The recent CES announcement of the ultra-High Definition Optoma HD81 rekindled our interest in DLP projectors after many months of sluggish development. While our call to the Singapore distributor on the availability of the HD81 proved futile, we were nonetheless excited upon receiving news of Optoma's latest 720p offering. Better late than never, the arrival of the HD72i is welcome news for DLP advocates frustrated with a dated lineup, unlike the LCD camp.

Upside: The Taiwanese manufacturer has its sights set on fashion-conscious iPod wannabes with the HD72i's glossy and curvy shell. Clad in white and lined with shimmering silver trimmings, buttons and focus ring, this eye-catching projector exudes class rivaling some of the best-designed light beamers in the market. Size-wise, the projector has also undergone a slimming program, spotting a sleeker 94 x 344 x 246mm dimension and a lighter 3.2kg weight.

With the exception of a European-oriented SCART connector, the HD72i is loaded with just about any video socket commonly deployed in Asia. They include the standard composite video and S-video sockets plus High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)-compatible DVI and HDMI terminals. The latter two video inputs allow direct digital interface for a lossless video transmission ideal for high-performance playback.

If performance is of utmost importance, Optoma's high 5,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,300 ANSI lumen brightness should be of interest to you. As a matter of fact, these figures are one of the highest in its class and exceed those of its flagship S$12,999 Optoma H79. If that is not enough to whet your appetite, the "I" version available in Asia is also equipped with a videophile-grade DCDi deinterlace chip renowned for eradicating jaggies for smooth film-like picture quality.

Downside: Unlike its latest 720p LCD rivals, the HD72i still does not offer any built-in lens shift capabilities for off-axis projector installation. In its place, there is the basic digital keystone adjustment which gets the job done, but at the expense of imagine quality--a handicap which negates the various picture enhancement functions found on this Optoma.

Outlook: Just like the new Dual Iris-equipped LCD projectors, the order for the day seems to be optimizing contrast ratio performance. Priced at S$4,299, the Optoma HD72i topples the all-time favorite BenQ PE7700 in affordability, though only by a very small margin which pales in contrast to the hefty price cut garnered by the LCDs.