Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 2 Posted on July 10, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma HD25-LV Home Theater Projector Review - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Overview - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Highlights2. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Special Features - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Pricing - Gaming with the Optoma HD25-LV - Optoma HD25-LV 3D Performance - HD25-LV Lamp Life - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens - HD25-LV Dynamic Black3. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Physical Tour - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Appearance - HD25-LV Control Panel - HD25-LV Projector - Input/Output4. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour 2 - HD25-LV Menus - Optoma HD25-LV Remote Control5. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour 3 - Optoma HD25-LV Lens Throw - HD25-LV Projector - No Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Image Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Out of the Box Picture Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Flesh Tones7. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison8. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HD25-LV Projector - Bottom Line9. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HD25-LV Projector - Bottom Line10. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 4 - Optoma HD25-LV - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: HDTV and Sports Viewing - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports11. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance - Optoma HD25-LV Brightness - Projector's Measurements - Color Temp over IRE Range (Bright mode) - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 1497 lumens Bright "brightest" mode 1794 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Bright mode)12. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 2 - HD25-LV Brilliant Color - Effect of Brilliant Color setting on lumen output (Bright mode) - HD25-LV Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) - Comparing Image Modes13. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 3 - Optoma HD25-LV Sharpness - Optoma HD25-LV: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage14. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 4 - Image Noise15. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD25-LV Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Bright mode) - Optoma HD25-LV Basic Settings - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - Optoma HD25-LV Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis) - Optoma HD25-LV Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode16. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - HD25-LV RGB Settings - HD25-LV Post Calibration settings17. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Advanced Calibration Information - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)18. Optoma HD25-LV – Projector Screens - Optoma HD25-LV - Projector Screens - Optoma HD25-LV in a Dedicated theater - What type of High Contrast Grey Projector Screens 19. Optoma HD25-LV – Competitors - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Epson Home Cinema 3020 - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Optoma HD33 - HD25-LV vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U - Optoma HD25-LV vs. BenQ W1070, BenQ W1080ST20. Optoma HD25-LV – Competitors 2 - Optoma HD25-LV Competitors - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Epson HC8350 - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Acer H9500BD21. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Warranty22. Optoma HD25-LV – Review Summary - Optoma HD25-LV - Review Summary - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - The Bottom Line - HD25-LV Brightness - Optoma HD25-LV 3D Projector23. Optoma HD25-LV – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the HD25-LV projector - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Pros and Cons - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Pros - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Cons24. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Specifications Black Level and Shadow Detail PerformanceThe Optoma HD25-LV projector’s black level performance is rather good at its price point. I can’t think of better under $1500. Oh, it’s still no match for excellent ultra high contrast projectors like the Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Panasonic PT-AE8000U, but it is close to the Acer H9500BD, which at $1599 has the best blacks (we’ve seen) for that price or less. As an example, if comparing it with the BenQ W1080ST that I just previously reviewed, the Optoma HD25-LV was an easy winner. Having said that, here’s our first image, a side by side with the HD25-LV on the left, the BenQ on the right. Note that the W1080ST is a newer sibling of the BenQ W1070 which we also really liked. Optoma on the left, BenQ on the right, the HD25-LV easily has blacker blacks: Let’s start with a side by side image: Optoma HD23 vs Optoma HD25-LV. The BenQ is only slightly more overexposed – on a 0 to 255 scale white averages about 10 points higher on that scale. In the dark area though, the BenQ’s measurments are between 2 and 3 times higher, so, white’s a touch brighter, blacks dramatically darker = Better black levels! Click Image to EnlargeBlack Levels ComparisonOptoma HD25Optoma HD23Home-Cinema-5020Optoma HD33Acer H9500BDPanasonic PT-AR100UMitsubishi HC4000Vivitek H1080FD PreviousNext The HD25-LV projector claims an impressive 20,000:1 contrast ratio for such a low cost projector. Black level performance is great for the $1300 price, even if a home entertainment projector with tons of lumens isn’t heading for a room with ideal conditions. Epson’s Home Cinema 8350 and their 3020 should be close in blacks but not as good, although we haven’t had either around here in more than 6 months. Panasonic’s PT-AR100U competition would trail the Optoma by even more difference on blacks. What’s interesting is that Optoma has accomplished this without a dynamic iris. For years, many Optoma’s have been using lamp dimming which they call Dynamic Black. This projector does it pretty smoothly. In almost all previous Optoma reviews I had to recommend giving up the blacks because the dimming action was sufficiently annoying. 1. Optoma HD25-LV Home Theater Projector Review - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Overview - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Highlights2. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Special Features - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Pricing - Gaming with the Optoma HD25-LV - Optoma HD25-LV 3D Performance - HD25-LV Lamp Life - 1.2:1 Zoom Lens - HD25-LV Dynamic Black3. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Physical Tour - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Appearance - HD25-LV Control Panel - HD25-LV Projector - Input/Output4. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour 2 - HD25-LV Menus - Optoma HD25-LV Remote Control5. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Physical Tour 3 - Optoma HD25-LV Lens Throw - HD25-LV Projector - No Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Image Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Out of the Box Picture Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - Flesh Tones7. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 2 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance - Black Levels Comparison8. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HD25-LV Projector - Bottom Line9. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 4 - Shadow Detail Performance - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: HD25-LV Projector - Bottom Line10. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 4 - Optoma HD25-LV - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: HDTV and Sports Viewing - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports11. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance - Optoma HD25-LV Brightness - Projector's Measurements - Color Temp over IRE Range (Bright mode) - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 1497 lumens Bright "brightest" mode 1794 lumens - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Bright mode)12. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 2 - HD25-LV Brilliant Color - Effect of Brilliant Color setting on lumen output (Bright mode) - HD25-LV Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) - Comparing Image Modes13. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 3 - Optoma HD25-LV Sharpness - Optoma HD25-LV: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage14. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Performance 4 - Image Noise15. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD25-LV Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Bright mode) - Optoma HD25-LV Basic Settings - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) - Optoma HD25-LV Basic Settings - Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis) - Optoma HD25-LV Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode16. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - HD25-LV RGB Settings - HD25-LV Post Calibration settings17. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Advanced Calibration Information - Color Management Settings (CMS) - CMS Calibration Notes - Calibration Charts (Before and After)18. Optoma HD25-LV – Projector Screens - Optoma HD25-LV - Projector Screens - Optoma HD25-LV in a Dedicated theater - What type of High Contrast Grey Projector Screens 19. Optoma HD25-LV – Competitors - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Epson Home Cinema 3020 - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Optoma HD33 - HD25-LV vs. Panasonic PT-AR100U - Optoma HD25-LV vs. BenQ W1070, BenQ W1080ST20. Optoma HD25-LV – Competitors 2 - Optoma HD25-LV Competitors - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Epson HC8350 - Optoma HD25-LV vs. Acer H9500BD21. Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Warranty22. Optoma HD25-LV – Review Summary - Optoma HD25-LV - Review Summary - Optoma HD25-LV Projector - The Bottom Line - HD25-LV Brightness - Optoma HD25-LV 3D Projector23. Optoma HD25-LV – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the HD25-LV projector - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Pros and Cons - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Pros - Optoma HD25-LV Projector: Cons24. Optoma HD25-LV Projector Specifications Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality Optoma HD25-LV Projector – Image Quality 3