IMPORTANT- Update: Since this video was made, we now have our own production version of the UHZ65 and have learned of combination settings that allow the blacks and contrast ratio to far exceed the capability of the UHD65. Some combinations will even allow "infinite contrast", meaning, fades to black are indeed completely black with absolutely no light coming out of the lens! It's not an iris, its laser light dynamic modulation. In a future video we'll also compare to Sony's new VPL-VW385ES with its dynamic iris. We've also got out blog post up with a written comparison and high-res images: www.tvspecialists.com/optoma-uhd65-vs-uhz65-laser-projector-comparison/
It would be great to see the comparison of new UHZ50 (2021) vs UHZ65 (2017) as an example what progress is made in affordable laser projection in 4 years
Best reviews on UA-cam! All their specs mean nothing until you see it in action. Any new reviews coming out with all the new projectors being released like the benq t800 and viewsonice px747? In the market for a high lumen but has good contrast in th $1500 range.. need the lumens because of ambient light. Thanks again for awesome videos
Looks like I found a replacement for my WD-92840. It is a beautiful TV with a great looking calibrated picture. I replace the bulb every year just for maximum brightness and while I am in there I clean out any dust that may be in there which is very little because I use very good air purifiers throughout the house along with a very good filter in the air handler. I really don't want to part with it because it just flat out looks great with movies. A light engine was replaced at 10 months old but zero problems since then. I'm just curious which one would be brighter if I were to use the UHZ65 with a 120" screen.
I didn't think the differences would be so dramatic...seen side by side. But viewed separately maybe an hour (or more) apart...and NOT having seen the UHZ in action...I'm sure most of us would still be very happy with the UHD. Love your comparison videos. Interesting the UHZ is 2x more expensive. Realizing it's laser but still... Nice to see there's choice for more people. If on a tighter budget buy the UHD65 (having not seen the UHZ) :)
Good point, both the UHD65 and the UHZ65 make great images. For me the higher contrast and Laser light source with it ability to maintain brightness over very long life cycles made the UHZ65 especially attractive. Keep in mind, the closest 4K laser (and its only half the pixels) is the Epson LS10500 at $7,999 and then the Sony laser at $25K and the JVC at $35K so in that light the UHZ65 is a real bargin at $3,999!
I really want an opinion from someone who has actually played games on both projectors to tell me how the lag is. It’s high on the uhz65 but enough to be noticeable?
Some of the best projector reviews and comparisons I have ever seen on utube, many thanks Ted. I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my next purchase, that is… for over a few years now I have owned an Optoma HD141x, my first projector. In Dec I upgraded to a second hand Epson 5030UB, which at first I was very impressed with its much better shading, richer colours and deeper blacks compared to the HD141x, although in reality the shading and blacks was only achieved with auto iris on. With the Epson’s auto iris off, I felt that not much was achieved in terms of stepping up from the HD141x. In addition to that, I found the Epson could not give me the smooth motion I am use too without frame interpolation turned on at its lowest setting, which seems to create a major sound sync issue. Despite setting my amplifier’s delay to 210ms, the sync seemed to change from movie to movie. One movie it would be spot on, the next would be out in certain scenes, strange!!! In Feb, unfortunately my Epson died after an optical block clean due to a dust blob, pushing me back to use the HD141x once again. And I was quite surprised to see that the HD141x had a clearer / crispier picture in some ways and the 3D seems to be deeper than the Epson is capable of without ghosting issues. It also seemed to me, that the Epson in some movies shined very well, good vibrant colours, while in others, it seemed to disappoint, especially in older movies like Armageddon, it just seemed to over saturate in colours, and make tones look a little off when compared to a cheap DLP, which could give a good balance across the board. I must admit, one other reason I tried out 3LCD is to eliminate RBE’s, which I do see from time to time from my HD141x (content dependent), which brings me to my main questions : o ) At the moment I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, I was thinking about sticking with DLP, and trying out the Optoma ZH500T full 3D projector as I'm not really interested in 4K. I do like the look of the UHZ65 laser, the colours have a plasma feel / look to them, which I like. Do you know if we could expect the same results from the Optoma ZH500T? And with its Extreme Black turn on, would it deliver the same blacks and contrast ratio as the UHZ65? Another important question would be, do you know if the ZH500T would be ok as a home theatre lights out projector and would the rainbow effect be more, less or about the same as the Optoma hd141x? I’m guessing that the latter could be compared from the UHZ65, as I think the ZH500T and UHZ65 use the same DuraCore laser, not sure if that makes any difference when speaking in terms of RBE’s? Other options for me, maybe TW9300 (5040UB) or TW9400 (5050UB), but with a past experience of the 5030UB, I get kind of put off. One other good thing about the ZH500T, it has an IP5X certification for dust resistant, a plus for my house, as we have a log burning fire that creates a lot of dust. Dust blobs annoy the hell out of me. Between the two technologies, seems to come down to negatives like RBE’s vs Dust Blobs and Convergence issue. I did spend about 8 hours on my 5030UB regarding panel alignment, which was a great improvement, but after going back to my HD141x, I think the HD141x has an edge over the Epson in picture crispness. Look forward to your thoughts?
You're in luck, a whole new crop of DLP projectors without visible rainbows are now entering the market. If you want good native contrast, sealed optics and wide color gamut then DLP LED may be just want you are looking for. Optoma has the little UHL55 and BenQ just introduced the HT-9060 in the US. Depending on your screen size one of these may just be the ticket. We have a HT-9060 on order and will be comparing it to the Sony VPL-VW295ES in the next month or so but from all reports and also the UHL55 we have seen there are essentially no visible rainbows in DLP LED projectors. The The Optoma ZH500T looks like it may be the same as the ZH506T or similar in which case they are designed for bright lights and classroom use so blacks are not a priority or even Accurate color as they are not HT tyoe projectors.
Hi Ted, many thanks for your reply and input, much appreciated. Funny enough, I have been in contact with an Optoma rep over the last couple of days, and he mentioned the ZH506. Just wondering, what’s your take on the new Epson range, like TW9400 (5050UB) / TW9300 (5040UB)? I have not found much info online in the sense of dust blob suffering on the 5040UB, so I was wondering has Epson created a better chassis / shell to combat the issue? Look forward to your review on the HT-9060, looks a beast : o ) PS: My screen size is 90", grey screen.
I’m debating whether to go with the Epson 5050UB or pay extra for the Optoma UHZ65. Is the laser tech on the UHZ worth an extra $600? I love quality blacks on a screen and vibrant colors. And I’ll use it to watch a bunch of movies and play video games that require 4K 60fps.
In terms of total cost of ownership say over the next 5-8 years the laser could actually be less expensive. Also, the brightness will be more consistent year over year plus the color balance doe not change as much or as quickly as lamp based projectors. The initial cost is more but since there is no lamp to replace the cost over time could be the better value. If you do decide to go with a UHZ65 you can also upgrade in the future with the Theo upgrade and get wide coloreven beyond the Epson and much improved blacks and tone mapping.
What kind of screen was used with the UHZ65? Or which screens would you recommend? Obviously not a Science Innovations Black Diamond at close to the cost of the UHZ65. :)
All of our side by side comparisons are done on a Reference StudioTek 130 by Stewart. A black Diamond would do even better blacks but would also cause the highlights or bright areas to be less bright. Black Diamond and Slate (Slate .8 is one of our favorites) and are best if you cannot watch in a controlled (very dim or black) environment. Feel free to call and talk with one of our home theater experts for ideas for screens in your particular application.
I'm torn...Should I go with UHZ65 or the UHD 65? is the extra price on the UHZ really worth it? Please help as I'm ready to purchase one of these but I cant make up my mind T__T
That is really easy, if you have the budget the UHZ65 offers a much better HDR 4K experience because of its higher brightness and the laser delivers a consistent level of color and brightness over long periods of time and because they can modulate the brightness of the laser they achieve a higher level of contrast and much better blacks not possible lamps.
Thanks TVS Pro for the comparison. First, I'd like to say I noticed significant orange tint to the skin tones in the example videos. I would attribute the orange tint and much of the movie scenes with people in them, and in particular to the orange bands around the arms in the uniforms, to be a result of how the movie was color graded. If that orange tint in not in the movie then I'd have to say the projectors - both of them - or the player used needs to be better adjusted because the orange is simply much too intense and does not look normal. The UHZ65 laser image looks like what the UHD65 should look like in terms of color brightness - however, I do see white being clipped: if you look at the fabric of the umbrellas there is no detail, where as the UHD65 shows detail. This may be due to slightly off adjustment. But aside from the orange tint issue and the slight white clipping, the UHZ65 looks more normal and does not draw my attention to say "this image is dark or drab" as the UHD65 does. Perhaps the UHD65 issue with its drab output, which is not relative, is related to the controversial issue of white lumen brightness vs color brightness. Many of the Optoma projectors tested in terms of white lumen intensity and color lumen intensity fall short on the color intensity side and are not equal to the white lumen intensity. So clearly, the UHZ65 with its laser engine has the edge here. In terms of HDR I didn't see any example of scenes where HDR was obvious. So if any scenes were actually HDR they didn't come through on my end and I use a 36" HDR calibrated panel and my internet connection supports UA-cam 4K video. Now interestingly, the UHZ65 specs state it has an HDMI 2.0 input. However, in order for HDR to "work" the display device's electronics has to be capable of HDR and will need HDMI 2.0a , which is a revision to the regular HDMI 2.0 (HDMI 2.0 supports 4K but not HDR). According to Optoma the UHZ65's HDMI 2.0 input is, in fact, HDMI 2.0a, but it does not state that in the specs or on the back of the unit either and instead merely says "HDMI 2.0". In addition, the specs for the UHZ65 state it is "HDR Compatible". I have to be concerned with the use of the word "compatible" with HDR. HDMI 2.0 is strictly 4k support which refers to resolution only. So any 4K display device that uses an HDMI 2.0 signal will of course be HDR "compatible" because it simply will ignore the extra data for HDR and will simply display a 4K image with standard dynamic range (SDR) even if HDR (HDR10) is encoded onto the disk. It would help if Optoma revised their published specs on this point with regard to the UHZ65 because there is a difference between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.0a, in that 2.0 is strictly 4K resolution sans HDR, and 2.0a is 4K with HDR (HDR10 as a base). One might think such a distinction is splitting hairs but there's a reason we have HDMI 2.0, HDMI 2.0a and also HDMI 2.0b type inputs on display devices. I think the higher lumen output of the UHZ65 great, and it's really necessary if it is to successfully display an HDR image with the correct impact... this is similar to an audio amplifier power rating in that you need more RMS watts to better handle a wider dynamic range and momentary peaks in the music, otherwise distortion results. Thanks TV Pro for the comparisons and I hope you'll be able to do a more extensive review that covers the HDR performance of the UHZ65, i.e. comparing the UHZ65 with a 4K projector that is NOT HDR capable, and particularly the "Infinite Contrast" now that you've got your own UHZ65 in-house. Looking forward to future reviews of the UHZ65 from you guys!
Thank you for the feedback. On this comparison we only had the UHZ65 for a very short time so we had to do a quick calibration so not perfect but close. We now have our own UHZ65 and have discovered many combinations of menu settings that allow even more contrast and much deeper blacks. The HDR capability has been greatly improved with these settings and we are now very anxious to see how this will compare to the new Sony VPLVW385ES with its dynamic iris vs the laser light modulation that the UHZ65 has.
Yes, as we only had this first UHZ65 for a short time only a quick calibration was possible. Now that we have our own we have leaned many combination settings that greatly improve the contrast and black levels. As soon as the new Sony VPLVW385ES arrives we plan on doing another more in-depth comparison including HDR which I suspect will prove remakable now.
Thanks Ted for the update: I am looking forward to your more in-depth review of the UHZ65 particularly for black levels (which didn't seem to do to well as compared to the UHD65), HDR performance, and also comparison to the VPLVW385ES. Your expanded review will likely be welcomed by others as well.
Great job. Will we be seeing a UHZ65 comparison versus the JVC DLA-RS440? This would be the stress test for the Optoma for native contrast, black levels and shadow detail and perceived detail/sharpness considering all factors as well as optics. Is this something you've planned for in the near future?
Yes, we hope to, as we are working with the JVC rep to get one of their new projectors introduced at CEDIA. We know of JVC's great black levels but are also interested in how their HDR contrast and detail compare.
We currently have one in-house and are evaluating it. However, if we do a comparison, it may be delayed due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19 (Ted is mostly retired and he isn't currently in Salt Lake City where we are located).
The new UST model UHZ65UST (P1) has a similar name as UHZ65. At first I didn't know they were different models. How similar is the performance between them?
Although the performance of the picture may be very similar (because it is the same technology that is used with the UHZ65) the UHZ65UST is a completely different type of projector. The UHZ65UST is an ultra short throw projector (120" image can be projected at 15" away) that also comes with a built-in sound bar, smart control features, etc.
TVS Pro Can we expect the same “infinite contrast” as mentioned in the description from the UST version too? It’s a bit cheaper than the UHZ65 so getting the same performance would be nice in a short throw form factor.
Yes, we have found two ways it can do 2:35:1 movies without black bars. First is with anamorphic lens, the second is electronically with keeping the 16:9 image at same height as 2:35:1 so a single 2:35:1 screen can be used and no adjustment to the lens is necessary.
Ted Bollinger thank you for this information this projector may very well be the one I will purchase for my home theater it seems very good for the price I hope to see more videos on this projector
The improvements in the blacks and contrast are a combination of the optical path modification and the work done during the re-calibration, unfortunately it is not possible to improve the blacks with out both of these changes. It is possible however, to slightly improve the blacks if you are willing to give up some dynamic range and brightness simply by turning the laser power down to 50% and not selecting any of the three dynamic black modes. Blacks will be better but because now the dynamic control of the laser is off you also have a less dynamic image as well as it is not as bright.
We are also very curious as JVC specs would indicate it does not equal the blacks and contrast of the DLA-X790. We are hoping to get a DLA-NX5 or NX9 in the next few weeks and will post the comparison.
Great question. We do not try and measure or rate native contrast as to do so accurately would require a dedicated all black room with little or no light surfaces. We did however just finish a very interesting comparison with the new Sony VPL-VW385ES. What we found is that if you use the default setting out of the box or even after conventional calibration you may not be overwhelmed with contrast and black levels. What we found is that the Optoma requires some very critical blacklevel adjustment in combination with two of their other contrast settings to get the best blacks and contrast. When you get it right, it can compete very well with some of the projectors costing up to twice their cost. Please see the new blog post comparison at www.tvspecialists.com/vplvw385es-vs-uhz65-projector-comparison-1/ for more detailed contrast information.
Hi can you make comparison of new Acer VL7860 laser projector vs Optoma UHZ65 laser and optoma UHD60 in the future. No one yet do this and Acer specs looks promising, and price 40% lower than Laser Optoma. Optoma is out my reach but if Acer will make 80% of optoma UHZ65 performance i buying it without blink. And last thing your channel is the best on this planet, really i search everywhere and your page have all info people need before buy. Thanks for that.
Great review and comparison! But also very frustrating, if you could only afford the UHD65 like me ;-( I'm still not sure which one to pick Epson EH-TW9300 (6040UB) or the Optoma UHD65. The Optoma is sharper thanks to the 'real' 8 megapixles and has a good FI even in 4k, but the Epson has better colors for HDR and can do 3D. It sucks to be limited by the own wallet ^^
We understand your frustration. Knowing the performance of these two great projectors we think you will be happy with either, however if you do not need the 3D, faster gaming response or lens memory of the Epson, the HDR of the Optoma is still very impressive and the detail and contrast will not disappoint.
Looks like all that needs to be done to the UHZ is to make sure the fan is not heard, not hard to do. Looks like Sony has met its match if not being better.
Not sure who or what you heard on the fan noise, but we demo ours here daily and it is one of the quietest projectors for home theater and is typically below 28db, it has not been an issue and I suggest you listen or measure in dynamic black 3 mode and I think you will be surprised.
Gamut coverage seems nice, contrast and image pop is great. Black level seems really bad on the Z compared to the D, and it would get destroyed by any SXRD / DLA on that category. The Elysium extract with fade to black clearly shows the weak spot of this projector.
Since this video was made we found a combination of settings that drastically improve the contrast and black levels. We hope to do a UHZ65 and VPLVW365ES comparison and we are anxious to see just how close this new laser modulation can come.
The only issue I have been hearing with all these 4K HDR projectors is that they do not do well with HDR gaming and have serious issues with banding while gaming.
Now that we have our own UHZ65 we hope to test as we have learned how to eliminate banding on 4K UHD discs and we can now get very good HDR for a projector- stay tuned.
Hi Ted, I recently bought the UHZ65 after looking at your review. I am using a 4k ellune vision screen 120 and the colors seems greenish or have a green tint. Any recommendations?
Yes, what color mode are you using as Bright mode should be greenish, if reference is greenish call your dealer or do a basic set up using Spears and Music version 2 blue ray.
@@tedbollinger3306 Colors seem off on all settings. Especially on HDR. I have been using reference too. The screen I am using is a 120" Ellunevision 4K. Any recommendations of how to calibrate? Where can I find the above Bluray?
Sounds like something is not right, I would contact dealer of Optoma for service or replacement. I have never seen the reference mode to look green. You can get the disc on ebay or Amazon but I would get it fixed first.
Hello Ted , So after your much optimized calibrated testing and comparison - the black levels, Contrast and motion lag levels remain same as last updated Theo-charts available on 'www.tvspecialists.com/projector-comparison-charts-theo-charts/' ?
Correct, we plan on a more detailed and complete comparison with an updated Theo-Chart as soon as we receive the new Sony and are able to calibrate and compare both. The current charts are based on typical out of the box with only very little calibration and testing. We expect the differences on Both to be improved but the next test will tell.
200 inches diagonal is pushing it but you should be able to get 11 fc at 200". We recommend a max of around 150" (20 fc) so you can better utilize the HDR capability of this projector. The UHZ65 has the "Pure Motion" engine so depending the source frrame rate you can set 1, 2, or 3 and even 4K judder is very good.
I exchanged uhz65 for uhd65 because of rainbow effect. These are my personal conclusion * uhz65 is too bright and strong on my eyes at 150" screen at dark room( but useful with ambient light) * uhd65 is very bright at 150" screen at dark room. * Both projector's color and image are very similar - * Both projector 'color is not super as hi-end sony or epson but It is good after adjustment. - I prefer uhd65 than uhz65( uhd 65 is rgbrgb wheel uhz65 is rgby wheel) * both projector's motion interpolation are super * uhz65 has noticeable rainbow effect but uhd65 does not. * uhz 65 does not need too change the lamp but twice more expensive
Sure, what ever works for your eye sensitivity is best. For those not quite so sensitive to the DLP sequential color we suggest running the UHZ65 at 50% laser (for up to 120", 60-70% up to a 150") with one of the dynamic modes engaged. That way, when you play an HDR disc the dynamic black allows the light engine to really add the high brightness, detail, and color that HDR is capable of. Hope you enjoy your UHD65 as it is an incredible projector.
@@tedbollinger3306 Is it true that the UHZ65 has a noticeable rainbow effect? I am going to use with a 115 inch diagonal screen with a little ambient light during the day. Which makes the better picture?
@@haqq4260 All single DLP projectors have some level of "rainbow" effect. Whether you can or cannot see it is an individual perception question. We have people here at work that can see it others have no idea what we are talking about! Because the UHZ65 has a different color wheel they are somewhat different. It is always best to at least go see a single DLP projector somewhere and first determine if you are one of those few who absolutely cannot tolerate it or if you can even see it. Both the UHD65 and UHZ65 are significantly better than most business single DLP projectors as they do not have a clear section in the color wheel which boosts the brightness but hurts the color and accuracy.
@@tedbollinger3306 I went to a store near me and they had the Optoma UHD60 . I could not detect any rainbow effect whatsoever. Does this mean I am probably safe with either the UHZ65 or UHD65? By the way is it true that the UHZ65 has more rainbow then the UHD65?
@@haqq4260 You will see noticeable rainbow effect. specially in fast motion. "With three different movies, I saw rainbow artifacts occasionally in one, less often in another, and exceedingly rarely in a third. Few people, if any, should find them bothersome." from projector central www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-UHZ65-Home-Theater-Review.htm
Comparing 3000 Lumen projector and 2200 lumen at same room is kind of unfair. Human eyes are very skeptical by brightness. Human eye iris opens at dark and close at bright -same as Camera. If you see your cell phone at outside sunny day, you will feel very dark on the screen even at 100% brightness. But If you see it at dark night, you will see very bright even only 30% Brightness. . if you project two different lumen projector at same room, your eye will set up with bright one- the lower lumen projector will look darker. Above color look that uhd65 is darker and poorer than uhz65 - but uhd 65 -2200 Lumen is pretty bright. Higher lumen more than 1600 does not mean better color at a dark room but only useful at ambient light room. If you see uhd 65 alone, the uhd65 color will be brighter and better than above.
I understand what you are saying, however we have had many requests to compare them to each other and the laser light source is a very different level of color than a lamp based projector. Because the manufacture uses a combination of phosphors that generate the light that passes through the light engine the colors on this laser have much improved yellows and deep blues. This is true regardless of the brightness settings. The contrast and black levels are also significantly improved (once we found the right combination of settings) because a laser can be modulated and controlled to a higher degree than a lamp based projector. So brightness is clearly different but even if set to the same brightness the results are very different due to the technology use.
Picture (Color) Quality of uhz65 is poorer than uhd65 You will see the reviews at Projector review www.projectorreviews.com/optoma/optoma-uhz65-4k-laser-projector-review-picture-quality/ www.projectorreviews.com/optoma/optoma-uhd65-4k-uhd-home-theater-projector-picture-quality/
Excellent comment, however, keep in mind we are comparing two very different aspects of color here. If you are talking color gamut or the widest amount of color approaching say P3 or DCI color space the UHZ easily beats the UHD65 achieving over 76% of P3 . If you are talking "color accuracy" as they were in the articles you mentioned then yes, the UHD65 with it's smaller color gamut is able to more accurately hit the color targets in a ISF calibration.
IMPORTANT- Update: Since this video was made, we now have our own production version of the UHZ65 and have learned of combination settings that allow the blacks and contrast ratio to far exceed the capability of the UHD65. Some combinations will even allow "infinite contrast", meaning, fades to black are indeed completely black with absolutely no light coming out of the lens! It's not an iris, its laser light dynamic modulation. In a future video we'll also compare to Sony's new VPL-VW385ES with its dynamic iris.
We've also got out blog post up with a written comparison and high-res images:
www.tvspecialists.com/optoma-uhd65-vs-uhz65-laser-projector-comparison/
Could You write what settings You have used for UHZ65?
Is it possible to have the settings?
It would be great to see the comparison of new UHZ50 (2021) vs UHZ65 (2017) as an example what progress is made in affordable laser projection in 4 years
Best reviews on UA-cam! All their specs mean nothing until you see it in action. Any new reviews coming out with all the new projectors being released like the benq t800 and viewsonice px747? In the market for a high lumen but has good contrast in th $1500 range.. need the lumens because of ambient light.
Thanks again for awesome videos
Thanks for the great comparison video! What cables did you use when making this video?
We used the AudioQuest "Peal" series HDMI cables. We always recommend high quality HDMI cables and especially when dealing with 4K.
Looks like I found a replacement for my WD-92840. It is a beautiful TV with a great looking calibrated picture. I replace the bulb every year just for maximum brightness and while I am in there I clean out any dust that may be in there which is very little because I use very good air purifiers throughout the house along with a very good filter in the air handler. I really don't want to part with it because it just flat out looks great with movies. A light engine was replaced at 10 months old but zero problems since then. I'm just curious which one would be brighter if I were to use the UHZ65 with a 120" screen.
I didn't think the differences would be so dramatic...seen side by side. But viewed separately maybe an hour (or more) apart...and NOT having seen the UHZ in action...I'm sure most of us would still be very happy with the UHD. Love your comparison videos. Interesting the UHZ is 2x more expensive. Realizing it's laser but still...
Nice to see there's choice for more people. If on a tighter budget buy the UHD65 (having not seen the UHZ) :)
Good point, both the UHD65 and the UHZ65 make great images. For me the higher contrast and Laser light source with it ability to maintain brightness over very long life cycles made the UHZ65 especially attractive. Keep in mind, the closest 4K laser (and its only half the pixels) is the Epson LS10500 at $7,999 and then the Sony laser at $25K and the JVC at $35K so in that light the UHZ65 is a real bargin at $3,999!
I really want an opinion from someone who has actually played games on both projectors to tell me how the lag is. It’s high on the uhz65 but enough to be noticeable?
Some of the best projector reviews and comparisons I have ever seen on utube, many thanks Ted.
I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my next purchase, that is… for over a few years now I have owned an Optoma HD141x, my first projector. In Dec I upgraded to a second hand Epson 5030UB, which at first I was very impressed with its much better shading, richer colours and deeper blacks compared to the HD141x, although in reality the shading and blacks was only achieved with auto iris on. With the Epson’s auto iris off, I felt that not much was achieved in terms of stepping up from the HD141x. In addition to that, I found the Epson could not give me the smooth motion I am use too without frame interpolation turned on at its lowest setting, which seems to create a major sound sync issue. Despite setting my amplifier’s delay to 210ms, the sync seemed to change from movie to movie. One movie it would be spot on, the next would be out in certain scenes, strange!!!
In Feb, unfortunately my Epson died after an optical block clean due to a dust blob, pushing me back to use the HD141x once again. And I was quite surprised to see that the HD141x had a clearer / crispier picture in some ways and the 3D seems to be deeper than the Epson is capable of without ghosting issues. It also seemed to me, that the Epson in some movies shined very well, good vibrant colours, while in others, it seemed to disappoint, especially in older movies like Armageddon, it just seemed to over saturate in colours, and make tones look a little off when compared to a cheap DLP, which could give a good balance across the board.
I must admit, one other reason I tried out 3LCD is to eliminate RBE’s, which I do see from time to time from my HD141x (content dependent), which brings me to my main questions : o )
At the moment I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, I was thinking about sticking with DLP, and trying out the Optoma ZH500T full 3D projector as I'm not really interested in 4K. I do like the look of the UHZ65 laser, the colours have a plasma feel / look to them, which I like. Do you know if we could expect the same results from the Optoma ZH500T? And with its Extreme Black turn on, would it deliver the same blacks and contrast ratio as the UHZ65?
Another important question would be, do you know if the ZH500T would be ok as a home theatre lights out projector and would the rainbow effect be more, less or about the same as the Optoma hd141x? I’m guessing that the latter could be compared from the UHZ65, as I think the ZH500T and UHZ65 use the same DuraCore laser, not sure if that makes any difference when speaking in terms of RBE’s?
Other options for me, maybe TW9300 (5040UB) or TW9400 (5050UB), but with a past experience of the 5030UB, I get kind of put off. One other good thing about the ZH500T, it has an IP5X certification for dust resistant, a plus for my house, as we have a log burning fire that creates a lot of dust. Dust blobs annoy the hell out of me.
Between the two technologies, seems to come down to negatives like RBE’s vs Dust Blobs and Convergence issue. I did spend about 8 hours on my 5030UB regarding panel alignment, which was a great improvement, but after going back to my HD141x, I think the HD141x has an edge over the Epson in picture crispness.
Look forward to your thoughts?
You're in luck, a whole new crop of DLP projectors without visible rainbows are now entering the market. If you want good native contrast, sealed optics and wide color gamut then DLP LED may be just want you are looking for. Optoma has the little UHL55 and BenQ just introduced the HT-9060 in the US. Depending on your screen size one of these may just be the ticket. We have a HT-9060 on order and will be comparing it to the Sony VPL-VW295ES in the next month or so but from all reports and also the UHL55 we have seen there are essentially no visible rainbows in DLP LED projectors. The The Optoma ZH500T looks like it may be the same as the ZH506T or similar in which case they are designed for bright lights and classroom use so blacks are not a priority or even Accurate color as they are not HT tyoe projectors.
Hi Ted, many thanks for your reply and input, much appreciated. Funny enough, I have been in contact with an Optoma rep over the last couple of days, and he mentioned the ZH506. Just wondering, what’s your take on the new Epson range, like TW9400 (5050UB) / TW9300 (5040UB)? I have not found much info online in the sense of dust blob suffering on the 5040UB, so I was wondering has Epson created a better chassis / shell to combat the issue?
Look forward to your review on the HT-9060, looks a beast : o )
PS: My screen size is 90", grey screen.
I’m debating whether to go with the Epson 5050UB or pay extra for the Optoma UHZ65. Is the laser tech on the UHZ worth an extra $600?
I love quality blacks on a screen and vibrant colors. And I’ll use it to watch a bunch of movies and play video games that require 4K 60fps.
In terms of total cost of ownership say over the next 5-8 years the laser could actually be less expensive. Also, the brightness will be more consistent year over year plus the color balance doe not change as much or as quickly as lamp based projectors. The initial cost is more but since there is no lamp to replace the cost over time could be the better value. If you do decide to go with a UHZ65 you can also upgrade in the future with the Theo upgrade and get wide coloreven beyond the Epson and much improved blacks and tone mapping.
Very good job once again TVS. I always look forward to your next presentation-comparison :D
Glad you find these useful!
Your becoming the best reviews ever!
What kind of screen was used with the UHZ65? Or which screens would you recommend? Obviously not a Science Innovations Black Diamond at close to the cost of the UHZ65. :)
All of our side by side comparisons are done on a Reference StudioTek 130 by Stewart. A black Diamond would do even better blacks but would also cause the highlights or bright areas to be less bright. Black Diamond and Slate (Slate .8 is one of our favorites) and are best if you cannot watch in a controlled (very dim or black) environment. Feel free to call and talk with one of our home theater experts for ideas for screens in your particular application.
I'm torn...Should I go with UHZ65 or the UHD 65? is the extra price on the UHZ really worth it? Please help as I'm ready to purchase one of these but I cant make up my mind T__T
That is really easy, if you have the budget the UHZ65 offers a much better HDR 4K experience because of its higher brightness and the laser delivers a consistent level of color and brightness over long periods of time and because they can modulate the brightness of the laser they achieve a higher level of contrast and much better blacks not possible lamps.
Thanks TVS Pro for the comparison. First, I'd like to say I noticed significant orange tint to the skin tones in the example videos. I would attribute the orange tint and much of the movie scenes with people in them, and in particular to the orange bands around the arms in the uniforms, to be a result of how the movie was color graded. If that orange tint in not in the movie then I'd have to say the projectors - both of them - or the player used needs to be better adjusted because the orange is simply much too intense and does not look normal. The UHZ65 laser image looks like what the UHD65 should look like in terms of color brightness - however, I do see white being clipped: if you look at the fabric of the umbrellas there is no detail, where as the UHD65 shows detail. This may be due to slightly off adjustment. But aside from the orange tint issue and the slight white clipping, the UHZ65 looks more normal and does not draw my attention to say "this image is dark or drab" as the UHD65 does. Perhaps the UHD65 issue with its drab output, which is not relative, is related to the controversial issue of white lumen brightness vs color brightness. Many of the Optoma projectors tested in terms of white lumen intensity and color lumen intensity fall short on the color intensity side and are not equal to the white lumen intensity. So clearly, the UHZ65 with its laser engine has the edge here. In terms of HDR I didn't see any example of scenes where HDR was obvious. So if any scenes were actually HDR they didn't come through on my end and I use a 36" HDR calibrated panel and my internet connection supports UA-cam 4K video. Now interestingly, the UHZ65 specs state it has an HDMI 2.0 input. However, in order for HDR to "work" the display device's electronics has to be capable of HDR and will need HDMI 2.0a , which is a revision to the regular HDMI 2.0 (HDMI 2.0 supports 4K but not HDR). According to Optoma the UHZ65's HDMI 2.0 input is, in fact, HDMI 2.0a, but it does not state that in the specs or on the back of the unit either and instead merely says "HDMI 2.0". In addition, the specs for the UHZ65 state it is "HDR Compatible". I have to be concerned with the use of the word "compatible" with HDR. HDMI 2.0 is strictly 4k support which refers to resolution only. So any 4K display device that uses an HDMI 2.0 signal will of course be HDR "compatible" because it simply will ignore the extra data for HDR and will simply display a 4K image with standard dynamic range (SDR) even if HDR (HDR10) is encoded onto the disk. It would help if Optoma revised their published specs on this point with regard to the UHZ65 because there is a difference between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.0a, in that 2.0 is strictly 4K resolution sans HDR, and 2.0a is 4K with HDR (HDR10 as a base). One might think such a distinction is splitting hairs but there's a reason we have HDMI 2.0, HDMI 2.0a and also HDMI 2.0b type inputs on display devices. I think the higher lumen output of the UHZ65 great, and it's really necessary if it is to successfully display an HDR image with the correct impact... this is similar to an audio amplifier power rating in that you need more RMS watts to better handle a wider dynamic range and momentary peaks in the music, otherwise distortion results. Thanks TV Pro for the comparisons and I hope you'll be able to do a more extensive review that covers the HDR performance of the UHZ65, i.e. comparing the UHZ65 with a 4K projector that is NOT HDR capable, and particularly the "Infinite Contrast" now that you've got your own UHZ65 in-house. Looking forward to future reviews of the UHZ65 from you guys!
Thank you for the feedback. On this comparison we only had the UHZ65 for a very short time so we had to do a quick calibration so not perfect but close. We now have our own UHZ65 and have discovered many combinations of menu settings that allow even more contrast and much deeper blacks. The HDR capability has been greatly improved with these settings and we are now very anxious to see how this will compare to the new Sony VPLVW385ES with its dynamic iris vs the laser light modulation that the UHZ65 has.
Yes, as we only had this first UHZ65 for a short time only a quick calibration was possible. Now that we have our own we have leaned many combination settings that greatly improve the contrast and black levels. As soon as the new Sony VPLVW385ES arrives we plan on doing another more in-depth comparison including HDR which I suspect will prove remakable now.
Thanks Ted for the update: I am looking forward to your more in-depth review of the UHZ65 particularly for black levels (which didn't seem to do to well as compared to the UHD65), HDR performance, and also comparison to the VPLVW385ES. Your expanded review will likely be welcomed by others as well.
Thank you, we also look forward to this next comparison, it should be very interesting knowing what we know now.
Great job. Will we be seeing a UHZ65 comparison versus the JVC DLA-RS440? This would be the stress test for the Optoma for native contrast, black levels and shadow detail and perceived detail/sharpness considering all factors as well as optics. Is this something you've planned for in the near future?
Yes, we hope to, as we are working with the JVC rep to get one of their new projectors introduced at CEDIA. We know of JVC's great black levels but are also interested in how their HDR contrast and detail compare.
Great review 👍, could you make a review on the New Optoma UHZ65LV please ?
We currently have one in-house and are evaluating it. However, if we do a comparison, it may be delayed due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19 (Ted is mostly retired and he isn't currently in Salt Lake City where we are located).
👍 great. Can’t wait to see the review. Keep its safe! ✌🏼
The new UST model UHZ65UST (P1) has a similar name as UHZ65. At first I didn't know they were different models. How similar is the performance between them?
It is very similar.
Although the performance of the picture may be very similar (because it is the same technology that is used with the UHZ65) the UHZ65UST is a completely different type of projector. The UHZ65UST is an ultra short throw projector (120" image can be projected at 15" away) that also comes with a built-in sound bar, smart control features, etc.
TVS Pro Can we expect the same “infinite contrast” as mentioned in the description from the UST version too? It’s a bit cheaper than the UHZ65 so getting the same performance would be nice in a short throw form factor.
Looks like the UHZ will be the projector I will purchase but my most important question is can this do 2:35.1 ?
Yes, we have found two ways it can do 2:35:1 movies without black bars. First is with anamorphic lens, the second is electronically with keeping the 16:9 image at same height as 2:35:1 so a single 2:35:1 screen can be used and no adjustment to the lens is necessary.
Ted Bollinger thank you for this information this projector may very well be the one I will purchase for my home theater it seems very good for the price I hope to see more videos on this projector
Great video. Could you share the combination settings that allow the blacks and contrast ratio to far exceed the capability of the UHD65?
The improvements in the blacks and contrast are a combination of the optical path modification and the work done during the re-calibration, unfortunately it is not possible to improve the blacks with out both of these changes. It is possible however, to slightly improve the blacks if you are willing to give up some dynamic range and brightness simply by turning the laser power down to 50% and not selecting any of the three dynamic black modes. Blacks will be better but because now the dynamic control of the laser is off you also have a less dynamic image as well as it is not as bright.
@@tedbollinger3306 Thank you Ted for your reply. Appreciate it.
what do you think about jvc nx9 coming out should have incredible HDR. thoughts ?
We are also very curious as JVC specs would indicate it does not equal the blacks and contrast of the DLA-X790. We are hoping to get a DLA-NX5 or NX9 in the next few weeks and will post the comparison.
What is the native contrast on the UHZ when it is calibrated? Thanks again for your help.
Great question. We do not try and measure or rate native contrast as to do so accurately would require a dedicated all black room with little or no light surfaces. We did however just finish a very interesting comparison with the new Sony VPL-VW385ES. What we found is that if you use the default setting out of the box or even after conventional calibration you may not be overwhelmed with contrast and black levels. What we found is that the Optoma requires some very critical blacklevel adjustment in combination with two of their other contrast settings to get the best blacks and contrast. When you get it right, it can compete very well with some of the projectors costing up to twice their cost. Please see the new blog post comparison at www.tvspecialists.com/vplvw385es-vs-uhz65-projector-comparison-1/ for more detailed contrast information.
Ted Bollinger thanks for the reply. I will read your blog.
UHZ65 vs JVC 790 is whatI have boiled my choice down to.
Hi can you make comparison of new Acer VL7860 laser projector vs Optoma UHZ65 laser and optoma UHD60 in the future. No one yet do this and Acer specs looks promising, and price 40% lower than Laser Optoma. Optoma is out my reach but if Acer will make 80% of optoma UHZ65 performance i buying it without blink. And last thing your channel is the best on this planet, really i search everywhere and your page have all info people need before buy. Thanks for that.
Great review and comparison!
But also very frustrating, if you could only afford the UHD65 like me ;-(
I'm still not sure which one to pick Epson EH-TW9300 (6040UB) or the Optoma UHD65.
The Optoma is sharper thanks to the 'real' 8 megapixles and has a good FI even in 4k, but the Epson has better colors for HDR and can do 3D. It sucks to be limited by the own wallet ^^
We understand your frustration. Knowing the performance of these two great projectors we think you will be happy with either, however if you do not need the 3D, faster gaming response or lens memory of the Epson, the HDR of the Optoma is still very impressive and the detail and contrast will not disappoint.
Do either of these support lower res at higher frame rate? e.g. 1080p/120? Thanks!
We do not have high frame rate source material but we would be very surprised if it does.
Looks like all that needs to be done to the UHZ is to make sure the fan is not heard, not hard to do. Looks like Sony has met its match if not being better.
Not sure who or what you heard on the fan noise, but we demo ours here daily and it is one of the quietest projectors for home theater and is typically below 28db, it has not been an issue and I suggest you listen or measure in dynamic black 3 mode and I think you will be surprised.
Fantastic review 👍🏼👏🏼👌🏼
Gamut coverage seems nice, contrast and image pop is great.
Black level seems really bad on the Z compared to the D, and it would get destroyed by any SXRD / DLA on that category. The Elysium extract with fade to black clearly shows the weak spot of this projector.
Since this video was made we found a combination of settings that drastically improve the contrast and black levels. We hope to do a UHZ65 and VPLVW365ES comparison and we are anxious to see just how close this new laser modulation can come.
The only issue I have been hearing with all these 4K HDR projectors is that they do not do well with HDR gaming and have serious issues with banding while gaming.
Now that we have our own UHZ65 we hope to test as we have learned how to eliminate banding on 4K UHD discs and we can now get very good HDR for a projector- stay tuned.
Hi Ted, I recently bought the UHZ65 after looking at your review. I am using a 4k ellune vision screen 120 and the colors seems greenish or have a green tint. Any recommendations?
Yes, what color mode are you using as Bright mode should be greenish, if reference is greenish call your dealer or do a basic set up using Spears and Music version 2 blue ray.
@@tedbollinger3306 Colors seem off on all settings. Especially on HDR. I have been using reference too. The screen I am using is a 120" Ellunevision 4K. Any recommendations of how to calibrate? Where can I find the above Bluray?
Sounds like something is not right, I would contact dealer of Optoma for service or replacement. I have never seen the reference mode to look green. You can get the disc on ebay or Amazon but I would get it fixed first.
Hello Ted , So after your much optimized calibrated testing and comparison - the black levels, Contrast and motion lag levels remain same as last updated Theo-charts available on 'www.tvspecialists.com/projector-comparison-charts-theo-charts/' ?
Correct, we plan on a more detailed and complete comparison with an updated Theo-Chart as soon as we receive the new Sony and are able to calibrate and compare both. The current charts are based on typical out of the box with only very little calibration and testing. We expect the differences on Both to be improved but the next test will tell.
Thank You Ted , It will be great if you can share the steps you followed to achieve the results in any readable/ video format ..
Is The UHZ good at projecting images upwards of 200 inches? And I would also like to know about any judder or lag if any in fast paced scenes!!!
200 inches diagonal is pushing it but you should be able to get 11 fc at 200". We recommend a max of around 150" (20 fc) so you can better utilize the HDR capability of this projector. The UHZ65 has the "Pure Motion" engine so depending the source frrame rate you can set 1, 2, or 3 and even 4K judder is very good.
Ted Bollinger thank you!
Ted Bollinger hello what does (fc) stand for in the above comment? thanks for such comprehensive reviews! stellar!!
I exchanged uhz65 for uhd65 because of rainbow effect. These are my personal conclusion
* uhz65 is too bright and strong on my eyes at 150" screen at dark room( but useful with ambient light)
* uhd65 is very bright at 150" screen at dark room.
* Both projector's color and image are very similar -
* Both projector 'color is not super as hi-end sony or epson but It is good after adjustment.
- I prefer uhd65 than uhz65( uhd 65 is rgbrgb wheel uhz65 is rgby wheel)
* both projector's motion interpolation are super
* uhz65 has noticeable rainbow effect but uhd65 does not.
* uhz 65 does not need too change the lamp but twice more expensive
Sure, what ever works for your eye sensitivity is best. For those not quite so sensitive to the DLP sequential color we suggest running the UHZ65 at 50% laser (for up to 120", 60-70% up to a 150") with one of the dynamic modes engaged. That way, when you play an HDR disc the dynamic black allows the light engine to really add the high brightness, detail, and color that HDR is capable of. Hope you enjoy your UHD65 as it is an incredible projector.
@@tedbollinger3306 Is it true that the UHZ65 has a noticeable rainbow effect? I am going to use with a 115 inch diagonal screen with a little ambient light during the day. Which makes the better picture?
@@haqq4260 All single DLP projectors have some level of "rainbow" effect. Whether you can or cannot see it is an individual perception question. We have people here at work that can see it others have no idea what we are talking about! Because the UHZ65 has a different color wheel they are somewhat different. It is always best to at least go see a single DLP projector somewhere and first determine if you are one of those few who absolutely cannot tolerate it or if you can even see it. Both the UHD65 and UHZ65 are significantly better than most business single DLP projectors as they do not have a clear section in the color wheel which boosts the brightness but hurts the color and accuracy.
@@tedbollinger3306 I went to a store near me and they had the Optoma UHD60 . I could not detect any rainbow effect
whatsoever. Does this mean I am probably safe with either the UHZ65 or UHD65? By the way is it true that the UHZ65 has more rainbow then the UHD65?
@@haqq4260 You will see noticeable rainbow effect. specially in fast motion.
"With three different movies, I saw rainbow artifacts occasionally in one, less often in another, and exceedingly rarely in a third. Few people, if any, should find them bothersome." from projector central www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-UHZ65-Home-Theater-Review.htm
Comparing 3000 Lumen projector and 2200 lumen at same room is kind of unfair. Human eyes are very skeptical by brightness. Human eye iris opens at dark and close at bright -same as Camera. If you see your cell phone at outside sunny day, you will feel very dark on the screen even at 100% brightness. But If you see it at dark night, you will see very bright even only 30% Brightness. . if you project two different lumen projector at same room, your eye will set up with bright one- the lower lumen projector will look darker. Above color look that uhd65 is darker and poorer than uhz65 - but uhd 65 -2200 Lumen is pretty bright. Higher lumen more than 1600 does not mean better color at a dark room but only useful at ambient light room. If you see uhd 65 alone, the uhd65 color will be brighter and better than above.
I understand what you are saying, however we have had many requests to compare them to each other and the laser light source is a very different level of color than a lamp based projector. Because the manufacture uses a combination of phosphors that generate the light that passes through the light engine the colors on this laser have much improved yellows and deep blues. This is true regardless of the brightness settings. The contrast and black levels are also significantly improved (once we found the right combination of settings) because a laser can be modulated and controlled to a higher degree than a lamp based projector. So brightness is clearly different but even if set to the same brightness the results are very different due to the technology use.
Picture (Color) Quality of uhz65 is poorer than uhd65
You will see the reviews at Projector review
www.projectorreviews.com/optoma/optoma-uhz65-4k-laser-projector-review-picture-quality/
www.projectorreviews.com/optoma/optoma-uhd65-4k-uhd-home-theater-projector-picture-quality/
Excellent comment, however, keep in mind we are comparing two very different aspects of color here. If you are talking color gamut or the widest amount of color approaching say P3 or DCI color space the UHZ easily beats the UHD65 achieving over 76% of P3 . If you are talking "color accuracy" as they were in the articles you mentioned then yes, the UHD65 with it's smaller color gamut is able to more accurately hit the color targets in a ISF calibration.