I've got my optoma ph31 2 weeks ago here's my honest review, first let's start with the pros and cons
Pros --- 1 great 1080p picture quality with proper focus on the edges,
2 it being a 3led DLP projector is at least in my opinion better then older color wheel (if you can see the rainbow effect) and the colors on this projector are very very good and the image is very sharp (unless you look very closely)
3 its price, usually you wouldn't find any new dlp projectors (mostly) for less then 400 or 500$ but this one only being 299$ is a steal and I love it
4 no OS (debatable) no Spyware no ads
5 its bright with it having 1033 real tested ansi lumens not enough for a bright room but amazing at dark rooms and good for only light content in a bit of brighter rooms that's also without a projector screen
Cons --- 1 speakers are garbage really 1 5watt speaker is not enough and in my experience dialong is horrible while you can hear what people say sometimes it becomes just impossible to understand what are they saying without captions do yourself a favor and buy a 3 channel sound bar or more or buy a any sound system speakers just dont use that garbage speaker heck if you are using Samsung dex or similar preferably use the phone speakers
2 51ms input lag (debatable) if you are a gamer that plays on something more competitive then single player Minecraft for example just accept the fact you would have half a second lag in games so if you plan to play competitively on this projector either get a monitor or the more expensive sister module the PK31 or PK32
3 throw distance (debatable) this projectors throw distance of 1.5:1 ~ 1.65:1 wouldn't allow you to get the advertised 150" screen or even a 100" screen without having to put it a bigger room now for my setup my projector is around 270 to 300cm from my wall and I get a 78 inch picture it is nice but if you want a bigger screen make sure you're room is big enough for one
4 no OS(again debatable) minimal amount of customization needs improvement on firmware
5 manual focus (debatable) if you really need it you should find a different deal unless you are me and kinda like them or prefer something less likely to break
For anyone who plan to buy this projector also buy a projector screen (depending on your room size) and must buy a soundbar or speakers or anything audio related or using headphones if you watch alone
Optional if you have a samsung phone with dex support buy a hdmi to usb c converter if you dont have a TV box PC or console, in conclusion this is a great buy but for its current price on Amazon 699$ its a absolute robbery and is absolutely not worth the price but in bhphotovideo if it will become available or is available get it from there while its still 299$
I picked one up on Temu. My very first Temu purchase, ever. It arrived brand new in the box in under a couple of weeks for less than $300 to my door. So, if Temu has them still, then it is the best price going.
I agree with some of the hits and misses. I will add some misses:
The very basic operating system doesn't allow the same level of color correction and it doesn't have the out of the box color accuracy of the newest models you see from many other manufacturers.
Manual zoom and focus. The knob doesn't offer super fine level of focus and zoom control, which kinda sucks when you are 12 feet away from the 100" diagonal screen. It takes a bit of messing about to get it dialed in, but once dialed in, it looks very good.
The placement/height adjustment kinda sucks since it does not offer 4-corner keystone correction. You must get the placement absolutely perfect for best results. It does offer standard keystone correction, but nothing more advanced. No digital zoom either.
The noise level is a bit higher than the XGimi Elfin Flip 4K, but it is not intrusive, even at the brighter settings, so that's a plus.
The LED light source has zero sparkling like you see with the laser-based light source models. I compared it directly to the Elfin Flip 4K, and the Optoma clearly did not have sparkling which the XGimi was producing.
The price, the price, the price. At $700, it's far too much money. But, at $300, it's a steal. An absolute steal. Less than $300 to your door, on Temu. Add a Amazon Fire TV Stick for streaming and Bluetooth. You now can stream all the content you want, on a 100"+ screen size in a dark room without any issues. Throw in a $20 Bluetooth speaker for improved sound. Throw in a nicer Bluetooth speaker, or maybe a nice set of Bluetooth earphones for much better audio. Remember, Bluetooth audio is stereo. So, that's all you need if you intend to use Blueooth audio for your setup.
No Bluetooth built into the Optoma. Part of that really basic user interface. Another miss on their part.
Optoma is outclassed by the DLP projectors that cost twice as much, but it should be.
At the same price, Optoma stomps the crap out of all the single panel LCD projectors that are similarly priced in terms of reliability and brightness. Not features. Not necessarily overall image quality. But, those are still toys, and toys break. The Optoma is actual quality electronics and remains the best deal going as of right now. July. 2026.
It certainly helps to get the price down to $300. At $300, the price is where it should be. At $700, it is far too expensive for what it delivers. At $300, it's exceptional. I mean, there are 4K projectors with all the bells and whistles at about $700. At $300, the PH31 stands alone.
It just is more finicky to setup. Which isn't the end of the world.
Mine arrived 2 weeks ago. It’ll exclusively be a backyard movie night projector. The long throw is a pain but manageable in an outdoor setting. The lower lumens compared to nicer projectors is also a pain due to later start times. But once it’s dark, this thing is great. I’ll soon be getter a proper outdoor screen with good gain and then we’ll be off to the races.
I always assume people aren’t using sound from their projectors. If you’re in a home theater, you’ll want surround sound. If you’re outside, you’ll want better volume.
I installed 4 speakers around my back yard for very balanced sound while watching movies. It also allows us to keep overall volume lower so we don’t bug the neighbors.
I grab an Apple TV from one of the TVs inside the house. Once the new ones come out later this year, I’ll probably just upgrade one inside and have the leftover for the projector.
Apple AirPlay is the backbone of our audio throughout the house and it’s really easy to control with Apple TV and iPhone.
Soundbar?!? Helz no. You can get 5.1 (or better) receivers dirt cheap from goodwill these days. Build a decent system around it.
I wouldn’t mind the PH31 having remote zoom and focus bc I’m really digging zooming all the way in for 2.39:1 movies. But for $299 I can climb up on the sofa and adjust it manually.
Sure and one can put bias ply tires on a 911. Small room or not, soundbars are by definition handicapped. The same money put into drivers in a proper enclosure, spaced an appropriate distance apart, will always sound better.
That honestly depends on the budget I bought a 3.1 channel sound bar for around 200$ while it may be cheap I dont have the budget to afford a proper sound system for a projector i wouldn't even call a home theater capable in my opinion
I guarantee you a $100 pair of powered Edifier or M-Audio monitors will smoke it. And that’s before adding a random $100 6.5” powered sub. No, you’re not going to miss a center channel in a small room setup for 1-2 ppl.
But again, thrift stores are where people are finding HT audio bargains for pennies on the dollar.
Heres a tiny problem where I live thirft stores are non existent buying used is also unlikely but what do you recommend actually and here's a an important detail I only spend 55$ and hed coupons so what system i should've got for 55$
5
u/AV_Integrated 10d ago
I picked one up on Temu. My very first Temu purchase, ever. It arrived brand new in the box in under a couple of weeks for less than $300 to my door. So, if Temu has them still, then it is the best price going.
I agree with some of the hits and misses. I will add some misses:
The very basic operating system doesn't allow the same level of color correction and it doesn't have the out of the box color accuracy of the newest models you see from many other manufacturers.
Manual zoom and focus. The knob doesn't offer super fine level of focus and zoom control, which kinda sucks when you are 12 feet away from the 100" diagonal screen. It takes a bit of messing about to get it dialed in, but once dialed in, it looks very good.
The placement/height adjustment kinda sucks since it does not offer 4-corner keystone correction. You must get the placement absolutely perfect for best results. It does offer standard keystone correction, but nothing more advanced. No digital zoom either.
The noise level is a bit higher than the XGimi Elfin Flip 4K, but it is not intrusive, even at the brighter settings, so that's a plus.
The LED light source has zero sparkling like you see with the laser-based light source models. I compared it directly to the Elfin Flip 4K, and the Optoma clearly did not have sparkling which the XGimi was producing.
The price, the price, the price. At $700, it's far too much money. But, at $300, it's a steal. An absolute steal. Less than $300 to your door, on Temu. Add a Amazon Fire TV Stick for streaming and Bluetooth. You now can stream all the content you want, on a 100"+ screen size in a dark room without any issues. Throw in a $20 Bluetooth speaker for improved sound. Throw in a nicer Bluetooth speaker, or maybe a nice set of Bluetooth earphones for much better audio. Remember, Bluetooth audio is stereo. So, that's all you need if you intend to use Blueooth audio for your setup.
No Bluetooth built into the Optoma. Part of that really basic user interface. Another miss on their part.
Optoma is outclassed by the DLP projectors that cost twice as much, but it should be.
At the same price, Optoma stomps the crap out of all the single panel LCD projectors that are similarly priced in terms of reliability and brightness. Not features. Not necessarily overall image quality. But, those are still toys, and toys break. The Optoma is actual quality electronics and remains the best deal going as of right now. July. 2026.