| Product: |
Optoma Movietime DV10 |
| Date: |
06/05/08 (62 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Integrated DVD and sound
Disadvantages: Focussing and image brightness
The Optoma MovieTime DV10 is a home cinema enthusiasts dream. Having its own integrated DVD player and amplifier allows the use to unpack, plug in and project your movies to a white wall or dedicated screen within minutes.
Operation of the DV10 is really straight forward - You simply remove the lens cap, turn the power on, select the signal source, focus and position your projection and enjoy.
Signal source selection is straight forward. The unit scans the input ports at the rear of the unit and also scans the integrated DVD drive for an inserted disc. If there are multiple sources connected then you can toggle between these using a button on the supplied remote. For DVD projection pressing play on either the top of the unit or remote control will start the projection. If an external source is used, say for connection of an X-Box, then selecting this input source will facilitate instant projection of that source. Once projecting all that is required is positioning and focus of the image.
Focus and Positioning of the unit can be a complex affair. The further the distance from the wall or projector screen then the more difficult it becomes to get a precise focus. Image focussing is done manually by moving a small lever alongside the lens on a vertical up/down motion. Positioning the projector can also sometimes be troublesome and may require a small table or stool to sit the projector on. If the projected image is skewed and appears wider at the top of the image than the bottom (or vice versa) it this can be changed using settings on the remote control. Once the image has been focussed then it requires little adjustment for the duration of the projection.
Audio and general sound output of the unit is very good. Using the inbuilt speakers and amplifiers it provides more than enough volume to fill a typical living room. The speakers offer a good bass response as well as very crisp treble. The projector bulb fan does make a fair bit of noise, as expected, but not too much to distract from the movie. The unit also has the option to connect external sound system however I felt no need to try this.
Picture quality and brightness is ok for a 1000 luminens bulb, however in daylight the unit struggles and some form of window blacking-out is recommended. Brightness also depends on the distance of the unit from its screen. The closer and smaller the projector is to the screen the brighter the image. The image becomes lower in contrast the further away it becomes. There are contrast and brightness settings that can be adjusted via the remote, plus a selection of presets for the most commonly used applications such as movies & games.
Lamp life is expected to last, under normal operation about 2000 hours. Lamps can be rather expensive and an economy mode is available that increases the life to around 3000 hours, at the expense of reduced brightness. A menu item shows the health of the bulb and a counter of projection hours elapsed, which is useful. The lamp does give off a lot of heat and the unit should be allowed to cool down sufficiently before packing away.
In conclusion, this is a wonderful projector that is easy to use out of its bag. It is also portable and not too heavy and can be set up and projecting in minutes.
Summary: Great easy to use home cinema projector
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