The H27 is an entry level DLP projector it has a lower price than the current H31 but has many of the same features. MSRP $1099

Dark Chip 2 854X480 chip, with four times speed RGB/RGB color wheel. Many of the same great aspect features of the 31 like Edge Mask, Image Shift, Letterbox, 1080i 1 & 2, plus 16.9 4.3 and 1.1.

Differences are the fan sound is very low. It has the AI feature which uses the bulb to create a better contrast by sensing dark and light video and having the bulb brightness react accordingly. There's a pretty long throw, I had the projector 15' back from my 92" wide screen with the zoom at max. With no zoom I could probably back up another 5'.

Colors are well saturated and blacks are very black. One thing that's missing is advance RGB adjustments for RGB-contrast and RGB-brightness. There is a color adjustment for just RGB overall. I was able to use these to better the color with colorfacts. I didn't have to change much with them, just a couple of clicks on the red and blue. It almost seems that it's better than the H31 but it's not. The H27 is very nice but I think the H31 edges it out a little mainly becuase the colors are easily tuned with the H31 plus they're some what nicer.

On to the stat and screenshots.
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27contrast.jpg Reads 2230.1
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27stockcie.jpg
Sri about the other stats I lost the data on the image saves.
Stock RGB had red and blue high by about 500k and green was low by about 200k. Gamma was 2.57.
Light meter read 11.50ft-candles at the screen. With a 92"wide screen that's 380lumens tuned down to D65k. Which is not bad and way higher than PC's reading.


Go to the movies film clips :) enjoy
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement2.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement3.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement4.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement5.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement6.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement7.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement8.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27fifthelement9.jpg

These screenshots were done with a Denon 1600 in progressive. They look smooth ok but I tried an up scaling player thru DVI this morning and the difference is amazing. I recommed you use an upscaling player with this projector.

Is this the start of another epic thread?

Epic, only if people buy the puppy. :)

I should add there's an extra connection over the H31. The 27 has an VGA input which is what I used yesterday.

Is this the start of another epic thread?

This one looks to come up short in critical areas. Maybe the MovieTime... AVSers know what Optoma can do. I predict this will be a WallyWorld special by Christmas.

They say the street pricing will run rampet. Aggressive wide open dealers should make this projector very appealing. You still get the warranty from internet dealers that's the key.

They say the street pricing will run rampet. Aggressive wide open dealers should make this projector very appealing. You still get the warranty from internet dealers that's the key.


Guitarman,

Im curious but what screen/gain do you use for testing these projectors??

I need to use a pull down screen so I use a 106" diag Dalite High Power. I'm getting 2.0gain with the PJ ceiling mounted.

Tom, Can you comment on the Projector Central comparison test which the h31 came in first but the h27 came in last?

Calibrated it only has 185 lumens compared to 325 on the h31.

Here is what they had to say about the H27

"The Optoma H27 trailed the entire pack with an image that was much dimmer and less vibrant. Though rated at 2500:1 contrast, we did not see evidence of it on our test unit. Due to its lower contrast and low lumen output, the H27 should be reserved as an option for those on the most limited of budgets. For best results, screen size should be limited to no more than 80" diagonal."

http://www.projectorcentral.com/480p_projectors.htm

I know what they said. That's why we couldn't wait to check out the real lumens. My light meter is extremely close to spec, you can bank on 385lumens for sure. My eye also tells me the H27 is pretty bright for Home theater. Ofcourse using a high power screen helps. Pretty interesting projector. It has high points that stand out at times. Movies take on an incredible contrasty look. Rainbows seem to pop out once in a while though. I'll have to ask about that. Maybe it has something to do with the new bulb and AI.

The main key about this PJ it it's going to be cheap street wise. We couldn't get images like this a year ago for this low of a dollar.The screen shots give you a little of an idea of what I'm talking about. Looks pretty nice to me. :)

Hi Tom, thanks again for bringing our attention to another excellent looking Optoma budget gem. You really should be on Optoma's marketing payroll :) Unfortunately for me however, you've just added a new dilemma to something I thought I was finally settled on! After much following and reading up, I was dead cert on a H31 for myself this next week. But as it'd just be a 6-12 month stop gap until Optoma and Infocus inevitably drop the prices on their native 720p lines to compete with Benq/Toshiba, you've now got me intruiged by the H27. Particularly as it can be had for a good £300 GBP (over $500) less than H30a over here in the UK. Anyhoo, just wondered if you'd be kind enough to offer your 2-cents into a few factors re. the H27's performance in direct comparison to the some of the H31's now proven strengths .

First and foremost for me would be scaling. It's been mentioned secondhand that the H27 features cheaper, and thus assumed inferior, scaling and deinterlacing solutions. Deinterlacing wouldn't be an issue as I'd be feeding it a DCDi'd DVI or HDMI signal. But after reading peoples positive comments re. the H31's ability to shine when fed 720p and 1080i via. both upscaling and Hi-Def, just wondered if you'd had chance to look at that aspect on the H27? I see you've discovered that feeding it DVI has yielded a substantial improvement over the component DVD hookup, but just wondered if you only used 480p there? Also, you mention colours are somewhat nicer on the H31 (yet also initially noted the superior reds of the H27...would you say that still stands after cal?), but for me, stronger colours can often translate into a less accurate and 'cartoony' apprearance. Many people have pointed out that all the other Optoma 'H' lines feature noticably more accurate colours in comparison to the H30a, and accuracy over vividness would be far more desirable to me.

Thanks alot for your input Tom, it's appreciated.

Damian.

The main key about this PJ it it's going to be cheap street wise. Much cheaper? It hasn't happened yet, the H27 is going for about the same $$ as the H31 right now. But I wonder if Optoma is phasing out the H31. A major distributor in Seattle is out of stock on the H31 with no ETA for more. It doesn't make sense to me for Optoma to have two 854x480 PJs with only a $200 MSRP price difference.

Maybe a new H37 is on its way?

With the success of the 31, I highly doubt they'd be phasing it out. It's just out of stock because of how popular it is. I think they made the 27 BECAUSE the H31 is so good and they wanted to give even more options of it. One that's a bit cheaper (and yeah, it's close, but the 27 SHOULD Be available for about $150-$200 cheaper...look around) and it has a LONG through for possible shelf mounting: a certain interest given it's a budget machine and there'd be some folks that don't want to drill holes in their ceiling and mount it. Also it has an adaptable lens that makes it a SHORT throw PJ too, a good solution for coffe table mounting.

Looks promising. Already ordered an H31 but if I ever needed one for my room, and if the price came down, i'd pick this bad boy up.

These screenshots were done with a Denon 1600 in progressive. They look smooth ok but I tried an up scaling player thru DVI this morning and the difference is amazing. I recommed you use an upscaling player with this projector.

Can't wait to see screenshots of these. Of the image looks as good as you claim it to be, this will be my next projector for a 60-70 inch screen in my bedroom. :D Hopefully by seasonal of this year i'll have this puppy in my room. Till then i'll keep reading this thread :D and see what developes

Is this projector out yet? I've been hoping for more comments on this pj, but this thread died out pretty quick. Does anyone know if it has any of the htpc issues that have plagued the H31?

How well does the AI brightness thingy feature work? Is it defeatable? If so, is it recommended to be used or not used? I may be interested in this one as an alternative to the H31 if htpc work reliably with it. It should be cheaper, if the pq is almost the same, then it might be worth going with this instead!

Any feedback is appreciated!


Don

I just saw at Projectorcentral.com that the H27 has a HUGE image offset, 57%.
That rules it out for anyone with a low ceiling like me.

SSOOO.......

has anyone took the bait on this little bugger yet?

quick ? Tom,

were you seeing any lightspill out of any of the vents?

Similar light spill to the Optoma H30 and H31, out the front vent. This is a long throw/offset projector. It's pretty bright and has noticably good contrast. You can see by the CIE chart the color is very good, especially red.

thanks Tom,

i probably should have figured that....

REVIEW up at

http://www.projectorreviews.com/review.asp?reid=46

-thanks Art;)

REVIEW up at

http://www.projectorreviews.com/review.asp?reid=46

-thanks Art;)

Thanks for the plug. Guitarman did a nice summary. One place I would disagree with him. I found the that the enhanced contrast (thanks to the AI), does improve the overvall viewing on many scenes more than enough to offset the slight advantage the H31 has because of the better color controls.

This is especially true for the 95% of buyers who really want to just plug and play, and will not have AVIA pro or other calibration solutions to take advantage of the better H31 controls. I found that the regular Avia disk did a good job in correcting the slight out of box color inaccuracies.

In fact, Optoma should really be embarrassed. They really should pay more attention to their default settings in this regard. Most of their models are off sufficiently to require some at least basic calibration. This, to a much greater extent than say, InFocus, or Panasonic, or even.... dare I say - BenQ.

Users without at least Avia software, can probably adjust by eye and improve the inaccuracies but the AVIA disk or something similar is recommended!

Still it looks like the H27 (or maybe the H31 depending on preference) is the best $1000 ish projector out there - for now!

The H27 has a 11% contrast ratio increase over the H31. The CIE color chart reads out a little differently also. The color red is almost spot on and with a color chart you'll notice red is much darker than the H31.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h31cie.jpg
Green is more spot on with the H31.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h27stockcie.jpg
Green is less saturated with the H27.

Thanks for pointing out the review Vashon. It made the last decision for me. I just ordered a H27.

I think that it is truly amazing that you can get a product like this - a more than reasonable PQ and a close to silent operation - for this kind of money... Not to say that the H27 or for that matter the H31 is the only "best buy" out there. But nevertheless they point to the future - whatever that means :p

Anyway I have a couple of questions. This is my first projector-buy -so be gentle pleaese ;)

1. I want to get some calibration software for it. Which one to go for? I've seen Avia mentioned before - is that the common solution? Others?

2. I'm planning to build a DIY screen and paint it with 'goo'. There is a form that you can fill out at goo-systems. It doesn't have H27 as an option to choose from in the projector-table -but when I choose H30 and H31 it tells me to use "Digital Grey" which has a 1.2 gain -would that be a good solution for the H27? Next step is 1.4 gain... Are there any other solutions that will match the 'goo' at the price?? -seems like several people have experienced goo(d) results.. ;) I'm planning to use the PJ mostly a dim light. Sometimes at more daylight situation. And sometimes a completely dark room. But mostly subdued light.


I'm interested in doing some kind of manual masking solution for 2.35 material -but I guess I'll drop by the DIY-section for that one...

Regards
/Nik

Screen sounds good and buy Avia. Let us know how it goes once you setup the projector.

man the short throw lens is 999$ uhhhh thats what pj costs -freaking crazy???jeff

Screen sounds good and buy Avia. Let us know how it goes once you setup the projector.

Ok thanks Tom, I will..

999$ for the lens, ouch..

It figures. I bought the Optoma H31 two weeks ago, and now I read this review.

So, is it worth it to return the H31 and get the H27? My biggest gripe at the moment is the fact I have to have the keystone set to 10, since my ceiling is very low where the projector has to mount due to it's focal length. If I could mount it 11' from the screen, instead of 14', I'd be in business, as my ceiling rises nearly a foot at that point. Ah well.

If it had two DVI (or HDMI) inputs I'd be sold, as all my source material at the moment is DVI-based. I wonder if this projector has the same HTPC problems that plagued early versions of the H31 (and still do, in some cases).

Can you hook it up to an ATI or nVidia card and enable DVI-D out and see if it's recognized?

If I where you I would be perfectly happy with the H31. As I understand, it can be calibrated more in depth than the H27 and has a more expensive scaling and deinterlacing solution implementet - and therefore I guess better? I don't know if the H27's "AI" feauture on the other hand makes some kind of advantage.. I would probably have bought a H31 if it hadn't been for a good deal I got on the H27. What I do like about the H27 is its slightly lower noise-level -it's not much, but it's enough to appreciate -and then off course there is the air-purifier! :D

I don't get the review on Projector Central, their lumen-meassurements seems way off compared to Toms?? Too much grass for them maybe, or what could the reason be?? I didn't see any sign of the H27 being dull when I compared the H27 & H31 side by side...

Here is what 'Velocity' says in another thread on the H27:
"I can confirm that the DVI works with my HTPC flawlessly. It is a DVI-D input and I am running it with an ATI Radeon card. I am still unable to get a 1:1 pixel mapping (854x480) but have no problems getting it to recognised the PJ as a digital source. My current resolution is 1280x720."


I will try my Matrox Parhelia card on the H27 when it arrives and report back...

999$ for the lens, ouch..

Someone should confirm that price with Optoma.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

$999 for the lens - that does sound crazy. I'll see if I can confirm that from Optoma tomorrow.

As to the better deinterlacing and scaling, the H31 uses Pixelworks. Optoma doesn't say who's circuitry is in the H27. Now, tie that with the question of AI - and here's something to think about - BenQ had a similar situation - they used Pixelworks in the old BenQ PE8700+ (which I have), and went to "we ain't saying" in the PE7700 (turns out its almost certainly Faroudja), and also added AI.

The BenQ 7700 does outperform the older PE8700+.... and the AI certainly enhances dark scenes, etc. compared to the 8700+.

Optoma often trys to keep things a bit murky - especially since the H27 was originally supposed to replace the H31, according to them, but because of the H31's success they decided to keep it in the lineup. They have a different, but equally challenging marketing problem with the H78dc3 and H79.

I found the de-interlacing on the H27 to be excellent. and the scaling was also no problem at all, on 1080i signals.

So enjoy your new H27. -a

Ok,

So I had pretty much decided upon the 4805, after deciding upon the H31, and then switching after finding out about the HTPC issues. I require HTPC connectivity through DVI for whichever projector I finally choose...for the 3rd time.

Anyway, I would really appreciate some more feedback on HTPC connectivity through DVI. I know there is one person who confirmed it works fine, but it would be nice to get some more confirmation from others.

Thanks!!

the lens pricing reminds me of what NEC did with the HT1100, but at least this thing just screws on and not some gigantic hunk of metal placed in front of the pj:D

as for the price........

steep but street should be lower....

Just re-reading through this thread again.

Presenter, did you notice any RBE like Tom mentioned?

I have been searching for as much info on this PJ as I can, but it is pretty sparse. A lot of the posts I found are just speculations about it (before it came out), saying that it wouldn't perform as well as the H31.

Any feedback from some new users of the H27 with their opinons would be awesome.

I am anxious to finally make my PJ purchase ;)

Can anyone confirm what de-scaler the H27 uses? Wonder why so little threads (interests) on the H27.

Why are the reviews at Projectorreview.com (very positive) and Projectorcentral.com (very negative) so different.

The introduction of the H27 is very confusing to me at this moment. How does it fit in with the H31 and 4805?

"Newer" doesn't always means better, especially if they replaced the de-scaler with an inferior chip.

Guitarman,

Did you measure the offset?

Is it accurate to PJC's number of 57%?

If this is accurate, it will suit my needs just fine (barely), but if the offset is actually greater, then I am probably not able to use this one.

Thanks!!!

That's the correct offset. The new bulb being brighter most likely let me notice rainbows occasionaly. I figure Optoma is using the same Pixelworks scaler in all their HT models.

The H27 uses an all-in-one Texas Instruments DMD chipset/scaler/deinterlacer. I emailed Optoma UK about it when originally toying between an H31 and H27 for myself. I've forgotten the exact model name, but do recall that the representitive that provided the info refused to say which was superior between it and the Pixelworks. I believe the same TI chipset is used in the Toshiba MT200 amongst other budget DC2 PJ's...

Damian.

The H27 uses an all-in-one Texas Instruments DMD chipset/scaler/deinterlacer. I emailed Optoma UK about it when originally toying between an H31 and H27 for myself. I've forgotten the exact model name, but do recall that the representitive that provided the info refused to say which was superior between it and the Pixelworks. I believe the same TI chipset is used in the Toshiba MT200 amongst other budget DC2 PJ's...

Damian.

If it's the Ti solution, than it's the same as in the NEC HT510 I reveiwed. Scaling and deinterlacing was excellent with that projector.

Excellent,

Thanks Guitarman.

I wonder if using an ND2 filter (like some people use on the 4805) might be in order for this PJ?

Cheers!

The new bulb being brighter most likely let me notice rainbows occasionaly.Is the H27 bulb confirmed brighter, or is it just a subjective observation? The H31 and H27 's bulb are both rated 200W. H31 s P-VIP and the H27 is SHP. I have not idea what that means. What's the difference?

Excellent,

Thanks Guitarman.

I wonder if using an ND2 filter (like some people use on the 4805) might be in order for this PJ?

Cheers!

I don't think you'll benefit with a ND filter here. The extra brightness is nice but the blacks and contrast are still very good. Plus the color CIE chart shows colors are deeper, especially red and blue.

Way better contrast and depth than my former sanyo z3. Picture looks as a 4 times as expensive pj.
Try training day. This pj. rocks on natural lightning and colors in an unbeliveble way. 5 element is ok, but doesnt show the potential (thanx tom - the pictures made me buy this pj. :).
Looks better than 4805 with more contrast and way better depth in picture.
Only use dvi.
Realy uses the goosystem crt white. The z3 couldn´t benefit from the white screen.
Bougt it because of low noise, ofset and long throw. But gut picture quality i couldn´t even hope for. Impressive. The speed of devellopment on pjs is incredible.
Dont get scared by the price.

Hey Krummedrengen! Er du fra Danmark? :)

That's a positive hands-om experience I would say ;) Must be nice to get more than you hoped for, congratulations.

Did you try the PJ with goo crt white only -or other screens also? I'm considering goo digital grey...

Ja :)
Only tried goo crt white 80-110". I have i more "light-grey" wall - for comparison-, that often benefited the z3, but not the h27. No way. The H27 calls for a good quality white screen and a dark room. The z3, besides the must lower contrast, have this constant grey mist all over, and therefore must have a grey screen. The goo white is better than a cheap type white screen i used to have - well the goo is cheap also. Realy powerfull and neutral colors.

Much cheaper? It hasn't happened yet, the H27 is going for about the same $$ as the H31 right now. But I wonder if Optoma is phasing out the H31. A major distributor in Seattle is out of stock on the H31 with no ETA for more. It doesn't make sense to me for Optoma to have two 854x480 PJs with only a $200 MSRP price difference.

Maybe a new H37 is on its way?

I've seen three H31 ads today with "while quantities last" disclaimers

From a business standpoint I'd say the H31 is gone and Steve's H37 will be coming out.
Unless I'm wrong of course. :)

If it's the Ti solution, than it's the same as in the NEC HT510 I reveiwed. Scaling and deinterlacing was excellent with that projector.

Hmm, I thought that the HT510 used a NEC Vortex scaler (okay I cheated and read the review again. :D)

I have a Philips Q50 (I'd get an Oppo if they add support for 480-lines) and I'd like to hook up my G4 Cube as well as a MythTV box. Presumably none of those would need a first-rate processor in the projector, since they all send progressive signals. So the only thing I'd be using the built-in scaler for is a relatively poor TiVo picture (over S-Video no less.)

So I'm thinking that even if the built-in scaler is a bit sub-par, the extra VGA input connector would be more useful than a better scaler in the long run. Do you (meaning Tom :)) think this would be a reasonable compromise? (If you still have the unit maybe you could torture its deinterlacer.)

Does it have the zoom mode that expands a 4:3 image? (The mode from the H31, I forget what it's called.) And, I guess I also need to look into the throw distance and offset. What exactly does 57% mean (I know, I'm a lameass and can't figure it out for myself) and how does that compare to the H30 (which is what I'm used to)?

Decisions, decisions.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Guitarman,

Do you have any screenshots of the H27 upscaled, connected by DVI?

I was just comparing shots from your H31 thread, and also some recent shots in the 4805 thread by Luis, and some of the H27 shots seem a little 'soft', especially the ledge shot, her skin isn't as defined as some of the others.

I was wondering if it looked better through the DVI connection?

Also, what is your opinion on the H31 vs. H27? Let's assume that HTPC connection via DVI is working on the H31 (It sounds like it might be ironed out, but I will hold off on my purchase until I am sure).

I can get the H31 for $100.00 more than the H27. My primary source for display will be through HTPC using DVI.

Does the AI in the H27 make it a 'better' PJ, when you disregard the better scaling/interlacing in the H31?

Thanks for your help!

Guitarman showed the difference between dvi and component ealier to a japaneese site. The difference is surprisingly huge.
But the soft thing you notice is also a little bit from the film as i see it. The 5 element is not the sharpest today (the same for the sound) - but i didnt notice it the way the pictures showed when I actuly saw the movie. Try another movie ex. Training day as comparison. In my view it is much more objective way to compare pj.

Thanks for the info Krummedrengen,

Do you have links to the comparisons on the Japanese site?

I could only compare with screenshots that were on this forum, and side-by-side, the shots on the H27 seemed 'soft' compared to both the 31 and the 4805.

I will make sure to fire up Training Day once I have finally decided upon a PJ ;)

Cheers!

I would be also very happy to see the DVI output shots, maybe it will help me to finally decide if I should buy H27 or not. :)

Hmm, I thought that the HT510 used a NEC Vortex scaler (okay I cheated and read the review again. :D)

I have a Philips Q50 (I'd get an Oppo if they add support for 480-lines) and I'd like to hook up my G4 Cube as well as a MythTV box. Presumably none of those would need a first-rate processor in the projector, since they all send progressive signals. So the only thing I'd be using the built-in scaler for is a relatively poor TiVo picture (over S-Video no less.)

So I'm thinking that even if the built-in scaler is a bit sub-par, the extra VGA input connector would be more useful than a better scaler in the long run. Do you (meaning Tom :)) think this would be a reasonable compromise? (If you still have the unit maybe you could torture its deinterlacer.)

Does it have the zoom mode that expands a 4:3 image? (The mode from the H31, I forget what it's called.) And, I guess I also need to look into the throw distance and offset. What exactly does 57% mean (I know, I'm a lameass and can't figure it out for myself) and how does that compare to the H30 (which is what I'm used to)?

Decisions, decisions.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

The NEC engineer said it uses a all in one Ti solution which does the deinterlacing. 57% vs 39% with the H31 means the screen if it were 3ft up for the H31 it would hv to be 4ft up for the H27.

How do the two compare. The H27 does have higher contrast and the CIE points are better. It has that large offset though. Both do very good images. The pictures show how nice the H27 can be. DVI with the Bravo at 854X480 was a knockout for clarity, didn't save any pictures though. The H27 went back some time ago.

But I get the DV10 today and it is basically the H27 with a 7segment wheel. I'll take some pictures.

57% vs 39% with the H31 means the screen if it were 3ft up for the H31 it would hv to be 4ft up for the H27.

I was hoping for a comparison with the H30 which is what I am used to. (Since the 16:9 portion of the H30 is offset, it might have the same offset overall.)

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Guitarman,

Thanks for the extra info, and the comment about the clarity.

Look forward to seeing the pictures from the DV10.

Cheers!

Hey Tom, or anybody, why do you think they went with such a huge offset? It seems pretty excessive. Any idea how much keystone affects image quality with the H27? With the X1, Projectorcentral said using keystone does not degrade image quality. I'm thinking of upgrading my X1 one of these days. Thanks.

Can anyone provide a digram of the offset - the offset percentage seems to cunfuse me?

Am I right that if it is 157%, then 57% of the image height will be the offset distance to the nearest screen edge?

This is how I calculated offset, but someone correct me if I am wrong.

Take your screen height (in my instance: 40")
Multiply by the offset (.57)
This gets the distance between the top (or bottom if coffee table mounted) of the screen and the centre of the lens.

So in my instance, the top of the screen (I will be ceiling mounting the PJ) is 22.8" below the lens of the PJ.

CAse, that's my understanding as well.

Hey Tom, or anybody, why do you think they went with such a huge offset? It seems pretty excessive. Any idea how much keystone affects image quality with the H27? With the X1, Projectorcentral said using keystone does not degrade image quality. I'm thinking of upgrading my X1 one of these days. Thanks.


People don't like keystoning becuase you lose pixels, but I've never seen a problem with an image with keystoning. If you have to use it I don't think you'll notice much.

Guitarman,

Before i order my H27 I would like to ask you about it's brightness, your pictures look good but you have seen it with your own eyes, was it really dull as some people have stated? darker than H31? and final question, do you recommend it? :p

I would really appreciate your help with this, as i got no chance of demoing any of these pj's.

It's brighter than the H31. The picture image live is quite the opposite, very sharp. I usually tune the sharpness down. Image will be more crystal when using 1.1 pixel matching if you can. Like with the Bravo players that have custom resolutions or a HTPC. The H27 is out selling the H31 in Asia. Yes I like it and would recommend, as long as the offset and throw work for you.

It's brighter than the H31. The picture image live is quite the opposite, very sharp. I usually tune the sharpness down. Image will be more crystal when using 1.1 pixel matching if you can. Like with the Bravo players that have custom resolutions or a HTPC. The H27 is out selling the H31 in Asia. Yes I like it and would recommend, as long as the offset and throw work for you.

Thanks!
Offest and throw are okay for me, so I'm ordering my H27 tomorrow. :D

This is how I calculated offset, but someone correct me if I am wrong. Take your screen height (in my instance: 40") Multiply by the offset (.57) This gets the distance between the top (or bottom if coffee table mounted) of the screen and the centre of the lens. So in my instance, the top of the screen (I will be ceiling mounting the PJ) is 22.8" below the lens of the PJ.

I found the H27 manual (http://www.optomausa.com/optomausa/doc/H27/H27_En_r9.pdf) on the Optoma website and it claims that the angle between the centerline of the lens and the bottom of the cone of light that produces the image is 9.42 degrees, and the height from the centerline of the lens to the bottom of the image is the throw distance multiplied by the tangent of the angle.

Using Optoma's calculator (http://www.optomahometheater.com/content/calculator_index.htm), a height of 40" (roughly 80" diagonal) can be projected at a distance of 11.1-13.3 feet. At 11 feet that means the offest is 11'xtan(9.42)=11'x.15=1.82' or about 22 inches. So I'm not correcting you because you're not wrong. :D

In my room, this means that the top of the picture is roughly at the top edge of my window frame, which seems like a reasonable offset to me. However, I think at distances of more than 11' or so, the offset would be a serious problem.

Furthermore, how does the short throw lens attachment affect the offset? It seems to me that it would widen the angle subtended by the image and thus would reduce the offset. Is this completely or even partially incorrect?

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Finally I have ordered H27! now only few more days of waiting. :D

Keeping in mind what guitarman wrote, along with H27 I bought Momitsu V880-DX with DVI output and custom resolutions. Did anyone already tried connecting those two?
I wonder if this was the right choice.

Thanks Entropy,

So, to add to that:

If I was to mount the projector so that I could have a screen that is 80" wide in the future, I would mount it at 13' (with zoom, I can have either a 70" or 80" wide screen).


So:

13' x .15 = 1.95' (~24")

That still works for me.

Cheers!

Finally I have ordered H27! now only few more days of waiting. :D

Keeping in mind what guitarman wrote, along with H27 I bought Momitsu V880-DX with DVI output and custom resolutions. Did anyone already tried connecting those two?
I wonder if this was the right choice.

The Momitsu should work fine. I used the Bravo D2 with a custom res with no problem. Super clear 1.1 picture by the way.

How do you implement the custom resolution feature on this DVD player?

Thanks

Setup menu at video 480p, then on the remote hit 9,7,1,3, custom res options will pop up.

Does anyone know the cost of a replacement lamp for this thing? One would hope that a budget projector also comes with a budget lamp. :-/

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Does anyone know the cost of a replacement lamp for this thing? One would hope that a budget projector also comes with a budget lamp. :-/

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Lamp is ~300$.
What do you mean by that? you didn't get the lamp? :eek:

Lamp is ~300$.
What do you mean by that? you didn't get the lamp? :eek:

NO no no. I meant that if you're selling a projector cheaply, you probably shouldn't pick the most expensive bulb to use in it (and since AFAICT all of these low-to-middle-priced projectors are based on business projector designs, their bulbs might be priced for businesses instead of consumers.)

And I still want to know if they really think they can sell that short-throw adapter for almost as much as the projector. :confused:

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Hi all,

Read somewhere that H27 has a vertical offset of 53%, is this with the projector right side up or inverted? I have a 11'x19'x9' (WxDxH) and going to mount it against my rear wall right side up, shooting it to a 100" screen. My sitting distance is 15' and if it's upward vertial offset, I'll be looking at the ceiling. Also, with the projector right side up close to ceiling, does it response to the remote? Does H27 use RF for the remote?

I am new to front projection, so please excuse my ignorance.

Thanks,

Steven

NeXT,

When you ceiling mount, you actually mount the projector inverted, and change a setting in the menu so it flips the image. That way it will project 'down' the wall to your screen.

For a 100" diagonal screen, you will need to mount the projector between 13.6' and 16.3 feet back from the screen. Check out the 'calculator pro' on www.projectorcentral.com

It is an IR remote, I haven't heard of people having problems with PJ's and remotes, I believe that typically the IR signal ends up bouncing off the screen and the PJ picks up the reflected signal.

Use the sample above in entropy's post to calculate your image offset based upon the distance back that you mount the PJ.

Cheers!

Thanks case for your inputs,

I know it would inverted if I ceiling mount, but if you refer to my post, it would be against my rear wall (wall mount) with the projector right side up. Regarding throw distance, against my rear wall, it would be roughly 17.5' from len to screen, could I not use the zoom to compensate for the extra 14"?

Steven

If you rear wall mount near the ceiling, you would still invert it. You could only mount it right side up if it was pretty much on the floor.

The range I gave you is already using zoom, so with max zoom you could be as far as 16.3' back.

Play around with that calculator on the projector central site, it will help you get a good visual idea of your options.

Cheers!

While waiting for my H27 to arrive, I started thinking about connecting my PC to pj for gaming.
It's not only question to H27 owners, but people who own other low resolution pj's too, is it possible to play games at 1024x756 scaled down to 854×480 resolution?

Hi All,
Just ordered the H27, my first pj, thanks to the great discussion regarding it...thanks! Im now in search of a descent networked dvd player so that I can catalog all of my movies to hds. Im also in search of a descent entry level screen...im looking to get an Elite Vmax Series motorized one at 101" diagonal...very reasonable price point but the shipping cost is almost 50% the cost of the unit! Again, thanks for the discussions!

Best Regards,
Ricky

I just finished testing the PJ with my HTPC hooked into my Yamaha HDMI switching receiver - RXV-4600. PJ works great with HTPC's DVI output (with Audio from mother board caried over via Optical cable) into receiver, then feeding the HDMI output to the projector. Great picture from the HTPC (even better thant the Toshibe HDMI upcoverting dvd player), Guess the PC has a better video card or something. Also fed the unit Component video and prefer the image over my NEC 510 which I'm now going to sell on Ebay, along with my previous non-hdmi receiver. Love this thing! Got to program my remote so all this stuff (most of the functions) can work off one remote.

One interesting aspect of the hdmi, though - the receiver reports HDMI errors till the projector syncs on the signal. Guess that's proof that everything is comunicating properly.

SeeYa

Found this company on ebay, previous pull-down screen I purchased was shipped well and was fairly good for the money. Now they are shipping fixed screens in 16:9 format. Have several sizes. Hoping someone would comment on these new ones. Considering a purchase. Anyone else biught one of these?
http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5792110090&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
Company name is fotodiox direct. Don't give them any points for mispelling Photo :)

SeeYa

Perry,

Are you able to test connecting your HTPC to the H27 directly using your DVI cable??

I am wanting to hear from as many people as I can if this is working or not before I jump in and order one.

Cheers!

Hi All,
Just ordered the H27, my first pj, thanks to the great discussion regarding it...thanks! Im now in search of a descent networked dvd player so that I can catalog all of my movies to hds. Im also in search of a descent entry level screen...im looking to get an Elite Vmax Series motorized one at 101" diagonal...very reasonable price point but the shipping cost is almost 50% the cost of the unit! Again, thanks for the discussions!

Best Regards,
Ricky

From what I have found on the Internet and from what guitarman wrote, in this and other threads, it seems that the best dvd player for H27 would be either Momitsu V880N (networked) or Bravo D2 (not networked), both with custom resolutions that give you 1:1 pixel mapping and sharpest picture.
It's what I have found out, but I haven't seen on my own eyes how those players work with H27 so it's just a theory.

Those players do a great job with clearity since they can pixel match up with the 854X480 chip. Very close to HTPC.

Have been waiting for the second generation of 480p DLP pjs and the H27 seems to be it. I'm going to pick one up as our second pj. (The first, a Panasonic PT-L200U, has served us well over two years.)

The H27 is going into a basement with low ceiling. I cannot mount it without using some vertical keystoning. If larger degree of keystoning is ok it is going to make mounting much easier.

To all H27 owners: If you are using vertical keystone adjustment, by how much are you adjusting? Do you feel any picture degradation at all for movies?

I am completely new to this game, but I have been trying to get up to speed, so please be gentle!

I am seriously considering the H27, but I too am concerned about the offset and what affect some keystone adjustments would make. Using the PJC calculator, I should be very close so I could be OK, but I need to know what kind of penalty I might pay using keystoning.

I am looking at the Da-Lite Deluxe Insta-Theater HDTV 90-inch diagonal. According to the Da-Lite site, the screen has a gain of 2.2 (Wide Power). Can anyone tell me if that is going to cause an issue with the H27? I am concerned it will be too bright. Also, any feedback on the quality of this screen would be appreciated.

Since the PJ will be ceiling mounted in a long room, throw distance isn't an issue, so far as I can tell. Are there any gotchas around throw distance?

Thanks for your patience!

Originally from the MovieTime DV10 thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=570379&page=1&pp=30).

Oh before you ask. It's better than the H31, allot better.

And if the DV10 is based on the H27, does that mean the H27 is a lot better than the H31 too?

I don't think so. I got it looking pretty good but tuning is easier with the H31 because it has full RGB control. The H27 has RGB overall adjustments no RGB-brightness RGB contrast.

So if you can't adjust the RGB contrast and brightness separately, how do you adjust the picture? What do the single RGB controls do?

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Case - did not connect HTPC Directly to PJ. What I did notice though is that everytime I changed resolutions on the HTPC, I got exactly the same resolution message from the projector as soon as it resynced. I would say that it would probably work. If I used the DVI cable dedicated to the HTPC, I would not be able to use the other HDMI input from the receiver and be able to switch HDMI sources.

Originally from the MovieTime DV10 thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=570379&page=1&pp=30).







So if you can't adjust the RGB contrast and brightness separately, how do you adjust the picture? What do the single RGB controls do?

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>


You can use the RGB on the H27 to better the coloring, you just can't do a full grayscale tuning. Not a problem for people who don't use colorfacts or the optic-one.

What ceiling mount are you guys using? All I can find are ones priced over one hundred dollars.

Thanks Perry,

I understand you want to be able to switch with HDMI, but I am just curious if you are able to do a quick test to see if you PC recognizes the H27 when connected directly using a DVI cable?

If this is a pain to test (due to moving cables and whatnot), then don't worry about it. I am just wanting to hear from as many people as possible about DVI connectivity.

Cheers!!

If the signal is ok passing thru a device for sure a direct hook would work the same way.

"I am looking at the Da-Lite Deluxe Insta-Theater HDTV 90-inch diagonal. According to the Da-Lite site, the screen has a gain of 2.2 (Wide Power). "

That screen would work good with the H27.

how are the mounting holes situated on bottom? I am wondering if I can use a x1 mount with it.

You can adapt mounts by cutting a wooden plate to match the mount and drilling holes in the plate to match the projector. Also the H27 probably has a center tripod screw. You could use the low priced Panvise mount. Which is a ball and socket with a tripod screw to attach. These have an advantage to pretty well flush mount. Could help with the offset.

I've just built an htpc and am going to by an h27 from costco (best price i've found). (i think i can say the name of the place but not the price, if this is incorrect, i apologize). my htpc video card has dvi output. what kind of cable do i need and how long can the cable be without causing distortion? are there effective ways to increase the signal strength if i need to do so for a 30ft run? sorry for the newb questions, but that's what i am and i can't wait to get this started. thanks, doug

Long cables can be a problem. Members have had good luck with the Ram cables at long runs.

Ok, so take this as you will, I am just relaying information that was given to me by a sales rep from an online store with a Canadian warehouse.

I had finally decided upon ordering the H27, so I contacted the sales guy that I have had some emails back and forth with. He had the H27 showing up in his system as 'end of life' from Optoma, so he said he would phone me back.

He phoned me back after talking to his Optoma rep, and said that, yes, the H27 was 'end of life' and that the last batch of them in Canada was bought up by a certain large electronics store.

I have also talked with Jason at AVS about the 27, but the only reason I was going to go with this other guy was because of some reservations I had that there might be warrantee issues with a PJ from the States.

So, this is where I need some input.


I can either:

1. Try to get the H27 from AVS, assuming they can get stock, and that there wouldn't be any warrantee issues.
2. Get an H31 instead from the Canadian guy (for about $100 more than the 27).
3. (I guess), get the H27 from the large electronics place, at $150 more than I would have paid online.

Any opinions, I hope to being to make a decision soon and start enjoying my new PJ :)

Cheers!!

Edit: Forgot to mention, DVI connection to HTPC is critical for me, that is why I originally (eventually) decided upon the H27, but I am hoping that this is now ironed out with the 31.

He phoned me back after talking to his Optoma rep, and said that, yes, the H27 was 'end of life' and that the last batch of them in Canada was bought up by a certain large electronics store.



End of Life?

wasn't this just released in June?

if so, that's a reallly short lifespan....

It is my understanding that the H31 is end of life being replaced by the H27.

Agreed to both Vashon and Dog, I would have expected the H27 to be around for a while. Not sure if anyone else can confirm this about the H27 or not.

Any suggestions to me on how to proceed?

Well I guess I'm in the same boat as you Case. I too am leaning heavily towards purchasing the H27 around mid September. I'm just waiting to see if CEDIA will affect prices.

Agreed to both Vashon and Dog, I would have expected the H27 to be around for a while. Not sure if anyone else can confirm this about the H27 or not.

Any suggestions to me on how to proceed?

The H27 is more sure fire for your HTPC worries. Last week when I talked to Wing he said the H31 is doing to well to close it out and the H27 is doing real well in Asia and Europe. No mention on the H27 being closed out.

For what it's worth, I was at an audio/visual place last night and he told me that the H31 is now discontinued (at least in Canada) but he said he could order me a H27.

So, who do you believe?

I have been comparing and contrasting the H27, the H31 and the InFocus 4805. My problem with the H27 is that the offset is quite a bit different than the other two. I want to do a ceiling mount so the kids don't knock the heck out of it. If I do that, the bottom of the image is about 16" off the ground (assuming something like a 106" diagonal) which is too low. If I go with either the H31 or the 4805, the bottom of my image is about 27" off the ground. That is much better. I don't want to tilt and use keystone adjustments.

Has anyone considered this aspect when comparing the two? I think my room situation drives the issue to some degree.

Offset is a definite factor with this PJ.

I am going to have to mount it pretty much flush to the ceiling in order to not have to use keystoning, but it will still work in my situation.

I was considering returning my H31 to Costco and ordering the H27.... However, that would mean that my now "perfect set up" would be altered. I would have to mount the H27 two feet further (farther?) back and my screen would need to be better than a foot lower. WEll, that's just not going to work for me. ;)

Nevermind.

i've gone to the optoma website, but can't find how i can calculate where the screen will need to be relative to floor and ceiling. is there a formula?

For the H27, its offset is 57%.

So, take your screen height, and multiply by .57, this is the amount of inches that the image will start below (or above if tabletop mounted) the centerline of the lens of the PJ.

Due to the H27's HUGE offset, I won't be ordering after all. I got a 10' ceiling, even flush ceiling mounting it (10" from ceiling to lens) with a 120" diagonal screen (60" screen hight), 17.5' projection distance, putting the bottom of the screen about 15" from the ground, what were Optoma thinking? Keystone adjustment gotta be at the maximum for me to get a decent viewing position, but at a cost of picture degradation. Guess I will wait till CEDIA announcement for new projectors.

I have a question I was thinking about getting into DLP Projectors and was either getting the Infocus 4805 or the new Optoma H27. Which one should I get? I already have a $1,000 saved up and will have close to 600-700 dollars more by the middle of September to get one. If I get the optoma 27, where can I get the bulb? I have looked everywhere but can't seem to find a place that sells it yet.

Thanks for the help.


EDIT:

If you go to shopathometv they have the 4805 and the optoma h27 projectors that come with a 100-106 screen if anyone is interested. That is where I am going to get my new projector after I know which one I should get.

You have to decide what features or problems would effect you the most.

4805 is tuned well coloring is very good, the fan's a little loud, it has very good contrast.

H27 might need some tuning, the fan is extremely low in sound. Contrast & blacks are very good. Plus I happend to like the coloring on the H27, you can see it in the screen shots posted.

You could buy bulbs direct from Optoma $300 bucks. You'll be surpised how hard it is to chaulk up heavy hours on these. I think I'm at 600hrs and it seems I've had the projector going night and day for the last eight months. 2400hrs to go I hope.

I think i just made a big mistake! I have been wanting a front projector for my basement home theater and saw the ad on shop at home tv for the package deal on the h27 and 106 inch screen.Well i pulled the trigger without using my head and might be in trouble with the low ceiling in my basement(drop ceiling with about another 10 inches above the drop ceiling to the floor joices)the distance from floor to the drop ceiling is 83 inches.I am new this front projection scene so i am confused on how to figure where to place my screen,as far as figuring out the distance from ceiling to top of screen.I wanted to keep the screen as high as i could so my center channel speaker wouldn't end up on the floor!Is this setup going to work?Distance to screen is definatley not a problem,main seating will be 14ft away and room is 24 feet long.Any suggestions appreciated,thanks.P.S I guess i didnt mention that i wanted to ceiling mount the projector if at all possible.

17.5' projection distance

That's enormous.

putting the bottom of the screen about 15" from the ground, what were Optoma thinking?

I think they were thinking about coffee table use. If you want to stick this thing under a table in a reasonably sized room (meaning 10-12' from the screen) you really want that high offset--otherwise your picture will start somewhere around your ankles.

But I concur that waiting till after CEDIA is a very good idea.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

So it sounds like my only mounting option will be floor mounting :) .

Well remember if it does not work out the way you want it to, just send it back for a full refund. I am just going to have my projector when I get on a table or something similar but making sure it is about 12-15 feet back. I have to totally rearrange my room to do this but it will give me more room after I get rid of my 42" HDTV. Can't wait to try the bad boy out when I get it sometime next month.

Yeah i thought about just putting it on a small stand but dont want to move my favorite chair which is in the sweet spot at just where the projector needs to be. :( So i dont know what i am going to do,any ideas?I really want to use this projecter but the room height is really limiting things.

Too bad about the offset. I too am limited by ceiling mount considerations. 8 foot ceiling and 100" screen just won't work with this model! I hope Optoma reads this site so they realize all the sales they are losing.........

Yeah i thought about just putting it on a small stand but dont want to move my favorite chair which is in the sweet spot at just where the projector needs to be. :(

And it doesn't have enough offset to put under your chair? :D

(I'm actually thinking of trying this--bolting a bench seat to the floor and putting the projector on a cut-down mic stand (they have very heavy bases.) No reason not to take advantage of that nice offset. :)

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

I just recently bought the H27, and found a neat little glass-topped stand that is just about the perfect height for my home theater from Staples; it's a printer stand, but it would fit into the decor of many HT's. I put the PJ on the second shelf under the glass top, so I have a place for the Remotes or a glass of {insert favorite beverage here}. Heat seems to go out the front so I don't feel any heat sitting reght next to it. Not - it's assemble your self furniture and be carefull with the drawer slides, they are very delicate untill you get the drawer into the unit. Don't force anything or you'll find little silver bbs on the floor .
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=2&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=121226

I have some questions, like I stated before I am thinking about buying the 4805 or h27 which one should I get? I am going to be playing xbox on it, watch digital cable, play dvds stuff like that. How do you know how many hours you have used on your bulb to know when you are needing to buy a new one soon?


Thanks

They have bulb counters. Hope to get near 3,000hrs using econo.

Hi All,
Ive received my H27 over the weekend and must say the picture is awesome on my Elite Home Series motorized 16:9 108" screen! I must agree though that the throw angle is very steep...im still trying to work out the final setup details.

Best Regards,
Ricky

Work it out, end result is one powerfull low priced Home Theater. Excellent images with the H27.
enjoy

Work it out, end result is one powerfull low priced Home Theater. Excellent images with the H27.
enjoy


Do you own the h27?

No I had it for a couple of months to review.

I emailed Optoma about the H27 being 'end of life', and reportedly not available in Canada (other than from one store that bought all the stock, see my above post).

I got this response:


"The H27 is available in Canada and is not EOL. ****** currently stocks this product. Optoma serves the Canadian market via dedicated dealers/retailers for different categories of product.

Optoma Canada is headquartered in Richmond Hill and serves Canadian customers and retailers. "


Regardless, I finally pulled the trigger and put my order in for one with Jason at AVS, as he has been immensely helpful to me during the whole process of trying to decide on which projector is best for me.

Cheers!!

Hey Ricky, let us know how much using keystone affects image quality, if possible.
It sounds like you need to use it by your last post. Thanks.

Does anyone have a suggestion about where I can demo the h27? I'm an hour out of NYC on the Jersey side, but I can't find a single store that has a model out for display.

Hi All,
Here are some closeups of the projector...its sitting on an APC notebook craddle. Notice the projector angle. Keystoning doesnt seem to affect the pq too much...thank goodness!


Regards,
Ricky

The new issue of Home Theater magazine reviewed the H27, and it was pretty damn good.

The H27 is available at all F.S. electronics stores in Canada. I just walked in and bought it. Can't understand why all our canadian members are having so much trouble finding them up here.

The H27 is available at all F.S. electronics stores in Canada. I just walked in and bought it. Can't understand why all our canadian members are having so much trouble finding them up here.
As did I Saturday past. Boy-oh-boy! It's got the WOW factor alright. I don't even have a screen yet, I'm displaying on my chocolate brown wall, and dvd playback through HTPC w/DVI looks amazing! I do have an issue with their 1:1 (supposedly non-scaling) mode that I will be taking up with Optoma. I think I've read eough here to understand that there's no way to drive 854 pixels horizontally, is that true? If anyone knows some way to do this, I don't care what video card or software I have to buy to do it, please let me know. But I am a little ticked with this 1:1 mode. The manual implies it will display the source with no scaling, so in my mind I hoped it would center 848 pixels on the panel. It seems however this mode is disabled when using DVI input, so it scales.
Anyway, if anyone has ideas, or things you want me to try in a HTPC setup, just let me know.

Can we get some more screenshots of the H27? And please! No more Fifth Element. I'm about sick of those... :)

Some HDTV, some LOTR, some Matrix perhaps?

Can we get some more screenshots of the H27? And please! No more Fifth Element. I'm about sick of those... :)

Some HDTV, some LOTR, some Matrix perhaps?
I'd be happy to take a ton of pics. Are there any pointers I should know of before I do? I'm more than capable with a camera, have tripod, etc. but I want to make sure I do it right. I can set up my temporary white wall as well, instead of shooting on brown.

The H27 is available at all F.S. electronics stores in Canada. I just walked in and bought it. Can't understand why all our canadian members are having so much trouble finding them up here.

F.S. is selling the H27 for more than the US MSRP times the exchange rate. Can we discuss street price if it is more than MSRP?

:o

Guitarman:

What screen would you recommend for the Optoma H27? Would the Graywolf match up well with this projector? Thanks. Jimmy

Well I've done a ton more reading tonight over in that massive H31 thread. Looks like an nVidia card with it's special driver capabilities might work after all in getting 1:1 pixel mapping with my HTPC. Is it only a subset of nVidia cards that will work, or should just about anything go? I've got an Asus V9520 (FX5200 dual-dvi) in the Linux box I could swap out - any reason that shouldn't work? Thanks!

Rickster,

That is why I am in the process of ordering my H27 from Jason at AVS. I will be able to get it up from the States for cheaper than driving down the street to F.S.

My only problem is that I am taking a risk if I need warrantee work done, I will have to ship it to Optoma USA, but I think it is worth it.

Cheers!

I'd be happy to take a ton of pics. Are there any pointers I should know of before I do? I'm more than capable with a camera, have tripod, etc. but I want to make sure I do it right. I can set up my temporary white wall as well, instead of shooting on brown.

Thanks!

Here's a FAQ post on how to get good results with such screenshots:
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=413435

Here's a FAQ post on how to get good results with such screenshots:
Thanks! I thought I read there was one, but I couldn't find it. (Admittedly, I didn't look very hard.) I'll read it up and plan for a photo shoot.

I would like to thank guitarman and others for your help in choosing a projector. After a long wait I finally have the H27 and Momitsu 880DX DVD, this pair blows away any competition at this price range by a mile!

The picture is so sharp, rich in colors, great blacks and contrast. I couldn't buy anything better, thanks again! :)

Guitarman:

What screen would you recommend for the Optoma H27? Would the Graywolf match up well with this projector? Thanks. Jimmy

With a table mount it would, ceiling mount I'd try a dalite mat white or high power.

I would like to thank guitarman and others for your help in choosing a projector. After a long wait I finally have the H27 and Momitsu 880DX DVD, this pair blows away any competition at this price range by a mile!

The picture is so sharp, rich in colors, great blacks and contrast. I couldn't buy anything better, thanks again! :)


Sounds good, did you setup a custom res with the Momitsu? Good black level HT-Mag got 0.060 which means very good blacks.

Sounds good, did you setup a custom res with the Momitsu? Good black level HT-Mag got 0.060 which means very good blacks.

I just set the custom res, the picture got even better. Now this seriously rocks.

1.1 pixel match is clean and sharper. The H27 does Rock. The menu control it has is pretty interesting also. Time to watch some blockbusters. Sub par movie but I'd bet AVP will look awesome.

does the h27 have any of the vague screen door apparent on the 4805?

To the Canadians trying to find the H27, Futureshop has it on sale (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10061452&langid=EN) this week! I noticed some of you have bought it at F.S. recently. I think you can get them to price match their own sale price within 30 days.

Man, I wish BestBuy Canada had this (I couldn't see it on the Cdn website). They are having a 10% off most things this weekend (Preferred Customer Sale) and given that they own FutureShop, often they carry the same sales.

To the Canadians trying to find the H27, Futureshop has it on sale (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10061452&langid=EN) this week! I noticed some of you have bought it at F.S. recently. I think you can get them to price match their own sale price within 30 days.
You betcha! I'm heading over tonight. I got FS to pricematch TigerDirect when I got it, last weekend but I knew it would be on sale either this weekend or next. Didn't expect a full $250 off tho... that's pretty awesome.

Man, I wish BestBuy Canada had this (I couldn't see it on the Cdn website). They are having a 10% off most things this weekend (Preferred Customer Sale) and given that they own FutureShop, often they carry the same sales.
Well you can get it for better than 10% off at FS right now... as posted earlier.

does the h27 have any of the vague screen door apparent on the 4805?
I intend do do some serious testing with my H27 this weekend, after I get my nVidia vidcard installed so I can achieve 1:1 pixel map. For now my image will be a lowly "just under 4' wide" tho, so it's likely not a good test of what you want to know.

does the h27 have any of the vague screen door apparent on the 4805?

Looked about the same as the H31 which is good. As long as you view from the right distance you'll be ok, you won't see the noise. Actually a pretty smooth picture really.

Well you can get it for better than 10% off at FS right now... as posted earlier.

I meant get the sale price plus 10%.

okay and in regards to the screen door, the h31 was slightly superior to the 4805?

Sounds like the Momitsu DVD player fits well with the H27 due to its custom pixel mapping. Would that make it the best choice then? I'm not familiar with Momitsu. Do any of the Forum's vendors carry them?

The Bravo D2 will do the same thing. I have it and used a custom res.

I just picked up a H27 from a retail store in Canada. Any Canadian who bought from F.S. recently - go back to get a price difference.

I just picked up a H27 from a retail store in Canada. Any Canadian who bought from F.S. recently - go back to get a price difference.

The H27 is in this weekends Frys Newspaper Ads. I saw it at the store, they had 5 instock, and are selling for $947.

-GK

Picked up my H27 this afternoon, and just finished watching 'Sleepy Hollow' with my wife.

PJ isn't setup yet at, all (sitting on coffee table), and the screen is temporarily installed.

My wife and I were both completely blown away by this movie on the H27, it just looked gorgeous. Skin tones were perfect, shadow detail was excellent, the bright coloured 'dream/flashback' scenes made our jaws drop after all the dreary tones in the village. We could definitely tell the difference between AI mode on and off.

One problem, my wife must be extremely sensitive to RBE, as she was seeing them. I didn't point it out, she just mentioned "It looks awesome, but I keep seeing these little rainbows".

We were snacking on some food, so when I asked her more about them, she said that she mostly saw them just as she was looking away from the screen. She did see them occasionally while just watching the screen, but not too much. I never saw any (unless trying hard to).

Anyway, we were both very impressed, and I hope that after I mount the projector, and the picture is a little larger it will reduce the RBE for my wife.

Cheers!

Anybode can draw out a rainbow with what I call the lazy eye. Tell her not to glance away lazy like. :)

I've been spending a frustrating weekend trying to get this pj to pixel map to a pc over DVI. I've tried both Radeon and NVidia cards, with and without Powerstrip. Anytime I set a res above 800 pixels wide, the pj seems to sense it as 1024, and it scales it.

This pj has a 1:1 mode in the menus, and on the remote... did the H31 have that? The manual states that it will display the input signal without scaling. After reading all the 1:1 issues with the H31, I figured this was Optoma's solution to that issue. What I found is that it doesn't work over DVI - that mode disappears from the menu and the remote button does nothing.

I decided to try VGA. In this mode, the 1:1 seems to work perfectly. I'd need to run it through a few more paces, but I got a nice 848x480 desktop with no scaling whatsoever. It seems that if you feed it less than the native res it centers that on the panel. If you feed it more, it crops off the borders equally.... couldn't ask for more than that. I haven't put up a test image yet to verify this however. If you hit the 16:9 button then of course you get the whole desktop scaled to fit.

I don't understand why this 1:1 mode is disabled over DVI. This could be a deal-breaker for me, as much as I like the picture quality of this unit. If I run a 640x480 desktop and use the 4:3 mode over DVI, it's clear why DVI is preferable. It is so pixelly-sharp. This is what I require.

If anyone has any ideas or things to try, just let me know. Is there an Optoma rep that frequents these forums that I could email/PM about the issue?

Case: the exact same thing happenend to me this weekend.
I picked mine up friday after work and watched about 5 movies.
One was sin city and the wife was doing the same thing.
"i see rainbows if i blink fast"..I said well don't blink fast..

Pretty neat little PJ though.
I'm having a bad time finding mounting screws for it though. i wish these manufacturers would be more mainstream when it comes to these things.
I've been to 5 stores so far and can't find a M2.6 no one even carries it.

theres no way i'm spending $200-350 on a mount though either, so my mount project continues today.

Mikey

After I told my wife about the rainbows, and what aggravated them (looking away fast), she was able to watch it and not see as many.

Leef, let me know where you find screws to mount it. I will probably be trying a DIY mount this week. I am trying to think of something like the monkeyman mount, but will let me get as close as possible to the ceiling so I can minimize keystoning.

Very impressed with this PJ, can't wait to get my permanent setup complete.

Cheers!

Case: the exact same thing happenend to me this weekend.
I picked mine up friday after work and watched about 5 movies.
One was sin city and the wife was doing the same thing.
"i see rainbows if i blink fast"..I said well don't blink fast..

Pretty neat little PJ though.
I'm having a bad time finding mounting screws for it though. i wish these manufacturers would be more mainstream when it comes to these things.
I've been to 5 stores so far and can't find a M2.6 no one even carries it.

theres no way i'm spending $200-350 on a mount though either, so my mount project continues today.

Mikey

Google search Panavise, if there's a tripod screw on the H27 and I think there is you can use one of these, they're like 20 bucks.

I'm having a bad time finding mounting screws for it though. i wish these manufacturers would be more mainstream when it comes to these things.
I've been to 5 stores so far and can't find a M2.6 no one even carries it.

theres no way i'm spending $200-350 on a mount though either, so my mount project continues today.

Mikey

The closest mounting screw I can find is M2.5 @ 12mm. It screws in and out fine but I need 20mm length to get through plexiglass and spacer. The search continues. I wonder if 7/64" screw would work.

Anyone knows whether the tripod mounting hole can be used for upside down mounting?

Guitarman,

I typed my message as you were typing yours. I take it that tripod mounting will work upside down. Normal 1/4" inch bolt can be used.

Rick

Hmm, the Bravo D2 seems to be sold out at V Inc. Are the Bravo and Momitsu the only or best DVD players for the Optoma H27?

I was considering the H31 but found the H27 for about $850 free shipping. For $300 less than the H31 the H27 changed my mind. However, I am not sure if it will work for me...I need your expert advise. My ceiling is 8ft high and the I'm considering using the 106 diag. screen, which will be about 16 ft. away from the projector that will be ceiling mount. Also, I don't have a power outlet on the ceiling...considering using an extension cord. Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

I was considering the H31 but found the H27 for about $850 free shipping. For $300 less than the H31 the H27 changed my mind. However, I am not sure if it will work for me...I need your expert advise. My ceiling is 8ft high and the I'm considering using the 106 diag. screen, which will be about 16 ft. away from the projector that will be ceiling mount. Also, I don't have a power outlet on the ceiling...considering using an extension cord. Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
The H31 can be found for a much better price than $1150. That being said, I've tried both, and I think I prefer the H27 (comparing PQ from memory is pretty difficult). With your setup, however, either you'll have to tilt the PJ some and use the keystone correction, or the bottom of your screen will be about a foot from the floor (or even closer to the floor if the ceiling mount offsets the PJ from the ceiling by more than a couple inches). If you can accept one of those compromises, I think you'll be very satisfied with the H27.

guys,

watch the price talk, MSRP only:)

thanx..

I've re-read this thread. It has been asked many times but no clear answers. With the high offset (is it .53 or .57 of screen height?) I suspect many would have to resort to keystoning.

It looks like I may have to compensate for a 92" screen where the image will be 4-5" too high. So if I tilt the projector down, how drastic will the keystoning be and can anyone comment on the quality of the resulting image.

Thanks, Steve

Guitarman,

I typed my message as you were typing yours. I take it that tripod mounting will work upside down. Normal 1/4" inch bolt can be used.

Rick

Yes these projectors are light and many including me were just using the Tripod screw with ceiling mounts. A ton used the Panavise. Normal 1/4" bolt.

Hello avs members,

I would like to share my evalution of the optoma h27.

The H27 ( the Goods )

1- Nice design
2- Excellent build quality
3- Light spill to minimum
4- Excellent contrast ratio with AI on ( for the price )
5- Noise level inferior to 4805
6- less digital noise from DMD chip
7- wow impression picture overall
8- Two years warranty.

The ( BADs )

1- Too dim ( need a blackout home theater ) Infocus 4805 Brighter with n2 filter on
2- Softer picture but this is ok
3- sometime picture colors look oversatured
4- Need calibration out of the box
5- Offset to high
6- No lamp cage protection ( if your lamp blows, you need a major service overhaul ).

I will recommend the H27 anytime but look at the infocus 4805 or optoma H31 first ( I think both are better piece of equipment than the H-27 but this is my personal opinion).

BTW : I owned both infocus 4805 and optoma H-27. I really preferred by far my Infocus

Sincerly yours

Stephan

Question regarding HDCP compliant DVI. If this projector has this, I understand that most DVD's cannot be upscaled if using the upconversion feature of some DVD players. Is this correct? Is the Oppo or the LG LDA-531 a good DVD player for this projector?

MCH: Its my understanding that HDCP compliant devices still upscaled (otherwise what would be the point). MOST just wont do it over component.
I used the LG7832 over component all weekend with nice results.
From what i hear, the oppo is yer best bet for the H27.

Prelude: I saw your other thread. I don't think your going to have to keystone too much.
I haven't built a frame for my screen yet so i don't know the measurements. Looks pretty square to me though (similar situation - 15 feet back on a 108 inch).
On a similar note i'm thinking about less zoom on the screen and take it down a couple notches. I'm seeing pixel structure at this size/distance. I might bring it down to 102-104 inches.

Case: My monkeyman/tim inspired mount is complete and up there. It was harder to make than i thought. I even did the classic blunder and used lucite that was too thin. You should have seen the plates starting to buckle under the weight. I picked it up by the plumber flanges as a test and knew, before it left the table, that i had b0rked it. Had a good laugh. Sped to Rona, got the thicker (1.77, i think? NOT 0.93) gauge Lucite, dremeled the crap out of it. Good to go. Laughed at myself some more.

Who said they the saw natural skin tones on this?
What mode what is it in?
What colour temp?

Lets start tossing some numbers around. I'm swimming in reds over here.
I have DVE but i don't have time to sit down and navigate through it, quite yet.
Being a newbie at pj's, I also have to answer the old rubber/cloth side of the BOC debate for myself tonight.
lots to do.

It looks like I may have to compensate for a 92" screen where the image will be 4-5" too high. So if I tilt the projector down, how drastic will the keystoning be and can anyone comment on the quality of the resulting image.

Thanks, Steve
I haven't tried any keystoning yet... I will tonight and report back.

Hello avs members,

I will recommend the H27 anytime but look at the infocus 4805 or optoma H31 first ( I think both are better piece of equipment than the H-27 but this is my personal opinion).

Stephan
Why do you prefer the H31 over the H27? Just the offset issue? (I'm not familiar with the H31, so maybe there are other items from your BAD list above that are not issues with the H31...)

Why do you prefer the H31 over the H27? Just the offset issue? (I'm not familiar with the H31, so maybe there are other items from your BAD list above that are not issues with the H31...)

This is a good question, don't get me wrong the H-27 is a excellent projector unless you have a good dark theater environemment. For my personal taste I prefer the H31, first because after initial calibration this thing put more lumens out and have excellent shadow details :) . For the colour accuracy the H-31 is very pleasant to look at.

Finally, I forgot to mention that the H-27 have some brigntess flicker due to the AI circuit.

If you are not on a budget go for the H-31 you won't regret it...

Just look at owner reviews in www.projectorcentral.com

All you guys with the H27...are you having to do major keystoning since the offset is high? How bad is the affect on PQ? Having the projector mounted on the ceiling, how far is the top of the picture from the ceiling? Thanks.

I said I saw real nice skin tones. That was watching 'sleepy hollow', with out of the box settings, I haven't tweaked anything yet. I will take some pictures next time we watch a movie.

As far as the 27 being dim (relatively), I don't find it so, it actually seems quite bright, watched a movie the other night with lights on in the far end of the room, and it was fine.

Anyway, I will try to post some shots soon.

Cheers!

I was thinking about purchasing a H27 for my master bedroom and throwing it up on a DIY 60-80" screen.

I wonder if the H27 takes the same bulb as the Optoma 739 and is clearly sharing the case as well, why is the 739 rated for 5000 hrs low bulb mode?

I wonder if the AI takes a toll on bulb life in lieu of contrast performance? I would think it would not be great for the bulb to cycle to high then low mode rapidly and constantly..

I am no engineer, but my 10 years here have made me more aware of the dos and don'ts

Anyone know the true d65k output of this unit?

It is my suggestion that the H27 is a 739 with a darkchip 2 light engine, what that translates to on the screen is what I need to know?


TJ

I measured the H27 at 385lumens in econo and 585 in bright. Reference HT brightness level is 12ftl off the screen. With a 106"diagonal screen 385lumens will be 15.3ftl off the screen. A little high but not bad enough to make a difference. Black level is 0.060 which is excellent. Things should work out nice for a HT setup.

If you want a plasma look you can get a high gain screen. Blacks will suffer a little though.

Finally, I forgot to mention that the H-27 have some brigntess flicker due to the AI circuit.

First I have heard anyone mention this. Anyone else feel this way?

First I have heard anyone mention this. Anyone else feel this way?

Sometimes you can see the AI working when movie scenes are changing, but this is really not an issue for me or any of my friends. It's not flickering, the picture just suddenly gets a bit brighter or darker.
I don't even notice this when watching any movie and if you really want, you can always switch it off...

Yep. I've noticed it too on occasion.
Not a big deal.
It actually freaked me out for a second. I had read about flickering problems just before i rented Hitchhikers Guide last night. It took me a couple minutes to realize that Hitchhikers has a LOT of inherent flickering in the movie itself (especially the vogon scenes).
Apparently vogons can't change light bulbs.
:)
Other than that, Sahara afterwords was entirely stable and i was able to relax.

mikey

This is a good question, don't get me wrong the H-27 is a excellent projector unless you have a good dark theater environemment. For my personal taste I prefer the H31, first because after initial calibration this thing put more lumens out and have excellent shadow details :) . For the colour accuracy the H-31 is very pleasant to look at.

Finally, I forgot to mention that the H-27 have some brigntess flicker due to the AI circuit.

If you are not on a budget go for the H-31 you won't regret it...

Just look at owner reviews in www.projectorcentral.com
Yeah, after my initial (limited) tests thus far, the AI doesn't do much for me, except increase the fan speed and thus background noise level. If the pj was properly mounted on the ceiling rather than sitting on a table in front of me, I might not notice the extra noise. For me, splitting out the DVI-I into seperate DVI-D and RGB connectors the way the H27 does was a feature I wanted. I'm surprised that things like color and shadow details could be different... I thought these units had the same "engine"? Sure, there will be calibration differences, but after that's done I would think they should acheive the same pq. There won't be a comparable number of user reviews for the H27 for some time yet, since it is newer. Hard to draw any conclusions from that yet...

I haven't tried any keystoning yet... I will tonight and report back.
Well it was't much of a keystone test, since my hardboard screen wasn't far from parallel with the wall, but to my untrained eye I saw no effects from having made keystone adjustments. I watched Sahara with the keystone in effect. Just occurred to me that I could have tilted the pj as it sat on the table, and then applied more keystone correction. I will try another test.

Well my 1:1 pixel mapping issues are resolved! I've got an 854x480 pixel perfect desktop. After contacting an Optoma rep who's name I found on the H31 thread, they emailed me a technical bulletin for the H31 which I applied and it worked out perfectly. My only problem now is that Windoze forgets to reapply my custom res after I reboot. Not sure why that is, but I'm sure I can resolve that somehow. DVD playback looks fantastic with no pj scaling.

Special thanks to the folks at Optoma for their quick response and willingness to help. I know now for sure I made the right choice in selecting this pj.

robgrobg,

Would it be possible to post the instructions that you used to get 1:1?

Cheers!

Yes these projectors are light and many including me were just using the Tripod screw with ceiling mounts. A ton used the Panavise. Normal 1/4" bolt.

Is this the style mount you speak of from Panavise?

http://panavise.com/nf/cctv/cctv_deluxe.html

Can somebody confirm that the H27 has the tripod mount for this panavise mount?

Steve

The Panavise 20lb Speaker mount is identical to the Optoma solution, you just need to make a plate to match to the mounting holes.

My buddy did this on his Optoma 739, which is the same case as the h27

Total cost less than 45.00


TJ

To the Canadians trying to find the H27, Futureshop has it on sale (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10061452&langid=EN) this week! I noticed some of you have bought it at F.S. recently. I think you can get them to price match their own sale price within 30 days.Just a friendly reminder for us Canadians. The sale ends today!

robgrobg,

Would it be possible to post the instructions that you used to get 1:1?

Cheers!
No problem... they sent me a PDF file. I can host it and just supply a link here I guess? Is there somewhere here to store stuff like this? I'm going to wait until this server is less busy in any case... took me awhile just to get to this board!

Cheers, thanks robgrobg.

Stephen, that is the right mount (and the one I just ordered today).

Yes, the H27 will accept the 1/2" screw from that mount.

I have used my H27 for three days. It is giving out a burning-metal (thinking soldering) smell. Is this normal for a new machine? Anyone's H27 has the same smell? How long does it take for the smell to go away?

Cheers, thanks robgrobg.

Stephen, that is the right mount (and the one I just ordered today).

Yes, the H27 will accept the 1/2" screw from that mount.

Please comment on this mount when you get it. I'm most interested in it's ability to stay "locked" after the screws are set. Being in a basement with alot of traffic upstairs, I don't want vibration to wreak havoc on it, should I get an H27.

Steve

Is this the style mount you speak of from Panavise?

http://panavise.com/nf/cctv/cctv_deluxe.html

Can somebody confirm that the H27 has the tripod mount for this panavise mount?

Steve

The 826 is the one they were getting. It stays firm because of the allen screws. They tried the one with the turn knobs but it was hard to get it tight enough. Standard Tripod mount.

My H27 had a burning smell for about a little over a week. After about 50 hours it went away.

I have used my H27 for three days. It is giving out a burning-metal (thinking soldering) smell. Is this normal for a new machine? Anyone's H27 has the same smell? How long does it take for the smell to go away?
That's probably the O2 air purification feature you are smelling! :D

I've put the H31 Technical Bulletin I received from Optoma up on my website. This has specifics for achieving a 1:1 pixel map Windows desktop of 854x480. It happens to work with the H27 as well of course. You need an NVidia card to do this because it can set customs resolutions in multiples of 2 pixels. ATI Radeon cards can only do multiples of 8. This document does imply that you can 1:1 map with 856 pixels as well (two columns cropped I guess), so perhaps you can get it to work with an ATI card but I haven't tested that yet. The document also specifies a 6600GT based card, with version 77.10 of the NVidia driver. On the contrary, I'm using a lowly FX5200 based card (Asus V9520) and the latest driver I found on NVidia's website.

http://robg.ca/dropbox/H31_TB0013.pdf

It wasn't all as straightforward as this document makes it appear... I had to monkey around with a few things, including manually setting a monitor type of Sony GDM-W900, although that may have been a coincidence. I'll try to create a monitor definition file with Powerstrip for the H27 pj and by using that perhaps the process will go more smoothly. I'm going to go through it all again anyway and note any "gotchas" and my workarounds for them.

Other than getting it working the first time, the only problem I have now is that I loose the custom res after reboot. I'm pretty sure this is not supposed to happen with the NVidia driver. Powerstrip has a "start with Windows" option, but the NVidia driver is just the native driver... I think it's supposed to remember what it was set to. This may be related to the monitor definition file issue - not sure, I'll have to play.

Got mine today from FS. I'm a bit dissapointed that the only way you can use the enhanced contrast is to have the bulb in high power mode. It's a bit misleading when you buy it thinking you can get the high contrast and 3000 hours when you can only get 2000 hours. So less hours and more noise for the more contrast....

Definately a more crt like picture, more contrast, color than my x1 so far and not even calibrated yet.

Got mine today from FS. I'm a bit dissapointed that the only way you can use the enhanced contrast is to have the bulb in high power mode. It's a bit misleading when you buy it thinking you can get the high contrast and 3000 hours when you can only get 2000 hours. So less hours and more noise for the more contrast....

Definately a more crt like picture, more contrast, color than my x1 so far and not even calibrated yet.
Yeah, I don't notice enough of a difference between AI mode on and off to warrant using it with the increased fan noise. But I don't have it ceiling mounted yet, and I don't have a "pro" screen either, just a homemade white hardboard thing with a spruce frame around it. :D Also, this is my first digital pj, so I have nothing to compare against as far as increased contrast.

Ok so here goes some quick ones...

I suck at photography.
Here's some Prelim Numbers so far:

B= 45
C=65
S=1
D=Norm
C=51
t=48
--
WP=3
CT=1

These are for a dark room under DVE.
These are rudimentary numbers. I'm getting drunk and playing. But thats what i got so far after squinting through the DVE filters.
BTW, if there was a movie MADE for this machine, it's Superbit StarshipTroopers.
WOW i'm impressed.

here's some druken shots from 14' back. Screen is around 102 inches.
System: H-27, LG7832, Pannie Xr-50,Paradigm Ref's, Ar masters blah blah

P.S. Basic Black out cloth. Yes, i chose the rubbery side.
Now i need to build a frame!

Round 2

Guitarman, did you do any testing of the contrast ratio and lumens in low bulb mode?

Just how much quieter is the H27 over the h31?

@ Leef DaLucky

Nice, how high is your ceiling and how many inches is the bottom of the screen from the floor? Also, did you do any keystoning? Thanks.

Hi Prelude.
8 foot ceilings.
30 inches off the floor.
No keystoning yet. although like i said i haven't built the frame for the screen yet.
i don't think i'll be keystoning anything though.
not neccesary for me anyways.
I'll try to take some more later on tonight with some HD, and some starship troopers pix..

nice screenshots Leef;)

Guitarman, did you do any testing of the contrast ratio and lumens in low bulb mode?

Just how much quieter is the H27 over the h31?

Only tested with AI on. Plus I tuned down to D65k with colorfacts. OTB users are probably seeing much higher lumens and contrast. As long as your colors look satisfactory to you after a DVE/AVIA tuneup you're ok. Plus adding a little white peak can be good also. Just as long as you don't see white crush in sky scenes with white clouds.

Even with AI on which runs the fan in high the sound is lower than the H31. The H31 is very quiet as is also.

Ok so here goes some quick ones...

I suck at photography.
Here's some Prelim Numbers so far:

B= 45
C=65
S=1
D=Norm
C=51
t=48
--
WP=3
CT=1

These are for a dark room under DVE.
These are rudimentary numbers. I'm getting drunk and playing. But thats what i got so far after squinting through the DVE filters.
BTW, if there was a movie MADE for this machine, it's Superbit StarshipTroopers.
WOW i'm impressed.

here's some druken shots from 14' back. Screen is around 102 inches.
System: H-27, LG7832, Pannie Xr-50,Paradigm Ref's, Ar masters blah blah

P.S. Basic Black out cloth. Yes, i chose the rubbery side.
Now i need to build a frame!

Drunken pictures are always the best. :) I see you down resed to 800X600, I do this also it's makes the sharpest image for me. Rubber side? I have a DIY/bo screen and thought I made a mistake by having the rubber side up front. Are people saying the rubber side is best?

Excellent pictures, color looks good like in the Leeloo shot.
enjoy

Can someone try this service menu entry procedure for me, This allows deeper adjustment of the RGB offsets in the EZpro 739 which uses an all too familiar looking menu/firmware


It might just work....

.start with projector on
.press power off
..see display of 'Power off the lamp Picture Mute'
.press left shift arrow ~ 8 times slowly
..see display of otherwise hidden menu
...version date stamp, model number
...burn in test
...spoke test
...pc/video calibration
...logo start

If this works you should be able to access the settings for deeper RGB controls and see what's cookin with the latest firmware?


TJ

OK! I have the H27 in house now a couple of days. I've been using a Toshiba SD2700 for the DVD chore. I was very impressed with the pic; even though the player is not progressive etc. etc. But I am using a fairly small screen (due to room limitations), it's about a 63" diagonal. So today I thought I would see what a Panasonic S77 could do for the setup. Is there any extra settings I should be utilizing other than the obvious? As to MB problems (lip sync should in itself be obvious) what do I look for and what particular movies show this the best; or is ignorance bliss in this situation? I have 30 days for test driving the Panasonic. The Optoma is a keeper, either way!
I really like being able to watch movies in a larger format compared to my Toshiba 32" flatscreen. I have a kick-ass sound system and the Toshiba never did justice to the movie experience. Now I have both. I can't believe how quiet the Optoma is.
thx for any input

Can someone try this service menu entry procedure for me, This allows deeper adjustment of the RGB offsets in the EZpro 739 which uses an all too familiar looking menu/firmware


It might just work....

.start with projector on
.press power off
..see display of 'Power off the lamp Picture Mute'
.press left shift arrow ~ 8 times slowly
..see display of otherwise hidden menu
...version date stamp, model number
...burn in test
...spoke test
...pc/video calibration
...logo start

If this works you should be able to access the settings for deeper RGB controls and see what's cookin with the latest firmware?


TJ
Yessiree! This works... very cool. I love stuff like this. Thaks for that note.

Can you post some pics of the menus, or confirm the adjustments of the RGB offsets?

I also read the Hometheater Mag review and it stated the unit in Brite Mode only produced ~8fl of brightness?!?!

I thought Guitarman said it was aprox 385 lumens, which would translate to aprox 12-14 fl from similar projector reviews on 1.0 screens.

My Toshiba MT700 was aprox 400 lumens calibrated to 1400:1 and 14fl aprox?


Also Guitarman showed a 2230:1 calibrated on:off ratio!, while HTmag found it to be 1700:1
with .006 levels

I wonder if all of his readings were achieved with the High Power screen?

I don't get it...Guitarman is usually on the money :) But the findings of HTmag have me concerned?

I need hard facts here, anyone have some direct comparisons to some other PJs...8Fl is a small amount....I am used to 14 fl...and kind of need it for my room and habits?

Confused.....

Can you post some pics of the menus, or confirm the adjustments of the RGB offsets?
Yeah, now that I got my 1:1 pixel map from HTPC worked out I can go ahead and take a bunch of snaps as I promised earlier. I'll be sure to include all the new menu entries too.

Thanks for the info guitarman. It is fairly quiet in AI mode, it's darn near silent in low brightness mode.

Anyone else have issues feeding it a 1280 x 720p signal from thier pc? I just wanted to see how well it scaled that in a game to get an idea of what an xbox 360 game will look like. I got a signal, but it was green....

So I may be left with a delemna.....keep the h27 or return it and buy a h31 with the grey wolf from costco.
I get 3000 hours then instead of 2000 to get the good contrast ratio.

Guitarman, will the greywold screen make much of a difference? (I am using a cheap appolo pull down, matt white, think it 1.0)

Heya Tom/GM?
I've been cal'ing according to Colour temp 1.
Is that what you used?
What's closer to D65?
1 or 2?

I've gotten rid of the Uber Reds that optoma seems to known for OOTB.
I'm using my own eyes though and i don't completely trust them as far as colour goes.
Is there a colour setting that you feel gets closer to d65 on these?

I'm pretty sure i nailed things as far as setting 1 goes.
looks sweet here.
This r-gamma setting is weird too.
it will brighten up detail on stuff but at such a low level its tough to distinguish.

Can you post some pics of the menus, or confirm the adjustments of the RGB offsets?

I also read the Hometheater Mag review and it stated the unit in Brite Mode only produced ~8fl of brightness?!?!

I thought Guitarman said it was aprox 385 lumens, which would translate to aprox 12-14 fl from similar projector reviews on 1.0 screens.

My Toshiba MT700 was aprox 400 lumens calibrated to 1400:1 and 14fl aprox?


Also Guitarman showed a 2230:1 calibrated on:off ratio!, while HTmag found it to be 1700:1
with .006 levels

I wonder if all of his readings were achieved with the High Power screen?

I don't get it...Guitarman is usually on the money :) But the findings of HTmag have me concerned?

I need hard facts here, anyone have some direct comparisons to some other PJs...8Fl is a small amount....I am used to 14 fl...and kind of need it for my room and habits?

Confused.....

I wouldn't worry. My findings are dead on with Greg Rodgers of WSR. He uses reference equipment so no need to worry about my numbers.

Bank on it 385lumens tuned down to 65k. More than plenty. My HT1000 is down there at near 275lumens tuned.
enjoy

Thanks for the info guitarman. It is fairly quiet in AI mode, it's darn near silent in low brightness mode.

Anyone else have issues feeding it a 1280 x 720p signal from thier pc? I just wanted to see how well it scaled that in a game to get an idea of what an xbox 360 game will look like. I got a signal, but it was green....

So I may be left with a delemna.....keep the h27 or return it and buy a h31 with the grey wolf from costco.
I get 3000 hours then instead of 2000 to get the good contrast ratio.

Guitarman, will the greywold screen make much of a difference? (I am using a cheap appolo pull down, matt white, think it 1.0)

You'll be fine with the MW. I'd only suggest the Graywolf if you have white walls and can table mount.

Heya Tom/GM?
I've been cal'ing according to Colour temp 1.
Is that what you used?
What's closer to D65?
1 or 2?

I've gotten rid of the Uber Reds that optoma seems to known for OOTB.
I'm using my own eyes though and i don't completely trust them as far as colour goes.
Is there a colour setting that you feel gets closer to d65 on these?

I'm pretty sure i nailed things as far as setting 1 goes.
looks sweet here.
This r-gamma setting is weird too.
it will brighten up detail on stuff but at such a low level its tough to distinguish.

The best way to find the best color temp is to view a graysteps pattern and toggle the color temps. The one that make the best steely grays is the one you want. Usually 1 or 2

Hi Prelude.
8 foot ceilings.
30 inches off the floor.
No keystoning yet. although like i said i haven't built the frame for the screen yet.
i don't think i'll be keystoning anything though.
not neccesary for me anyways.
I'll try to take some more later on tonight with some HD, and some starship troopers pix..

I'm trying to figure out how you got 30" off the floor. A 100" 16:9 screen is 49" high. .57x49 = 28 (rounded). 96"-28"-49"=19".

Can you please explain? Just curious at this point before purchasing...I can live with 19" since my 30" coaxial only 30" TV is 17" off the floor :-D

Thanx! My first post! Yeah!

If you're not comparing these directly (back to back)...will your really see a difference between the 4805 and the H27? I've read through the thread - but it seems like the differences really take some close comparison.

actually adam its about 28.5 inches off the ground.
Also, theres a review over at projectorreviews.com that slightly delves into a 4805 comparison as well.

mikey

Ok, here are my first screen shot photos - the "service" menu. IMO - these suck. I was amazed at how hard it was to get a decent photo. These are vastly underexposed because the white on the desktop was getting blown out otherwise. If anyone knows how to activate the "video calibration" and "pc calibration" menu items please let me know. Nothing happens when I try to select those items. By the way, there's no need of the ~8 key presses of the left arrow as earlier posted to get to this menu. Just hold the left arrow until it shows.

Additional photos:

Additional photos: (Is this really the preferred method? I could have just posted a link to my server...)

actually adam its about 28.5 inches off the ground.
Also, theres a review over at projectorreviews.com that slightly delves into a 4805 comparison as well.

mikey
That review and entire site has been HIGHLY criticized by people that really knows projectors and have no hidden agendas so please Adam don't base your decision on that "comparison" or should I call it Optoma's unofficial brochure?

Luis:

Are you saying that Projectorreviews.com is biased towards Optoma or InFocus? What are you basing that on?

Yes these projectors are light and many including me were just using the Tripod screw with ceiling mounts. A ton used the Panavise. Normal 1/4" bolt.

From the looks of it, the Panavise CCTV 826 mount can be articulated to mount the H27 almost flush to the ceiling. Can anybody confirm this and/or provide exact measurements about how close you can get your projector to the ceiling? I'm trying to get my H27 to work with an 8.5' ceiling height.

Also, can anybody recommend where to buy one of these mounts in Canada (online or brick&mortar)?

DR

From the looks of the massive 4805 thread - around pages 511 and up, the review wasn't exactly biased, it was more misrepresentative of the 4805. The starfield pictures from the 4805, for one, seem to have come from a miconfigured projector. There were several comments that were attacked from the review.

It's really sounding like the 4805 and the H27 are on par with each other overall - with certain factors slightly outshining the other in each category. The 72 Hz sync on the 4805 is an interesting extra feature. All this makes it very difficult for someone like me to make a decision. I can't predict everything that I'm going to want once I get started playing with my first pj.

I at least would like to be impressed out-of-the-box by either...which I'm sure I will be.

I spent quite a bit of time and trouble trying to find a place in Canada to get the Panavise mounts from.

I finally ordered from procuir. Here is the contact info of the guy I talked to and ordered from:


Simon Forcier
700 , rue Ardouin
Beauport (Québec) G1C 7J8
Canada
(514) 333-6800
(514) 333-6800
s.forcier@procuir.com
www.procuir.com

I ended up going with the 845-246W Micro mount, as they wouldn't have stock on the 826W for 5-10 days, and I am anxious to get my H27 mounted properly.

Cheers!

I ended up going with the 845-246W Micro mount, as they wouldn't have stock on the 826W for 5-10 days, and I am anxious to get my H27 mounted properly.


The only problem that I can see with the 845 Micro mount (for my room) is that the projector can't be flush against the ceiling due to the 2" shaft. ;) But I can understand how eager you'd be to set up your PJ and not wanting to wait 5-10 days. :) Let us know how the PJ set-up looks with it installed!

Can anybody confirm that the 826 mount can be articulated so that the top of the projector (bottom-side-up) touches the ceiling. I'm trying to get as large a picture as possible (without keystoning) in a low ceiling basement.

The only problem that I can see with the 845 Micro mount (for my room) is that the projector can't be flush against the ceiling due to the 2" shaft. ;) But I can understand how eager you'd be to set up your PJ and not wanting to wait 5-10 days. :) Let us know how the PJ set-up looks with it installed!

Can anybody confirm that the 826 mount can be articulated so that the top of the projector (bottom-side-up) touches the ceiling. I'm trying to get as large a picture as possible (without keystoning) in a low ceiling basement.
Are you still not going to have the thickness of the shaft (and more) between the projector and the ceiling, even if it can be articulated that far over? If you want truly flush mount, all you need to do is drop the right sized machine bolt through the ceiling (likely through some supportive cross-member that you may need to add) and tighten it into the pj from above. If you've got a really long bolt then this can be a one person job, if it's barely long enough then you'll have to have someone hold the pj in place down below while you tighten the bolt from above (I'm assuming finished ceiling here.)

Dragon,

That's right, I would likely be able to get a bit closer with the 826, and the other benefit I am missing out in is the ability to do lateral (left/right) adjustments from the mount, you would be able to with the 826.

With my setup, I will be ok with this mount I think (combination of smaller screen size, and fairly tall basement ceilings).

Anyway, once I have it (likely Monday or Tuesday), and have it installed I will post my impressions.

Cheers!

Are you still not going to have the thickness of the shaft (and more) between the projector and the ceiling, even if it can be articulated that far over?

That's true, but I just wanted to know how close the Panavise 826 mount can get the H27 to the ceiling. If it can mount a projector within 2 inches of the ceiling, that would be good for me. The only other mount I've seen that mounts close is the Peerless PRS Low Profile, but that still drops the projector down about 2.5 inches (or more?), AND it's quite expensive.

The Panavise seems like the cheapest option for a "flush" mount which can still be fine-tuned slightly for picture alignment. If there are other options, please feel free to correct me. :o

First post here. Been reading and researching for about 3 weeks now. A lot to learn! Good news is I'm currently using a 25 inch TV that I bought for $99 at Kmart in 1993 with a low budge DVD player so anything is going to look awesome to me! :D

Anyways - I've decided to get a H27 which will be projecting onto a Greywolf 92" screen. My limited research seems to indicate this would be a good low priced combination.

The main question I have before I pull the trigger is this - the projector will be on a shelf slightly above the screen. (About 8 inches higher than the top of the screen) The large offset is a bit troublesome....or should I be concerned? Distance to the screen is approximately 13 feet. Apparently I don't want to do any keystoning - whatever that is exactly.

Noob question - but does turning the projector upsidedown cause any issues? Do I need to somehow mount it or is it designed just to work upsidedown sitting on itself.

Last question - I'll be seated approxiately 12 feet away from the screen - which is slightly less than the 2x reccomended distance. Should this be an issue to my untrained eye?

[EDIT] - This projector will also be our main source of TV watching. I know the native resolution is 16:9 - does it have a 4:3 mode so normal TV looks ok?

[EDIT 2] - Downloaded the owners manual and found out 4:3 is no problem.

Thanks!

I did a little test last night, H27 vs X1. In terms of brightness, contrast, and color, the the h27 wins easily. But in terms of sharpness, this whole time I have been feeling the H27 looks too soft, and once I fired up the X1 again I can see that is true.
I can see more detail and less softness all over the place. It's the same cables and source for both, so it's not that.

Is the H31 as soft as the H27?

If this unit uses the same optics in the Ezpro739, then yes, the optics are slightly "soft"
I bet if you pull up full field text on your screen your lower left portion is slightly out while the top right corner is in

They are not the greatest lenses, but for the price you can't really complain, and you wont see it normally in video.

It would seem optoma took a ezpro739 and slapped in a HT light engine, all specs other than the 480 DC2 chip are identical




TJ

Is there any problem or uncertainty about running the H27 at 1280x720Hz from a computer? I would be using either VGA or DVI from my HTPC (don't really care which; whatever works).

Hello everyone,

I have lurked here for months and absorbed a whole lot of appreciated information about PJ's, but this is my first post.
Up until now, everything I needed to know was already posted, so I didn't have to ask any questions.
I finally have a question that I don't see a definitive answer to. (if there is one)

I am in the market for a DLP projector in the $1000'ish range.
It will be mainly used for DVD and HDTV/SDTV viewing, but some PC gaming and console video gaming will be done as well.
I'll be about 12 feet back in a dark wall/light ceiling room with good control of ambient light, even in the daytime.
Screen size of 92' to 106'. Haven't decided yet.

At first I had decided on the 4805 due to it having better HTPC reliability than the H31.
Then I changed my mind and decided I would go with the H31 because many have said that after being properly calibrated, it is a bit better looking than the 4805, plus quieter by quite a bit. But, from screenshots and reviews, it seems to me that the reds on the H31 are a little too orangey for my taste, so I went back to deciding on the 4805 despite the noise.

As I am about to stop debating and "pull the trigger" (I just had to say that in my first post), along comes the H27.
I read the H27 review at projectorreviews, and it led me to believe that I could get a PJ with the H31's PQ, but better reds...plus quiter than the 4805, and lower priced to boot. And then that shot of the star field in Star Wars just made up my mind for me. What a good improvement the H27 had over the 4805's handling of that shot.
So, now I am decided on the H27...or am I?

Now I read that the AI (a selling point for me) on the H27 can only be used in bright mode (ie: shorter bulb life mode). And also that the picture is "softer" than both the H31 and the 4805. Plus, I have read some people saying that the star field comparson is not an accurate representation of the 4805's PQ.

So now I am in a decision dilemma once again.

Is the softness of the H27 really that noticeable, or will the image still look fairly sharp (when compared to the 4805 and H31)?

Is there a big difference when the AI on the H27 is on or off? I would really like a better bulb life, as this may end up being the main TV and not just for movies.

And with the AI off, are the blacks as nice as the 4805's?

And does the 4805 really look like that in the star field shot, or can it be tweaked to show that correct amount of stars?


I can handle the differences in the angle at which they project, so that isn't really a deciding factor, so if anyone with the H27 and/or 4805 who has seen one or both can help out with my questions, it would be much appreciated.

That "starfield" test doesnt at all represent what the 4805 can do...do a search on the 4805 thread and look for comments from some savy users like Kras... Those views on the 4805 has been discredited not only by me but by people who know more than I do and dont care which brand is better than the other.
Regards

(I bought a H27 two weeks ago.) Don't believe everything you read from review sites. It is too bad that none of the more savy members here have done a in depth comparison between H27 and 4805. At this point I'd have to assume that performances are very close among H31, H27, and 4805. Unless you have a dedicated (read: dark color walls and ceiling) HT room you won't be able to squeeze the last ounce of PQ. So it is down to the other 'side' benefits. If you want "854x480 @72HZ" get a 4805. If you want a quiet PQ get the H27 or H31.

Very good points rick. Well said.

Hello everyone,

I have lurked here for months and absorbed a whole lot of appreciated information about PJ's, but this is my first post.
Up until now, everything I needed to know was already posted, so I didn't have to ask any questions.
I finally have a question that I don't see a definitive answer to. (if there is one)

I am in the market for a DLP projector in the $1000'ish range.
It will be mainly used for DVD and HDTV/SDTV viewing, but some PC gaming and console video gaming will be done as well.
I'll be about 12 feet back in a dark wall/light ceiling room with good control of ambient light, even in the daytime.
Screen size of 92' to 106'. Haven't decided yet.

At first I had decided on the 4805 due to it having better HTPC reliability than the H31.
Then I changed my mind and decided I would go with the H31 because many have said that after being properly calibrated, it is a bit better looking than the 4805, plus quieter by quite a bit. But, from screenshots and reviews, it seems to me that the reds on the H31 are a little too orangey for my taste, so I went back to deciding on the 4805 despite the noise.

As I am about to stop debating and "pull the trigger" (I just had to say that in my first post), along comes the H27.
I read the H27 review at projectorreviews, and it led me to believe that I could get a PJ with the H31's PQ, but better reds...plus quiter than the 4805, and lower priced to boot. And then that shot of the star field in Star Wars just made up my mind for me. What a good improvement the H27 had over the 4805's handling of that shot.
So, now I am decided on the H27...or am I?

Now I read that the AI (a selling point for me) on the H27 can only be used in bright mode (ie: shorter bulb life mode). And also that the picture is "softer" than both the H31 and the 4805. Plus, I have read some people saying that the star field comparson is not an accurate representation of the 4805's PQ.

So now I am in a decision dilemma once again.

Is the softness of the H27 really that noticeable, or will the image still look fairly sharp (when compared to the 4805 and H31)?

Is there a big difference when the AI on the H27 is on or off? I would really like a better bulb life, as this may end up being the main TV and not just for movies.

And with the AI off, are the blacks as nice as the 4805's?

And does the 4805 really look like that in the star field shot, or can it be tweaked to show that correct amount of stars?


I can handle the differences in the angle at which they project, so that isn't really a deciding factor, so if anyone with the H27 and/or 4805 who has seen one or both can help out with my questions, it would be much appreciated.

Hi,
The H27 will be far from soft is you use DVI. When using analog cables any PJ will be softer. So DVI and the H27 will be very sharp, clean also. As long as you can handle the offset you're fine with the H27, nice features plus real nice coloring. If you delete AI you lose maybe 150.1 contrast, that's it. Blacks will still be low with good black details. Like the Starfields.

Both the 31 and 27 are softer than the 4805 using component. I have never tried them with the digital connection.

I tried out at 720p tonight and the picture was much sharper, it's actually fairly obvious switching back and forth from 1080i. In fact now it is at least on par in terms of sharpness with the x1 at 720p. Must be the scaler is poor at 1080i?

I will have to retest my dvi vs component with dvi....they looked near identical at 1080i.

If I use the projector in low brightness, how much contrast am I really losing?

I tried out at 720p tonight and the picture was much sharper, it's actually fairly obvious switching back and forth from 1080i. In fact now it is at least on par in terms of sharpness with the x1 at 720p.

What does it look like with 480p DVD as the source? Feeding both projectors a goodprogresssive source would eliminate the issue of how good the scalers are.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

I own the H27 and know people who have the 4805 so I do not want to start a war here. Both projectors do an amazing job with dvd material. I chose the H27 because I felt it did a better job with the blacks but not everyone will agree. I have the H27 sitting on a shelf only 2' behind our seating and am amazed at just how 'quiet' this unit is.

The DVI connection gives a razor sharp image from my panasonic DVD S-97 player. ;)

In post 233 I asked a question regarding the offset and placing the projector on a shelf above the level of the screen. Sorry I'm a total newb.

I downloaded the owners manual - the only thing I can figure is that you lift the rear of the projector to the point where it angles down - you don't actually turn the projector upsidedown. :)

In anycase - I would suppose this means I have to create some kind of projector mount to raise the rear up.

Anyone can assist me on this?

If the shelf is above the screen you'll have to turn the PJ upside down. If the PJ is up a little from the bottom of the screen you'll have to prop it up from the back. Use anything that will raise it squarely. Wood blocks rubber feet anything you can think of. In my quick setup I was using DVD cases.

If the shelf is above the screen you'll have to turn the PJ upside down. If the PJ is up a little from the bottom of the screen you'll have to prop it up from the back. Use anything that will raise it squarely. Wood blocks rubber feet anything you can think of. In my quick setup I was using DVD cases.

That is exactly how I set up mine - mounted upside down on a shelf about seven feet off the floor, pointing up, with a -17 keystone.

I ceiling mounted mine and ended up having to use -20 keystone.Was really worried for awhile if the offset was going to work with my low(7ft) ceiling and 106 inch screen,worked out ok though with the pj about 16 feet back and about 2 inches from the ceiling and the top of the screen ended up about 4 inches from the ceiling.The biggest thing i was worried about was having my center channel speaker so close the floor but it has worked out ok.

Alrighty - thanks for the info. It will probably be pretty easy once I have everything in front of me. I'm placing my order ...