Optoma HD20 High Definition 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector (Grey)

The HD-20 is the first 1080P projector in it's price range, but the fact that it's so low priced shouldn't be a disadvantage.  I compared two projectors when I decided to go the direction I did, the Optoma HD20 and the Viewsonic 9100.  Both 1080p.  Both well reviewed.  But the Optoma HD20 to me stood out because of it's smaller size and easier portability.. but also due to brightness.

Make no mistake, the HD20 is not a projector that will cut through a bright room.  But I was surprised at how bright the images off the HD20 popped onto the screen.  Crisp, sharp, with a natural black that provides a great look, the HD20 was easily able to fill a 16' screen area with a great looking image.
 

Using a Playstation 3 as my entry point originally proved somewhat a challenge for my easy-to-move application, but once configured, I was delighted with how quickly the HD20 can be setup.  Not well documented, except for the provided CD, the inbuilt mini-USB port provides easy access to help tune and tweak this unit to get the desired effect.

Bluray Look and Feel

I had previously used an Optoma HD65, a 720 projector which is very well reviewed on most sites.  The HD65 functionally is one of the better projectors I've come across.  The image on it was smooth and polished and it stays quiet in the background.   But comparing the HD65 to the HD20 is a no-contest.  The HD20 simply has that razor sharp effect that it hard to reproduce on a large screen.  The moment the screen size goes over 10', the HD20 simply leaves behind it's 720P cousin, with razor sharp definition... but more then that, fast movement looks amazingly smooth.  Using "Wall-E" Bluray as my test disk,the appearance on the screen as Wall-E touches the stars never appears blurry and the movement is incredibly fluid, outpacing the HD65 in my opinion for it's overall performance.

The Bad

One thing that is bad about this unit, however, is that it's very small design means the fan is fairly noisy.  Noisy enough that if not well positioned, it can be fairly annoying.  I recommend not positioning the unit right above your head.  The fan spins up and down, but I've discovered if your room temperature hovers near 70, the fan noise stays reasonable.  This is OK during the winter months, when my wife & I set the thermostat at 68, but I'm interested for how this will play in the summer, when we go back up to 78.  
 

At first, the noise really bothered me.  The unit is noisier then the HD65 unit.  However, thanks t menu options, you can change light level outputs on the HD20, which further lower it's sound.  Once you've tweaked your room, the sound issue can be rasonable.. though still not ideal.

The only other major complaint is that the menu system is often clumsy and not as responsive as you'd wish from a remote control.  In fact, what you come to discover is that it lags very badly in response to the remote, unless you are pointing it directly at the unit.  I tried new batteries and even a replacement remote, the issue seems to be something with the reciever on the unit.

Conclusion

Sometimes I wonder "What is a real value"  The HD20 is an incredible value.  A strong enough value that a lot of places are selling way above MSRP because demand is outstripping supply.  But at it's listed price, I haven't found a better solution... not even close.  The HD-20 simply offers an incredible bang for the buck, and the complaints I have with the unit are minimal in comparison to it's overall performance.

If you've held off on looking at a projector because the cost is too hgih for a really great projector, this is a chance to get a great projector at a price that many LCD TV's can't match.  And there is nothing wrong with that.

I did my research before finally ponying up my hard earned cash for this little guy. After receiving it and trying it out, I am now glad that I did. It was packaged well and comes with a great manual to get you accustomed to the different picture adjustment settings found within it. I especially loved the 12-volt switch on the back of it to mate with the toggle for the electric screen which I also purchased. Several HDMI ports, SVGA, Component, and standard video hookups on the back give you every option that you will ever need to plug something into it.

Movies look great on it, games look great on it, everything looks great on it. Nice and bright even on its lowest brightness setting (low-lamp mode). Long bulb-life (3000 hours, 4000 hours. on low-lamp mode) and a good warranty to boot. When a replacement bulb goes for around $250 retail, you come to appreciate the rated bulb-life from the beginning.

Fan-noise is also on the quieter end of the curve for a typical front-projector, you can't even tell its running when on low-lamp mode. Manual zoom and focus, but hey, you gotta give up the automatic toys when you are on a budget....and how often do you really need to play with that stuff after your initial alignment anyway? User menu's are deep and gives you flexibility for tweaking and customizing the many different settings to your taste, but I liked the out of the box settings for my cinema, nice to have them all there though.

Overall its a great projector if you are looking to get into the market/hobby without taking out a second mortgage. I love it and so do my guests. Good luck.