Optoma HD20 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Art Feierman

Optoma HD20 Projector: Pros

Good out of the Box picture quality (though greens are a touch weak)
Very good color accuracy post calibration in best mode
Well balanced, good overall picture quality, pretty natural skin tones
A very bright entry-level projector in its "best" mode, just above average brightness in its brightest mode
Two HDMI 1.3 inputs, full support for 24 fps, Deep Color, CEC etc.
Good, well structured menu system
Longer than average lamp life for lower cost of operation
No filters to change, minimizing maintenance
Small size makes it portable - a good choice for those backyard movie nights

The remote control's LED light is too bright for making fine adjustments to the image
Black level performance is basic - very entry level. It comes up short of almost all other low cost projectors (keep in mind that all of them are more money)
On that same black level subject, the ImageAI, which is designed to improve black levels, does so, but I find it annoying because it makes changes many seconds after scene changes, and is noticeable. I recommend you not use ImageAI
Limited placement flexibility, and no lens shift
Fan noise is - substantial, up there with the other noisiest home theater projectors
Throws a lot of heat - not surprising for a small DLP projector
Light leakage out the front vent is significant. You may notice it if your side walls are light as it pushes that light to the front right side. Not too bad, however.
No support for an anamorphic lens
Warranty - one year - too short for my taste, but typical of most lower cost 1080p projectors, although a few under $2000 models have 2 year warranties

Audible noise - just about average, and a little quieter than most DLP models
Documentation is very "Optoma" that's neither exceptionally good, nor bad. Documentation is typical in that it doesn't go into really useful explanations of a number of features. It will tell you how to work them, but not explain some of the differences that would be helpful in choosing the best setting.