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Optoma HD25 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £798
inc VAT

Superb image quality and 3D support, and 3D glasses are included in the box

Specifications

1,920×1,080 resolution, 2,000 ANSI lumens, 97x324x234mm, 3.1kg

http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk

The Optoma HD25 is billed as the ultimate 3D projector. It’s a bold claim considering how much one’s enjoyment of 3D varies from person to person, but this 1,080p DLP projector really is in a class of its own when it comes to 3D home cinema.

Optoma HD25

Its picture quality is stunning. With a brightness of 2,000 ANSI lumens, colours were rich and vibrant even with all the lights on in our brightly lit test room. As with most home cinema projectors, you’ll get the best picture when the lights are turned off, but even ambient light in the background didn’t disrupt the overall image quality.

Its in-depth menu settings were equally impressive. It has five 2D colour modes (Cinema, Reference, Photo, Bright and User) and two 3D colour modes (3D and a second User mode). Each one is customisable and has settings for brightness, contrast, sharpness, colour and tint, and its advanced menu options cater for noise reduction, gamma, colour temperature and individual colour settings. It’s easy to navigate too, even in the dark, thanks to a backlit remote.

Optoma HD25

We used the default Cinema settings during our testing, as this produced the deepest and most accurate colours. Contrast levels were equally excellent and we were able to pick out a very high level of detail in darker film scenes without compromising its bright and vivid colours. Blacks were very slightly grey in places, but overall they were much deeper than other projectors we’ve seen in this price range. We were a little disappointed to see that altering the various settings in the menu system slowed down the frame rate slightly, but otherwise images were very smooth and judder-free.

Optoma HD25

Its integrated 10W speakers were another highlight. Not only did they have enough volume to fill our large test room, but the HD25 also has extensive audio controls that allow you to alter the levels of bass and treble (or turn it off altogether if you’d rather connect it up to a different audio source). Having quality speakers can be useful if you want to take the projector to a friend’s house or use it in a different room. However, for proper home cinema, you’re better off with a dedicated surround-sound system.

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Details

Price £798
Details www.optoma.co.uk
Rating *****
Award Best Buy

Specifications

Projector technology DLP
Lamp brightness 2,000 ANSI lumens
Lamp life 3,500
Lamp life in economy mode 6,000
Contrast ratio 20,000:1

Picture

Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Max compressed resolution 1,600×1,200
Aspect ratio 16:9
Other aspect ratios 4:3, letterbox, input source native, superwide
Max diagonal at 7ft 64in
Throw ratio 1.5:1 to 1.8:1
Optical zoom 1.2x
Projection distance 1.2m to 10m
Mirror image yes
Invert image yes
Lens shift horizontal 0%
Lens shift vertical 0%
HD Ready yes
Special view modes cinema, reference, photo, bright, user

Inputs/Outputs

VGA input yes
DVI input No
Sound inputs 2x 3.5mm
Composite input yes
S-video input no
HDMI input yes
PAL support yes
SECAM support yes
NTSC support yes
Audio output 3.5mm
Video output VGA, HDMI
Others inputs/outputs second HDMI input, USB service port, RS232, 3D Sync

Other

Noise (in normal use) 26dB(A)
Size 97x324x234mm
Weight 3.1kg
Internal speakers yes (10W stereo)
Extras remote, power cable
Remote special features aspect ratio, colour mode, 3D mode, input select, lamp control, brightness, contrast, gamma
Power consumption standby 1W
Power consumption on 297W

Lamp

Lamp cost (inc VAT) £330
Lamp supplier www.projectorlampworld.co.uk
Lamp cost per hour of use £0.09
Lamp cost per hour of use (economy) £0.06

Buying Information

Price £798
Supplier http://www.projectorpoint.co.uk
Details www.optoma.co.uk

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