Optoma HD33 3D Projector Video Review

A couple years ago, Optoma redefined the projector market by introducing a 1080p model for under $1000. That was unheard of. What's equally unheard of is a 3D projector under $3000 - except that Optoma has now broken down that barrier again, too. And this is the model that did it, the HD33. And, you know, you'd think that doing this would result in a projector that meets the 3D spec, but perhaps drops a lot of features and sacrifices quality to do it. That's where it gets weird, in a good way, because the HD33 is actually a good projector. In fact, it's a great projector. There are several stand-out features that I'd like to point out. First, color is incredible, right out of the box. We used the Cinema mode and set the lamp to Standard to reduce light output. This gave us just under 700 lumens, perfect for our light-controlled room and a configuration that gave us deep, rich black levels.
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Nice video review.

Good review... now compare it to the comparable Epson 3010 and tell us which one to buy. Also, you need to tell us what kind of screen you used to get those great black levels - did you need / would this be a good candidate for a high contrast grey, especially in 3D?

Good review

I love my HD33 and think it's very hard to beat for the price!

Noob question here!

How do the entry level ($100ish) PJ's (HD33, HD66, HD20, etc...) compare in PQ (not features) to those of several (4 or more) years ago?

I am asking because I have been reading archived info on past models! They reference the excitement surrounding the "darkchip 3" WHICH WAS FOUND IN $8000 AND $10,000 units. Sorry, caps lock. Anyway, even models before dc3 were selling for that kind of money. Is the tech in todays lower priced models any better than that of yesterdays totl models?

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Originally Posted by scooterp7

Noob question here!

How do the entry level ($100ish) PJ's (HD33, HD66, HD20, etc...) compare in PQ (not features) to those of several (4 or more) years ago?

I am asking because I have been reading archived info on past models! They reference the excitement surrounding the "darkchip 3" WHICH WAS FOUND IN $8000 AND $10,000 units. Sorry, caps lock. Anyway, even models before dc3 were selling for that kind of money. Is the tech in todays lower priced models any better than that of yesterdays totl models?

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Kind of worthy of its own discussion, but projectors have followed a PC type of technology progression.

The tech has gotten cheaper, and the tech has goten far better.

So, a few years ago (about 9 or 10 now I guess) I purchased the Panasonic PT-L300U - it is a 960x540 (1/4 HD) projector. It was about $2,000 to get and it completely blew away the headaches that I had with my 3-gun CRT projector. It was brighter and sharper and way smaller.

I replaced it a few years ago with the Panasonic AE1000U 1080p projector. It also cost about $2,000 and it looked a good deal better than my old projector.

But, the big thing was, I took my old projector into Myer-Emco (where I worked) and put it head to head with a $12,000 Runco projector. The $2,000 Panasonic looked VERY close in overall quality. Not quite as much black level detail, and not as good with the motion handling, but still... about as bright, and very close in overall quality. For $10,000 less!

Now, DLP has remained stagnant over the past decade it seems.

At no point has it made sense to spend $5,000+ on projectors for the home unless you are getting into 200"+ sizes that need special use projectors.

Instead, you get a long list of options from LCD, LCoS, and DLP which deliver for about $1,000-$3,000 and are pretty well worth it in those price ranges. They are as good, or better than what was seen a few years ago, and a lot of that is because of the advances in other technologies.

12 years ago a good line doubler was $25,000.

Today, a far more versatile and better multi-format scaler and image processor is included in the cheap $199 24" LCD display at Wal-Mart.

Those image processing chips which can handle 3D and 1080p and a hundred other resolutions are getting pumped into flat panel displays and cross straight into projectors without issue. That was a significant cost factor in old projectors that has basically disappeared.

So, the projector you buy today, is not just less money, it is a significantly superior product to those which were released just a few years ago. Sometimes, they are far better at a fraction of the cost.