Optoma HD65

This projector is awesome for the price! It was extremely easy to install / setup and provides a good, quality picture, with low noise levels for a novice like me. I bought mine slightly used, and the… lamp burned out within the first 60 days, but Optoma's customer service was great to work with and replaced the lamp the first time, with no charge (I had to pay shipping one way). So far, the new lamp has held up just fine, and I love watching my 110" of projected big screen! I would reccomed this projector to anyone who wants a good, quality picture and numerous options at a low price.

expand

collapse

This is an upgrade from my old projector, which was a sharp XR-10x that recently blew the bulb. That projector (sharp)was 4+ years old and I was happy with the service it provided. But, when the bulb blew… I decided to "upgrade" to this projector and I am really glad I did!. Picture is great, much better than the sharp, pushed by a PS3 and even non blue rays look great on the wall (matte white painted). I have approx 14 feet of throw and it produces a nice sized projection that is very clear. Menu seems okay, not any easier or harder than the old sharp unit. Well worth the money!

expand

collapse

Bulb lasted less than 180 hours, it costs around $250 to replace. Optoma did not want to hear about replacing it. It costs $35 for shipping and handling, $90 just for them to look at it, $120 per hour for… labor, parts are extra, and they might not fix it for good. You are better off getting a 60" plasma. At least I should have. Pros: good image quality Cons: projector not bright enough bulb sub-standard overpriced services bad customer service Not reliable product

expand

collapse

It's hard to beat this projector without spending at least twice as much. Deep blacks, bright and natural colors, smooth gradients, and sharp 720p: the picture hits all the marks hands-down. It has all the… inputs you need, plus a 12v trigger output--a nice touch. The optics do the job, the fan noise is forgettable, and the enclosure is attractive, with minimal light leakage. There's nothing fussy about this thing. It's here to give you a great image, no more and no less. Rainbow effect is a factor. I see it clearly, although my brain tunes it out eventually. It's not as bad as some projectors, however; my girlfriend doesn't notice it at all. My guess is, if you're someone who sees it, you'll see it with this projector... if it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it. It isn't noisy by any stretch, but it isn't silent either. In Standard brightness mode, the noise usually blends into the background. In Bright or High-Altitude mode, it whirrs noticeably, albeit at a fairly low pitch with only the thinnest twinge of whine. With action movies, TV, or games, it's perfectly fine. If you watch a lot of Bergman, the fan noise will likely add to the sensation of creeping insanity. The only glaring problem is the blue-backlit remote. Blue LEDs are no doubt sexy, but I think they used about 12 too many. The light is so bright, you can see the internal structure of the plastic when it's on. Plan on working the crucial IR commands into your universal remote macros and leaving this remote in the drawer. It has direct source selection and even direct aspect ratio selection, two more pro-grade nice touches for an otherwise entry-level unit, so you won't likely spend a lot of time with the remote anyway. Setup tips: Use Cinema mode, Warm color temperature, and turn down BrilliantColor a bit for smoother tones.

expand

collapse