Optoma HD20 still worth in 2015? (w/ vertical lines?!) (1 Viewer)

[usuario]

Hi guys, I need an advice from you.

I was looking for a new projector and I really wanted a Benq W1070 for a long time, but unfortunately I'm not in the US and this is a very expensive projector where I'm right now, here in Latin America.

Thus, I started to look for some cheaper used Full HD projectors. I found a listing of used Optoma HD20 for about U$250. The owner says that it is in good condition but the bulb is with 700 hours already and the remote control is missing. I know this was the first HD projector model sold under $999, and it's pretty old, from 2009.

Unfortunately, the seller contacted me shortly before I was going to buy it and told me that "it just appeared some vertical lines issues, it happened sometime ago, was gone and now it's back", I don't know how much I can believe in this seller.

Well, I have to confess that I'm not that excited anymore. That was "ok" price if it was 100% working. I indeed saw some people fixing it by just disasembling and cleaning the board connections, but I don't know if it's always easy just like that. I don't want to expend $250 for an old projector and have the risk of buying a damage item that will require expensive repair (mainboard, DMD, etc), which will become very bad deal, which will make me just resell it afterwards.

- What you think? Is there much probability that this vertical lines issue require more than just opening, cleaning and reassembly?

Now this is my main question.

- Is it a good deal?
- Buying an Optoma HD20 right now in end of 2015 for U$250? Is this projector worth it? Should I look elsewhere for an used product, but launched more recent, still being entry lever HDs projector? Perhaps a 720p (Full HD or HD) that perform better, etc.. with such low budget of around $250.

I know that's hard to suggest to a buyer outside the US because I can't get any of the current deals at any US retailer, but I want to know if there is another low cost model, like the HD20, that I should get instead of the HD20.

- Overall I don't require 3D that much, so I think it's not that problem of HD20.
- I'm a little bit worried about RBE and the slow color wheel. I read that it's just 4x speed. I don't know if I'm really RBE sensitive, because that's gonna be my first projector.
- It has 2 HDMI ports, which sounds fine to me, but the bad is that it doesn't have audio ouput, so no way for any Android stick or any device with no audio ouput besides the HDMI.
- No lens-shift is also a bad point. I don't have much experience in projectors mount setup, but I think I'll be able to setup around 95" screen directly into wall.

Thanks in advance

 

[DaveF]

I wouldn't spend $250 for an HD projector that may or may not be working properly.


If there's an easy fix that you are confident you can do and be successful with -- and some folks get good deals buying 'broken' hardware that's easily fixed -- go for.


But if you're going that route, it seems that the price should come down another $50 to $100.

 

[usuario]

I wouldn't spend $250 for an HD projector that may or may not be working properly.


If there's an easy fix that you are confident you can do and be successful with -- and some folks get good deals buying 'broken' hardware that's easily fixed -- go for.


But if you're going that route, it seems that the price should come down another $50 to $100.

Thanks for reply Dave.


I understand. I was at first concerned if that projector model was still a good buy. Looks like it's not that bad, I saw some people that were using it just before the upgrade to the W1070.


I think it's an easy fix, but I'll meet with the seller to investigate before closing deal. Due to this issue, I'd be able to get it for about $220.

 

[schan1269]

The only way that projector is worth having...

Is if he gives it to you. Then you buy another "dead power supply" HD20 to repair with the power supply from this one.

Unless you think switching over the DMD is easier than a power supply.

Cheap Optoma are LEGENDARY for dead DMD.

Google is your friend.

 

[usuario]

Thinking on save for a better projector, which would be a Benq w1070, the cheapest I can get down here right now, is an used one with moderate usage and good condition, bought in 2014 (thus no warranty left), for about U$790 =/

A brand new Benq w1070+ (aka Benq HT1075) from a local store, would be around U$1.150.

I also saw someone selling a broken W1070 for about U$325. He said that it was diagnosed by a service/repair center and they said "it needed to replace mainboard". Unfortunately I don't know exactly what would be the issue with that, weather it's an easy fix or not.

Yeah.. looks like I'm in bad situation to shop for a new toy, haha.

 

[schan1269]

Thinking on save for a better projector, which would be a Benq w1070, the cheapest I can get down here right now, is an used one with moderate usage and good condition, bought in 2014 (thus no warranty left), for about U$790 =/

A brand new Benq w1070+ (aka Benq HT1075) from a local store, would be around U$1.150.

I also saw someone selling a broken W1070 for about U$325. He said that it was diagnosed by a service/repair center and they said "it needed to replace mainboard". Unfortunately I don't know exactly what would be the issue with that, weather it's an easy fix or not.

Yeah.. looks like I'm in bad situation to shop for a new toy, haha.

Mainboard likely means DMD. As (as far as I knew...) Optoma replaces the entire board under warranty.

Once warranty expires...there are places that replace just the DMD(which is 90% of the failures). But...repairs are often, here in the US, $400-$500.

More than is worth fixing a projector that is 5 years old...and was

 

[usuario]

Actually, I didn't quite understand what could be the issue to this broken w1070. The owner said that it was working fine, but started to just shutdown randomly, then he was just turning it on again.. until once it didn't turn on again. I think that would be more due to a PSU problem than a main board, am I wrong?

Would a damaged DMD cause symptoms like that too?

 

[schan1269]

Actually, I didn't quite understand what could be the issue to this broken w1070. The owner said that it was working fine, but started to just shutdown randomly, then he was just turning it on again.. until once it didn't turn on again. I think that would be more due to a PSU problem than a main board, am I wrong?

Would a damaged DMD cause symptoms like that too?

More than likely...

The owner never did any routine clean out. Projectors have fans...cause they get hot.

A main board causing shutdown means "avoid that projector...period".

DMD is the video "emitter"...of sorts. That is PART OF the board. Cheap DLP projectors*(anything under $1200) should be treated as "throwaway once warranty is over".

*really all

 

[usuario]

A main board causing shutdown means "avoid that projector...period".

But when I said about this defective w1070, I was indeed trying to identify the kind of issue that may caused the unit not turning on to fix it and keep it for significant less (3x) than a new one. But I know what you mean, get a new one always.. too bad it's not always possible.