1080p Projectors

Description

The PT-AX200 is ideal for watching sports events or playing video games in daylight conditions and surely for viewing movies in a dark room.

Features

• 1280 x 720, 720p HD Resolution and 6,000:1 Contrast Ratio
• 2000 Lumens Brightness via a 220 W UHM lamp
• LCD x 3 R, G, B
• 2 HDMI, 1 Component, 1 S-Video, 1 Video Inputs
• Comes with power cord, wireless remote control and batteries for remote

Reviews

For the $$$, it gets no better

by J. M. Rhoads from Fort Bragg, NC, US on 2010-06-02
I've had this going on 2 years now and still haven't had to replace my bulb. It's in my movie room and we watch movies on it quite a few times in a week. It is very simple to install and use. The screen is bright and hasn't faded a bit in two years, so my spare bulb just sits waiting for it's chance to be installed. As far as product, picture, and ease of use tho, it really gets no better for $1k.

Customer Service Disaster

by Scott from on 2010-03-02
I don't usually write reviews, but I strongly felt this is worth informing as many people as possible. I read all the reviews on the Panasonic PT-AX200U projector and they all looked good, so I bought one. For me, I wanted the best possible resolution and highest lumens without spending thousands of dollars. I bought this in May, 2008 for $1299. At the beginning of this January, I went to turn it on and heard a loud bang and it wouldn't power up. Now you should know that I am incredibly anal retentive when it comes to my electronic equipment. This machine has been cared for like a baby and has only been used for 525 hours (approx. ¼ bulb life) so it is impossible that I caused any problem with the machine.So I called Panasonic Projector Customer Support. They were unsure what could be wrong, so they had me send it to their outsourced provider, Heartland Diversified, for repair ($130 diagnostic fee, but it goes toward any repair costs). Heartland notified me that the cost of the repair would be $1265 (recall the cost of the new projector, which by the way, can now be bought new for $999). Since this warranty just expired, they said any dispute would have to be with Panasonic directly.This is where the disaster begins, if it wasn't already disappointing enough that it broke so quickly. Customer Service at Panasonic is a nightmare. You can never get past front line customer support personnel (who do not have decision-making authority)to management and all conversations end with the refrain "We will have to get back to you in 24-72 hours" which never happens, thus requiring yet another call to customer support. Bottom line is I wanted them to stand behind their product regardless of warranty because a projector should not completely break after a year and a half. They say they are escalating the request but then tell me that the request is going to the same original person, John Parks. They will absolutely not let you talk directly to anyone and will not give out email addresses or phone numbers (or last names, but one of the reps slipped, so I got this one). This issue has now been going on for two months and Heartland is threatening to take possession of the projector at the 60 day mark. I have even written to Robert Perry, the EVP of Panasonic Consumer Products, and have gotten no response.After easily 20 hours of being on the phone with Mike (three times), Jabin, Ben, Tom, Leela, Ranita, and the people at Heartland, I am getting nowhere and feel incredibly frustrated to the point that I will not buy another Panasonic product and cannot recommend a Panasonic product to anyone. Even when I look back at other Panasonic products I have had (stereo, boom box, clock radio, microwave), every single one has had something break quickly. They haven't become unusable but there is always something - a button doesn't work, it doesn't turn off, a door doesn't close, etc.In summary, I believe this is not just a poor product quality issue, but Panasonic has a major customer service issue to which I can only say "Buyer Beware."

Be aware of the limited lifespan

by Vasastan from Stockholm, - Sweden on 2010-01-26
Anyone buying a Panasonic LCD projector with organic LCD panels, such as this one, should be aware that the lifetime of the projector is limited. The LCD panels will degrade over time due to the heat inside the projector. They can be expected to last 3000-6000 hours before one panel fails, and then the optical block of the projector will need to be changed (although few people do this since it will cost as much as a new projector). If you intend to use the projector for movies only, up to 10 hours per week, you can get up to 10 years of use. If you will use it as a TV - 4 to 8 hours per day - it may fail in as little as 2-3 years. Get as long a warranty as you can on this projector, because you are likely to need it. The newer models (AE-3000 and AE-4000) use the new Epson inorganic panels which are supposed to have better lifetimes and heat tolerance, although this in unproven and neither Panasonic nor anyone else has published any test data on the subject.

Great picture as long as it works

by Thomas Runge from on 2010-01-05
The projector worked fine for about 18 months, 2600 hours and then it started developing a very yellow circular tint in the middle which could not be adjusted away. Well, I thought, after that many hours on it, maybe time for a new bulb. So I ordered a new one, replace it (very easy to do) and unfortunately the problem was still there. Panasonic support said it was either the LCD display or internal filters, could and would not give me a repair estimate and could not even tell me how long the repair would take. Fortunately I was able to return the bulb and now I will most likely buy a new projector as the LCD/filter repair will run at about $600, if I add the replacement bulb, that gets me to $900 and for very little more, I can get a brand new projector. I highly doubt that I will buy a Panasonic again, even though the picture quality has been outstanding while it worked.

Solved My Flickering Problem

by Chuck Often from Los Angeles on 2009-12-06
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R11U53NYDE9WR5 At about 450 hours the projector started to flicker erratically. It looked like the auto iris or light harmonizer was screwing up. I bought this from the Projector People and they told me that if burning in the unit doesn't solve the problem then I need to call Panasonic and they gave me the number. I called Panasonic and they told me to buy a new lamp first and see if that solved the problem. Well, while I was waiting for the new lamp I ran the projector for a whole weekend with the Winamp music visualtization running (quite trippy on a 125" screen in my one bedroom apartment) and I'm not sure when it stopped but the problem is gone. I had been running the projector for months in normal mode not eco mode so I thought it was already burned in. I guess the problem was that I had only been turning on the projector for 4 hour periods at the longest. I am an electrical engineer and I know this equipment needs to burn in I just didn't realize the length of time but come to think of it when Cleveland Browns Stadium first installed their changeable message signs they ran an intensely changing pattern for several weeks straight to burn in the electronics. Well, I guess I have a back-up lamp now for when this one is used up. By the way, I am looking at the completely white background of this website and there is not so mach as a blink. The projector is rock solid running on my laptop's 1080P HDMI output.

Description

The Panasonic PT-AE4000 is Panasonic's upgrade to the popular PT-AE3000U. It surpasses the Panasonic PTAE3000 in image quality, and has more features as well.The pure contrast plate in the PT-AE4000 uses an engineered crystalline material that is carefully matched to the characteristics of the LCD panels to effectively correct the passage of light exiting the panels. This enables the projector to block unwanted light leakage and successfully increases the dynamic range. It works together with the dynamic iris to achieve an astounding contrast ratio of 100,000:1.

Features

• Panasonic; projector; widescreen

Reviews

Ditto, gorgeous!

by mtl222 from Seattle on 2010-08-14
This projector is everything you could hope for and more. When I solicited everyone's advice, they all told me to go with a 60" plasma over the projector since I live in a small apartment and thus could only get a 100" diagonal anyway, which I get from about 9 feet to my wall. Even with projecting on my plain off-white walls (planning to upgrade to a manual screen at some point), I'm getting a crystal clear 1080p, smooth, color rich image. It is so beautiful that I nearly cried the first time I beheld the awesomeness that is the Panasonic AE4000.I can't imagine it getting any better with a white matte projector screen. I'm inclined to keep projecting on my white walls if it were not for the sake of decor. I'm also considering getting blackout curtains so that I can watch movies in the afternoon.The frame interpolation is a big selling point in my opinion. On level 2 you can definitely notice a big difference...the experience is much smoother and more pleasant on the eyes. On the level 3, there is a noticeable lag with audio, although I think I should be able to lag my audio also, not sure.This projector costs the same as a mid tier 55" LCD or 60" plasma. You get a great image that is twice the size. It's also a hellavalot easier to install and transport.

Love it

by D. Scott from BURLINGAME, CA, US on 2010-07-07
Upgraded from the AE2000, well worth it. The color and black levels are noticeably improved over the 2000, especially the reds. Brightness seems better but my old projector had 2000 hours on it so the bulb had dimmed some. Nothing better IMO this side of $4000, can't go wrong with the PT-AE series.

Best Projector ever

by S. Marafi from Kuwait on 2010-06-01
I install hometheaters here in kuwait, i mean complete system from scratch, speakers, screen & projector, I've been doing this for the past 15 years, i tried several projectors, Barco,Eiki,Sony, but when i tried this panasonic, I was amazed by the picture quality, specially if you feed it with HDMI HD picture, colors and contrast are fantastic, specially if you want some light in the room and not total darkness, this is the one, also this PJ has lens shift, means, if you mount the picture higher than screen ( or want it to be hidden ), you can simply adjest the lens and sheft it down, and one of the thing i like most in this panasonic PJ is that they are quit, you can hardly hear the cooling fan ( which almost most PJ are loud ), I fixed panasonic 1000,2000,3000 and 4000, but comparing all , this one is the best, stop your search, get one now, Thanx

Movies look like film!

by J. K. Weston from Baltimore, USA on 2010-04-13
The Panasonic AE4000U 3-LCD video projector is the second projector I have owned and the 4th I have used more than once or twice. After four and a half years of using my old Panasonic L300U video projector, I bought this new projector plus a Blu-Ray player.The old projector looked great on high definition TV broadcasts and very good on DVDs as long as they were brightly lit and colorful. High-def Football and other sports looked fabulous projected onto my 64 inch beaded glass screen, even when the room wasn't really dark and even though it wasn't really a true high definition projector. 1080i and 720p downrezed to my 1/4HD projector's native 540p (540x960) looked great and much better than DVD's native 480P. And with my eyeballs 11-12 feet from the screen or even 9 feet, I could not see pixels, and more pixels and detail would actually probably not have been visible (I thought). But I don't watch much sports and mostly use it for movies and high def TV. The major problem it had was with black levels. In black and white or color programs where there was very little black ever in the image there was no problem. In film noir, or Orson Welles films, or even the Buffy or Angel TV shows which have lots of dark and night scenes, the absence of black was a quite annoying problem. And my major criteria for a new projector were that it have black levels that actually look black, that it display 1080p signals, and also that it be able to display 24 frame per second (movie) signals at 24 fps. Other information I can get from reviews, but to see if black levels were good enough for ME, I had to see it. Unfortunately, stores basically don't have display models so it is hard to actually SEE what a picture looks like, as I found out when I took my copies of Citizen Kane and Star Wars episode II out to try to see some. Only a local high end dealer had a $6000 DLP projector which was very good but way out of my price range.Finally I found an online dealer which had a return policy that would have allowed me to return a projector for my money back if I didn't like it and had put less than four hours on the lamp. Among others, they had the Panasonic AE4000U, which sounded very promising based on reviews and I already had a Panasonic which, with certain reservations, I liked a lot. So I ordered it. The black levels weren't perfect but they were VERY impressive, as good, I thought, as the $6000 DLP I had seen. I projected a little bit of my Blu-ray Blade Runner and my wife saw a little of it and commented that it looked beautiful even thought she doesn't like the movie. After an hour or so of making adjustments and checking out some video material, but not directly comparing it to the old projector, I was pretty sure it was good enough and wanted to keep it and set up a test to show my wife, and myself. I covered the right half of the new projector lens and the left half of the old projector lens and in normal bright room light adjusted the pictures to the same size and to a smooth transition between sides when both projectors were being fed the same signal. Then I darkened the room, invited my wife in for a comparison of the old and new without yet knowing myself how they would look side by side in the dark and brought up a few scenes from the Star Wars episode II DVD.Between the OPPO Blu-ray player feeding a better quality signal via HDMI (vs component for the older projector) and the quality difference between the 6 year old projector and the new one, the difference was astonishing in terms of black level, color quality, brightness (in eco mode, yet), sharpness, you name it. It took my wife less than 30 seconds to say that we were keeping the new projector; not only that, but the Blu-ray player, about which she had been quite dubious, was indeed, she now agreed, also a worthwhile purchase. We shut the old projector off, removed the lens covering, and looked at more of Star Wars, some of Citizen Kane, and on Blu-ray, a bit of Blade Runner and a couple other odds and ends. We both came away very happy. The colors are much more natural and beautiful and the increase in detail is amazing.In isolation, the old projector still looks very good, except for black levels. But I am a little surprised at how much sharper the new one looks from 11-12 feet away. I think a good bit of it has to do with the improvement in apparent sharpness due to the better black level performance. There are 4 times as many pixels, but from 12 feet away, lots of extra pixels just aren't really visible, though the increase in pixels undoubtedly gets extra information to your brain even though you don't consciously see an increase. With the old projector, from 5 feet away, I could see pixels on on the 64 inch (diagonal) screen. From less than a foot away, I still can't see pixels with the AE4000U except sometimes on some test patterns, but not on any program material. It is like looking at film and very sharp even when viewed up close.A few days later, thinking about the very good but not perfect black levels, it struck me that film doesn't have perfect blacks either. The black levels with the projector aren't as good as the blacks on my old ProScan 27" CRT. But the blacks with this projector seem to me to be as good as I have ever seen in any color film with the possible exception of some--not all--3-Strip Technicolor(tm) IB prints and as good as any black and white film I have seen in a print less than 50 years old. This projector is mostly for viewing film. So that is good enough.I went to see the Princess and the Frog with the family when it was out and the theatre just didn't put enough light up on the screen which seriously degraded the experience. While the end credits were rolling, white text on a black screen, I walked up to the front and put my hand in front of the screen and could see my shadow clearly in the black. If they had been using adequate light it would have been even clearer. Images are much brighter at home and the shadows aren't much different.My default setting for all things video is now 1080p60, with 24fps enabled on my Oppo BDP-83SE. Fed to the AE4000U projected onto a 64 inch diagonal 9x16 screen, excellent DVD material, like Star Wars, episode II (specifically scene 15 Return to Naboo, which I have used as a test scene), really does look near HD. It isn't as sharp as Blu-ray or 1080i or 720p broadcast, but it really does look very good, enough so that I am not highly motivated to replace many DVDs with Blu-ray discs. I may change my mind when I get a 92 inch screen, but having stood up close to the screen and compared Blu-ray and DVD upscaled and at 24fps with the Oppo Blu-ray player (BDP-83SE, which I have also reviewed) and the AE4000U, I suspect that I won't. I should also note that viewed on other upscaling DVD players, DVDs don't look as good as they do on Oppo BDP-83 or BDP-83SE. Make no mistake, Blu-ray looks better, but with this system, Blu-ray's biggest advantage is high definition sound instead of Dolby Digital's lossy compression. I do plan to buy most new discs in Blu-ray, but I don't plan to replace many old ones unless for its for soundtrack upgrades. That said, I did upgrade North By Northwest, with its wonderful Bernard Herrmann score, and there are a handful of others I would jump at the opportunity to buy on Blu-ray for a sound upgrade.I also show virtually everything I watch with dynamic iris off and at the standard Cinema 1 setting for 6500K color temperature (for black and white or color), and I find that in general the color is gorgeous and very evocative of the experience of viewing movies in a good theatre where the management is really dedicated to a quality viewing experience (an attitude that is all too rare in movie theatres). And DVDs from Technicolor(tm) original sources, like the classic Warner Brothers Adventures of Robin Hood, really do approximate the experience of 3-Strip Technicolor(tm) Nitrate originals. So movies at my house often look better than in theatres.I think that having a player capable of outputting 24fps is very important and significantly upgrades the experience watching film based material. Some recommend it only for Blu-ray and "very well authored DVDs." I use it on all DVDs and and infrequently (not at all on many movies and, usually not more than 1-4 times per movie) I get a black frame at 24fps. I suspect this occurs when the player or projector looses cadence momentarily because of an improper edit point on the DVD. But the overall increase in how realistic movies look is well worth an occasional black frame.If the room is brightly lit and what I have on is ordinary TV that I am not much interested in, I will occasionally use the Dynamic setting, which throws more apparent light on the screen, instead of Cinema 1. But if it is something I care about, I'll darken the room and watch it in Cinema 1.This is an excellent projector. Buying this and and Oppo BDP 83 together at list price is an incredible bargain and will keep you happy watching and listening to movies on DVD and Blu-ray for a long time. And over-the-air high definition broadcasts in 720p or 1080i both look better than upscaled DVD.Update 6-29-10:For a while I have been conscious of this but I thought I would write it up fresh tonight. I just watched a Netflix DVD of Blindside tonight and on the Oppo using upscaling to 1080P through HDMI with 24 hz DVD playback enabled and through the Panasonic AE-4000 set to frame creation mode 1 (the least processing above no processing) on a 65 inch screen at 10 feet, I really was not conscious that I was watching a DVD rather than a Blu-ray disc. During the credits it is easier to tell, but watching the movie it is not. This is the same setup I use for virtually all DVD playback, and as usual there were a small number of black frames, a very small price to pay for such high quality viewing through this incredibly synergistic pair of instruments. With these 2 components, watching all of Blindside, a few minutes of The Searchers blu-ray and 2010 blu-ray and then a few minutes of the Blindside DVD again, there is not a lot of difference in image quality. I suspect with more magnification, for example with 2.35-2.4:1 scope/panavision movies blown up to the same vertical size, the differences will be much more apparent, because of the much higher resolution of blu-ray. But DVDs look awfully good on this pair.That said, watching parts of the same 3 movies 5 feet from the screen--the equivalent of watching on a 130 inch screen from 10 feet, The Searchers clearly looks better, as well it should, having been shot in VistaVision (essentially 70 mm). The difference between 2010 and Blindside is more subtle, slightly in favor of 2010, perhaps not as much as it should be with real 1080P instead of 480P upscaled to 1080P. But most significantly, the difference is subtle, not blatant.OPPO BDP-83SE - Blu-Ray disc player - upscaling - black

updated review- still loving it

by Prasad N. Badal from Chicago, USA on 2010-04-07
got my first projector yesterday from visualapex. was waiting for price to fall for the past 4 months but couldn't wait any longer. it is huge -size & weight .set up was easy at coffee table level, not recommended if you have small kids as you cant stop them from looking into the lens & it does get hot. one issue (not so major)is no coaxial cable input. will update further after i see some Blu-ray & get a hd receiver for basement from cox. picture is awesome even for SD projected 12ft diagonally(16:9)on a wall. even with partial ambient light. money well spent.after a week: watched "time travelers wife" DVD - a very low lit movie . did a decent job under picture mode "Dynamic" watched 24 from fox website(dvr ran out of space). awesome!! great player fox!!5/17/2010 Built my 170" diagonal BOC screen got the Avatar Bluray still waiting for my lg bd570. not recommended to project DVD from this projector to anything larger than 120" diagonal . it gets grainy at 22'projection distance .if i had the projector closer it maybe a different story5/20/2010 finally my lg bd570 arrived . in the mean time I've built a shelf for my projector, all the connection through single hdmi output from my onkyo 6200 receiver . has 4 hdmi ,s-video, component, serial connectiononly regret is inability to connect the wii as i dont want to fish another 35ft component cable under the carpet. some day i will.one more thing: Note to Panasonic: the safety chain end (L shaped) tab that screws on to the bottom of the projector should ideally be screwed on to the back or sides . I place my projector on a shelf & if i attach the safety chain . the projector tilts on one side as the tab protrudes more than the feet. had to hammer it to flatten it.i really like this projector & would recommend it

Description

The PT-AE900U is a native high-definition home theater projector that produces stunning film-like images with a dramatic 5500:1 contrast ratio.Capable of displaying ultra-sharp ultra-clear HD pictures up to 14.5-feet wide the PT-AE900U is equipped with advanced digital picture-enhancing features allowing you to enjoy Hollywood picture quality in the comfort of your own home.The PT-AE900U offers a host of image optimizing features including a Dynamic Iris optical system that extends the iris range by 30% for a breathtaking 5000:1 contrast ratio. Dynamic Iris with scene tracking capability constantly adjusts the light volume and gamma curve in real time so the picture is always optimal and transitions between scenes are amazingly smooth and natural. The PT-AE900U is also outfitted with Smooth Screen technology that effectively eliminates the screen door effect (visible spacing between pixels) and gives the projector a sharp detailed HD picture that is remarkably smooth and film-like.The PT-AE900Us acclaimed Cinema Color Management (CCM) technology controls both contrast and brightness to provide faithful reproduction of even subtle hues moving color correction closer to the process used for motion pictures.Key Features * 16.9 Native Res 1280x720 Pixel HD LCD Panels * 1100 ANSI Lumens Widescreen High Definition Home Cinema Projector * 5500; 1 Contrast Ratio With Smooth Screen Technology * Progessive Cinema Scan With 3/2 Pulldown * Dynamic Iris Optical System With 2x Optical Zoom Product SpecificationsProjection Type: Native 16:9 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)Native Resolution: WXGA (1280x720)Lumens: (brightness) 1100Weight: (lbs.) 7.9Dimensions: (inches) 3.7 x 13.2 x 10.6Zoom&Focus: Manual Focus Manual Zoom F=1.9 to 3.1Contrast Ratio: 5500:1Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Native (4:3 and 2.35:1 Supported)Lamp Life: Not PublishedDigital Keystone Correction: Horizontal: 30%HDTV Compatible: YES (720p 1080i 1080p) and Computer Resolutions Up To U-WXGA 1920x1080Special Features: * S...

Features

• 1100 ANSI Lumens Widescreen High Definition Home Cinema Projector
• 5500; 1 Contrast Ratio With Smooth Screen Technology
• Progessive Cinema Scan With 3/2 Pulldown
• Dynamic Iris Optical System With 2x Optical Zoom
• 16.9 Native Res 1280x720 Pixel HD LCD Panels

Reviews

3+ YEARS and counting

by W. Wesley Grate from Fairfield, OH USA on 2010-04-15
I've owned (and religiously used) this exact projector since the fall of 2006 when I set-up my movie room. I came back to this page to get some technical information so I can finally get a 2nd one for the bedroom. When I noticed all the reviews (which usually are from people who have, at best, a month or two of usage), I thought I'd throw in my experience as a long-time user. The width of picture in my movie room is about 110" diagonal (the wall is painted an extreme matte white -- you don't want (or need) anything reflective -- trust me -- someone in the room will be blinded depending on where they sit, if the screen reflects).I never had a problem with my projector (I bought it referbished from AMAZON, as I said in '06) -- and (believe it or not) the original bulb didn't give me "REPLACE BULB" warning until a couple of weeks ago. I've always kept my brightness on LOW and the settings (usually) on DYNAMIC and it gave me close to 4500 hours. Time will tell if this is within the Bell-curve or I just got lucky. Not wanting to press my luck, I bought a new bulb from projectorquest (about $240). The installation was easier than replacing my ink-jet's cartridges -- just read the manual online and be sure to reset the usage meter (instructions are in the manual).As for the quality. Excellent. We sit at least 6-8 feet from the wall it projects to .. getting closer will start to give you a screen-door effect in the white areas. My movie room is a sub-basement, but even with lights at half brightness, it's more than acceptably bright. I watch my HDTV programs from DirectTV (though, I switched to UVerse when they had their spat with Versus).. and I also use an upscaling DVD [that's an important component] and the quality makes me really laugh at people who feel the need to get a Blu-Ray. (I'm not saying a Blue-Ray doesn't look crisper -- it looks fabulous -- but I (nor anyone I've had as a guest) has ever thought that anything we've watched on DVD needed to look sharper.. especially for 30%-50% more per DVD).The price of these new is amost exactly what I paid for mine refurbished in '06, so there is that to be said.Get one. There's not a single feature I could think of that someone would need for a movie room that this one didn't have. The iris can make the picture bigger or smaller without moving the unit. The fan isn't noisy. The picture can be adjusted in every possible way... and the 360-knob gets used all the time when the projector gets moved from place to place, and may very well be the most convenient thing about it.My bedroom's demands for size and so forth aren't as stringent, so I'm still shopping for a cheaper alternative. But, I'm wavering just because with this unit, there wouldn't be any surprises.

LAMP BURNS OUT - REPLACEMENT DOESN'T WORK

by QuinnFam from Georgia on 2009-03-19
We purchased our projector 2 years ago. The lamp stopped working and we bought a replacement ($300). It still wouldn't project light so we called Panasonic Tech Support, they told us to take it to one of their repair shops. They thought it was the ballast and ordered a part. They can't get it to light up and have called Panasonic. During the last 3 weeks that they have had our projector, another one has come in with the same problem. They are still waiting for Panasonic to get back to them.

love this projector

by Holistic Doc from California on 2007-12-13
We have used this projector for about 4000 hours - it is fabulous Panasonic has always been helpful to us- People are very impressed with the picture it is incredible - plasma (heavy, burn out and more - now that iss a joke - I have an 80 inch picture We watch VUDU, HD direct tv and it is great.

Best Value Home Theater Projector

by C. Reinhardt from NC on 2007-11-24
This is hands down the best projector for the money. I think LCD technology is so much more stable and better technology than DLP and this unit doesn't have any "screen door" effect that is often complained of on LCD projectors. I've had mine for almost two years and love it. I have a 92" screen and HDTV looks great. My only caution is you really need a dedicated movie room for this unit with completely controlled lighting. It has a relatively low light output and you'll need to eliminate ambient light for ideal viewing. I have track lighting with a dimmer switch in a basement room and it works great. One more suggestions, use a grey screen designed for HDTV with a 1.8 gain. I recommend the "GreyWolf" series.

2 years of bliss!

by R. Reinert from United States on 2007-11-02
I've had my Panny AE900U for 2 years now and what a projector! I clean the air filter religiously but otherwise there is really no maintenance on my unit. Original bulb, no malfunctions with 440 hours logged so far. Highly recommended!

Description

Manual Pull Down Screen for residential, business, or education application. Features an auto locking mechanism to provide variable height settings. Its designed for wall and ceiling installation, L-Brackets are optional. Black backed screen material eliminates light penetration for superior color reproduction. 135"Inch Diagonal, 1.1 Gain Matte white screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Features

• Dual wall and ceiling - perfect for home / business
• Designed for wall or ceiling installation
• Advance auto locking system - easy lock to all position
• Available in White case color
• Black back screen material - block rear light through

Description

Manual Pull Down Screen for residential, business, or education application. Features an auto locking mechanism to provide variable height settings. Its designed for wall and ceiling installation, L-Brackets are optional. Black backed screen material eliminates light penetration for superior color reproduction. 100"Inch Diagonal, 1.1 Gain Matte white material with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Features

• Dual wall and ceiling - perfect for home / business
• Designed for wall or ceiling installation
• Advance auto locking system - easy lock to all position
• Available in Black or White case color
• Black back screen material - block rear light through

Reviews

Poor Poor Poor

by Not So Happy from on 2008-12-14
This screen has to be one of the cheapest pieces of junk, if going to retract it up and down alot, don't buy it. If you want really good picture quality don't buy it, I can spot all the little shiny dots and I'm using a benq w500 hd projector, if for instance you are watching something bright like hockey, all over the white ice i can just pick up on all the flaws of the screen. Warrenty is like dealing with a bunch of pot heads, won't get no place with the. I'm going to try a different brand I hope i enjoy it better!

Keep looking.

by Darth Will from California on 2008-01-07
I have read other reviews, on another site, being warned about this screen. The problem is the plastic end cap. The spring tension can break the plastic, rendering the retraction system useless. I went ahead and purchased one anyway because of the price and the company was close by. I figured if something went wrong I could just take it to them and get it replaced. :-/ Well, I received my screen and pulled it down. First problem was I couldn't get it to retract properly. The retraction system takes some finesse, you have to pull it just enough for it to retract otherwise you are just pulling the screen out more. And if you pull too far, you'll end up pulling the screen itself off the roller. It's only attached with tape or glue, and can easily be pulled off if not careful. While pulling it, trying to get it to retract, I heard something snap and the sound of something unwinding really fast inside. Then there was no tension at all on the screen. What I had been warned about happened, it broke. Second problem was customer service. I called the company and told them my situation. I told them I would be happy to come by with the screen so they could look at it and we could go from there. They took down my number and said someone will call me back. No call back. I went to their website and wrote my situation in an e-mail and submitted it to their customer service link. No response. I called again and they looked up my e-mail. I was then told to go back to the website and fill out another form to get an RMA#, submit that and if after they reviewed and approved it, they would send me an RMA # and instructions on what to do next. I again reiterated that I lived about 20 minutes away and would be happy to bring the screen, invoice/receipt and all the packing material to them so they could see what the problem was and that it was a new screen that I had just received. He thought about it for a minute and then said "no, we have a process and you have to fill out paperwork." So, I went back to the website and filled out another form to get an RMA #. Almost a week later I received the coveted RMA# and instructions on what to do next. They wanted me to mail them an end cap, didn't matter which one, and a 10" square cut out of the brand new screen. Seemed a big waste of a new screen but did what I was told. Then I waited. I figured since the company was close it wouldn't take long to get a replacement screen. Waited some more. I checked USPS website and saw that my package containing the end cap and screen material was delivered the day after I sent it. Waited some more. Finally after almost 3 weeks the replacement screen arrived. I was thinking about returning this one to the original reseller and getting a different brand but because of the size of the thing, didn't want to hassle with it plus more paperwork. Luckily the second one seems to be holding up but I have only had it for under two months. The screen itself looks good, and this would be an awesome product if they would just redesign the end cap, that holds the tension of the coiled spring, a little more beefier.

Great value for the price

by L. Finley from Eugene, OR USA on 2007-03-09
The screen was exactly as described, a cinch to install, and has met our needs perfectly.

It broke on the first try

by Small non-profit business from Grand Rapids, MI on 2007-01-19
The first thing that I heard after hanging this manually operated 100" screen was the sound of breaking plastic followed by the sight of all the screen pouring out of the bottom never to be retracted again. I took the screen down, took the end cap off and found broken plastic parts inside.After I filled out a long waranty form, Elitescreens promised to send me a new endcap, but it remains to be seen if I will be able to install it myself. I rate this a 2 Stars because it could still have a happy ending.

Description

The Cables To Go RapidRun Component Video with Stereo Audio v.2 Break-Away Flying Lead is part of a modular cabling system that allows for easy installation and excellent signal quality. The RapidRun system gives you the option of switching the installed cable from VGA to S-Video, Composite or Component Video with Audio in less than a minute. The key to all of this is the proprietary connector design, which features a locking mechanism that connects to either a break-away flying lead or wall plate. The RapidRun connector also enables you to pull the runner base cable through a 3/4" conduit then terminate with your flying lead or wall plate.

Features

• Color code: Green
• For use with RapidRun PC/Video (UXGA) Runners (color code yellow) or RapidRun HT (5-Coax) Runners (color code blue)
• Supports transmission of UXGA and component video signals
• SplitLok precision-machined 24-karat gold-plated terminations with split center pins guarantee a superior connection
• Ideal for use with computers, projectors, and any display requiring a 5-RCA connection

Reviews

Rapid Run Rules

by P. Banta from on 2009-05-26
This stuff works great. If you need to run long runs of component cable, this is the way to go.

Description

High definition cinema comes home with Panasonic's newest LCD projector, the PT-AX100U. It puts you front and center for the latest concert, big game or Hollywood blockbuster film with an HD image up to 174 inches wide. In addition to providing 2,000-lumen brightness - the brightest in its class - the PT-AX100U also incorporates Panasonic's new Light Harmonizer technology, which produces bright, beautiful, easy-to-watch images even in a well-lit room. So you can spend the afternoon watching your favorite football team without having to close the drapes and still enjoy clear, brilliant images in crisp detail. Developed especially for home theater use, the PT-AX100U incorporates all of Panasonic's highly acclaimed home cinema projector technologies. No compromises were made in its development or production. Our Hollywood Color Tuning includes a new Pure Color Filter developed in conjunction with David Bernstein and other top Hollywood colorist and directors of photography. The result is technology that captures the artistic sensibilities of moviemakers with deeper, richer blacks, more vibrant color and a more dynamic overall viewing experience particularly for motion pictures. The PT-AX100U integrates easily into your home theater system and offers outstanding setup flexibility. It can be placed on a coffee table, suspended from a ceiling or set on a bookshelf across the room from a screen. The awesome power of the large screen and the stunning detail of high definition is now ready for its big debut right in the comfort of your own home with our most impressive HD cinema projector yet - the PT-AX100U.

High definition cinema comes home with Panasonic's newest LCD projector, the PT-AX100U. It puts you front and center for the latest concert, big game or Hollywood blockbuster film with up to a 174" wide (over 14.5 feet) HD image. In addition to providing 2,000-lumen brightness - the brightest in its class* - the PT-AX100U also incorporates Panasonic's new Light Harmonizer technology, which produces bright, beautiful, easy-to-watch images even in a well-lit room. So you can spend the afternoon watching your favorite football team without having to close the drapes and still enjoy clear, brilliant images in crisp detail. Developed especially for home theater use, the PT-AX100U incorporates all of Panasonic's highly acclaimed home cinema projector technologies. No compromises were made in its development or production. Panasonic's Hollywood Color Tuning includes a new Pure Color Filter developed in conjunction with David Bernstein and other top Hollywood colorist and directors of photography.** The result is technology that captures the artistic sensibilities of moviemakers with deeper, richer blacks, more vibrant color and a more dynamic overall viewing experience particularly for motion pictures. The PT-AX100U integrates easily into your home theater system and offers outstanding setup flexibility. It can be placed on a coffee table, suspended from a ceiling or set on a bookshelf across the room from a screen. The awesome power of the large screen and the stunning detail of high definition is now ready for its big debut right in the comfort of your own home with our most impressive HD cinema projector yet - the PT-AX100U.

Features

• 1280 x 720 resolution, LCD lens
• 2,000 + lumens
• 6,000:1 contrast ratio
• 40-200 inces diagonal projection size

Reviews

not bad

by Austin J. Downing from FPO, AE, US on 2010-08-17
I was reading a lot of reviews and people have been complaining about the IRIS isuue and short bulb life. I have had the IRIS issue as well, I think it started around 1200 hours of use. The projector would shut down after a few min. You would have to turn it back on, then after a few min it would shut right back down again. I would have to do this about 4 times before it would stay on and I could actually use it. I called Panasonic and they told me to send it in. I would have to pay to get it fixed and for shipping as well. They made it sound like they would have to keep the projector for a couple of weeks and I would have to pay a LOT for repairs because it wasn't under warranty. I did some research about the IRIS issue and I figued out I could just open the projector and oil it up with a q-tip. It didn't take any longer than 10min to do myself. It was simple and I have not had an issue since. I can't say anything good about Panasonic customer support, it sucks. The bulb is still running at 2100+ hours even though the bulb life is rated at 2000 hours. If you wan't the bulb to last then you have to follow some simple guidelines. -After you turn the projector off wait until the cooldown process is complete before you turn it back on. I would always wait at least 20min before turning it back on. -Be conservative with the settings. If you put everything at max the bulb will go out much faster than it should. I have been consevative with my settings and I have been happy with picture quality, colors and brightness. -If it is too hot in your house don't turn the projector on. the temp is usually around 80 in my house and I have had it on for hours at a time. But if it got up in the 90's I wouldn't use it. Thats about it. I have not been happy about Panasonic customer service but I love the projector.On another note, I bought this three years ago for [...] and it wasn't on sale and there was no rebates. I dont know why it is more expensive to buy now.

Not that bad

by Thomas M. Fina from Vermont, US on 2010-05-19
I found out about an issue with this projector but was pleased to find there are ways to fix it on the internet and you don't need to have an electronics background to fix it. The IRIS problem reared its ugly head and WD40, some Qtips and a little bit of patience fixed the issue. I still think it is a wonderful projector and the brightness and screen size in my basement is excellent.

Awesome . . . . until it broke w/less than 100 hrs of use

by Phyllis Diller from Las Vegas, Nevada United States on 2009-12-07
This is an incredible machine . . . awesome picture quality . . . when I purchased it two years ago the only reviews were positive . . . we put this in in our cabin so it didn't get much use . . . with less than 100 hours of use, the picture would go blank and we would have to turn the power off and turn it back on several times in order for it to finally stay on . . . . it's still that way and Panasonic has not been very easy to deal with . . . totally unfair for them not to replace this problem on a new machine.

Aside from the common iris problem plague, good projector

by ptatohed from Temecula CA on 2009-09-21
I'm not going to go into full detail about the features and picture quality, etc., you can do that research elsewhere. I just want to point out to people that, yes, while so many of these projectors experience the oh-too-common iris problem, it is fixable. I fixed mine and my projector is working fine again. Here is the link to the page I used to solve my problem and to where I posted my experience (ptatohed). Good luck![...]

Great for the first 1000 hours

by Timothy Mcdonald from Seattle, WA United States on 2009-06-15
This is my second Panasonic projector. The first one started turning blue after about a year and a half. This one, in addition to having the iris problem which others have already described, has turned yellow in the middle after 1000 hours. I am not a smoker and I clean the filter regularly. I will not buy another Panasonic projector until they can produce a product that doesn't fail after a year.

Description

1000 ANSI LUMENS UP TO 2000:1 CONTRAST RATIO 1280 X 720 NATIVE H

Panasonic's PT-AE700U high-definition LCD projector is equipped with advanced digital picture-enhancing features to transform your living room, basement, or bonus room into a small (or not so small) scale theater for viewing everything from movies to sports to your favorite HD television programs. The tiny projector is capable of displaying an ultra-sharp, ultra-clear widescreen picture up to 18 feet in diagonal. How's that for big-screen? The PT-AE700U's three 16:9 LCD panels (each with a native 1,280 x 720 pixel count) produce a phenomenal picture with 1,000-lumens brightness and beautifully saturated colors, even in well-lit rooms. Incorporating the expertise and artistic creativity of the Hollywood colorist David Bernstein, the PT-AE700U's a wealth of image-optimizing features include a color-correction system with Cinema Color Management (CCM) technology to ensure super-faithful color reproduction and a Dynamic Iris optical system incorporating AI technology to produce a best-in-class 2,000:1 contrast ratio. The projector's Dynamic Iris constantly adjusts its light volume and gamma curve in real time, so the picture always looks its best and transitions between scenes are amazingly smooth and natural. A newly developed 2x optical zoom lens allows image size adjustment to accommodate your room layout and screen size. For instance, the PT-AE700U can project a 100-inch diagonal picture from a distance of less than 10 feet or from a distance of more than 19 feet, depending on where it's most convenient for you to place the projector. A joystick-controlled optical system permits easy vertical and horizontal lens shifts so you can easily adjust the screen without having to move the projector and without distorting the onscreen image. Other innovative PT-AE700U features include Smooth Screen technology that effectively eliminates the "screen door effect" (visible spacing between pixels), 10-bit digital processing and 10-bit gamma correction (which accurately reproduces subtle changes in brightness and hue and quadruples the number of displayable colors to more than 1 billion and over 1,024 gray levels), and improved Dynamic Sharpness Control (which adjusts video signal enhancement based on the difference in brightness of adjacent pixels). The PT-AE700U also performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Weighing just under 8 pounds, the projector is light enough for you to move it between rooms as desired and light enough for you to have it permanently installed in the ceiling using an optional mount. A screen trigger terminal facilitates the opening and closing of an electronic screen when you turn the projector on and off. The PT-AE700U's range of inputs includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) that accepts all high-definition digital sources, a component-video input to connect to analog HD sources or progressive-scan DVD players and DTV set-top boxes, a PC input to connect multimedia computer sources, and standard composite- and S-video jacks as well. Further, the PT-AE700U is quiet, with an operating noise level as low as 26 dB. Additional features include omnidirectional digital keystone correction that minimizes distortion when projecting at an angle of up to 30 degrees; contrast, brightness, and gamma level adjustments across 7 picture modes; memory storage of up to 3 sets of picture adjustment settings; a back-lit wireless remote control; 7-language onscreen menu selection; and manual zoom and focus. What's in the Box Projector, remote control, remote batteries, an AV cable (10 feet), an AC power cord, a user's manual, and warranty information.

Features

• High-definition HDMI, component-video, composite-video, S-video, and RGB inputs
• 1,280 x 720 native HD resolution (displays 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, and 1080i inputs)
• 1,000 ANSI lumens brightness, up to 2,000:1 contrast ratio; widescreen (16:9) native aspect ratio, 4:3 compatible
• Smooth Screen technology for smooth, film-like images
• Measures 13.2 x 3.7 x 10.6 inches (W x H x D) and weighs just 7.9 pounds

Reviews

Nearly five years, still going, still impressive.

by Re Decker from Ottawa IL on 2009-10-19
I purchased the PT-AE700U in early 2005, and have been impressed by everything about it, other than bulb life. This one is on its third bulb--all used at low power and high fan settings. It is very enjoyable and satisfying to watch on a 12'/4' painted wall "screen". Everyone who has viewed it has been delighted with the HD picture, despite the fact that Blu-Ray is able to display more resolution than the native 720p of this model. Easy to set up and use--and my feeling is the bulb issue is more related to improper on-off sequences and improper shutdowns. I now have it on an uninterruptible power supply and it is mounted on the ceiling. I have so far exceeded the life of both previous bulbs (the last had about 1000 hours on it before it grew so dim I replaced it). SO--tbough bulb replacement is expensive, it is well worth watching movies and favorite TV shows on. Otherwise we can use our large LCD flat panel.

Awesome value for your money

by Alex Wright from usa on 2009-01-29
Ive owned this projector for over a year now and I love it. The picture is fantastic and colors are perfect. This is the second projector ive owned and the best by far. I was concerned about the picture clarity compared to the dlp projector I previously owned. Soon after installing it I was blown away by the picture quality of this projector. The only thing I would change is to make a few hundred more lumens of brightness. But that can be made up with a more reflective screen. The picture shows up excellent in the dark, and good in afternoon light with the right screen. I use it as a main tv and have it mounted on the celing in my livingroom. With curtains that filter light a little the projector is up to the task for anything. I know two other people who bought one because they loved mine so much. None of us have ever had a problem whatsoever with the projector. One even has over 3500 hours on his original bulb! With hdmi, componnent, s video and composite inputs this projector has the ability to connect to anything. Overall this projector is an excellent value!

Defective Blue LCD Panel/Polarizer

by S. Bowden from on 2009-01-12
Don't buy this uless you want a disposable projector. Worked GREAT for a while, then a blue blob started on the right side of the screen and within 3 months took over the whole screen and it is now useless. Cheaper to replace than to repair the bad panel or polarizer...will go with Sanyo this time

Defective

by D. Friedland from Midwest, USA on 2008-01-13
I agree with the review that this is a defective product. My bulb blew at 312 hours. Wasn't under warranty and cost me another $400+ to replace. Panasonic service online and on-phone are terrible. Then had same problem with cycle-on and cycle-off. Took it in person to nearest Panasonic authorized service center (75 miles away) and they told me it was just dusty and charged $120 for the evaluation and cleaning. Came home and it still does the same thing. Service center now out of business and Panasonic wants me to ship it to Kansas. Judging from all the online info this is a lemon and Panasonic knows it. The bulb life is a joke and the power supply is faulty. Will not go with Panasonic again. Now I am looking for a good replacement as fixing this one will likely run hundreds. My current bulb is at 295 hours so even after it is fixed I am afraid it will blow soon and another $400+ will be needed.

Bulbs blow at less than 500 hours

by Jeremy Trim from on 2006-12-12
I have been a proud owner of this projector for a short while over a year. I love the picture this projector creates. Bright, smooth images and the HD is awesome. However, there is a manufacturer's defect in the bulb. My bulb, after only putting 470 hours onto it, exploded last night. I'm finding case after case of this happening to people with this projector. I can only hope panasonic will do the right thing and replace my bulb at no cost. I'm sad to say that I probably won't buy another panasonic projector (and, from the looks of things, I'm going to be back in the marker REAL soon). I think I may go back to sharp, who made my original projector which I loved.beware of this! you'll be very sad when your bulb prematurely goes "POP".