The Optoma UHZ65UST is an award winning projector, a native 4K design but not just any native 4K projector, its laser rather than lamp driven and is a shirt throw design, making it both impressive in spec and convenient in daily usage, but is it any good? We’ve spent considerable time with one in our showroom and hope this blog will be a useful guide to its features and what in our opinion makes it so special and may explain why its currently our best selling projector.
With native 4K UHD resolution, laser technology, cinematic colour and a plethora of smart features, this projector may just make you want to replace your TV rather than need to consider having both a TV for daily viewing and projector for that sense of occasion. This does both well, its that good.
What is a short throw projector?
For those of you who are new to the concept, a short-throw projector essentially means that it can be placed very close to the screen, below it rather than in front of it. As such, this design saves you the need to install ceiling brackets, route cables around the room, etc. Instead, a short throw projector can simply be placed under the screen.
As a bonus, this model also features a very decent sounding soundbar on the front, making it incredibly convenient for those of you who want a simple one-box solution (we expect many of you will want to use full home cinema speaker setups, but the options there to use it on its own should you wish even if this is only for casual viewing with a separate speaker system of course optional and in many cases preferred when you want to dim the lights and watch a movie or series with the sense of occasion a projector offers).
Is the Optoma UHZ65UST really a TV killer?
It isnt just the convenience of the short throw design that may prompt you to replace your TV, the Optoma UHZ65UST is also very impressive in daylight settings. Obviously in most cases you need to dim the room to enjoy projected images but the laser light source is very bright and when partnered with a suitable screen the performance in a non-darkened room is very impressive indeed.
The screen we recommend using with this model is the Grandview ALR screen which is a next-gen screen designed to deliver images that pop in daylight settings. Available in 100″ or 120″ sizes, in many cases the 100″ is the model of choice thanks to the benefit of the fresnel lens (only available on that size) for even better images in daylight, either model still offers a much better image in non-darkened rooms over a more traditional screen fabric design.
Of course such a setup (along with the aformentioned fitted soundbar) gives you the option to simply turn it on and enjoy huge images for normal viewing making it a hugely impressive proposition.
Native 4K Projection
Of course at this end of the market on price, many projectors that market their 4K abilities are “4K enhanced” rather than native 4K but this projector ticks every box for the features you’d dream of in a well priced projector – along with laser light source and short throw placement, it delivers fully native 4K images so you can enjoy every detail and every nuance of streamer 4K sources or 4K UHD blu ray discs. The other native projectors we sell – while they may be better suited to dedicated cinema rooms, cost many times if not at least double what this model does and a native 4K projector with laser light source is usually 3-4 times as expensive, again making this model incredible value for money.
Vivid Colours
Along with native 4K resolution, of course colours really pop and look even more lifelike and accurate thanks to its enhanced colour abilities. For movies, animations, gaming and TV shows the colours pop with amazing vibrancy and are accurately reproduced just like what you see in the cinema.
Laser Technology
As mentioned, unlike most projectors which deliver their brightness from a lamp, Optoma UHZ65UST uses laser technology to project the image which offers superior brightness. Since lamps need replacing after a certain amount of hours, laser illumination proves itself to be far more efficient. Boasting an impressive 30,000 hours of light, this innovative technology ensure a consistently bright and beautifully coloured performance to be enjoyed for years.
Excellent audio quality
You may not have expected it (and the quality of the image is really while you’re here isnt it?) but the built in soundbar isn’t only convenient, it also sounds pretty impressive as well. Designed in conjunction with Nuforce who know a thing or two about great sound quality, it features separate bass and high-frequency drivers for a two-channel sound performance with excellent bass extension along with excellent reproduction of multi channel soundtracks thanks to a design that can also deliver an enveloping and impressive 360 degree sound.
Image Enhancing Features
The features are endless with this projector, with Optoma paying close attention to the quality of the image for every variable. An incredibly eloquent frame-interpolation technology called PureMotion makes even high-speed action scenes appear crystal clear without blurring and judder. Also, even if the image projected is slightly wonky, the Optoma UHZ65UST has four corner correction to adjust the image to make it perfectly square. Even better, it is fully 3D for an even more exciting viewing experience.
Smart Features
The Optoma UHZ65UST projector features a plethora of connectivity options for a smart home use. It has Wifi, Bluetooth and is voice control compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, letting you connect your Amazon Echo or Google Home devices and take control with your voice. To make things even simpler, you can play movies stored on a USB stick without having to connect to your laptop or computers.
Features and adjustability are also excellent meaning you can calibrate it to deliver stunning images with colours that pop and it will really challenge you to consider whether you really need a TV when this projector delivers such stunning images in darkened or well lit rooms – especially when partnered with the aformentioned Grandview ALR screens.
Optoma UHZ65UST is an award-winning projector, not just because of its quality but for how well it performs. It’s extremely reliable, consistent and offers a lot of features comparatively for the money. For a further look at this Optoma projector, read more on Optoma’s website or view this model on our main website.