720P DLP for $999!

[Rob Babcock]

Wow! Optoma has just broken the budget PJ market wide open with their new HD70! DarkChip2 technology is a bit shy of the DarkChip3 in black levels, but we're still talking HDMI & 720P for under $1k. Best of all, early reports are that it uses the same mount as the H31. If so, I'll be bolting one on in play of my H31 in a month or so!

 

[BMXTRIX]

FYI: Optoma is also discontinuing ALL 480p projectors except the MovieTime DV10 projector. So, their very popular H31 and H27 models will no longer be around in favor of the new 720p models.

At CEDIA, the Optoma HD81 was one of the best valued 1080p projectors at the show and produced a phenomenal image on a 170" diagonal 2.35:1 screen. It was awesome to see an image so bright from a $7K projector on a screen that large. The Sony Pearl, which is a great value at $5K simply didn't seem nearly as bright as the Optoma, but would be perfect on a 100" or so sized screen.

InFocus basically showed nothing worth mentioning.

 

[jcPanny]

New Optoma

Rob,
I will be interested in your feedback on the new Optoma. Projector central gave it a pretty good review. The only drawback compared to some of the more expensive models like the HD72 was the 8-bit color processing.

With 720P front projection in this price range, I might have to convince the wife to go for it over a 32" LCD.

 

[gmichael]

Life IS good.

I just bought 2 Sanyo Z-4's a few months ago. But I'm not jealous. No, not at all.

But the future looks good for when the upgrade bug bites again.

 

[Rob Babcock]

They're wrong about the 8 bit color- Optoma has verified that directly. The HD70 uses 10 bit color. I'll very likely be getting one shortly after they're released.

 

[Audioholics]

Just a head's up... Both the Optoma HD70 and Panasonic PT-AX100 are arriving here tomorrow for review...

 

[Rob Babcock]

Yesss! I'd consider the Panny, although the Optoma is a near lead pipe cinch for me if it's true that it uses the same mounts, etc as my current H31. I think even the offset, etc is close.

Hopefully I'll know more once you have a go at them!

 

[jcPanny]

New Optoma

They're wrong about the 8 bit color- Optoma has verified that directly. The HD70 uses 10 bit color. I'll very likely be getting one shortly after they're released.

My bad, my info was from the projectorcentral.com review. They noticed slightly poorer color gradiation on the HD70 when compared side by side to the HD72 and jumped to conclustions.

 

[WorldLeader]

I'm liking what I'm seeing....

 

[Davidt1]

This is good news. I came very close to buying the Pany 900 but ultimately decided to wait. Now the new projectors are cheaper and better than the previous models. I plan to buy one for my small bedroom. Because the throw distance is only 11' in my room, I don't think the HD70 is for me. I will most likely end up buying the new Epson 400.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Unless you're planning on an enormous screen, 11' should work fine- my H31 has the same zoom ratio and it placed at about that distance. Depends on the screen size, I guess (mine is 84"). YMMV.

 

[Davidt1]

I will use an 80'' screen. My main reason for going with the Epson Lcd HD400 is that I have a mounting height of only 6'2''. The Epson projector, with its vertical and horizontal lens shift, would be easier to place. Believe me, if I could, I would buy the cheapest projector available. And for now that projector appears to be the HD70.

 

[RLA]

Just a head's up... Both the Optoma HD70 and Panasonic PT-AX100 are arriving here tomorrow for review

Clint,

I would be very interested in how the HD70 does with RBE, posterization and fast motion judder. I am very curios about the light engine used in the HD-70 compared to the HD-72. @$999 I am wondering if they used the lower angle DMD and slower color wheel found on the older Optoma 78XX series. Or if this is total LE revamp based on a software limited HD-72

 

[Audioholics]

Its the 0.62" DC2 DMD with 4x 7-color (with white) color wheel.

RBE is nonexistent unless you dart your eyes around and it takes awhile to catch onto 2-3, but with progressive source kicks butt so far. Review will be out next week. Software/menu is nearly identical to HD72.

 

[WorldLeader]

How does it compare to the Panny PT-AX100U projector so far? Maybe you could add a bit about price vs performance factors and stuff, which one is the best overall value, etc.. I would really appreciate that!

 

[CAVU]

The HD70 uses 10 bit color.

Do you still believe this to be true?

 

[Rob Babcock]

I'm not sure. I've heard conflicting reports. Supposedly Optoma says 10 bit, but I've heard it's not so simple. Ultimately, I guess I'm not so concerned about what's under the hood so much as the performance. I'm anxious to see a few more reviews.

 

[jdiddy]

i wish I would have saved my money and got a 720p dlp instead of the h31 i got

 

[Rob Babcock]

How long have you had it? I could say the same thing, as I've only had my H31 since August. Still I wouldn't take back the three months of superb performance nor all the movies I've watched since then! Sell the H31 to a friend or on Videogon- you should still get $400-$500 out of it. Then scratch up another $500 and you're there!