Unboxing and Initial Impressions: Optoma HD29Darbee Full HD Projector 3200 ANSI Lumens

frankmehta

Active Member
Joined
May 23, 2010
Messages
173
Points
28
Location
Mumbai, India
I have just moved into a rental apartment at Peddar Road and it was a very quick decision, hence didn't have much time or finances to plan the AV of the house.
The hall is a large, airy, well lit room with windows on all sides and lots of day light coming in. There was a 40 inch Samsung Series 6 TV already installed in the house which was semi-furnished, and we were viewing it from a distance of around 15 feet. I was itching for an upgrade, but somehow I didn't have that on my list of priorities, due to a lot of other expenses.
I was mulling a larger TV owing to the lighting conditions of the hall, but then I realized that we never end up watching TV during the day and hence started playing with the possibilities of having a projector. I kept browing WhatHiFi! and AVSForum every day, looking for signs from God to take the plunge. Also, kept browsing Amazon and thought about the cheaper LED projectors, but the heart didn't agree on closing the deal on a childhood dream in a compromise. Dropped plans since a high end setup would require good installation and this, being a rental house, was not willing to splurge on the ancillaries.
Come, last week and I noticed that the TV started blinking and throwing out messed up colours. Shook the HDMI cable, and there was an improvement, but one had to hold the cable in place for the changes to stick. SIGN FROM GOD!
Immediately went to AVS and the FIRST post I read, mentioned something about the HD29Darbee being sold at a once in a lifetime price. Went to Amazon and clicked on the India shipping option. I would end up paying MORE THAN HALF the cost of the projector in shipping and duties, but as I said, this was a heart decision, and the mind doesn't have a say in such things.
Clicked the order button on the 22nd, and the wait began!
I did the PROJECTOR DISTANCE calculation AFTER I bought the Projector, since I was not aware that one needs to calculate all of that before buying a particular model. Luckily, my hall dimensions were forgiving enough and after all the math, I ended up getting around 85 inches of diagonal width on one of the walls. I was pretty disappointed, but this would be double of what I had, and that was the solace.
I looked around for screens, and almost ended up getting the Elite Manual B series 7 ft by 4 ft model. Lucky enough, I measured the wall, and realized I didn't have a full 7 ft.
Went to Lamington Road and started looking around. Realized that it's a large market and people are very uninformed about Screen quality and gain etc, but are only out to empty their stock. Luckily, I ended up at the right place and the right time. Long story short, I bought a High Gain Autolock screen from a reputed brand called Milan and I was very happy with their quality and the feel of the fabric. What reassured me was the availability of High gain and low gain fabric in the same model. I got a 6 ft by 4 ft model and installed it the next day.
This is how it looked.
IMG_20181124_162207.jpg
I was super excited about the projector and kept tracking it hourly, on Aramex and Amazon, and you won't believe my excitement when I finally managed to get my hands on it.
Here are some pictures of the unboxing.
IMG_20181128_132102.jpgIMG_20181128_132406.jpgIMG_20181128_132739.jpgIMG_20181128_132743.jpgIMG_20181128_132830.jpgIMG_20181128_132924.jpgIMG_20181128_133054.jpgIMG_20181128_133123.jpgIMG_20181128_133232.jpg


The package included a lovely bag, and this came as a surprise, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the package contents. I was actually going to buy one and keep, in advance, but didn't manage to get the time.
Everything was pristine and packed so well, and the quality of the components OOZED class. I was very happy to finally realize my childhood dream of owning a Projector and with a teary eye, I managed to get the unboxing done.



Initial impressions and some more details in the next post...
 
Come, last week and I noticed that the TV started blinking and throwing out messed up colours. Shook the HDMI cable, and there was an improvement, but one had to hold the cable in place for the changes to stick. SIGN FROM GOD!
Immediately went to AVS and the FIRST post I read, mentioned something about the HD29Darbee being sold at a once in a lifetime price. Went to Amazon and clicked on the India shipping option. I would end up paying MORE THAN HALF the cost of the projector in shipping and duties, but as I said, this was a heart decision, and the mind doesn't have a say in such things.
Clicked the order button on the 22nd, and the wait began!

Congrats on your new projector.. Plz share details on how much you spent on the product, shipping & duties if any..

Hope you plan to mount it to ceiling..

Long story short, I bought a High Gain Autolock screen from a reputed brand called Milan and I was very happy with their quality and the feel of the fabric. What reassured me was the availability of High gain and low gain fabric in the same model. I got a 6 ft by 4 ft model and installed it the next day.

Usually, the pull down screen material is vinyl (the budget ones).. Nice to see you got them with fabric.. Would you share a closer picture (macro shot) of the screen with the projector switched off, also the cost of the screen..
 
Congrats on your new projector.. Plz share details on how much you spent on the product, shipping & duties if any..

Hope you plan to mount it to ceiling..



Usually, the pull down screen material is vinyl (the budget ones).. Nice to see you got them with fabric.. Would you share a closer picture (macro shot) of the screen with the projector switched off, also the cost of the screen..


I wish to mount it on the ceiling, but as I mentioned, conditions are not very susceptible to a fixed install. There's a fan and a lamp on the ceiling. Also, everything will look off-centre if the mount is placed somewhere where the picture is optimal. The other issue is the placement of the wiring and power point. It's complicated!
About the fabric, I think it's called a Fabric screen but the cloth is like a Vinyl only.
I will share pic of the screen soon.


Meanwhile, HAVE A LOOK AT HOW STELLAR this projector looks in bright daylight. Attached pic of windows and how close they are and how bright it is, for reference.

IMG_20181130_143530.jpgIMG_20181130_143526.jpgIMG_20181130_143439.jpgIMG_20181130_143432.jpg


Some pics of the screen alone, in it's full glory.
IMG_20181128_101034.jpgIMG_20181128_101033.jpgIMG_20181128_101019.jpg


And here are a couple of night time shots
IMG_20181129_230244.jpg
IMG_20181129_230208.jpg
 
How much screen cost?
Rs. 4200


I just tried my hand at Calibration yesterday, and used the Windows Colour Management and Windows Calibration tools, since my primary source is my desktop PC.
I couldn't believe my eyes at what this projector can do. YESTERDAY, after calibration I realized that this Projector Screen combo is probably the best decision I have taken.
I used the Darbee settings on High Def Mode and use the Reference mode as the base for Calibration.
The Black levels, the legitimacy of colours and the wholly natural reproduction of the picture without adding any Soap Opera- type Effects that modern day TVs add, makes this one of the best possible contender for a large-ish screen that can replace a TV and can be viewed in Ambient light.
 
The Marantz PM7000N offers big, spacious and insightful sound, class-leading clarity and a solid streaming platform in a award winning package.
Back
Top