Optoma HD8200 Projector - Image Quality

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Art Feierman

Optoma HD8200 images below are from either Blu-ray or HDTV, with the exception of Lord of the Rings (standard DVD). Remember, by the time these images get to you, through digital camera, software, browsers, and monitor, there are minor color shifts, saturation differences, etc. The images are to support the commentary, but keep in mind the limitations when trying to compared images from the HD8200 with other home theater projectors. In reality, all projectors, including the HD8200, always look better live, than the images in our reviews.

HD8200 Out of the Box Picture Quality

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The HD8200 isn't bad, right out of the box, but the image is definitely on the cool side - too much blue, not enough red. Skin tones definitely show that bit of thinness in terms of red, tending to make people look as if under flourescent lighting. Oh, the picture is definitely watchable, but will improve significantly with a good calibration.

Optoma HD8200 Projector - Flesh Tones

Once the HD8200 has been calibrated, the balance between red and blue, becomes excellent, and skin tones now look extremely good. They look good enough, that once or twice, (since I change projectors frequently when reviewing), I could occasionally forget that I had the HD8200 up, and not my reference JVC RS20, at least in terms of accurate skin tones.

Here, first are a pair of images from my favorite movie not available yet on Blu-ray: Lord of the Rings, played from standard DVD. Both look very good.

Below are the usual three images of Daniel Craig, as Bond, in Casino Royale, under different lighting conditions. As I always point out, Skin tones should look different under different lighting conditions. You can expect significantly different looking skin tones, when switching from bright sunlight, to nighttime, flourescent lighting, incandescent lighting, or even lighting in the shade, or a cloudy day. Consider these three imagfes, the first, in direct sunlight, the second is a scene with flourescent lighting, and the third, a sunny day, but Bond is sitting in the shade - indirect lighting.