Panasonic Projectors

A Marvelous Video Projector

This is only the second video projector I have ever purchased since I built my home theater 17 years ago but I have to say that it is an amazing product. I am certain that any purchaser will be extremely pleased with it. I am!

I own a SharpVision XV-S250ZU Video Projector which I purchased in 1992. It was "state-of-the-art" in its day and it could still produce a satisfactory image except for the fact that the LCD panels (organic) have deteriorated. While they could be replaced (and I may have this done some day) the cost would be high and I would still basically have a 1992 projector.

Knowing that I would want to replace the SharpVision I began doing research on projectors starting in 2007. I quickly eliminated single-chip DLP projectors as having seen quite a few of them I have found that both my wife and I are unusually sensitive to the "rainbow" effect noticeable with this kind of projector. We primarily watch older black-and-white movies and this "rainbow" effect is especially apparent with this type of programming.

I also quickly eliminated 3-chip DLP projectors due to their frightfully high cost.

Concentrating on 3-panel LCD projectors I got down to two models: the Epson Powerlite V11H337020 Home Cinema 8500 LCD Home Theater Projector and this one the Panasonic PT AE4000U - LCD projector - 1600 ANSI lumens - 1920 x 1080 - widescreen - High Definition 1080p. Both of these use inorganic panels and so should last even longer than my SharpVision.

The choice was difficult - I had no opportunity to see either "in the flesh" but from what I have read (and I have read quite a bit) it seemed that for our kind of viewing (older as well as newer movies no television or games) and our venue (a fully darkened [with less than 5% ambient lighting] home theater) this one would be the better of the two. Almost all of the reviewers stated that this Panasonic produces much more "film-like" images than does the Epson (though according to those reviews they are fairly close).

I should mention that we do not watch current television shows in our home theater nor do we own a Blu-ray player. (We do watch the Academy Awards every year in our theater.) At this point we still view only standard definition sources (DVD LaserDisc and believe it or not S-VHS and VHS tapes!). Thus I cannot comment at this time on 1080i or 1080p images (our home theater amplifier a Yamaha RX-Z9 purchased in 2004 has no HDMI inputs so I will not be using the ones on the projector at least at this time; I connect the video output from the amplifier to the projector via an S-video cable). I do not know if or when we'll be getting an HD source or sources: standard definition looks spectacular in our theater so we see no pressing need to "upgrade."

I have to state that I did not buy it from Amazon's partner which as of this writing is selling the projector ABOVE list price - and adds insult to injury by tacking on an inordinately high shipping charge; there are several online retailers who sell it for no more than list price and also do not charge shipping [see the first Comment for the name of the dealer from whom I bought this projector]. (I could not find anyone discounting it at this time.) Frankly I wish Amazon themselves sold it (and at list price or less). If they had I definitely would have purchased it from them although I must say that the dealer from whom I actually bought mine gave exemplary service certainly as good as what you get from Amazon.

Now to the projector itself. It arrived yesterday so I have had limited (about five hours total) experience with it thus far but I can tell you that setting it up is quick and easy and the image it produces literally runs rings around any LCD (or DLP) projector I have ever seen.

The contrast is excellent and the black levels in color movies' scenes or in black-and-white movies are really fine with deep blacks yet good detail. I have not yet watched a newer movie with end credits (white lettering over a black background) so I can't comment on that - but frankly the black levels there important to some reviewers are not at all important to us.

The color is breathtaking!

And the overall picture is breathtaking too - FAR superior to any LCD or Plasma "flat-panel" television I have seen (and I've seen quite a few of them in "Home Theater Salons" as well as in peoples' homes). Only a few older "high-end" CRT televisions can produce as vibrant a color palette as can this projector at least in my experience.

I effected some rudimentary changes in the color - I compared several options (and I have found that Cinema 1 really liked by some reviewers is not satisfactory to me at least at this time; the colors are not saturated - they are not "colorful"). I am currently using Color 1 for color films [but see my first update below]. For black-and-white Cinema 3 looks really good. (I watched THE WAR OF THE WORLDS [1953] which has particularly vibrant color and one of the episodes of THE UNTOUCHABLES television shows which has excellent black-and-white cinematography and has many dark scenes.) But I have a lot more experimentation to try before I decide positively on the permanent settings (though I'm fairly certain I'll keep on using Color 1 for color pictures - it produces really beautiful images). (We also watched a bit of the following features: WHOOPEE [1930] an early two-color Technicolor feature RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [1981] widescreen 2.35:1 and beautiful color - and spectacular sound and MY FAVORITE YEAR [1982] 1.85:1 likewise with beautiful color.)

I left the format Autodetect feature On (the default) so the projector will recognize 4:3 and 16:9 programs and set the screen format automatically on my 16:9 screen. I also placed into the lens memory a setting for CinemaScope [Panavision] 2.35:1 to accommodate for my screen and this works perfectly.

By the way I was able to effect these and several more changes WITHOUT READING THE OPERATING MANUAL. This projector is that easy to use! (I will read the manual and will view the included CD-ROM today.)

I might mention that I can see NO pixels even when I'm just two or three feet away from my screen. The screen is a Da-lite Pearlescent purchased in 1992 and is 110" diagonal. The "throw" is 19 feet.

Some reviewers have commented that this projector is not as bright as some others including the Epson I mentioned. But in my venue the brightness of the Panasonic is so much more than adequate I am able to use the Eco setting which reduces brightness and affords a 3000 hour average life to the bulb as opposed to operating it in Normal setting which gives only 2000 hours. I will be using that Eco setting; should the brightness become inadequate due to bulb aging I can always switch to Normal. Of course I won't know about that for a good long time. (I also purchased a spare bulb which I recommend every purchaser do as well.)

According to virtually all the reviews I have read if you are using a video projector in several venues dark rooms as well as bright rooms (say a living room during the daytime) the Epson as well as a number of other projectors MIGHT be a better choice. (I cannot comment on this from personal experience however.)

But if you plan to use a projector exclusively in a fully darkened room (a home theater) as I do it is my opinion that when you figure in performance and price you can do no better than this one.

I give it my highest recommendation and I thank you for reading this.

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Update - December 19 2009

The adjustment ("tweak") possibilities of this projector seem to be almost endless. For the past several days I have been "tweaking" the color adjustments to get the kind of color I like (which may or may not be the kind of color YOU like). I prefer saturated and vivid color. This may not be "accurate" but it is what I personally like to see on screen.

This projector has sixteen memories in which you can store color settings. Each memory can be named if you choose to do so and I did name the ones I'm using. After staying up until 1:00 AM last night I now have two color settings which seem to work well for me. I have labeled one "Eastman Color" and the other one "Technicolor."

"Eastman Color" adds vividness to modern color films; my "templates" were FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) and HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962). Over the next few days I'll be watching other modern color films to see of any changes need to be made to this setting or if any other memories need to be created. Technicolor films are already quite vivid so my "Technicolor" setting is less extreme (for want of a better term) in adjustments than my "Eastman Color" setting; my "templates" for this setting was THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) and GOLDFINGER (1964). I'll want to watch THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) and GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) to see if any adjustments are necessary to this memory. (I should mention that the "base" setting from which I have made my adjustments is Panasonic's Cinema 2 default which itself features a wide color range.)

A fantastic feature of this projector is the split-screen adjustment by which you can see on half of the screen the setting you currently have and on the other half the same scene which you can adjust. You can instantly see side by side what adjustments you are making and when you are satisfied you can save them in memory. This obviously makes setting adjustments very easy; it has taken me so long to do this because I am extremely finicky. You effecting changes may take much less time (or you may take more!) depending on just how demanding you are.

An example of my changes and for me improvements to the projected image involve the black levels this projector offers about which some reviewers have commented negatively. Any "deficiency" in black levels can be easily improved by lowering the overall brightness just a few notches; increasing the color contrasts and color settings overcomes any loss of brightness in the colors. The net result is that you have excellent color a bright image and excellent black levels. You do not have to adjust the settings by much - and you use your eyes to tell you when you have gotten something you like. (And don't forget - I'm using the Eco mode NOT the Normal mode bulb setting.)

Frankly I don't care about the color temperature (the "ideal" is 6500K - but I only care about what I like). And this Panasonic projector makes choosing and setting the colors to be easy if a bit time-consuming. But once it's done you should only rarely have to do it again (perhaps as the bulb ages).

According to several "professional" reviews I have read the color levels and temperature of the Color 1 setting (almost perfectly 6500K) are actually exactly the same as what is labeled the THX setting available on some other projectors notably the Epson Powerlite 8500; I assume Panasonic didn't want to pay a license fee for the use of the THX name. This setting is supposedly the HDTV standard as well. I will say that with certain DVDs the Color 1 default setting looks quite good and I have placed it labeled "Color 1 - THX" as my third color memory. I am finding that it is advantageous to experiment with each and every disc and source; at least for me there is no "one" setting which works best for everything.

Fortunately changing the color setting and comparing the result is extremely easy to do. Placing your most-liked settings even when they're a default into a (labeled) memory makes changing to them a quick affair - much easier to actually do than to write about!

I might mention that I'm still going with the standard Cinema 3 mode for most black-and-white pictures my changes to that default include setting the brightness control down 10 notches and of course turning the color and tint all the way down which removes all color (it's now my fourth memory and is labeled "B&W Monochrome"). There are a few black-and-white movies which have some color; some such pictures are THEM (1954) in which the title is in red SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) which has a sequence in which a little girl's coat appears red and several other films. For these films I am using Color 1 as the base with its brightness turned down 10 notches; this memory setting is labeled "B&W w/Color Seq." (For black-and-white the "B&W Monochrome" setting looks better but that would also remove color if it intentionally present.)

For the moment at least these five color memories (four of them "tweaked" from Panasonic's defaults the fourth an actual default) appear to be all that I will need in my particular theater -- but who knows? Of course your preferred settings probably will be very different than mine but as mentioned the choices available appear to be if not infinite certainly extremely large in number.

Once you have made desired changes to a default setting and have placed them into memory (or even as I did placing a default into memory) selecting the memory preferred for a particular film is quite easy: you press the "Memory Load" button on the remote select the memory item you want and press "Enter." That's it!

I turned the sharpness all the way down and I turned off edge enhancement. By doing this I really have an image on screen which looks as though I am projecting film. (And this is with standard definition sources!) This would probably be less than ideal if you watch a lot of sports and/or television shows but you could have memory settings for each of the types of shows you watch. As I watch only movies with this projector the sharpness and edge enhancement would detract from the image hence my particular setting. I might mention that even with these settings the image is VERY sharp!

My son suggested that instead of using the S-video input I should use the Component (3-connection) inputs (my amplifier and of course the projector handle this). I ordered the requisite cables yesterday and when they arrive I'll change my connection. (I'll have to see if any memory color changes are then required.)

I'll report here in an update if any image improvement is apparent with the "new" connection method.

I should also mention that while I myself use this projector on a rear shelf (where I can easily reach the manual controls) this model is ideal for ceiling mounting. It has a long zoom range (2.0:1) so it can be placed in the back of your room's ceiling (and does not have to be placed in the center as some projectors must) and everything is adjustable (zoom focus all settings etc.) via the remote control (unlike the Epson Powerlite 8500 on which the focus and zoom are manual - you'd have to climb a ladder to adjust them even though you generally do that only once).

In the mean time if you are interested in a video projector for use primarily in a darkened room and you want one which won't "break the bank" I believe you can do no better than this one.

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Update - December 20 2009

Last night I watched CHICAGO (2002) using my Eastman Color setting (some "tweaks" to the Cinema 2 setting) and it looked really good (spectacular if you will). Then I watched part of THE GODFATHER (1972) using my Technicolor setting and I realized that I had set the Brightness down a bit too much on that setting (there was slightly too much contrast so that detail was obscured) so I "tweaked" it just a small bit and now I still have good black levels good contrast and now good detail. (And other than in a theater I have never seen this movie look this good.)

That's one of the best things about this projector: merely by "eyeballing" the image you can make such adjustments as you please and if you do not like what you ultimately see you can change it back to its default merely by pressing one button.

I have not yet experimented with Frame Creation (interpolation); thus far I am leaving it in Mode 1. I have played a bit with the Detail Clarity Processor but for the moment I am leaving it at the factory default. (I have as I mentioned reduced the sharpness down to the minimum - believe me the picture is still very sharp and the resultant image looks just like film.)

I know that many if not most people want "accurate" colors set up to the standards decreed and that's fine. (I understand that the Color 1 setting is an almost perfect 6500K - but we don't like it. You must consider however that we are using the bulb in its Eco mode not the higher powered Normal mode. However I did try Color 1 in Normal mode to see what 6500K looks like - and we still don't like it! It's too dull-looking for our tastes.) But I myself just do not care about "accurate" - I want "pleasing" or in other words what I like. Fortunately my wife has similar tastes in color to my own. While watching CHICAGO I went back into the menu and tried all of the default settings. We both agreed that my Eastman Color setting was far better looking than any of Panasonic's defaults. I must emphasize however that this is strictly OUR tastes and may not reflect YOUR tastes. But I can confidently state that whatever your color preferences are this Panasonic projector will be able to produce them.

I suppose there are other video projectors which will do all of the same things but this one with all of the quality features and adjustability it offers at its low price (I know of no other projector which matches it in all regards including price) is for me the "ultimate."

I guess you can tell that I am having a lot of fun with this projector. It's a real pleasure to have an excuse to re-watch some of my old favorites - tonight I'll watch WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and if time permits at least some of MY FAIR LADY (1964) just to see how they look not even to mention just enjoying them again.

Will I ever get to a point at which I will not be "tweaking" the settings any more? Who knows. The number of settings choices is amazing - not infinite of course but awfully close! I would bet that no two owners would ever have exactly the same preferred memory settings. But that doesn't matter; what matters is this: if you want a really great and versatile low-cost projector this is the one.

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Update - December 24 2009

Today I changed the attachments from my home theater amplifier/receiver the Yamaha RX-Z9 to the projector. I removed the S-Video cable and replaced it with the 3-cable component video one. Yes there is a difference which though subtle is apparent. I still do not have any 1080i/p sources though I shall probably buy an advanced HDTV tuner early in the new year. (We do not have cable or satellite TV - I refuse to pay for TV programming and commercials - relying solely on free over-the-air broadcasts. If I do buy one of these advanced tuners I'll report here in an update just how well the 1080i television picture looks.)

I should mention that it is my understanding that the 3-cable connection passes the 1080i/p signal with no "copy protection" unlike the HDMI connection which DOES have "copy protection." (I hope someone can enlighten me as to whether that's true.) Not that that really matters to me - it's just an annoyance that these big companies insist on "copy-protecting" everything under the sun. In any case my amplifier purchased in 2004 does not have any HDMI connections anyway so the point is moot to me. And it only scales up to 1080i.

Of course using one cable for picture and sound is much easier than connecting what seems to be a myriad of cables - but you only have to do it once (generally - unless you're like me and like to experiment). So if you don't mind connecting a few extra cables (both for video and audio) based on my understanding using the 3-cable component video as well as a digital audio cable (RCA plug or optical - I use optical) may be preferable.

But don't forget - the difference between the 3-cable component video connection and the S-Video connection is subtle. If my son hadn't mentioned it to me and if I had not actually tried it I don't think I would have been aware of any "shortcomings." This projector puts out a fantastic image and I am absolutely certain that anyone who buys one will be completely satisfied. As I said at the beginning of this review I am.

I apologize for the length of this review but for an expensive and complicated product such as this I believe that an extensive review based on experience is necessary to properly inform a prospective purchaser. I also strongly recommend that anyone considering this (or any) projector carefully read the reviews at ProjectorCentralcom and ProjectorReviewscom. (Both of those sites also have a comparison of this one and the Epson Powerlite 8500; these comparisons are very interesting.)

I ultimately chose this model instead of the Epson because as I mentioned above for the kind of viewing my wife and I do this one appears to be superior if only slightly. But one of its major advantages is in the amount and breadth of adjustments offered. As one review put it (I'm paraphrasing) no projector under $10000.00 has the range of adjustment facilities which this one has. Frankly if the projector did not produce a superlative image all the adjustments in the world would be meaningless.

But as I'm sure you can gather this Panasonic DOES indeed produce a superlative image. And that's all for which you can ask.

Again apologizing for the length of this review and its updates (which I've printed as I have had more experience with the projector) but again thanking you for reading it I repeat that I give this Panasonic PT AE4000U - LCD projector - 1600 ANSI lumens - 1920 x 1080 - widescreen - High Definition 1080p my highest recommendation.

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Update - January 2 2010

Last night I watched 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) (and it's hard to believe that this film is now 41 years old!) - and what an image I saw on screen!!! The deepest inkiest and finest blacks I have ever seen on video as well as nothing short of spectacular color. And this was from the standard DVD not the Blu-ray.

Some reviewers have stated that the blacks available from this projector are not as deep as some others; now I'm not doubting these reviewers (after all they can compare projectors side-by-side) but frankly I just can't imagine anything better. Yes I have "tweaked" the color (and the black levels) to my taste and to the environment of my own theater but regarding the color and color range I have to repeat that I just can't imagine anything better.

I have never seen ANY video image - and that includes both monochrome and color - the equal of what this projector produces.

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Update - January 17 2010

I recently purchased this ATSC / QAM (HD) / NTSC (Pass-through Only) Tuner Receiver Box and you ought to see the true HD image produced by this unit via my projector. (Cable and satellite companies generally compress the HD transmissions; over-the-air broadcasts as supplied by this tuner produce the full 1080i image.) The television images both 1080i and 720p are frankly unbelievable. And the Dolby sound produced by the tuner (when offered by the station) is amazing as well. I recommend that anyone interested read my review of this tuner.

My wife and I rarely watch television but now when we do we'll be seeing an image FAR superior to any flat-screen television (LCD or Plasma) that we have ever seen.

The combination of any good source (DVD this particular television tuner and I am sure a Roku or especially a Blu-ray player) and this Panasonic projector makes for a "killer" combination the like of which would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.

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Update - March 21 2010

By now with well over 250 hours on the projector I have "tweaked" the setting such that I'm well satisfied with those I have placed in memory.

I now have four color settings:

"COLOR1" (the standard setting with the brightness moved down to -10) is used for most modern movies and television shows

"Technicolor" (a heavily tweaked setting) is used for older (and some newer) color movies

"Monochrome" (another heavily tweaked setting with the color turned all the way down) is used for B&W movies

"B&W with Color Sequences" (a modestly tweaked setting) is used for those early films which combined B&W and color (THE WIZARD OF OZ being a notable example).

These color settings offer the most pleasing appearances to me; as your own particular tastes will vary from mine I have not indicated my exact settings. Your home theater will also be different than mine and this will also affect the settings which may be desired.

I also have four lens settings:

"Television" (eliminating the scan lines which can appear)

"1.85:1" for most modern (16:9) movies

"2.35:1" for 'scope films (this setting also "lifts" the top of the image to the top of my screen)

"1.37:1" for Academy-ratio (4:3) movies

These lens settings allow for the largest picture available for the respective formats to be projected onto my 110" diagonal 16:9 screen.

The variations and permutations offered by this projector seem to be almost endless - and the REALLY nice thing is that if you totally "mess up" the settings you need only click on the "Default" button to go back to the projector's default setting for the particular color setting you have modified or if you are modifying an already-set memory you merely click on that memory name and you are right back to your original settings.

Here's a relatively unimportant example (it only applies to one movie) of what this projector can do: when FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS (1938) the second of the three Flash Gordon serials was shown in theaters the image was tinted green. (I have been told this by several individuals who saw it in 1938.) Within my "Monochrome" memory setting I went into the Advanced Menu and adjusted the Green Brightness and the Green Contrast to their maximum settings and lo and behold I had a very beautiful green-tinted "B&W" image on screen. A tap of the "Monochrome" memory set the image back to straight B&W.

Needless to say I am having a great deal of fun and enjoyment with this projector and I continue to give it the highest recommendation possible.

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Update - May 9 2010

Do my eyes deceive me? I do believe that Amazon itself is FINALLY selling this projector - and it's about time!

Let me just quickly repeat myself: if you are in the market for a video projector in my opinion this model is definitely one of the finest on the market certainly anywhere near its price and I highly highly highly recommend it.More detail ...

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