Greetings,
Now, where to start. The Optoma is a great projector for 2D, 1080p gaming, but for 720p 3D gaming...
not so much. This is no fault of the HD33, it is the fault of software incompatibility with Nvidia drivers. I knew from the start that this projector was not on the Nvidia 3D Vision compatibility list. I was hoping I might get lucky and it would work. I downloaded the trial of 3DTV Play software and still nothing. I will just give a few quick impressions of my 1080p, 2D gaming experience as I spent most of my time trying to get the 3D aspect to work.
I did enjoy the time I did game in 1080p, 2D on the HD33. However, overall I liked the GT720 more. The GT720 is less expensive, and was an overall better experience when it came to gaming. The GT720 also had a fun factor which was lacking on the HD33. Optoma geared the GT720 toward gamers; it is compact, comes with a carrying case, and is short throw for an instant gaming party setup. It even has speakers built in, though the sound is not the greatest. The HD33 is bulkier, has a longer throw, no built-in sound, and the shadow detail did not seem anywhere near as good. The HD33 did beat out the GT720 in terms of black level, and of course resolution.
The Good:
Fairly bright and can handle some ambient light.
No lag.
Color was very good for gaming, although I did get it after Art's calibration.
The Bad:
The remote seemed cheaply made.
Black level.
Shadow detail (not as good as the less expensive GT720).
The Ugly:
3D PC gaming is not compatible with Nvidia drivers (not the projector's fault, but a HUGE negative for PC gamers).
720p 3D gaming resolution, even if it did work. Resolution is very important for us PC gamers, 720p on a 100+ inch screen is not a good thing when it comes to PC gaming. The reason we game on a PC is that the resolution capability, and the graphics/detail are much better on a PC compared to a PS3, or Xbox 360.
Conclusion:
If I was basing my purchase solely on gaming it would be a no brainer: buy the Optoma GT720. If you want to use your projector mainly for movie/HDTV viewing and gaming is secondary, buy the HD33. Personally, I'd save the money and go with the GT720, if I could sum up the GT720 in one word it would have to be FUN.
I know this review was short, but this isn't a projector that I would consider if gaming was its primary purpose. I don't think it is worth over twice the price of the GT720. I do love the extra resolution with the HD33 and better black levels, but that is the only thing it seems to do better than the GT72o. I'd rather have the portability, shadow detail, and brightness of the GT720. Not to mention your wallet would be about $800 heavier if you purchased the GT720. The GT750 can be had for about $775, in the same price range as the GT720.
I am reviewing the GT750 next and hopefully I can get the 3D up and running on that unit. Even though it is not on the 3D Vision compatibility list, the GT720 is. That leads me to believe the GT750 might actually work with 3D Vision.
Until we meet again,
-Ebenezer
*UPDATE*
It looks like Nvidia is coming out with an update to include the HD33 in their compatibility list. This is the thread where it is mentioned:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/projectors/1516669-optoma-hd33-hd300x-owners-thread-7.html
This is the quote posted on 10/02/2011:
"3DTV Play Nvidia update due out in a couple of weeks which will add the HD300x (HD33) to the certified list."
