HDTV: DiscoveryHD - Artic Mission
DiscoveryHD is "like a box of chocolates" - and I enjoy just about everything they put on there. Visually-speaking there isn't a better source for HDTV content in my opinion (though well-shot sporting events are a close second). In their recent show "Artic Mission" they take viewers through a journey that spans multiple locations and people groups in a very beautiful series that brings the viewer closer to a part of nature most will never have the pleasure of seeing for themselves.

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The Optoma HD70 did a fantastic job of rendering vibrant colors (check out the blue ice behind the polar bears) and incredible detail (the ship and polar bear fur). Black levels were even tested at times as was the sheer ability of the projector to handle great amounts of detail.

HDTV: Alias
If you want to check out black levels, watch this show. Alias sometimes feels like it was shot in a basement with about half the lighting crew on break. Overall it's a tough job for front projectors to handle and will illustrate the need for total light control in a room - including minimization of any reflective materials that may spill light back into the room. The dark areas in this episode really gave the HD70 a workout - but I felt that this little DLP projector did the show justice - much more so than my tiny camera shows here. Check out the area to the right of Jennifer Garner's face - that is a tough nut to crack in terms of bringing out detail in a scene such as this. The Optoma took the ball and ran with it. In the rare and precious outdoor scenes I was able to discern lots of detail and colors were as vibrant as the muted Alias palette allowed.

HDTV: Late Night with Conan O'Brien
I always like to put up some late night shows to see what they look like on whatever front projector I happen to be reviewing at the time - Actually, I just like to watch Conan's show - but hey, let's look at some pics, shall we?

While for the most part it's difficult to capture detailed images on late night TV, occasionally you get the rare gem. I managed to grab four and you can really see the detail in Conan's (over made-up) face as well with the shots of Max Weinberg and Brian Williams. NBC tends to oversaturate its late night show colors, but this really just allows the projector to show you how well colors can "pop" - even if they're a bit overdriven.

DVD: Brick
Talk about dark. At times I wondered if I was watching a horror flick. Brick is a classic film noir set in a contemporary high school environment - and very well executed in my opinion. Aside from the main character being in a perpetual state of getting attacked or talking on the phone, the film has a lot to offer and is truly "original" in the sense that at least it's not another retooled horror flick or misdirected (literally) remake of some 80s TV show. Dark scenes abound, even if the particular scene details in the film aren't exactly top notch (due to the camera selection budget would be my guess). Color was vibrant during daytime scenes and subdued (again, on purpose) during the many interior (and consequently darker) scenes. The digital camera we utilized had a fit on most of the low light scenes of this movie so we weren't able to show you the level of detail present in the film, but it was there.

DVD: The Wild
Disney movies of late have been hit or miss, but for a projector review it doesn't really matter - 3D animation almost always looks awesome on-screen. This was the case with Disney's The Wild which had plenty of color and detail to show off - as well as some very impressive darker scenes involving the interior of a volcano. Animation comes across very well on DLP and the Optoma HD70 seemed to portray every nuance and fine element without a hitch. RBE (rainbow effect) wasn't an issue - and with animation it's often easy to pick out, especially with fast moving subject matter like a crazy koala bear.

Review Conclusion

OK, let's review: $999 street price, 720p DLP, quiet fan and 1000 ANSI lumens - Buy, rinse, repeat. This isn't a decision so much as a point at which you have to ask yourself how happy you'll be with your current 32" CRT display and how much time it will take you to rustle up the funds to fit this projector and a screen into your budget. Speaking of the screen, we'd recommend a 'gray' screen with ~0.8 gain or similar unless you are in a completely light-controlled room and can do a white screen with ~1.3 gain. There are certainly better projectors out there, but you probably won't find them at this price point - and definitely not with 720p DLP technology. If you're looking to get into a front projection system but haven't been able to justify the costs - you no longer have an excuse. Be sure to pair it with a good progressive scan DVD player for movies. Highly recommended.

Optoma Technology, Inc.
715 Sycamore Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035 USA
Tel : 408-383-3700
www.optomausa.com

About Optoma
Optoma Technology, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of award-winning digital display products and home entertainment projectors for consumers, businesses, education, professional audiovideo (Pro AV) and CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) channels.