For those of us who’ve been covering front projectors for a while, it’s still surprising that you can get a credible 1080p model for less than $1,000. The DLP-based Optoma HD20 is physically small, and weighs just over 6 pounds, making it easily portable, which makes it perfect for those who won’t be permanently mounting it, or who are willing to share it with other family members, such as kids into videogames. While black level falls well short of ideal, images are very detailed, with satisfying color and better shadow detail than you might expect. Just remember that like most other inexpensive DLP models, it's subject to rainbows and lacks a lens shift, and the fan on this model is a bit noisier than most. It does have a less severe offset than many Optoma projectors, so it may work in rooms where other models from the company won’t.
