Although it’s possible to spend as little as $300 for a home theater projector, that amount of money won’t buy you much. While that may be okay for business applications, if you want a great projector for entertainment, you need to up your budget into at least the $1000 range. And that’s the price range where you will find one of the great entertainment projectors, the Optoma HZ39HDR. >>> Check current price on Amazon
Optoma HZ39HDR Important Features:
Optoma HZ39HDR | |
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Resolution | 1920x1080 |
Contrast Ratio | 300,000:1 Dynamic |
Brightness (Lumens) | 4,000 ANSI |
Throw Distance | 3.2' - 26.4' |
Screen size | 28”-300” |
Input lag | 16ms |
Price | Bhphotovideo.com |
Light Output – measured in lumens, a projector’s brightness will make a difference in the distance the projector can be placed from the screen and how well it will work under different lighting conditions; total darkness as opposed to some degree of ambient light. There is “white” brightness and then there is “color” brightness. It takes a balance between the two for the projector to deliver crisp images that are not too dull or not too dark.
Contrast – this is the difference between the darkest parts of an image and the brightest parts. The higher the contrast ratio, the more detailed the image will be. Contrast ratio is important, but in addition so are things like screen quality and lighting conditions, which can also affect contrast.
Resolution – the number of pixels determines the display capability of a projector. When considering a projector for a home theater, a higher resolution is important. This is why the newer 4K resolution projectors are becoming more and more popular for home theater applications.
Color Accuracy – if the colors aren’t quite right, the image can appear a little unreal. When the colors are accurate, looking at the screen is almost like looking out a clean, clear glass window.
Lens Zoom – if you plan on moving your projector to different viewing rooms or areas, it is ideal to have a zoom feature on the lens. Once the projector is in its location, you can use the zoom feature to make the image fit the screen size easier. It’s much quicker to adjust the zoom than having to move the projector forward or backward.
Keystone Correction – if the projector cannot be placed dead center of the screen, keystone correction will allow you to adjust any image distortion caused by the projector not being perfectly perpendicular to the screen.
Full Optoma HZ39HDR Review
Pros
- Input lag as low as 16ms
- 3 zoom and +/- 30° keystone correction
- 4000 lumens of brightness
- Long life laser light source
- Accepts all 3D content
Cons
- Needs 10 to 13 feet distance to project a 120” image
- 10 watt speakers are very weak
- Accepts 4K input but displays at 1080p
The HZ39HDR laser projector is an example of a great projector with features that used to cost you $3000 or more. With a 4000 lumen output, it will be bright enough to deliver a bright image in rooms or outdoors in conditions containing some level of ambient light. Its laser light source is designed to provide more than 30,000 hours of operation. >>>Find a list of the best laser projector options here
This projector has a 1080p resolution with a contrast ratio of 300,000:1, which is impressive. The lens zoom is 1.3x with a keystone adjustment of plus or minus 30° so setup is easy, especially if you plan to use the projector in different locations around your home. The HZ39HDR will accept 4K input but it will only display it at 1080p resolution.
Image colors are true to life, with good detail in the darker parts of the image. It has HDR10 technology, which is what most cinema projectors use. It will also accept input from dongles such as Amazon Firestick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV. The HZ39HDR will also display 3D content (3D glasses are required).
If you are into gaming this projector has a lag input of around 16ms with a high refresh rate, so even graphic-intense games run virtually problem-free.
Conclusion
The Optoma HZ39HDR laser projector is an affordable option for budget conscience movie enthusiasts who want to set up a home theater. And because of the projector’s easy setup, it’s one of the more user-friendly projectors on the market. It’s great for watching movies or playing games and can be used both inside and outside. >>> Check current price on Bhphotovideo