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Optoma H79 review & screenshots

278K views 2K replies 196 participants last post by  jonnyozero3 
#1 ·
Setup, 106" diagonal Dalite Mat White screen, Toshiba SD5709 HDMI/to DVI DVD player tuned with colorfacts. Comcast Cable HDTV tuned by eye.


Received my new Optoma H79 just in time for the Superbowl, perfect timing.



First off the first look at the H79 tells you it's super bright, black is still very black so contrast looks excellent. Plenty of Pop with the H79. My wife usually doesn't care but this time she says "this is the best picture image I've ever seen in my life". "Cup your hands and blot out the outer screen area and it's like you're there". This was with HDTV, playing the big game on Sunday.


I tuned the DVI progressive signal with colorfacts but didn't move much in the RGB area's. Maybe up 1 on the blue brightness and up 2 on the contrast red, that was it. So OTB for DVI the colortemp was very close.


I took a guick look at a couple of dither scenes and the H79 played them best I've seen with no ripples or contour dither. (Dwarfs getting ring & Gandalfs first staf light as the fellowship moves in the cave). The speed of the new chip makes for a better picture, also there's more upgrades to the H79 than just the chip. They worked on the Optical path and hand picked other components, each item helps in the final results/contrast etc.


Now for the good part, how it looks.


Enjoy

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79troy1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79troy2.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79troy3.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79glad1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79glad2.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79glad3.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79glad4.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79glad5.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79superhd1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79superhd2.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79superhd3.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79superhd4.jpg


Some cartoon color -
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79austin1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79austin2.jpg



Proof

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79logo.jpg


New shots -
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth1.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth2.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth3.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth4.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth5.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth6.jpg
http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79fifth7.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79dtheater1.jpg


It's ify using numbers per each machine and device but I'll give you a couple. A problem though is I calibrate in the service menu, but maybe not a problem since using my service numbers will better give you a shot at a match.


Both signals tuned with colorfact to D65k, tuned up to the limited color.


DVI progressive I use a Bravo D2 at 720p.


First Service area


ADC

R gain 188

G gain 191

B gain 187


R offset 43

G offset 54

B offset 46


Picture

Gain R 155

Gain G 139

Gain B 136


Bias R 109

Bias G 113

Bias B 113


Second User area

Cinema

Contrast 9

Brightness -1

Sharp 3

gamma 1


Image mode

White peak zero

CT 2

Image TV


Advanced Adjusments

R contrast 9

G contrast 6

B contrast 2


R brightness -10

G brightness 0

B brightness 0



Now Analog progressive from a Denon 1600

First Service area


ADC is identical to the numbers above for DVI.


Picture

gain R 127

gain G 124

gain B 128


bias R 121

bias G 120

bias B 116


User settings

Cinema

contrast -18

brightness 2

color 10

sharpness 3

gamma 3


image

white peak zero

CT 2

Image mode Film


Advanced all at zero



That's it, pls don't examine other areas of the service menu you'll be ok with just looking at ADC and Picture. There's a pandora's box in there and examining certain area's can cause you a problem. Write down all your original service Picture & ADC numbers. Remember just stay with ADC & Picture.


To get in the service menu

Looking from the back of the PJ to the front, the four buttons in a row, hit the left two buttons and the right buton at the same time. You can use your remote to move in the service area, menu and enter buttons will take you in and out of service functions, to exit there's an exit Icon at the bottom.

Pheww! it's tuff doing this numbers thing. If you give it a try lmk how it went?


__________________

Tom/guitarman
 
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#2 ·
WooHoo! It's alive! Anxiously awaited this post Tom. Thanks for the great shots. Other than the obvious DarkChip3 enahncement, have you noticed any other changes yet? Does it:


a) Have the same remote (I'm watchin out for those desirable discretes)

b) Have the same or similar service menu?

c) Have that same super quiet chassis?

d) same optics (throw range, shift range)?

e) DVI input?

f) any new digital inputs?


And have you noticed any change in the syncing setup or the syncing speed when changing sources?


Picts look great, I'm super envious! Those HD shots are sweeet. I look forward to seeing more about it. Can't wait until it's available!! Cheers, Scott
 
#3 ·
Scott,

Remotes the same, syncing is the same. I find it best to have sync lock on and than hit the discreet button for the planned signal rather than wait for the PJ to figure it out. Didn't time it but will, seems to take about 5secs.


Mostly evertythings the same menu/chassis, optics, inputs. Except in the service are there's a CWI 50hz and a CWI60hz. I assume they're geared up for PAL.


I think the big change is the speed of the mirrors helping out those hard to render dither scenes. Very noticable difference there.
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by SpecialK-MD
Awesome review. I didn't know it was released yet. Or is it? Did you get an advance unit or are they available for purchase?

Main batch is set for two weeks from now or less. The first batch was for installers though I'm not an installer just an enthusiast. I like the white finish on this one especially the bold Dark Chip 3 written on the top.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by bdavidson
Did you notice any difference in fast pans from the H77 to the H79?


Brad

I don't know what to tell you really. Pans looked ok for me with the H77, it was the wavy dither contouring lines on those odd scenes that I did notice. Like when I played your Dwarf ring scene it just looked smooth and blurry like on a small tube TV. And the Gandalf's light Cavern scene all the moving Fellowship players looked smoother without the waves.


Ok if you think about it being these other scenes are fixed up it probably helps the overall panning also.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the first look of the H79 Tom. I did see it at CES and really liked it. I wish I could compare it to the H77, do you think it is worth the extra money over the H77. I don't know if I should take a good deal on a H77 or wait for the H79.

I'd like to use it with a 126 to 133 inch screen in a light controlled room, so the extra brightness of the 79 might help.


thanks

Phil
 
#14 ·
Is it worth it that has to be up the buyers. Yes there's a nice difference, you have to figure what's it worth to you. Kind of a big screen, better get a high output model because when the bulbs get half old there's quiet a drop in brightness.


Have to add, there's more to the H79 than just the new chip. They worked on the optical path and hand picked some other components. This all works together to produce the increased quality of the image.
 
#16 ·
Its too bad no one that I know of locally carrys the Optoma brand.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by TheFerret
Its too bad no one that I know of locally carrys the Optoma brand.

Margins are too low, no controlled internet sales. Can't pay salespeople bills. Need Marantz, Infocus, etc. to do that. I expect. But that's a good thing if you like lower prices, bad thing if you'd like to have a healthy local guy to show them. If I manage to get one, you are welcome to come see it. Depends on which GA swamp you're in as to distance I suppose. Still yet to see what the street price for these will be. Anxiously awaiting. Maybe know something soon. Wish I was a patient as Craig. After my next PJ purchase, I'm gonna get a differnt hobby and see if that helps
, maybe collecting wine, or flying airplanes. That ought to be less expensive. Yeah that's it....
 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by krasmuzik
TomHuffman


Do you mean color primary/secondary accuracy rather than video decoding accuracy? I knew SpyderTV consumer version has the colorbars measurements - are they adding them to ColorFacts?

My main question is darkchip3 should have more light output by alot, what happend to that
. Did they tune it back to the same 900 ansi or is the ansi number more 'real' this time or did they trade it for more bulblife by running it a lower voltage ?


All other dc3's seem to result in more lightputput sofar.


Daniel.
 
#22 ·
Scott (scotthorton), I do not see Optoma as being any different than Benq, yet even with the accepted zero dealers in the city of five million people of Atlanta I cannot find a single soul that even owns a unit. So, without a dealer or an owner it makes a case only to those willing to entertain blind purchases. And unless the selling agent has a 30-day, 20-hour, 100% money-back return policy ... I fear the lanscape in Atlanta isn't going to change at all. BTW, what is the list on this unit?
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally posted by TheFerret
Scott (scotthorton), I do not see Optoma as being any different than Benq, yet even with the accepted zero dealers in the city of five million people of Atlanta I cannot find a single soul that even owns a unit. So, without a dealer or an owner it makes a case only to those willing to entertain blind purchases. And unless the selling agent has a 30-day, 20-hour, 100% money-back return policy ... I fear the lanscape in Atlanta isn't going to change at all. BTW, what is the list on this unit?

Yes, I know what you mean. I had to get my H77 blind, based only on other's subjective opinions and sometimes conflicting reviews. I was real nervous about it, but in th eend was mostly happy with it. As for MSRP, hell, I can't tell. I think the best answer I remember was that it would be $1K more than the MSRP on the H77. But that MSRP is moving so fast, I have no idea what the MSRP on the H79 will be. I think at one point the MSRP for the H77 was $10.9k but the street prices were WAY under that when it was new. So maybe the H79 is $11.9K MSRP. Who knows what it will really sell for. Maybe I'll get lucky and the H79 MSRP will be $1k over the current H77 MSRP. Not holding my breath. But in any event, hope to find out soon.
 
#24 ·
Pretty sure the msrp is $10,000. My guess on discounted prices will be around $7,000 give of take a couple of hundred. If I guess right what do I win?



Oh I didn't post colorfacts items because I'm new to the program and mainly just go right to tunining. Infact I know I can get the picture/contrast better because I did run and save a first grayscale and my gamma was at about 2.90, way too high. Can't do CR readings with a color meter so I bought a light meter which I should get Thursday. Plenty of time for that stuff.
 
#25 ·
Here you go I just did a re-tune with a higher start out gamma of 3 instead of the lowest gamma 1. Wing told me this would get my after grayscale gamma down, which it did but not enough yet. Here's the charts.

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79cie.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79luminance.jpg

http://www.cigarbest.com/sales/h79rgbhistogram.jpg


I tell you one thing that gamma drop from 2.90 to 2.45 really helped the contrast for DVD. I watching The Fifth Element to check and contast/colors look excellent. Allot better than before. I used the Tri-chromat this time and it still bugs be aiming it at the projector. I'll take a couple of FE shots to show you what's happend.
 
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