Optoma RD65 £2499 & RD50 £1599

I am in no affiliated with Hifibitz, but just had an email from them regarding their "specials" on the Optoma RPTV's. Thought it might help someone who is looking at buying either one of them.

HIFIBITZ

Moderators: I hope I'm not doing something that is frowned upon.

EDIT: Price includes VAT, Delivery & Installation in the UK!! Can't go wrong with that

 

Wasn't shoot and show doing it for cheaper and they gave you a free NavMan also?

 

Yeah. I got the navman ic520 when ordering my rd65 (same with the rd50). It's a great sat nav unit and retails for almost £300.

 

These are the new prices for the ThemeScene RPTVs until stocks run out. My guess is the dwindling availability of HD2+ (non-DC3) chips has meant the current range has had to be discontinued. If there is a new 65" model to replace, I don't think it'll be going for as low as £2500!!!! Grab a bargain while you can, I'm certainly tempted....

 

It doesn't play NTSC.

The RD65 very much is an impulse purchase, I very nearly did it!

It will keep dropping, the price change is cause they sold like 4 at the original price, now at the lower price Themescene are really shifting stock.

I have asked them and NO new revisions are coming.

 

Optoma just don`t know how to sell their TVs, so they drop in price...

The main problem is:

a, they should calibrate their displays correct
b, there should be more Demo TVs at local dealer
c, better email response

if I was at their marketing, I would easily pull off their stock in a few months...

as it is a great TV and a technical delicious designed....

 

Technically so Delicious that NTSC isn't supported for no apparent reason.

 

no, I live in Europe, where PAL is the standard, not NTSC....

UK is just a special country....

they optimized it for PAL, maybe some part would have been a compromise in quality with PAL material.....so this TV is perfect with PAL, while others may play PAL and NTSC, there may be a loss in quality...

 

So I presume you only watch British/European movies...

All this Motion Judder and stuff is scary business, Razor should write a FAQ with ALL the potential settings for PowerStrip and general setting before I even think about buying this.

Also included in the FAQ should be what to expect, i.e. what's good and what's bad!

 

okay thats right,

but I live in Germany and have no NTSC discs. So its the perfect TV for me and I really did get it cheap....

whats important: the picture is stunning.....

£1600 for this TV. think about it. The old Axium ( the old version of the Rd50) started at somewhat £4500. Now you get the newer model for a 1/3 of this price...

 

To Optoma's credit, despite the cock up, they did ensure that all dealers and customers are well informed as to the limitations of the set (crippling though they may be). Authorised dealers are all issued with script to read to the client, and to then sign to ensure it has been done. Would have been nice if it had equal 60Hz performance, but that's Optomas loss.

For the non-NTSC user though (not as rare as you would think when we are talking the average non-internet-enabled Joe) it still gives the best PAL picture of all the RPTVs in similar price ranges. So it's really a case of being aware of what you're buying, for some a 65" DLP RPTV @ £2,500 represents one helluva bargain NTSC or no!! As I say, I'm tempted.

 

I bet there is a new model on the way as thats a big price drop for the RD50 !

 

I would've thought so too - especially since there are no HD2+ chips anymore, just the DC3s and the wobblers (1080p maybe....). For the moment I imagine they are concentrating on the projectors though, no H30a anymore and H57 being phased out too means they have a big gap in their product portfolio to fill.

 

Still Grinning

 

I do not think they come up with a new model (although there was a message about a new model nearly 1 year ago), because it seems they didnt have too much success with the Themescene line... And I think its there own fault and its not only the missing NTSC ability. ( here in Germany not many care about NTSC, but these TVs also sell very bad. I wnated to demo the TV and called Optoma and they told me there is no dealer around 100 miles were I can have a demo. With this policy you cannot sell a TV. If you want people to spend there money on a product that costs around 3000€ you`ll have to pull this product under consumer noses.)

The Sagem Axium HD50 (HT501) which was technically nearly identical with the Rd50 was in every electronic shop for a demo, and they sold this TV like hell.... Now they come up with new lines and they have better policy and send these TVs to many shops and you can easily find one for a demo....

I read many forums and also the US AVS members write about the Optoma Themescene line that it is a beautiful TV, but its hard to find a dealer for a demo.

But I think the price drop is as any electronic hardware just normal.... Look the Axium are also selling at the same price range... They had to drop price to sell these TV in the next few month.

Although I think the price is really fine, because you nearly don`t find a HDTV projector with HD2+ chip and these features for the same price.

At least I think Liam @ Prog AV is right and there is not much that can compete with the Themescene TVs, maybe the Sim Rearpros, maybe some high-class HDTV plasmas....

I also think you will hardly find that quality of Tv in the near future for this price....
Sure prices drop, but quality does also. You will get a HDTV TV in future time, maybe 50" for under 2000€ but not that quality....

they will change the optical lenses and put in some cheaper. They will use HD4 chips instead of the HD2+ which is said to have better contrast but only can reflect fewer amount of light, because the HD4 is smaller in its size.....
They will make these TVs perfect for "everybody" in terms of price ( a mass product), but it will also be "everybody"-quality and just cost-effective to maximize their amout of profit.

 

If its not end of the line then I would say its an excellent reduction when Sagem's 45" I have seen cheapest for 1500 the Optoma if anything like my Sagem Axium HD50 for that price is a steal as I paid nearly 2k for my Sagem and thought at that price it was well worth it. Only reason I chose the Sagem is simply because the optoma only comes in black and all my AV kit is Silver. Well colour was more important than HDCP to me..................well thats what the mrs tells me anyway

 

Hi Guys,
Im interested too at this price.... need to organise myself to go have a look at one.

Razor,
Just hunting around the threads here for details of your NTSC "fix" HTPC / settings for Powerstrip...

Is it a "set it and forget it" deal or do you mess with the settings regularly ?

What is your view of the NTSC picture quality using this method ?

Sorry if you have posted this info elsewhere.

Andrew

 

hi everbody just took delivery of my rd65 . cut a long story short i went to optoma hq in watford to demo set very impressed. after some wealing and dealin i got this set for £1999 inc vat delivery so iv joined razors little club

 

Excellent deal as - enjoy

 

Was that £1999 direct from optoma or a dealer ?

 

direct through optoma then they hav to sell the tv through a dealer

 

Hi,

AS how did you arrange to go to the HQ for a demo? Just phone them up? contact?

Any idea if they will offer that price to others... ie me

Sorry to be a bore... and having done a search, I read about HTPC's and Powerstrip but to clarify: Does the Euro version not accept NTSC in any form? how does the US one work... or is that a completely different beast with the same model number?

Cheers

 

just phoned them up and asked for a demo. then told them the price i was willing to pay. after i demo the set. there is still the judder on ntsc films.

 

AS many thanks!

Will be giving them a call for a demo

Is there any way of getting around the NTSC judder without using an HTPC? My H\K DVD 25 with NTSC to PAL transcode generates judder also , though mainly on fast panning shots only.

Does anyone sell a sensibly priced (£300-500) transcoder preferably via component that'll do the conversion without causing judder?

Cheers

 

Unfortunately lossless frame rate converters cost thousands of pounds not hundreds!! To get very close to lossless, a decent PC is the only way I'm afraid.

 

I'll second that

 

Hi Guys,
Im going down to Watford on Friday so will report back then.

Organised thru shoot and show who seem very good so far.

Anything I should look out for other than the "rainbows" ?

Andrew

 

Could you Llet me know how much you got it for and through which dealer .
Cheers

 

as - which dealer did Optoma deliver your RD65 through? Personal question I know but were you able to take any finance facilities or did you visa/cash the sale? Just inetersetd in knowing how Optoma handled things, any advice appreciated. I'm slowly coming round to the RD65/HTPC option if only because the RD65 has the screensize/PQ i'm after (and i've got a big space to fill!!) Thanks.