Optoma PK32 Review

Price

The PK32 is the top offering in Optoma’s Photon Life range. In the UK it sells for £799.99, which is competitive for a 4K HDR model. It’s ranged above the PH31, which is a £450 HD model, and the £700 4K PK31, which shares a similar LED light engine to the PK32 reviewed here, but isn’t as bright. In the US, the PK32 sells for $1299. Currently, Photon Life isn’t available in Australia.

Design

• Autofocus and auto lens shift
• Two HDMI

Casual usability is a key part of the PK32’s appeal. Somewhat square and unassuming, it measures a manageable 238 x 215 x 130mm, and weighs just 2.2kg. It’s the right size to sit on a coffee table, ceiling-mount, or park on a book shelf. 

More of a lifestyle device than a conventional home cinema projector (albeit one that lacks a battery for off-mains use), it’s relatively easy to move from room to room, or even cart outdoors for an impromptu night’s entertainment.

It also lends itself to being packed away when not in use, given how quick and easy it is to get up and running.

Connectivity comprises two HDMI ports, one of which supports eARC, allowing audio to be passed to a compatible sound system. Helpful, if you don’t want to utilise the built-in 2x 5W sound system.

There’s also a USB-C input, plus USB-A for power and a 3.5mm analogue audio output.

What you won’t find is a 12V trigger, limiting deeper integration into more advanced AV systems. This underscores the PK32’s affable family positioning rather than its suitability for dedicated cinema buffs.

That said, the remote control is a bit of a button-fest, which rather flies in the face of the projector’s everyman appeal.

Features

• LED light engine
• Low input lag
• No smart TV platform

With no smart platform to crow about, the PK32’s headline feature has to be its four-channel RGB LED light source, which is rated for up to 30,000 hours use. This lamp-free design eliminates bulb replacement costs, and reduces power consumption, making it both environmentally friendly and good value over the long term.

Brightness is rated at 1,100 ISO lumens. While not designed for full daylight viewing, you can get away with some ambient room light, but the image thins out a lot.

Gamers will appreciate the low input lag figures: 4.6ms at 1080p/240Hz and 18.3ms at 4K/60Hz. These numbers put the PK32 firmly in gaming-friendly territory, particularly for console players who want to supersize their Fortnite. It’s not comparable to a dedicated gaming monitor, but still snappy enough for a fun night of button bashing.

HDR support covers HDR10 and HLG, but not Dolby Vision.

Picture Quality

• 1100 Lumens output
• DLP single chip design
• 150-inch max screen size

In a dark room, the Photon Life PK32 delivers a bright, colourful image with decent contrast and fine detail. DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage is pegged at 95 per cent.

When Peter Parker and his classmates explore Venice, in Spider-Man: Far from Home, the PK32 presents a bright, dynamic picture, befitting the location. Highlights are tight and shadows well defined.

The subsequent fight between Spidey, Mysterio and the water apparition, is similarly punchy, the projector doing a particularly nice job with Mysterio’s trademark green smoke. 

Bright, colourful action are things the PK32 does well.

Picture modes comprise Vivid, HDR HLG, Cinema, Game, Reference, Bright, and ISF, the latter are password protected and only accessible by authorised ISF calibrators.

The Vivid mode is a little too over-saturated for my tastes, leaving the Cinema mode, with its  slightly warm bias, the best option when HDR isn’t available.

It’s worth noting that with an HDR source locked, you can’t select any of the other picture modes.

Motion handling is crisp and clean with no intrusive smearing. DLP rainbow fringing, often seen on single chip DLP devices, is noticeable mainly by its absence.

There are, of course, limitations. Black levels are serviceable rather than inky, and shadow detail can feel compressed. The PK32 struggled with the Upside Down in Stranger Things, with most of the spooky landscape relegated to grey murk. It was often difficult to make out what was going on.

However, when the Tyrannosaurus Rex attacks, at the end of Jurassic Park: The Lost World, the scenes of night-time chaos looked convincing enough.

The more I used the PK32, the more I liked it. I partnered the projector with a Netgem Pleio Freely puck, which from a budget perspective seems a sensible match. The Pleio delivers both HD linear channels and 4K content from premium streamers. A Sky Stream device would be a comparable partner.

For everyday viewing, I found the projector performs well with a range of different content. Films are enjoyable to watch, animation and sport have vibrancy, and games benefit from the large-scale presentation. As a big-screen alternative to a thumping big telly, it’s compelling and incredibly cost effectrive.

Maximum screen size is around 150-inches. This is achievable with the projector placed around 4.85m from your wall or screen. For a 60-inch image, the projector needs a distance of 1.5m. The throw ratio is 1.12:1 – 1.46:1.

While detail representation is good, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t a native 4K projector. Rather, DLP pixel shifting is used to present an image with UHD density. For the most part, pictures hold up well at around 100-inches, which strikes me as optimum for an output that peaks at 1100 lumens.

Operating noise is relatively high, at 30db Min (32dB Max).

Sound Quality

• 2 x 5W output
• HDMI eARC
• Thin performance

The built-in audio system, comprising two 5W speakers, is functional but fatiguing to listen to. Dialogue is clear enough, but there’s little weight or presence. I also noted sporadic speaker distortion on my review sample.

Audio is definitely the weak link in the Photon Life chain. Ultimately, what’s provided is fine for casual use, but I suspect most buyers will want to add an external sound system, be it via the eARC connection or minijack output, sooner rather than later.

A better option would have been the ability to pair the projector to a Bluetooth speaker, but alas, that’s not offered.

Should you buy it?