Optoma h31 Infocus 4805

[superman180]

Hello,

I would like to here your opinions on these units and does one out perform the other? I will only be watching DVD's and have no plans for HD in the near future. I have 90% light control and my viewing distance is 13'. The unit will have to be ceiling mounted due to room configuration.

Thank you for your educated opinions.

 

[BostonMark]

had the Optoma predecessor, the H30

I have owned an Optoma H30, the predecessor to the H31 for over a year now, and its a great projector. The color is very clear, and in 480p all my well done DVDs look very film like, with really sharp detail and excellent color. The blacks are very dark and the contrast is quite good. Ihave seen no color bleeding, nor have I experienced rainbow artifacts. You also have to literally stand next to the screen to see the pixels. The brightness is very uniform throughout the screen. I have watched literally 100s of movies on it. The menu options let you tweak at will. I also have my projector ceiling mounted, and find that works very well. It keeps it from the kids, and keeps it still so that the image is always the same spot on the screen. In fact mine is mounted about 13 feet from my screen as well. (a Da-lite Cinemavision 16x9 format 105" screen). I also find that it performs excellent for HD inputs, in fact none of my friends can tell that the Optoma H30 is in fact EDTV and not HDTV, they were too busy being stunned by the huge razor sharp images I get from Comcast Digital Cables HD channels (such as last years Red Sox wins!). I wrote a full review of it at epinions.com. My nick there is shopaholicman. I also love the fact that DLP doesn't have ANY screen door problems, which most budget LCD projectors do have. I made side by side comparisons with several 1,200 to 3,500 models, and the Optoma looked better than the LCDs with HDTV specs in that price range. I understand that they have only improved the H31, adding more convenient inputs and further improving the quality. I can't speak for the Infocus,and I wish I could remember if its a model I did comparisons with, but I can only say good things about the Optoma line.

 

[BMXTRIX]

While you can't go wrong with either, the following information is something that I keep hearing.

1. The 4805 is much more accurately color calibrated out of the box. This means that it is basically plug and play and won't look like a bad image or need much tweaking.

2. The H31, can give a better overall image than the 4805, but not dramatically better and it requires a LOT of tweaking to even match the quality that the 4805 has out of the box.

3. Both projectors don't have lens shift which means that you have to be a bit more precise in where you place them in your room. Download users manuals and do some measuring before you decide for sure where they are going.

4. The H31 and 4805 definitely DO have screen door effect (SDE), and if someone can't see it, they clearly aren't looking for it. The H31 and 4805 exhibit similar screen door effect which does not disappear even at 1.5x screen width seating distance. This is pronounced enough that I could point it out to my brother who had never looked at front projection before in his life and he could see it. He could also see the difference between a 480p projector and a 720p projector relatively easily - especially in SDE.

5. SDE is not that big of an issue even at 1.5x screen width and is virtually invisible at 2x screen width with 20/20 vision. So, while it is noteworthy that higher resolution projectors help to reduce SDE, it is not a image killer in 480p models like the 4805 and H31.

6. If you haven't yet, read this:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/480p_projectors.htm

 

[BostonMark]

SDE never say never

As they say, never say never. I did say that my Optoma 30 doesn't have any screen door effect. (thank you for pointing out my error BMXTRIX) Let me clarify. Screen door effect in DLP projectors is much less pronounced than in LCD projectors in the same price range. I used the snow scenes in ICE AGE to make comparisons when I first bought the projector. The snow looked very white on DLP projectors and on LCD projectors, well I could see what looked like a fine mesh screen. At my home, I don't notice the screen door effect, and I do stare at my screen. However, I should point out, that myself and my guests are at that magic number away from the screen. My screen is almost 8 feet wide, but it is also mounted high. I have nine foot ceilings, and my viewing seats are all at the edge of the room, which is 14 x 16. All seats are further than 1.5x the screen size away and close to 2x away. I need to be a few feet away and staring to see the SDE. Problems with the lens shift actually almost disappear with the ceiling mount option, because the projector is literally upside down. The bottom of the image is almost even with the top of my ceiling. Since the image is flipped, without any odd angles, or necessity of cornerstone correction, my projector projects directly from the center top of the screen. The lens becomes much more of a problem if you lack mounting studs for your projector or screen though. Ideally, they should be lined up, so the projector is centered onto the screen. Upside down, it can shoot straight onto a ceiling mounted screen, if they didn't change the throw much from the H30 to the H31. If you can't afford 720p, keep in mind that you and your friends aren't going to be going from your 480p projector to your neighbors 720p projector to make A/B comparisons. I noticed a definite difference myself when comparing DLP to DLP with 480p specs and 720p specs, but the price was double or more. I would also strongly advise if you can to find a place you can SEE. I read so much online about projectors, but it wasn't until I took an hour and a half ride to a high end video store and could make the AB comparisons, that I was really happy with my choice. Bring movies with extremes of one color (like Ice Age) and films with high contrast colors (like The Life Aquatic) to help you compare.

 

[RLA]

Hello all
I just briefly read the replys and don’t know if this has been covered, if so please disregard

Here are some other things to consider

The 4805 has Faroudja processing I beleive the H-31 uses Pixel Works
The 4805 has louder fan noise
The 4805 has a shallower offset
The 4805 is more prone to dust infiltration
The 4805 uses an M-1 input instead of DVI that needs an adapter
The 4805 is very close to D-65k out of the box
The 4805 shows more SDE @1.5x
The 4805 is brighter
The H-31 has had trouble with DVI and HTPC sync

Infocus has better customer service than Optoma. My opinion after contacting both over the years.

The H-31 case looks more refined The 4805 looks like a boardroom PJ

IMOHO the H-31's build quality is better than the 4805 but the 4805 works as described with no trouble

After significant time consuming patient careful calibration the H-31 appears to have better color saturation and black level

4805 vs H-31? IMOHO I would call it a draw, you need to weigh the advantages of both and if possible view both. In a few short months we will be talking about new 854x480 projectors. I cant disclose what they are but I can tell you they are coming

 

[BMXTRIX]

Yeah, they must have switched it a lot between the H30 and H31 - Sounds like the H30 was a bit better with offset.

Currently the 4805 must be placed 34% of the screen height ABOVE the top of the image.

The H31 must be placed 35% of the screen height above the top of the image.

Fine for 9+ foot ceilings - but not great for 8 foot ceilings. A 45" x 80" screen with the projector basically flush mounted to the ceiling would still put the top of the screen about 1.5 feet from the ceiling. That's a bit closer to the floor than many people like. But, that is as much personal preference as not.

SDE for years was less on LCD, but that is going away. I actually compared the 4805 to the H31 and to the 7205 though in my comparison. 720p really knocked SDE away. The 4805 and H31 looked close with perhaps a slight edge to the H31. The 720p LCD projectors I have seen of late have very similar SDE to 720p DLP units.

Whatever on that though - no biggie at proper seating distance.

 

[nchammer]

I just bought the screenplay 4805. I'm very happy with the choice.