Optoma HD70 Home Theater Projector Review: Summary, Pros, Cons-2

HD70 Pros

HD70 Cons

• Placement flexibility (typical of DLP projectors due to limited zoom range and no adjustable lens shift
• Only one HDMI input
• Large amount of lens offset
• Somewhat noisey in full power mode
• 8 Bit color processing

HD70 Typical Capabilities

• Brightness
• User Manual (good, not great)
• Range of remote control
• Must unmount projector to change lamp
• Black levels
• Sharpness
• Lamp Life

Optoma HD70 Summary

I can easily argue that other projectors can match the HD70's price/performance. The thing is, there is always a projector or two offering great price performance in any given price range.

In the case of under $1000 projectors, the Optoma HD70 gets my vote for best price performance. The combination of good color out of the box, acceptable black levels, reasonably good sharpness and a better than most warranty make the HD70 hard to resist for its price.

True, a number of people will not be able to use it in their rooms, if the HD70 doesn't meet their distance or height positioning requirements, but it will work for most. And some will definitely find the Mitsubishi HD1000U, at its slightly higher price (after you factor the value of its included spare lamp), to be appealing due to significantly more lumens in best mode, but the out of pocket cost difference is likely to be at least $400.

Remember, the HD70 even produces a significant amount of lumens when you really need them, even though its best mode is strictly average in brightness, so it is a good choice if you have a room with good lighting control. You can still handle modest to moderate ambient light when needed.