Projector Reviews

Optoma made a name for itself early on by making high-quality, low-cost DLP projectors. But with the HD8300, Optoma isn’t going after the budget end of the projector spectrum. Instead, the company is aiming right at its new heart: $5k-ish 3D.

This is my second time writing this review. I don’t mean that I tweaked and changed it a lot and that this is a second draft. I mean I had to completely rewrite it. No computer error: I simply found something so bizarre, so transformative about Epson’s Home Cinema 5010 projector that it radically changed my opinion of it. So much so that I had to start over completely.

And I almost missed it.

If there’s a sweet spot for home projector prices right now, it would be $3,000 to $3,500. Over the past few months, we’ve reviewed excellent projectors in that range from Epson and Sony, and promising, similarly priced offerings are also available from JVC and other manufacturers.

Once an LCD projector staple, Mitsubishi made the switch to DLP a few years ago. On paper, its HC7800D ticks all the right boxes: 3D-capable, full-glass lens, and all the other bells and whistles.

But that’s just on paper. So we figured we’d test it for real, right here... on paper. Eh, you get my meaning. Behold, the HC7800D!

This is a fascinating hybrid of a product: a portable projector with built-in, Roku-powered, media streaming.

There are web streamers, and there are projectors, but this is the first time I've seen them combined into one, easy-to-use product.

Fascinating is one thing. Worthwhile? That's a different question. . .

Winter is my favorite season, when all the past year’s new flat-panel TVs have been reviewed and I can switch my attention to projectors. This season was particularly bountiful, as I was able to score three of the best projectors on the market for review. Sony’s VPL-HW50ES, plus an Epson and a JVC, all arrived on my doorstep within a few days of one another. Not too shabby, that. Time for a roundup.

Oh, and it’s $800...

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Bright image with proper screen pairing
Low gaming lag
Portability
Quiet Operation

Minus
Placement woes with short-throw lens
Throw-away audio
Manual Focus
HDMI 2.0 only
Ineffective CMS

THE VERDICT
It may be difficult to wrestle it away from the kids when they are gaming, however, for serious movie watching, that may not bother you. Big and bright for gaming, there are better options from Optoma for cinema-centric viewers.

Optoma boasts of being both the top 4K UHD projector brand globally and the number one Digital Light Processing (DLP) brand in the United States for 2022, citing the PMA Research Worldwide Projector Census, making the company no stranger to the world of projected light.