3. Panasonic PTAX-100U

Panasonic plays it conservatively with this product, which is a direct descendant of the PTAE-900. The approach is the same, with the same joystick for adjusting the horizontal and vertical lens shift, a powerful zoom for installation at the back of a room, and a short focal length that lets you display a two-meter (6.6-foot) image in a small living room with no problem. The tri-LCD matrix has an HD Ready resolution of 1280 x 720 for displaying 720p. It should be noted that the PTAX-100 also accepts 1080p signals, whereas the competition is limited to 1080i.

The major new feature is the "Light Harmonizer" technology that allows the projector to detect the level of light in the room and adapt its brightness and optimize the black level. In Auto mode, the projector does this all by itself, but you can also vary the degree of opening of the iris manually if you wish. Of course you also have access to numerous adjustments if your knowledge of the subject is good, or else some very good presets for those who prefer to just sit back and enjoy the show.

Another Panasonic technology, called "Smoothscreen," is built into the PTAX-100. It limits the "screen-door effect" you can see if you sit too near the screen. The system works very well. No trace of a grid was visible with a 2.5-meter (8-foot) image base at 3.5 meters (11.5 ft.) In the new version, the remote control is backlit and very simple to use, with well-placed, clearly identifiable buttons. The video inputs are average, with one HDMI, YUV and DVI input.

Performance

Once turned on, the PTAX-100 makes almost no noise if the lamp is in low mode. In normal mode, it's noisier, but acceptable given the gain in brightness. Overall the picture is very natural and soft. It's a clean image with very little sparkling. The black levels are very good - better than on earlier Panasonic models. The deinterlacing is of excellent quality regardless of the source used. In Cinema mode, the contrast is a real pleasure to see and the Dynamic mode boosts the brightness without sacrificing color quality too much. The image is especially good with an HD source.

Conclusions

The PTAX-100 is an excellent projector that makes excellent use of tri-LCD technology. Its new features give it a few advantages over its competitors. It stands out in particular for the remarkable absence of screen-door effect. With 720p signals it's a joy to watch, and it's just as good with "traditional" DVD.

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