Review: Optoma HD26

Introduction and features

High-end home cinema projection used to be the reserve of those who could afford a high cost product and provide a dedicated room, complete with blackout, for watching films and playing games.

All that changes with entry-level projectors like the HD26.

While 'entry-level' so often means having to put up with HD-ready 720p resolution, the HD26 offers both Full HD and a high brightness mode.

This single-chip DLP model is also designed to be used during the day – perhaps in a living room or bedroom – with a high brightness mode that reaches 3,200 ANSI lumens. That's right on the cusp of all-day usability, but it ought to suffice.

Design and specs

Measuring 315 x 224 x 114mm and weighing 2.45kg, the pure white HD26 is reasonably easy to house, with its big, though slightly off-centre lens brought as far forward as possible in the design.

The HD26's key feature is Dynamic Black, which is accessed through the onscreen menus. You can also toggle to 'bright' for daytime viewing and all the way to 'cinema' at night, though it also allows custom picture modes for itinerant tweakers.

It may not be as bright as its pricier, heavyweight brother, the HD36, but the HD26 does have something its sibling does not; a second HDMI input. However, in other areas it's not as advanced, boasting a built-in speaker that manages just 10W power compared to the HD36's 30W.

The HD26 remains much more of a traditional home cinema projector than the HD36.

Compare the ins and outs (located on the HD26's side, which is much more convenient than on most projectors) and it's obvious. While the HD36 builds-in enough connections for presentations from almost any device – and at the cost of a single HDMI input – the HD26's rear panel is simplicity defined; all you'll find there are two HDMI inputs, a 12V trigger and a 3.5mm audio output.

One of those HDMI inputs is MHL-ready, so you can wire-up a smartphone. The HD26 is 3D-ready, too, though you will need to purchase the ZF2300 3D 'starter kit') for £200.

Performance

With Insurgent on Blu-ray pumping through the HD26 in daylight and with the lamp on 'bright', black levels are predictably lacking – that's the trade-off – but colour is rich and well saturated.

If anything they're slightly over-done, with bright colours rather searing and subtle shades not as nuanced as they should be during special effect scenes amid the ruins of Chicago. There is just enough of detail on show, but not as a constant; I did notice some motion blur during the high-octane shoot-out sequences, and considerable judder during side-to-side camera pans.

At all other times, the HD26 is demonstrably Full HD...but only just.

Switch to Eco mode during a blackout and the HD26's flaws largely vanish; during a close-up of Tris in Insurgent, her skin looks more natural than during bright mode, while colours regain some nuance and balance.

However, the HD26's images never approach the exacting skills of projectors twice the price.

The same goes for standard definition, with the House of Flying Daggers on DVD getting a similarly mixed treatment in day and night, though as well as being soft, DVD is noisy in both scenarios.

The HD26 does well with games.

A blast of Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 from an Xbox One looks a little garish via Game Mode (which suppresses al processing for maximum response time), but is highly playable and largely free from, blur, judder or input lag. While its built-in speaker is thoroughly rudimentary in theory, in practice it provides excellent sonics for the limited crowd noise and commentary of PES 2015.

For games that are all about being immersed in surround sound, don't even think about it, but the HD26's speakers are better than you might expect.

Verdict

It's mighty pleasing that we can be talking about a £550 projector, with a full 1080p projection, and we're not just stating that it's okay for a budget beamer. By the same token we're happy that this isn't the only option out there and there are actually other decent projectors with the same resolution that you can pick up for around the same sort of price.

And that means we don't have to just like it and lump it. The entry level Full HD projector market now has choice.

We liked

Boasting fluent images in a blackout with 'cinema' mode activated, the HD26 supplies fresh-looking, Full HD detail and strong colour and black levels. With little input lag and a bias towards bright blocks of colour, the HD26 performs well for gaming.

Game mode isn't the finest preset ever created, but it ceases all processing (with Brilliant Color being the main culprit). Meanwhile, the remote control is backlit – a huge clue that this was designed especially for home cinema use – and the inclusion of a 12V trigger is also a nice bonus (though I suspect that anyone wanting to integrate the HD26 into a whole-room control system will probably spend a little more on the centrepiece).

The HD26 proved relatively quiet when measured for audible noise, the HD26 hit 59 decibels', which was far from distracting. The provision of a side-panel of inputs was also welcome; who wants to pull-out the entire projector from an AV rack just swap over a HDMI?

We disliked

Aside from so-so images, especially in bright conditions, the HD26's set-up flexibility is limited. Its 1.1x zoom and the do-we-have-to keystone correction is all there is; placement is thus everything, which means your home ents set-up needs to be structured around the HD26. If only there were vertical and horizontal lens shift levers; both should be law on all projectors.

The HD26 has limited connectivity, too, with the second HDMI inputs ostensibly replacing a VGA or DVI, component video and composite video inputs. Is that too restrictive? If you do want to use it for work or with legacy equipment, absolutely (though since many laptops output via HDMI, having a fat choice of ins and outs is fast becoming a non-issue).

Although it won't effect (or bother) everyone, I also noticed some rainbow effect from the single-chip HD26, especially during black and white footage. The cure? Go for a pricier three-chip DLP projector, or LED.

Verdict

It says something about the advancements in home cinema projectors in the last year or so that this great value HD isn't our favourite entry-level projector around.

Odd, because it's got everything going for it; excellent images, a compact size, quiet operation, and a superbly low price. It's great for gaming, and at its best – for black levels and colour – when watched in dimly-lit, traditional home cinema conditions (and it even has a backlit remote control).

However, with brighter projectors around that can offer all of this and more detail during the day as well as in a blackout, and with both a bigger choice of ins and outs and optical image shift options for maximum versatility, the HD26 struggles to hold up against the competition.

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