Optoma GT1080HDR Short Throw Gaming Projector Review
Optoma intros a purpose-built gaming projector to its lineup with the GT1080HDR, and we spend some time checking it out.
The Bottom Line
Projectors aren't something we typically dabble in here at TweakTown. Still, like many of you, I find tremendous value and flexibility in a projector to be both a large format display for movie night along with gaming.
Optoma has been around for quite some time and recently introduced several new models to its long list of projectors. The GT1080HDR falls into its gaming lineup and offers a space-saving design, both physically and on-screen, needing only a few feet to project a 100" image with its short throw form factor.
Hardware specifications include 3800 Lumens, a 16:9 native aspect ratio, and a 50K:1 contrast ratio. This solution offers one HDMI 2.0 port that supports 4K30 and 1080p120Hz and one HDMI 1.4a along with VGA and Audio in/out via 3.5mm. Displayable colors top one billion with a Texas instruments 1080p DMD and 245W light source. Bulb life is expected to reach 4000 hours in bright mode, 10,000 hours in ECO, and 15,000 hours in dynamic mode, with power consumption numbers reaching 325W and 225W, respectively.
This solution can be ceiling mounted but is designed for tabletops as well. It offers a F2.8 fixed lens with 0.50:1 throw ratio and 0.8-2.0 digital zoom.
Street price of the Optoma GT1080HDR comes in at $799 with a one-year warranty and 90 days on the bulb.
The GT1080HDR comes with a lens cover attached by a lanyard. To the right is the IR sensor for the remote.
On top, we have controls for focus at the front with a usage diagram and full control panel near the bottom for keystone setup, power, etc.
On the backside, the first HDMI on the left is HDMI 2.0 and is compatible with 4K60 and 1080p at 120Hz. The second port is HDMI 1.4 / MHL compatible, followed by USB @ 1.5A. We then have VGA in and out along with RS232. To the far right, we have audio in/out via 3.5mm jacks. Along the bottom left, we have the power input and Kensington lock slot.
On the top of the unit is a removable panel for changing the bulb.
On the bottom of the projector, we find adjustable feet front center and back left and mounting holes center for those that use ceiling mounts.
To test the projector, we used the GT1080HDR with different kinds of media, including streaming, movies, and gaming. The screen used for testing is a standard 8' sheet of drywall, primed and painted with silver screen paint. Above, we start with screens from a Twitch stream, and as you can see, color reproduction is quite nice with excellent black levels.
Another scene from the same stream, we can pick up solid shading - no issues here.
Gaming with my Xbox One X, Gears 5 played flawlessly with no noticeable latency. Color is on point, while brightness needed to be toned down a few notches manually.
Into Horizon 4, we put the 1080HDR to the test here at 120Hz. Again, no noticeable lag during our session, though we did notice the smoothness of each frame.
Loading into GTA5, the fidelity of the city is fantastic with the Optoma.
Odyssey was another open-world title we used to test the GT1080HDR. While a little washed out in this game, we were able to tone down the brightness manually and again get solid colors with no lag or tearing.
Testing a few movies with the Optoma, this is where it really shines. Color production is on point, and while it does exceptionally well in complete darkness, half-lit home theatres do well too.
Brighter scenes show the fidelity of the GT1080HDR, as seen above.
Lastly, we tested with live-action sports - UFC seen above.
Another test with sports, NFL in this case.
With the Optoma being used as my primary device over the last month, I'm quite pleased with the performance. In movies and basic TV, the content performance was more than acceptable, and with support for HDR even in 1080p, we get a more immersive experience. Gaming content is where the GT1080HDR shines with lag times down to 8.4ms in enhanced mode, and with 120Hz support, this solution offers extremely smooth visuals, even in high-speed FPS or driving games.
Color reproduction is on point thanks to sRGB and REC.709 profiles, while a robust number of inputs, including two HDMI and VGA, allow this unit to support legacy and modern video platforms. Keystone correction enables a bit of flexibility in installation and the 0.8 to 2x zoom feature aide in this too.
The setup of this platform is straight forward but will take some time as you physically must move the projector to reach your intended screen size before using the keystone to fine-tune if needed. Of course, it's always suggested to only use keystone correction if 100% necessary, as it does degrade the sharpness of the picture.
In closing, the GT1080HDR offers a fantastic number of features; many only found on much more expensive units. That said, short throw isn't for everyone, but for consumers in smaller spaces like dorms or apartments, this product is certainly worth considering.
Tyler's Test System Specifications
- Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair VIII Formula X570 (buy from Amazon)
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (buy from Amazon)
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB 2x8GB DDR4 3600 (buy from Amazon)
- Cooler: Corsair Hydro H60 (buy from Amazon)
- Case: Corsair Carbide 275R (buy from Amazon)
- OS Storage: Corsair MP600 1TB (buy from Amazon)
- Power Supply: Corsair RM850x (buy from Amazon)
- OS: Microsoft Windows 10 (buy from Amazon)
Performance | 90% |
Quality | 90% |
Features | 90% |
Value | 95% |
Overall | 91% |
The Bottom Line
With its strong list of features including enhanced gaming mode, the Optoma GT1080HDR is a top option for those needing a short throw projector.
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