As with many Optoma projectors, the HD39HDR also shares the same gaming and home theatre category; however, with a different approach and price tag. Let’s find out what they are.
The Optoma HD39HDR is a Full HD 1080p projector primarily designed to watch movies and enjoy TV stuff. Holding a price tag of under 1000 dollars on the back, The Optoma HD39HDR is a growing home theater projector on the market. With Full HD native resolution, the UHD39HDR accepts UltraHD or 4k HDR input with the true 4K resolution (3840×2160)p.
Since the Optoma UHD39HDR offers a high dynamic range, its broader color gamut and brightness levels are impressive. It’s hard to find any projector for the same price offering such features, including HDR.
Bottom Line: The Optoma HD39HDR
The color accuracy of HD39HDR is up to the mark for the price. Moreover, it can deliver vibrant color with incredible shadow detail, and its 4K HDR content handling is also appreciatable. The Optoma HD39HDR works perfectly for gaming and watching movies in ambient light too.
Its black level, contrast, and 3D viewing for SDR and HDR are good enough to enjoy in a dark room, even though the HD39HDR is primarily designed for ambient light viewing.
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Key Features: The Optoma HD39HDR Home Theater Projector
Brightness: Is Optoma HD39HDR bright enough to handle ambient light?
The Optoma HD39HDR projector is rated 4,000 lumens of brightness. Unlike most projectors with a typical RGB color wheel, the HD39HDR utilizes a six-segment (RYGCWB) (Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, White, and Blue) color wheel.
Compared to RGB, the six-segment color wheel (RYGCWB) produces a more bright and vibrant image because of its yellow panel. Like the yellow panel, the white color panel also generates a brighter image.
Even though the white panel is designed to deliver a brighter image, it affects color accuracy. In my testing, most projectors (ex. the BenQ TH585) with a white panel invite these color accuracy issues with folded hands.
Therefore, the BenQ’s TH585 color accuracy was pitty compared to the BenQ HT2150ST, as the HT2150ST doesn’t have a white panel in its color wheel. But, again, the HT2150ST has lower brightness because of its white panel.
That’s why I suggest DLP projectors without white panels for home theater in dark rooms. On the contrary, you have the Optoma HD39HDR for a room with ambient light.
Now to the question, the four predefined picture modes—Game, sRGB, Cinema, and HDR Sim—you get on the projector are not as bright as Optoma claims. However, they can give you a balanced and detailed picture image with a good flavor of 3D.
Color Accuracy: How good is the HD39HDR when it comes to colors?
Yes, you’ll find some colors to be out of track for both HDR and SDR inputs, especially yellows, greens, and blues. However, some base colors and scenes will be realistic, such as trees, blue skies, green leaves, etc.
There is no doubt we can improve the color accuracy with a few tweaks in its settings. Besides, you have a backup of ISF 3D modes, ISF Day, and ISF Night. Since it’s professional calibration, you’ll have to pay for it.
Picture Modes: Different picture modes on Optoma HD39HDR?
While testing the projector in sRGB mode with default settings, the color accuracy was very impressive. However, the calibration entirely depends on the lighting conditions and the projection size. For example, the projector’s cinema mode, more bright compared to other modes available.
For the best contrast, you have the brighter-still HDR for the best dark scenes. In addition to the contrast, you have a game mode that delivers better contrast and ensures more detailed images by brightening up dark areas of the game. However, I don’t recommend you watching stuff in this mode except gaming, as it brightens up dark scenes in movies, which sometimes seems far away from reality. So use the game mode only for gaming.
Now, you have another very common yet typical mode called Bright mode or the brightest mode. Yes, you’re right. The brightest mode is for occasional purposes as higher brightness always invites a green tint. Though, it is not that noticeable in a place that needs extra brightness.
The last picture mode you have is HDR Sim picture mode, designed for HDR input. In my testing, I found it very useful. It accepts 4K HDR content and delivers more detailed, more vibrant, and more shadow detail. The difference in picture quality between SDR format at 1080p and HDR at 4k is super-noticeable.
Image correction: How simple is it to position an image on the HD39HDR?
For image positioning, The HD39HDR offers the 1.3X zoom feature. Besides, you have the vertical keystone correction feature (+/- 40 degrees) in case you need to square off the image.
Connectivity: How many ports does Optoma HD39HDR have on its back panel?
As with any modern projector these days, The Optoma HD39HDR has two HDMI ports. One is designed for 1080p, and the other one is for 4K UHD HDR content.
Resolution: Does HD39HDR supports 4K HDR input?
The projector HD39HDR is quipped with a single DLP chip that supports native Full HD resolution, 1920×1080 pixels. Still, the HD39HDR lets you feed it 4K HDR content.
Since the projector boasts 4000 ANSI lumens, it’s bright enough to handle a 150-inch projection screen in ambient light. However, according to SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), any projector with 4,000 lumens can produce a large image of up to 160 inches 1.0 gain screen in moderate ambient lighting without compromising picture quality.
Gaming: The Optoma HD39HDR
When you go through Optoma’s Official website, you’ll find the HD39HDR to be listed as a gaming and home entertainment projector. Since gaming and gamers always look for features such as fast response time and low input lag in a gaming projector, Optoma HD39HDR follows the same path offering you 8.4ms @1080p/120Hz and 16.4ms @1080p/60Hz.
Another noticeable thing about the projector is its brightness rating. It is packed with 4000 ANSI lumens; therefore, playing games in ambient light won’t be an issue for you.
Design: Is HD39HDR portable enough to carry?
Compared to most home theater projectors, the Optoma HD39HDR is more compact; it measures only (4.5×12.4×9.5) inches (HWD) and weighs around 7.7 pounds. Therefore, it is quite easy to carry to your loved one’s house.
However, it is very disappointing that Optoma doesn’t include a carrying bag with the Optoma HD39HDR.
Sound: How good is the sound on Optoma HD39HDR?
The Optoma HD39HDR has an onboard 10-watt speaker, produces decent sound with average volume, or is powerful enough to handle your small-sized room. Moreover, You can hook up your external sound system to the projector using its 3.5mm audio-out jack.
Testing: What did I find in my testing of Optoma HD39HDR?
As usuals, my testing included a 90-inch diagonal screen size. Therefore, I had to put the projector at 9 feet 4 inches away from the screen. As a projector-savvy, I always look at color accuracy, and that’s where the Optoma HD39HDR struggles.
Its color production for blues, yellows, and green was a little darker than the reality for SDR input. With HDR input, the color production was brighter than it should be. However, on the plus side, I found that the projector could handle flesh tones pretty well.
The Specs: The Optoma HD39HDR’s Specifications
- 4K HDR Input
- Native Full HD (1920×1080) pixels
- 4,000 ANSI Lumens of brightness
- Onboard 10W speaker
- 50,000:1 contrast ratio
- 15,000 hours of lamp life (Bright Mode ~ 4,000hr, Eco Mode ~ 10,000hr, Eco+ ~ 15,000 hr)
- Lamp Light Source
- 1.124~1.467 Throw Ratio
- 1.3x Manual Zoom
- ±40° Vertical Keystone Correction
- 1~7.5m Projection distance
- 40.2-300 inches projection Size
- 26dB Noise Level
Tips: What do I think about the HD39HDR?
You can save a lot of money just by seeing the brightness rating of the projector. Most popular projector brands and their expensive projectors play around with brightness ratings, such as 2,000, 3000, 4000 lumens, etc. Moreover, the brightness rating of any projector determines the overall cost of that projector, and that’s how you save money.
For example, suppose you want to use your projector in a dark room. In that case, don’t waste your money on the projector with higher lumens, as any projector with around 1500 to 2000 lumens is bright enough to view your favorite content with a great sense of three-dimensionalities in that dark room.
On the other hand, any projector with high brightness is crucial for a room with ambient light as it fights against that stubborn ambient light to give you a better image on the screen. For example, the Optoma HD39HDR, a great option for viewing your media content in a room with ambient light.
Verdict: What do I think about Optoma HD39HDR?
Compared to other projectors with the same price range, I still think the Optoma HD39HDR is the best home theater projector under 1000.
Why?
As in my testing using its predefined cinema mode, the Optoma HD39HDR had been very impressive for a 90-inch 1.0 gain white screen. Moreover, I performed the test in moderate ambient light with a couple of opened windows.
It means an 80-inch, 1.0 white gain screen is acceptable for lots of windows or extreme ambient light using its cinema mode. Besides, its sRGB and HDR Sim modes are bright enough for the same 80~90 inches screen size in the close evening with the sun low in the sky.
Conclusion: The Optoma HD39HDR Full HD Projector Review
As you know, the Optoma HD39HDR is primarily designed for a home theater with ambient light. Also, It handles gaming pretty well. Moreover, its ECO+ power-saving mode gives you better lamp life of up to 15,000 hours and is recommended in a dark room.
Still, if it is your primary reason for buying the projector for dark-room viewing, you have other options on the market with better prices.
If you ask me, I’d love to recommend the BenQ HT2150ST for dark rooms. However, when it comes to the close contender for Optoma HD39HDR for lights-on viewing, it would be the BenQ TH585. Plus, it costs less. Therefore, the BenQ TH585 is my top pick for the best projector under 500.