Home Theater Projector

For an MSRP of only $999 the Optoma HD20 is one of a few true 1080p front projectors that can show a full 100 inches for the same price as a flat-panel display of only one quarter the size.

It has inputs aplenty to cover most applications, and if you also buy a power-retractable screen and mount you can have a complete home theater set up for less than $1700, about the same price as a 50 inch flat-panel.

The Optoma HD20 is made of white plastic with grey accents, and includes a lens cover, controls on the top of the unit, a security bar which locks the unit, and a remote control with batteries included.

The unit feels sturdy and seems to be well built. It is quite compact at 12.76 inches in width x 3.82 inches in height x 9.21 inches in depth.

It is also quite portable at only 6.4 pounds. The back of the unit includes USB service port, VGA / SCART YPbPr, standard video, HDMI1, HDMI2, +12V Trigger, Power, Component Video, Kensington Lock and Security Bar connectors. There are three adjustable feet on the bottom of the unit for leveling.

While the native video supported by the Optoma HD20 is 1080p 1920 x 1080 resolution, it also supports most other computer formats up to 1600 x 1200 resolution such as UXGA, WXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA re-sized, VESA, PC and Macintosh.

Video inputs supported also include the most common formats such as HDTV, EDTV, SDTV, NTSC, PAL and SECAM. Unfortunately, the unit only comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty where the industry standard is 2 years.

The bulb is rated for 3000 hours in bright mode and 4000 hours in standard mode, and comes with a 90-day warranty. Replacing it is a little pricey though at around $250.

Setup of the Optoma HD20 is straightforward. Be sure to visit the Optoma website to make sure you have the right throw distance for your screen.

The unit does have vertical image shifting, but no true lens shifting, so you must make sure you get the right placement centered to your projection screen. The unit also comes with a 1.2x to 1 zoom level, which is typical.

home theater experience

The Image menu contains all the important controls such as sharpness, contrast, color, brightness, etc. Its recommended you put the unit into Cinema mode and then reduce the sharpness as low as it will go.

Of course, your settings may vary based on room conditions and even DVD player models. It is also recommended to stay away from Digital Keystoning, as it can add artifacts.

The Advanced Menu contains noise reduction, B/W Extension, Gamma, RGB gain/bias, Color Temperature, etc. Its recommended to set the Gamma to Film and the Color Temperature to Warm for the best results. Initial images seem to be a little oversaturated, but that is easily corrected for using the RGB gain/bais, Color and Tint controls.

It is also highly recommended you set your Contrast and Brightness levels using a DVE or Avia disc, which will get you closer to having a more correct picture.

One hiccup in the unit is in the HDCP handshake, causing the Optoma HD20 to endlessly cycle through the inputs for a valid source. The Component connector when hooked up to an X-Box 360, however, doesn’t seem to have this problem. The problem seems to show up when using the HDMI connectors.

Check out this video review for more info.

You can buy this optoma hd20 through Amazon here.

While displaying “Searching for input”, it will first switch to 1080p/60Hz mode, and just as it is locking on, it will unexpectedly start searching for the next input. Sometimes indefinitely. Fortunately, you can use the “Source Lock” feature to control this behavior, although it means you’ll have to switch inputs manually.

The HD20 measures in at about 34db of noise, and while quieter than a business projector, seems to be a little distracting while viewing quiet passages. However, it usually isn’t a problem for most typical viewing.

Startup only takes a few seconds (not including the cycling searching for inputs), and shows a splash screen upon power-up. Upon shutdown the HD20 makes an exhaust noise, but then quickly turns off.

Overall, the Optoma HD20 provides amazing value for a price under $1000. But it is recommended that you value shop for the unit online, as you can possibly save $50 or more on the MSRP.