My Big Fat Review
My New Baby the EP 727.
My Optoma EP 716 finally died after 4,800 hours of loyal service, almost 2,000 more hours then it's rated for. I was very happy with my EP 716 so the obvious choice was another Optoma. What really got me to buy the EP 727 though was it's specs. Some basic things right off the bat that made it better than my old 716 were the 727's 2,200 lumes compared to the 716's 1,800 lumes. It's also lighter and sleeker looking then the 716. What really stands out though is that the EP 727 is XGA with a native resolution of 1,024x768 far superior to the 716's SVGA 800x600. Also the 727 supports 720p, 1080i, just like the 716 and additionally 576i and 576p. Plus the the 727 comes with a DVI (HDCP) input and the standard s-video and vga inputs. Of course the image difference was noticeable right away on my xbox 360, far superior to what it had been with the 716. I didn't really notice a difference from my media PC until I upgraded my video card to a Radeon HD 3850 and hooked up a dual DVI cable. Quite a difference compared to my old setup. HD movies look really good, I even had the chance to hook up a borrowed PS3 and watch the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray. One word: Amazing! The quality was incredibly crisp and vivid, although the color was overly red an easy correction in the setup. For the price the 727 is a great buy for a Home Entertainment setup. The only issue I've had with the 727 is overheating after several hours of use (over 8 usually), I guess this is not suprising, but it's an issue I didn't have with the 716. It's a minor issue really, that only effects the projector on restarting right after it's turned off. I'm hoping the heat issue doesn't effect the bulb life span and I can get the same hours of usage out of the 727 that I got out my 716.
UPDATE 01/03/10 - For some unknown reason my EP 727 died after one year and two months. Just past the warranty. Very disappointing. The good news is it has been replaced by the Optoma HD65.