at 3000i ben q recommend.

In that group— unless you need to compete with a lot of ambient light the X500i will have the best picture quality. It has one of the highest native contrast specs of any 4K projector and color is excellent. It’s also a true short throw. The TK700STi would be my second choice. It’s very bright so will do better on larger screens or rooms with some lights on. But it’s lamp and the color won’t be as good. See my review here: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/benq-tk700sti-review-owners-thread-4k-hdr-low-lag-short-throw-gaming-projector.3198258/ Of those models the X300G would be my last pic. It’s a great projector for what it is: a small semi-portable with easy setup. It will have better picture quality that the 700 But its lumen output is limiting.

I would try a NON Colorwheel DLP Projector first. Like the BenQ X500i.

I cannot stress how much OLED snobbery plagues this sub. Picture quality does not matter THAT much... I game on a 110" screen powered by a 4k BenQ projector (very cheap but solid projector for gaming) and the size of the screen alone absolutely blows everything else away for the gaming experience. Size is truly king over everything else in the theater world.

Incorrect. It is picture SIZE first, then audio, then picture quality. Movie theaters have existed for 100 years with what would now be considered terrible picture quality yet they were still great experiences because of the size of the image and the immersion it brings.

Literally my journey. Cheap Amazon projector as an emergency display while on the road. Lasted us a year and change at home. When the filter burned through upgraded to a BenQ 4K setup. No way my wife would have been interested in the cost for the system without testing a cheap version first.