Optoma's launches new full HD projector for under £900

Posted on 11 Aug 2009 at 15:43

Optoma has launched its cheapest full HD projector to date, with the HD20 undercutting rivals with a price just shy of £900.

Despite its low price, the HD20 should satisfy the demands of home cinema enthusiasts on a budget. It has a resolution of 1,920x1,080, which allows full HD content, such as Blu-ray movies, to be played back with no loss of detail.

It uses a single 0.65in DLP chip and a lamp rated at 1,700 lumens, which means it should be usable in daylight, as long as the curtains are drawn. Optoma claims an ANSI contrast ratio of 500:1, which may sound low, but this standardised measurement is a welcome break from the misleading dynamic figures quoted by most manufacturers. Plus, Optoma provides a unique image and colour quality warranty, which warrants that picture quality will not degrade for five years.

As you'd expect at this price, there's no lens shift, which restricts placement, but the 1.2x zoom lens means you can project a 100in image from 3.3m (11ft) away. Inputs include two HDMI 1.3 inputs, component, VGA and composite interfaces. The 12v trigger will be useful to anyone with an electric projection screen.

Replacement lamp prices haven't yet been announced, but they have a claimed life of 4,000 hours (or 3,000 in bright mode). The good news is a filter-less cooling system, which means the lamp is the only running cost and maintenance item.

We're assured that fan is 'whisper quiet', but as ever, we'll wait to judge this and the image quality when we see a review unit. We're expecting an HD20 to arrive this week, so we'll bring you a full review as soon as possible.

Author: Jim Martin

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