[counterbond]

So I currently am running a Sharp Xr-10x as my primary monitor, and home theater projector, As most will know its stats are


2000 Lumen

2000:1 Contrast

4:3

1024x768


Now i've been looking up projectors on projectorcentral, and the cheapest best featured projector I have found is the Optoma TWR1693, which features the following


3600 Lumens

2500:1 Contrast

16:9

1280x800 native but will do 1920x 1200


Now. Heres the thing. I read on someone else's forum that the're bulb blew up at 576 hours or something like that, and one of the first things someone said was " well your first mistake was buying an optoma..." Are they really that bad?


For the money this seems like a really good projector but i can't find any reviews about it anywhere.


Does anybody have this projector or heard anything good/bad about it?


Brandon

 

[Nillaz]

They're not bad, every projector has it's strong and weak points. Generally speaking I personally don't think Optoma's higher end offerings stack up against their immediate competitors, but they make very competitive entry level DLP's. The key is to find the projector that fits your specific needs. On AVS you're always going to find certain people that hate specific brands for whatever reason.


Also, you're almost certainly going to read many more negative posts about any projector than positive ones. Just the nature of the beast. People are much more inclined to post about issues in hopes of getting solutions to said issues. Those without issues are more likely to sit back and enjoy their toy.

As to the guy who only got ~500 lamp hours, I can add a contrasting argument...I have an Optoma projector sitting here in which I have currently squeezed 3,282 hours out of the bulb.....in bright mode! And it's still going strong. It's certainly bright enough that I continue to use it daily to play FPS on my 360 and pick targets out of the shadows with ease. Just the luck of the draw.

 

[reconlabtech]

Optoma is no worse than most other PJ brands. If you look long enough, you will find horror stories for every brand we discuss in the part of the forum.


You can tell when you run across someone who had a bad experience with a brand - they rip on it every chance they get.


Reading in this forum, you would get the idea that Panasonic is the worst brand and every machine is faulty but Panasonic sells more consumer grade PJs than all the other companies combined.


There are many many happy Optoma owners here.

 

[gwlaw99]



Quote:
Originally Posted by reconlabtech /forum/post/15480744


Optoma is no worse than most other PJ brands. If you look long enough, you will find horror stories for every brand we discuss in the part of the forum.


You can tell when you run across someone who had a bad experience with a brand - they rip on it every chance they get.


Reading in this forum, you would get the idea that Panasonic is the worst brand and every machine is faulty but Panasonic sells more consumer grade PJs than all the other companies combined.


There are many many happy Optoma owners here.

very true. Optoma HD70 for 15 months and zero problems (knock on wood)

 

[JeffKB]



Quote:
Originally Posted by counterbond /forum/post/15475506


Now i've been looking up projectors on projectorcentral, and the cheapest best featured projector I have found is the Optoma TWR1693, which features the following


3600 Lumens

2500:1 Contrast

16:9

1280x800 native but will do 1920x 1200

Hi Brandon,


From what I can tell, this PJ goes for around $1500. Unless you are finding a much better deal out there, or truly want this projector for its PC presentation/monitor abilities, my advice would be to steer clear. If your primary use is HT, there's absolutely no reason these days to get a business projector meant for powerpoint presentations, let alone one with a price this high. There's plenty of affordable dedicated HT projectors out there that will no doubt easily best this PJ for home theater image quality.

 

[btokars]

We are another happy Optoma household. Our HD80 continues to amaze and please with zero issues. It's been mounted on the ceiling since August, 2007. The original lamp is still good although I replaced it at 1600 hours just because I am a brightness freak. I do agree that mostly the forums bring up negatives and that people tend to praise or condemn based only on their own experience. The best thing to do is buy from a reputable dealer and add extended protection plans for both the unit and the lamp - no matter who makes the PJ you eventually buy.

 

[JasG]

On my second Optoma projector with no problems - over 5000 hours of use on 2 bulbs for the first pj.


As others have said, unhappy people post over and over again - happy ones are busy watching movies and TV

If the negative comments around here applied universally to the companies listed, there would be no companies in the business of selling projectors because no one would buy them.

 

[rickster904]

Bought 2 Optoma's in 4 yrs (H27 and HD80) - zero issues so far.

 

[leemik]

FWIW, I recently upgraded my Optoma HD70 to a Epson 6100.. My Optoma has been very reliable.. I had it for 2 years and never took it down from it's mount.. The original bulb must have over 2300 hours on it.. It had been warning me for the past 6 months to change it.


--mike

 

[Joseph B]

Just FYI:


Last July I replaced my venerable 480p Infocus 4805 with the 720p native resolution Optoma HD-65.


So far I've been happy as a clam! 1080i and 1080p sources have looked *spectacular* with the unit, and I've had *zero* problems.


Granted, this is marketed as a "entry" level Home Theater Projector, but it fills my needs quite nicely. It was also a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to purchase a 65" flat screen!

 

[Nillaz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by quantumstate /forum/post/15486372


{snicker}

I am amused that people continue to mindlessly repeat this theory, when it is definitively proven wrong in this very thread!


Actually all the unhappy former Optoma owners are trying hard to forget, so are not replying. But you know they're out there.


Hey, I'm just saying what actually happened to me. If you want to take the risk, let us know how it turns out.

Glad to provide some entertainment for you, but 'definitively' proven wrong? Hardly. This 'theory' is one of the basic tenets of sales. Provide a positive experience and your customer may tell 1 or 2 people. Provide a negative experience and your customer will warn dozens.


Reconlabtech has a point. There is an undeniable trend in the owners threads right here on AVS.


Panasonic.....dust blobs! They're all crap!

Sanyo....runs hot! They're all crap!

Optoma....bulb failures! They're all crap!


etc, etc.


Now before you blast me I am not stating that Optoma is the pinnacle of build quality in FP. I am stating that every piece of electronics is subject to a certain failure rate regardless of manufacturer and those who are unlucky enough to receive a faulty unit are VERY vocal about it, generally speaking. It seems you were one of the unlucky ones and are understandably bitter about it. If I was burned to the tune of $4K I'd be heated as well.

 

[Dragon Reborn]

If you ever have to deal with Optoma's service department, be prepared for the worst service experience you've ever had. That alone has turned me off from buying Optoma ever again.


Optoma HD72

 

[Nillaz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by quantumstate /forum/post/15487388


No, understand that you are predicting that this thread will be filled with negative comments by embittered Optoma owners. That has not turned out to be the case, has it?


So; we know that there are unhappy Optoma owners, as evidenced in other threads. Are they posting "over and over again - while happy ones are busy watching movies and TV". No. Neither of these predictions has turned out to be true, yet you and others continue to repeat it.


That's why I say 'definitively proven wrong by the instant example'.

Obviously I wasn't clear originally.....I wasn't predicting anything about this thread in particular I was speaking about the forums in general. I was addressing the OP's question about how good/bad Optoma's are. He was obviously hesitant based on comments he read in another thread.


As for unhappy owners posting over and over again....well.....you yourself have posted about 'Optoma crap' in at least 10 different threads over the last month, sometimes in multiple posts within the same thread. I believe that lends credence to my point.

 

[reconlabtech]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Reborn /forum/post/15487615


If you ever have to deal with Optoma's service department, be prepared for the worst service experience you've ever had. That alone has turned me off from buying Optoma ever again.


Optoma HD72

 

[g_bartman]

I just sent mine off to calfornia for repair. My lamp failed with less than 200 hours on it. Hopefully they will repair and return it before the super bowl.

As others have said, virtually every brand has had some negative feedback.

I am verry happy with the pq of the hd-65.

 

[xorbe]

Huh. My Optoma H31 developed some sort of power supply problem (green light no blinky for 5 seconds to 3 minutes) about 3 months before the warranty ended. I called them up, got an RMA# quickly. I dropped it off personally (about 5 minutes from my apartment), and they were very nice people. Unit was shipped back in working order. I absolutely love the Optoma H31 picture.

 

[DaGamePimp]

Some things do tend to get blown out of proportion on the internet but generally speaking where there's smoke there's fire

. If we see an unusually high number of complaint posts (from multiple posters) regarding a certain issue with any make/model then generally that means there is some sort of an issue that should be taken seriously .


- Jason

 

[Nillaz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DaGamePimp /forum/post/15490309


Some things do tend to get blown out of proportion on the internet but generally speaking where there's smoke there's fire

. If we see an unusually high number of complaint posts (from multiple posters) regarding a certain issue with any make/model then generally that means there is some sort of an issue that should be taken seriously .


- Jason

I absolutely agree. There is always the possibility of any specific piece of gear having a basic design flaw and forums such as these are great tools for uncovering those types of problems. However, I have to disagree with generalized statements such as "Optoma's are steaming piles.....". It's an unfair statement based on a bad experience with a specific model, and not even the OP's model in question to boot.


For example, amongst my several TV's I have a 60" Sony A2000. I am one of the lucky people who does not have the 'green blob' issue, but if I did would it be fair for me to go into every XBR series thread and say that Sony makes nothing but horrible televisions?

 

[reconlabtech]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DaGamePimp /forum/post/15490309


Some things do tend to get blown out of proportion on the internet but generally speaking where there's smoke there's fire

. If we see an unusually high number of complaint posts (from multiple posters) regarding a certain issue with any make/model then generally that means there is some sort of an issue that should be taken seriously .


- Jason

Agreed! One of the best things about the forum. You do have to read through the hyperbole sometimes but the data can be important in making that decision to buy your PJ.

 

[*UFO*]

If you get a mits you will have nothing to worry about,