Optoma UHD40
£1199
FOR
Punchy colours; insightful detail; smooth motion; solid upscaler
AGAINST
Black detail could be better
If you’re looking for a top-class projector, the two technologies you want are Ultra HD resolution and High Dynamic Range. Just a few years ago, projectors like that would have cost many thousands of pounds. But now, devices such as Optoma’s UHD40 can bring you those technologies for less.
The UHD40 certainly looks the part. Weighing in at 5kg, it is small enough to fit on any sized table. On the top are controls for zoom and focus, while at the back, you’ll find all the connections, including two HDMI ports (one marked ‘4K’) and a USB Type A connection so you can power streaming sticks.
The UHD40 has a couple of speakers, driven by 5W of power, but you should use them only if absolutely necessary, otherwise the sound quality won’t match your picture.
Switching between inputs is simple with Optoma’s remote control. The button layout is straightforward, with the inputs along the bottom and a backlight that turns on with each press.
Giving this projector its 4K capabilities is a 12mm chip that, while not natively 4K, works in conjunction with two million microscopic mirrors to put the full 8.3 million pixels on screen. While some might prefer native 4K projectors, this technology does allow for less expensive products to get Ultra HD resolutions. But the UHD40 isn’t capable of recreating the entire colour space, so while it can accept HDR content, it’s unable fully to show off the true range of colours available on the source.
Slow burner
Switching between SDR and HDR modes is done automatically, and there is also a conversion mode which adapts SDR content to HDR. While it works better than we’ve seen on other projectors, it’s not necessarily the best option. With it on, the picture is richer with punchier colours, but skin tones look a bit burned.
All this is translated onto your screen using the UHD40’S 2400 lumen lamp, which Optoma says has a lifespan of around 4000 hours on its maximum settings. The company also says the UHD40 has contrast ratio of 500,000:1 – a figure that, on paper, looks good. Using a Denon AVR-X6400H AV receiver and Cambridge CXUHD for our source, we begin by playing Blue Planet II on Ultra HD Blu-ray. From the moment the logo appears on screen, we’re met with a positively punchy image. The deep, rich blues of the ocean stand out well against the dark black background. As the camera moves over the Great Barrier Reef, the sprinkling of greenery – trees and shrubs and earth – on the mountains are diverse and delicate. The UHD40 doesn’t skimp on the detail either. As a crab scuttles across the sandy ocean floor, it renders tiny grains and rocks to give you a detailed image. Flecks of coral floating in the water are distinct without being distracting.
Switching to the final climactic fight scene in Wonder Woman, we test out the UHD40’S handling of darkness and are pleasantly surprised by its depth. We turn on the Dynamic Black mode – an adaptive contrast setting for low light – and the results are impressive, with a distinct difference between Wonder Woman’s black hair and the murky night. The way the light falls across her face is quite nuanced.
Our one criticism here might be that other (pricier) projectors handle black details a little better, but the Optoma UHD40 is a projector that brings top-tier technology to a lower price bracket – and implements it well. Colours are vivid, yet realistic; there’s lashings of detail; and motion remains silky smooth. There’s no other way to say it: the Optoma UHD40 is a simply outstanding budget projector.