Optoma have been a major player in the projector market for some time now, and with the Optoma H182X, they promised full 3D capabilities, combined with versatility, portability and amazing pixel performance. Considering this, I think the price was a surprise to everyone, and many wondered how they could still offer all these features, without some drawbacks. I wrote this Optoma H182X 720p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector review, to let buyers know what this system does well, and if what if anything they left out, to reach this price-point.
PROS
- Full 3D
- 23000-1 contrast ratio
- Very portable
- Easy Set-up
- Long Lamp-life
- 3200 lumen white brightness and 3200 lumen color brightness
- High performance
CONS
- Not the most beautiful looking design
- 720p resolution; not as good as 1080p
Overall Impression
Size and Design
At measurements of 14 inches in length, by 12.4 inches of width, and with a depth of 8.8 inches, we must give Optoma credit for portability. This really will fit into a small carry-on case, medium sized handbag, or even in the hand. They’ve also kept the weight of the H182X, down to 5.5 pounds, which is exceptional given the specifications. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing of devices, and if this is important maybe the Optoma H182X, isn’t for you, but I think most people, including myself, prefer a system they can easily pick up and transport, over beauty.
Performance
The set-up is pretty easy, and using the manual, which is very helpful, it should be completed in under ten minutes. Once you’ve done the set-up, the first thing you’ll notice after turning it on, is how quiet it is, and this is largely down the vents at front. Some projectors start out like this, with very little noise interrupting viewing, but when you turn on high altitude mode, which speeds up the fan, they make a huge humming noise. Fortunately, the Optoma H182X, remains silent, even in high altitude mode.
The native resolution is 720p; without going into jargon, resolution refers to the number of pixels it throws up on the screen per second, with larger numbers meaning a clearer, more crisp image. 1080p is the highest and it’s what we call full HD. The good news is, that while experts would notice the difference in terms of picture quality, between 720p and 1080p, most people won’t see any discernible decline in image display. Certain steps can also be taken, and have been taken by Optoma, to make the pixels perform better, so what you’ll be viewing is a system, with a picture just slightly less than 1080p.
Those steps I referred to, that have enabled better performance than the resolution suggests are: high frame-rate and DLP technology. Frame-rate, is the speed at which the projector will process the information it receives. High frame-rates mean seamless action sequences, and much better video gaming. Video games are all about frame-rate, especially fast-paced first-person shooters and we’re talking a 144HZ refresh rate, with a reaction time of 16 microseconds, for arcade quality gaming.
The contrast ratio is 23000-1, which is higher than on other systems in this price range, and the Optoma H182X also comes
with Brilliantcolor, which basically means it offers 6-color processing speed. With these inclusions, you’ll be seeing sharper bolder images, with deep blacks, and snow-like whites.
The lumens here are 3200 white brightness and 3200 color brightness, and they perform reasonably well, so you won’t have a problem viewing in the afternoon with the curtains open. Unless,
of course it’s a very sunny day, in which case it might be advisable to draw the curtains for clearer viewing. The best part is it’s Full 3D, and a little note to buyers is, you should never buy a 3D projector, without this term on the box. The reason is that a lot of projectors claim ‘3D Ready’ when actually all this means is that they can display 3D if you go out and buy a 3D transmitter separately. They can cost a lot of money. The projector is Full 3D so it already has the transmitter and can immediately, play 3D.
Final Verdict
For a price of under $500 dollars I’m honestly surprised theres so much on here. Sure, it’s not that great to look at, and sure, 720p isn’t as good a resolution as 1080p, but it’s all about performance. And, with a contrast ratio of 23000-1, high frame-rate/response time, excellent color technology, and full HD, the images you see, are going to be out of this world. Very portable, easy set-up; this is a projector I’d recommend.
