Question Expecting too much? Optoma GT1080Darbee

rupert-hd

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Hi, I’m completely new to the world of projectors, but I recently came across a good Amazon Warehouse deal on a Optoma 1080Darbee, I had been thinking about a projector for a while as having recently moved house there is a space crying out for a big screen.
The projector arrived and I also ordered one of the very cheap material screens as a temporary solution and in fairness the screen is extremely poor, but I’m not impressed by the image from the projector, it’s as if I’m looking at the image through a vail, slightly hazzy/lack lustre in colour, especially noticeable on text when browsing through Netflix catalogue. There are moments of greatness while putting on a wildlife documentary for example and everything just pops, but on the whole not great.
I currently have a 50” Panasonic plasma, so my question is:-
1. Is the projector faulty
2. Is it just down to the model of projector I have purchased, I appreciate it’s a medium range machine and also touted as a gaming projector, but the reviews I have seen have been very favourable for movies as well.
3.Have I been spoilt by my Panasonic plasma and expecting too much from a projector? as surely being a 100 inch 1080p it’s not going to have the same quality as a 50 inch due to there being the same number of pixels spread out over a larger area?
4. Would a proper screen solve my problems? I appreciate a better screen will yield better results, but I don’t want to spend money on a better screen if I’m still left with a hazzy/foggy image.

I have used the projector at night in a very dark room.
 
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I think it would be useful to know a few things before anyone could offer any useful opinions/help, like:

What sources are you using ?

How are they connected to the projector ?

How much control do you have over the amount of ambient light in the room ?

Is the Darbee element of the projector working, and what settings are being applied ?

I have a 50” Panasonic VT20 in my living room and if i’m honest the picture it displays would be very hard to better on my projector setup.
 
I think it would be useful to know a few things before anyone could offer any useful opinions/help, like:

What sources are you using ?

How are they connected to the projector ?

How much control do you have over the amount of ambient light in the room ?

Is the Darbee element of the projector working, and what settings are being applied ?

I have a 50” Panasonic VT20 in my living room and if i’m honest the picture it displays would be very hard to better on my projector setup.
Thanks for taking the time to reply
Here are a few answers to the questions you posed:-

I’ve been testing the projector at night so the room is pretty much pitch black. I have a PS4 going to my Yamaha Receiver and then from the reciver to the projector. Exactly how it was to the plasma tv.
I’ve had a look at some YouTube videos, Netflix and also the snowboarding Blu Ray “Flight”.
The picture I’ve uploaded was admittedly taken this afternoon, I can get a another later once it’s dark, but the ambient light is still quite low with the blinds closed and it’s quite representative of what’s going on even at night.
 
Setting the brightness and contrast controls may help to some degree - if you don't have a test disk or Blu Ray with a means to do it, you can use a 2.35 movie to set the brightness control so that you have the best blacks you can get without losing detail.

To do that, play/pause a 2.35 movie, and go up to the screen and look at the black bars above and below the movie content (just looking at the top bar may be easier). If you can see pixel movement, lower the brightness control until it stops. Adjust the brightness control up and down a few times just to find the optimal point where the pixel movement stops.

Sometimes having the brightness too high can give the image a washed out look. Without a disk, it's not so easy to set the contrast control. Movies like Pixars The Incredibles have an 'optimiser' somewhere, and that has the test patterns to help you set the brightness and contrast.
 
Since its used projector have you checked the settings to see what wall colour its set to incase its been changed?
 
Setting the brightness and contrast controls may help to some degree - if you don't have a test disk or Blu Ray with a means to do it, you can use a 2.35 movie to set the brightness control so that you have the best blacks you can get without losing detail.

To do that, play/pause a 2.35 movie, and go up to the screen and look at the black bars above and below the movie content (just looking at the top bar may be easier). If you can see pixel movement, lower the brightness control until it stops. Adjust the brightness control up and down a few times just to find the optimal point where the pixel movement stops.

Sometimes having the brightness too high can give the image a washed out look. Without a disk, it's not so easy to set the contrast control. Movies like Pixars The Incredibles have an 'optimiser' somewhere, and that has the test patterns to help you set the brightness and contrast.
I have ordered a pull down screen, coming this week so once I’ve got that installed I will definitely be following your advice, never thought of that, but makes perfect sense.
Thank you
 
Since its used projector have you checked the settings to see what wall colour its set to incase its been changed?
Good point, but everything seems to be reset or it was never used in the first place, it was in the Warehouse due to a scratch on the top, it was advertised as “used-accepatable” so I thought it might have been battered when it arrived, I honestly had to look for the scratch, it looks brand new and lamp hours are showing as zero.
Does anyone know how to access the service menu at all? As apparently you can’t reset the lamp hours in the service menu but you can in the user menu, it would be nice to know if it has clocked up many hours.
 
Another thing are you set to eco or bright? My remote has a image of a big bulb and small bulb to switch between eco and bright
 
Ok sorry for the lack of updates, but I have been busy...firstly thanks for all the replies and advice given, I purchased a Duronic 100 inch pull down screen from Amazon... wow the quality of it feels great, I admit I have never had anyrhing to do with projector screens, but for the money it does genuinely seem good value, I appreciate it is a budget screen, but I’m impressed.

As for the projector and the screen there has been a huge improvement, also Netflix seemed to be not showing things in HD when looking at the bit rate, after resetting Netflix I must admit I’m blown away!! I have answered my original question I guess, I’m very impressed with the quality of the image now I have a screen, I have been watching New Amsterdam on Amazon Prime and the quality and detail of the close up head shots is outstanding, something that rivals my plasma.
There is a certain feel to a projector image that’s different to a tv, hard to put a finger on what it is, but it’s something I’m loving and the quality is Now spot on.

All in all I’m loving the GT1080Darbee, my first projector so I can’t compare to others, but I’m glad I’ve joined the ranks....oh and a 100 inch screen....unbetable
 
Nice glad its sorted. Do you get the feeling that your normal TV is now very tiny when you switch the projector off and put the TV back on? Lol

Just out of interest, do you notice a huge difference between Eco and Bright mode when you switch between the two using the button on the remote?
 

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