As is always the case, I can't let a projector review go by without some comments...
1. Would love to see a picture of the remote control in the review.
2. The rest of the pictures looked pretty solid.
3. For the pirce, the typical 1.2x zoom lens is common, but compared to almost every other projector which costs a bit more, 1.2x is very weak. Placement flexibility with this projector stinks - really, REALLY bad!
4. It would have been nice to see some actual placement measurements. The offset of the HD20 is less than most other fixed lens projectors, so people with lower ceilings (7' basement!) can have an easier time of it (maybe) because they don't have to lower the screen as much. Likewise, the zoom range may be very poor for anything but ceiling mouting because it likely falls right at the proper seating distance. Which would place a noisy projector right between two viewers. Blech!
5. No Blu-ray source is listed. Really, BD is becoming a standard for those who care about quality and front projection really benefits from this (perhaps the most) technology. Since many will hook up the projector to a BD player with BD video, it is worth discussing just how much better/worse BD is compared to DVD with cheaper players and a direct HDMI connection, or a connection which bypasses the 4310's excellent scaling. Really, HD cable was listed, but not discussed either. A bit more discussion of personal experience using the best sources would really help people understand the quality potential of this unit.
6. 4x color wheel vs. competition. BenQ also has a 1080p $1,000 model. My understanding is that the Optoma has a 4x color wheel vs. the BenQs 2x color wheel. This provides a significant reduction to the Rainbow Effect (RBE) for those who are sensitive and considering competitors products.
7. Competitors? Really, it's good to mention that there are competitors out there which should be considered or evaluated as well. Would be better to get some reviews in so they can all be compared to each other.
Solid review overall! The Optoma is a value leader and tends to produce solidly reliable products. Their huge jump to minimize lens offset really opens up this projector for additional rooms which older models like their H31 or HD70 couldn't handle. For example, with a 100" screen, the HD70 had almost 18" of offset from the top of the screen. That requires a 100" screen to be almost 2' below the ceiling and, with a 100" screen and a 7' ceiling, would put the bottom of the screen about 1' from the floor! The HD20, for the same 100" diagonal, only has about 8" of offset which gives about another 10" away from the floor in the same setup and is far more ideal overall for many less expensive setups.
Note: That 100" diagonal puts the projector lens about 11 to 13 feet from the screen which is right where seating is. Go with the ceiling mount.
FINALLY: The commentary on spending $200 for someone to install it is really disappointing. A basic installation similar to a cruddy cable company job would have all surface mounted cabling and would take hours to accomplish and would not include cabling or any proper setup calibration or anything... Especially with a motorized screen which typically requires two installers to handle. If someone is on a serious budget, install it yourself. If you want a good installation, then pay for an in-wall installation with speakers, etc. and plan to spend the money for two pros to do the job in about a full day. So, about 16 hours of professional labor... which will be over $200 typically, depending on your location, likely well over $200. Don't forget to budget for appropriate cabling, sound, etc.