Product Survey: Video Projectors : Panasonic PT-AE3000U
8. Panasonic PT-AE3000U
Our settings
The position chosen at the start was Cinema 2, with the lamp in eco mode. Default settings make color temperature cold. To correct this, you need to access the advanced image settings and select the following:
Contrast: R +12, G 0 and B -6. Brightness: R -4, G 0, B -2. That will help you get your temp to 6500k. In practice, if you don't want people onscreen to look fake tanned, you'll need to reduce red contrast to +6.
The gamma curve is a little too high on the segment from 30 to 70 IRE (intermediate gray tones). To get them in order, select: low contrast -1 and medium -2.
Unfortunately the settings above are not universal on this model. Don't hesitate to surf from one color mode to another, depending on the film you're watching, to get the best colors.
Panasonic has given us some very good projectors in the past. The PT-AX200E, which was a great success, is one of Panasonic's best. So, we’ve been impatiently nagging the manufacturer to get our hands on their new beauty so we can put it to the test.
Handling, design
When we tested the PT-AE200U, we said it looked like a 1970s Volvo. The fans this shape can relax. This model hasn’t changed its look. It looks rather as if it has been carved with an ax and this gives it a smooth look that I actually quite like. In a world full of curves, it’s sometimes quite nice to find a square object around.
Now, I’m going to focus on three points: one of which is positive, the two others less so. If you prefer to start with the good news, read on. Otherwise, jump ahead. Energy consumption on stand-by is almost zero. Our meter gave a reading of zero, where other projectors score as high as 10 watts. This is sufficiently rare to be underlined and we salute the work of the manufacturer on this point. Now for the bad news. The focus and viewfinder are motorized, as is the zoom, which is a good idea, though motorization of the viewfinder is not. In contrast to Mitsubishi, which has two motor speeds, Panasonic only has one relatively fast one. This is impractical for getting the focus precisely right and I ended up forcing the it manually to get the result I wanted. The last point is the remote. It is similar to the PT-AX200E remote and a notch down from the universal remote on the previous model. That one could learn command signals from other remotes and control other devices.
Projected image
Remember, all images on the Full HD projectors tested here are impressive. If I received any of them as a gift I’d be delighted. The parallel tests of images (carried out thanks to an HDMI signal duplicator) show the differences between the various models, and we look at these details in the paragraphs to follow.
If you divided the world of video projectors in two, I’d put the Sanyo and Sony on one side and the Panasonic and the Mitsubishi on the other. Generally speaking, the images proposed by the first group are natural/neutral and those for the second warm and alive. Two clans have emerged from our editorial team. The majority of our writers go for the brighter images. Why? Because they have more of an impact on the eye and are sexier. My tastes are for the Sanyo PLV-Z3000 (subdued in comparison) or the Sony VPL-HW10 (brighter), which are closer to reality. The image below is a good illustration.
On the left the Sanyo PLV-Z3000, and on the right the Panasonic PTAE-3000U
When uscaling, the Panasonic has a clear and defined image. More than the Sanyo, but less than the Sony, which everyone agrees is top dog here. However this is for moving images, but when it comes to a still image, the other projectors do better and are sharper. Like its colleagues, the PT-AE3000E has very deep blacks. Supported by the built-in dynamic iris, they push our sensor to its limits with very low scores (from 0 to 0.01 cd/m²) on all the darkest tones. In practice this doesn’t mean you get an absolute black. There is still some brightness and on this model there is a tendency towards violet. Video noise can be reduced using an option available in the image settings menu. Although the result is very satisfying, it is still behind the Sanyo, which is top dog in this category.
Difficult image settings
These complications represent one of the negatives of this model. The image on the PT-AE3000U has many modes. Depending on the color mode, Cinema 1, 2 or 3, the results are very different. From reds to blues, the images have various dominant colors. This is the problem. I couldn’t find a mode and neutral settings to go with all my test films. Depending on the video, I had to go from one mode to another so as to avoid annoying color changes (this is very noticeable when you have two projectors one beside the other).
| Panasonic PT-AE3000U | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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The final rating on this projector may seem severe. It is justified by two points: difficulties in image settings and the overly quick motor for the zoom and lens-shift. This really is impractical. This said the PT-AE3000EU is top drawer in terms of image quality: precise, quality upscale, deep blacks and good handling.
"...For example, when these mirrors rapidly reflect red and yellow, you will see green..."
This mirrors reflect white light. The color wheel is the device which lets the right color component pass in synch with the DMD.
For example: the DMD is reflecting the blue channel of the image but this is white light coming from the lamp, so the color wheel is letting only the blue part of the spectrum. The same with red and blue.
There are also DLP projectors that use three dmd's with three colored light sources( red green and blue) so no need for a color wheel. A frame being displayed with all color information on the screen at once. This means you can obtain 3 times the frame rate at a broader color depth with no rainbow effect.
Besides being technically wrong as pointed out by bboysil, don't you mean red and green will create yellow? Red and yellow (which isn't a primary color of additive light) makes orange!
http:\\diyprojectorkits.com
I am a member there, and am going to build my own 1080P projector this summer. 40 *THOUSAND* hours of life per bulb. Commercial projectors are for amateurs...
COMPARISON CHARTS PLEASE
Either use standard Or metric but don't mix them both. Inches and ounces in one place, meters in another. Seeing how this is tomsguide/us I would assume standard US measurements, but at least be consistant. Even better, translate the articles or make a simple conversion program.
Wow, this article is a mess. Seems like it was written by half a dozen people and connected in random order. No format consistancy between products. Some mention power consumpsion, some price, some show screen shots, size, weight, etc.
COMPARISON CHARTS PLEASE
I'm guessing that's why no charts, no product has the same info.
OK, I swear this is my last comment:
I couldn't figure out why they were using a condom for size comparison. Turns out it is a Euro coin! How about using something recognizable by the majority it of people reading this article.
Why is this site generating such poor quality articles these days (look at the equally useless webcam article)? What is this Digital Versus? Some copy and paste bot?
I read the Panasonic review then gave up. Doesn't anyone bother proof-reading:
"The fans this shape can relax"
"I ended up forcing the it manually"
"The image below" - it's not below
"When uscaling"
And how useless is the zoom option to see the two(!) Star Ratings?
LOL!@! At first I thought that coin was a condom!!
A very wordy review. This needs metrics to compare each model if this is going to prove of any use.
Nic topic coverage. Bit weird as I have just persuaded the wife that our front room would make a great home entertainment room.
First purchase required.... Projector. Think I'll pop down to my local Sony shop and see for myself just what they are like. The reviews here have done nothing more than give me a starting point. Nothing that allows me to proactively compare the products.
I have the same prob, Firmware update doesn't help me use AC charger while projecting..HELP PLS!!
now my aiptek pocket cinema is dead.i've upgraded the firmware, now it won't turn on...pls help...