Optoma HD66 720P 3D-Ready DLP Home Theater Projector Review

Optoma’s HD66 720p projector is an inexpensive, value for money, high definition, home theatre option. It’s based on Texas Instruments DLP 0.65 inch DLP Darkchip2 technology which supports Brilliant Color delivering greater brightness and more lifelike colors. Notably, this projector is 3D ready and has a high 2500 lumens of maximum brightness to maintain projected 3D image brightness. It’s also conveniently portable at 5.1 lbs (2.31kg) if it’s not going to be permanently mounted. Contrast is an important factor in achieving good picture quality and Optoma HD66 has a high 4000:1 contrast ratio (Full On/Full Off).

Optoma HD66 DLP 3D Ready DLP Home Theater Projector

As mentioned, the Optoma HD66 is a portable 5.1 lbs (2.31kg) but, it is also capable of a rapid shutdown. This capability along with the high 2500 lumens maximum brightness means that it could double for business purposes if required however, the lack of a USB port means a PC is required for presentations.

HD66 Projector 3D Readiness

The Optoma HD66 Home Theater Projector uses the stereoscopic 3D effect of using two separate video streams with a slightly different perspective each synchronized to a different eye. The human brain is able to combine the two different perspective streams into a three dimensional video stream. Optoma have used Texas Instruments DLP Link technology to provide synchronization with the required (optional) active LCD shutter glasses. Projecting 3D content significantly dulls the projected image which is most probably why Optoma have offered a projector with 2500 lumens which is high for a home theater projector nominally to be used under lower ambient light conditions. This means that for content other than 3D the lower, economy brightness setting can be used to extend the projection bulb life out from 3000 hours to 4000 hours (rated).
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A positive point about Optoma’s 3D is that it allows the choice of a range of compatible 3D glasses including offerings from RealD, XspanD, NVIDIA and DDD.
It is important to note that Optoma projectors cannot be used to display 3D TV broadcasts or 3D Blu-ray discs. Optoma projectors may support these applications in the future but will require additional hardware at extra cost.

Projector Set-up

As the HD66 has no horizonal keystone correction it needs to be positioned directly behind the centerline of the screen to avoid keystone distortion of the projected image. While lens shift would be preferable, to achieve a less expensive price the HD66 has digital keystone correction. Using the degree vertical keystone correction, the vertical position of the projected image can be adjusted +/- 40 degrees from the natural offset of the projector which is a large range. The zoom ratio is only 1.1:1.0 (common to DLP projectors) which means to achieve a particular size projected image there is not of lot of flexibility in the mounting distance from the screen. This may not be a problem when ceiling mounting but, may be more difficult with other mounting options.

The noise level of the HD66 is 28dB/30dB (STD/BRIGHT) which is reasonable given the projector will probably only be running in bright mode for 3D video games. The projector only has a 2 Watt in-built speaker so external speakers will be required for reasonable home theater sound.

The warranty offered on the Optoma HD66 is a base level 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor on the projector and 90 days on lamp.

You get the best images when the source video matches the native resolution of the projector however, the Optoma HD66 is compatible with a wide range of video source formats;

Computer Compatibility VGA Resized, SVGA, XGA, SXGA+ UXGA Resized, VESA, PC and Macintosh Compatible

Video Compatibility NTSC, PAL, SECAM, EDTV (480p), HDTV (720i/p, 1080i/p)

The Optoma has a reasonable range of connection options for a home theatre projector including HDMI, VGA-in, Composite, S-Video Audio-in and RS-232 for integrating a motorized screen.

HD66 Projector Inclusions

AC Power Cord, Composite Cable, VGA to Component Cable, Remote Control, Batteries for Remote, Lens Cap, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card, CD-ROM User’s Manual and Warranty Card