Optoma HD8200 - Competitors - 4

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Art Feierman

Optoma HD8200 vs. JVC DLA-RS10

Probably for roughly $1000 more than the HD8200, you can buy the JVC RS10. Both are technically local dealer only projectors (though you can find the JVC online, but typically not discounted - so where's the fun)?

I'm not sure exactly what prompted me to want to compare these two, but here goes:

Brightness - all JVC. Best mode it's 740 measured lumens bests the HD8200's 525 rather easily. In Brightest mode, neither gets a big jump but JVC maintains the advantage with 814 lumens compared to 660. Bottom line, regardless of what you are watching, figure the JVC can handle a screen 10-15% larger diagonal.

Black levels. No contest, JVC is simply the best at it, and they do it without a dynamic iris. The RS10 is only bested by the more expensive RS20. The HD8200 with its dynamic iris engaged, may do a pretty good job, but it's not in the same class at all, when it comes to black levels. The HD8200 is a 328 BMW when it comes to black level performance, while the JVC - well, think Lambourghini.

Placement flexibility is all JVC as well. It's 2:1 zoom and lots of lens shift make it one of the very best.

Overall picture quality. Again, while I really like the HD8200, the RS10 does slightly better skin tones, and overall, (in part thanks to black levels) is easily my choice. The one area related is that the JVC doesn't have as much wow factor as the HD8200.

Sharpness is the other area of strength for the HD8200. No question, it has the sharper image. Again, it's not huge, but the difference is there.

Audible noise slightly favors the JVC, which is noticeably quieter than the older RS1 and RS1x that it replaced.

Bottom line: For the vast majority, if you could afford the extra for the JVC DLA-RS10, it will be hard to seriously consider the HD8200. Still, I hear from those who are DLP fanatics, and a few have commented that they've seen the RS10 close up, but still favor that extra dynamic look associated with DLP projectors.