Optoma HD20

Value

The Epson PowerLight 705HD advertises itself as a home theater projector, but the 1280 × 800 native resolution is a far cry from the Optoma HD20’s 1080p resolution. Okay, maybe resolution isn’t that important to you. But color should be, and the Epson really fell apart in those tests. We have to recommend the Optoma HD20 in this match-up.

	Comparison Specifications
	Optoma HD20	Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD
Price
Resolution	1080p 1920 x 1080 (16:9)	WVGA 800 x 480 (5:3)
HD	Yes	Yes
3D Support	No	Yes

Blacks & Whites

The Epson 705HD gets much brighter than the Optoma HD20, making it a better choice if you’re using this in a room that doesn’t block out all ambient light. However, the display performance is weak, so don’t expect smooth transitions in the greyscale.

Color

The color performance was the worst aspect of the Epson 705HD. What should be smooth color gradients appear as blocky messes.

Motion

The Epson 705HD is not a DLP like the Optoma HD20, so you won’t get that strange rainbow effect when displaying certain patterns. However, the Epson isn’t perfect. While the motion performance is generally smooth, it cannot process native 24fps content. You’ll need to set your Blu-Ray player to convert to 60i before sending the signal out to the projector.

Viewing Effects

Both projectors have a zoom lens, which really helps when setting up the projector.

Connectivity

The Optoma HD20 has one additional HDMI input, as well as a component video input. The Epson 705HD has two USB ports and an S-video that the Optoma does not have. We prefer what Optoma is offering.