Projector brands have been falling over themselves lately to cater for the newly important gamer market. Optoma’s new £1,100 UHD38, though, is the most game-focused projector I've seen to date, partnering ultra-bright images with PC and console-friendly features including 32:9 aspect ratio support, 120Hz playback and vanishingly low input lag.
A little bit more light
Joining the UHD38 in this new game-friendly PJ roster is the £1,000 UHD35, with the only real difference between the two being a brightness output claim of 4,000 Lumens on the UHD38 versus 3,600 Lumens on the more affordable model. Both (optimistically) claim a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1.
Differences with 2020’s UHD30 (see HCC #315) are much more pronounced. That model only hit 3,400 Lumens, and claimed a contrast ratio of 500,000:1. It also only provided one HDMI 2.0 port and one HDMI 1.4 port, while the UHD38 and UHD35 carry two HDMI 2.0 connections, meaning you can simultaneously attach two 4K HDR sources.
Also aimed squarely at gamers are the UHD38’s low input lag figures (when set to Enhanced Gaming mode) of 16.7ms, 8.9ms and 4.2ms when gaming in 60Hz, 120Hz and (yes) 240Hz respectively. Though please note that refresh rates higher than 60Hz are only supported in HD, not 4K.
This story is from the Spring 2021 edition of Home Cinema Choice.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Spring 2021 edition of Home Cinema Choice.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AV Avenger
You should think twice before accepting an invitation to play Resident Evil 4 with spatial audio in a haunted prison, warns Steve May
Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney
Forty years on from the movie's cinema release, Anton van Beek ponders what might have been if things had gone a little diff erently during the making of Return of the Jedi…
Feedback
Got an axe to grind? Need to comment on current tech? Want to share your knowledge with our readers? Team HCC is here to help
M&K Sound V12
TIME ON TEST: Three years REVIEWER: Steve Withers
Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded
This well-specified Dolby Atmos soundbar may have a mid-range price tag, but you'll soon want to spend more, cautions Steve May
Short and sweet
Marantz's compact AV receiver returns with a new look and boosted features – Jamie Biesemans slips it into his AV rig
Discreet delivery
A slim, stylish Scandinavian on-wall system impresses Mark Craven with its handling of the sweet stuff
One project, two rooms
Dan Sait reports on a custom install where a JVC PJ/ Atmos system is joined by a stylish media den
THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD
Three of his movies have taken over $2billon at the global box office, he's pioneered SFX and 3D technologies, and he's been to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's James Cameron by the way, not Anton van Beek
System selector!
Given three similar budgets, Mark Craven, Steve May and John Archer assemble three different AV setups focused on movies, streaming and gaming
