The title of my review pretty much sums it up. If you compare projectors while ignoring price, obviously you can find many better ones. So while this one is not the best one on amazon, it is *really* good. Then you add the prices to comparison, and this one becomes a serious no-brainer.
I use it mostly for watching Blu-rays, and gaming (Xbox One, 360, Wii U, PS3). So far it works great in every application I throw at it.
Most projectors matching the specs of this one are a few hundreds dollars more. You can maybe find some with a higher lumen output, but that alone is definitely not worth paying several hundred more than this one. The value this one has for its price is unheard of. Full 1080p HD, 3D support, high lumen output, more video inputs/ports than I will ever need, HDMI 1.4a spec, low bulb replacement cost, black finish (most are white). These were all good selling points I was looking for, and coupled with the great price, pushed me to purchase this model.
The quality of the video output is great. It can be substantially improved from its default settings by using an AV optimization DVD or something along those lines though. I can use the projector with the lights on too if necessary, but it obviously looks much worse than it does when the lights are off and windows completely covered.
I like having a good choice of inputs in case I need to connect it to an older laptop or game console, or basically anything without HDMI. But as I have a pretty good AV receiver, I use that to manage all my various connections, so I only use the HDMI 1 input. But since it's the HDMI 1.4a spec, it can handle 3D and any gaming situation I give it. It should be at least moderately future-proof.
One other little bonus gem (feature I didn't know existed until after I set it up) is that you can remove the Optoma logo on start-up and replace it with your own. Totally unnecessary for most people, but I thought that was awesome, so I sketched out a sweet home theater logo with our family name and custom graphics, just to (attempt) to impress visitors that use it. I'm probably the only one who will really think that's cool, but whatever.
There aren't a lot of things I don't like about this projector, but since it's not perfect I will explain. The remote feels like very low-quality cheap made-in-China garbage. It works, so I can't complain too much, but it's one of the worst-looking and feeling remotes I've ever used. Fortunately, all I really need to for was initial setup options, and to turn it on and off. I will probably also program my AV receiver remote to work with the projector also, so I won't need to use the Optoma one at all.
It's tricky getting all four corners perfectly in focus. When I get the top perfectly in focus, the bottom gets slightly blurry, and vice-versa.
I also would have really liked an ethernet port or some kind of network connectivity like my TVs all have. But I can't deduct a star for lacking that feature, since for the price range I'm already getting far more than any other projectors have. I didn't want to pay double the price for slightly higher lumens and an ethernet port that certain other models offered.
The projector isn't totally silent, but it is definitely an acceptable level of noise. You can hear the fan if you are trying to listen for it, but it's not distracting or annoying like how deafeningly loud my original Xbox 360 and PS3 were.
The last thing I'm not thrilled about is how expensive the 3D glasses are. I have six pairs of active 3D glasses for my Samsung smart TV, so me and any family/friends/visitors can all watch in 3D at the same time. The TV included four and extra pairs are not unreasonably priced. At a hundred bucks MSRP, or even, amazon's 25% lower price, for EACH one, I definitely cannot describe them as affordable. I'd like to eventually get four, but I just don't know if I'll ever be able to justify the price since it's mostly just me and my wife watching stuff on it. I rarely go 3rd-party on electronics, but I may look into getting some cheaper glasses that don't have the Optoma name, if I can get them for half the price of Optoma's.
Overall though, very happy with this purchase. The only thing left to see is how well the lamp holds up. I'm hoping I won't have to replace it for a long time, but fortunately, the bulb replacement cost on this one is lower than most, which is another great reason to consider this projector.
| Brand Name | Optoma |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 6.4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 12.7 x 9.2 x 3.8 inches |
| Item model number | HD131Xe |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | speakers |
| Frequency Response Curve | 50/60 |
