Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-5 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 Optoma HD8000 Audible Noise LevelsAudible noise levels is a chronic Optoma weakness. In all fairness, it shares this flaw with most (but not all) DLP home theater projectors. It is the usual formula: if you are really adverse to any fan noise, you are probably, just probably, going to be OK, with the HD8000 or HD80 in eco-mode (low lamp brightness). With the lamp in full power, these projectors will drive those really noise adverse, crazy For the rest of us, well, the HD8000 and HD80 projectors are a bit noisy, definitely acceptable in low power, and probably just fine in full power. We’re talking about a projector in that 32db – 33db range, with lamp on bright. The trick for most of us, is that the fan quicky is blotted out by our brains, much like we rarely notice if our refrigerator is “running” or not. We might notice when it kicks on or off, but almost immediately we forget about its noise, because it is consistent, and low pitched. Overall, not a problem for most of us, but your sensitivity, size of your room, and acoustics could make it an issue. Optoma HD8000 Brightness - Measured Lumenshe Optoma HD8000 and HD80 brightness performance is good, overall, brighter than average. In best mode, using default settings (degamma = film, gamma set to 1, Color Temp = Warm) the projector put out 858 lumens in “best mode”. Sadly, default best movie mode, isn’t that good. After adjustment, with a great looking image, brightness measured in at a still brighter than most 561 lumens. These measurements were taken with the iris open. Dropping the lamp into its low brightness mode only brought about a drop in lumens measured to be about 11%. That should be consistent across various presets. In Brite mode the HD8000 measured 868 lumens and did even better in TV mode, at 1006 lumens. Still, it comes up shy of the 1300 lumen claim. I have no doubt, however that you can sacrifice some overall image quality and crank the HD8000 up close to 1300 lumens by creating a user setting focused on achieving the brightest picture. This lack of a really tricked out “brightest” mode, is a mystery to me. I don’t understand why they haven’t set one up, and especially if they are going to call it a 1300 lumen projector, they shouldn’t have to make us work hard to get our 1300 lumens. Optoma HD8000 Lamp Life and ReplacementOh, how typical: 2000 hours in full power mode, and 3000 hours rated for low power. That has to be the “industry norm”. When it comes to replacing the lamp, the lamp door is on the bottom of the projector. That means you are going to have to unmount a celing mounted projector to change the lamp. That’s a pain, but typical of most projectors. Problem is, its competition includes the BenQ W10000 and the Panasonic PT-AE1000U, neither of which requires unmounting to change their lamps. 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 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-4 Optoma HD8000 and HD80 DLP Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-16