We’re in a 1080p world now, home theater fans. That’s right, as much as you love your stunning, 720p resolution projector, the one the sales person at the electronics store told you was the best picture you could get from a little light engine—well, that was a good eight or nine months ago. That’s like a decade in projector years. At the recent Custom Electronics and Design Association show in September (go to E-Gear.com to find out what went on there) there was hardly a 720p projector in sight.
Of course, that’s an exaggeration. The market is still full of excellent projectors (and flat screens for that matter) pumping out 720p resolution, and many of them are excellent values now as well, but the momentum is huge behind that thing the industry now calls True or Full HD. This Optoma HD81 projector is one of the first single chip models out of the gate offering 1080p resolution, and it does it at a very competitive price.
The HD81 light engine is based on TI’s DLP technology and uses the new DarkChip3 digital micro mirror. A couple of things set this projector apart from other new models to the market: first is the very respectable 10,000:1 contrast ratio and the sunstroke inducing 1,400 lumen brightness rating. It reaches that by using a mighty 300-watt lamp, which is about 100-watts stronger than those found in a lot of other projectors. The brightness does two things for the projector. First it lets it light up a very large screen without making the picture dim. Second, it allows you better viewing in a partially lit room—so you don’t have to trip over the dog when you get up for more popcorn. Also notable is the fact that this $9,999 (more like $7K actual selling price) projector comes with an external scaler/processor box. The outboard scaler handles all the projector’s picture settings and houses the inputs. The duo is Imaging Science Foundation calibration certified, which means that an ISF calibrator can easily set this up to be a star.
Connecting and configuring the HD81 creates a few issues, pro and con. The two-piece setup of this system means that you don’t need to run cables for each video signal. Instead of running a component set, HDMI/DVI and S-video cable to the projector all at once, you can hook all the inputs into the processor, then run a single HDMI line to the projector, however, you’ll still need to run a serial cable from the processor to the projector, because that carries all the control signals. You’ll also need to place the processor somewhere in the line of sight of the remote, because the projector itself doesn’t have an infrared receiver. If you want to have the processor hidden away, then you’ll need an IR receiver hidden somewhere within range (one is included).
Of course, that’s an exaggeration. The market is still full of excellent projectors (and flat screens for that matter) pumping out 720p resolution, and many of them are excellent values now as well, but the momentum is huge behind that thing the industry now calls True or Full HD. This Optoma HD81 projector is one of the first single chip models out of the gate offering 1080p resolution, and it does it at a very competitive price.
The HD81 light engine is based on TI’s DLP technology and uses the new DarkChip3 digital micro mirror. A couple of things set this projector apart from other new models to the market: first is the very respectable 10,000:1 contrast ratio and the sunstroke inducing 1,400 lumen brightness rating. It reaches that by using a mighty 300-watt lamp, which is about 100-watts stronger than those found in a lot of other projectors. The brightness does two things for the projector. First it lets it light up a very large screen without making the picture dim. Second, it allows you better viewing in a partially lit room—so you don’t have to trip over the dog when you get up for more popcorn. Also notable is the fact that this $9,999 (more like $7K actual selling price) projector comes with an external scaler/processor box. The outboard scaler handles all the projector’s picture settings and houses the inputs. The duo is Imaging Science Foundation calibration certified, which means that an ISF calibrator can easily set this up to be a star.
Connecting and configuring the HD81 creates a few issues, pro and con. The two-piece setup of this system means that you don’t need to run cables for each video signal. Instead of running a component set, HDMI/DVI and S-video cable to the projector all at once, you can hook all the inputs into the processor, then run a single HDMI line to the projector, however, you’ll still need to run a serial cable from the processor to the projector, because that carries all the control signals. You’ll also need to place the processor somewhere in the line of sight of the remote, because the projector itself doesn’t have an infrared receiver. If you want to have the processor hidden away, then you’ll need an IR receiver hidden somewhere within range (one is included).
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