Optoma MovieTime DVD/Projector
November 2005
Instant Theater That Stores in a Closet
By Grant Clauser
The ultimate home theater experience can be had only with a home projector, yet for most people, projectors are simply out of the question because they can require a dedicated space, complicated installation and operation, not to mention that they're pretty expensive. Optoma has come out with a projector that solves a lot of those problems and is very convenient for people who want to enjoy a big screen from time to time, but don't want to permanently hang a projector from their ceiling.
The MovieTime combines a DVD player with a DLP-based projector and built-in speakers. It's essentially an entire theater, minus the wall (or screen), in one package. It's meant to be pulled out of a closet and onto a coffee table to watch a movie on the weekend, then tucked back in the closet when it's finished.
It's fairly compact, attractive and exceedingly simple to use. It's also, as far as projectors go, fairly cheap. At $1,500, it costs about the same as projectors without the DVD and speakers. It's not a high definition display, though it will accept an HDTV signal via component inputs (plugged into the VGA port with an adapter) and display it as a widescreen 854 x 480 (EDTV) picture.
As entry-level home theater projectors go, the MovieTime is well outfitted. With 1,000 lumens it's quite bright, and boasts a contrast ratio of 4,000:1, which is enhanced with Optoma's Image AI processing, a feature that senses the changes in light to dark in scenes and adjusts the lamp output to maximize the picture. It's got a 7-segment, 4x color wheel, which does a very good job of eliminating rainbow artifacts. On the sides are mounted two 5-watt speakers. There's also a subwoofer output for adding more bass effects. The projector has a relatively short throw distance because it's designed to be placed in front of the viewer rather than above and behind like most installed projectors. It comes with a carrying case so you can take it to a friend's house to show a movie, or take it outside for impromptu summer drive-ins displayed on the garage door. You can also hook up external sources such as a PC, video game console or cable/satellite tuner. In addition to standard DVDs, it plays CDs, MP3s, JPEG images and most of the home recorded DVD formats. A final odd feature is the O2 Air which is a built-in air cleaner. It won't clean all the smoke from a bar, but it's there nonetheless.
By Grant Clauser
The ultimate home theater experience can be had only with a home projector, yet for most people, projectors are simply out of the question because they can require a dedicated space, complicated installation and operation, not to mention that they're pretty expensive. Optoma has come out with a projector that solves a lot of those problems and is very convenient for people who want to enjoy a big screen from time to time, but don't want to permanently hang a projector from their ceiling.
The MovieTime combines a DVD player with a DLP-based projector and built-in speakers. It's essentially an entire theater, minus the wall (or screen), in one package. It's meant to be pulled out of a closet and onto a coffee table to watch a movie on the weekend, then tucked back in the closet when it's finished.
It's fairly compact, attractive and exceedingly simple to use. It's also, as far as projectors go, fairly cheap. At $1,500, it costs about the same as projectors without the DVD and speakers. It's not a high definition display, though it will accept an HDTV signal via component inputs (plugged into the VGA port with an adapter) and display it as a widescreen 854 x 480 (EDTV) picture.
As entry-level home theater projectors go, the MovieTime is well outfitted. With 1,000 lumens it's quite bright, and boasts a contrast ratio of 4,000:1, which is enhanced with Optoma's Image AI processing, a feature that senses the changes in light to dark in scenes and adjusts the lamp output to maximize the picture. It's got a 7-segment, 4x color wheel, which does a very good job of eliminating rainbow artifacts. On the sides are mounted two 5-watt speakers. There's also a subwoofer output for adding more bass effects. The projector has a relatively short throw distance because it's designed to be placed in front of the viewer rather than above and behind like most installed projectors. It comes with a carrying case so you can take it to a friend's house to show a movie, or take it outside for impromptu summer drive-ins displayed on the garage door. You can also hook up external sources such as a PC, video game console or cable/satellite tuner. In addition to standard DVDs, it plays CDs, MP3s, JPEG images and most of the home recorded DVD formats. A final odd feature is the O2 Air which is a built-in air cleaner. It won't clean all the smoke from a bar, but it's there nonetheless.
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