Optoma HD8000 and HD80 Home Theater Projectors: HD8000 Projector Overview

10-15-2007 - Art Feierman

Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons

Check out how the Optoma HD8000 fared in our comparison report here.

The Optoma HD8000 is a slightly upgraded HD80. There are three major differences: The HD8000 offers a third year warranty (compared to two years), it is ISF certified and offers ISF Day, and ISF Night modes for your friendly neighborhood ISF professional calibrator to save optimium settings. Lastly, the HD8000 which will be available through local installation oriented CEDIA dealers, costs about $500 more than the HD80.

Optoma HD8000 Highlights

• One of the lower cost 1080p projectors
• Good black level performance for an entry level 1080p projector, but definitely not in the same class as most more expensive projectors
• Slightly more expensive than the HD80 which is available online.
• Limited placement flexibility, and significant lens offset, as is typical of most lower cost DLP projectors
• Three year warranty
• Will accept an anamorphic lens for working with Cinemascope (2.35:1) shaped screens
• Reasonably bright - 561 lumens in best mode after adjustments, 1004 lumens in brightest mode
• Rich color saturation, and lots of depth to the image
• $3199!

Optoma HD8000 Projector: Basic Specs

MSRP: $3199 MAP: $3199
Optional motorized Anamorphic lens: $3999
Technology: Single chip DLP front projector
Native Resolution: 1080p (1980x1080)
Brightness: 1200 lumens
Contrast: 10,000:1
Zoom Lens ratio: 1.2:1
Lens shift: None
Lamp life: 2000 hours full power, 3000 lumens eco-mode
Weight: 10 lbs. (excluding outboard processor)
Warranty: 3 years Parts and Labor, with express replacement program, 1 year lamp warranty.

Full specifications available here.

Review continues below this advertisement.

Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour

The HD80 projector shares the same shaped case as the other current Optoma 1080p projectors. It is reasonably small, with the lens placed on the far left (looking at the projector from the front. It offers a 1.2:1 zoom ratio, allowing some (but limited) placement flexibility. There is also a front infra-red sensor for the remote control just below the lens and closer to the center. With a 100" diagonal 16:9 screen, the front of the projector can be placed as close as 13.4 feet, and as far back as 16.1 feet. If your screen will be larger or smaller, you can figure out the distances from these numbers.

The Optoma HD80 has its control panel laid out in a straight line, on the top, along the back edge. This means that the menu keys are not laid out in the traditional diamond shape, which is unfortunate. That said, of course, you would normally be using the remote control regardless, so it's not a big deal.

Looking from the back of the HD80, the power switch is on the far left (once for on, twice for off). Next is the Menu button, followed by the up and down arrows, then the left and right, and finally, the Enter key. The left arrow doubles as the Source select button when the menus aren't in use, and the right arrow, doubles as the re-sync button, primarily for locking on to a PC analog source.

Moving to the back, the input panel is especially well endowed. I say this because the HD80 has three digital inputs; two HDMI inputs and a DVI. The DVI, can be used for a digital input, or as either a second component video, or as the analog input for a computer. The dedicated component video input has the usual three RCA jacks. To round things out, there's the traditional composite, and S-video inputs, an RS-232 for "command and control" by a room control system or computer, and a 12 volt "trigger" for controlling a properly equipped motorized screen.

As a typical DLP projector, the HD80 has a sealed light path, and no filters to change out

Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons