[Prof.]

The HD20 screenshots look very good and very natural, particularly for the factory default settings..
Optoma has obviously stabilised the colour balance now in that model..

The HD65 on the other hand has a very exaggerated colour scale out of the box, and it's well known that it takes some 200 hours for it to stabilise..
From my own experience with the HD65, I wasn't able to get anywhere near the correct colour balance until 150 hrs of running.
Now it's at nearly 200 hrs,.and the colour balance looks excellent..:T

Whilst screenshots comparisons are interesting, they don't really give a true picture unless both projectors have been professionally calibrated..

I would be interested to hear of your opinion about the difference in the definition between the two..bearing in mind that the HD65 is 720p. and the HD20 is 1080p..

 

[Prof.]

i am able to sit much closer now without noticing SDE. the other point of note is that the grey ramp is smooth out the box unlike the hd65.

IMO the move up to 1080p was definitely worth the outlay.

Yeah..that was one thing I don't like about the HD65..You can't get an even grey ramp pattern..no matter what you set the contrast and brightness to..
It doesn't seem to affect the image though..

The HD20 sounds like a nice entry level 1080p projector..

 

[Prof.]

Very nice custard...
Are these still out of the box settings?

I would strongly recommend that you blackout as much as possible..around the screen perimeter, and along the sidewalls and ceiling, out from the front of the screen..similar to what Al Briscoe did..
This makes a huge difference to the perceived contrast..

 

[Prof.]

you'll have to tell the missus that i need to paint/add a black border to her lounge wall and add curtains or darken the side walls.:heehee:

Oh..I see! That's a pity..:sad:
Maybe some of this!! :kiss: :heehee:

 

[Prof.]

Custard..I wouldn't worry too much about colour balance at this stage..
If the HD20 is anything like the HD65..you'll need to have at least 150hrs. on the lamp before it stabilises..

I found my original calibrations were way off after I had reached 170hrs.and after re-calibrating, I now have an excellent well balanced image..

 

[Prof.]

Well firstly you're looking at two totally different projectors..

The HD20 is a DLP..and the HC720 is an LCD..
That's your first consideration, as to what type of system you prefer..

I've heard very good reports about both units, particularly for entry level projectors..
The HC720 is the brighter of the two, so if you have any ambient light considerations, or planning on using a grey screen, then that's something to take into account..

Optoma's certainly don't have a good reputation for lamp life..

The difference between 1080p and 720p. is debatable..
Some say that you can see the difference quite clearly, others say that they can't see any difference..particularly at this level of projector..with both types having low contrast ratio's..

If you're not able to see both units in operation (and then they would have to be viewed in the same environment) all you can do is go on other peoples experience with each type..

 

[Prof.]

The Shack store doesn't seem to have that model listed yet..

 

[Prof.]

Hi kiwi guy and welcome to the Shack..

It won't be a problem purchasing a projector from the US..
The projector will automatically select the correct voltage and the TV system is not determined by the projector..There is no selection for PAL or NTSC..
This will be set by your TV or set top box..

I recently bought an HD65 from Canada, and all I had to change was the 3 pin plug!

I thought Australian prices were bad, but that's just plain ridiculous!!

 

[Prof.]

All I had to do was to unplug the power cord from my old projector (which had the Oz. 3 pin plug on it) and switch her on!.

 

[Prof.]

Firstly, props for prompt reply
Secondly, at the risk of sounding like a complete noob, do these cords have a "brick" on them like laptop power cords

Yes..They are just like your everyday plug in electric jug cords...generally readily available..

Thirdly, any experience/comments on using an Ikea Tupplar roller blind as a makeshift screen?
Thanks again

I haven't used one personally, but they are very popular in the UK..
I looked into them once but couldn't find one big enough for my application..and that's their main limitation..otherwise they make quite a good screen by all accounts..

 

[Prof.]

quite ugly looking but it works!

Simple but effective custard..:T
I use the same idea with my HD65, only I have compression springs between the projector and the top plate..

 

[Prof.]

just though that i would mention that the lower plate of the two has holes about 5cm wide to allow for minor movement of the top plate and PJ horizontally and forwards/backwards.

That idea might just solve my problem!.:T
With an anamorphic set up, it's very difficult to fill the scope screen without using any zoom, if the projector is not quite exactly the right distance from the screen..
It only needs that small amount backwards or forwards to get the exact position..

At the moment I only have a single plate above the projector, so adding a second plate with large holes, will give me that fine adjustment!
Thanks for the idea custard..:T