The Optoma GT1080HDR is a short-throw gaming projector that punches above its affordable price to deliver a fast lag time and a 120Hz response time, and troves of features that are not available in competing projectors at this price point. Being a short-throw monitor means you can place it near your screen if you have a small room, and the affordable price should make it a great choice for many a buyer.
It delivers excellent color accuracy out-of-the-box, it has excellent contrast and has sufficient brightness – rated at 3,800 ANSI lumens – and it supports 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160-pixel) which it converts down to its native 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) resolution. However, it’s that low input lag – it manages just 8.7ms – that’s the showstopper here, for responsive gameplay, even if it’s largely an all-rounder in other regards.
Overall, the GT1080HDR is a fantastic projector; it’s our new Editors’ Choice for sub-$1000 gaming
Optoma GT1080HDR Specs
| Engine Type | DLP |
| Rated Brightness | 3800 ANSI lumens |
| Native Resolution | 1920 by 1080 |
| Maximum Resolution | 3840 by 2160 |
| Inputs and Interfaces | HDMI, VGA/Component |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 4.5 by 12.4 by 9.5 inches |
| Weight | 7.7 lbs |
Optoma GT1080HDR Review: Design
The Optoma GT1080HDR short-throw projector boasts a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution DLP chip and comes in a pretty standard design. It’s rectangular in shape and comes in an off-white color, and the top is where you’ll find the menu panel and focus ring (but it comes with fixed zoom). Both are located on the left hand of the projector, and the menu panel is moved further back. The control panel includes three LEDs for power, lamp warning, and temperature warning, as well as eight buttons in three rows and an IR receiver.
The onboard menu lets you control power, adjust keystone, view information, re-sync, and change the signal source. Optoma placed the focus ring towards the front and is just a simple dial that scrolls left and right to focus the projector. There’s an Optoma logo on the right corner towards the back.
The front panel holds the lens and it bulges towards the front and is significantly rounded due to this being a short throw projector. To the right of the lens, there’s another IR receiver, and the front and sides of the projector have a fin finish with ventilation on each side.
All connectivity ports are set at the rear panel, and they include: two HDMI ports, but only one is HDMI 2.0b, and supports 4K UHD and HDR. While setting it up, just be sure to connect your 4K video to the correct port. Others include USB Type-A, VGA-in, VGA-out, and RS232 ports as well as 3.5mm audio in and audio out jacks. You can connect to external speakers via Bluetooth, too.
At the bottom of the GT1080HDR are three feet, one non-adjustable, and two adjustable screws for leveling when it’s placed on a table. You also get three screw mount holes for ceiling mounting and a place to loop a locking cable through on one side.
As with most other short-throw projectors, the GT1080HDR lacks the lens-shift feature – available on the BenQ HT2050A – that’s used to adjust image position, meaning the only way to adjust the image size is via digital zoom. Still, you shouldn’t rely on digital zoom to adjust your image as it can introduce artefacts on the screen and affects brightness as well. The only other option available is to adjust the proctor’s position, which is equally not easy.
The GT1080HDR is fairly portable, measuring 12.4 x 9.5 x 4.5 inches and weighing 7.7 pounds, it will fit well on a table and you can also ceiling-mount it easily.
Optoma GT1080HDR Review: Remote Control
The included Optoma GT1080HDR remote control is a small band with a total of 27 buttons that you can use to interact with the projector. The remote control is backlit, meaning you can use it in a dark room to modify the options on the screen without switching on the lights.
It has all the options you’d need to get the best viewing experience, ranging from user options, brightness control, menu buttons, and source options. It’s pretty simple and uses AAA batteries.
This Optoma comes with a pair of 10W speakers, which we just feel are unnecessary on a projector, the same way they are on monitors. At best, the speakers produce mediocre sound – at 10W you’d expect them to sound any better, but they struggle to fill a small room even at full volume.
The speakers are short of bass, and barely audible unless you’re in a small room and just looking for a quick fix to enjoy a movie, but either way, you’ll need an external sound system.
Optoma GT1080HDR Review: Performance
The Optoma GT1080HDR is feature-packed and that should excite gamers, movie lovers, and all other users. All the color modes are fine-tuned for enjoyable viewing out-of-the-box, delivering vibrant, well saturated, and great color accuracy with default settings. That includes the 3D mode and HDR mode, with the latter being the only mode available when the projector detects HDR10 input.
Being a short-throw projector, you’ll only have to set it approximately 46-inches back from your screen, for a 106-inch diagonal image. Regular distance throw projectors like the BenQ HT2050A need between 8 to 12 feet to project a similar-sized image, which is not possible if you’ll be using them in small rooms. Just keep in mind, that Short Throw Projection is not the same as Standard Throw bean angle, so you may have to experiment a little to get the best picture.
Having said that, the projector’s actual image quality is nice and bright, it’s especially better if you’ll be using the projector in a dimly lit room. Even with lights on in the room, the projected picture is easy and comfortable to see. The colors are decent as well, with sRGB and Rec.709 color support. Blacks are deep and acceptable as well – even on the default out-of-the-box settings.
- HDR COMPATIBLE: HDR10 technology (with 4K input) enable brighter whites and deeper black...
- Fast response time: enhanced gaming mode enables Lightning-fast response time of 8. 4ms...
- Short throw lens: experience a large 120" Image projected from 4 feet away, allowing...
While the GT1080HDR supports both 1080p and 4K inputs, the projector only outputs images at 1080p resolution. As you connect a 4K input, the projector will tell you the resolution is 4K (or 4K HDR depending on the content). Typically, a projector should tell you the resolution it’s sending out, not what it’s receiving from the source – this can be a bit confusing at first.
In that regard, Optoma offers some upscaling via the scaler to take 4K input, downconvert it, then output it as 1080p. Optoma claims that the main reason for the 4K input is to give users some assurance that the projector will be compatible with any input source they may have at home (HD, Full HD, 4K, 4K HDR, etc.)
Perhaps the other interesting feature of the Optoma GT1080HDR is the 120Hz refresh rate, which makes this a decent projector for gamers. This projector accepts both 1080p and 4K inputs, but it can only utilize the 120Hz when set to 1080p input. So, on your Xbox One X or PS5, you can load a game at 4K (1080p slightly upscaled), and it will refresh up to 120Hz with ease.
Additionally, gaming mode allows you to achieve a response time of as low as 8.7ms. While it’s not the 1ms response rate you get from high-end gaming monitors, it’s pretty decent for a value projector. All that is thanks to the projector’s low input lag; and everything set to 1080p/120Hz and gaming mode, gaming indeed becomes smoother and thus more enjoyable.
The Optoma GT1080HDR is rated at 3,800 ANSI lumens, which is bright enough to fill a 280-inch diagonal screen in a dark room or a 160-inch in a room with moderate ambient light, assuming you have a 1.0-gain screen in both scenarios. While the rest of the modes (Presentation, Bright, HDR, HDR Sim, sRGB, etc.) aren’t particularly bright, Cinema mode is particularly bright in a dark room, but if you’ll be using it to watch a movie in a family room with lots of windows, Dynamic Power Mode will let you fill a 90-inch 1.0-gain white screen for viewing at night with lights on, or for daytime viewing, but at less-saturated color.
Finally, as with most projectors in this price tier – including the BenQ TH685, the ViewSonic PX701HD – the GT1080HDR offers only one 3D preset picture mode and works as configured with DLP-link glasses only. While it pushes a strong picture, 3-related motion artefacts are a little more pronounced than with many current 3D projectors; but the 3D mode is nonetheless much brighter than the projector’s 2D modes, delivering a crisp 90-inch image in a dark room.
Should you buy the Optoma GT1080HDR?
If this is your first projector buying experience, the Optoma GT1080HDR is one of the best 1080p home projectors you can find out there, offering the perfect mix of price, performance, and features. Actually, for the money, it offers a ton. The projector boasts a clear, vivid image that’s perfect for the home theater – and with the low input lag and 4K resolution, and HDR support, it’s a great gaming option considering its price.
Of course, nothing’s perfect (it lacks support for HLG, emerging HDR standard for broadcast TV and it doesn’t come with a carry case), but at this price, the Optoma GT1080HDR comes pretty close.
While it might have been nice if the projector could get slightly better speakers, that’s still an issue with all projectors and monitors; and, it doesn’t put a serious damper on the overall image quality, we think the Optoma GT1080HDR is still the best way to go if you’re looking for a great projector in the sub-$1000 price range.
The Review
Optoma GT1080HDR
The Optoma GT1080HDR is an affordable, short-throw projector that offers clear picture and low input lag – which should make it a great choice for many a shopper, especially gamers and movie lovers, even if it’s largely an excellent all-rounder in other aspects.
Recommended Configuration
Optoma GT1080HDR Short Throw Gaming Projector | Enhanced Gaming Mode for 1080P 120Hz Gaming at 8.4ms | 4K UHD Support | Play HDR for 4K and 1080P | High 3800 lumens for Day & Night Gaming, White
PROS
- Crisp, colorful images
- 1080p, 120Hz playback
- Short-throw setup
- Accepts 4K input
CONS
- Poor built-in speakers
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
Last update on 2024-12-21 at 08:06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
