Customer Reviews

Optoma HD72 720p DLP Home Theater Projector

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

(Update May 2008) - Still using this (and on my first lamp too) so this has been a very good projector for me. If 720p is adequate for you and you can live with the screen geometry limitations, this projector is better than ever at this price. But if I were buying today, I would be looking long and hard at what Optoma has in a 1080p system.

(original review follows)

This home theatre projector is going to make a lot of converts this year and turn the projector market on its ear. There is nothing out there (at present) with this quality of picture for this low a price.

The HD72 has seriously limited image geometry adjustment but if you can mount it to the ceiling on center with the screen at the correct distance (+/- 20%), then none of these limitations will matter a bit. If you can't you might want to consider remodeling - the picture is that good. Otherwise, knock off 2 stars and prepare to spend a lot more.

The HD72's 1300 lumens concerned me when I bought mine. My venerable InFocus LP350 was pretty dim at 1300 lumens but the HD72 seems to use them efficiently enough to allow low ambient light while projecting a very pleasing 80" image. If I owned a high-brite screen, it would likely be even better.

If this will be your first projector, remember to price lamps. They are expensive and need to be replaced every few thousand hours of viewing. They tend to lose brightness as they get older so you may not get the 3000 hours Optoma claims. Also, research screens; what you project on is as important as what your project with.

I am writing this review in order to give some helpful guidance to those of you who are on the fence when it comes to HD projectors. Like me, you are probably wary of straying away from the norm of Plasma or LCD televisions...possibly even frightened by the notion of using a projector system instead of a steadfast TV system for your home theater. Well, I made that plunge last week and now I am back to talk about it so that you will have a little more confidence in your purchase.

I will state right now that I do NOT have any other HD projectors (nor have I seen any other) and therefore I cannot comment on this unit's pros/cons over other units. My review is just a first-timers look at the projector, its PROs and CONS, and overall performance.

I purchased this unit because I had a problem brewing with my HD setup. I have a 50" Panasonic Plasma HDTV. After using the unit for 2-3 months I noticed that I was getting burn-in due to heavy video game usage. I didn't want to plop down another 2 grand for a new LCD HDTV (LCD units do not endure burn-in like Plasma) so I started snooping around online forums for alternatives.

I am now a true believer in HD Projectors. It looked OK thrown up on a wall, then it looked slightly better when thrown on a bedsheet...then I built my own screen out of blackout cloth and man does it shine! I went from a 50" Plasma display to a 90" display (both in HD) and the 90" display cost me far less. I will also note that since this is a HD Projector you truly do get incredible images when feeding the unit a HD signal (component or HDMI).

So overall I'm thrilled that I made my purchase. Now for the pros/cons, some of which are obvious but I'll list them anyways.

PROS:
- Great HD Picture Quality
- HUGE upgrade in screen size for those upgrading from normal HDTV
- Very low noise form the fan...the only real noise it makes is when it cools off after operating (and you aren't watching TV then anyways since it is off)
- Easy to setup
- Cost savings over Plasma/LCD HDTV alternatives
- No problems with Burn-in
- If you know how to download movies on your PC then you've got yourself you own home theater.

CONS:
- Room must be kept dark for OPTIMAL image quality. Just like in a theater, the darker the better. This is the #1 problem with this kind of setup, but hey if you want a theater experience then understand it will need to be dark.
- Bulbs are expensive and they will eventually burn out after 1,000 - 2,000 hours (has not happened to me yet)
- My screen size was limited to 90" because my den is only 10 feet deep. Deeper den = larger screen
- Very slight light leakage seen out of bottom of unit (my unit is mounted up-side down so this light hits the ceiling. This wouldn't be a problem for units mounted right-side up)
- No sound system...don't buy this if you have problems running your own sound system
- Not 1080p...but come on, can you really afford a 1080p Plasma/LCD? The only units that I have seen that are 1080p and affordable look like junk when you see them in stores.
- Costly screen if you don't know how to make your own*

*I built my own screen which took about 30 minutes once I had the supplies. Screens can run anywhere from 300+ in stores. Don't be a sucker; build your own and you will not be disappointed. No painting or anything like that required if you want to keep it simple. If you need help building your own then send me an email and I'll point you in the right direction.

Andrew

I graduated from a 4 year old In-Focus projector,which served me very well, but this is an incredible jump up in quality. The old projector cost $5k!!! I know there are projectors for big bucks,but why would anyone need anything more. Unless the more expensive units can provide x-ray vision for Jennifer Aniston movies, I don't get it.
This unit was rated #1 by Consumer Reports- that is how I found it (after settling on a new In-focus IN76). This unit, which had a net cost after rebates of $1450.00, is a joy to the eyes and the pocketbook.

Only minor drawback is lack of digital focus from the remote.
Buy it!

Love the projector, but the process of getting to this point was longer than it should have been b/c I tried to follow my nose for a good bargain and tried a less than reputable e-tailer....broadway, prestige, and some others are all the same....if you call any of them you get the same person on the other end trying to con you. They advertise it for $[...]-$[...] rebate=$[...]; that is a great deal until they tell you that they were just kidding.....

I did a general search on best prices for Optoma HD72 and it leads me to a website called shopcart USA, a site similar to pricegrabber.com which is supposed to compare prices of various products online and direct you to the best buy. Broadway photo ultimately had the best price, and based on store reviews I thought I would take the risk and try a retailer that I am unfamiliar with. After placing my order, I received an e-mail that tells me that they need to verify my order and to call them. Once I make that call the person on the other in verifies my information and then proceeds to tell me that there are two different versions of this product (OPTOMA HD72), a US version and an international version. The US version does not come with a lighting unit and that is why it costs $[...] (-$[...]manufacturer rebate) whereas the international version costs ($[...]) the same or about the same as all of the reputable sites online such as Amazon or Tigerdirect. To tell you the truth I don't think there are two different versions and if there are this website is deceptive in their advertisement and trying to upsell once they have you on the phone. Buyer beware!!! I always try to document my experiences with retailers because that is the only way we can be an informed consumer. So if anybody else has had the same sort of experience with this retailer be sure to write in.

great projector! with HD now a days..can't stand S-video anymore..
easy hook up and auto detect is just great! whatever you input, it will find the signal and you are good to go with no setup hassle.
right out of the box was good enough setting already ready to shoot and watch your favorite movie. 1.take out from the box 2.plug the AC cable
3.plug the video cable of your choice 4.play DVD! so simple!!!
while watching the intro, get the fresh batteries out which is included and watch your remote light up in the dark!
only negative is the heat. it gets hot really fast...instantly.
don't put any soft things near this fire...

and finally, i didn't like the packing they (amazon labeled box) did..
much bigger than the projector(about the size of laptop box)and it was
losely packed with just one SHEET of brown paper..what's with that?
no air bubbles, no peanuts
i picked it up from UPS and it was all shaking.. I hoped the "bulb" was alright..afterall..bulb is the most expensive part of the projector...
luckly everything was alright...but i hope these guys see my review and pack their boxes really good next time!!! it's not cheap stuff we are buying you know.....

This projector was great in the begiining. awesome picture quality. I had it for 1.5 years now (less than 1000 hours on the lamp)... no problems. 6 month ago ... it started to shut off after 30 sec. But then problem 'went - away'. well now its not working at all. Projector will play for 30 sec and then lamp will shut off. I reserached this problem and it turned out a known problem with this model. For some it huppens after 2 years for others right away. I saw people's rewies on fixya.com and it seems that Optoma is well aware of this problem ... but still charges people for correcting it.

I had an Optoma H27 but felt it was lacking the brightness I liked on TV, and I heard that HD72 was much better. So I returned my H27 to Costco and got the HD6800, which is Costco's version of the HD72. Wow, "much better" hardly describes it! The brightness is incredible, and the detail and colors are truly remarkable. The other night, I was trying out different DVDs just to see what they looked like on the new system, and I was totally blown away.

While it does upscale DVD images to look better on its system, I also bought a Sony upscaling DVD player and there is a significant improvement with it with the HDMI connection. I had read that since they are both upscaling, the DVD player's upscaling wouldn't be necessary, but I do find the image through the upscaling DVD the best in a side-by-side test using two Sony DVD players and two DVDs of the recently restored "Carousel" using component, s-video, and HDMI at the same time, all connected to the HD72. I saw clearer detail on faces coming from the HDMI upscaling DVD player.

I was so impressed, I felt like pulling in people from the street to see it, but I fought the impulse because I don't want to share it with anyone.

With a little tweaking of the menus, new films like "Star Wars III" and "Sin City" showed incredible detail, and older films like "The Adventures of Robin Hood" were gorgeous in their Technicolor glory.

I highly recommend the HD72.

For the price this is a great projector. The colors are excellent, and the brightness is pretty good. The picture is better than you will see in a movie theater, but it is not quite as good as my 55" HD tv. If you are looking for picture size though with a good quality picture this will work well.

This projector is very good value for money. The picture in all formats is excellent even though I project onto a wall which is covered by a white vinyl wallpaper. The only thing missing is the ability to remotely focus. If you are thinking of buying this projector take a look at the screen size calculator at Optoma.com. I made the mistake of mounting it at the same place as my old Sharp projector and the display would not fit the available space on my wall. I recommend buying the matching Optoma ceiling mount, if you intend to mount it on the ceiling.

Stan Lyons

I have owned the HD72 for over 2 years now. It gets used on a weekly basis and it's still going strong. As many other reviews point out, the lumen output on this one is not as great as some other projectors. However, the blacks look great and colors are vivid, so I have no complaints. It sits in my basement with a very, very small window, so I have no issues with the light output. It's also a LOT quieter than many, many other projectors. It's definitely quiet enough for a home theater system. There's definitely plenty of inputs, but plan on investing on a receiver or hdmi switch if you have many devices.