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Optoma HD65 vs Epson HC720 shoot-out

post #1 of 18
3/19/08 at 11:10am
Thread Starter 


One of my friend bought a new optoma HD65 last week. Since I am a Epson
HC720 owner, we both decide to do a shoot-out side by side in my house.
After colorfact calibration, we started to demo a lot of movie and video clips
both with SD and HD, we used a videoprocessor VP50 feed at 720p native
1:1 pixels map. After 8 hours of viewing here is our conclusion:

HC720

+ Build quality
+ Very good lens ( with impressive lens shift )
+ Pretty good black level and very impressive shadows details ( Iris on )
+ When calibrated more film like image than out-of the box
+ Saturated colors
+ Image Noise pretty decent
+ Silent fan system but only in Hometheater 1 or 2
+ Sharp image

- Slight color uniformity problem
- Menu is difficult to naviguated
- Iris mechanical noise ( Noisy little rattle sound )
- Screendoor at 1.5X


Both of us really like this projector for it overall quality

HD65

+ Colors are pretty right-on after calibration ( BC OFF and VID Col. OFF)
+ Bright put lot of lumens
+ Black level is good but not phenomenal
+ Decent shadow details
+ Sharp lens

- Awful build quality ( We ve found a solder bit who was loosed inside lamp
case + Lens has some fingerprints on it )
- Lamp put lot of heat
- Noisy fan system ( low setting )
- OMG Image Noise Lot of dithering (Dot crawling)even with best adjustement
- No lens shift
- of course RBE ( but it is pretty good on this aspect )


Both of us didn' t like the HD65, we've much preferred the HD72 that we
saw last year in a home theater system . The HD65 is going back to the box
and back to the store.

So here is our quick amateur reviews of those hot products right now....
We hope optoma will bring soon a better DLP in the market because this one
is far from what they can do.


Regards Step. and Steve
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post #2 of 18
3/19/08 at 11:32am
I agree. My brother had bought the HD65. Aside from seeing RBE everywhere (I made a thread about it), the overall PQ was quite good. But whites and reds just didn't have the pop of the HC720. In terms of brightness, I'd say they're both equal.

But the HD65 still has more of a filmlike quality to the image than the Epson 720. I think this might be due to the ridiculous amount of sharpness and focus of the 720 (which is good).
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post #3 of 18
3/19/08 at 11:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eightninesuited View Post

I agree. My brother had bought the HD65. Aside from seeing RBE everywhere (I made a thread about it), the overall PQ was quite good. But whites and reds just didn't have the pop of the HC720. In terms of brightness, I'd say they're both equal.

But the HD65 still has more of a filmlike quality to the image than the Epson 720. I think this might be due to the ridiculous amount of sharpness and focus of the 720 (which is good).

Yes, I think too the HD65 put a very film like image (Cos it is a DLP) but it is not as good as other Dlp I saw since two years. I did owned a mitsubishi Hc3000, maybe my expectation was too high for this 1000.00 $ unit.
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post #4 of 18
3/19/08 at 11:54am
I think what's a better question is, did Optoma take a step back from the HD70, with a worse build quality unit that is only brighter? It doesn't have the zoom capabilities of the HD70. The HD65 looked really cheap in terms of build quality.
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post #5 of 18
3/19/08 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eightninesuited View Post

I think what's a better question is, did Optoma take a step back from the HD70, with a worse build quality unit that is only brighter? It doesn't have the zoom capabilities of the HD70. The HD65 looked really cheap in terms of build quality.


Yes, I am in the impression that Optoma in a cost reduction attempt....bring this unit to the customer with lots of whistles at great price. But this
unit build quality really.....excuse-me SUCK big time. When operating, the plastic case is so Hot that I almost burn myself, so now imagine all those
fragile chipsets and surface mount parts taking so much heat. I thing, this
model won't be reliable at all... in short and medium term.
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post #6 of 18
3/19/08 at 12:51pm
Impressive review.

Where are the pictures that show the difference that you said?

Peter.
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post #7 of 18
3/19/08 at 1:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_ View Post

Impressive review.

Where are the pictures that show the difference that you said?

Peter.

Hello, Peter...

Sorry, I don't have any screenshots that support my review....
first I don't have any photographer skills at all....

If you are in a way to buy a new projector, I think both will please you
for the price...If you don' t affected by RBE, HD65 is not a bad choice.
but be aware of build quality is so-so, but do not mean it is a bad unit...
it is my personal opinion.

Regards
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post #8 of 18
3/19/08 at 2:32pm
Thanks for reply.

I have a Optoma HD65 and I am very happy with it. My intention was to learn a little about the Epson. And I would like to be able to see the difference too.

Peter.
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post #9 of 18
3/19/08 at 3:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_ View Post

Thanks for reply.

I have a Optoma HD65 and I am very happy with it. My intention was to learn a little about the Epson. And I would like to be able to see the difference too.

Peter.

You know what Peter.... if you are happy just stick with it, because when
you start to compare, you will probably get this disease of « Never been satisfied » and this is kind of painful.........for the wallet
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post #10 of 18
3/19/08 at 3:21pm
I Agree.

Thanks.

Peter.
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post #11 of 18
3/19/08 at 3:42pm
I envy you guys that have already switched to projectors. Just 15 months ago, I had the opportunity to switch technologies. I had a Toshiba 57" CRT RPTV. I sold it and took a big hit. Then what did I do. I bought a JVC HD-ILA RPTV instead of a projector. At that time, I could have actually saved money by buying a Optoma HD70. But I was all doing the 720p < 1080p thing. I have a basement which is light controlled. Projectors are the best way to go - I realize that now. So, I have put my HD-ILA TV on craigslist. If I manage to sell it without taking too much of a hit, I will be in the land of the projectors. I have my eye on the Epson 720.

Articles like yours have kinda steered me away from the HD65.
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post #12 of 18
3/19/08 at 4:24pm
Nice simple review. Really gives some credit to the newer LCD's if you feel it was sharper and had just as good of black levels. If I was anybody looking I'd give the HC720some serious thought since it can be had for around $1K w/extra bulb.
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post #13 of 18
3/19/08 at 4:40pm
I just got the hd65. I can tell you the blacks are very good for the machine after calibrated. Only problem I have is that it throws out a lot of noise. Other then that, it produces I very nice image once calibrated. I also saw a lot of misquito noise on the projector when I first mounted it up in my theatre. After calibration though, a lot of that was gone.

I did buy the Sanyo Z2000. Thought that black levels in LCD have finally been on par with DLP. I was wrong. Blacks where grey with the iris off. With the iris on whites where grey. Not only that, but I could see the iris open and close when I was watching a movie. Hello annoying!

Was sharp, but at the compromise of a nice overall image and pop. I sent it back after about a hour calibrating an throwing in different dvds to check it out.

Only thing LCD has shown me is that reviews cannot be trusted. True black levels and overall image pop is still elusive to LCD's. Wish it wasn't. loved the sharpness, interface, the noise level on the Sanyo.
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post #14 of 18
3/19/08 at 4:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rrhomes View Post

Nice simple review. Really gives some credit to the newer LCD's if you feel it was sharper and had just as good of black levels. If I was anybody looking I'd give the HC720some serious thought since it can be had for around $1K w/extra bulb.

LCD is narrow the gap with Dlp projector with active iris on, I will say that
the black level is notch higher with epson...Last week I saw the Epson 1080 UB
and OMG, black level is almost inky one. I think DLP need to bring a 3 chips unit
at affordable price pretty soon because with all those very good LCOS an LCD that hit the market right now, Dlp will soon get his butt kicked
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post #15 of 18
3/19/08 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kackey21 View Post

I just got the hd65. I can tell you the blacks are very good for the machine after calibrated. Only problem I have is that it throws out a lot of noise. Other then that, it produces I very nice image once calibrated. I also saw a lot of misquito noise on the projector when I first mounted it up in my theatre. After calibration though, a lot of that was gone.

I did buy the Sanyo Z2000. Thought that black levels in LCD have finally been on par with DLP. I was wrong. Blacks where grey with the iris off. With the iris on whites where grey. Not only that, but I could see the iris open and close when I was watching a movie. Hello annoying!

Was sharp, but at the compromise of a nice overall image and pop. I sent it back after about a hour calibrating an throwing in different dvds to check it out.

Only thing LCD has shown me is that reviews cannot be trusted. True black levels and overall image pop is still elusive to LCD's. Wish it wasn't. loved the sharpness, interface, the noise level on the Sanyo.

For mosquito noise and dithering, we' ve tried to put on the lens a Neutral Density filter ,,, that help a lot to get rid of most of this problem with
the HD65, it is helping a lot. Yeah you are right, DLP has more POP but
RBE come with it for a lot of peoples too.

For the sanyo plv-z2000, I saw one near of montreal area with a CCR20
filter on it was professionnaly calibrated by an ISF technician, I would say
that it was another projector, very film-like, almost 3D looking and very
good black level for sure...but out of the box it is pretty bad... as usual with
all Sanyo projectors ( thoses need calibration to get the max of it ).
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post #16 of 18
3/19/08 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by quebecanada View Post

LCD is narrow the gap with Dlp projector with active iris on, I will say that
the black level is notch higher with epson...Last week I saw the Epson 1080 UB
and OMG, black level is almost inky one. I think DLP need to bring a 3 chips unit
at affordable price pretty soon because with all those very good LCOS an LCD that hit the market right now, Dlp will soon get his butt kicked

3 chip 1080p DLP with perfect allignment and convergence for under $3000.
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post #17 of 18
3/19/08 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eightninesuited View Post

3 chip 1080p DLP with perfect allignment and convergence for under $3000.

Count me on.....where I sign
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post #18 of 18
3/19/08 at 5:43pm
Well I'll bet 10:1 that the Epson HC720 UB will be the follow up to the HC720. DLP shows a lot of noise in noisy sorces. Watch a Blu-Ray on DLP and WHOA - ZERO NOISE then LCD and DLP both have very low noise.
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