Optoma HD65 review

Watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster or playing the latest game on a huge HD TV is an attractive prospect, but beyond the reach of most wallets.

With a projector, you pay a lot less per square foot of picture. But they're still pricey, and replacing the bulb every few months can scare your bank manager all over again. Not so with the HD65.

Its native resolution is 1280x720 pixels - not 'full' 1080p HD, but enough to ensure everything looks crisp even at large sizes. And be in no doubt, the HD65 is capable of turning your lounge into a bona fide home cinema. Depending on how much wall space you have, it can throw anything from a 39 inch image to a multiplex-rivalling 24 feet.

Image quality is impressive, especially given the very reasonable price. We hooked up our test PC via HDMI and played a few HD DVD movies in tribute to the format. Titles like Batman Begins and The Bourne Ultimatum looked stunning, with fine detail brought out in the gloomiest scenes, and punchy colours giving a striking vibrancy. Standard DVDs such as Finding Nemo looked great too.

To get the best out of a projector, a specialist screen can make all the difference. But we got great results just with a matt white wall. And if you'd rather not sit in the dark, the HD65's brightness means you can keep a couple of lights on without making the image look washed-out. Using the high brightness mode, you could watch the football on a lunchtime without shutting the blinds.

It's easy to connect the HD65 to a wide range of devices. Ports include VGA, HDMI, component,S-Video and composite, and a Scart adapter is included for other hardware such as conventional set-top boxes and video recorders.

The pint-sized Optoma HD65 is a simply stunning budget projector. With a three year hot-swap guarantee and very reasonable running costs, it's a well deserved Best Buy.