The 1080p fever is spreading for the large-screen projector business. Hot on the heels of the award-winning Sony Ruby, and joining the elite full-HD clan are new entries from both DLP and LCD camps. They include Mitsubishi's MC-5000, BenQ's W10000 and Optoma's HD81, among others. The latter is an interesting contraption consisting a compact DLP projector and an outboard video processor.
The Optoma HD81 is an interesting product unlike most other home theater projectors. Instead of a bulky All-in-One solution, the company has deployed a two-piece design comprising a compact 1080p DLP projector and an external video processor. This arrangement replaces multiple runs of interconnects with a single HDMI cable, cutting down clutter and expensive cabling.
Technical specification-wise, the HD81 is centered on a Texas Instrument DarkChip3 chip with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution. Not only is the Optoma able to put out a high 1,400 ANSI lumen brightness, it is also capable of delivering a competent 6,000:1 contrast ratio. Complementing the TI chip is a Gennum VXP processor which offers advanced video scaling and deinterlacing functions.
Another strong feature of the projector is its mind-boggling suite of connectivity options, thanks to the additional headroom catered to by the outboard processor. They include three 1080p-ready HDMI terminals, four sets of component-video sockets and a PC input. That’s besides twin triggers for automated projection screen operation, infrared remote extension, and others.
In a bid to maintain affordability, Optoma has traded off the handy lens shift capability in favor of a quality external video processor. In another words, the HD81 will have to be mounted near the center axis to project a sharp and undistorted image. This is a slight oversight, in our opinion, as buyers of such premium products will probably be engaging customized installers for setup and installation.
As with all first-gen 1080p projectors, the Optoma HD81 doesn’t come cheap. It's priced at a whopping S$15,999 (US$10,525.85). That said, it does somewhat justify its high price with a high-performance external video processor and mouth-watering connectivity options. Do expect the price to trickle downwards once other 1080pers hit the market, particularly the US$6,300 Sony VPL-VW50 SXRD projector codenamed Pearl.
Pros
The Optoma HD81 is an interesting product unlike most other home theater projectors. Instead of a bulky All-in-One solution, the company has deployed a two-piece design comprising a compact 1080p DLP projector and an external video processor. This arrangement replaces multiple runs of interconnects with a single HDMI cable, cutting down clutter and expensive cabling.
Technical specification-wise, the HD81 is centered on a Texas Instrument DarkChip3 chip with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution. Not only is the Optoma able to put out a high 1,400 ANSI lumen brightness, it is also capable of delivering a competent 6,000:1 contrast ratio. Complementing the TI chip is a Gennum VXP processor which offers advanced video scaling and deinterlacing functions.
Another strong feature of the projector is its mind-boggling suite of connectivity options, thanks to the additional headroom catered to by the outboard processor. They include three 1080p-ready HDMI terminals, four sets of component-video sockets and a PC input. That’s besides twin triggers for automated projection screen operation, infrared remote extension, and others.
Cons
In a bid to maintain affordability, Optoma has traded off the handy lens shift capability in favor of a quality external video processor. In another words, the HD81 will have to be mounted near the center axis to project a sharp and undistorted image. This is a slight oversight, in our opinion, as buyers of such premium products will probably be engaging customized installers for setup and installation.
Bottomline
As with all first-gen 1080p projectors, the Optoma HD81 doesn’t come cheap. It's priced at a whopping S$15,999 (US$10,525.85). That said, it does somewhat justify its high price with a high-performance external video processor and mouth-watering connectivity options. Do expect the price to trickle downwards once other 1080pers hit the market, particularly the US$6,300 Sony VPL-VW50 SXRD projector codenamed Pearl.
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