Optoma HD141X Projector Review - Hardware Tour

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Art Feierman

OPTOMA HD141X PROJECTOR - HARDWARE TOUR: Overview and Lens, Control Panel, Inputs and Connectors, Lens Throw

Overview and Lens

The HD141X is a 5.5 lb. projector with a relatively small footprint, slightly larger than 12x8x4 inches. The manual zoom lens is located just to the right of center (if facing the projector). The zoom ratio is 1.1:1 which is really a minimal amount of zoom. It's enough to fine tune a few inches to fill your screen correctly. The distance to screen info is below.

Between the lens and the far right is the 10 watt speaker which fires forward. That makes sense with the sound bouncing off of the screen (or wall) in front of it, so that it seems to come from where the picture is.

The projector has three screw thread adjustable feet.

Moving to the top of the HD141X, you'll find the control panel. It has a pretty typical setup, with no real surprises. Also on the top are the recessed focus and zoom rings, directly above and back from the lens.

One thing of note: The HD141x does not have any horizontal keystone correction, only vertical. As a result for a properly rectangular image, you would have to have the lens lined up with the center of the screen (left to right). Of course, keystone correction does very slightly degrade image sharpness, but that's a price we have to pay for placement flexibility when a projector lacks vertical and horizontal lens shift.

The inputs and other connectors are located on the right side (when facing the projector), rather than in the rear. A Kensington security lock slot is located on the back.

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Control Panel

The HD141X's control panel is located behind the lens rings area.

It consists of two concentric rings each with buttons.

Looking from the top rear of the projector, the outer left button brings up the menu. The outer top does nothing. The right one brings up a help menu, while the bottom one is the main power switch.

The center four function as up/down/left arrows when you are navigating the menus. When not, the left is your Source select (the Optoma offers auto source selection), and the right is labeled ReSync and is used for best locking in an analog signal if needed. The up and down arrows double as the vertical keystone correction controls.

If I have a complaint, it's that they didn't work the volume controls in there anywhere.

At the bottom of the rings by the Power are the usual three indicator lamps, one for Lamp, one for Power, and one for Temperature.

Click Image to Enlarge

Inputs and Connectors

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Amusing. While most projectors have their inputs on the back, this projector put them on the side. Even more curious is that they laid them out as if you are standing the projector up on its back when connecting everything because the HDMI connectors are sideways, compared to normal, and all the lettering is also rotated for that vertical view. It's not a big deal, but, as I said, curious.

So let's start working from left to right in the image above, which is really front of the projector to the back.

First up is in the lower left, which is a security bar. Further back near the bottom is the stereo audio output. then moving "up" comes the 12 volt screen trigger. At the top is the 3D Sync VESA port - a DIN connector, which, it should be noted has a 5 volt pin. Directly behind the 3D port is HDMI1 which is the one that supports MHL. Below that is the HDMI2, and finally, is a small USB connector. The only other item is the AC power receptacle.

Lens Throw and Offset

The zoom lens provides a minimal amount of placement range, but it is enough to make it easy to get the projector to fill the screen accurately, within that range. To fill a 100" diagonal 16:9 screen, you can place the projector as close as 10 feet 9 inches (10.75 feet) from the lens to the screen, or, it can sit as far back as 11 feet 9 and a fraction inches (11.77 feet).

As I indicated, there's enough zoom for fine tuning, rather than having a lens that offers a huge amount of front to back range as some projectors have. To give you a good idea, there are projectors around the $1000 range that offer 6 feet, or even up to 10 feet of front to back flexibility. No matter, if it works for you, no problem.