This is the projector that home cinema fans in the know have been holding out for – it's the first (relatively) affordable DLP model to use a genuine 1080p chipset. With the latest incarnation of DarkChip3 under the bonnet, this Full HD projector can boast a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. In other words, Optoma's HD81 joins the elite band of Full HD projectors able to show Blu-ray and HD DVD software at its highest quality.

Optoma is keen to point out that the ability to play 1080p material without scaling puts the HD81 on par with professional screening rooms and not so far from real cinema projection. Emphasising its no-compromise AV seriousness, the HD81 ships with a separate controller unit. This sits between your sources and the projector itself.

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Resolution aside, the HD81's specs make impressive reading. The light-absorbent coating of DarkChip3 combined with Optoma's Auto Reactive Iris achieves a claimed contrast ratio of 10,000:1 (measured full on to full off), while the lamp is brighter than most at 1,300 ANSI lumens. More significantly, the two-box design allows much better connectivity, including three HDMI inputs and three component video inputs.

It's not all good news though. For a start, there's no optical lens shift, only limited digital keystone correction for moving the image around on your screen. The two-box configuration is meant to make installation neater, with the included video scaler racking up alongside your electronics and the projector mounting on the ceiling. It turns out that you need two cables running between them to make this work though – or three if you route the audio via HDMI through the projector – and only three meter runs of each are provided. If you're not having it professionally installed, you'll have to go and buy some expensive wiring.

It didn't take too long for us to realise that on full brightness, the cooling fan and/or colour wheel makes a noticeable hum of 32dB. Perhaps this is being pedantic, but the LED indicators are way too bright as well. The red standby light was enough to illuminate our cinema room.

Setting up the HD81 from the box proved a little more complicated than most, if only because it is a rather more sophisticated. The user menu and interface are straight-forward and the remote is thoughtfully backlit. But the HDMI output defaults to PC rather than HDMI-Video, and the need to fit an HDMI jumper lead between two of the sockets will have most new owners reaching for the instruction manual.

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Perf ormance

What really counts though is image quality, and this is where the HD81 projector and scaler box combo has a huge advantage over its 720p HD competition. With its 1080 lines of horizontal resolution, it'll beam a 1080i signal from an Xbox 360 straight onto the screen without any compromise. The result is a staggeringly detailed image that shows no visible lines or pixellation on a six-foot screen. Indeed, you have to look very closely to see any kind of panel structure on screen at all. Perhaps Lego Star Wars is not the best software to test for blocking, but it does show just how silky smooth video game graphics in 1080i appear on the HD81.

For even better results, use one of the HDMI sockets instead of component video and connect a Blu-ray player. After all, this is what Full HD display devices were created for, and a well-encoded Blu-ray disc like S.W.A.T. really demonstrates what this projector is capable of. The film looks glossier, more vivid and more three-dimensional than a standard-definition or even a 720p model could manage and the resolution is pin sharp. A good example is the beginning of chapter four when Samuel L Jackson's character throws down a copy of the Los Angeles Times. Pause the film and you can read virtually the whole lead article.

Playback of DVD is just as important, though, as realistically, it's going to take a long time to upgrade your DVD collection to HD. This is where the Gennum Visual Excellence Processing (XVP) scaler comes into play. All sources are upscaled to 1080 lines, and it does a very good job with DVD. Lost Season 2, for example, has a very crisp appearance and jagged edges on horizontal lines are all but eradicated.

Colour fidelity is bold and rich. In fact, you will find yourself turning them down a little when calibrating. Despite the output of the lamp, the picture is not particularly bright, especially when you switch from PC to HDMI-Video, so this will probably need

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turning via the onscreen menu. Contrast is very good too and is helped by the Auto Reactive Iris. The only catch here is that, when the Iris adjusts itself, there is an unsubtle drop in brightness and an audible shift in gears from the fan. 

Conclusion

It could be argued that the HD81 was hurried to market in order to bask in the glory of being among the very first ‘affordable' Full HD DLP projectors – that would certainly explain niggles such as the lack of an optical lens shift.

The fact remains, however, that this is one of the highest-specified projectors available and there's no denying its fabulous performance with 1080i material. Full HD LCoS and LCD projectors will have difficulty matching the contrast and black levels on show here.

It won't be long before a host of rival DLP products muscle in on act, and the arrival of models like Sony's SXRD-based Pearl become apparent, but for now, this HD81 twinset is a must-see attraction.

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Optoma ThemeScene HD81¦$12,999¦¦www.ambertech.com.au
For: Full HD resolution; 3 HDMi inputs; separate XVP scaler
Against: Demanding installation; Auto Iris is disconcerting; unintuitive menu
Verdict: This is one of the highest-specified projectors available