Optoma HD72 720p DLP Home Theater Projector
By: Optoma Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 15
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 On: 2008-06-21
I just replaced my older Benq PE5120 480p projector with this one, and its night and day. The Faroudja processor even cleans up standard cable to a watchable signal. Colors are deep, blacks are much better, and no more seeing pixels at 13ft. from the screen. Rainbows are pretty much non existent in all but extreme cases of high contrast you "might" see one if you race your eyes across screen. I love this projector and im only feeding it with a 480p signal over component video! I think the optics are sealed so no dust will get inside.
On: 2008-06-13
I bought this product after reading many reviews and studying the situation on the internet. I actually would of liked to buy a bit cheaper one, but the advertised brightness of this unit, combined with its ability to the xga computer display were the ultimate hooks.
I have a small restaurant in Guatemala named Blind Lemons and I bought the unit to show movies there. I am projecting onto one of my dead mother-in-laws old bed sheets hung between two metal poles to stretch it out, and it just looks fantastic. Ill get some black out cloth when I can, but I am impressed. I have had to crank down the brightness in the normal mode...to get the blue back in the sky, so this thing really puts it out. I have also added an upscaling dvd player, the pioneer, to the mix and this gives a very near high d look on an original dvd and still pretty dang good on a file from the internet or a copy.
I had no trouble setting it up. The only thing to be aware of is placement. I have it sitting on a stand in back of the couch, and have to tip up the back feet pretty drastically to hit the screen from that position and it gives a little bit of a trapezoidal shape to the whole image but it is not bothersome and I detect no distortion. My other experience was with an epson lcd projector, supposedly, according to the guy that lent it to me much more expensive than this one, but it could not come anywhere close to the clarity, brightness, or depth and richness of the color that this baby puts out. Its a hot product.
 On: 2008-05-14
First of all, it would be wise to avoid Optoma products all together. This is the second one Ive owned (due to the inexplicably good reviews on Amazon). Ive had plenty of problems with them, and Optoma USA is spectacularly unresponsive and unhelpful. I sent this particular projector back to them twice, and they have still failed to fix it.
One problem that Ive seen in both Optoma projectors Ive owned is that despite the bright pictures and purportedly huge contrast ratios, most of the actual effective contrast is skewed towards the bright end of the range. This means that no matter how much calibration, tweaking, and adjustment you do (or how dark your viewing environment) dark scenes tend to range from muddy to unviewable. So these projectors are really not good for viewing movies and some TV shows. Theyre mostly good for business presentations in brightly lit office environments.
The main problem Ive had with this particular projector is spontaneous lamp shutoff after about a minute of use. Having to constantly restart the projector is maddening (as is sending it in for repairs only to have it returned with the same problem).
Other problems are, of course, minor by comparison. This model vents hot air out the side, as if it was intended for the viewers to be seated behind it. In a home environment, where both the projector and the viewers are likely to be against the wall opposite the screen, this means that viewers to one side of the projector are having hot air blown at them. And despite the side venting design, the form factor seems explicitly designed (with corner feet and sloping top) to *not* stack nicely with other A/V components (specifically any component that is smaller in some dimension than this large projector).
The bottom line is this projector is a head-ache from start to finish. Avoid it.
 On: 2008-04-27
I am the lead installer for a company that installs RealHomeTheaters, so hopefully my experience can be of some help.
This projector has been on the market since 2006. There is newer better technology out there at better prices. Shop around. Consider the Mitsubishi HC1500 or the Panasonic PT-AX200 and be sure to read my reviews on them too.
Hope this helps get your RealHomeTheaters off the ground!
On: 2008-01-28
I have owned this projector for over a year and a half now and it still blows me away every time I use it. Connected to a Toshiba HD-A2 or HD-A3, the picture quality on either HD-DVD or standard DVD is exceptional. I paid half again what it is currently selling for on Amazon and that was considered a bargain at the time. The current price is a very good deal. I have also used this projector connected to a laptop for digital slide shows with excellent results. I can recommend it without reservation.
 On: 2008-01-02
The HD72 is a decent priced midrange DLP projector (even for Texas Instruments nestled between their HD70 and HD80)that does what it claims to do, but is not without its limits. I tested it ceiling mounted on a 110" screen (96"x54" viewing) at approx 13-15 distance. Various tests were done, first using the component(Red,Blue,Green) inputs, S-Video, and Composite (RCA), and finally HDMI for high def. Component input basically gives you the 720i, or 1080i if the source is there, without using the HDMI input. The projector will do its best to digitalize the signal on all inputs, but it does not do well with the lower end inputs. Even in componet mode darker colors are not perfectly read across the grey scale and results in the familiar "metalic sheen" look in certain areas (when certain colors can not be determined by the processor and as a result produces the next closest color which gives off distinct lines rather than a smooth transition between colors). Even with Optomas TrueVivid and TrueVision technology turned "on" it did not correct the problem. This would probably not be as noticeable if the screen size were smaller, or the viewing distance was further away. Which is fine if you were, say, in a "theater" but assuming that most people will be using this in a designated rec room, or even their living room, larger pictures will propose this problem. I would advise that if you plan on being within 12-13 of your screen at any angle, produce a picture around 72"-80" maximum. I was impressed however that I had to get very close to the screen to see the actual squares of the projected image. They are very small and virtually unnoticed as compared to older models that produced what many have referred to as the "screen door" affect.
Optoma claims that there is a 7-segment color wheel to deliver great color saturation. Outside of the problem mentioned above, I will say that the colors in the basic spectrum are indeed bright and true. By putting up a test pattern and going through the contrast and brightness settings using a blue filter, I did fine that the spectrum of these two settings needed a little fine tuning. Turning off the TrueVivid and TrueVision settings, and sharpness set to zero, I was able to at least get the brightness and contrast little closer to where they should have been, but still was prevented from getting them perfect. [A note on sharpness: You should really always have this setting to zero or less, especially for Hi-Def, as it produces artifical elements that are not part of the original source material and can cause bad destortion].
After getting the 16:9 format centered on the screen (which, if necessary, can be done with various methods of Keystone correction, screen shift, zoom, etc) when I switched to the 4:3 format (for those older films or video tapes that certainly exist in most librarys)I was saddened to see a very small square in the center of the screen. Yes, the zoom function can make it a little larger, but the result was that the picture shifts dramatically to one end of the screen and under no circumstances can you get it to fill the whole screen. I should also mention that you would also need to refocus whenever you use the zoom funtion on the projector. The problem exists that both the focus and the zoom are manual on this projector, so if you have it in the ceiling mounted posistion you will need to go up there and do it yourself the hard way. If you set your projector in the maximum resolution (1920x1080) which can be done by the remote in setup mode, it does make the picture a little larger. [Helpful Hint: In the 1920x1080 resolution you can actually view anything recorded in the 4:3 format (even televison) in 16:9 and even get enough away from the "Short-fat" syndrome that results in trying to view 4:3 source in a 16:9 invironment].
The seperate modes available [Cinema, Bright, TV, RGB, Native] can all be adjusted to your liking individually (brightness, contrast, color, etc) and the projectors memory chip will remember these settings for you. You can also lock in your source if you dont wish for the projector to continually search for a source everytime you have multiple sources going into the projector that are turned on at the same time.
There are also computer inputs RS-232, and DVI inputs if you dont have a recent Hi-Def DVD player or Blue-Ray yet to connect to the DMI input.
Finally, there is also a life meter for the lamp (ave life 2000-3000hrs)that can remind you when it is time to think about replacing the bulb (average price around $350).
I used to own a 3-CDD LCD projector that probably out performed this one in overall performance, but did not have as high a contrast ratio and was not ready for the HDMI future. If you really want a dedicated smooth picture with all color and gray information interpreted correctly, I would probably stick with a LCD projector or televison. But again, with a little more work, the right adjustments, and viewing distance, and lets not forget the price range, this little quiet DLP projector can deliver as much as the its bigger brothers.
On: 2007-12-26
I completely renovated a room in our basement to a home theater using the Optoma HD72 and DaLite 110 diagonal Cinema Vision screen. What I learned:
- youve gotta plan any projectors location, whether Optoma/JVC/Panasonic/etc, including distance from screen, offset from ceiling, height/size of room, etc. So...if the HD72 fits within your room requirements it should be strongly considered
- the screen is as important as the projector, so any review that doesnt tell you what type/size screen is teamed with the projector limits its usefulness.
The basement room I put this in is 7ft 9in with excellent light control. Being 110" diagonal, the screen sits a little low on the wall. However, it is just fine when either sitting or standing.
Picture is outstanding...rivals a 50" plasma
Bottom line, I cant imagine I could have the quality image I have for the price I paid with any other combination.
 On: 2007-10-25
great projector! with HD now a days..cant 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.
dont put any soft things near this fire...
and finally, i didnt 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..whats 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!!! its not cheap stuff we are buying you know.....
On: 2007-07-02
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 units 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 didnt 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 Im thrilled that I made my purchase. Now for the pros/cons, some of which are obvious but Ill 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 arent 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 youve 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 wouldnt be a problem for units mounted right-side up)
- No sound system...dont 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 dont 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. Dont 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 Ill point you in the right direction.
Andrew
On: 2007-05-10
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 dont 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.
On: 2007-05-08
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
On: 2007-04-19
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 Costcos 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 players upscaling wouldnt 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 dont 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.
On: 2007-04-18
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 Costcos 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 players upscaling wouldnt 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 dont 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.
On: 2007-01-06
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 dont 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!
On: 2006-08-14
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.
On: 2006-03-31
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 cant you might want to consider remodeling - the picture is that good. Otherwise, knock off 2 stars and prepare to spend a lot more.
The HD72s 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.
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