Optoma HD143X Projector (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
Optoma was generous enough to provide a sample of the HD143X Projector on loan for four days. While I couldn’t test it as extensively as I wished due to the time constraint, I did my best to focus on what is more relevant to us.
Packaging and Content
At a whooping $549.00 on Amazon the HD143X comes with the bare minimum:
- The Optoma HD143X Projector
- A remote control (with two AAA batteries included)
- AC power cord
- Basic user manual
If you want a lens cap or a handy carry bag, you’ll have to shed more dough. It is a shame because at the price I would expect that at least the lens cap to be included to protect one of the most important parts of the device.
A carry bag is recommended as well since the HD143X’s case is a dust magnet. Within a few minutes of being exposed, the case catches ambient particles which is quite noticeable given the device’s color.
Hello, dust!
Design-wise, there is nothing much to write home about here. The projector looks like your run-of-the-mill bulky-looking one. But despite its dimensions (316 x 244 x 108 mm), the HD143X felt relatively light at 2.87kg.
Specs & Features
When it comes to projectors, the most important features are the brightness and color output. The HD143X offers brightness at 3000 Lumens and has the ability of reproducing the Rec.709 colour gamut (“the international HDTV standard to guarantee accurate reproduction of cinematic colour exactly as the director intended”, as the product page reads).
This projector can also display true 3D content from almost any 3D source. I could not test this feature since I do not own any 3D source nor did I have time to look for one to test on it due to the limited loan time.
What would interest most of us here on GBAtemp is its Gaming Mode that is advertised to “optimise your projector for lightning response times, maximum contrast and vivid colours to capture every detail”. I do not agree to a 100% to the latter statement but we’ll get back to it in a bit.
It can also accommodate a variety of devices like smartphones or tablets with a single cable using MHL thereby turning the projector into a smart display. The USB-A port can also be used to power an HDMI dongle, such as Google Chromecast.
Additionally, there is a Wireless option that allows one to instantly stream content from a source to your projector wirelessly using the WHD200 from Optoma which is sold separately.
Of course, there is much more to the specs than what I have just mentioned and more detailed information is available below:
Display/image
- Display technology DLP
- Resolution 1080p Full HD (1920x1080)
- Brightness 3,000 lumens
- Contrast ratio 23,000:1
- Native aspect ratio 16:9
- Aspect ratio - compatible 4:3
- Keystone correction - vertical 40
- Uniformity 80%
- Screen size 0.71m - 7.65m (28in - 301in)
Lamp info
- Light source Lamp
- Lamp watts 240
- Lamp life (hours) 3500 (Bright), 12000 (Dynamic), 10000 (Eco)
Optical
- Throw ratio 1.47:1 - 1.62:1
- Projection distance (m) 1m - 9.8m
- Zoom 1.1
- Zoom type Manual
- Focal length (mm) 15.59 ~ 17.14
- Native offset 116%
Connections
- Inputs 1 x HDMI 1.4a 3D support + MHL, 1 x HDMI 1.4a 3D support
- Outputs 1 x Audio 3.5mm, 1 x USB-A power 1.5A
- Control 1 x 3D sync, 1 x 12V trigger
General
- Noise level (typical) 25dB
- PC compatibility FHD, UXGA, SXGA, WXGA, HD, XGA, SVGA, VGA, Mac
- 2D compatibility NTSC M/J, 3.58MHz, 4.43MHz PAL B/D/G/H/I/M/N, 4,43MHz SECAM B/D/G/K/K1/L, 4.25/4.4MHz 480i/p, 576i/p, 720p(50/60Hz), 1080i(50/60Hz), 1080p(50/60Hz)
- 3D compatibility Side-by-Side:1080i50 / 60, 720p50 / 60 Frame-pack: 1080p24, 720p50 / 60 Over-Under: 1080p24, 720p50 / 60
- 3D Full 3D
- Security Security bar, Kensington Lock, Password protected interface
- OSD / display languages 25 languages
- Operating conditions 5°C ~ 40°C, Max. Humidity 85%, Max. Altitude 3000m
- Remote control Backlit home remote
- Speaker count 1
- Watts per speaker 10W
Power
- Power supply 100 ~ 240V, 50 ~ 60Hz
- Power consumption (standby) 0.5W
- Power consumption (max) 295W
Performance
The projector is quite user friendly and the setup is as easy as powering on the device and hooking it up to your multimedia hardware of choice. I have tested the demo unit with my laptop and the Super RetroTRIO Plus console via an HDMI connection.
Once connected, you have to adjust the focus manually by rotating the dial around the lens until you get a crisp image. You have to do so every time to change the distance of the projector from the projecting surface.
Under Display Mode, there are many factory presets optimized for various types of images. Those that are to our interest include:
- Cinema: Provides the best colors for watching movies.
- Vivid: In this mode, the color saturation and brightness are well-balanced.
- Game: Select this mode to increase the brightness and response time level for enjoying video games
The menu also features the “Enhanced Gaming” feature that aims to reduce response times (input latency) during gaming to 16ms* (only for 1080p 60Hz signals).
It also has a ‘Wall Color’ function to obtain an optimized screen image according to the wall color. I mostly used this to turn my wall into a giant screen. The projector works best with no ambient light but even with low ambient light the image is clear.
Comparing the projected image at different ambient light
Despite all of the gaming optimization options, I noticed that with all games that I played there is a drop in framerate for like one second when the in-game camera moves around. This would manifest as a horizontal line glitch between the previous frame and the current one. While this was not game breaking, it was noticeable. I played various titles from Rise of the Tomb Raider to Metal Gear Survive to Project CARS but the issue persisted in each and every case.
Additionally, there was a serious issue with the image projected for one game that I tested the device with, Tekken 7. The color reproduced was totally off and glitchy.
Unless if they have a secret epileptic fit-inducing mode, something is terribly wrong here
I reported the issue to Optoma and they replied by saying that it could “possibly be the game” and that they “need more info on setup etc”. I noticed the lag in all games that I tried, irrespective of the genre and the projector was set up according to the instructions. So I’m not really sure what the issue is here...
This issue was limited to playing games though. Movies and browsing the internet was seamless. For all games (except Tekken 7), movies and general PC use, the image projection was faithful, without any distortion at crisp 1080p on a humongous screen size that ranges from 0.71m to 7.65m (28in - 301in). Even Super Mario Bros. (via the Super RetroTRIO Plus) never looked so pretty to me. The games looked so impressive that I could easily overlook the the little lag mentioned before.
I don't wanna go back to a small screen...
Your favorite website, TV shows and movies are also a visual treat. I’ve watched the classic Evil Dead II and the new Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and the projector really emulates a cinematic experience for old and new movies alike.
One thing: be sure to wear your best headphones since the mediocre quality built-in speakers don’t do justice to the whole experience. Wearing headphones will also double as earmuffs to wall off the noisy fan of the projector. But even with the fan running, the device still warms up considerably.
Optimal Projector?
Not quite. At that price and given the company’s foothold in the projector market, I expected more from the HD143X, in particular when it comes to gaming considering the issues that I have faced. Granted that it projects beautiful, crisp image without distortion but with Optoma’s experience and having a massive catalogue of projectors already, one would expect that the latest model to be quieter, emit less heat or at the very least have a decent speaker.
Verdict
- HDMI/MHL ports
- Crisp 1080p images
- No distortion
- 3D compatible
- User friendly
- Very expensive
- Glitches/drops in frame rate
- Not all games compatible
- Mediocre speaker
- Size
- Noisy fan
- Heat
- No lens cover
- Dust-magnet surface
