Looking at these two used projectors. Any reason to choose the Panasonic PT-ae1000u over the Sony Pearl(VW50) if the hours of use is the same and the Sony is only $300 more?

Thanks,

Warren

Looking at these two used projectors. Any reason to choose the Panasonic PT-ae1000u over the Sony Pearl(VW50) if the hours of use is the same and the Sony is only $300 more?

Thanks,

Warren

My opinion is that the Sony is a superior projector and more reliable as well as better built. It will have better black levels as well.

I had both and preferred the AE1000U overall

But the build quality and black levels are better on the Sony

SOWK,

Care to share why you preferred the Panasonic?

Thanks,

Warren

SOWK,

Care to share why you preferred the Panasonic?

Thanks,

Warren

More accurate color

*sharper* image. (My real only complaint of the VW50)

Im actually selling my Pearl also. Just curious as to what you were being offered for it? I want to sell it buy Im not sure what I could get for it. Lamp is only 300 hours.

Average Pearl Price is $1500 ~ $1600

Looking at these two used projectors. Any reason to choose the Panasonic PT-ae1000u over the Sony Pearl(VW50) if the hours of use is the same and the Sony is only $300 more?

I vote Pearl.

Bytehoven,

Do you know if the iris tweak you have mentioned for the HW10 would also apply to the Pearl?

Warren

Conan48,

Maybe a misunderstanding. I'm not selling a Pearl. I'm looking at buying it or the Panasonic PT-ae1000U.

Thanks,

Warren

i would go with the Pearl. The AE1000 was never that well regarded

Bytehoven,

Do you know if the iris tweak you have mentioned for the HW10 would also apply to the Pearl?

Warren

I don't know. I followed the Pearl calibration threads for awhile, hoping to learn more about the DI process on the HS51A, which came out before the Pearl. Although the Pearl offered an improved auto iris and video processing, it is not as good as the current crop of Sony SXRD projectors.

The pearl could suffer from high white luminance compression and some high luminance white balance tracking errors, which was referred to as "clayface".

The solution was to make sure there was some headroom in the grayscale calibration of a 100% grayscale pattern, so the lamp color output did not clip. This meant the projector was just a tad dimmer. Turning down the contrast was the quick way to achieve the same thing.

The auto iris tweak might be specific to the HW10 because Sony may be trying to reduce it's black reproduction performance. A couple of VW60 owners have tried the tweak and found the factory setting for the CLOSE REG auto iris setting was properly set to have a closed iris on a 0% grayscale pattern.

If you could increase your budget to get the HW10, you will see PQ advantages over the Pearl. If you are locked in to your price range, IMHO the Pearl is a better choice than the AE1000.

Warren, what are you replacing and why? This may help ppl understand what you want out of the image, thereby help the process of choosing.

Hi Rob,

I desire CIH on a budget, coming from the Mitsubishi HC3000 which can't do CIH in my setup. I can't afford an add on lens for CIH, or I'd be looking at a new DLP. I want better black level, 1080P and to use zoom to do poor man's CIH. I think what it boils down to is that I'm trying to decide if the better black levels of the Pearl trump the more accurate colors of the Panasonic, and whether that is worth the extra $300 or so for the Pearl. Can the Pearl be calibrated to accurate color?

Thanks,

Warren

Personally, I would keep the Mits and buy a used or inexpensive lens option. As you know, I'm a fan of DLP and that Mits is a solid projector.

The AE1000 really didn't hold a candle to its newer brothers (2000 and 3000)...thus I would also say the Pearl. The biggest complaint on the Pearl was sharpness, but from my testing the AE1000 with Smoothscreen was no better in that regard anyways.