The Optoma HD66 home projector is the next item up on dad’s wish list this year, and we’re here to give you everything you need to know about this amazing projector.
Everyday Guide Rundown
The Good
- 3D Ready
- Beautiful picture for 720p projector
- Scalable 1080p picture
The Bad
- Color distortion
- Tough to mount
Let’s Watch a Video!
At this particular price point you will have a tough time finding another projector that works just as well as the Optoma. Anything less than $1000 is generally considered an entry level projector and is usually scoffed at. The Optoma throws that myth under the bus and realizes that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get quality. The picture quality of this 720p projector is phenomenal. We really loved the way the contrast of the blacks and whites and how bright the projector was for such a small device. The brightness usually throws the colors off, but that was not the case with this Optoma. It held true to providing deep color contrast throughout the films we watched.
The HD66 is also 3D ready. All of the 3D movies that are going to be hitting the market in the next few years need a way to be played and this projector seems like a great way to get the real 3D movie experience in your living room. There aren’t many 3D films to test just yet, so we can’t attest to the picture quality of the 3D aspect of the projector, but as a standard high definition projector, we were very pleased. Lastly, the Optoma is capable of scaling all 1080p content down to the 720p that comes through the lens. Obviously, the picture looked great. But then again, down converting is much easier than up converting.
The Bad Aspects
First of all, I’m not sure that Optoma could have made their product any more difficult to mount. Unless you’re prepared to put this projector directly at screen level or on the roof, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. The HD66 doesn’t have the ability to tilt or maneuver the lens to point it in different directions, meaning that you’re stuck in a fixed position and projection range. You have to adjust your mounting position based on how the picture comes out of the device. It’s quite an inconvenience, but because most people mount their projectors on the roof, it shouldn’t be a huge problem. Also, we, as well as other users, noticed some problems with color distortion with the HD66. In certain situations, skin tones could look out of place and they didn’t look natural. We’re not sure if this was because of the room settings or the way the films were color corrected, but it was definitely distracting. Despite the mounting and color problems, we would still recommend this projector to anyone looking to jump into the market. It’s well built and has a great 720p picture quality that anyone can enjoy.
