Optoma's 1080p preemptive strike

Philip Wong | Aug 04, 2006

There's a new contender for the supersized 1080p crown held currently by the Sony Ruby. Making its impending debut in Singapore is Optoma's CES-announced HD81 DLP home theater light cannon. This two-piece projector/processor system employs a new Texas Instrument DarkChip 3 engine, which is further enhanced with comprehensive hardware and software sub-systems. These range from a Gennum VXP scalar to a "studio-grade" color-management system and Imaging Science Foundation-certified picture modes.

This truly next-gen display also offers a colossal collection of connectivity options with four component-video sockets and three HDMI terminals. That’s up to seven HD-compatible inputs to go with every imaginable A/V boxes out in the market, though you will probably have to empty a substantial portion of your bank account to use up all the HD81's shiny jacks.

The HD81 will be launched on August 11 during the International Sound and Sight Exhibition 2006 held at Le Meridien hotel, Singapore. The pricing of the set is pending finalization and was not available at press time.