Panasonic PT-AE1000U LCD Front Projector

jhecondevsys · Post by **jhecondevsys** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:31 pm

Thank you. Would you please be so kind as to compare (positives and negatives) a front projector/superior screen in a dark room with similar sized (60"+) panasonic plasma? Thank you.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:22 pm

In depth...

Video Waveform
viewforum.php?f=103

Some of this info is old but the relationships remain in performance.

In simple terms...

Regardless of Americas love affair with plasma displays they do not do imaging science. That's a Joe Kane statement and it still holds true.

Sure, there are some aspects of performance that is unique to plasma such as being a hit for bright room applications. There are far more negative response issues though related to the technology that would be an article unto itself. Only you can decide what kind of performance you want. A calibrated plasma display is still better than one that isn't but it won't do the numbers; it is what it is. Current LCD displays with full spectrum lighting are superior in a number of aspects but do suffer from a good dynamic range.

Front projection using technology with a good natural dynamic range are a huge hit because of the problems they overcome but that comes at a price as room decore and lighting become paramount in the design or you will have another set of problems on screen.

One might also suggest that drawing any sort of comparison with a 60" to a 85-100" screen is outlandish due to the impact of a large screen. This is critical to understand because many are visually overcome by shear size tending to overlook the other limitations that have been introduced in favor of the large screen experience. The good news these days is there are projectors that perform very well at prices unheard of just a few years ago. If you are willing to make the investment in any large screen display hovering at 60" or greater then you are in font projection land which is under $4000 for 720p and under $6000 for 1080p. The only decision left is which type of experience you seek versus what kind of commitment you want to make for a room. Both need to go hand in hand and from there you choose a display that fits your unique application. A fornt projector in a sunroom won't work any better than a plasma in a dark room. Wrong technolog y for the application.

jhecondevsys · Post by **jhecondevsys** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:25 pm

Thanks again. If I wanted to spend $5000 on a front projector...what manufacturer/model would YOU go with?? Or would I have to spend $6000??

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:56 am

At the end of the article is Putting It in Perspective which compares products.

SodaPop · Post by **SodaPop** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:56 am

I use Window Xp at 1920*1080@60p for my signal generator. Anyone can see single line text perfectly from their normal seating chair. I've use display Mate and Nokia test generators to prove 1:1 mapping. The text is perfectly sharp corner-to-corner with virtually no misconverence or chromatic errors. (The ED lens elements at work here).
Anyone can see these attributes very clearly! Who would have thought three panel LCD could generate text better than the data grade DLPs?
The Panasonic is a milestone achievement, no questions asked.

You give no objective reason for NOT preferring the High Power screen. The reason to use it with the Panasonic is for exactly the reason your review criticizes it (for being too dim). As Bill states there were no side effects. Joe Kane could give no objective reasons either. Proof that it ain't about science at all.

Again I would ONLY use the Panasonic with the High Power.

SodaPop · Post by **SodaPop** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:19 am

Widescreen Review, Number 4, Issue 119, April 2007
Panasonic PT-AE1000U
You quote:
"The review clearly states the primaries were oversaturated. Yes, Bill follows that with how a calibration may not be noticed by many. The Delta error for gray scale was over 10. None of that is accuracy and with calibration can be corrected or dramatically improved for those who desire it. "
This is a misleading half-truth statement

WSR review quote:
"In Color 1 mode the "the gaument was close to that specified in the HDTV standards."
This is why the Panasonic requires no calibration: a trend which is expected to increase as factory quality control standards are improved upon.
However if someone wants to goose their colors for effect then use Cinema 1:
WSR quote:
"The Cinema 1 color gamut was much wider and will reproduce some highly saturated colors not possible in the Color 1 mode".

Cinema 1 is nice for many movies/animation as the pictures are breathtakingly beautiful.

The new 14 bit processing LSI achieves very, very low picture noise. The Panasonic also properly picks up and deinterlaces the 3:2 film sequence when given a 1080i signal, something that even the great JVC RS1 fails on.

jhecondevsys · Post by **jhecondevsys** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:11 am

I went to In depth...

viewforum.php?f=103

and found no product comparisons...please clarify. Thank you

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:14 pm

Sodapop,

Anyone can see these attributes very clearly! Who would have thought three panel LCD could generate text better than the data grade DLPs?

The pictures in the article for 1:1 pixel mapping tells all and clearly refutes your claim of better clarity. Any individual who would visit me would see this difference. Like nearly all of the review this is observed science, not an opinion. Opinion is expressed in the Putting it in Perspective section.

You give no objective reason for NOT preferring the High Power screen.

Under Light Output
Bear in mind screens in the 85-110" range typically vary from .8 to 1.3 based on the projector used for a committed room for a multitude of reasons; higher gains more often than not point to a unique situation.

Under Conclusion
Having said that I must put CINEMA 1 in perspective; this is where imaging science is to be found, but you are going to have to use the oddball high gain screen and depending on your selection and viewing position that may cause sparklies and uniformity errors potentially taking a hit in detail which other products can fully deliver as well as good light output for common screens, so it does not make sense to this reviewer to use this projector for such an application.

The unique situation is this projector has some real light pass through efficiency problems whether or not you are using the Pure Color Filter Pro. Fortunately without it you can use a standard screen gain. Engaging the Pure Color Filter Pro, Cinema 1 mode as one example, creates a huge hit in light efficiency requiring a unique high gain screen.

I could not test it with a high gain screen because I do not own one since none of my projectors have a unique problem requiring a unique solution. I was not going to buy one just for this review and Panasonic was not going to loan me one either since they did not sponser the review; yours truly financed this project! Regardless of that I gave the Cinema 1 mode the merit it deserved based on observed science.

In addition to the review comments I will also add that using a special high gain screen creates limitations in replacing the light engine with other technology unless you are replacing the screen as well because it would create an image way too bright with other projectors that do not have the light output problem of the Panasonic.

As Bill states there were no side effects. Joe Kane could give no objective reasons either.

As for Joe giving objective reasons, read his article, but no, he did not specifically comment on the Panasonic review and the reasons appear quite obvious to me. I am not going to comment further on the internal politics of WSR as it is none of my business, I don't even work for them and have no vested interest. I do find it troublesome that NO REVIEW ANYWHERE will point out the warts with this product and Bill

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:16 pm

[email protected] wrote:I went to In depth...

viewforum.php?f=103

and found no product comparisons...please clarify. Thank you

The in depth is all about the why. What you wanted is at the end of the REVIEW under the section titled, Putting it in Perspective.

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/reviews/200 ... jector.php

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:56 pm

Added to the review:

Day and Night Settings
Over the last couple of years this has become a new feature in the control menu or on the remote for some displays that changes calibration settings based on ambient room light at the push of a button. Unfortunately many displays cannot do that and maintain relevant accuracy. The Panasonic is a surprising exception due to the Pure Color Filter Pro because not only is it a filter but it also acts like a manual iris reducing light output with the difference being you do not have a variable range. The difference in light output is significant enough that this projector could be implemented in a dark/medium room or medium/bright room. If this is an application you are seeking for this product I highly recommend you work with a professional to select the proper screen size and gain for optimal results. There are only a handful of products that can do dark/bright applications accurately; contact a professional.