Reviews for Optoma Technology MovieTime DV10 Digital Projector

7.8lb - MPN: DV10

  • 5
  By member: lilmikey1982 - Mar 12, 2006

Optoma Technology MovieTime DV10 Digital Projector

Strengths: 1000 Lumens, excellent brightness, no DLP rainbows, crisp and clear picture, long bulb life (with warning), extremely easy to use

Weakness: No backlighting on the remote, bulbs are somewhat pricy (~$350)

I had been doing tons of research on projectors and TV's and finally decided on the Optima DV10 DLP projector. The reviews I read on it were wonderful, and I found a nice deal on it at CompUSA for $999 with a free 92'' screen.

I got home and set the screen up immediately. My roommates and I turned off the lights, powered on the projector, popped in a DVD, and were blown away.

A picture quality so clear, it was like having a 92'' plasma screen at 1/10th the cost. The images were crisp and clear, colors were vibrant and bold, and we didn't even experience the 'burning plastic' smell that many others have warned about (common with new products that get 'warm').

The only downfalls for this setup is the lack of backlighting on the remote, this can make for some difficult moments, as I like to watch movies in a completely dark room (best for the picture anyway). However, this is easily fixed by simply getting a Harmony remote to control all the A/V stuff (highly recommended). Also, replacement bulbs are a bit expensive (~$350 a bulb), but this is fairly average for any projector and the DV10 has an average of 2000 hours per bulb, much better than most (usually around 1000 - 1500 hours on other, more expensive, projectors).

Our living room has 3 large windows in it, and while the screen was definately still visible with the mini-blinds closed, the picture is definately best in a very dark room.

As someone who has done a lot of research on projectors and TV's, this is an amazing value for the quality. I have noticed no DLP rainbows, no image tracking, and the whites and blacks are just as they should be.

This is a wonderful projector, and I would highly recommend to anyone currently looking at buying a very expensive HD Plasma or LED screen, to seriously consider this projector. The cost is much less, and the quality is just as good, if not better.

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  • 4
  By member: srsstvs - Apr 2, 2007

Worth every penny

Strengths: Crisp picture and color rendition

Weakness: Can't mount high to project

I don't watch TV a whole lot but LOVE movies. Before DVD was available I stock VHS movies and have over 1,000 movies. Later with DVD and copying softwares made available my DVD collections are rapidly climbing as well, of course I need a big screen to enjoy them!

All the reviews I read about were highly recommended, especially the black being close to true black and HD compatible. I don't use the built-in player, rather I hook up my Toshiba player, which can up convert to 720P and plays avi files, thru my Denon 7.1 system with component and optical connections. The result is astonishing!!

I especially like to watch music videos, concerts like Eagles or Andrea Bocelli are just unbelieveable! I use lower lumen, which gives longer bulb life, and have no problem seeing hairs, wrinkles, etc. details.

Selectable screen sizes let you always play the correct ratio, unlike some wide screen TVs just don't display correctly.

Not to mention the free 92" screen that came with it, well, I did have to wait for mail-in offer to get the screen 2 months later, but project movies on a blank wall was just as good, hardly noticed the difference.

The only complain I have is the projector has to be placed low like seating height. I want to fully take advantage of the screen size but my room isn't deep enough for sitting behind the projector, so the projector ended right next to me. Since the exhaust is located to the left of the machine, if someone sitting on that side will be constanly blown with hot air. Of course I knew the low position before I bought it, so not too upset about it. Just wish it could be mounted higher though.

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  • 5
  By member: ChickenMan120 - Jan 14, 2008

Outdoor Movies

Strengths: The throw distance is excellent, portable

Weakness: the front foot broke early on

We bought this projector for outdoor movies. The projector will work great on the side of our house (siding) We get reasonable pictures 10-15 feet high and 25-40 feet wide. The speakers broadcast over 150 feet back. We watched

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  • 4
  By member: Ryder123 - Apr 6, 2006

Optoma DV10

Strengths: Price, throw distance, out of the box picture quality, and portability.

Weakness: Huge amount of fixed lens shift. Picture bows at bit at the top on screens greater than 100in. Sound just okay.

I recently purchased this projector for my home theater room and could not be happier with the results. Picture quality is fantastic for an 854X480 projector. When viewing Dvd source material I think it actually rivals the higher resolution and more expensive projectors that my friends own.(Benq pe7700 and Sanyo Z3). Colors are rich and vibrant and the blacks are deep with no grey artifacts. I was able to get these results right out of the box without any adjustments. I have since used a calibration disc but the differences in picture quality were minimal. Had I known I wouldn't have wasted the hour doing the calibrations.

Another big plus is the short throw distance I'm getting a 106" picture from about 9 1/2 ft. which you will find is really impressive after you do a little projector research.
You can also pack it away quickly if your not using it, or if you decide you want to travel with it. I really liked the fact that I didn't have to have it in a fixed location in my theater room. No ceiling mounting or difficult positioning to deal with.

My only small complaint is the amount of fixed lens shift. You really do need to place the projector on the floor or on a really short table (no taller than 15 to 18 inches). Any taller than that and a quarter to half of the picture ends up on the ceiling of a typical 7 or 8ft wall. I also noticed that with all that lens shift you get a slight bow on the top ends of the picture on screens greater than 100". But if you set it up right on a screen with a black border you will barely notice.

I would recommend using a nice surround sound system with the projector. I ordered the D&K subwoofer that goes with the unit but with just the built in speakers and woofer it sounds a little weak. It's okay if you're traveling or visiting friends, but if you want that movie theater sound you'll have to use the optical out to plug into a higher quality 5.1 or better surround system. I have mine going into a 1200watt LG 5.1 system and it sounds great.

If your looking for a quality picture and portability, and if you don't want to spend a fortune I would highly recommend this projector. It's one of the few purchases I've made that have performed better than anticipated.

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Reply by member: mission2090
May 3, 2006

I will be using the projector in churches with audience size of 100-200. Do you think this is bright and loud enough. I will also take this into Central America mountains to show movies to natives.

  • 5
  By member: kperella - Aug 25, 2005

Optoma Technology MovieTime DV10 Digital Projector

Strengths: Bright picture and very portable. So easy to set up and turn on.

Weakness: Haven't found one yet

I orginally bought the Movietime to watch DVD's but found it does so much more. I listen to my Music CD's and connect the x-box to it. I've hooked up my dig camera recently and did a slide show for the family. They were so impressed!! I haven't hooked my laptop to it yet but I'm sure it will look good. This has changed the way I entertain all together. I'm looking forward to showing it off during my trip back home for the holidays.

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Reply by member: lilmikey1982
Mar 12, 2006

I had been doing tons of research on projectors and TV's and finally decided on the Optima DV10 DLP projector. The reviews I read on it were wonderful, and I found a nice deal on it at CompUSA for $999 with a free 92'' screen.

I got home and set the screen up immediately. My roommates and I turned off the lights, powered on the projector, popped in a DVD, and were blown away.

A picture quality so clear, it was like having a 92'' plasma screen at 1/10th the cost. The images were crisp and clear, colors were vibrant and bold, and we didn't even experience the 'burning plastic' smell that many others have warned about (common with new products that get 'warm').

The only downfalls for this setup is the lack of backlighting on the remote, this can make for some difficult moments, as I like to watch movies in a completely dark room (best for the picture anyway). However, this is easily fixed by simply getting a Harmony remote to control all the A/V stuff (highly recommended).

Our living room has 3 large windows in it, and while the screen was definately still visible with the mini-blinds closed, the picture is definately best in a very dark room.

As someone who has done a lot of research on projectors and TV's, this is an amazing value for the quality. I have noticed no DLP rainbows, no image tracking, and the whites and blacks are just as they should be.

This is a wonderful projector, and I would highly recommend to anyone currently looking at buying a very expensive HD Plasma or LED screen, to seriously consider this projector. The cost is much less, and the quality is just as good, if not better.

Reply by member: zeakat
Mar 26, 2008

hi
i read your posting with interest
i have an unusual situation where i would need to position the projector high up, almost out of reach making dvd inserts a stretch...i know this defeats the compact benefits but do you know if there is a model with a separate dvd box. i look forward to hearing from you. ta

  • 5
  By member: booley - Sep 15, 2005

REVOLUTIONARY OPTOMA MOVIETIME PROJECTOR

Strengths: Handsome space age design as well as top functionality.

Weakness: That it wasn't invented sooner and that it isn't in stores yet.

We have had several days to try out the exciting new Optoma Movietime Video Projector and have even visited a few friends at home. From a picture size of six feet to over fifteen feet, the quality was fantastic. A thrill was showing the fifteen foot image on the white wall above a fireplace in a room with a vaulted ceiling. Just plugging the projector into the wall outlet and putting it on a chair turned the room into a true home theater. The built in sound system and speakers were more than enough for enjoyment. I also feel that the built in DVD player adds to the exceptional picture quality because there are not wired or analog connections to introduce loss...you get direct digital perfection.
The contrast (deep blacks) on this machine are as good as any I have ever seen. The color saturation (rich reds, blues, etc) is so intense that colors literally sparkle like they do on Plasma screens much smaller.
The sharpness is excellent. You can even place this machine on the floor and still have proper viewing area height. They have designed the lens so that you don't have to be far back to get big pictures. For example, only six feet back will produce a six foot picture. Worried about having to have a darkened room? That will always give the best picture, but this unit has so much brightness (even on the bulb saving mode!) that you can enjoy video with normal brightness in the room. This was not possible with low light output projectors of the past. And it is whisper quiet, so you don't hear it running. The user menus are very straightforward and easy to navigate. Right out of the box, without any tweaking or adjustments we had a GREAT picture and perfect performance. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to automatically turn off the subtitles on DVD's. I can do this with the flick of a switch, but I may call Optoma on that question.
Another great experience was plugging in the cable TV box. High definition quality without paying high definition prices. And then connecting our camcorder into it...DVD quality pictures that we had just taken at the Media Super Sunday and at area restaurants singing and enjoying Anna's birthday. Even the dark scenes look good because this projector has a special circuit (new technology) to boost contrast in dark scenes.
Did I tell you about the beautiful carrying case included? It is padded for protection, very rugged, and looks embroidered with big "MOVIETIME" logo printed in. It will hold everything you need including remote, power cable, instruction manual, and accessory plugs. Has a velcro strip to secure projector from moving inside.
The projector has so many nice controls on the topside that you can forget the remote control and still do most functions.
Does this sound like they have thought of everything? Well, they HAVE. And read the effusive professional and user reviews on this machine and read the few user opinions here and you will know that Optoma also thought of just about everything when designing the machine that will change the scope of home theater.
We just tested the machine in our basement on our old crank down beaded screen. We got a fourteen foot (!) wide picture with the full eight foot height from floor to ceiling. Thrilling, as we watched "The Aviator" and were totally immersed in the screen experience. Sharp, vivid, and engulfing with the projector sitting on the floor. We did add a cheapie Radio Shack subwoofer/surround sound unit (on sale for half price at 49.95) to add the deep bass needed for the Dolby Digital Sound.
If you have been thinking of buying a new TV or getting into home theater....think no longer. This unit has only been out a month, but I have researched every available professional article, every post written on forums about audio-visual by users, and all are raving about this great new machine. It has a full warranty for a year and is backed up with excellent customer service.
To see this machine pictured from every angle and a lot more information about it, go to:

www.ausmedia.com.au/Op...

Note that this is an Australian web site, so pay no attention to the high prices quoted.
Finally, here are my first thoughts on this machine, after removing it from the box:

Weighing only seven pounds and taking up less space than a portable typewriter, this machine is revolutionary and will add new meaning to my new pet phrase "Have Projector Will Travel".

THE MIND BLOWING OPTOMA MOVIETIME DV 10 PROJECTOR!

My wife had to tell me to calm down after I unpacked the Optoma Movietime DV 10 that just arrived. I was acting like an excited kid, and why not with all that was hitting my eyes...like a beautiful shipping box with crystal clear photos and information, a very impressive and useful carrying case, and the actual machine-which looked smaller than I had imagined and a real eye catcher like a neat foreign car. A fine looking and versatile remote control, an easy to read user manual and other accessories rounded out the package.

I placed it on the coffee table near my Sharp XV-Z900 that sits at the rear of the room (now in its third year of use and on a second bulb), plugged it in and pressed the on button. I knew immediately from the Optoma start graphic that I was in for a treat. You simply pop a DVD into the top lid and close and it starts playing without any command. I began with Toy Story 2. Vivid and crystal clear. Then an old Sinatra favorite film, "Pal Joey" which looked nicer than I remembered. Then the Jerry Lewis "Nutty Professor" that has reds, blues and purples in the opening scene that are so intense that your eyes feel like your mouth does when eating a great piece of pepperoni pizza.

BUT the exciting test was "Lost In Space", because this is where the finer picture qualities were evident. I was quite used to seeing this on my Sharp, as it was my favorite demo for sound and action when people came to see our home theater set up. I was not prepared for what followed and I started jumping around (Anna said "calm down" two more times...but she was jumping up and down by then herself!). The gray frame bars I saw in the past were dark black and almost imperceptible on my Stewart Grayhawk 8 foot diagonal screen (BTW, the projector was only eight feet from the screen and filled it!). The jet blacks in outer space were awesome and the intensity and color of the sharp, noise free images were nothing less than exciting. Even the sound was damn good (no subwoofer hooked up yet) considering it was coming out of two small stereo speakers built into the Movietime. I had the video set to "Game", which is one of five pre-set choices and that seemed to give the most punch. I noticed that the brightness was only about forty percent up on this setting and it was plenty bright. I raised the picture to shine on our white plaster ceiling and believe it or not that looked even better.

I am sitting here still in my bathrobe and have much more testing and comparing to do and will report again. In the meantime, I say "look out" to the other projector manufacturers. This Optoma beauty is going to raise the bar for home theater and portable home theater tremendously!
PS. A sexy feature I liked is how the volume drops and then SLOWLY comes back up when you make any adjustments on the machine.

PPS. These sell for around $1,500.00...far less than most rear projection TVs and far superior. The folks at Best Buy and Circuit City won't point you in the direction of this projectors and others like it because their profit margin is very low on these.
For the technically minded, some important specs:
Uses the latest Texas Instruments DLP chip, the Dark Chip2
Contrast Ratio: 4000 to 1
ANSI Brightness: 1000 lumens
Lamp Life (200 watt bulb): 3000 hours in econo mode
Aspect Ratio: 16 x 9 native
Resolution: SVGA (854 x 480)
Speakers: Two five watt stereo
Color Wheel: 7 segment (including white); 4x speed
Noise level: 27db
Image size: 48 to 359 inches
Dimensions: 14.5 x 4.6 x 10.7
Weight: 7.8 lbs.
Warranty: 3 years


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  • 4
  By member: dhishi - Jul 7, 2006

Optoma Technology MovieTime DV10 DLP Projector w/...

Strengths: Good picture quality. Low fan noise. Reasonably priced

Weakness: DVD player cannot play all DVDs. Cannot play Dual Layers. HD compatible but does not have the full 800 x 600 resolution for HDTV

Product comes with DVD player and speakers. Speakers sound excellent but not good enough for a theatre like experience. Picture quality is almost theatre like experience. The 4000:1 contrast gives rich black colors. Low fan noise.

My complaints are :
1)DVD player is quite picky on the disk played especially if you use recordable DVDs. Has problems reading Dual Layers.
2)Table mount model. You cannot mount it on the ceiling at all. I find this very cumbersome to have something sitting on a coffee table.
3)Component Video conection is through VGA.
4)Replacement bulbs are expensive like all projectors.

For the price with a free 92" screen and subwoofer makes this a cheap projector. The only problem is the screen is not translucent which means you cannot do rear projection.

If you are an audiophile you are better off spending a little more for a better projector.

Like I said earlier, for the price this is well worth a projector for general use.

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  • 5
  By anonymous - Jul 1, 2008

Amazing !!!

Strengths: Excellent pictures even at daytime, mind blowing at night-time. Noiseless. Easy to use. Quality storage case. Portable, you can turn any wall into a screen at ambient lightening. No wiring needed.

Weakness: High throw angle but no problem at all when you are used to the adjustment.

This is a very under-rated projector either from ignorance or commercial interest. Like the Hyundai vercruz SUV which offers more at lower cost compared to Honda Pilot, Lexus, Infinity and other prizy SUVs, you need to personally try this projector or rely on reviews by users to know about its performance. Do not rely heavily on expert reviews. It is not widely advertised like the mainstream projectors but performs far and above more expensive projectors.
This a very versilte projector at its best.I do not think it is available anymore. I do not know how good the newer DV 11 is. I got my DV 10 from circuit city on sale for $499 in 2007 with a free 92" screen and subwoover that gives a surround like effect. Priceless bargain. Has been my best purchase so far.

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  • 5
  By member: HilemonC - Feb 11, 2007

Wow! Great Projector for Home Use

Strengths: Built-in DVD player; built-in stereo speakers; video connectivity options; picture quality

Weakness: Audio-out connectivity options

As the title states, my initial impression after seeing the DV10 for the first time was that it looked like a toy. However, after using it for 2 1/2 months, I am happy to say that looks are deceiving.

The DV10 picture is optimized for watching DVDs, and they look great! However, the DV10 can do more than just play movies with its built-in DVD player. It comes with built-in composite and D-sub 15 (VGA) ports as well as an adaptor that converts component video to VGA. Hooking up your Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii for some big-screen multi-player action is a piece of cake!

Accessories included a carrying case, remote control, and composite a/v cable. All of the accessories seem to be high-quality. The carrying case, in particular, is made from very high quality materials.

My only complaint about the DV10 is its audio-out connectivity options. It comes with composite audio-in ports. However, there are no composite audio-out ports. It does have an optical audio-out and PC-style stereo audio-out port. These work fine, but I would have preferred the composite ports.

Overall, this is a great projector. I am very pleased.

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  • 4
  By member: rsast - Dec 6, 2006

Optoma Technology MovieTime DV10 DLP Projector with...

Strengths: Crisp color, inbuilt DVD player and speakers, optical connection for audio.

Weakness: Wish it had more inputs like a/v, USB etc. (the component is through the VGA). Also wish they give at least a VGA cable to connect the computer. (Its not supplied with US model).

This is my first projector and its really good and I am very impressed with the quality. The sound made by projector is low and the quality of the inbuilt speakers is pretty good. Its easy to carry around and you don't really need a screen - just project on any wall. All in all excellent value for money.

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  • 4
  By member: xid4 - Dec 5, 2006

MovieTime DV10

Strengths: contrast is very good, makes beutiful color

Weakness: low resolution and gives off too much heat

When you use its DVD player, you can not use ear phone or output the audio signal. The navigation control is not easy to use. It gave off a lot of heat, and like a stove.
But it also makes a beautiful picture, however low resolution is also a problem.

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  • 4
  By member: jciron - Nov 29, 2006

Simplicity

Strengths: Built in DVD, Widescreen

Weakness: contrast and brightnes are so so

At the native resolution, it does it's job of being a big screen dvd player. However, when it comes to presentation and pc application, there is more to be desired. If you can spare and extra 500usd, take a look at Optoma ep1690 for a more versatile, yet portable projector.

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  • 4
  By member: schneiderdriver - Nov 26, 2006

Great unit overall

Strengths: DVD player built in.

Weakness: Unit is nearly dead in the water when the remote goes bad, but that is true of most modern electronic equipment.

I love my DV10. Unfortunately, the remote went bad a couple months after I got it. I'm now forced to fast forward, VCR style, through a movie to get to the point where I fell asleep on it the night before. There is very limited functionality without the remote. It will be covered under warranty, but the new remote is $160 if I had to buy it.

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  • 4
  By member: nonousa1970 - Jul 13, 2006

Movietime DV10 Prjector

Strengths: Light, compact, great picture, great sound

Weakness: No ceiling mount option?

This projector has great picture quality for the price, great sound for a stand alone unit that small and is very easy to use. The only option I did not really research was the possibility of a ceiling mount, but obviously this unit is not intended for such use.
Great for home use and the kids loved watching star wars on a 10ft screen.

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  • 3.0
  reviewgist.com - Dec 14, 2009

Best Rated Projector with Contrast Ratio 4000:1

Picture is Good according to 7 Projector experts. -- "Onboard deinterlacing is very good; 480i material either from the integrated DVD player or external video sources is displayed with very few artifacts."-projectorcentral.com -- "solid video processing"-review.zdnet.com -- "accurate image reproduction"-pcmag.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Setup, Handling,...

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  • 3.7
  testseek.com - Oct 31, 2008

Optoma DV10

Testseek.com has collected 18 expert reviews for Optoma DV10 and the average expert rating is 74 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

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  • 0.8
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Jul 16, 2008

Optoma DV10

Optoma DV10 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 0.64 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #563 computer monitor of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a product's...

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  • 4.5
  projectorcentral.com - Aug 4, 2005

Optoma MovieTime DV10 - Portable Home Entertainment System

Optoma has designed a projector that both the first-time buyer and the experienced projector user can enjoy. It is light, bright, portable, and produces a great image, comparable to Optoma's H31 or other high quality 480p projectors. With the integrated DVD player, wiring is kept to a minimum, and the projector can be packed away in its included carrying case when not in use. If you are...

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