Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I tried an LCD projector before this one and even exchanged it for a second one. Even though the specs on the LCDs were the same as the HD66, I was very dissatisfied with the image, especially the darks. I even suspected both of those LCD projectors were defective. The LCD projector was in the same list price range as the HD66. I was comparing the LCD with a projector I was borrowing whose list priced for much more than my purchases and whose image was very good. The Optoma HD66 not only blew away the returned LCD projectors, but it was even better than the expensive borrowed projector. I use the projector almost exclusively for movies using my PC VGA as a source. The HD66 has a very wide dynamic range. The colors are rich but the image still retains details in the darks (the many dark scenes in Brave projected brightly enough). There seems to be no issue with motion smoothness. The controls are very easy to use. I haven't noticed any DLP rainbow effect. Even though some reviews said I would want to manually set it up, I was happiest with a couple of the presets, sRGB and Presentation (Film preset seemed too dark). My three minor complaints are that the throw is a tiny bit too long (my room is not very deep), there's not much of a zoom and the image focus is very slightly soft (noticeable only in the VLC or Quicktime controls). But I'm a very discriminating viewer, so most wouldn't notice this. I have not tried anything in 3D, so can't report on that. I have not tried the HDMi input, nor the on-board speaker. I've tried up to about 75" image so far. The image is so good that I have a new problem: I'm seeing artifacts and imperfections in the compression codecs of the videos I'm watching that were masked before by the performance limit of the other projectors I used. I hear that Optoma has been making projectors for a long time. Their expertise in this area is evident in the HD66.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I purchased this projector about three weeks ago to replace an Optoma HD70 purchased in August 2007. The HD70 - while a great projector - ultimately had a high cost of ownership as the bulbs burned out evey two years (after about 1100 hours of use) and it had to be serviced in November 2009 at an expense of $350. It finally went kaput in December 2012. All told, the HD70 cost about $24 per month to operate (based on initial purchase price, replacement bulbs and repairs). I was hesitant to purchase another Optoma because of my experience with the HD70 breaking down and so decided to purchase a projector from another manufacturer at a similar price point to the HD66. Actually the competitor was about $100 more but came with a 2 year warranty. I returned the non-Optoma almost immediately though because the image quality was clearly inferior to that of my HD70. I then decided to purchase the HD66 - as well as a 3 year extended warranty - which together came out to about the same price as the projector I returned. So far so good with the HD66. In a dark room the HD66 image quality is not as good as the HD70. The image is a bit more pixillated than the HD70 - even though both projectors are 720P. The HD66 is quite a bit brighter however - which means I can actually watch it in a fairly bright room - something I couldn't do with the HD70. Another advantage of the HD66 is its small footprint. I can fit it on the fireplace mantle opposite the wall its projecting on - something I couldn't do with the HD70 which I had mounted somewhat awkwardly on a tripod. The HD66 outperforms the projector I returned by a fairly significant margin. I also prefer it to my HD70 because of the fact that I can watch it in a bright room. Were I to make the decision again however I think I'd consider the 1080P HD20. For the price though - the HD66 is pretty great.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I did a lot of research and looked into many different projectors, online specs review and field testing at electronic stores. I use the probe for for movies.

The HD 66 is simy right on theory if you are looking for a compact, silent, yet sufficiently bright projector with deep connectivity. I'm using the HD connection - great to have, but it also has all other connections to cover your basics, VGA, s-video and component.

The speaker is not worth mentioning, at least for movies, it may perhaps be ok for some sound effects during your next presentation or the odd clip here and there. But then I'm running everything at home through an LG HOME THEATER system, so the speaker is disabled and so far I didn't turn it back on.

All in all a great projector for good money.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I am amazed at the quality of this projector. My fears were that the lumins would not be strong enough to project duriing the daylight but it is clear and beautiful and fora fraction of the cost we can watch movies and video on 100 plus inch projection. The lowered EMF's also make a huge difference in the way we feel after having it on for a while. GREAT BUY!!!

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This little projector puts out a great HD picture. You'll need to change the settings. I lowered the brightness, raised the contrast to get a really nice black level. Then i bumped up the saturation for some really rich colors. Very pleased right now. The test will come in longevity and time will tell.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

The projector is of a very small size and it gives an incredible image, even with light ambience, accepts several types of connections, it weighs

very little, white combines with the room. It is the perfect complement, even for non-dedicated rooms, you don't have to be in the dark to

appreciate it. It Works with movies, video games or from your PC. Definitely for lovers of cinema, we have your own cinema at home. It is as easy

as plugging and using, a few simple adjustments, a very full and multi language manual. The packing of the impeccable projector. It is very

important to calculate the projection distance and viewing. I am very pleased with the purchase. You have to see to believe.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This, to me, seemed to be a better value than ANY television. For the price of this projector and an inexpensive screen together, you're still spending less for a considerably large image. Most of my TV watching is done in dimly lit rooms anyway so, the fact that my picture suffers in direct sunlight is not that big of a deal. You can still watch this projector in a moderately lit room but the black level will suffer a little. Overhead lights or bright lamps will wash out a lot of the image but table lamps or track lighting should be okay for a decent picture. Obviously, the best image will come in a totally dark room but many TVs in the price range of this projector will be challanged in the same way. The projector comes with on-board speakers that you'll want to disable at installation. You can access the menu through the remote to turn the projector's sound level all the way down (if you're using HDMI cables. It's a moot issue if you're using component cables or RCAs). Placement requires a little bit of planning since there's no horizontal keystone correction. You can shift the image vertically and that's about it. If you need a projector that has more features, you'll need to spend a little more money.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

We show movies and sporting events on our large screen. It is AMAZING! Very easy to use, remote is simple, and the picture is beautiful.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I currently have the projector set up in my basement in a bar like setting with a 120" screen.

The picture is outstanding, it handles HD tv and videogames (xbox and playstation 3) amazingly.
The only problem I have had with this projector is that the sound occasionally sounds digitalized, other then that it is a great projector and worth every penny.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I had a previous model optoma (HD20) and find this projector to be a superb upgrade at a great price-point.

Light output is much better and colors are significantly stronger than my previous unit. I haven't done a color calibration yet but am expecting good things. Blacks appear better mostly due to the improved contrast.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

i used this product with my 3D vip theater
and it is very good quality and 3d is very nice experience to have it at home.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This projector is now installed on my ceiling, and is for home theater use with a 100 inch screen. I have had it about a week now and am completely blown away. Until now my only exposure to 3D has been in movie theaters. The HD66 is comparable to this experience, mostly limited by my sound system. You do have to adjust the factory settings but when done WOW. The only negative I have is it requires the use of an adapter (3D-XL) to view Bluray 3D movies. However, for a combined price of less than a grand, it can't be beat. I would highly recommend its purchase by others.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

We easily hooked the Optoma up to our HD cable, surround sound system/blue ray player and our computer. The picture quality is unbelievable -- perfectly sharp and we don't even use a screen. (We project directly onto an off-white wall).

We have our projector on a table/shelf as opposed to ceiling or wall-mounted.

We love it. Easy to use. Great picture. The machine does get really hot itself, but we don't have any other appliances near it, so it's fine for us.

I thought I might want one of the Epsons before comparing the picture quality of the Epson and Optoma side by side. The Optoma was far and away the clear winner in my book. MUCH crisper image.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I would buy this product again given the choice it has been great for home theatre movies and for presentations even in rooms which have not been darkened you still get a great bright picture. Its compact size, light weight and easy set up makes it ideal to take from the home to the office.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I received this projector last week for my Home Theather and I'm very happy I finally made the decision to get it. After doing the teawks recommended by projector central the picture is stunning and was able to fill my 120" screen, no worries with a very nice picture.This is my first projector ever so I can't really compare it with any other one, but in comparison to my HD 50" TV is quite incredible. A couple of things that surprise me is the size and weight, I was expecting a huge device, but it's very light and small and actually not too noisy when watching a movie.Probably the only thing to be aware is that the zoom functions won't allow great flexibilty regarding its position, but for that price, I don't really care.[...]

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

So great and clear I love it

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

i went to the b&H store i was going to order it but i couldn't wait and i'm glad i didn't wait. its everything it said it was going to be and more i thought the lack of hdmi inputs(theres only one) was going to be a problem but easy fix with a hdmi switch i have my cable my blu ray home theater xbox 360 and playstation all hooked up this was my first projector and i'm very happy with the colors

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

Got this at a bargain from B&H Photo Video. [...] And I am in Fiji!!About the projector:Pros: Very bright, can watch movies and the PS3 in the day with windows open, very customizable, light weight, silent, rapid on and off and has an excellent picture. Without going into numbers - the picture transforms your room into a theatre. There is no rainbow effect and the screen door is seen only when standing 6 inches from my 15 foot wall screen.Cons: Long throw - I am comparing it to my previous Toshiba ET20 which is extreme short throw. A short throw lens is a great boon in a home theatre projector. I have a projection room that is 25 feet in length and I keep the projector about 18 feet from the screen. Would be difficult to fit it in a smaller room given that most rooms are more squarish than rectangularish. Secondly with the projector kept so far back, space for playing PS3 Move games behind the projector becomes limited.Slight light leakage which doesn't matter due to the adjustable brightness, dinky, cheapo remote (no complaints at the price though), very little zoom, very little lens shift, no included VGA cable to connect to the computer.All in all an extremely good buy. I am just 2 weeks into it, so time will tell. If it had a short throw lens it would be perfect.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This projector needs a long distance to make a really big picture. That is about the only downside I can see. It's nice & small so it fits on my mantle. Hook up was easy; I'm a real novice when it comes to wiring & I had no problems at all. Picture is gorgeous & sharp. I would recommend this to people if asked & think it's a good value for the price. I've seen much more expensive ones that don't have as good a picture.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I am using this projector to view DVDs and web video on a Dalite brand screen using a Windows 7 laptop. I did a lot of online research before buying the HD66 from B&H. Anyway, the projector is plenty bright and color is very good. It has all of the connectors I need and set-up was very easy. I use a lot of LCD and DLP projectors at work and having one that identifies the signal quickly and easily is very nice. The HD66 always picks up the signal right away. So far, I see no downside to this projector.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I tried an LCD projector before this one and even exchanged it for a second one. Even though the specs on the LCDs were the same as the HD66, I was very dissatisfied with the image, especially the darks. I even suspected both of those LCD projectors were defective. The LCD projector was in the same list price range as the HD66. I was comparing the LCD with a projector I was borrowing whose list priced for much more than my purchases and whose image was very good. The Optoma HD66 not only blew away the returned LCD projectors, but it was even better than the expensive borrowed projector. I use the projector almost exclusively for movies using my PC VGA as a source. The HD66 has a very wide dynamic range. The colors are rich but the image still retains details in the darks (the many dark scenes in Brave projected brightly enough). There seems to be no issue with motion smoothness. The controls are very easy to use. I haven't noticed any DLP rainbow effect. Even though some reviews said I would want to manually set it up, I was happiest with a couple of the presets, sRGB and Presentation (Film preset seemed too dark). My three minor complaints are that the throw is a tiny bit too long (my room is not very deep), there's not much of a zoom and the image focus is very slightly soft (noticeable only in the VLC or Quicktime controls). But I'm a very discriminating viewer, so most wouldn't notice this. I have not tried anything in 3D, so can't report on that. I have not tried the HDMi input, nor the on-board speaker. I've tried up to about 75" image so far. The image is so good that I have a new problem: I'm seeing artifacts and imperfections in the compression codecs of the videos I'm watching that were masked before by the performance limit of the other projectors I used. I hear that Optoma has been making projectors for a long time. Their expertise in this area is evident in the HD66.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I purchased this projector about three weeks ago to replace an Optoma HD70 purchased in August 2007. The HD70 - while a great projector - ultimately had a high cost of ownership as the bulbs burned out evey two years (after about 1100 hours of use) and it had to be serviced in November 2009 at an expense of $350. It finally went kaput in December 2012. All told, the HD70 cost about $24 per month to operate (based on initial purchase price, replacement bulbs and repairs). I was hesitant to purchase another Optoma because of my experience with the HD70 breaking down and so decided to purchase a projector from another manufacturer at a similar price point to the HD66. Actually the competitor was about $100 more but came with a 2 year warranty. I returned the non-Optoma almost immediately though because the image quality was clearly inferior to that of my HD70. I then decided to purchase the HD66 - as well as a 3 year extended warranty - which together came out to about the same price as the projector I returned. So far so good with the HD66. In a dark room the HD66 image quality is not as good as the HD70. The image is a bit more pixillated than the HD70 - even though both projectors are 720P. The HD66 is quite a bit brighter however - which means I can actually watch it in a fairly bright room - something I couldn't do with the HD70. Another advantage of the HD66 is its small footprint. I can fit it on the fireplace mantle opposite the wall its projecting on - something I couldn't do with the HD70 which I had mounted somewhat awkwardly on a tripod. The HD66 outperforms the projector I returned by a fairly significant margin. I also prefer it to my HD70 because of the fact that I can watch it in a bright room. Were I to make the decision again however I think I'd consider the 1080P HD20. For the price though - the HD66 is pretty great.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I did a lot of research and looked into many different projectors, online specs review and field testing at electronic stores. I use the probe for for movies.

The HD 66 is simy right on theory if you are looking for a compact, silent, yet sufficiently bright projector with deep connectivity. I'm using the HD connection - great to have, but it also has all other connections to cover your basics, VGA, s-video and component.

The speaker is not worth mentioning, at least for movies, it may perhaps be ok for some sound effects during your next presentation or the odd clip here and there. But then I'm running everything at home through an LG HOME THEATER system, so the speaker is disabled and so far I didn't turn it back on.

All in all a great projector for good money.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I am amazed at the quality of this projector. My fears were that the lumins would not be strong enough to project duriing the daylight but it is clear and beautiful and fora fraction of the cost we can watch movies and video on 100 plus inch projection. The lowered EMF's also make a huge difference in the way we feel after having it on for a while. GREAT BUY!!!

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This little projector puts out a great HD picture. You'll need to change the settings. I lowered the brightness, raised the contrast to get a really nice black level. Then i bumped up the saturation for some really rich colors. Very pleased right now. The test will come in longevity and time will tell.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

The projector is of a very small size and it gives an incredible image, even with light ambience, accepts several types of connections, it weighs

very little, white combines with the room. It is the perfect complement, even for non-dedicated rooms, you don't have to be in the dark to

appreciate it. It Works with movies, video games or from your PC. Definitely for lovers of cinema, we have your own cinema at home. It is as easy

as plugging and using, a few simple adjustments, a very full and multi language manual. The packing of the impeccable projector. It is very

important to calculate the projection distance and viewing. I am very pleased with the purchase. You have to see to believe.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This, to me, seemed to be a better value than ANY television. For the price of this projector and an inexpensive screen together, you're still spending less for a considerably large image. Most of my TV watching is done in dimly lit rooms anyway so, the fact that my picture suffers in direct sunlight is not that big of a deal. You can still watch this projector in a moderately lit room but the black level will suffer a little. Overhead lights or bright lamps will wash out a lot of the image but table lamps or track lighting should be okay for a decent picture. Obviously, the best image will come in a totally dark room but many TVs in the price range of this projector will be challanged in the same way. The projector comes with on-board speakers that you'll want to disable at installation. You can access the menu through the remote to turn the projector's sound level all the way down (if you're using HDMI cables. It's a moot issue if you're using component cables or RCAs). Placement requires a little bit of planning since there's no horizontal keystone correction. You can shift the image vertically and that's about it. If you need a projector that has more features, you'll need to spend a little more money.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

We show movies and sporting events on our large screen. It is AMAZING! Very easy to use, remote is simple, and the picture is beautiful.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I currently have the projector set up in my basement in a bar like setting with a 120" screen.

The picture is outstanding, it handles HD tv and videogames (xbox and playstation 3) amazingly.
The only problem I have had with this projector is that the sound occasionally sounds digitalized, other then that it is a great projector and worth every penny.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I had a previous model optoma (HD20) and find this projector to be a superb upgrade at a great price-point.

Light output is much better and colors are significantly stronger than my previous unit. I haven't done a color calibration yet but am expecting good things. Blacks appear better mostly due to the improved contrast.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

i used this product with my 3D vip theater
and it is very good quality and 3d is very nice experience to have it at home.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This projector is now installed on my ceiling, and is for home theater use with a 100 inch screen. I have had it about a week now and am completely blown away. Until now my only exposure to 3D has been in movie theaters. The HD66 is comparable to this experience, mostly limited by my sound system. You do have to adjust the factory settings but when done WOW. The only negative I have is it requires the use of an adapter (3D-XL) to view Bluray 3D movies. However, for a combined price of less than a grand, it can't be beat. I would highly recommend its purchase by others.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

We easily hooked the Optoma up to our HD cable, surround sound system/blue ray player and our computer. The picture quality is unbelievable -- perfectly sharp and we don't even use a screen. (We project directly onto an off-white wall).

We have our projector on a table/shelf as opposed to ceiling or wall-mounted.

We love it. Easy to use. Great picture. The machine does get really hot itself, but we don't have any other appliances near it, so it's fine for us.

I thought I might want one of the Epsons before comparing the picture quality of the Epson and Optoma side by side. The Optoma was far and away the clear winner in my book. MUCH crisper image.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I would buy this product again given the choice it has been great for home theatre movies and for presentations even in rooms which have not been darkened you still get a great bright picture. Its compact size, light weight and easy set up makes it ideal to take from the home to the office.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I received this projector last week for my Home Theather and I'm very happy I finally made the decision to get it. After doing the teawks recommended by projector central the picture is stunning and was able to fill my 120" screen, no worries with a very nice picture.This is my first projector ever so I can't really compare it with any other one, but in comparison to my HD 50" TV is quite incredible. A couple of things that surprise me is the size and weight, I was expecting a huge device, but it's very light and small and actually not too noisy when watching a movie.Probably the only thing to be aware is that the zoom functions won't allow great flexibilty regarding its position, but for that price, I don't really care.[...]

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

So great and clear I love it

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

i went to the b&H store i was going to order it but i couldn't wait and i'm glad i didn't wait. its everything it said it was going to be and more i thought the lack of hdmi inputs(theres only one) was going to be a problem but easy fix with a hdmi switch i have my cable my blu ray home theater xbox 360 and playstation all hooked up this was my first projector and i'm very happy with the colors

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

Got this at a bargain from B&H Photo Video. [...] And I am in Fiji!!About the projector:Pros: Very bright, can watch movies and the PS3 in the day with windows open, very customizable, light weight, silent, rapid on and off and has an excellent picture. Without going into numbers - the picture transforms your room into a theatre. There is no rainbow effect and the screen door is seen only when standing 6 inches from my 15 foot wall screen.Cons: Long throw - I am comparing it to my previous Toshiba ET20 which is extreme short throw. A short throw lens is a great boon in a home theatre projector. I have a projection room that is 25 feet in length and I keep the projector about 18 feet from the screen. Would be difficult to fit it in a smaller room given that most rooms are more squarish than rectangularish. Secondly with the projector kept so far back, space for playing PS3 Move games behind the projector becomes limited.Slight light leakage which doesn't matter due to the adjustable brightness, dinky, cheapo remote (no complaints at the price though), very little zoom, very little lens shift, no included VGA cable to connect to the computer.All in all an extremely good buy. I am just 2 weeks into it, so time will tell. If it had a short throw lens it would be perfect.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

This projector needs a long distance to make a really big picture. That is about the only downside I can see. It's nice & small so it fits on my mantle. Hook up was easy; I'm a real novice when it comes to wiring & I had no problems at all. Picture is gorgeous & sharp. I would recommend this to people if asked & think it's a good value for the price. I've seen much more expensive ones that don't have as good a picture.

Comments about Optoma Technology HD66 Home Theater Projector:

I am using this projector to view DVDs and web video on a Dalite brand screen using a Windows 7 laptop. I did a lot of online research before buying the HD66 from B&H. Anyway, the projector is plenty bright and color is very good. It has all of the connectors I need and set-up was very easy. I use a lot of LCD and DLP projectors at work and having one that identifies the signal quickly and easily is very nice. The HD66 always picks up the signal right away. So far, I see no downside to this projector.