First impression
With out-of-box (factory) settings and connected to my macbook via HDMI cable watching an Avatar trailer the sound of "WOW" was echoing in our room.
Previously
Earlier today, I had returned a new Optoma pico projector (PK301) to Bestbuy after days and nights of viewing in diverse lighting conditions, PK301 just didn't work well due to too weak brightness (<50 lumens) whenever the room was not completely dark. My conclusion: current (relatively inexpensive) LED based projectors are not just yet up to the task until they are capable of performing over 1000 lumens.
Online research
I did a quick research and found many positive reviews on Optoma GT720. I also checked and compared to reviews of Optoma HD66 which I first intended to buy via Amazon; Bestbuy however had a $100 discount for this model so I bought it from them instead with no waiting time as a bonus.
Application
My primary purpose (application) was presentation of business material such as slides and movies at diverse conference and exhibition halls; my secondary application was for use at home: home office, movies and TV (cable box, bluray, Netflix etc.).
Details and summary
My usual set of criteria for projectors are resolution, brightness, connections, placement, noise. This model from Optoma meets all of them. It displays HD material with performance almost comparable to our 32' Sony Bravia 1080 LCD TV, Mix it then with a stellar brightness performance, connected via HDMI cable, placed very close (short throw) to the projection wall and throwing a gigantic-size display, performing in Standard brightness mode with yet very low level of audible noise.
Said things makes one smile when experiencing a sub $750 projector in year 2010. Bravo. Optoma GT700 3D Game Time Projector, Great for Wii, PlayStation, and Xbox
Awesome! I am happy with the projector, it has replaced my 60 incher that is now sitting in the corner. The picture quality is amazing, even with the lights on. Ive used it for hours while using my Xbox, and it stays the same temperature, and is quieter than the Xbox itself. From 12 feet away I have a 155in Screen. My place has become the place to watch everything at...BUY THIS IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT IT!
I was originally looking at plasma TVs to hook up to a Playstation 3 and cable box to watch football and baseball games in HD. However, I was really impressed with a $2500 projector a friend had bought, but that was way out of my price bracket. I saw the Optoma GT700 and thought for $650 I would get a projector that was a quarter as good, but for the same price as a 50 inch plasma screen. How wrong I was! This projector is almost as good as the top of the range models and makes even the largest plasma and LCD screens look poor. Set up is easy, I was playing games and watching HD TV on a 12 foot wall within 20 minutes of opening the box. You are only restricted by the size of the wall you can project on. It works reasonably well in lit conditions, but really comes into its own in the dark, it's just like being in the cinema, but the snacks are cheaper! The only problem is that once you start watching TV on this you won't want to watch it on your tiny 52inch screen anymore. If you are looking for a TV for your basement, this is the one.
You will be surprised at the throw distance. From a very short distance, you can get a 120" screen overflowing.. Good and bad in a way. I live in an apartment and did not want to ceiling mount this. So table mounting was my only option. For a 120" 16:9 screen hanging from the very top end of the wall, you cannot seat the projector over 1 foot high from the floor. Very little zoom adjustment you can make so placement is very critical. Also there is no horizontal keystone, so kind of expect it to be placed in the dead center of the screen.
Other than for these, it simply blows your mind in the picture clarity. Also, since the throw distance is going to be very short, the intensity of the light projected is also not lost. This keeps the image bright even with significant ambient light (on a screen not ann unpainted wall) !!!!
Another nice thing is that this projector ships with its own carry bag.. Not a big deal but is something that can come in very handy.
So far I love this projector. Keystoning was a bit difficult to adjust perfectly and still tweaking this as I find a permanent spot for the projector. Lens/lamp tilts upwards rather than straight forward, which made it difficult to find the perfect spot in my house. It was a plug and play projector, which is great! Little tweaking needed to be done with this equipment. Sound on this projector is amazingly loud. So far no complaints, will update if I find anything I don't like.
First, let me tell you that I'm 22 years old and my primary uses include mostly Xbox 360 and PS3, although I do hook it up to my computer from time to time. Halo and COD: Black Ops are pretty legit, especially multiplayer. I wouldn't say that a bigger picture is an advantage in multiplayer, but it's definitely nicer just to have and rub in my friends' faces that I have a 10 foot screen. Movies are pretty awesome as well (think, The Room by Tommy Wiseau). ESPN3 on Xbox 360 is pretty cool, although your quality of video for live events is based on your internet connection. I can't comment on regular TV because I can't figure out a way to get the coax-to-HDMI or component going (other than getting a cable box). If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this, let me know. Blacks looks good, especially at night. Can't really comment on 3D.
One problem that I do have is controlling the volume. The remote that comes with it goes from 0 to 10 in terms of loudness and I usually keep it at about a 4. I also have it set to output sound through my computer speakers, so when I turn those up past half-way I can tell that the sound is coming out of the computer speakers and not the projector speakers. When the sound is below half-way on my computer speakers, sound comes out of the projector speakers. Obviously, the computer speakers are better quality, but it's just annoying that I have to adjust the volume all the time. I don't know if that made any sense, but whatever.
Anyway, it's still pretty B.A. to have such an awesome device that projects a picture so large. The screen I got was a tri-pod since I move around so much, and, as I've mentioned previously, it's 120". Yeah. [...] - Home Entertainment Projectors - 720p - Dlp Projector - Dlp Projectors'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
