Mini Home Theater

Description

The Optoma HD20 brings a new level of flexibility to your high-definition home theater/multi-media experience. With true 1080p resolution, the HD20 delivers excellent color saturation and subtle details for superior image quality. With its sleek design and weight of 6.4 lbs, the Optoma HD20 is perfect for sharing big-screen movies, sporting events and concerts or for taking your video gaming to the next level by connecting the HD20 to your favorite game console.

Features

• True High Def 1080p Resolution
• 1700 Lumens Brightness
• 4000:1 Contrast Ratio
• Up to 300-Inch Screen size
• HDI Component, Composite, Video, and VGA Connections

Reviews

Bargain buy, AWESOME picture

by Joey Wiggins from on 2010-08-30
I've been an LCD flat panel fan since they first came out, but I wanted something for a media room in my house that the previous owners finished out and was just wasting away. What better than a 92-inch screen? Found it with the Optoma HD20. Awesome picture for the price of a 50 inch 720p plasma, and this is 1080p! I am very pleased.

Dedicated home theater room projector

by LiveLaugh&Golf from on 2010-08-25
I performed a ceiling mount installation with a 13' throw which produced a 115" 16:9 screen. What can I say, it's beautiful, bright even with a fair amount of room lighting, colors are wonderful, quiet, and doesn't seem to have issues with a 25' hdmi connection. I thought hard about a mitsu or epson projector of similar image quality ratings but after reading some of the early bulb blowing stories I'm happy I went with this Optoma HD20. Best on the market for under $1500 if you ask me.

Don't buy any Optoma projectors

by OB21 from on 2010-08-24
This is the second Optoma projector I bought. The first projector was a HD72. When the projector is mounted from the ceiling the lamp becomes loose (due to heat and gravity) and the picture will go out. This is a design flaw which was supposedly fixed with the new Optoma HD20. Unfortunalety I trusted Optoma and bought the HD20. Big mistake! Only after 16 hours of use, the HD20 is doing the exact same thing as the HD72. Picture goes out after a couple of minutes. I am in the process of returning the HD20 and I just bought a Mitsubishi HC3800.

Are you kidding me? AWESOME!!!!

by -MM- from Chicago, IL on 2010-08-09
This thing is an AMAZING value.I ordered the Optoma HD20 on Wednesday night with free super saver shipping and the thing arrived on Friday morning!I popped this thing out of the box and put it on the universal projector mount that the previous owner had left on the ceiling of our house.I then hooked up the HDMI input to our HDDVR cable box and WOW! The picture quality for under $1000 is amazing! It takes a few minor adjustments to get the thing focused and if the mount isn't mounted exactly centered to your screen you will get the standard one corner higher than the other. Nothing you can do about this leveling wise, so just get it the best you can or re-center the screen or projector (depends on if being off by 1 inch on a 300 inch screen bothers you).Long story short after about an hour of messing with the mount in order to get it they way I wanted (nothing to do with the projector) I had this thing displaying AMAZING 8 foot by 5 foot 1080 HD programming.For less than a $1000 this thing blows away my 52 inch Samsung LCD (also purchased off Amazon, and I also think is a great product).I highly recommend this to anyway who has the space. HD programming and / or blu-ray is a must for this projector and sports are really great. This thing is especially good if you have a larger room where you don't feel like you are on top of the screen. Hope you have as much luck with it as I have so far. Enjoy!

great starter projector!!!

by LoreBlob from on 2010-08-07
As a total projector newbie, I did some research on reputed review sites as well as amazon and came up with the Optoma20. It works fantastically well. i do not have a receiver but i just hooked it up to a pair of computer spearks through the projector's audio output. Awesome for DVDs, extremely sharp and bright color, and that's saying something: we live in a loft apartment where it is impossible to black out the entire space, and we have a lot of light pollution at night through the loft windows via the busy street outside. It is still possible to watch movies comfortably. one day i suspect people will start putting lawn chairs outside our window and watch with us.

Description

EPSON PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD Home theater projector

Features

• 720p, high-definition, widescreen performance; for movies, games and more
• Bright — 2500 lumens color and 2500 lumens white light output
• Rich, vibrant true-to-life color — advanced 3LCD, 3-chip technology
• Easy setup — 1.2x optical zoom, auto keystone
• Versatile connectivity HDMI, USB Type A, Component Video, and S-Video digital connections

Reviews

Bright and sharp - but misleading description of what's included

by I care about quality from on 2010-09-03
I've only fired this up once and we're still putting it through it's paces. I will update. Notes so far:* Nice and bright * Easy to set up with a laptop * Shows photos off a USB stick with easeOne gripe so far: The description clearly states it comes with a "Computer adapter" and "Component adapter" but the only cable it arrives with is a 3" (male) VGA to (female) 3-RCA connector. The back of the projector requires 3 MALE RCA connector. Thus the cable they send you, while technically a "component adapter" CANNOT be used to hook a computer up to the projector without buying a male-to-male RCA cable connector. There is NO other adapter so the "Computer Adapter" advertised at the time of this order and writeup does not exist.In short: Out of the box you cannot connect it to anything without more cables, the computer adapter listed in the description is just plain false.Now, I have a house full of cables so this is just annoying on principle, but it's worth others knowing.

Absolutely fantastic product!!!

by PenguinClassics from on 2010-08-11
Without a doubt the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705 HD 720p 3LCD Home Theater Projector is one of the finest purchases I have had the pleasure of making. Quiet, efficient (In EcoMode), portable with great picture and color quality. The price tag is fantastic as HD projectors are few and far between under $1000. I use it to watch TV, Blue Rays, and play games via my PS3, all of which look much better than any of the over priced behemoths of tv's they sell these days.On EcoMode the lamp life is some 5000 hours, which under our regular (and not so regular all night gaming sessions) is set to last us close to 3 years. The replacement bulbs go for 100-150 dollars on ebay so for 3 years worth of image I'm more than willing to shell out the 150. The filters are easy to clean and with a can of compressed air you should have no problem keeping your projector clean. **********************WARNING************************* ONLY USE THE COMPRESSED AIR ON A POWERED DOWN PROJECTOR THE EXHAUST GETS HOT AND CAN IGNITE THE COMPRESSED AIR!!!!!!!!I cant recommend this product enough, and if you are tired of overpriced, power guzzling, bulky, ugly, SMALL tvs there is absolutely no reason why not to get this projector. I def recommend using the HDMI output as the means of image relay, poor quality in = poor quality out.

Epson 705HD vs Optoma HD66

by Dan Goldstein from San Franciso, CA United States on 2010-07-16
I've never written an Amazon review before, but I've learned a lot about projectors over the past couple weeks, and thought I should share.As prices have been coming down, I finally decide to get a projector. 720p was plenty good for me. After reading plenty of reviews here and the various projector websites out there I narrowed my search down to the Optoma HD66 and the Epson 705HD, both going for +/- $650 at the time of this writing, and both highly rated.A bit about me - I'm not a projector or electronics nut, but I do appreciate knowing that I have the best (or better) of what's out there when I do buy things of significant $$$. Male, early 30's. Don't watch any TV, just the occasional movie at home.After much fuss, I decided to order the Epson. It seemed to have more features, had longer bulb life, and in the end I figured since I'm no projector connoisseur I would be more than impressed with its performance. However, I was not blown away enough, so I ordered the Optoma. I am keeping the Optoma, and returning the Epson. I tested both using a connection to my old Mac Powerbook G4 laptop, projecting onto a white wall painted matte white.Here is what I learned:Epson 705HD:-LCD technology really does display "little pixels" that are visible if you are up close. Not really a big deal with a movie where things are moving all the time. -Significantly brighter than the Optoma. -Better designed box, integrated lense "cap" that slides, easier to use adjustable legs, more friendly packaging/manuel, carrying case. Basically you get the feeling that Epson put some thought into its product. Feels more name brand and consumer friendly. -Supposedly has ~1000 bulb hours more than the Optoma when in Eco mode (a touch less bright than normal mode). -Has a speaker (I didn't use it). -Definitely better for office or daytime use. -Blacks appear grey when compared to adjacent wall. -Compared to the Epson, has a larger "screen size" to "distance from wall" ratio (I think this is called "throw"). Plenty big. In fact I had to "zoom out" as the screen actually felt too large for the distance I was from the screen. The projector was propped up on a table immediately behind my couch. Once adjusted it was fine. The large size could be great for the gamers out there though.Optoma HD66:-Feels more "made in China" with less fancy stickers and design. -Not quite as bright as the Epson. -I have yet to try this one during full daylight, but guessing the Epson would be better here. But this is fine with me b/c I figure if it's bright outside, I should probably be there instead of inside. -Much better colors. -Throw ratio not as good as Epson, but more than adequate for my needs. -DLP really does have much better blacks. The "black frame" around the movies is a far cry from grey, and I have a feeling if I fool around with it, I can probably get it to almost disappear. -Better picture quality - this was apparent to me and all 4 of my non-professional projector testing friends, and more apparent the darker the room is. The Epson is great, but the Optoma is like "Whoa - I wouldn't think I would be able to tell, but I can." -Harder (though still possible) to discern the "pixels" - feels more like film. -I was worried about the "rainbow effect". My friends and I were all able to see RGB shadows if we shook our heads back and forth wildly, and maybe a flash of it once or twice during the movie when our eyes would flick across the screen. Not really a big deal, though I guess some people are more "susceptible" to seeing it than others.Both: -Easily found my computer and displayed the correct resolution automatically. -Amazing resolution. -Plenty of adjustments to mess with color and whatnot. I only fooled around with these for 5 minutes or so. You can easily make the colors warmer or cooler. -Have a small remote with plenty of functions. Batteries included. -Do NOT come with HDMI, DVI, VGA cables. However, each does come with cable that allows you plug the traditional DVD player (the yellow, red, white "RCA?") cables into the VGA port.Like I said in the end I am sticking with the Optoma HD66.Since the reason to get a projector, for me, is to have a really great screen to watch movies on, I figured I should lean toward picture quality over features. If I watched TV for a lot of the day, the brightness and bulb life of the Epson may have swayed me in that direction. I hope this is helpful and saves you all some time.

Epson Endurance seiously lacking

by Kedaar J. Kumar from Cambridge, MA on 2010-06-07
I bought this projector specifically for a video installation project and for future projects because I do live visuals (VJing) and I would probably watch some movies on it. I've run it 5 times tops and on the 4th run at the ACTUAL FESTIVAL it decided to die on me 3 times and the lamp button came on. I've barely had it a month and it's been on for no more 20 hours and it's already dying!!! I even put it in ECO mode and it still died. Seriously?? Needless to say, it's being returned.On a separate note, the image quality is fantastic but what does that matter when the darn thing won't last for 3 hours straight.

Great projector

by M. Kearns from on 2010-05-24
Great projector for the price. It looks better than my big screen tv. We use it outside in our backyard theater projected onto a 16 by 9 screen. Awesome.

Description

Powered by DLP technology and featuring a multitude of connections and functionality, the HD65 delivers the vivid and the vibrant in picture performance and image quality. Featuring 1600 lumens, a 4000:1 contrast ratio (with ImageAI), native 720p high-definition resolution, and a 16:9 aspect ratio in a sleek and diminutive form factor at 4 pounds with extensive connectivity options.

Features

• Solid brightness with 1600 lumens and a 4000:1 contrast ratio (with ImageAI )
• Native 720p high-definition resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio
• Light and color processing technologies for remarkable picture quality and contrast levels
• Sleek and diminutive form factor at 4 pounds with extensive connectivity options
• Display Technology: 0.62" DarkChip2 DLP Technology by Texas Instruments
• Resolution: Native 720p (1280 x 720) Maximum Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080) Brightness: 1600 Lumens

Reviews

Had it for 2yrs, sent in 3x for repair and went through 3 bulbs

by Jasen V. Ramirez from on 2010-08-07
Excellent when it works...bottom line stay away from optima..or maybe you get what u pay for but...I know of other people that had bad luck w/ optima...

i got a lemon

by Michael J. Hirst from cape cod on 2010-06-09
this projector thinks it's a trust fund socialite!flying from NY to LA more than a coked out fashion model in the last few months.i bought this in December and have used it less than a month!it's been fun carrying it around though. the box looks like a cardboard briefcase. it makes me feel important.when it worked, it was great! don't get me wrong.just know that some models have herpes.

Noisy fan and horrible light leakage

by G. Kuhn from Woodland Hills, CA United States on 2010-06-05
I couldn't be more disappointed with the Optoma HD65. My Panasonic PT-AE700 LCD projector began a rapid decline after only 3000 hrs (and a $300 bulb replacement) due to it's poor optical block design and the dreaded blue blob that eventually covered the entire screen. After being burned by organic LCD technology I decided to switch to DLP. The reviews on this bargain 720p projector seemed too good to be true, and like all things in life that seem that way, it was too good to be true. Sure, I got it for only $614 from Amazon, but what a waste of money. 1) the fan noise is terrible - unless you'll be using it in a noisy family room, trying to use it in a quiet home theater is truly unbearable 2) the light leakage through the cooling vents is ridiculously bad - I can't believe Optoma's designers even think this is acceptable engineering. Mounting the projector on the ceiling, the entire 2'x4' white ceiling panel in front of the projector is lit up and totally distracting. I even tried putting black over the ceiling panel, hoping to absorb some of the light, and it is still bright enough to be noticeable.I could have probably suffered with one of those 2 problems to save the money (now I'm going to have to spend more than twice that to buy the Epson Homelite 8100, which is what I should have done in the first place), but to try and ignore both those major flaws is not worth the constant frustration. I've never experienced as much buyers' regret as I have after buying and trying the Optoma HD65. I only hope that Amazon will credit me a full refund, but even if they don't, it's not worth keeping this piece of junk.By the way, I will say one positive thing about the HD65, the picture quality and color was quite nice. However, I now understand first hand what they mean about how difficult it is to place a DLP projector. This thing has almost zero placement tolerance when it comes to its location in the home theater. I have a 92" screen, and I found that I had about 6-10" of tolerance when it came to its distance from the screen (the zoom is nearly worthless), and even less tolerance in relation to the top edge of the screen (hanging it from the ceiling mount). I guess I was spoiled by the tremendous flexibility of the Panasonic LCD projector, which had a wide range of zoom and excellent lens shift. After relocating my mount more than a foot closer to the screen than the Panasonic, I then had to do all sorts of mods to adjust the height to be able to work with the Optoma. I finally got it lined up and filling the screen, but the amount of effort and frustration was many times more than it would have been with any LCD projector.Even though I was burned by organic LCD technology from Panasonic, my attempt to switch to DLP was such a failure that I'm going back to what I know looked great, so I'm getting the Epson 8100 for around $1350, but it's 1080p instead of 720p, has a quiet fan, great picture, and lots of placement flexibility and none of the horrible light leakage of the HD65.Save yourself the frustration and avoid this product unless you're just getting it to use in the backyard projected against a sheet or white wall. For your home theater you will not be happy with this projector.

OPTOMA HD65

by Earl Brazeal from WOODSTOCK, CT, US on 2010-05-03
I purchased this projector used, with 20 hours on it and 11 months left on the warranty. But, The HDMI input does not work (use YCrCb/RGB instead) but the price was right. Otherwise, the 1080i HDTV, BD and up-scaled DVD images (77" picture at 10') are very bright, richly colored, and very sharp (with "max" sharpness setting). This model (HD65) is still available on the Web at bargain prices (replaced by the HD66).

Exactly what we needed!

by Joel Forsyth from on 2010-03-18
Great picture, great price. HDMI Port along with component and VGA. Menu is sometimes difficult to work with (you can only make changes if you have a source running into it) and picture adjustments are minimal. Requires a pretty good angle to be viewed perfectly. We have to use a few sheets of paper under the feet to offset the angle of the screen. It's ok, though, it performs perfectly with great quality!

Description

Hard to beat this projector for the money! Incredible picture quality and TRUE 800 : 600 native resolution for Vibrant picture. Please remember these are LCD projectors, so best viewed in dim to dark light. The 1080IHD by Vibrant Media is a great projector as it clearly runs with the expensive "Name Brand" units that will cost 2 to 4 times as much! Please contact us with any questions, as we are glad to help! Read all of our feedback. It's what separates us from the rest and will provide you with the piece of mind you deserve! We are here for you, and always provide only the highest level of Service. Tracking Numbers are provided for you within 2 Days of your order! and Shipping is expedited within USA by DHL for 2-4 business day delivery at no additional charge!

Features

• 5inch single LCD, True Native 800*600 Supports 1920*1080P, 2000 max Lumens
• 1000 : 1 Contrast Ratio, 6,000-8,000 hours Average Lamp Life,
• 16:9 or 4:3 Aspect ratio for premium Theater experience! 30-150 inches (diagonal) viewing Size!
• back/front/ceiling mount, 16.7 Million Colors, ±15 Degrees Keystone correction.
• AV,S-video,VGA,TV.HDMI Interface!

Reviews

Great picture and runs well

by gyrotechnix from on 2010-07-15
My wife bought this as an anniversary gift. Although it is a no name product, it works very well. The picture looks great. I attached my laptop and used the HDMI port. There are a few issues getting the resolution set. But once I got it set, Avatar looked great at 46 inches. (The screen was only that wide.) All-in-all, I am very happy with the projector.

Incredible Upgrade!

by C. Nahm from on 2010-03-19
We actually upgraded to this new unit and couldn't be happier. It offers a much larger image that is even brighter and more clear! Thanks GrahamGannon we couldn't be happier!

Description

The Vivitek H1080FD is a high performance digital projector that integrates into any home theater based installation. With native 1080p resolutionthe H1080FD delivers brilliant and amazing digital images with full color saturation. Designed for high impact picture quality the Vivitek H1080FD is unmatched and unrivaled in function and performance.

Features

• Bright 1800 lumens and BrilliantColor technology for rich, stunning images
• 5000:1 contrast ratio for vivid picture quality
• 3,000 hours of lamp life; whisper-quiet at 26dB
• Built-in 5-watt mono speaker
• 1-year warranty on parts; 90 days on lamp

Reviews

Poor Customer Service

by J. Morrison from on 2010-08-25
I've had my projector for 4 months, and the color on HDMI port 1 has gone out. The color on port 2 still works fine, but I can't get a response from customer service. Also, sometimes when I start the projector the bulb doesn't turn on for several minutes. Other times it starts up instantly. I can't find any information about whether this is normal, but again, customer service won't respond. They only provide an online form and no actual phone number. It's been more than 30 days since I sent my first service request, and haven't received an email even confirming that they received my service request. BAD BAD BAD

A Great Product to have

by Shahid from on 2010-07-29
I got this just before the world cup. A bit skeptical due to the rainbow effect that I read in other reviews...but have to say, once i got the product...there is nothing like it. The picture clarity is amazing. (With Blue ray as well as HD comcast channels). Fan sound is very low. Brightness is great - I even watch games during the day and it is still looking great. Never felt any Rainbow effects. TO summarize, i feel this is a great projector for the price. Love my decision to buy this!!

Premature shutdown

by JP from on 2010-07-26
Tried 2 of these. First one would shut down after 40 minutes or so with the power light blinking 5 times. Found out that was code for bulb approaching end of life. Tried to contact support at Vivitek and didn't hear anything for a week so decided to send it back (which Amazon is excellent about), and try another one. I had the new one from Amazon within 2 days. Set it up again using all default settings and 40 minutes or so through a movie it shut down, just as on the previous unit. Turn it on again and it would run about 15 minutes and shut down again. All default settings and projector was out in the open with nothing to block ventilation. Decided to give up and sent it back (again Amazon's return policy is super) and try a different brand. Won't buy a Vivitek again.

Great Value

by P. Lertora from N. Virginia on 2010-06-24
As my first projector, I ignored the hype surrounding the 3d noise that's out right now and instead focused on 1080p. My only real mistake was not fully understanding the throw depth and what size image it projects. With a better understanding of that, I may have picked a different projector given how limited my projection distance is (12 feet). The Epson moviemate 720, for example, has a shorter throw (better zoom) which would have allowed me to get the full wall filled in my basement.With that - I'll say the projector has met expections. I'm projecting on a brown (leatherish) colored wall and even during the day - the image is pretty good (not the best lighting in the basement). At night, it's really great. I have yet to hook up a blue ray or any other signal similar yet so I'm expecting even great things. I did have an issue while watching a movie where people's faces were quite a bit red at certain angles. Not sure if that's the rainbow effect but I played with the color settings and improved things somewhat.Overall - it's super quiet and the built in speaker is very handy. I haven't mounted it yet either so I'm not fully ready to give me final thoughts.Hope this helps!

Broke after 2 weeks

by S. Tanaka from Honolulu, HI on 2010-06-14
This projector was great for 2 weeks. Then trouble started. The projector will shut down after 50 to 80 minutes into the movie. The screen goes blank, the power button flashes and fan comes on full blast. If I leave it, the fan will stay on forever. If I power down and restart, the projector shuts down after 5 minutes or so. Some kind of overheating problem? I was extremely disappointed!Contacted Vivitek and all they can do is to repair it. It's within the warranty period, so I won't have to pay for the repair. But I'll still have to pay $20 or so to ship it to them. Why do I have to pay anything for receiving a defective item? I'm already being inconvenienced with the hassel of having to return it. I guess that's how they handle warranty service.The silver lining to all this is that Amazon replaced the defective projector for a new one. I didn't have to pay a cent, even for returning. They also shipped the new one to me right away, and didn't wait until I return the old one. Good job by Amazon! I was without a projector for only about 2 days.

Description

Optoma's HD66, 3D-Ready home theater projector delivers the future! Breathtaking and bold, the Optoma HD66 hometheater projector provides stunningly beautiful widescreen viewing. The 3D-Ready HD66 adds a whole new demension to the gaming and home theater experience-and delivers more dynamic learning in education and training applications. With 2500 ANSI lumens, 4000:1 contrast, and native 720p widescreen resolution, the HD66 delivers subtle details and striking clarity for pure viewing delight!

Features

• DLP Technology by Texas Instruments with BrilliantColor Technology
• 2500 Lumens produce a bright, crisp image
• Produces mind-boggling 3D images for high intensity gaming!
• Complete on-screen menu adjustments in 23 languages
• Native 720P widesreen resolution

Reviews

Wow what a projector!

by John Werner from on 2010-09-06
This is my second projector, the first being about 7 years old.This Optima is amazing - I use it with a 104 inch screen in a multi-media family room not dedicated to home theater. My use is in partial light, and with 2,500 lumens, this Optima HD66 blasts through the ambient light without a problem. Just watched a college football game starting @ noon in HD and we're amazed with the quality and enjoyment of the game.Highly recommend for the quality and the price.John

Not for NVIDIA 3D Vision!

by jjRobotek from Long Island, NY on 2010-09-06
I got this PJ Specifically for the 3D about a week ago. It seems to have issues with NVIDIA 3D vision. The 3D vision set up software Will not recognize the projector unless a Driver(inf)for Acer H5360 is used.Optoma says it needs a firmware update, I dont want to send a brand new PJ in for an update..It looks great in 3D but due to the issue above I wish I had gotten the Acer H5360 for less money.I'm Running on a 100" screen and 3D blu ray - games like Just Cause 2 and 3d HD videos look fantastic.Will make due until someone releases a cheap 1080P 3D PJ so I can dump this.

HT Projector review

by Robert Yazell from Nevada City, California, US on 2010-08-31
Needed a projector for both data presentations and video applications. This does both well. Very bright image. Not the greatest for use as a home theater projector because of dark levels, but acceptable, especially in a room with a lot ambient light. Compact and convenient for travel. Build quality is typically Chinese, but performance is good. Wish it had a little better zoom range for the projection lens - you need to set up the projector in a spot that matches the screen location, rather than having the flexibility to put the projector in a more convenient spot. This is the norm for the low cost projectors. The 3D referred to is not suitable for the current 3D technology as it applies to home theater.

great pix

by feelingfroggy from on 2010-08-29
This is the first projestor we have owned but we are very impressed and can't imagine how the picture coutl get better.

Great picture quality for 1/4th the price of similar quality HDTV

by Chris De Cali from Boston, MA on 2010-08-27
This year, I moved into a suite with three roommates. As geeks and audiophiles, we were searching for a solution that could couple amazing 720p, 1080p picture with our 7.1 surround sound for under $1000. After visiting every possible electronics dealer for a discounted, new fangled 120Hz 1080p LCD TV under $1000, we gave up and took to the web to find solutions. That's when we found the Optoma HD66.Based on previous reviews, videos on YouTube, and the projector's specifications, we decided to give this guy a try. Now, after receiving this bad boy just a few days ago, I can tell you we made the first right decision of our college careers. Not only does this projector throw a beautiful 720p or 1080p from a .mkv or Blu-Ray source but it is very easy-to-use for the simple geek. We have yet to try games on it but every movie we have seen on this has wow'd us in terms of quality. We also currently project it on a wall in our living room which has eggshell paint. Therefore, we have yet to see it on a proper screen. Regardless, the image, the throw, and the make of the model has impressed us enough to keep it over any sort of HDTV solution. Currently, we use the HDMI and optical audio inputs as well as the VGA to achieve best picture resolution and quality.However, I will keep viewers updated after we have successfully mounted and constructed a screen. That setup is probably the best way to achieve greatest picture clarity and color for this type of projector.

Description

The Optoma HD700X Provides High Definition Big Screen Fun. Transform any room in your home with the ultimate High Definition entertainment experience. Making the largest big screen TV’s seem small with an image that can fill a wall - the HD700X will immerse you in the action. Fantastic 720P image quality provides life-size movie, sports or gaming characters that look so real you could touch them

Features

• Full HD Ready for 720P TV, Movies or Gaming
• 3000:1 Contrast Ratio for breathtaking lifelike images
• Stunningly vivid & realistic HD colour
• 1300 Lumens for bright brilliant images
• HDMI v1.3 connectors for pure digital image quality

Reviews

i just love it!

by Kuang Lu Huang from LA USA on 2010-09-03
Coming from my Infocus 4805, I must say, I absolutely am Loving it!! Black are darker than I expected. High definition blu-ray movies truly look amazing. It certainly has surpassed all of my expectations. Way to go Optoma!! Cons: Fan noise is there but not loud enough to be bothersome..

did you know?

by Gordon L. Burstein from on 2010-05-09
I do not own one of these projectors. But I think if one purchases this you would need to know the life of the projector bulb.HD700X Bulb - Optoma Projector LampHD700X Optoma Bulb Replacement without cage assembly HD700X Optoma Bulb Replacement Projector Bulb Replacement 180 watt Projection Bulb List Price: $337.61If the life of the bulb is short this is a very expensive purchase!!!!!!

Good with a but

by Divyang B. Joshi from ISU on 2010-02-11
Wow, no reviews on this! Ok, so I have not bought it from here, but I do own one of these. First of all, features, tech and the like 3 stars and the price, one extra star. So, this product is great, with drawbacks obviously.1. I think it is really light compared to many other projectors of the same features and so makes it easier to carry around.2. I live in a dorm, so the brightness is less of a problem, but obviously during the day time, you will be out of luck. Also, if you are considering it for 'home entertainment' then I'd recommend use of another projector since this one is not really that bright. But for a single normal room, it is ok.3. The support for widescreen is awesome. Perfectly fits 1080p resolutions too, with 720p quality ofcourse.4. Fits perfectly on the ceiling with a cool hybrid flip.5: you might find that sometimes the noise can be a problem. It will be quite but will get loud after some time of using it.6. The PRICE kills it :)Hope this clears out a few questions.

Great Deal

by David "Deckhand Davy" Zamora from Mudbowl Lagoons on 2010-02-11
The above poster down rated this projector today since it came up on the Amazon deal list, yet he/she doesn't even own it. I'm going to give the projector a 5 star rating for the sake of fairness. Been seeing a LOT more of these down rating reviews from questionable accounts lately...it's not right.

Optoma HD700X 720P Projector

by Peter Browne from Canada on 2010-02-11
If you check on the web, most reviewers are reviewing the Optoma HD700X, which is 1080P - you are NOT going to get the full value of your Blue Rays with this projector - checkout the Optoma HD700X with the 1080P. It's been given an Excellent review. Comments were also made to the fact upconverted DVDs do NOT look anywhere as good as Blu-rays. Check the web for revues before buying!

Description

1080p DLP Home Theater Projector, 1300 ANSI, 6 seg. Color Wheel, 4000:1 contrast ratio, 7.9 lbs., HDMI input (v 1.3),

Features

• Home Theater DLP Projector 1080p
• High Quality Glass Lens
• 1300 ANSI Lumens
• 4000:1 Contrast Ratio

Reviews

Nice picture, noisy and unreliable

by slammy from Atlanta, GA on 2010-09-05
Upgraded to the 1080P HC3800 from a Mitsubishi HC1500 720P projector. Much better blacks. The higher resolution was not as noticeable an improvement as I expected, but nice. Overall a good picture for the money. My gripe is the fact than the unit I received is noisy, with both fan clicking and color wheel whine. Sounds like a mosquito in your ear. Sent it in for repair( at my expense!) and despite specific instructions they only fixed the noisy fan. So I still have the color wheel whine. As a bonus I have two dust blobs now since the repair. I also had to send in my HC1500. So until Mitsubishi improves its quality control, I cannot recommend their projectors. I will give Mitsubishi credit, their service department is courteous and prompt.

Mitsubishi HC3800 1080p Home Theater DLP Projector

by D. Ferguson from New Mexico USA on 2010-08-14
Having owned the HD1000U & HC1500 this projector was a natural upgrade, have owned since mid March with no problems, if you haven't jumped to 1080p yet do it!

Wow - Great Picture!

by Donald Peven from Detroit, MI USA on 2010-08-11
Bought this as a projection TV/DVD/X-box display device, to replace my 5 year old Sharp LCD projector that had developed a yellow spot in the center of the beam. Between the ability to use HDMI and the 1080p capability, this is a great improvement for a very reasonable price.

Good Projector, 3D Ready

by John S. Hodson from on 2010-07-28
This a good alternative to a large screen TV if you have the area and patience to set up a projector. Does anyone know if it is 3D ready like the recent Mitsubishi HDTVs?

I'm a Projector Newbie, so, easily impressed - but I LOVE it!

by Mike Scher from Barcelona, Spain on 2010-06-01
I received my Mitsubishi HC3800 projector approximately one month ago. I hung it from the ceiling as soon as possible and have been blown away by the results ever since. I have to admit that I upgraded from an tube TV, so I am easily impressed. I was originally going to get a plasma tv, but after some research it became obvious that for my intended use (watching movies in a dark room), a projector was the way to go. I looked at all of the reviews and settled on this projector. I know I could have gotten blacker blacks and other advantages, but not at this price. I also got the projector during the bulb rebate offer which brings the price even lower. So, pound for pound, I considered this projector to be the best bang for the buck.I have not been disappointed and neither has anyone who has seen it. I also have not seen ANY of the problems which some of the other commenter's have mentioned. The only small complaint that I have is that the projector is mounted directly above our heads and there is a noticeable noise (which I assume is fan noise) when there is little or no sound from whatever we are watching.I got the projector from Electonics Expo via Amazon and the service was as it should be - brand new unopened item delivered on time with no problems/hidden charges.I pride myself in being a cheap-skate and am proud of the fact that I saved a fortune on cables and the mounting bracket by shopping very carefully.

Description

The PT-AX200 is ideal for watching sports events or playing video games in daylight conditions and surely for viewing movies in a dark room.

Features

• 1280 x 720, 720p HD Resolution and 6,000:1 Contrast Ratio
• 2000 Lumens Brightness via a 220 W UHM lamp
• LCD x 3 R, G, B
• 2 HDMI, 1 Component, 1 S-Video, 1 Video Inputs
• Comes with power cord, wireless remote control and batteries for remote

Reviews

For the $$$, it gets no better

by J. M. Rhoads from Fort Bragg, NC, US on 2010-06-02
I've had this going on 2 years now and still haven't had to replace my bulb. It's in my movie room and we watch movies on it quite a few times in a week. It is very simple to install and use. The screen is bright and hasn't faded a bit in two years, so my spare bulb just sits waiting for it's chance to be installed. As far as product, picture, and ease of use tho, it really gets no better for $1k.

Customer Service Disaster

by Scott from on 2010-03-02
I don't usually write reviews, but I strongly felt this is worth informing as many people as possible. I read all the reviews on the Panasonic PT-AX200U projector and they all looked good, so I bought one. For me, I wanted the best possible resolution and highest lumens without spending thousands of dollars. I bought this in May, 2008 for $1299. At the beginning of this January, I went to turn it on and heard a loud bang and it wouldn't power up. Now you should know that I am incredibly anal retentive when it comes to my electronic equipment. This machine has been cared for like a baby and has only been used for 525 hours (approx. ¼ bulb life) so it is impossible that I caused any problem with the machine.So I called Panasonic Projector Customer Support. They were unsure what could be wrong, so they had me send it to their outsourced provider, Heartland Diversified, for repair ($130 diagnostic fee, but it goes toward any repair costs). Heartland notified me that the cost of the repair would be $1265 (recall the cost of the new projector, which by the way, can now be bought new for $999). Since this warranty just expired, they said any dispute would have to be with Panasonic directly.This is where the disaster begins, if it wasn't already disappointing enough that it broke so quickly. Customer Service at Panasonic is a nightmare. You can never get past front line customer support personnel (who do not have decision-making authority)to management and all conversations end with the refrain "We will have to get back to you in 24-72 hours" which never happens, thus requiring yet another call to customer support. Bottom line is I wanted them to stand behind their product regardless of warranty because a projector should not completely break after a year and a half. They say they are escalating the request but then tell me that the request is going to the same original person, John Parks. They will absolutely not let you talk directly to anyone and will not give out email addresses or phone numbers (or last names, but one of the reps slipped, so I got this one). This issue has now been going on for two months and Heartland is threatening to take possession of the projector at the 60 day mark. I have even written to Robert Perry, the EVP of Panasonic Consumer Products, and have gotten no response.After easily 20 hours of being on the phone with Mike (three times), Jabin, Ben, Tom, Leela, Ranita, and the people at Heartland, I am getting nowhere and feel incredibly frustrated to the point that I will not buy another Panasonic product and cannot recommend a Panasonic product to anyone. Even when I look back at other Panasonic products I have had (stereo, boom box, clock radio, microwave), every single one has had something break quickly. They haven't become unusable but there is always something - a button doesn't work, it doesn't turn off, a door doesn't close, etc.In summary, I believe this is not just a poor product quality issue, but Panasonic has a major customer service issue to which I can only say "Buyer Beware."

Be aware of the limited lifespan

by Vasastan from Stockholm, - Sweden on 2010-01-26
Anyone buying a Panasonic LCD projector with organic LCD panels, such as this one, should be aware that the lifetime of the projector is limited. The LCD panels will degrade over time due to the heat inside the projector. They can be expected to last 3000-6000 hours before one panel fails, and then the optical block of the projector will need to be changed (although few people do this since it will cost as much as a new projector). If you intend to use the projector for movies only, up to 10 hours per week, you can get up to 10 years of use. If you will use it as a TV - 4 to 8 hours per day - it may fail in as little as 2-3 years. Get as long a warranty as you can on this projector, because you are likely to need it. The newer models (AE-3000 and AE-4000) use the new Epson inorganic panels which are supposed to have better lifetimes and heat tolerance, although this in unproven and neither Panasonic nor anyone else has published any test data on the subject.

Great picture as long as it works

by Thomas Runge from on 2010-01-05
The projector worked fine for about 18 months, 2600 hours and then it started developing a very yellow circular tint in the middle which could not be adjusted away. Well, I thought, after that many hours on it, maybe time for a new bulb. So I ordered a new one, replace it (very easy to do) and unfortunately the problem was still there. Panasonic support said it was either the LCD display or internal filters, could and would not give me a repair estimate and could not even tell me how long the repair would take. Fortunately I was able to return the bulb and now I will most likely buy a new projector as the LCD/filter repair will run at about $600, if I add the replacement bulb, that gets me to $900 and for very little more, I can get a brand new projector. I highly doubt that I will buy a Panasonic again, even though the picture quality has been outstanding while it worked.

Solved My Flickering Problem

by Chuck Often from Los Angeles on 2009-12-06
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R11U53NYDE9WR5 At about 450 hours the projector started to flicker erratically. It looked like the auto iris or light harmonizer was screwing up. I bought this from the Projector People and they told me that if burning in the unit doesn't solve the problem then I need to call Panasonic and they gave me the number. I called Panasonic and they told me to buy a new lamp first and see if that solved the problem. Well, while I was waiting for the new lamp I ran the projector for a whole weekend with the Winamp music visualtization running (quite trippy on a 125" screen in my one bedroom apartment) and I'm not sure when it stopped but the problem is gone. I had been running the projector for months in normal mode not eco mode so I thought it was already burned in. I guess the problem was that I had only been turning on the projector for 4 hour periods at the longest. I am an electrical engineer and I know this equipment needs to burn in I just didn't realize the length of time but come to think of it when Cleveland Browns Stadium first installed their changeable message signs they ran an intensely changing pattern for several weeks straight to burn in the electronics. Well, I guess I have a back-up lamp now for when this one is used up. By the way, I am looking at the completely white background of this website and there is not so mach as a blink. The projector is rock solid running on my laptop's 1080P HDMI output.

Description

Enjoy the Big Game on an Even Bigger Screen

Features

• 3-LCD HD 1280 x 800 WXGA native 3LCD chip resolution
• High Brightness & High Picture Quality
• Unique and Functional Design
• Easy Setup and Operation

Reviews

Great projector... when it works.

by Patrick O'Hanlon from on 2010-09-05
I've owned one of these for a year. It is great when it's here, but the image chip has completely failed TWICE.The first time was after less than 55 hours of use and 5 weeks of ownership. It showed only pink and green vertical bars. I couldn't even see the internal menus. It was gone for about 2 months because the repair facility had to obtain the part. (AND AMAZON REFUSED TO ACCEPT A TOTAL FAILURE AS A RETURN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY A WEEK PAST THEIR RETURN POLICY.)The second time was after less than 400 hours of use and about 7 months of ownership. Both brightness and color temperature began flickering irregularly. I tried replacing the bulb to no effect. It was a couple of weeks waiting to get a bulb and then gone to the repair facility for another 3-4 weeks.Professionally, I work with dozens of projectors of various makes and models (including Sony) and have never seen a unit behave like this. When it is working, it shows a great image and - when it is working - it has good features for the price. There is a 2-year manufacturer's warrantee to cover the work I've needed done, but shipping to the repair facility and buying a new bulb to try and fix the problem myself added about 33-40% (so far) to the overall cost making it less of a value. I'd like to think that I just got the one poor exception, but the experience has been frustrating.

Happy with quality, but there are caveats for some

by J. Roussel from New York, NY on 2009-07-31
Something to remind people is that many electronics are designed to be near the viewing source, so when you have a projector TV of any type, there are some caveats. If you have a Wii, speakers, or something similar that you'd usually have by the TV, remember that the sensor bar has to be near the screen to make sense while playing, and since the projector is on the opposite side the room, you'll find yourself having to accommodate that by running wires all over or purchasing third party wireless accessories.That being said, this product in particular is great from a resolution standpoint. It has an odor at first from the burning bulb, but it goes away over time. There is only 1 HDMI input, and I wish there was 2.