Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary Posted on December 6, 2009 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review - Optoma HD8600 Projector Overview2. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review-2 - HD8600 Projector Highlights - Pure Motion - Creative Frame Interpolation - Pure Motion - Creative Frame Interpolation3. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review-3 - Color Management System (CMS) - Pure Color - comparision - Interchangeable Lens System - Pure Detail4. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour - Optoma HD8600 Physical Appearance - Input/Output5. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-2 - Optoma HD8600 Menus6. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-3 - Optoma HD8600 Remote Control - DLA-HD8600 Lens Throw7. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-4 - DLA-HD8600 Lens Shift - HD8600 Anamorphic Lens Support8. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality - HD8600 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones9. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-2 - Optoma HD8600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - comparision10. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Optoma HD8600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail-211. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail Performance12. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-5 - comparision13. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-614. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-7 - comparision15. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-816. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-9 - comparision17. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-10 - Overall Color & Picture Quality18. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-11 - Optoma HD8600U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports19. Optoma HD8600 – Performance - Optoma HD8600 Brightness - Optoma HD8600 Projector - Uncalibrated - Brightest Mode20. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-221. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-3 - BenQ W20000 - Light Leakage22. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-4 - Optoma HD8600 Image Noise - Optoma HD8600 Audible Noise23. Optoma HD8600 Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD8600 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range, Best Mode (Pre calibration) - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE - Optoma HD8600 Basic Settings24. Optoma HD8600 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Optoma HD8600 Post Calibration Grayscale - Calibrated color temps, 20 – 100 IRE - Gamma settings - Regarding the HD8600 Manual Iris - Optoma HD8600 RGB Settings - Calibration settings25. Optoma HD8600 – Projector Screens - Optoma HD8600 - Projector Screens26. Optoma HD8600 – Competitors - HD8600 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro 9500UB - Optoma HD8600 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. BenQ W6000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Planar PD8150 and Optoma HD8600 - HD8600 vs. InFocus IN83 and SP8602 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. JVC DLA-RS20, DLA-RS15 and RS35! - Optoma HD8600 vs. Sony VPL-HW15, VPL-VW85, Optoma HD860027. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Warranty28. Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary - Optoma HD8600 Projector - The Bottom Line - Brightness29. Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary-2 - Fancy features - Optoma HD8600 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities30. Optoma HD8600 Projector: Pros31. Optoma HD8600 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD8600 Projector: Typical Capabilities32. Optoma HD8600 Projector Specifications Optoma HD8600 Projector - The Bottom LineOptoma offers up a serious “premium” performance projector in the under $10,000 range, in the form of the HD8600. Like every other projector we’ve reviewed, it has some strengths, and some shortcomings. This is one of those projectors, though that is mostly strengths. I have always been enamoured with the “look and feel” of DLP projectors, when done well. I’ve owned a few, and always been pleased, despite being one of the relatively few who are rainbow sensitive. he HD8600 projector has that look and feel. Also it’s one of only a very few, over $4000 single chip DLP projectors we’ve seen, with particularly impressive black level performance. We don’t get to review that many of the more expensive DLP’s, since we rarely get to play with those “exclusive” higher priced brands like Marantz, SIM2, Runco, etc. (I think those guys avoid us, because we actually “dare to compare” projectors.) In the last year or so, we’ve worked with previous Optoma’s, the BenQ W20000, Planar PD8150, the InFocus IN83 (and soon, the SP8602), etc With that in mind, this Optoma is most impressive among the DLP’s in this large price range. Color handling and skin tones are excellent! Post calibration, the HD8600 has some o the best skin tones I’ve seen The image is sharp, very sharp, as we expect from good DLP projectors. No question about it, the HD8600 will but a sharper looking image up on the screen, than, say, any of the LCoS (JVC, Sony, Canon), or LCD projectors (Epson, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sanyo, etc.). OK, so far, we have a sharp projector with excellent color. Now add to that especially good brightness, and, thanks to interchangeable lenses, really good placement flexibility, especially for a DLP projector!!! BrightnessThe HD8600 is well endowed with lumens, as discussed in the Performance section. More to the point, it’s brighter in “best” mode than most of the competition. With a meassured brightness of 696 lumens, only one or two other projectors in the price range can beat it, and not by much. When it comes to “brightest” mode, the Optoma, again, is brighter than most. We measured 1166 lumens, which is 150-200 lumens brighter than average. Thanks to all those lumens, the HD8600 is very comfortable on larger screens. It had no trouble lighting up my 128″ Firehawk G3 for movie watching and it allowed a moderate amount of ambient light before washing out for sports The image above, is a very good image for viewing black level performance. There are sufficient bright areas, that most projectors with dynamic irises won’t close them down too far. As a result, it’s a good indicator of how the Optoma performs on “mixed scenes – mostly dark but with moderate amounts of brighter areas. 1. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review - Optoma HD8600 Projector Overview2. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review-2 - HD8600 Projector Highlights - Pure Motion - Creative Frame Interpolation - Pure Motion - Creative Frame Interpolation3. Optoma HD8600 Projector Review-3 - Color Management System (CMS) - Pure Color - comparision - Interchangeable Lens System - Pure Detail4. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour - Optoma HD8600 Physical Appearance - Input/Output5. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-2 - Optoma HD8600 Menus6. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-3 - Optoma HD8600 Remote Control - DLA-HD8600 Lens Throw7. Optoma HD8600 Physical Tour-4 - DLA-HD8600 Lens Shift - HD8600 Anamorphic Lens Support8. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality - HD8600 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones9. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-2 - Optoma HD8600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - comparision10. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-3 - Optoma HD8600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail-211. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-4 - Shadow Detail Performance12. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-5 - comparision13. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-614. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-7 - comparision15. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-816. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-9 - comparision17. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-10 - Overall Color & Picture Quality18. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Image Quality-11 - Optoma HD8600U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports19. Optoma HD8600 – Performance - Optoma HD8600 Brightness - Optoma HD8600 Projector - Uncalibrated - Brightest Mode20. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-221. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-3 - BenQ W20000 - Light Leakage22. Optoma HD8600 – Performance-4 - Optoma HD8600 Image Noise - Optoma HD8600 Audible Noise23. Optoma HD8600 Projector Calibration and Settings - Optoma HD8600 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range, Best Mode (Pre calibration) - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE - Optoma HD8600 Basic Settings24. Optoma HD8600 Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Optoma HD8600 Post Calibration Grayscale - Calibrated color temps, 20 – 100 IRE - Gamma settings - Regarding the HD8600 Manual Iris - Optoma HD8600 RGB Settings - Calibration settings25. Optoma HD8600 – Projector Screens - Optoma HD8600 - Projector Screens26. Optoma HD8600 – Competitors - HD8600 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro 9500UB - Optoma HD8600 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. BenQ W6000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Planar PD8150 and Optoma HD8600 - HD8600 vs. InFocus IN83 and SP8602 - Optoma HD8600 vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - Optoma HD8600 vs. JVC DLA-RS20, DLA-RS15 and RS35! - Optoma HD8600 vs. Sony VPL-HW15, VPL-VW85, Optoma HD860027. Optoma HD8600 Projector – Warranty28. Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary - Optoma HD8600 Projector - The Bottom Line - Brightness29. Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary-2 - Fancy features - Optoma HD8600 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities30. Optoma HD8600 Projector: Pros31. Optoma HD8600 Projector: Cons - Optoma HD8600 Projector: Typical Capabilities32. Optoma HD8600 Projector Specifications Optoma HD8600 Projector – Warranty Optoma HD8600 – Review Summary-2