Home Studio
This is simultaneously a very nice little projector...and an extremely disappointing one. On the plus side, a razor sharp picture perfect for text-heavy presentations, very good brightness even in a room with some ambient light, and decent (if unexceptional) sound output. Additionally, the fan is surprisingly quiet, and the projector even comes with a handy carrying case. Note, too, that this projector has been optimized for business use rather that a home theater application (it will work for the latter, but other choices might be better). The downside, though, is pretty much a deal breaker for me. This projector does NOT support input from a USB thumb drive (or any other USB connection). In checking with Optoma, I learned that this is by design. The USB port is there ONLY to supply power for a device that might need it, but does not have actual reading capabilities. This is baffling to me; why make a portable projector that eliminates the handiest and most portable input source? I have "toy" projectors (under $50) that I use for Halloween decoration, and they all support USB input...so it cant be an expensive feature to add or support. Ill additionally note that Id hoped this projector would replace another high-dollar model I have that didnt support USB input. In other words, for me the main value was going to come from the USB function. Neither can you plug a smartphone or tablet directly into this projector, although it becomes theoretically possible with an additional $50 adapter. In a nutshell, if you intend to use this for presentations of any kind youll need to hook it to a computer instead of an easier to carry source. HDMI input worked fine; I added an Amazon firestick and the picture was great, with no stuttering when dealing with high def content. Plugging headphones or an audio cord into the audio out port automatically cuts off the internal speaker, as it should. Bottom line: this MIGHT be a very good projector for those who wont ever need USB or iOS/Android input, as I found no flaws other than that. But I cant give more than 2 stars for a projector in this price range that lacks such basic capabilities. ***update**** I ordered a digital media player (the Micca Speck) in order to input from a USB drive or memory card, and output HDMI to the Optoma. AND...it doesnt work. The adapter works on two other video projectors flawlessly (one of which cost only $60) so the problem is obviously in the projector itself. Seriously, it seems like Optoma has put a lot of time and effort into making sure this projector has as little connectivity as possible. Owing to the fact that Im now out another $40 and still cant salvage this projector for its intended use, Ive lowered my 2 star rating to 1 star.