Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 5 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 Optoma HD803 Lamp Life and ReplacementThe HD803 is pretty much industry standard: 2000 hours in full power mode, and 3000 hours rated for low power. 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 W5000 and the Panasonic PT-AE2000U, neither of which requires unmounting to change their lamps. Optoma HD803 Projector Screen RecommendationsThe HD803 has a healthy amount of lumens, yet I liked it best on mid-sized screens. At 110″ diagonal size on my Firehawk, the Optoma looked really good. The gray surface helps out a bit with the black levels, and of course with dealing with some ambient light. However the overall image looked a bit dark. I found that I had to have the gamma set to 1, or 2 to best enjoy movies. That said, when I used the HD803 in the testing room, filling the 106″ Carada Brilliant White screen, it became a great little family room projector. It had a very dynamic feel. Not for the most critical viewer, but a very practical projector, with pretty good brightness. Since this is a fairly well balanced projector – but, by no means, is it the best in class for movie watching, I would tend to think that many buyers of the HD803, would opt for a matte white surface or one with gain, resulting in a brighter than average projected image, suitable for general viewing. As a compromise, one that provides for a slight improvement in black levels, a light gray surface with some positive gain, consider screens like the Da-lite Cinemavision or HC Cinemavision screens or Elite’s high contrast gray (which is light gray and not particularly high contrast). They should both be a good compromise screen to match with a projector that is, itself, a good projector but one that has compromised black level performance a bit. Tough call. Definitely consider your room conditions as a key factor in your screen choice for the HD803 projector. 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 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 4 Optoma HD803 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance – 6