Optoma MovieTime DV10

One of the perks of this job is that people sometimes ask you to try out really neat gadgets. Last week I was contacted by an Optoma Technology representative to see if I would be interested in giving their latest home theatre projector a whirl. The Optoma MovieTime DV10 appeared to offer me the world in multimedia: high definition capabilities, the ability to easily connect whatever console I chose, large screens in small rooms, etc. I think we’re all aware that some things that look good on paper go terribly awry in practice, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to try this marvel out in person.

Company Profile

Optoma Technology has been in the business of advanced digital display equipment since 1992, providing multimedia projectors for mobile users, fixed installations and home theaters, HDTVs, LCD flat panel monitors and plasma displays for both professional and personal use. Optoma products are sold through the company’s global network of pro AV dealers, major consumer electronics retailers and Internet resellers. Based in California with satellite headquarters in Canada, Asia, and Europe, Optoma has asserted itself as the world’s leading provider of DLP™-based displays.

Optoma MovieTime Specs

With an employee base that consists of around 35% engineers, you can be sure that they’ve put every effort into making the tech specs as impressive as possible. The MovieTime projector has been generating a lot of buzz in the digital projection scene, garnering a lot of attention and kudos at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, and among projector review sites online.

The MovieTime is designed specifically for coffee table placements. The native aspect ratio is a gorgeous 16:9 and its innovative “short throw lens” allows for the projection of a decently large screen from as little as 4.9 feet away from the wall. If you want to go really big, say 90” diagonal big, a minimum distance of 8.2 feet from the projection surface is all that is needed. This is great news for gamers everywhere, who can be stuck in cramped basement quarters that are unsuitable for traditional projectors. No more jimmying the machine around behind you, or playing diagonally across a room to try and get a clear picture, just pop it on the coffee table and get big screen enjoyment. Don’t you PC gamers feel left out either, because it’s possible to hook up your l337 little hard drive and project to your heart’s content.

For high definition performance, the projector comes with a component adapter that plugs into the VGA adapter on the input/output panel at the back of the projector. Sound simple? It is. Get your 1080i and 720 HD thrown at you larger than any plasma television available on the common market. The 4x, 7 segment color wheel gives you the best balance between colour saturation and brightness.

A huge mark in the MovieTime’s favour is its amazing ImageAI™ technology which automatically makes frame by frame adjustments to the brightness so that bright images get the high output they require, and dark images get nice deep dark levels. This avoids having dark images appear grey if the brightness is optimized for bright images, or conversely, having bright images appear dim if optimized for dark images. For the non-tech among us, that means beautiful images in crisp, sharp colour regardless of the image brightness. ImageAI™ includes a setting for ‘Games’, which kicks out high brightness levels for fine detail distinguishing. Of course you can still manually fiddle with gamma levels and whatnot if the urge grips you, but the fact that the MovieTime constants adjusts to provide you with the best possible picture saves the average user a lot of frustration.

Now at a price tag of $1499 US (or $1899 CAN), you might be wondering how on earth to justify buying such an expensive toy just to play grand scale video games. The key here is that this little projector is not just something you plug your Xbox into so that you can watch aliens explode on a nine foot screen. The MovieTime projector is quite literally a party in a box.

Play Your Music

If you’re headed over to a friend’s house for a night of high powered gaming, don’t forget to bring your music CDs for cool tunes because the MovieTime plays audio CDs as well as any stereo, thanks to its built-in stereo speakers. Digital revolutionists will be pleased to know that the MovieTime is capable of playing mp3 formats as well. And if stereo is too low tech for you, then the MovieTime will happily accommodate your 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound system.

Watch Your Movies

Worried that you might lose interest in the games you’ve brought? No problem. Bring along some DVDs to play in high definition format in MovieTime’s integrated DVD player. That’s right! There’s no need to lug around any additional equipment if you don’t want to. This little firecracker can play your favourite movies from its top-loading DVD component. In addition to store bought DVDs, it can also read writable and re-writable DVDs, CDs, and videos in VCD format.

The integrated DVD player solves many of the problems associated with home theatre projectors in the past. With no need to run the disc on a separate player there is no analog to digital conversion, which drastically reduces the amount of noise introduced into the signal and cuts down on visual distortion. Near perfect colour fidelity and astounding sharpness, we’re talking truly pure digital here.

Show Off Your Pictures

Care to brag about your in-game exploits using a mind-numbing slideshow of your proudest screenshotted moments, or just got back from an amazing vacation and eager to make your pals green with envy? Make sure to bring the trip pictures from your digital camera along on a disc. MovieTime laughs in the face of JPEGs. I have a feeling that this compatibility will breathe new life into the horrible past time of family slideshows and become a fixture at reunions everywhere. Even Grandma can enjoy the multi-functionality.

Its greatest strengths lay in its portability and ease of use. I can personally vouch that the MovieTime weighs very little, less than my laptop in fact, and can easily be toted around wherever you need to take it. Once you arrive, the setup could not be easier. MovieTime automatically detects connected peripherals such as gaming consoles. If you know your colours from kindergarten, simply put the plugs where they fit, turn the projector on, and you’re ready to go. It comes factory optimized so that you won’t have to waste time fiddling with settings to get the best possible image. Plug-and-play at its best.

For the technically adept among us, the detailed specs are available at the Optoma website. The more pertinent bits are:

• Display Technology: DarkChip2 DLP technology by Texas Instruments
• Brightness: 1000 Lumens
• Resolution: 480P (854×480) native, SXGA+ (1400×1050) compressed
• Contrast Ratio: 4000:1*
• Throw Ratio: 1.26 – 1.41
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 native, 4:3 and 5:4 compatible
• Image Size: 36 to 335 inches
• Projection Distance: 4.9 to 32.8 feet
• Weight: 7.8 pounds
• Standard Accessories: AC power cord (3m), Composite cable, Remote control, Batteries for remote, Users guide, Lens cap (hanging), Component to VGA adapter, 15-pin to 3 RCA component/HDTV hookup, Carrying case
• Optional Accessories: PanoView Graywolf 1.8 Gain Screen, Dolcen Kreiling 50-watt Subwoofer
• Warranty: Projector two years; DVD module one year; Lamp 90 days

Personal Demo Thoughts

Prior to the demonstration I had a terrific fear, most likely borne from years of PowerPoint presentations on unworthy LCD projectors, that the projected images would be blanched and blurry. I was also concerned about the noise of the projector as, again from experience, sitting beside one of those big clunky models pretty much eliminates any chance of hearing what is going on.

My fears about the quality of the image were completely unfounded. The poor demonstrators seemed a little disappointed that my poor old PS2 wasn’t HDTV compatible, and lamented the fact that I was only using about half of the resolution capabilities of the MovieTime unit. But you know what? Even without the HDTV the images were as clean, even at large sizes, as anything you could find on a flatscreen television. You think Lara Croft’s chest in big on a television? Try inadvertently blowing it up to the size of an entire wall. My goodness.

The operating noise was at a teenie tiny 28 dB, and couldn’t even be heard over the my talking, nevermind in-game noises. The sound from the stereo speakers was superb and more than adequate for my purposes and I was treated to roaring jet scenes from the Top Gun DVD and tire squealing action from Need for Speed: Underground. I can only imagine how fabulous hooking this projector up to a surround sound system would be.

I pressed a bit about the price, which to someone like myself, is a good chunk of money. The question was handled graciously and it was pointed out that what customers were getting with the Optoma MovieTime is not a typical projector. You’re getting a projector, a stereo system, a DVD player, an HDTV, and a picture projector, all at a weight and size that will fit into a backpack. Let’s see you haul all that equipment around with you. Not to mention the fact that if you’re looking to get a projector for gaming purposes anyway (generally in the $1000-$1500 range), why not chip in the few hundred extra to get the integrated DVD abilities and all the other perks. And unless you’ve got a few extra thousand laying around for a large plasma HD television, the MovieTime is your most affordable option to get high definition images.

My only reservation has absolutely nothing to do with the technical capabilities of the projector. I’m very fussy about the sleekness and aesthetic sexiness of my gadgets. If I have company over, they better look at it and say “wow, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen” and it better darn well fit into my decorating scheme since it’s made for coffee table use. Now, I’m not sure if it’s in the works or not, but frankly the white? Not so hot. It makes the MovieTime look chunkier than it really is, and would be a bit of an eyesore in my living room. Make it black, or make it silver (actually any colour other than white, who designed this thing, a man??) and I’m completely sold.

I’m hopefully going to be test driving the Optoma MovieTime for a month trial period, so I’ll likely post more of my personal opinions on it at that time. That is if my neighbours haven’t killed me.

Summary

Very simple to set up and even easier to use. Excellent image quality. Excellent built in sound capabilities. Highly multifunctional. Highly portable. Guaranteed to make you the envy of all your gaming friends. Pick it up online or at a retailer near you.