Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 8 Posted on February 20, 2008 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projectors - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projectors -Projector Overview2. Optoma HD803 Highlights - Optoma HD803 Highlights3. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour4. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones5. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 2 - Optoma HD803 Black Levels and Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison6. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 3 - Dark Scene Comparison - Black Level Performance Comparison7. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 4 - Optoma HD803 Shadow Detail - Shadow Detail Comparison - Shadow Detail Comparison8. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 5 - Satellite Comparison9. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 6 - Optoma HD803 home theater projector: Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison10. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 7 - Optoma HD803 Overall Picture Quality - Slightly Brighter Comparison11. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 8 - The Lower Cost 1080p Projectors Comparison - HD803 Projector Image Quality: Bottom line 12. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - Optoma HD803 with Optional Anamorphic Lens - Optoma HD803 Projector: Menus13. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 2 - Optoma HD803 Memory Settings - Optoma HD803 Remote Control14. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 3 - Optoma HD803 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Optoma HD803 Screen Door and Rainbow Effects - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Light Leakage15. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 4 - Optoma HD803 Audible Noise Levels - Optoma HD803 Brightness - Measured Lumens - Brightness Comparison16. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 5 - Optoma HD803 Lamp Life and Replacement - Optoma HD803 Projector Screen Recommendations17. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 6 - Optoma HD803 Calibration - Measurements for Cinema Mode - Set the Color Temp to User - This yielded a much improved grayscale color balance - Default or Bright (Brite) mode, with Color Temp on Mid (default)18. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 7 - Adjustment - Defaut TV mode also had color temp set to Mid, which yielded - Color Temp Settings - Optoma HD803 Image Noise 19. The Optoma HD803 Projector Review – Warranty20. Optoma HD803 DLP Projector: Summary - 1080p Projector Competition - 1080p Projector Competition - What about the really low priced 1080p projectors21. Optoma HD803 projector, Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 projector, Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 Projector: Pros - Optoma HD803 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD803 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 Summary22. Optoma HD803 Projector Specifications The Lower Cost 1080p Projectors ComparisonOptoma HD803Sanyo PLV-Z2000Pansonic PT-AE2000UPreviousNext I’ve been concentrating on the Epson and Sony, since I have had both here, while reviewing this Optoma. The other reason is that they represent perhaps the two best of the lower cost 1080p projectors. Click to enlarge. so close.The Panasonic (and to a lesser degree, the Sanyo) has a more pinkish shift in its colors, although the differences in these images is far greater than what you would see on the projectors, side by side. Also, you can easily see, that the Optoma image is noticeably darker. Click Image to EnlargeHD803 Projector Image Quality: Bottom line After watching the HD803 for a period of time, I appreciated its “film-like” qualities, and that it is a well balanced projector in terms of image quality. That said, it faces some really serious competition from the best of the 3LCD (Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB), and LCoS (Sony’s SXRD VPL-VW40. Although I found the Epson image a little less film-like, I favored its significantly better black levels that really made a difference on dark scenes. The same was true for the Sony VW40, which is also more film-like than the Epson, and fits very neatly between the Optoma HD803 and Epson in terms of black level performance. Because of the black level advantages of the Sony and Epson, the Optoma is going to compete more directly with entries like the Sanyo and Panasonic. 1. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projectors - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projectors -Projector Overview2. Optoma HD803 Highlights - Optoma HD803 Highlights3. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour4. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones5. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 2 - Optoma HD803 Black Levels and Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison6. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 3 - Dark Scene Comparison - Black Level Performance Comparison7. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 4 - Optoma HD803 Shadow Detail - Shadow Detail Comparison - Shadow Detail Comparison8. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 5 - Satellite Comparison9. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 6 - Optoma HD803 home theater projector: Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison10. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 7 - Optoma HD803 Overall Picture Quality - Slightly Brighter Comparison11. Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 8 - The Lower Cost 1080p Projectors Comparison - HD803 Projector Image Quality: Bottom line 12. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - Optoma HD803 with Optional Anamorphic Lens - Optoma HD803 Projector: Menus13. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 2 - Optoma HD803 Memory Settings - Optoma HD803 Remote Control14. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 3 - Optoma HD803 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Optoma HD803 Screen Door and Rainbow Effects - Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector: Light Leakage15. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 4 - Optoma HD803 Audible Noise Levels - Optoma HD803 Brightness - Measured Lumens - Brightness Comparison16. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 5 - Optoma HD803 Lamp Life and Replacement - Optoma HD803 Projector Screen Recommendations17. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 6 - Optoma HD803 Calibration - Measurements for Cinema Mode - Set the Color Temp to User - This yielded a much improved grayscale color balance - Default or Bright (Brite) mode, with Color Temp on Mid (default)18. Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 7 - Adjustment - Defaut TV mode also had color temp set to Mid, which yielded - Color Temp Settings - Optoma HD803 Image Noise 19. The Optoma HD803 Projector Review – Warranty20. Optoma HD803 DLP Projector: Summary - 1080p Projector Competition - 1080p Projector Competition - What about the really low priced 1080p projectors21. Optoma HD803 projector, Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 projector, Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 Projector: Pros - Optoma HD803 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD803 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Optoma HD803 Summary22. Optoma HD803 Projector Specifications Optoma HD803: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality – 7 Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance