Optoma HD65 Review & Screenshots - Page 96

Are you running it through a receiver? I run it through an ONKYO and occasionally have the issue. When powering on the receiver first, then the device, then the projector I never have the issue, it's when switching from one HDMI source to another with the receiver. I can avoid it dropping the signal by, when switching to the new source, if it doesn't lock on after a few seconds, I switch back to the previous source, which usually comes back on. I then try again until the new source locks. Anyway, I think it's a receiver issue, not a problem with the projector.

No, the sources go into a stand-alone HDMI switch and then to the projector. No receiver yet, although I'll eventually get one to clean up all the audio wires. I've never used the source lock button. I'll give it a shot since HDMI is all I've got run to it.

Still does it. They need to release a new firmware that lets you redo the handshake if you drop it. I have a friend with an HD20 and he can turn something off, let it go to a blue screen, then turn something back on and it will come on. If I tried that with this, I'd have to turn off the projector and turn it back on.

You shouldn't have to power cycle (I avoid that at all costs). Just manually force the input select in the HD65 to another input and then back to HDMI: eventually it will re-sync (don't do it too fast).

Not mine, once it loses teh HDMI signal, it's gone. Maybe something is wrong with it?

Possibly, but probably not worth the cost of repair.

Of course, you have tried your setup WITHOUT the switch in the "loop". IF not, I would start simplifying your connection in terms of cabling (short) and "directness" before do anything else (ie. sending it out for repair testing / repair).

Currently I have HD65 with 92" screen. I don't have the exact throw distance at this point (at work), but it's setup for 92" screen.

I'm looking to go with 132" screen, do I need move the projector further back (Ceiling mounted)? I was hoping that I don't have to, because I'd have to patch the holes and longer wires that will be visible along the ceiling.

How will HD65 project on 132" screen vs. 92" screen?

Yes you'll need to move pj back.
The 92 will have a better picture overall. I use to have 129" and now doing a 100". Pic is better.

For 132" pj will need to be back approx 16' from wall.

sdmfer - It seems as though the picture quality is much better in order for you to scale back to 100" screen vs. 129". Are you running hd65 as well?

What would you a say a next step up from hd65 for better picture quality? A picture quality that will be noticeable. I'd like to do 1080p, but not sure if that will make a huge diff. in quality if not being compared side by side.

you are asking the right question at the right time. i literally JUST replaced my hd65 with an epson 8350. my screen is 131" and i was able to put the projector in the exact same place as the hd65. heres some pics of placement.




the picture is night and day between the two. dont let anyone tell you theres not alot of difference between 720 and 1080 after a certain distance. i sit 19' back and the difference is night and day. sharpness and clarity are a ton better and the contrast, oh baby the contrast. going from 4000:1 to 50000:1 is so bad ass. space scenes look so different now. if you can afford to spend a few hundred more then i would HIGHLY recommend you look at the epson 8350. its by far the best budget 1080p projector out there right now.

Ginchy- Did you use your hd65 on 131" as well? I was thinking of upgrading to 1080p projector and larger screen. With my hd65 that is sitting about 12-13', I don't think I can upgrade to larger screen with the current throw distance. What do you think? Maybe, I'll read into epson 8350 and will stick with 92" screen.

yeah i used the hd65 with the 131" screen. you can pretty much do whatever you want to do with the epson 8350. its so flexible in placement and screen size. good luck.

I too have occasional issues with handshaking. The solution for me is to turn on the HDMI device first (in this case a blu-ray player) and then turn on the projector. It means that I have the blu-ray player on if I'm using the R-G-B input for that particular evening, but it's a lot better than a handshaking problem. On my particular unit, the handshaking difficulty shows up as one of two things - either no signal, or an HDMI signal with a different resolution than the blu-ray player is sending - with the resultant artifacts.

Certainly not a deal-breaker with a 18 month old projector, but I'm awfully glad that I have a work-around for it.

Hi guys, just registered, but I'm using my belowed optoma hd65 since Feb 2009. Recently did major PC upgrade changing also graphic card from nvidia 9600gt onto msi radeon 6950. PC works fine and everything etc etc, but... There's something wrong with picture displayed by my PJ. The problem is that after recognising signal and switching from all blue picture into what actually my pc displayes the size of dispalyed picture is a bit smaller (~8%) than size of blue before that and with advised res 1280x720. It's just very thick black (ok let's say dark grey ) frame arround picture a nd changing for full hd makes those frames arround much thicker making overall picture 40% smaller. Didnt have that issue with my previous graphic card, but there was similar problem when I connected my hd65 to another radeon (old 3650). So is it commonly known problem with working solution? I would be really grateful for some useful advice. If that wrong section for asking about such things can you guys please provide link to proper page? Thank you.
Sry for my bad English.

I got the HD65's 3D to work with 3DVision/Acer inf and it looks awesome. The 120HZ signal works great when the HD65 is plugged into my PC directly via VGA; however, it isn't working over HDMI in full screen. I can get the 3d to work in Stereoscopic player, but I lose 3d and the signal goes down to a crazy resolution (1024x768 at 75HZ or something like that) when I enable full screen. My guess is insufficient bandwidth in the HDMI cable. I did the whole home theater install in November 2010, a 45 foot 22AWG Monoprice hidden beneath crown is carrying the signal from the projector to the wall plate and another 6 ft hdmi cable goes directly to my GT240's HDMI input (bypasses my Onkyo 806). Can anyone confirm/deny that it's the long run HDMI that's doing it? Would a new 45 foot cable help - I bought the cable right before the high speed cables came out. I can just go with a long run vga cable from the HD65 to PC, but it's ceiling mounted and requires a lot of moving around the PC. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Got now almost 5 years out of this projector. 709 hours in standart mode and in my eyes a still fantastic picture. Using a Graywolf II screen and table top set up. For sure missing out on some more details with a 1080 projector but the mobility and practicality of this little machine is unmatched.
I am certainly tempted getting a 1080 but have not found something as small and handy.
Any suggestions?

Having a problem getting any light out of my projector. Was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

I bought it used maybe 3 years ago. Worked out of the box. In Janary of this year it would attempt to start the bulb (4 cycles of fan up/down) to no avail. I bought a genuine Optoma bulb from Provantage. Plugged it in and it worked... 5 months later, it started the same 4 cycles of fan up/down... had maybe 600 - 800 hours on the bulb. Wasn't happy, but you have to accept things like this with projector ownership. Purchased another bulb from Provantage. NO LUCK. same 4 fan cycles. My next thought was a bad ballast. I purchased a new ballast and installed it. With the replacement ballast it only completes 2 fan cycles before giving up. My next thought was DOA bulb from Provantage. They shipped a replacement... still no luck. The voltage at the bulb at startup is ~320V and drops to ~1.7V after 2 seconds. Can someone tell me what the correct voltage is and if you have an idea of my next course of action? I should have checked voltage with the original ballast, but I didn't and it's not a quck job getting everything apart. At some point I have to stop buying food for my dead horse.

Thank you

I think it's time to call it. Time of death - 11:03AM EDT

Just to show that some of these can be pretty reliable....
My 4.5 year old -purchased refurbished- HD65 has had its bulb counter roll over 5000 hours on the original bulb and still going.
(2500 in economy mode) I'm sure it's a bit dimmer than it was originally but with the lights out it's not noticeable at all. Blue Rays look fine and I've never had to recalibrate the color.
Typical usage is to turn it on and leave it on for the evening. (no rapid on-off-on power switching)
It's probably not recommended to push the bulb this long - does it explode in flames eventually??

Have my HD65 also for almost 5 years with absolutely no problem. Love the mobility, picture, brightness and low noise.
Have it paired with a Graywolf II and an Oppo player on a table set up with great contrast and blacks.
After the show roll up the screen and put this mini projector away and nobody would ever guess this room was a home theatre.
Great buy and would not know with what I would replace it (same features).

Hi - New to this forum.

I just purchased a ET700XE refurbished unit off of EvilBAY to replace the old EP716 that had its first bulb run out after 7 years (the EP716 will go to our camp trailer for outdoor movie duty with new bulb this summer)

Searching this forum I was not able to find if there were any explicit differences of the ET700XE vs the HD65 (other than the silk screenings on the exterior)

Optoma's website is devoid of a ET700XE manual or data, as is projectorcentral. I assume that was because of it being a bigbox run model.

Does anyone have a PDF copy of the manual?

Can things like HD65 firmware updates be put in this projector?

Thanx for any help.

Bill B

Looks like it's a HD700x (which I own) which is basically a HD65. The firmware should work if the updater will allow it. If you are not going to use 3D, stay with the 2D firmware. It works better and is less buggy and IMHO looks better.

They all use the same bulb so I'm 99% sure its the same. The manual for the HD700x or HD65 will work.
Edited by sdolen - 1/10/13 at 11:00am

i love this projector but i got one problem with it that most people seem to have all the connections work fine apart from the hdmi port i cant it to work it used to work now i get no picture from it my sky box picture used to fick on and off with it till it came for good
Are there a firmware update for this projector or a way to fix the hdmi port
I thought it was just my 5 metere hdmi lead thats was the problem as my sky box sits away from the projector but ive tried my ps3 with a short hdmi cable and still no picture and i just got a new panasonic bd77 bluray player and it only has hdmi port so im pretty peeved off i got a nice new sony receiver too
Im well upset iv just spent a small fortune and the damm projector hdmi port has stopped working any help would be much appreciate

ET700XE was oversold by the seller so offered a TW-536 for the same $400


I took the offer but do not see a direct thread on that projector here.. Although unlike the ET700EX, the TW-536 is listed on the Optoma site and has equivalent specs save for a contrast ratio of 3000:1 vs the 4000:1 of the ET700EX and its siblings..

Doubt I would ever perceive the difference.

Has no one had a faulty hdmi port

Hello Guys
Plz Help me for Best Setting Hdmi Calibration
Hdmi << PC << KMPlayer / MP Classic