Ok, finally got my Optoma HD66 mounted "calibrated" and set just the way I want it. I finally found a little bit of time to do some sort of a review. I will hit all the major points I can think of and add to this as I think of more. If anyone has any questions please ask and I will be happy to answer them as I can. I will try to take some pictures of how I have mine setup in a very small room as well as a couple screen pics if I can find the time.
First off, here is my setup: Da-Lite 90" 1.2Gain Tight Weave white screen, and a PS3 hooked up via HDMI 1.4a cable (for when I get the 3D-XL). The projector is set back roughly 10' 3" and I get an 88" picture. I have a computer for gaming/HTPC, but I plan on purchasing a new graphics card before I bother trying to hook that up, and I'd like to get the 3D-XL because it will double as a HDMI switcher. Last but not least a 5.1 channel Kenwood Surround Sound Receiver with matching speakers.
Pro: Well first off, this projector is BRIGHT, almost too bright for my size screen/gain. I have found that anything smaller than about 78" will cause a lot of eyestrain without some light on in the room. Once adjusted, the color and contrast are great, the color/brightness rivals my dads 3yo Samsung Plasma downstairs, but doesn't hold a candle to it with contrast, but I figure I payed half as much as he did so I am more than happy. There doesn't seem to be any noticeable input lag which makes it great for gaming of all kinds. The unit is very light as well. Less than 5 pounds or so, and I was surprised how small it was. The HD66 can also pick up the audio over HDMI so you can take it with you anywhere for gaming, but I would not suggest movies (see cons). The projector has a lot of options for calibrating. You can change color biases along with the usual contrast/brightness.
Cons: There is an obvious fan noise, but you will not notice it when there is any sound at all coming out of the speakers. You will definitely have to adjust the color/picture out of the box. The image isn't horrible, but I saw that my projector had an obvious bias for Red. There are only 2 lamp settings, Bright and Standard. I wish it had a low mode for added lamp life and because, I really don't need that bright of an image (not that I am complaining). While it has got built in speakers, they are really weak for anything other than gaming. Don't even think about trying to show a movie on it with the built in speakers. It has got an audio out jack for external computer speakers though, but to be honest, this really isn't much of a con because most people are going to have a stereo when they get the projector anyway. I was only looking at this from a portable point of view.
Random concerns: The one time I did hook my PC up to it, I had a hell of a time getting the image to look right, but after playing around with it, I found that it was my graphics card settings. For some reason I had the overscan set extremely high.
Overall, this is a great projector for its price. I love the fact that it is 3D capable, but I don't want to comment on that until I have actually ventured down that road. If anyone has any questions or requests, please just ask.
First off, here is my setup: Da-Lite 90" 1.2Gain Tight Weave white screen, and a PS3 hooked up via HDMI 1.4a cable (for when I get the 3D-XL). The projector is set back roughly 10' 3" and I get an 88" picture. I have a computer for gaming/HTPC, but I plan on purchasing a new graphics card before I bother trying to hook that up, and I'd like to get the 3D-XL because it will double as a HDMI switcher. Last but not least a 5.1 channel Kenwood Surround Sound Receiver with matching speakers.
Pro: Well first off, this projector is BRIGHT, almost too bright for my size screen/gain. I have found that anything smaller than about 78" will cause a lot of eyestrain without some light on in the room. Once adjusted, the color and contrast are great, the color/brightness rivals my dads 3yo Samsung Plasma downstairs, but doesn't hold a candle to it with contrast, but I figure I payed half as much as he did so I am more than happy. There doesn't seem to be any noticeable input lag which makes it great for gaming of all kinds. The unit is very light as well. Less than 5 pounds or so, and I was surprised how small it was. The HD66 can also pick up the audio over HDMI so you can take it with you anywhere for gaming, but I would not suggest movies (see cons). The projector has a lot of options for calibrating. You can change color biases along with the usual contrast/brightness.
Cons: There is an obvious fan noise, but you will not notice it when there is any sound at all coming out of the speakers. You will definitely have to adjust the color/picture out of the box. The image isn't horrible, but I saw that my projector had an obvious bias for Red. There are only 2 lamp settings, Bright and Standard. I wish it had a low mode for added lamp life and because, I really don't need that bright of an image (not that I am complaining). While it has got built in speakers, they are really weak for anything other than gaming. Don't even think about trying to show a movie on it with the built in speakers. It has got an audio out jack for external computer speakers though, but to be honest, this really isn't much of a con because most people are going to have a stereo when they get the projector anyway. I was only looking at this from a portable point of view.
Random concerns: The one time I did hook my PC up to it, I had a hell of a time getting the image to look right, but after playing around with it, I found that it was my graphics card settings. For some reason I had the overscan set extremely high.
Overall, this is a great projector for its price. I love the fact that it is 3D capable, but I don't want to comment on that until I have actually ventured down that road. If anyone has any questions or requests, please just ask.
