Introduction

One of the difficulties in writing a series about affordable front projectors is deciding what constitutes “affordable.” A few years ago, that would have meant anything under $5,000 for a 1080p projector. But advances in technology, manufacturing efficiency and market demand have caused the prices of entry-level front projectors to plummet. Soon a 1080p front projector could be had for $3,000; only a year later there were $2,000 (street price) projectors that put out a surprisingly good picture. Surely $2,000 was the floor for a 1080p projector?

Don’t call me Shirley. Optoma, known for both its business and home theater line of projectors, has thrown down the gauntlet with the new HD20, a full 1080p front projector priced at $999. Let me repeat that: $999. You can’t even buy a 50 inch flat screen for under a thousand dollars. How could anyone possibly make a front projector that looks half-way decent for under a grand?

Read on.