Optoma UHZ65 Review
One of Optoma's top of the line projectors, Optoma UHZ65 it's exactly what you would expect of a $6,000 projector - a high quality image and a remarkable clarity.
Although, you won't need this projector if you're just looking for something to watch movies on or play video games, it's one of the best home theater projectors you can get if you're able to afford it.
Overview
The Optoma UHZ65 is designed to make your home theater a professional place to watch and enjoy movies at the highest quality levels available. Using state-of-the-art technology, it allows you to get the most out of your movie viewing experience.
Compatible Aspect Ratio:
- 16:9 (native)
- 4:3
- Auto
- LBX (2160p and 1080p)
- Display Technology “Single 0.66” TRP S610 4K UHD DMD DLP® Technology by Texas Instruments™
The Optoma UHZ65 has been designed to utilize a unique combination of state-of-the-art technologies to produce a professional experience for its users. This projector marries the 0.66 inch DLP chip with the Optima DuraCore laser, making this one of the top-of-the-line projectors this company offers.
Since this projector retails for more than $4,000, you would expect it to deliver beautiful colors, noticeable contrast, and a crisp image. It hits the mark on all of these categories.
- Dimensions: (W x H x D) 19.6” x 13” x 6”
- Security: Kensington® lock port, password (OSD)
- Weight: 20.5 lbs
Laser Light Source
The laser light source has been made to function for the life of the projector. It has been rated for 20,000 hours when used in full brightness mode.
Although the projector has not been IP 5X certified when it comes to dust resistance, the company states that the product is IP 5X compliant.
This is a huge plus when you consider that the majority of projectors have light sources that will only last for a few thousand hours at best.
This means that with typical projectors, you will find yourself constantly investing in replacement bulbs. When you couple the life of the light source with the projector’s dust resistance, you see that you are purchasing a model that is virtually maintenance free.
It’s easy to see how this projector could be less expensive than cheaper models over its lifetime. Just factor in the money you save by not needing to purchase bulbs every few years,
- Brightness: 3,000 ANSI lumens
- Light Source: Type Laser phosphor
- Light Source Life: 20,000 Hours / laser phosphor
Thanks to its light source, the projector offers high brightness. This means that even with larger images, you’re going to have a clear and crisp projection. And all that with high quality details from the standard seating distance.
The Optoma UHZ65 has been rated at 3000 ANSI lumens. This means that a 16:9 image up to 240 inches diagonally in a dark room or 150 inches in a room with moderate ambient light, will be clear to see and easy to enjoy.
Throw Distance
The Optoma UHZ65 has a throw distance of between 15.25 feet and 24.25 feet for a 16:9 image of approximately 150 inches diagonally. If you have a smaller room, it would be better for you to check out our list of the best short throw projectors.
When it comes to projector distance, it is good to remember that the farther back you set the projector from the screen, the lower the brightness will be. If you have the projector at its maximum distance away, you should expect a 23 percent reduction in brightness.
- Throw Ratio 1.39 – 2.22 (with tolerance ±5%)
- Uniformity 0.75
Lens Shift Range
The Optoma UHZ65 has a moderate vertical shift. It is sufficient to give you limited flexibility in where you can place the projector.
It also makes it possible for you to correct any minor errors in placement of the projector mount, whether you place it too high or you placed it lower than you meant to.
It also means that if you are upgrading your existing projector to this one, you may be able to use the same ceiling mount.
- Lens Shift: Vertical: +15%
- Offset 100%±15% (tolerance: ±5% –
- Projection Lens: F=2.5 – 3.26, F=20.91 – 32.62 mm manual focus
- Zoom Type: 1.6x optical, 0.8 – 2.0 digital
This projector has a +15% vertical shift range when compared to the height of the image.
If you set the projector on a table and you put the lens at its lowest possible position, the bottom line of the image will be three percent of the image’s height taken from below the center point of the lens.
If you have the lens in its highest position, the bottom line of the image will be 18 percent of the image’s height taken from the centerline of the projector’s lens. Unfortunately, there is not a keystone correction or horizontal lens shift.
DLP Chip
The DLP chip offers 3840 x 2160 resolution. This means that you’re going to be able to see rich detail in every single image displayed. It takes advantage of a light engine that uses the RGBY color wheel. That is why Optoma UHZ65 is one of the best DLP projectors you can get.
The UHZ65 produces 99 percent coverage of the REC. 709 gamut. It is able to support Rec.2020 as well as HDR 10. Its contrast ratio has been rated at 2000000:1 when the dynamic black setting is used.
The number two HDMI port is HDCP2 .2 compatible. This means that this port can handle up to 4K 60 P. It is a full speed 18 GB per second port. The other HDMI port is HDMI 1.4.
Picture Quality
The Optoma UHZ65 has a picture quality and detail that are just as impressive as you would think that a projector from this price range would have. You are going to be blown away by the fine detail it delivers.
The colors that it offers are so natural that they are going to make you feel as if you are personally interacting with the images or the individuals that are on the screen.
- Maximum Resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160)
- Native Resolution: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)
- Projection Screen Size: 26.45” – 302.2” (26.45” to 140” optimal image size)
- Throw Ratio: 1.39 – 2.22 (with tolerance ±5%)
Black Levels and Contrast Ratio
Thanks to its high contrast ratio, the images have subtle shadowing that give them a convincing sense of 3D realism. When you’re looking at a black image in a dark room, it has a realistic and notable glow.
However, if there is a black image and a lighter image on the same screen, the lighter image does not detract from the contrast of the darker images being projected.
You are not going to notice a visible change in the black levels if you adjust the brightness via the power level. You are able to adjust the power level from a 50 percent setting to a 100 percent setting using five percent increments.
The more power you add, the better the contrast you will see. If you use this projector on a smaller screen in a darker room, you may not have as rich of a contrast as you would if you were using the projector on a high-power mode in a larger room.
There's a reason why we say you will likely reduce the power of the projector when you are in a smaller room on a smaller screen. Because when the projector is at one hundred percent in a small dark room, the light it produces may be a little bit too bright for your comfort.
However, we assume that individuals who are purchasing this projector want to use it in a larger room. There they have a larger screen that allows them to get the most out of the 3820 x 2160 resolution. What’s great is that you will be able to enjoy this resolution even if you are in a room that has ambient light.
Color Accuracy
When you take this projector out of the box, its default setting is going to be for Cinema color. This preset is good enough that you’re going to be able to use it and enjoy what you’re watching straight away.
This projector comes automatically calibrated with a slight blue bias that many moviegoers enjoy as it adds warmth to the images they are seeing. However, if that is not your taste, you can easily adjust away from this blue bias to a more neutral color scheme.
With other DLP projectors, the Cinema mode is not designed to give true to life colors. However, with the Optoma UHZ65, you are going to enjoy brilliant and accurate colors. This is true when you use Reference mode as well.
When you shift to Bright mode, you may notice a shift toward the magenta color scheme. Game mode is designed to offer accurate color representation with above par contrast.
You’re going to notice a slight loss of clarity or subtle gradations when you are playing video games, especially in environments that are meant to represent three dimensions. While it might not be one of the best projectors for gaming, it’s not going to affect your gameplay, and you will enjoy the high contrast.
Frame Interpolation
Frame Interpolation is referred to as PureMotion on the UHZ65. When you use this feature while watching a motion picture, you’re going to see some digital effects that quite honestly are distracting. However, if you are watching live video, you will note that this feature improves the overall crispness of the images.
By default, when using Cinema mode, PureMotion is set to its lowest setting of one. It can be set to a maximum setting of three. Level one makes the motion a little bit smoother, but there still is some digital video effect. If you do not like the Frame Interpolation, simply turn it off.
HDR
The limitations that projectors have for HDR, especially when they are used in rooms that have ambient light, are well documented.
The UHZ65 addresses this by tweaking the specs to provide the highest level of HDR benefit for the technology offered by the projector. When the projector detects the HDR input, it switches to HDR mode, making that the only color preset allowed. This allows for a watchable image straight out of the box.
Still if you can't afford this one, there are plenty of decent HD projectors that cost much less.
In Conclusion
When we look at the Optoma UHZ65, we see a high quality projector that provides a sharp image, especially when viewing 4K content. Since this is one of the first 4K DLP projectors produced by this company, it is a little bit rough around the edges as it does not feature all of the newest 4K capabilities.
While it might not be one of the best 4k projectors today, it's still worth a buy.
When it comes to placement flexibility, we would say that it’s decent, but it’s not great. We have seen a number of less expensive projectors with greater flexibility in this area.
The color that is available in 4K, as well as the representation of skin tones, is surprising. We were disappointed by the lack of support for Blu-ray 3D, so this one won't really suit you best if you're looking for a 3D projector. As we mentioned, HDR poses a challenge for all projectors. And we noticed that here.
That being said, we were fairly pleased with the picture. We looked at multiple Blu-ray HD discs and television shows. This projector does a great job at sports viewing and delivers good black levels, which makes it one of the best sports projectors you can get.
For its price range, we feel that this projector offers a lot and leaves little to be desired.
Have you used the Optoma UHZ65? We would love to hear about your experiences or recommendations for this product. Let us know in the comment section below.
Resources
My name is Steve Scott. Father of 2 and owner of Outdoor Movie HQ. I’ve been involved in the A/V industry for most of my life and built this blog to help people better understand projector technology. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.