cmk Posted September 30, 2006 Posted September 30, 2006 Hi all First post here. Are there any Optoma HD72 users here? What's your opinion of this projector now? Would you buy it again or get something else in this price range? Thanks
cmk Posted October 1, 2006 Author Posted October 1, 2006 There will be a group of people who just want the best out there currently available, but there's a lack of software and/or digital sources to take full advantage of the 1080 format. http://www.projectorcentral.com/1080p_720p.htm Anyway, back to the HD72, I had a brief look at it at KEC and was quite impressed by the picture quality. Nice blacks, and the colors were more vibrant and it was more filmlike. Didn't see it in fast moving scenes, so didn't notice any rainbow. Was wondering how it performs over time. Any issues?
cmk Posted October 2, 2006 Author Posted October 2, 2006 Mmm...no responses ??? Let me try this another way: Should I instead consider the HD70 at $2599? Or save up and go for a 1080p projector? Thing is, my current Epson TW100 is down, bulb is gone, so I'm feeling kind of deprived at the moment, but with limited funds, I'm trying to keep my expenditure "manageable". Any suggestions?
c7221624705751 Posted October 3, 2006 Posted October 3, 2006 Mmm...no responses probably because u said "user opinions". There aren't many "users" of HD72i here. I think it's because this model comes too late at a price too high. For a 720p DLP, a gd one u can get the infocus IF76 with better optics and better calibration out of the box (and a better QC), and it's listed cheaper than the optoma; Better still u can get a new "contrast miracle" Sharp Z3k (pj central site praise it with 5 full stars). On the other hand, if u want a cheaper DLP, then the Benq 7700 is barely 3k with 3yr warranty, or even lower the H70. So this H71 is in the middle of many competitors, and is not even priced competitively. The H72 has on itself some other problems. It needs some gd tuning as its color out-of-box is quite off. In KEC u can see the greenish cast, especially in white scenes. It also has some placement constraints (deep offset, very long throw. maybe it suits your setup though) in summary this model cannot be the most favorite right now, because of its timing and pricing. If I'm in your shoe, I will save up a bit and do the Mits HC5000. You paid abt 5k for the TW100 right ? The Mits isn't that much more I think.
audionoob1624705779 Posted October 3, 2006 Posted October 3, 2006 Mmm...no responses ??? Let me try this another way: Should I instead consider the HD70 at $2599? Or save up and go for a 1080p projector? Thing is, my current Epson TW100 is down, bulb is gone, so I'm feeling kind of deprived at the moment, but with limited funds, I'm trying to keep my expenditure "manageable". Any suggestions? HD70 at $2599 w/o GST is too X. USA prices is USD$999 MSRP only. If you ship the set in and after adding shipping + tax you still save about $600 or more.....best thing is that the PJ is dual voltage. :) But bear in mind that the pj has very little placement flexibility.
cmk Posted October 4, 2006 Author Posted October 4, 2006 probably because u said "user opinions". There aren't many "users" of HD72i here. I think it's because this model comes too late at a price too high. For a 720p DLP, a gd one u can get the infocus IF76 with better optics and better calibration out of the box (and a better QC), and it's listed cheaper than the optoma; Better still u can get a new "contrast miracle" Sharp Z3k (pj central site praise it with 5 full stars). On the other hand, if u want a cheaper DLP, then the Benq 7700 is barely 3k with 3yr warranty, or even lower the H70. So this H71 is in the middle of many competitors, and is not even priced competitively. The H72 has on itself some other problems. It needs some gd tuning as its color out-of-box is quite off. In KEC u can see the greenish cast, especially in white scenes. It also has some placement constraints (deep offset, very long throw. maybe it suits your setup though) in summary this model cannot be the most favorite right now, because of its timing and pricing. If I'm in your shoe, I will save up a bit and do the Mits HC5000. You paid abt 5k for the TW100 right ? The Mits isn't that much more I think. Hi Can you tell me who sells the IN76 lower than the H72? KEC quoted $3499 for the H72. I was quoted $3699 for the IN76. I would also like to take a look the IN76 in action before committing. Been busy, so haven't gone hunting for this, or even the Z3k. Which movie did you see that had the greenish cast? Setup issues can be resolved, so that should not be a major consideration. I missed the Mit 5000 show, so...
c7221624705751 Posted October 4, 2006 Posted October 4, 2006 Infocus price is strictly controlled. I said "listed" lower than the H72, because the H72 was listed 3999. Also bear in mind in the US the H72 is much cheaper (albeit slightly different i.e. without the "i"). The green cast of the Optoma (oob) is seen in all scenes. If you are gd at calibration then perhaps it will work for you. U really should take a look at the IN76. Just the lens alone should place it above the optoma. With the new IN78, probably IF may reduce the price of the 76.
cmk Posted October 4, 2006 Author Posted October 4, 2006 Just saw a demo of the HD70 and HD72. They were scarily similar and the HD70 was just out of the box - uncalibrated. Quite impressive. Didn't notice any SDE or rainbow effect on the dark action scenes. The colors were also quite solid, not grainy. Now where can I see the IN76 in action?
htfreak Posted October 4, 2006 Posted October 4, 2006 You should be able to catch a demo of the IN76 over at FastLogic in Burlington Square. One other projector that you may want to consider as well would be the Mitsubishi HC3100. Saw it on demo with HighDef material playback using the HD-A1 and the visual quality was impressive too. You should be able to view this one either at Monsoon's new showroom or at Mediaplex in Funan.
cmk Posted October 5, 2006 Author Posted October 5, 2006 You should be able to catch a demo of the IN76 over at FastLogic in Burlington Square. One other projector that you may want to consider as well would be the Mitsubishi HC3100. Saw it on demo with HighDef material playback using the HD-A1 and the visual quality was impressive too. You should be able to view this one either at Monsoon's new showroom or at Mediaplex in Funan. Ok, thanks, will check these out.
cmk Posted October 12, 2006 Author Posted October 12, 2006 Decided to go for the cheapest option...the HD70.
Dixivisual Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Decided to go for the cheapest option...the HD70. Hi! cmk I'm also looking at HD70 but where is it selling? Any of the shop at Adelphi, SLS, Burlington Sq or Funan got a demo of that? I hv yet to go on a visit/window shop to those shops and hv a personal experience before deciding which to get. But based on my budget HD70 fit nicely my bill as its selling at US$999 = S$1,600 which i obtain from others websites. Look fwd to your reply. ;D
cmk Posted October 13, 2006 Author Posted October 13, 2006 If you know someone in the US, then this is the way to go. Cheers
cmk Posted October 20, 2006 Author Posted October 20, 2006 Just hooked up the HD70 last nite, well what can I say...even with component cable input, the picture is a big improvement over the old TW100, but you guys already knew that. I must say that I'm pretty happy with it, for the money paid, it is a BARGAIN. After some quick calibration, I got good black levels and shadow detail, high contrast, good color saturation and nice skin tones. I'll see if I can post a couple of pics later.
game_goondu Posted October 20, 2006 Posted October 20, 2006 Hi! cmk I'm also looking at HD70 but where is it selling? Any of the shop at Adelphi, SLS, Burlington Sq or Funan got a demo of that? I hv yet to go on a visit/window shop to those shops and hv a personal experience before deciding which to get. But based on my budget HD70 fit nicely my bill as its selling at US$999 = S$1,600 which i obtain from others websites. Look fwd to your reply. ;D dun think you can expect such price in singapore... getting US$999 and hope to get it at around $1600. expect to pay more than $2k for it.
Dixivisual Posted October 23, 2006 Posted October 23, 2006 Just hooked up the HD70 last nite, well what can I say...even with component cable input, the picture is a big improvement over the old TW100, but you guys already knew that. I must say that I'm pretty happy with it, for the money paid, it is a BARGAIN. After some quick calibration, I got good black levels and shadow detail, high contrast, good color saturation and nice skin tones. I'll see if I can post a couple of pics later. Hi! cmk Look fwd to see the pict of your Optoma HD70. If i ever get one will come back to you on the calibration. As i'm really fairly new to PJ so just started reading up here and there and of course wld need some advise if possible in making decision for getting my first PJ.
cmk Posted October 23, 2006 Author Posted October 23, 2006 Sorry the pics are a little small. I took both the top and bottom to show how the blacks are reproduced. The screen is a 4x3 ratio, so the top and bottom bars are actually white screen. The HD70 was connected using analogue component cables as I don't have HDMI yet - still waiting for HD to be more commonly available and prices lower before plunging in.
cmk Posted October 30, 2006 Author Posted October 30, 2006 I have a question for you videophile geeks here: Generally I'm pretty happy with the picture, though I am not 100% sure I am getting enough detail in the blacks/dark grey. From the Kong pict of the damsel, the whites are a bit washed/crushed, while for the blacks, I'm not certain I'm getting all the detail. I only did a quick calibration using THX optimiser and a blue filter. The screen has 1.3 gain, so that could account for the high contrast. Besides Avia, is there any quick way to set brightness/contrast levels? Any suggestions? Nevermind, I've got it properly calibrated now.
cmk Posted November 15, 2006 Author Posted November 15, 2006 After some fine tuning of the settings, I've settled on the following: User Contrast -3 Brightness 0 Color 4 Tint 0 Sharpness 0 Degamma Film BC 1 TV 1 CT 1 Image AI Off Color YCbCr Red Gain 4 Green G -2 Blue G 20 Red Bias 2 Green B 0 Blue B 4 Lamp 22 hours.
Dixivisual Posted November 23, 2006 Posted November 23, 2006 After some fine tuning of the settings, I've settled on the following: User Contrast -3 Brightness 0 Color 4 Tint 0 Sharpness 0 Degamma Film BC 1 TV 1 CT 1 Image AI Off Color YCharlie BravoCr Red Gain 4 Green G -2 Blue G 20 Red Bias 2 Green B 0 Blue B 4 Lamp 22 hours. cmk thanks for sharing I still yet to find a PJ. My option wld be to buy from online at States and deliver back via Vpost USA eventually. As for screen I might wanna get a portable instead of a pull down. Any recommendation where to find lobang for screens I prefer those stand ones which meant 180 degree leg support and not those tripod style ones.
cmk Posted November 26, 2006 Author Posted November 26, 2006 Update to get the blacks and whites better: Changes in [glow=red,2,300]glow[/glow] User Contrast [glow=red,2,300]15[/glow] Brightness [glow=red,2,300]-8[/glow] Color 4 Tint 0 Sharpness 0 Degamma [glow=red,2,300]Video[/glow] BC 1 TV 1 CT 1 Image AI Off Color YCbCr Red Gain 4 Green G -2 Blue G 20 Red Bias 2 Green B 0 Blue B 4 The unit does not do a true blacker than black, but you can tweak it a bit to get a really dark black though you might lose a bit of detail. There still is a slight red tinge, though it is not really a bother if you're not too choosy. Overall the images just pop out at you. Detail and smoothness is great at this price. Dixivisual Unfortunately the US online vendors do not ship to a PO box. If you have a friend/colleague there, ask them to help.
Dixivisual Posted November 26, 2006 Posted November 26, 2006 Oh didn't know that they dont ship to PO box. Thanks for informing. In that case may hunt for friends that travel to states and head to one of those mega electronic shop (circuit city) to get one for me. provided i can find one first. Shld i able to buy one from states do i need a step down transfomer? or the plug, provided, is able to take in 110v-240V ones?
cmk Posted November 27, 2006 Author Posted November 27, 2006 In the US, its all mail order, hardly anyone buys from electronic stores (Best Buy). Part of the reason is that if you order via mail order, you do not need to pay VAT if its from a different state, and the VAT can be quite high. Most of them offer free shipping, but I would recommend 2day UPS, then your delivery is guaranteed and you can track it. Virtually all projectors are multi voltage, so you don't need to worry. Your friend/whoever is going to the US to pick it up should get a decent sized cabin bag which should be able to fit the projector. I wouldn't recommend putting the projector through baggage claim. The item itself is not big and not heavy. ;)
tsammyc Posted November 27, 2006 Posted November 27, 2006 Vpost and Comgateway do not use a PO Box. Its a regular address with a number attached to the address to identify you. There should be no problem with shipping. Also try pricejapan.com
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