The demand is growing rapidly for projectors in the home entertainment category. Several brands such as XGIMI and Anker already offer home projectors with built-in Android TVs. Now, BenQ is coming up with its own HDMI streaming dongle that adds Android TV support to its existing projectors.
Recently, Epson also started offering Android TV-powered projectors. Unlike other HDMI streaming devices available in the market, the BenQ QSO1 is targeted towards projector users who want to get the best Android TV experience. BenQ’s HDMI streaming dongle was first spotted on the FCC’s website by Janko Roettgers, Senior Reporter at Protocol.
BenQ to soon launch its own Android TV dongle
According to the Android TV Guide website, the BenQ QS01 is actually a rebranded Inspiron D3000 Ultra HD HDMI Stick. The photos from the FCC listing also confirm the same. Additionally, the included quick start guide also revealed the hardware specifications of the dongle.
The BenQ QS01 is powered by an Amlogic S905Y2 processor featuring 4x Cortex-A53 cores. Moreover, it includes 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The dongle also supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 LE. In terms of I/O, it features one each of HDMI 2.0b and MicroUSB ports.
BenQ QS01 is capable of streaming up to 4K resolution
It even supports Dolby Audio and DTS for an enhanced audio experience. The dongle comes accompanied by a full-size remote and includes dedicated buttons for Google Assistant, Amazon Prime Video and BenQ FamiLand apps. Speaking of the BenQ FamiLand, it offers content curated for kids.
Users can also pair it with their smartphone for even more parental control options. In addition, the remote controller for QSO1 includes buttons for changing projector settings. Interestingly, there is even a mute/unmute button which is very rare on Android TV remote controllers.
It can play Ultra HD content combined with HDR and 10-bit colour depth. The dongle can be powered by connecting the MicroUSB cable to the MicroUSB port which can provide just 5V/1A power. It measures 97 × 32 × 13.5 mm.
Thanks to the stock Android TV OS, the UI on the BenQ QS01 looks clean and makes navigation easier. Most likely, it should be running on the latest Android TV 9.0 out of the box. However, we need to wait for the official announcement from the company to learn more about the pricing and availability of the BenQ’s HDMI streaming dongle.
