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 - Optoma HD70I bought this for a home theater that will be in my basement. This is my first personal projector purchase although I've used them at work. So far the basement is not completed but I have been testing and evaluating this projector in my familyroom. I chose this projector because of other reviews that I've read from novice to professional evaluations. It appears to be everything that others have said in their reviews. Pros: Great image and easy to figure out how to setup and use. Cons: No audio, flimsy lens cap that won't stay on. I don't have a screen yet and am using a blank white wall which still seems to perform well. Can't wait to see it on a grey screen. I am please with this projector and would recommend it. Rating: - HD Projection Image Is Superb - needs DCDi or similar for NTSC broadcast TVI have had the Optoma HD70 mounted and in use for just over a week. I upgraded from an X1 that I had for years. The Brightnes and Contrast levels on the HD70 are great. Much brighter and crisper than the Infocus X1. The High definition image is absolutely superb and is much better than the Infocus. However: As for standard definition TV and DVD I am disapointed. The Faroujada DCDi processor built in the X1 made the 480i media look fantastic. When viewing standard broadcast TV with the HD70,the dark scenes are blotchy and the bright scenes are washed out. I will need to upgrade my HT Audio/Video receiver to one with an upconverter and video processor. The Onkyo TX-SR705 shows goood promise Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) to get back to a good viewing experience when viewing Broadcast TV and DVDs. I highly recommend the HD70 for viewing HD content including BluRay or HDDVD. If you are going to watch Broadcast Standard Definition TV or standard DVD get an additional unit with either a Faroudja DCDi or HQV Reon-VX video processing & Upconverter. Rating:  - Awesome for the priceBought the Optoma after considerable research and havent been dissapointed one little bit. The brightness is a little low but if you can control the light in your room, that is not a problem at all. Unit looks nice and the controls are easy to operate even without reading the manual which is basic at best. I have the image at 120' which is quite large and the image is very clear. For a 720p which is probably the cheapest in the market, you cant go wrong with the HD70. The differences in image quality with those far more expensive units is so subtle that most people will never know the difference. You can save 100's (probably even more) with this unit and still be happy with the quality. Unit comes with all cables except HDMI which is recommended for best image quality. It has an optical cable for sound but no digital coaxial so depending on your setup, you may have to buy a couple of cables (quite cheap if you buy online. The price difference at the big box stores is remarkable). One thing to note: As with all DLP models, you have to be careful where you mount the projector. It has to be lower than the lowest point of your screen or higher that the highest (ceiling mount). To get the largest images, you have to move the projector to the back of the room (at least 14 feet, I think). Rating:  - just okI bought this projector very much influenced by the raving reviews. Maybe I have different need from the majority of reviewers: I like to watch mostly foreign and art films along with independent, classic and the ocasional action thriller and never use it for tv broadcast. I had several problems setting the right aspect ratio for old and not so old movies, the movies appear strechted or cropped. After trying all settings, I call costumer service and they pretty much told me to live with it. Also it is somewhat noticeable some kinetic distortion in background or sometimes foreground textures, specially when there is contrast between shapes or areas. Light from the projector's lens leak into the room around the projection screen, so I had to custom make a mask to avoid this. I had an optoma before and didn't have any of this issues. Anyway when projecting a dvd that is 16:9 aspect ratio and a good quality transfer it is a good movie watching experience. I shold have wait a little longer save a little money and purchase a higher quality projector more suited for my needs. Rating: - Outstanding. What a picture. A great projector! This is my second Optoma projector. First was DV10 movietime which is also excellent, but offers only 480p resolution vs. the 720p provided by the HD70. The move up to 720p is a great upgrade, more than double the pixels of 480p. Pictures are much sharper, especially noticeable during sports and in the scrolling banners that scroll across the bottom of the screen with scores and updates. Have mostly used it for HD TV viewing so far. I have a hard time getting the optimal focus on the Movietime, but the HD70 is much sharper and the image looks focused for a wide range of the zoom settings. This projector is an incredible value. A few other nice features that the Movietime doesn't have - the HD70's remove control is very simple and it lights up when you press a button so you don't have to turn the room lights on to see the remote so you can find the right button. Also, the HD70 is able to power down and cool-off the bulb in only about 10 seconds as compared to over 1 minute for the Movietime. So you can unplug it shortly after turning it off. In short, it's a fantastic buy and you won't be dissappointed.
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