• (3) HDMI (1 located on front, two MHL-compatible)
• (1) VGA in/out
• (1) HDBaseT
• (1) RJ-45 LAN
• (2) USB Type A
• (1) Computer audio in(3.5 mm mini jack)
• (1) Computer audio out(3.5 mm mini jack)
• (1) USB Type B (service port)
• (1) RS232 control

Physical attributes. Connectors are on the rear panel, with labeling inverted in anticipation of ceiling mounting, and the control keypad is located on the top panel. Air intake vents are on the right panel, and heat exhaust vents are on the left panel.

Optoma ZU610-T Performance

Brightness.The ANSI lumen measurements for each color mode in Normal and Eco (lens zoom set to wide angle, lens shift set to center-top) are as follows:

Optoma ZU610-T ANSI Lumens

Eco Mode. Eco mode saves power and reduces fan noise, while lowering brightness by about 30%.

Presentation Optimized Lumens. Our ZU610-T test unit exhibited a slight green bias when set to Bright mode and a slight blue bias in Blending mode, but Presentation mode was more neutral. With brightness of over 4,000 lumens, Presentation Mode is the best choice for delivering color-balanced, high-contrast business presentations.

Video Optimized Lumens. Slight increases in brightness and contrast optimized the video image in Movie mode. Highlights are well-resolved, and black levels are good. Movie Mode also renders flesh tones better than any other picture mode. At 2,875 lumens, Movie mode can handle moderate ambient room lighting although it may be too bright for a dark room. Selecting Eco mode drops this to 2,015 lumens.

Zoom Lens Brightness Reduction. The 1.6x zoom lens reduces brightness by 38% at full telephoto.

Brightness Uniformity. The laser/phosphor light engine in the ZU610T-W delivers exceptional brightness uniformity of 91%. No hot spots or shadings are visible with any image content.

Input Lag. Input lag was measured at 68ms, which is not fast enough for most gaming simulations.

Built-in Audio. The ZU610-T's built-in 2 x 10-watt speaker system is louder than some 20-watt outputs we have heard and is sufficient for moderate-sized rooms. External audio output is provided for larger venues.

Fan Noise. Fan noise is surprisingly low for such a bright projector. In Eco mode, it is indistinguishable from background noise, and even in Normal power mode, it is comprised of low and medium frequencies, so it is not a distraction in all but the quietest scenes.

If operating the ZU610-T at altitudes higher than 5,000 feet, Optoma recommends using the high fan speed setting. The fan noise increases in all modes, but it is less intrusive than most projectors we've tested.

Setting up the Optoma ZU610-T

Throw Distance. The ZU610-T's 1.6x zoom lens provides a throw distance range for a 200-inch diagonal image of approximately 17 to 30 feet.

Mounting and Lens Shift. Thanks to its relatively small size and weight (24.3 lbs.), the ZU610-T is easier to mount than some other projectors in its brightness class. Its combination of 1.6x zoom lens range and vertical/horizontal lens shift (+20% of image height and ± 10% of image width, respectively) make it simple to position the image even in the presence of small mounting errors.

Our Take On The Optoma ZU610-T

The ZU610-T's Bright mode is more than enough for most mid-to-large size venues even when it's hard to control ambient light. Its uniformity of 91% is one of the highest we have measured, and that makes for a balanced, well-lit image from edge-to-edge.

A very nice surprise was the absence of the rainbow artifacts that can show up for some viewers of DLP-based projectors. The ZU610-T uses a high-speed, four-segment color wheel that showed no discernible rainbow effects during our testing.

Mounting projectors can be a challenge when room constraints limit placement options, but the ZU610-T offers plenty of mounting flexibility. For example, throw distance can vary from roughly 17 to 30 feet for a 200-inch image. In addition, its +20% vertical and ±10% horizontal lens shift, and ±30% horizontal and vertical keystone correction, can help overcome a variety of mounting restrictions or errors.

Several features of the remote control and menu system are worth noting. Not only does the remote have a built-in laser pointer, but its backlight activates with any button push and remains on for about 15 seconds to simplify operation in a darkened room. Another thoughtful feature is that the menu button always returns you to the same menu just used previously. This is especially convenient when first setting up the projector.

The ZU610-T's picture-in-picture (PIP) and picture-beside-picture (PBP) features offer the ability to view two images simultaneously. In PBP mode, images are displayed side-by-side with each occupying half of the screen. In PIP mode, one selected source image is displayed in a window in one corner of the other source image. The smaller image can be set to three different sizes which can help with seeing detail in the smaller image.

Optoma's ZU610-T is a bright WUXGA projector with a 20,000-hour light source, excellent data and video rendering, and a street price just under $3,500. Add its wide-ranging placement flexibility and its vertical and horizontal lens shift, and you have a potent combination that spells value.

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Optoma ZU610T-W projector page.

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