Best Dell S718QL Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

The Dell S718QL is not really a video projector designed for home cinema, but this model seemed interesting to us for several reasons: it is an ultra-short focal length model (less recoil between the screen and the projector), it embeds an Ultra HD HDR compatible chip and it swaps the good old lamp for a phosphor laser allowing to increase the brightness and the lifespan.

Presentation

Ultra-short throw projectors are on the rise. If the market reference is still the Philips Screeneo 2.0 (pending the Screeneo 3.0), several more or less expensive and more or less efficient models have found their way to the laboratory, such as the Epson EH-LS100 (Tri-LCD) , the LG PH450UG (720p Led) or the Vivitek DH765Z-UST. The Dell S718QL video projector is very similar to the latter with its phosphor laser light source. 

Instead, the Vivitek’s Texas Instruments Full HD chip is replaced by a 0.66 inch Texas Instruments DMD S610 TRP UHD chip. This chip made up of 4 million DMD micromirrors does not display a native definition of 3 840 x 2 160 px, but is content with a real definition of 2 716 x 1 528 px and plays on the very fast oscillation of the mirrors ( 9,000 times per second) to display an Ultra HD image. This process called XPR uses Pixel Shifting to actually display 8 million pixels on the screen.

The manufacturer announces a brightness of 5,000 lumens, a native contrast of 2,000: 1 and a lamp life of 20,000 hours. As a reminder, the laser light source makes it possible to combine the advantages of UHP lamps such as high brightness, long life and instant start-up of LED models.

Sold for around € 5,000, the Dell S718QL projector is expensive, but it is relatively alone on the market. Its closest competitor is the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES (4K Ultra-short focal laser), sold for € 20,000.

Best Dell S718QL Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Dell Advanced 4K Laser Projector,130″ Black (S718QL)

2. Dell 1510X Projector (Dual VGA, HDMI, RJ45 XGA 3500 ANSI Lumens) (5VY3T)

3. Dell M115HD Mobile LED Projector, WXGA 1280×800, HDMI USB Inputs, 1GB Internal Memory, 450 ANSI Lumens

4. Dell Computer 163TJ Dell 1610HD Projector

5. Dell 2400MP Projector 3000 LUMENS HDTV XGA

2D image quality

The Dell S718QL video projector is equipped with fixed ultra-short focal length optics making it possible to project an image of a base between 2.21 meters (with 4 cm of recoil) and 2.88 meters (with 22 cm of recoil) . We placed ourselves 4 centimeters from the wall in order to obtain an image of 2.21 meters of base, the value closest to the 2 meters of base that we usually use to compare the different models. The Dell video projector is therefore very bright. It is even the brightest we have tested, to date.

The best rendering is obtained in sRGB mode. We measured the Delta E (difference between expected colors and displayed colors) average at 3.9; a value very close to the average delta E of 3 below which the human eye no longer perceives colorimetric drifts. The red and blue are very saturated, probably calibrated for Ultra HD. But that does not stick with the Rec 709 color space of the HD standard. In absolute terms, the colorimetric rendering remains good, especially for a laser model whose light source is difficult to control.

The gamma curve is stable over the entire spectrum and only the lightest grays are slightly overexposed, without this being noticed by the eye. The mean measured at 2.1 is slightly below the target value (2.2).

The average temperature here stands at 6,870 K, a value close to the 6,500 K reference. The curve is relatively stable over the whole spectrum and the final rendering is good.

Functions and ergonomics

The Dell S718QL is impressive. It measures 45.9 x 38.5 x 13.5 cm with a mass of 15 kg. The cooling system contains a fan on the side, responsible for evacuating the hot air, seconded by another located under the video projector to suck in fresh air.

The buttons on the chassis allow you to access the settings, correct the keystone, change the source and of course turn on the projector. The focus is motorized.

The connection is only looking to the future since there is no VGA or other analog input. The Dell offers three HDMI inputs, one of which is compatible with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, three USB ports, one of which allows Microsoft Office files and videos to be displayed via the integrated player, an RS232 port and an Ethernet port for integration, an optical digital audio output and a mini-jack audio output. 

This model does not have a 12 V switch which would allow, for example, to control the automatic deployment of a screen when the video projector is switched on. The projector also has Bluetooth which allows it to have allowance to connect to a speaker or a wireless headset.

The remote control for the Dell projector is light and comfortable to use. It allows access to different sources, different settings, to change the video mode or even to manage the sound volume. However, the keys are not backlit. The interface is clear and efficient. We simply regret the lack of options in the image settings.

Consumption and noise level

The Dell S718QL consumes 526 W in normal mode; it’s much more than the BenQ W1070 + (280 watts), but the brightness is much higher. In eco mode, consumption drops to 354 W; it is still much more than most tube video projectors. In terms of noise, the S718QL is not discreet since we measured 38.5 dB (A) in eco mode and 40.1 dB (A) in normal mode. Fortunately, this ultra-short focal length model is placed quite far from the sofa, but unfortunately it remains audible.

CONCLUSION

The Dell S718QL video projector delivers a beautiful, relatively faithful image. But it suffers from a contrast that is far too limited to fully enjoy it in the dark. Its very high brightness, however, allows it to invite itself into a living room and it will do very well with light content such as sports, TV shows or presentations.

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