Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality Posted on October 15, 2007 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 Home Theater Projectors - HD8000 Projector Overview - Optoma HD8000 Highlights2. Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour3. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - Optoma HD80 and HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones4. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-2 - Optoma HD8000 Black Levels and Shadow Detail5. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-36. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-47. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-58. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-69. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-7 - Optoma HD8000 home theater projector: Sharpness10. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-8 - Optoma HD8000 home theater projector: Sharpness-2 - Optoma HD80 Overall Picture Quality - HD8000 Projector Image Quality: Bottom line 11. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - Optoma HD80, HD8000 with Optional Anamorphic Lens - ptoma HD80 Projector: Menus12. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-2 - Optoma HD80 Memory Settings13. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-3 - Optoma HD8000 Remote Control14. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-4 - Optoma HD8000 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Optoma HD8000 Screen Door and Rainbow Effects - Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Light Leakage15. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-5 - Optoma HD8000 Audible Noise Levels - Optoma HD8000 Brightness - Measured Lumens - Optoma HD8000 Lamp Life and Replacement16. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-16 - Optoma HD8000 Projector Screen Recommendations - Optoma HD8000 Calibration - Optoma HD8000 Image Noise 17. The Optoma HD8000 and HD80 Projector Review – Warranty18. Home Theater Projector Reviews: Optoma HD8000 DLP Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons19. Optoma HD8000 Projector: Pros20. Optoma HD8000 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD8000 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD8000 Summary21. Optoma HD8000 Projector Specifications s indicated in the first pages of these two reviews all testing was done on an HD8000, and that the two projectors are technically identical, except for the HD8000 having two additional modes: ISF Day, and ISF Night, for calibrators to set up. Both reviews will share two pages, this one (image quality), and general performance. Optoma HD80 and HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Skin TonesThe HD8000’s out of the box performance leaves a good deal to be desired. In reality, out of the box, it does a bit better job than most previous Optomas we’ve reviewed. Fix it yourself (using a calibration disk, like AVIA – less than $50 and available at most online projector specialists), or hire an installation company (or independent calibrator) who can tune the HD8000 for you. This is a projector that needs to be adjusted, I don’t consider the default settings to be acceptable, and I doubt you will either. However, once you have it properly set up, the HD8000 produces one fine image for its rather reasonable price. Now, this time around, I didn’t shoot “before” and “after” adjustment images, but… I did do that with my last Optoma review, the HD81-LV, their top of the line 1080p projector. I will say now, that the HD81-LV was probably a little worse out of the box than the HD8000 is, but overall, let’s say that both “need work” and are similar in terms of color balance, with green being too strong. Consider these images from the Optoma HD81-LV review: Even with the HD8000 a bit better, you can imagine that “something must be done”. The HD8000 projector needs adjustment. Once done, though, the skin tones become very good. Let’s look at a number of images taken after adjustment of the HD8000. All are from HD resolution movies off of Blu-Ray DVD, unless otherwise noted: And, of course, a couple from House of the Flying Daggers, which offers some truly spectacular production qualities: The HD8000 does very well on movies that are supposed to be grayscale, or done in monotones such as the sepia flavored second image below: First, from the beginning of Phantom of the Opera (Blu-Ray), then an image from Sin City (standard DVD): 1. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 Home Theater Projectors - HD8000 Projector Overview - Optoma HD8000 Highlights2. Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour3. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - Optoma HD80 and HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones4. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-2 - Optoma HD8000 Black Levels and Shadow Detail5. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-36. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-47. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-58. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-69. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-7 - Optoma HD8000 home theater projector: Sharpness10. Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-8 - Optoma HD8000 home theater projector: Sharpness-2 - Optoma HD80 Overall Picture Quality - HD8000 Projector Image Quality: Bottom line 11. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - Optoma HD80, HD8000 with Optional Anamorphic Lens - ptoma HD80 Projector: Menus12. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-2 - Optoma HD80 Memory Settings13. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-3 - Optoma HD8000 Remote Control14. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-4 - Optoma HD8000 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Optoma HD8000 Screen Door and Rainbow Effects - Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Light Leakage15. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-5 - Optoma HD8000 Audible Noise Levels - Optoma HD8000 Brightness - Measured Lumens - Optoma HD8000 Lamp Life and Replacement16. Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-16 - Optoma HD8000 Projector Screen Recommendations - Optoma HD8000 Calibration - Optoma HD8000 Image Noise 17. The Optoma HD8000 and HD80 Projector Review – Warranty18. Home Theater Projector Reviews: Optoma HD8000 DLP Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons19. Optoma HD8000 Projector: Pros20. Optoma HD8000 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD8000 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD8000 Summary21. Optoma HD8000 Projector Specifications Optoma HD8000 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour Optoma HD80 and HD8000: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-2