Optoma PK31 Review

Design

• Compact size
• Utilitarian looks

For a projector that’s part of Optoma’s more lifestyle-focused Photon Life series, you’d mistake the PK31 for a more traditional projector. It eschews the comforts of the Photon Go’s fabric coverings for a black plastic finish and utilitarian look – this isn’t a projector that grabs the eye.

It’s compact in size and not too heavy though (2.2kg) – it reminds me of the Hisense C1 projector but without its flashy looks. Though this isn’t strictly a portable projector, there’s no problem in shifting it from one room to another. There are mounting screws on the bottom for adding your own stand/tripod, and you could even consider hanging it from a ceiling.

Connections are around the back, with venting around the sides to push heat out (so best not to put this projector in enclosed spaces). Optoma claims fan noise is 32dB, but I registered closer to 42dB.

The oval shape on the front is an IR receiver for remotes, while there’s a focus ring slider to manually adjust zoom (though no cap to cover the lens I found). There are also feet that can be adjusted to tilt the projector up – but only slightly. Usefully, the Optoma PK31 comes with an HDMI cable packaged in the box.

User Experience

• No built-in smart platform
• Rather spartan looking menu

I was under the assumption that, like the Photon Go, the PK31 would come toting Google TV (or a built-in streaming platform of some sort). That is not the case.

What you get is a pretty spartan menu of settings with no smart app support. If you want to access apps such as Netflix or Disney+, I recommend plugging in a streaming stick into the HDMI input. If the streaming stick can run on USB power, the Optoma PK31 can power it on its steam as it did with a Roku Streaming Stick Plus.

The settings provided here are not for the layperson (Geometric Correction anyone?), but for the most part you’re unlikely to have to delve into the settings unless you want to alter something. If you’re happy with the resulting image, the Optoma PK31 is a minimum fuss projector in terms of set-up.

It is an interesting choice to forgo any built-in streaming platform, especially for the more casual audience the PK31 appears to be targeting, though this Optoma is much less expensive than, say, the Hisense M2 Pro, which comes with smart apps and Freely.

The remote isn’t backlit, a disappointment given it’s likely to be used in dark and dimly lit rooms. There are plenty of buttons on it, some of which aren’t easy to fathom from their icons unless you press them and see what they do.

Features

• HDR support
• One HDMI input
• 5W sound system

The Optoma PK31 is powered through a mains supply so there’s no built-in battery. That’s worth keeping in mind with regards to positioning the projector in a room.

Connections include an audio out, HDMI 2.0 and a USB input, which Optoma says is for service use and not for media.

I, however, have plugged in a Roku streaming stick on this projector, which has occupied the HDMI input and USB (for power). Considering the lack of a built-in streaming platform, if you want smarts, you’ll need to use the HDMI input. Another HDMI input would have been useful if you wanted to add a sound system too.

There’s no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support, a choice that places this projector more within the traditional area of the market. Given there’s no smart platform, the lack of Wi-Fi isn’t a surprise, but the lack of Bluetooth – at least to add a wireless speaker of your own – seems a little punitive.

There is Wall Colour Adaptation, though this isn’t automatic – you have to choose a colour that matches your wall. What is automatic, is the Auto Vertical Keystone, which quickly corrects images to the point where I barely noticed it.

The Optoma PK31 packs 900 ISO lumens (1600 HK lumens), which is bright enough, though not bright enough for a bright room. You’ll want to close the curtains and dim the lights for the PK31.

With its RGB LED source, there’s no lamp for its light source which is a) better for the environment and b) means it can last for a long time – 30,000 hours in fact.

The 400:1 contrast ratio doesn’t suggest a projector that’s great with brightness and black levels, though there is mention of a dynamic 200,000:1 ratio. Gaming-wise, Optoma claims a latency of 4.6ms at 1080p/240Hz refresh rates.

The projector does support 3D (no glasses are provided) but there is HDR10 and HLG HDR support. What should be noted is that you can’t switch between modes with HDR content – access to Cinema, Game, Reference modes etc, are locked off. HDR is its own mode.

Typical screen size is 60 inches, but the Optoma can stretch to 150 inches – though size is dependent on where you place the PK31 in a room.

Picture Quality

• Bright, colourful picture
• Struggles with dark scenes

I like the look of colours on the Optoma, helped by its 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Films and TV series look bright, rich and vibrant, with strong levels of clarity and definition baked into those images.

Watching the James Gunn-directed Superman film and Alien: Romulus, and there’s decent dark detail in the darker scenes, but unsurprisingly for a projector, it can struggle when faced with very dark scenes.

In fact, while black tones can look fine, overall black levels look thin and slightly washed out. The War between Land and Sea (iPlayer) is one such example of night-time scenes losing detail and being hard to make out.

It’s much more confident with brighter scenes, though this is a projector that lacks contrast and depth to images (again, not a massive surprise). There’s no rainbow effect that I noticed (though your mileage may vary), and I found no motion stutter with films, TV series or sports.

The above was in HDR, and with SDR programming, it’s more of the same. Watching the Mayfair Witches on iPlayer and black levels are again thin and lacking depth, but bright scenes are rendered with colour that at times can pop off the wall I was watching on.

Sharpness is on point, with the Optoma good at bringing out a strong level of fine detail in the texturing of people’s clothes, environments, close-ups of peoples’ faces (skin pores, blemishes etc). Play bright content, and the Optoma PK31 is in its happy place.

The Vivid mode looks decent but does add a slight green tone to colours in SDR. It’s slightly brighter than Cinema, but the differences in brightness between the various picture modes are minimal.

Sound Quality

• Clear dialogue
• Bass is lacking

While the Optoma PK31’s picture impresses, the built-in sound system is less so.

It does provide solid levels of clarity and detail with dialogue, but the bass is limited, the soundstage is on the small side, and the overall sound is thin. The tuning of the projector provides crispness to the midrange and highs, but robs any sense of weight and power to the lows.

When the Man of Steel lands in the Arctic in the opening moments of Superman, it’s more of a limp thud.

Raising the volume doesn’t improve matters in terms of loudness and scale. It’s a prosaic performance that lacks energy.

It performs better with stereo content than with downmixing multi-channel tracks. Watching football on iPlayer and it sounds clear and sharp with the commentary – on the thin side but not too sibilant – while the projector still manages provide a sense of the crowd noise during the match. This feels like it’s more its speed.

Watching Mayfair Witches and dialogue does sound natural, but lacks weight. This is a performance that’s best for casual viewing, but anything more and you’d need a sound system. That makes the lack of another HDMI input and Bluetooth support somewhat frustrating.

Should you buy it?