Note: Read our complete review of the Optoma HD80 home theater projector here.

The Taiwanese's first full-HD offering, the HD81, is a love-hate affair for videophiles and enthusiasts. While most are excited by its enticing feature set, many are equally turned off by its sky-high five-figure asking price. This has prompted the company to go back to the drawing board, taking a step back and focusing on the essentials that really matter. The result is a scaled-down iteration of its predecessor sporting similar capabilities but going at a mere fraction for US$2,999.

Pros

If you are shopping for a compact and stylish full-HD projector that's equally promising on paper, the upcoming HD80 is definitely a candidate worth shortlisting. Not only is this Optoma one of the most petite upcoming models, its sensuous curves and attractive silver sheen are both ceiling-mount friendly as well as easy on the eyes. A near-clone of the HD81, its measures 117 x 406 x 310mm and weighs in at 4.5kg, complete with onboard video processor and related electronics.

What's interesting here is that despite several cost-cutting measures, the HD80's ratings are relatively unscathed. In fact, its light output is easily one of the highest among DLPs at 1,300 lumens, while its 10,000:1 dynamic contrast is second only to the award-winning Sharp XV-Z21000. That's not all. Imaging Science Foundation Certified Calibration Configuration is also available just in case you need to seek out professional assistance in attaining Hollywood-standard hues.

Another exceptional feature which is hard to come by for this modestly priced (tentatively at S$5,200 (US$3,421.82) in Singapore) beamer is its extensive HD connectivity. Though nowhere as extravagant as its predecessor, this stacks up extremely well against comparable makes. These include a pair of HDMI 1.3 and DVI sockets. All three are 1080p- and High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection-ready--a plus for those still holding out for newer HDMI 1.3-enabled A/V receivers.

Cons

For all its promising capabilities, the HD80 does come with a flaw which seriously undermines its attractiveness here in Asia. Bottlenecked with long throw projection and limited 1.2x zoom, a substantially deep 4m depth is a minimal prerequisite for theater-like 100-inch pictures. This is most probably a scratch for typical Asian apartments. That's unless you have spare cash to throw into living room lighting control or the privilege of hoarding the masters. That said, DLPs are not renown for their short throw distance and are offered only on the premium Marantz VP11S1.

Bottomline

For a period of time, the local home theater forums were abuzz about this upcoming Optoma piece. This has since subdued by the disappointing long throw specifications. Nonetheless, for those fortunate enough with such deep rooms, the HD80 will be the best buy to date, no question asked. Of course, this is provided the optics and video engine are well-oiled and tuned for optimal performance.