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Optoma UHD38x

By Optoma · Smart Projectors · Audio & Electronics

  • 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution
  • 4000 lumens brightness
  • 240Hz refresh rate at 1080p with 4.2ms input lag
  • 1000000:1 contrast ratio
  • HDR10 and HLG compatible

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Summary

A bright 4K DLP home-entertainment and gaming projector: 1,913 lumens measured on a 102-inch 1.0-gain screen, two 4K/60 HDMI inputs and no DLP motion blur. Check your room before you buy — there is no lens shift and only a 1.1x manual zoom, so it has to sit almost exactly where the throw geometry says.

Strengths

  • Measured 1,913 lumens make the picture easy to watch with a few room lights on, and bright enough for screens over 150 inches.
  • Because it is DLP there is no motion blur, and it looked the most detailed of three comparable projectors in testing.
  • Colors were judged accurate in the instrumented comparison.
  • Two 4K/60 HDMI inputs plus RS232 and a 12 V trigger suit a traditional home-theater control setup.
  • The backlit remote gives direct access to inputs and key picture settings.
  • The USB-A port supplies 1.5 A, enough to power a streaming stick.

Weaknesses

  • HDR10 and HLG are supported, but testing found banding in bright highlights.
  • There is no lens shift and only a 1.1x manual zoom, so placement in small rooms is tricky.
  • The front-right vent throws a lot of heat, enough that ceiling mounting is the sensible choice.
  • The 240 W lamp is a consumable with a service-only replacement path.
  • The 10 W speaker is best used only as a backup.

Verified specifications

ModelOptoma UHD38x; UPC 796435 81 450 2.
Displaysingle-chip DLP, 0.47-inch, native 4K UHD 3840 × 2160, 16:9.
Brightness4,000 lumens specified; CNET measured 1,913 lumens and 3,018 in Bright picture mode.
Contrast1,000,000:1 specified; CNET measured about 770:1 average.
Uniformity80%.
Light source240 W metal-halide lamp; rated 4,000 h in Bright, 10,000 h in Eco and 15,000 h in Dynamic; replacement lamp BL-FU240E.
Input lag4.20 ms per the spec sheet; the manual gives 16.7 ms at 4K/60 and 1080p/60, 8.9 ms at 1080p/120 and 4.5 ms at 1080p/240.
HDRHDR10 and HLG.
3Dfull 3D; 3D sync limited to frame-pack 1080p24 and 720p50/60.
Connectivity2 × HDMI 2.0; 3.5 mm audio out, S/PDIF, USB-A 1.5 A power out; RS232 and 12 V trigger.
Speakerone 10 W mono.
Keystonehorizontal and vertical ±40°, plus 3x3 Warp geometric correction.
Screen size33 to 300 inches diagonal.
Noise26 dB typical, 28 dB maximum.
Throw ratio1.5:1 to 1.66:1; 1.1x manual zoom; native offset 105%; no lens shift.
Power100-240 V, 50-60 Hz; 220 W minimum, 305 W maximum, 0.5 W standby.
Dimensions12.4 × 10.63 × 4.65 in (315 × 270 × 118 mm); 8.77 lb (3.98 kg).
In the boxAC power cord, remote control, 2 × AAA batteries, basic user manual.
Warranty1 year (ProjectorCentral).
Full research notes and sources

Brightness, contrast and HDR

Light output is the reason to buy this projector, and it is one of the few figures in its class that was measured rather than quoted. On a 102-inch 1.0-gain screen CNET measured 1,913 lumens, rising to 3,018 lumens in Bright mode, which the same test describes as greenish and less accurate. That is bright enough to fill a 100-inch screen easily and to manage 150 inches, and it is what lets you watch with a few lights on where most projectors want a dark room.

Contrast is the trade-off, and the numbers are not close. The 1,000,000:1 on the spec sheet is a dynamic figure; the measured average is about 770:1, roughly average for the projectors in the test and less than the BenQ HT2060’s about 1,380:1. HDR10 and HLG are both supported, but CNET reports banding in bright highlights that a better HDR projector in the same group did not show. Treat the black level as average, not a selling point.

Gaming and input lag

Read the gaming number with the resolution attached. Optoma’s spec sheet says 4.20 ms, but the manual’s own table gives 4.5 ms at 1080p/240, 8.9 ms at 1080p/120 and 16.7 ms at both 4K/60 and 1080p/60. So the 4.2 ms headline only applies at 1080p 240 Hz; if you play at 4K you are getting 16.7 ms. Optoma’s two documents even disagree with each other on the same 1080p 240 Hz case.

The low-lag mode has a hidden cost. Turning on Enhanced Gaming disables 3D, aspect ratio, edge mask, digital zoom and image shift, and they come back only when you switch it off. There is no internet connection or smart platform at all, so a streaming stick or console is the source; the 1.5 A USB-A port can power the stick.

Placement and heat

This is not a flexible projector to mount. There is no lens shift, only a 1.1x manual zoom, and a native offset of 105%, so the image lands where the geometry puts it. In a small room, or a room where the projector cannot sit at the right height, that can rule it out. The front-right vent throws a lot of heat, which is why the reviewer recommends ceiling mounting rather than sitting in front of it.

The lamp and running costs

The 240 W metal-halide lamp is the dominant running cost. It is rated 4,000 hours in Bright, 10,000 in Eco and 15,000 in Dynamic, and replacement is a maintenance-personnel-only procedure: Optoma directs owners to a dealer or service center, with at least 30 minutes of cooling and warnings about hot compartments and shattering bulbs. At four hours a day in Bright mode, that is a lamp change roughly every three years. ProjectorCentral identifies the exact part as BL-FU240E and keeps a lamp-purchasing path, so there is a defined supply channel even though installation is not a user job.

There is a second consumable most listings ignore: an optional dust filter whose warning appears after 500 hours. Power draw is 220 to 305 W with 0.5 W standby, and because the projector has no internet connection there is no subscription or platform lock-in to budget for.

Is it worth it?

At about $999 the UHD38x is a strong value in the sub-$1,500 4K DLP class, because nothing else in the comparison set delivered that much measured light at that price. Around $1,100-1,200 it is fair rather than a discount, which is roughly where the model has sat since 2023. ProjectorCentral lists a street price of $1,132 against a $1,799 MSRP, and its authorized-dealer page shows $999 at B&H Photo Video and $1,199 at AVI-SPL and ProjectorScreen.com. Above about $1,300-1,400 the case weakens: the laser alternatives in ProjectorCentral’s own comparison set, such as the BenQ TK710 at $1,966 and the BenQ TK710STi at $2,132, do away with lamp cost entirely.

Which model this is

This page covers the Optoma UHD38x, the single-chip DLP lamp projector released in December 2022. Do not merge it with the UHD35x, UHD35STx, UHD30, UHD50x, the UHD38 (non-x) or the newer UHZ laser family, which are separate models with their own specs. The published UPC is 796435 81 450 2, and the listing referenced here is ASIN B0BGVGDB72.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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