Optoma PROJECTOR BUYING GUIDE

Why choose a projector?

Low cost, Big fun!

In terms of cost per inch, nothing can match a projector for sheer size and fun.

Easy plug and play

Quick and easy to set up, a projector can simply be connected to:

• Source devices: DVD or Blu-ray players™, Sky / Set-top boxes, Games consoles, PC/Laptops
• Wireless streaming devices: Google Chromecast®, Amazon Fire Stick®, Apple TV®

Great for external meetings and impromptu movie nights at friends.

A cinema-feel

Most people want the 'cinema feel' in their living room. Optoma projectors can provide this. They accept high definition sources at 24 frames per second to display movies exactly as the director intended.

Great for gaming

The low latency in Optoma projectors offers lightning response times for gaming, allowing users to focus on winning.

Total immersion

Filling your field of vision with a super-size screen immerses you in the action, making you feel like you are actually there!

Spectacular for sports | Fantastic for films | Perfect presentations

YOU CAN GO BIG, REALLY BIG

Why choose Optoma?

Established in Europe for almost two decades, Optoma is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of projection and audio products for business, education, professional audio/video, and home entertainment.

Optoma is the market leading brand for 1080p projectors. Its range includes 3D glasses, screens, mounts, wireless dongles, and other accessories for your projector.

A technology innovator: Optoma has developed both LED and Ultra Short Throw home cinema projectors. Optoma offers the best and widest range of home cinema projectors in the market.

Optoma projectors combine superior image processing technologies with exceptional engineering and innovation to deliver stunning, crystal-clear images with ultimate reliability. They are powered by DLP® technology, pioneered by Texas Instruments. This technology uses millions of microscopic mirrors to produce high-quality imagery that does not suffer color degradation over time, as sometimes experienced in other projector technologies.

GT5500+ Ultra-Short Throw Projector: Capable of projecting a 100-inch image from 30cm away.

Image: Optoma GT5500+ Ultra-Short Throw Projector.

Image: A group of excited people watching a projector screen in a living room.

Which projector?

Asking yourself a few key questions will quickly help you find the right projector for you.

For Home Entertainment

You will need a high-resolution projector to ensure the contrast and picture quality is crystal clear.

For Business

Does it need to be light and portable for occasional business use and off-site meetings, or will it be installed in the boardroom? This will help you choose between mobile, ultra-mobile, desktop, or larger projectors for installation.

Image: A modern meeting room with a projector displaying a presentation on a large screen.

Image: A stylish living room with a projector displaying a vibrant image on a wall.

What resolution do I need?

Resolution is simply the number of pixels in an image. The higher the number of pixels, the greater the resolution and the better the image quality will be. Please see below for the ratio of pixels and the aspect ratio depending on the resolution.

Most projectors today are at least XGA (1024 x 768) resolution – ideal for business PowerPoint presentations.

In the home, nearly all projectors are at least HD Ready (1280 x 800), with home cinema setups typically being Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) and now 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolutions.

Optoma 4K Ultra HD provides four times as many pixels as Full HD 1080p, totaling 8.3 million on-screen pixels (3840 x 2160). This brings greater realism to every scene with increased depth and light and shadow detail for a truly immersive experience.

Resolutions and their aspect ratios

General rule of thumb: The bigger the screen, the higher resolution you will ideally need.

How far from the screen will you install the projector?

Where you would like to place the projector is an important part of choosing the right projector. Ultra-short throw projectors can be positioned very close to the wall, and short-throw projectors can be placed on a coffee table and still provide a big image on the screen. The benefits include no shadows and they tend to be brighter by being closer to the screen or wall. Normal or standard throw projectors will sit further back and tend to be mounted on the ceiling and above/behind where you would be seated.

Typical projection distances

• Ultra-short throw ratio tends to be: 0.25:1 (e.g., GT5500+)
• Short-throw ratio tends to be: 0.5:1 (e.g., GT1080Darbee)
• Standard throw ratio tends to be from: 1.4 - 2:1 (e.g., HD27, HD50, UHD60, UHD65)

Throw ratio

Once you know where you want to place the projector, its throw ratio will tell you if it can do the job. The projector's throw ratio can inform you about:

1. How far the projector will be from the screen (throw distance).
2. How wide the screen can be.

For example, if your screen is 2m wide and the projector is 4m away, the throw is twice the width. This is shown as 2:1 in the specifications.

Image: Visual representations of ultra-short, short, and standard throw projector placements relative to a screen.

Projection Distances Table

If you require more help, please use Optoma's distance calculation tool: www.optoma.co.uk/projector-distance-calculator

How bright is your room?

Whilst throw ratio is very important, brightness is also a key factor. Optoma projectors offer amazing contrast and detail, but the ambient light in the room will affect performance.

Here are some examples of recommended lumens:

• A cinema room with lights off or very low, curtains closed on a 2.5m screen: 2,000 lumens
• A living room with some lights on and a 2m wide screen: 3,000 lumens
• A lecture hall requiring a 3m wide screen with moderate ambient light: 5,000 lumens

Projector brightness is normally measured in: ANSI lumens

What is DLP®?

DLP® is a technology developed by Texas Instruments that has revolutionized projection. At the heart of every Optoma projector is a DLP® chip.

This chip has millions of microscopic mirrors, each measuring less than one-fifth the width of a human hair, generally corresponding to one pixel on the final projected image.

How does DLP® work?

A spinning color wheel made up of colored segments is placed between the light source and the DMD chip. The mirrors are then turned on and off perfectly in time with the right color, allowing us to display a total of 16.7 million different colors, creating a fantastically vibrant, lifelike picture.

Optoma is so confident in the color quality of its projectors that it guarantees it for five years. All Optoma projectors use DLP® technology.

Image: A close-up illustration of a DLP chip, highlighting its microscopic mirrors.

Image: A living room with a projector displaying a nature scene on a large screen, with ambient lighting.

WHD200 - Full HD 1080p Wireless System

This wireless HDMI system allows movie fans, TV buffs, and keen gamers to experience 1080p 2D and 3D image quality on a big screen, without having to run cables across a room.

The system consists of a small receiver which is connected to the projector and an HDMI transmitter with 2x HDMI outputs to plug into the source (i.e., Sky box and BluRay player). The device is designed to be straightforward with easy set-up auto-detection. For added convenience, two sources can be simultaneously connected to the WHD200, and a second display can also be connected using the HDMI out port.

Your existing TV can still receive the same signal, and it will even control your player/sky box from another room via their remote control.

Stream wirelessly up to 20m

Image: A schematic showing the WHD200 wireless HDMI system, connecting a source device (like a Sky box or BluRay player) to a projector and an HD TV wirelessly.

Screens

Optoma screens are manufactured to the highest standard build quality and include electric and manual screens (pull up or pull down) in a range of sizes to suit any meeting room or home.

3D glasses

Optoma offers two main types of Active 3D glasses. Both are bright, stylish, and lightweight, and will fit over most prescription glasses.

• ZD302: Incorporate DLP Link™ technology which uses line of sight to the screen to produce a 3D image.
• ZF2300: Use Radio Frequency technology to sync with the projector. You will need a ZF2300 starter kit that includes the emitter and a pair of glasses.

Image: Examples of Optoma projector screens, including electric and manual pull-down models.

Image: Optoma 3D glasses, including DLP Link and RF models.

Get the full home cinema experience

Tips for Choosing Your Projector

Dos ✅

• Pick the perfect image size you ideally want on your wall or screen.
• Work out where you want the projector to be in the room.
• Establish what you want to use the projector for and how much light will be in the room. Is there a way to control the light?
• Think about cabling and power, and if you would like wireless video instead.
• Consider a site survey and professional installation for total peace of mind.

Don'ts ❌

• Forget to center the projector. If this is not possible, look for a projector with horizontal lens shift or geometric correction, such as Optoma's HD28DSE.
• Mount the projector on top of a shelf when near the ceiling. If using a shelf, install the projector under the shelf rather than above, ideally with a universal mount.
• Forget audio as part of the solution. If you are using wireless video, ensure you can run the audio separately from the source to the speakers.
• Be afraid to contact your local store if you have any questions or if we can help.

Understanding these dos and don'ts will help you choose the perfect projector for your space.

Optoma Technologies

Amazing Colour technology offers vibrant, accurate, and long-lasting color performance to match any application or environment, whether it is for business, education, or home entertainment. For more information, visit optoma.co.uk/amazing-colour.

Optoma genuine lamp modules are designed specifically and uniquely for Optoma projectors. To read more, visit www.optoma.co.uk.

Final checklist

• Work out your screen size; measure the size of the wall and decide what would be the best image for you.
• What distance do you have to mount the projector? Do you require ultra-short throw, short throw, or a standard throw?
• Is the room in a bright or dark environment? How many lumens do you need?
• Have you thought about accessories: projector mount, cables, home cinema system, etc.?

Glossary of Terms

4K: See UHD 4K.

Ambient Light: Any light in the viewing room created by a source other than the projector or screen.

ANSI Lumens: ANSI lumens provide the most accurate measurement of a projector's overall brightness. Because the center of a projected image is brighter than its corners, ANSI lumens are calculated by dividing a square meter image into 9 equal rectangles, measuring the brightness of each rectangle, and averaging these nine points.

Aspect Ratio: The ratio of image width to image height.

Auto Balance: A system for detecting errors in color balance in white and black areas of the picture and automatically adjusting the white and black levels of both the red and blue signals as needed for correction.

Brightness: Overall light output from an image. While a brightness control can make an image brighter, it is best used to better define the black level of the image.

BrilliantColor™: Advanced color processing for bright, vibrant, deep saturated color for lifelike reproduction.

Colour Saturation: Measure of color purity. Highly saturated colors emit a very narrow band of wavelengths of light instead of the broader spectrum of frequencies emitted from mixed colors. A display with good saturation will look vibrant.

Colour Wheel: Rotating wheel with three or more translucent color filters used to display sequential color in a DLP projector.

Contrast Ratio: The ratio between white and black. The larger the contrast ratio, the greater the ability of a projector to show subtle color details and tolerate ambient room light.

DLP: The commercial name for the display technology from Texas Instruments that is within each Optoma projector. This uses millions of mirrors to produce high-quality imagery which does not suffer color degradation over time, as sometimes experienced in other projector technologies.

Full HD: High-Definition, high resolution 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels).

HD Ready: WXGA resolution (1280 x 800 pixels).

HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface is an uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface that supports audio/video sources such as a set-top box, DVD player, A/V receiver, and projectors.

High Dynamic Range (HDR): HDR gives better contrast, greater brightness levels, and a wider color palette. It allows for more natural, true-to-life colors that are closer to how we see them in real life.

Hz: Hertz. Also called cycles per second, and in video displays, it is the rate at which an image is refreshed.

Invert Image: Invert image flips the image from top to bottom, to allow for ceiling mounting a projector upside down.

Lamp life: The average expected life of a lamp used in a particular projector.

Latency: The time between a device being requested to do something and the start of the device actually doing it. Important in gaming; the shorter the latency, the better.

LED: Light Emitting Diode. A light-generating technology that uses a semiconductor diode that emits monochromatic (single color) light when charged.

Lens Shift: This allows the optical lens to be physically shifted up and down (vertical) and/or left and right (horizontal). Some lens shift mechanisms are motorized. Lens shift can avoid the need for keystone correction.

Long Throw Lens: A long throw lens allows greater distance between the projector and the screen while being able to maintain the image size and brightness of a shorter throw lens for any given projector.

Lumens: A measurement unit of total illumination. Projector light output is measured in ANSI lumens. A projector with a higher number will produce a brighter image for a given image size. See ANSI Lumens.

Maximum Distance: Sometimes used to refer to the distance from the screen that a projector can focus the image.

Native Aspect Ratio: All Optoma projectors support multiple aspect ratios. Images shown in the projector's native aspect ratio will use the entire resolution of the display and achieve maximum brightness. Images shown in other than native aspect ratio will always have less resolution and less brightness than images shown in native aspect ratio.

Native Resolution: Native Resolution is the number of physical pixels in a display device. The higher the number of pixels, the greater the resolution and the better the image quality will be: Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) and HD Ready (1280 x 800 pixels).

Power Zoom: A zoom lens that is driven by a motor and controlled from the projector's control panel and/or remote control.

Resolution: See Native Resolution above.

Saturation: Saturation is a measure of color intensity. In the absence of saturation, the color hue is a shade of grey. A highly saturated hue has a vivid, intense color, while a less saturated hue appears more muted and grey.

Short Throw Lens: A lens designed to project the largest possible image from a short distance.

SVGA: SVGA is a display resolution measuring 800 x 600 pixels. SVGA has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Throw Ratio: The ratio between the projection distance and image width. Normally quoted as a range as most projectors have a zoom facility.

UHD 4K: Display resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels – 8.3 million on-screen pixels (four times as many as Full HD 1080p), bringing greater realism to every scene with increased depth and light and shadow detail.

WXGA: Also called HD Ready display resolution 1280 x 800 pixels.

XGA: Display resolution 1024 x 768.

XPR: A fast-switching technology via dual-position precision optical actuator with state-of-the-art image processing to project 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame.

Zoom: A lens with a variable focal length providing the ability to adjust the size of a projected image without moving the projector.

Zoom Ratio: The ratio between the smallest and largest image a lens can project from a fixed distance.

Image: A diagram illustrating a projector lens with zoom functionality.

Contact Information

Optoma Europe Limited

Registered Office: 42 Caxton Way, Watford Business Park, Watford, WD18 8QZ, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1923 691800

Fax: +44 (0) 1923 691888

Website: www.optoma.com

For more information on Optoma solutions, visit www.optoma.com.

The information regarding third-party evaluation and recommendation provided in this document is for your information. Optoma makes no guarantee that such information is reliable. Any third-party products or services provided with any Optoma product are provided "as is". Optoma makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee whatsoever in relation to third-party products or services and assumes no liability whatsoever in relation to them.

Copyright © 2017, Optoma and its logo is a registered trademark of Optoma Corporation. Optoma Europe Limited is the licensee of the registered trademark. All other product names and company names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Errors and omissions excepted, all specifications are subject to change without notice. DLP®, BrilliantColor™, and the DLP logo are registered trademarks of Texas Instruments. All images are for representation purposes only and may be simulated.