Optoma PK301 – Image Quality Posted on September 2, 2010 By Art Feierman 1. Optoma PK301 LED Projector Review - Optoma LED Pico Projector - Overview - Optoma PK301 PK301 Projector Highlights - Optoma PK301 Special Features - PK301 as a Gaming Projector2. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour - Appearance - Control Panel3. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Menus - Remote Control4. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour3 - Optoma PK301 Lens Throw - Lens Shift & Setup5. Optoma PK301 – Image Quality - Optoma PK301 Pico Projector - Picture Quality - Color Accuracy - Video6. Optoma PK301 – Performance - Optoma PK301 PK301 Brightness - Sharpness - Light Leakage - Audible Noise7. Optoma PK301 Pico Projector – Projector Screens - General Screen Recommendations8. Optoma PK301 PK301 LED Projector – Warranty9. Optoma PK301 – Review Summary - Optoma PK301: Bottom Line - Optoma PK301 Projector: Pros - Optoma PK301 Projector: Cons10. Optoma PK301 – Review Summary2 - Optoma PK301 Projector: 20 Questions Answered11. Specs for Optoma PK301 Pico Projector Optoma PK301 Pico Projector - Picture Quality If you have read this review from the beginning then you know that I have mentioned a few times that I haven’t exactly raved about picture quality when it comes to Pico projectors and the more specifically the Optoma PK301. Part of this inability to rave about it comes from the fact that I have seen so many great projectors that are designed for boardrooms and conference halls that are only a few hundred dollars more than the some of the Picos on the market. That being said, the Pico serves a purpose. It has a niche, but one has to know if the limited capabilities of the projector outweigh the convenient size and long life. The Optoma produces a satisfactory image for the Pico category of projectors. Contrast is actually not bad at rated 2000:1. When actually viewing the projector I would have to say that the reality is far from the specified contrast ratio. One would not be satisfied if they were looking for a dedicated home theater projector for movies or gaming. If you plan on just having a quick to setup, very tiny projector to convey an idea quickly to a small group in a dark room then having the Optoma PK301 would come in handy. It certainly would be a conversation starter based on its actual micro projector appearance. Color AccuracyColors were fairly accurate, and true to what you might expect from a projector of this size, but because the projector only puts out 50 lumens when using AC power and 20 lumens when using just battery power, there just aren’t enough lumens to produce true colors. DLP projectors are notorious for having issues producing yellows and reds. Usually on DLP projectors of the non Pico category, there are an assortment of video settings that can be adjusted to give you better more accurate colors. The Pico PK301 has no controls for adjusting color. What you see is really what you get with the Optoma PK301. Video The Optoma PK301 does accept an HDMI signal with an optional mini HDMI to mini HDMI cable. It comes with a standard A/V cable to accept RCA video. Was not able to test out the projectors ability to handle HD, but from my experience with the projector using the AV cable, the lack of brightness would not have help create a watcheable image for a long length of time regardless if it was a little clearer. If video is your primary use for a projector, then the Pico projectors are not going to do the job. If you just need to sometimes convery an idea using video and you don’t want to carry around a large projector, then given you have dark rooms to present in, the video would suffice, but certainly consider a more expensive standard projector with much higher lumens. 1. Optoma PK301 LED Projector Review - Optoma LED Pico Projector - Overview - Optoma PK301 PK301 Projector Highlights - Optoma PK301 Special Features - PK301 as a Gaming Projector2. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour - Appearance - Control Panel3. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour2 - Menus - Remote Control4. Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour3 - Optoma PK301 Lens Throw - Lens Shift & Setup5. Optoma PK301 – Image Quality - Optoma PK301 Pico Projector - Picture Quality - Color Accuracy - Video6. Optoma PK301 – Performance - Optoma PK301 PK301 Brightness - Sharpness - Light Leakage - Audible Noise7. Optoma PK301 Pico Projector – Projector Screens - General Screen Recommendations8. Optoma PK301 PK301 LED Projector – Warranty9. Optoma PK301 – Review Summary - Optoma PK301: Bottom Line - Optoma PK301 Projector: Pros - Optoma PK301 Projector: Cons10. Optoma PK301 – Review Summary2 - Optoma PK301 Projector: 20 Questions Answered11. Specs for Optoma PK301 Pico Projector Optoma PK301 Projector – Physical Tour3 Optoma PK301 – Performance
