Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Art Feierman

Optoma HD8600 Physical Appearance

Start with a medium small, all shiny black case. In the front, you'll find a center mounted lens. The projector, I should note, ships without the lens installed. Installing it was a snap, literally. I took off the packaging, inserted the lens, turned it slightly and the mount snapped into place. The lens almost recessed, but not quite. the lens is manual, you use the outer and inner trim rings to focus and zoom. There's also an infra-red sensor on the front (another in the rear).

Below are left and right front, screw thread adjustable, feet.

❮ ❯

Moving to the top of the Optoma HD8600 projector there's a spring loaded door just behind the lens and several inches across. Press to release and expose the separate vertical and horizontal lens shift dials.

The input panel is located on the back, along with a power switch and a holder for a small "convenience" remote control (there is a full backlit remote as well).

Strangely, the projector has its air intakes on the side, but vents the hot air out the rear. This means for rear shelf mounting, ventilation may be a problem, if you can't provide a fair amount of space between projector and the wall.

Interestingly the HD8600 lacks a control panel. Or rather, they are using a solution that a few others have done recently. Optoma provides two remotes. There's the usual bigger, backlit remote control, but also a small credit card remote. The credit card remote which they refer to as a "convenience remote" has only basic functions: Buttons for On, Off, Menu, Enter, Source, and four arrow key buttons. The convenience remote will fit into the rear input panel area, where it then functions as a basic control panel. Whether you like the concept or not, it gets the job done, with the same basic controls most other projectors' control panels have.

Input/Output

Click to Enlarge.So close

The HD8600 is rather typically equipped. Actually it has 3 HDMI inputs, one more than most, but others these days are adding a third, as well. There's the classic analog computer input, which can be used as the second component video input instead.

There's also the usual composite video and S-video inputs, not to mention an RS-232 and also a USB for command and control from a computer or room control system.

The Optoma comes equipped with two 12 volt screen triggers, which can be used for motorized screen control, controlling an anamorphic lens sled, or a screen masking system. Few projectors have two, although that may be a new trend, considering the expanding range of devices they can be used to "trigger". Nice touch, and it may be convenient, however, controlling all such devices can also be done other ways, with infra-red or RF remotes, for example.