Optoma Shocks the Market with Two New Ultra-Affordable 4K DLP Projectors

Optoma Shocks the Market with Two New Ultra-Affordable 4K DLP Projectors​

(Optoma)(June 12, 2017) Optoma has dropped a bomb that will certainly cause ripple effects across the 4K projector landscape. Recently, the company announced two new 4K UHD projectors priced to disrupt the market. The UHD60 and UHD65 are consumer grade models designed to deliver true 4K images with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and wide color gamut performance.

Offering four times the pixels of a standard 1080p model, Optoma’s new projectors carry 3840 x 2160 resolution composed of 8.3-million pixels. The addition of HDR10 compatibility with coverage of the wider – more vibrant – REC. 2020 color space, are two enticing image enhancement features. Optoma says both models also feature vertical lens shift and 1.6X zoom for images as large as 140-inches. The projectors also house stereo speakers for instant portable audio when a larger system isn’t available.

Here’s the kicker: price.

The UHD60 is hitting the market with an MSRP of $1,999. That cash buys you 3,000 lumens of brightness, dual HDMI ports (one with HDCP 2.2 compatibility), and a factory reported contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. The UHD65 is $500 more ($2,499 MSRP) and adds PureMotion video processing for control of motion blur. Overall brightness output is slightly reduced on this model (2,200 lumens), but it offers better overall contrast (1,200,000:1).

“With the UHD60 and UHD65, Optoma is putting the industry’s most innovative and cutting-edge 4K technologies into the hands of consumers in a way that’s never been done before,” said Brian Soto, head of product management at Optoma Technology. “As leaders in the 1080p resolution home projector market, the introduction of our 4K resolution projectors is the next big step in providing high end viewing experiences at extremely accessible pricing. We are making 4K home theater projection a mainstream technology for the first time, allowing consumers to enjoy an experience that will rival or surpass any TV or even cinema experience today.”

(Optoma) The new UHD65.
Optoma has certainly delivered a shocking category busting price point; true 4K performance for $2,000? Unheard of! It’s difficult to analyze the true nature of the projectors' native chipsets, but both are capable of meeting the Consumer Technology Association’s 4K UHD 2160p specification. That being said, take the manufacturer claimed contrast ratios with a grain of salt (more than likely they do not represent real world performance).

The UHD60 is available for purchase through Amazon, Best Buy, and Beach Camera, while the UHD65 can be found at Full Compass, ProjectorPeople, and Visual Apex.

 

[Tonto]

It's on now baby!!!
Be interesting to see how they preform, and how the other companies respond. This is really great news!

 

[Todd Anderson]

It certainly is... I've inquired about the potential for a demo unit. I'd like to take one out on the test track...

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Thanks for the report, Todd. I'm in the market for a new projector, so this is really good news. One minor point - I think it's "Optoma," with 2 O's, right?

-- Jim

 

[Todd Anderson]

That's not a minor point, Jim. You just caught an entire page of an autocorrect gone terribly wrong!

This is, as you point out, great news. The big question will be ultimate performance, because it's possible that competing native 1080p projectors in this general price range will still offer better visual performance. That remains to be seen.

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Yes, it'll be interesting to see some tests on these. The projector I'm looking to replace is an Optoma HD73, which actually did a nice job at 720p. I hope these new ones are quiet, ideally with no-white-segment color wheels? Man, I wonder if the weave of my 84" dropout-cloth screen is even fine enough to handle pixels that small?!

-- Jim

 

[Peter Loeser]

Even if they don't beat today's best 1080p images, the race is on to deliver a true UHD/4K picture at an affordable price. Big news indeed.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Yes, it'll be interesting to see some tests on these. The projector I'm looking to replace is an Optoma HD73, which actually did a nice job at 720p. I hope these new ones are quiet, ideally with no-white-segment color wheels? Man, I wonder if the weave of my 84" dropout-cloth screen is even fine enough to handle pixels that small?!

-- Jim

If your screen has a texture to it, it might not pay well with 4K... largely will depend on you seating distance!

 

[OJ Bartley]

Well now... this is a bit of a game changer!

I've been planning ahead for projection and looking at a few of the current "faux K" models that offer image enhancement, but had generally resigned myself to viewing at 1080p for some time. Now the 2 things I'd really like to see are 1) lens zoom memory, making these suitable for CIH setups; and 2) a review comparing to some of those models like the JVC 550 and the Epson 4040/5040.

I'm not that fussed about HDR, from what I've heard you need a SIGNIFICANT amount of light output to make it look reasonable, which is very tough to achieve. But the extra resolution would be a welcome upgrade.

 

[Todd Anderson]

We've requested a spot on the review list... so stay tuned.

The biggest question for folks more interested in the added resolution will revolve around black levels and shadow detail. If you're not too concerned about the advanced image characteristics, those are going to be fairly key. Of course color accuracy for Rec 709 will also be fairly critical for standard Blu-ray and HDTV.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I think I might have buyer's remorse! lol... this could be really huge here. Unbelievable to say the least if it can really do it.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Don't forget, Sonnie, it's nearly impossible for you to see much of a resolution difference at normal seating distances, especially with e-shift engaged and 4K material playing. You've got a world beater on your hands with the best black level performance on the market (sub 15K, at the minimum). Don't cry in your soup just yet ;-) There's a reason JVC has continued to ride its current model!

 

[Todd Anderson]

I've inquired about the potential for Rainbow Effect with these new chips... that could be a snag for some customers.

 

[phillihp23]

Hmmm........ I say this is wonderful news....lets get a nice 4K war going. Competition drives innovation, improvements and lowered prices.

 

[Tony V.]

It certainly is... I've inquired about the potential for a demo unit. I'd like to take one out on the test track...

This would be a good one to do. I'm very curious about any possible rainbow effect as it bothers me on ones I have seen in the past. A friends has one and the rainbow is really noticeable if I turn my glance away from the screen and back

 

[OJ Bartley]

We've requested a spot on the review list... so stay tuned.

The biggest question for folks more interested in the added resolution will revolve around black levels and shadow detail. If you're not too concerned about the advanced image characteristics, those are going to be fairly key. Of course color accuracy for Rec 709 will also be fairly critical for standard Blu-ray and HDTV.

Good to hear Todd, that will be a great read if we get one. And you're very right, resolution is only one thing... if it can't put together a good looking picture then any amount of sharpness won't save it.

I think I might have buyer's remorse! lol... this could be really huge here. Unbelievable to say the least if it can really do it.

Sonnie, what model did you end up with? I know the JVCs are really praised in general for having top notch picture quality, so you're likely in good shape. I took a quick peek at the specs on these Optoma models and they don't appear to have lens memory features, so JVC and Epson are still my front runners, pending what happens in the next year or so.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I have the DLA-RS620 ... and I could not live without lens memory. I got a really good deal being an authorized dealer, so I'm not crying a river, that is for sure.

 

[tesseract]

This affordable option will help get people off the fence.

 

[mechman]

I hope you get one Todd as I'd love to hear how it performs. I've never been a fan of Optoma in the past.

 

[typ44q]

I think it's great they have the price that low already, hopefully it will catch on.
But I would still take better contrast (especially black levels) and "faux K" over native 4K (and a color wheel).