Aussie Bob, what is the RGB of your pink screen. Last week I took the cine4home jpg of the filter, got its RGB values and wife converted to Pantone chip color. Tested with a slightly lighter paint on MDF and results were encouraging but seemed also to be overdoing the blue rejection. I had to give up on the tweaking in the interest of enjoying movies but am curious enough to give it another shot if you can share the pink RGBs/pantone for paint. Thanks, Roy

roysi,

Wish I knew where you got that jpeg from! I couldn't see one anywhere on Cine4Home. I'dbe cautious about using a jpeg published on the net for anything except ball park numbers.

MY screen values were:

RED = 255
GREEN = 207
BLUE = 215

This represented a half-CC43M half-CC35Y filter.

This was my original screen value. Later on JimP suggested I wasn't using the camera correctly, and I agreed with him. The cast that I found was almost pure cyan on the projector. So I changed my "pink" to a pure Red tint:

RED = 255
GREEN = 200
BLUE = 200

This represented a half-CC50R filter. You could try both. It's only inkjet ink.

Adobe profile was "Abode 1998" in Photoshop. Printer was Epson 1290 (1270 in the U.S.). I printed on plain paper.

The idea between making my screen half what my spreadsheet told me was that the screen acts as a double filter: light passes through it once on the way in to the white reflective surface and once on the way out. So I halved the recommended values (bear in mind when I say "recommended" I mean I recommended them to myself!).

Originally posted by TraderGordo
I tried to create an unofficial tweak compilation here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4606637#post4606637

But since the post is not at the top of the thread, and its not a sticky, I don't think many people have noticed... :(

Thanks for summarizing the tweaks. Maybe Madpoet wont beat us with a wet noodle and make that a "sticky thread" instead.

Ahh, chicken, the wonderful chicken, including Australian chicken :D Be happy you aren't turkey... :D
AussieBob, while there is time for you to prevent the lynch, please tell the
mob how exactly you were able to set the aspect ratio to manual for your HDMI input???

Well, pull my face mask and give an automatic first down because I'm about to become vegetarian... :D

Put that rope around my neck and start tugging.

I don't use HDMI. I'm Australian and downunder we know that the Real World is analog. I find Y-Cr-Cb perfectly adequate. The three RCA-plug lead cost $10 ready-made. And no farting around with the torture you guys put yourselves through for about a 0.00000001% improvement in picture.

To set widescreen aspect ratio to manual: OPTIONS/WSS = OFF.

All I know is: I had White Flashes and I have them no more.

Beautiful.

Damnit. For a blissful few hours there the chicken in me thought someone had actually found a solution to the HDMI flash issue. Alas it looks like Aussie Bob's flash problem is of another less interesting analogue variety (good to know this projector is affected by more than just one flash issue as one flashy problem is never enough).

Oh well. Back to the drawing board people! I'm not purchasing until this issue is resolved, or at the very least a workaround is discovered, so I'll be putting the pressure on you!! I have the upmost faith and confidence in your technical abilities ;)

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
Put that rope around my neck and start tugging.

I don't use HDMI.

Oh no, I can hear the groans from hear. All those that thought you had discovered the magic bullet for the HDMI WF's. :)

Do the rest of you with the AE700 hear a pronounced clicking sound when the thing starts up? I also hear it when scene changes go from bright to dark quickly. Watch a scene with strob lights in a night club or concert and the thing freaks out with clicking.

I assume this is the dynamic iris but I am wondering if the noise is normal.

ianken,

normal sound. I think its the iris doing the mumba.

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
No one here but us moronic chickens, getting pecked to death... BwaaarrrrRRRKKKk! buk! buk! buk! (to Miss Prissy music)

The White Flashes haven't re-appeared since switching to MANUAL aspect ratio. Day five, and counting.

In case The Watchers are reading this: I'm not saying it works. I'm just saying the WFs haven't occurred since I made the change. Not that they occurred too often before that, either. I also wear a garlic necklace and keep a dried dead cat in the top drawer of my office desk. I never walk under ladders and don't break mirrors. About the only superstition I'm not suckered by is religion. This is because I wear CC90R Rose Colored glasses at all times (not just when I'm watching movies).

Bob,

How did you go about changing this? Did you set it up in another mode? I think I went through all the available options in HDMI input and I couldnt find it. It's probably in plain sight somewhere and I'm probably just another head-less chicken. But anyway.

On reading the rest of the thread I notice that we might have a problem executing this. Hmmm.

my own one got misalignment problem and some how make the picture not as sharp as it can be. Anyone faced the same problem and know the method to fix this?

Originally posted by Diseased Chicken
Call me a moronic chicken, but I'm still a wee bit confused over this whole white flash/aspect ratio issue. Put simply is there any correlation whatsoever between turning off auto aspect ratio control, and the white flashes seen over an HDMI connection?

NO

Originally posted by ianken
Do the rest of you with the AE700 hear a pronounced clicking sound when the thing starts up? I also hear it when scene changes go from bright to dark quickly. Watch a scene with strob lights in a night club or concert and the thing freaks out with clicking.

I assume this is the dynamic iris but I am wondering if the noise is normal.

I only hear the clicking sound on start-up.

If my 700 starts making the same clicking sound while watching a movie - that it does upon start-up ... it's history.

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
Put that rope around my neck and start tugging.

I don't use HDMI. I'm Australian and downunder we know that the Real World is analog. I find Y-Cr-Cb perfectly adequate. The three RCA-plug lead cost $10 ready-made. And no farting around with the torture you guys put yourselves through for about a 0.00000001% improvement in picture.

To set widescreen aspect ratio to manual: OPTIONS/WSS = OFF.

All I know is: I had White Flashes and I have them no more.

Beautiful.

I agree 100%. I tested DVI out on my Momitsu - and actually prefered the picture from the component output on my Sony 9000.

Can't wait to get my 700 back from service - and test BOB's work-around:

"To set widescreen aspect ratio to manual: OPTIONS/WSS = OFF."

As I said before - Bob's and my flashes are different from the snowy flashes others are experiencing w/HDMI. Hopefully a workaround will be discovered for these flashes too.

This will be the 3rd work-around I will have used on the 700 to get it to perform with out problems (as my 500 did with no work arounds). The other two I use are powering the unit off at the main switch every night and using interlaced component output vs. progressive.

Whether you choose DVI/HDMI or component might be more of a choice of which output on your source device looks better with your projector.

Oftentimes, manufacturers will implement one better than the other. For example, the Bravo D1 was known to have a very good DVI output and that it looked noticably better than their component output. On my Voom satellite receiver, component actually looks better than DVI.

Then you have the issue of how many cables do you run. In my setup, I only want one cable and chose to use the DVI/HDMI even though component might actually look a tad better for my satellite receiver.

Re: My 700 being in for Service at the "Official Panasonic Repair Facility" (Illinois) for the loss-of-sync flashes - well I called them yesterday to see how it was going - and they said my unit is just sitting in the back. They can't work on it! Evidently it's the first 700 to be received for repair - and it's not in the computer yet - and they need a programmer to add it into the system before they can create a work order.

Geeeeze. Every day is a life-time of waiting for this unit to be returned to me. It's gone from Japan - to dealer in Florida (PP) to me (Los Angeles) - back to dealer in Florida (PP) - to Illinois. And hopefully safely back to me (LA) again. Well - they promised to "pencil" it in for repair after the holiday. They are very nice there. However, I think BOB's workaround will be the answer - and when it's looked at - I'm sure the diagnosis will be "no fault found." That's because the technician is not about to sit and watch several movies (with full attention) in order to see (or not see) the couple of intermittent flashes I'm experiencing. Are we having fun yet?

Originally posted by John Ballentine
- and when it's looked at - I'm sure the diagnosis will be "no fault found." That's because the technician is not about to sit and watch several movies (with full attention) in order to see (or not see) the couple of intermittent flashes I'm experiencing. Are we having fun yet?

In our plant all of our equipment is aware when an engineer is looking at them critically and hence refuse to perform their intermittent hiccups. The engineer then reinstalls the equipment treating the operators with scorn and disdain. The equipment, knowing its not being watched by someone who is going to bring out the scalpel, proceeds to misbehave as often as possible.:rolleyes:

I think its a corollary of Murphy's Law.

ted

Originally posted by jmck407
Jim,

Yeah it is disabled with component also. Was hoping there may have been some option/trick or service mode setting that might get by it. While searching on this I saw ae300 users mention that horizontal stretch for panamorph use could be done via one of the zoom modes, but this may have been because it had a lower native res. I wonder if there is some technical reason why 720p or 1080i can't use the aspect modes....anyone use the aspect ratio modes in 720p with a ae500 (native 720p)....MadPoet, I saw you tried the ae500 with a panamorph briefly, did you use a scaler?

John

Since madpoet hasn't responded,
If I remember correctly, poet utilizes a HTPC with Theatretek for ratio control.

As an aside isn't it true that not many PJ's allow for aspect control (other than the usual 4:3 , 16:9, wide stuff? I thought users of anamorphic type lenses utilized an external scaler of some sort.

ted

Originally posted by mav
Oh no, I can hear the groans from hear. All those that thought you had discovered the magic bullet for the HDMI WF's. :)

Try removing CSS protection from DVDs, which may turn off HDCP, which may be one culprit with flashes over HDMI...

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
[

Eventually you'll find something that pleases everyone, has good blacks, good contrast and reasonable colors. Don't be too discouraged if your calibration works with one movie and not another. This is Life invading your living room and deliberately wrecking your best-laid plans, as Life is meant to do. The reason is probably that the telecine operator was drunk, or the copy of the film was faded, or both. The projector will show up inconsistencies between films, sharpening excesses and so on more than your TV will. But then again, your TV screen isn't a hundred-and-twenty inches across, is it? It's puny compared to your projector. That's why you bought the projector. Right? We're enlarging a 700x500 (roughly, depending on TV standard) MPEG-compressed anamorphic video image - a whole 350k pixels if we're lucky - up to the size of a barn door and we want perfection? For $2,000 dollars? Fuggedabowdit! Even 720i HD pictures come in at less than a megapixel.

We're here to have some fun and watch some neat movies, on a cheap, entry-level projector. The Germans and the kibbitzers can watch our posts silently and then strike with precisely guided negative waves every time someone says something wrong, or they deviate from (or horror, ignore!) accepted SMPTE standards. They'll never enjoy their projectors, not while they can complain about VB, White Flashes, color impurities across the screen, 20 pixels cropped off a 1280x768 PC signal, too much edge enhancement, malignant HDMI cables, or deriving masochistic pleasure from sending their units back to Panasonic for replacement and repair.

The basic idea is to get your projector tuned to a degree that pleases you, so that each film you run on it looks pretty good with your tuning adjustments. That, and to remain alive, to avoid being a victim of the Battered Video Wives' Syndrome and to escape being buried in a shallow grave under the house along with the projector, the leaf blower and the remote control. [/B]

Yeah, what he said! :)

You captured the issues concisely, articulating the contrarian sentiments quite well. Thanks.

That said, there still is no excuse for certain items in your issue laundry list, particularly the cropping of 1280x720 (not 768) 60Hz standard signals from a PC (or any HDMI device, for that matter).

Most of the rest is par for the course in the current state of the industry. But we want the level of the swamp to be lowered year over year, nonetheless ;).

Originally posted by Rgb
Try removing CSS protection from DVDs, which may turn off HDCP, which may be one culprit with flashes over HDMI...

And while you are at it, remove those annoying layer change stutters!
:)

Happy, Happy, Happy Camper!

Picked up my 700 from our warehouse in Port Huron, MI. Have now set it up in our home in Sarnia, ON. Viewing on blackout cloth stretched over 4' x 8' sheet of melamine. Fantastic. Would be happy to demo for fence sitters, send me a PM.

Running on LG DV7832 (canadian version of zenith 318 i believe) without upconverting yet as i picked up wrong dvi-hdmi adapter. Boggles my mind (not that difficult) to imagine picture will get better. Am going to run on component upconversion soon.

A tip of the hat to Sony for being out of stock on the GW 50" LCD - ordered in July, told November delivery, then happened onto this forum. The kids are ecstatic.

ignore this

Aussie Bob,

Are you using a VGA connection or component? I understand that these connections are very similar. If you're using a component connection, don't forget that you can get a transcoder to switch to VGA. Whats the technical difference again? Is it the colour space?

I have a question. I have a sneaking feeling that I would be satisfied with the look of a VGA connection.

Is VGA listed as AA in the AE700 manual?

Is there anyone using VGA input on their PJ? Some HTPC users have mentioned they are and are not seeing any flashes, correct?

Is there ANYONE using an iScan Ultra or iScan HD with their AE700? Anyone using one of those with the VGA connection?

Sorry for previous post, AVS requires 5 posts before allowing a url.

Aussie Bob, thanks here is the link with the jpg for filter in video mode
http://www.matuschek.net/projektor-tuning/ptae700.html
Did you try your RGBs with video mode or only dynamic?
Roy

Thanks for the link, roysi. Reading it in Babel sure is an experience.

He says:

"Filter 81 alone filters the blue pass rather finely, it remains however (as with the attempts with the CC30R) still another lighter gruenstich. This could be corrected then with the attitude brightness green -8 on the projector. Also ohen farbmessgeraet folds that quite well, if skin tones are taken as reference point. Here color passes are noticeable earliest.

I couldn't agree more. Well, I could if I knew what a couple of those curly Babel-resistant German words meant.

What I think he means is that a CC30R and an 81-type filter both come near to getting the job done, near enough that the eye's natural compensation and some tweaking of the projector can make things look pretty good. He suggests removing some green to make up for the filters' deficiencies. I actually add a bit (technically by reducing red and blue), so we differ there. My own final evaluation - using the Nikon D100 as a colorimeter, and my own CC-filter generator written in Photoshop's Filter Factory - was a CC30R, so I was pleased our European friend concurred. Doesn't prove anything conclusively, of course, but at least we're on the right track.

It's still best to get closest with the filter before you tweak, because the blue-green pedestal (tinted no-picture black) that results from the optical system can't be reduced with menu tweaks. It has to be gotten rid of optically, with a filter. It can, however be added to via the menu. Seems to me that any increase in any of the individual color brightness sliders will add to the no-signal black level. My motto is therefore: "Adjust brightnesses to supplement the filter, if you want to, but never adjust them to above ZERO. Always reduce the complements of the color you want to enhance.". That way the no-signal blacks will stay as dark as they can be. If you want to prove this to yourself, try it. Take any of the color brightness sliders in the ADVANCED menu to above zero. As they move into positive territory keep an eye on the black bars top and bottom of a Cinemascope aspect movie. They will start to get brighter as soon as the slider passes zero, going positive... quite perceptibly after about +3 or +4. Conversely, the black bars will not get darker as your slider passes into negative territory. QED.

Another thing I noticed regarding projectors versus TV screens is that, as your head moves from one side of the big screen to the other, the large picture size of projectors tends to focus the mind's eye on clipped highlights and shadow detail in various sections of the image. By contrast (forgive the pun), when you watch a movie on your (relatively) puny-sized TV, the viewing angle is smaller than watching it on a projector (usually) with crushed blacks and clipped whites being less noticeable... a shadow under a chin here, a shoulder reflection off a light shirt there. .. the reptilian part of your brain's optical processing system lets them pass by unconsciously as you take in more of the picture as a whole. But up there on the Big Screen, where you process the image section by section, the conscious part of your brain kicks in and says, "Oops! Not enough black detail (or white detail)".

There is a similar problem in photography, where a 4x6 inch happy snap can look fine, but a 4x6 foot blowup from the same original shows all the problems of film dynamic range, exposure errors and so on. Pro photographers go to extreme lengths to try and defeat the eye's curiosity as it scan across a large image. Ultimately, it's a fools quest, as any man-made display system has usually much less dynamic range than reality, and if we get a chance to rest our eyes on a portion of a photograph that doesn't work, after a while that's all we'll see: the errors. Lighting camerapeople on a film set spend literally millions trying to fit reality's broad detail into the limited range of a chemical emulsion on acetate or polyester film in order to fool our eyes into believing we're seeing reality.

Which leads me to ponder whether, one day, telecine transfer operators might take into account the fact that more and more viewers are opting for large screen HT viewing, and take this into account before they add annoying gross sharpening, extra "punchy" contrast and the like that work well on relatively small TVs but merely irritate when projected large. I think this is the answer to why I tweak my projector more than I tweak my TV when I switch between different movies: my reptilian eye forgives the small screen pecadilloes, but my inquisitive human brain catches them when they're projected. And each film is different. It's just that I don't notice the differences as much on my TV.

Of course, if the film's any good at all, this makes it easier to just sit back and relax and go along for the ride.

Hey Aussie bob looks like you have this calibration idea sorted out. Im luckt to be able to calibrate the time on my alarm clock.
What part of Australia are you from. Im from nor/west sydney and could you some help

Any link with AE700 screenshots?
Regards

I am going to ask this question again...MY "WWS" is greyed out in the menu?..is this normal?...How do I go about activating this option?

mike1005

Usually things are grayed out when you are using an input that doesn't support it. Sometimes it is something that only works with a computer input. The projector recieves a signal and if it isn't compatable with something, it isn't going to let you apply it.

LuisGerena

Are you looking for screen shots of the projector or screen shots of the projector playing. Because if you are thinking of buying the projector. Screen shots won't give you any help. You must see it in person or take somebodies advice.

Originally posted by mike1005
I am going to ask this question again...MY "WWS" is greyed out in the menu?..is this normal?...How do I go about activating this option?


Mike,

Page 46 of the manual indicates WSS is for PAL signals (625i/576i). Also, no aspect controls will work for 720p or 1080i on either component input or hdmi (pg 30 manual).

On another note....thanks to some advice from MadPoet, I was able to solve my 2:35 stretch for the panamorph...at least for dvd's. The zenith dvb318 does allow independent axis zoom, just had to step through to it's variable zoom feature....3 y axis zoom clicks works like a charm for me.



John

Where are the occasional white flashes. Since this week's new SA 8300HD Explorer box was installed, I don't see any more of the white flashes. I connected with Cablevision's supplied component cables and later in the day the HDMI/HDMI cable arrived. It doesn't work no mater what I do.

So, even though the cable showed when I checked the settings menu, showing Auto, I finally disconnected it. It won't work. Going component, I don't see any loss at all in quality, since the 4300HD STB was removed.

So there you have it. Not one white flash and a useless HDMI to HDMI cable. But hey, who's complaining, it's Thanksgiving. And time to give thanks to our brave soldiers worldwide. :)

Romanesq, I am also a Cablevision subscriber and I had problems with the
Scientific Atlanta boxes. I finally got a cable that worked with HDMI. By chance it was the lowest price cable available and it worked while my
Lindy cable with Monster adapter did not. I have a 15' cable and a HDMi to DVI extension.

I purchased the cables from the link below.

You might want to take a chance since the price is so low.

http://www.monoprices.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&style=

I have my 700 up and running in my man cave and I love it! But I was wondering if anyone has heard this one? I was at Mag Hi-Fi a couple of weeks ago picking up some speaker brackets and I was telling the salesman there that I had just installed my 700, he told me that the panasonic rep had just told them that panasonic was getting out of the pj business.

Has anyone heard this one yet?

Admatvf, The story seems like another "urban myth." Panasonic just released the AE700 and has done quite well with their projectors. It seems that the salesman was trying to sell other brands of projectors.

It is true that only certain authorized dealers have access to the AE700.

I appreciate your link and will consider it. However, since I had no problem with the earlier SA box using a DVI to HDMI cable, I don't think that is where the issue lies with the new SA 8300HD.

I'm going to wait before buying another cable to see what folks are getting with the HDMI out on the SA 8300 on our AE700s.

Of course, any ideas other than trying more cables is welcome.

Originally posted by rwestley
Romanesq, I am also a Cablevision subscriber and I had problems with the
Scientific Atlanta boxes. I finally got a cable that worked with HDMI. By chance it was the lowest price cable available and it worked while my
Lindy cable with Monster adapter did not. I have a 15' cable and a HDMi to DVI extension.

I purchased the cables from the link below.

You might want to take a chance since the price is so low.

http://www.monoprices.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&style=

What is the lumen output of the Panasonic AE 700 out of the box?

What is the contrast ratio out of the box?

Will it do an honest 600 lumens?

Would it work well with a 102" diagonal rear projection screen with a gain of 1.5 and house lights on?

IB

Have not had much luck establishing any meaningful contact with the person who is doing the unofficial PB for this projector. Why bother if you do not contact interested parties? Amazed someone thinks people will simply transfer $2000+ to some PayPal account without some reasonable discourse. Does anyone has any suggestions for a good source? Im not too keen on getting it through ********** even though it is a great price.

I would bug the hell out of Scientific Atlanta and Cablevision. It could
be a software problem with your box. It could also be a cable problem.
HDPC can be very difficult. If possible try a very short cable for a test. I would also post on the HD Hardware forum. Good Luck!

has anybody found a good mount yet for the 700u? I am looking at a couple of different one, but I think I am going to go with this one.
tell me what you think.Projector Packages (http://www.projector*************)

Originally posted by rwestley
I would bug the hell out of Scientific Atlanta and Cablevision. It could
be a software problem with your box. It could also be a cable problem.
HDPC can be very difficult. If possible try a very short cable for a test. I would also post on the HD Hardware forum. Good Luck!

Comcast in NoVA has the SA 8000HD DVR with DVI output, but it is not supported (yet). The best estimate I could get for implementation from them is early next year. Component works very well for now, but it would be nice to have this working so I could free up an input and not have to buy an HD compatible component switch. The HD channels are impressive, especially INHD and the public broadcast stations. Still get some occasional blocking, but only on certain channels and it only lasts a few seconds.

I just received my 92" x 52 " Da-lite HCCV screen and it works great with the 700. The blacks are much better than projecting on a white wall, and I can leave a small light on in back of the room without killing the contrast. I was a little disappointed in the packaging of this screen, as it was very wrinkled along the bottom (UPS stood it up on end when they delivered it to my house while I was away). Most of the wrinkles have disappeared over the last few days, but if they don't go away completely, the screen is going back!

Best Panny Setup for My HT

As background: A year ago I started building my HT. At the time I did a lot of reading at this forum and I made my choice of PJs – the Sanyo Z2. Well a few other projects got in the way of my build out – now I’m back at it in full earnest. The wiring is almost complete, as is the HVAC. Insulation starts shortly then double drywall. I’m hoping to use the system by Christmas, however more realistically, it will probably be around Super Bowl time.

My basement HT has a few features that stand out. First, it is a rectangle, (relatively) long & narrow – by the time all I do the build out and do wall treatments, it will be about 11’ x 18’6”. Another important consideration is that it has low ceilings, about 6’ 8” high.

So as I approach the end, I decided to check out what’s new with PJs, on the forum. I knew there was a Z3 out there, I was thinking that it was for me. But low & behold – the AE700 hit me like a bolt, perfect! Now if I can get through the 165+ pages of posts! Among many of the features, the one that stood out was the long throw distance. I’m now thinking of avoiding a ceiling mount and building a shelf at the back of the room. By the time you measure from the front of the PJ to the screen, the distance will probably be around 18’ (or a few inches less).

So my question is, given the low ceilings, do you think this approach (back shelf) is a good one? My concern is illuminating the back of peoples head in a rear section. I’ll put the PJ up high, but I’m not sure if I’ll have a problem. Also, near the limit of a throw distance, does quality begin to suffer? One of the reasons these questions are important to me now is that while the ceiling and walls are open, running conduit will depend on placement.

With the Sanyo at around 13’ ceiling mounted, I was thinking of a 100” (diagonal) screen. Now with the Panny & the projection calculator, the recommended diagonal is 89” & 177”, depending on the zoom. In general, is it better to keep at the low end of the zoom (for picture quality sake)? Anyone have any particular screen size recommendation?

Many thanks!
Bob

the light from the projector should be directed at the screen so unless the viewers heads are directly in the way there should be minimal scalp illumination. The picture quality shouldn't suffer at the 18' distance, my room diamension are the same as yours, I'm opting for a 106" to start as that will be about the biggest my room will confortly support and I think it should give a better image.

My room is 14' wide and 21' long with 7'6" ceiling so just a bit larger than yours but with the same low ceiling. Before I bought the Panny, I set up some strings to show the projector light path to make sure I would n't have any problems with scalp show. I have the Panny at the back on a shelf up high similar to what you are planning. From what I understand from some posts earlier in this forum (and what makes sense), you actually get a better picture, the further back you are. The angle that the light hits the screen is less when the projector is at the back. Also, you use LESS zoom when the projector is at the far end of its throw length. Since you are less dependent on the optical lens quality when you aren't using the zoom, you are better off at the back of the throw length.

At least that is the theory. I haven't tried to use the projector zoom and move it closer to the screen because I am so darned happy with where it is at the back and the great picture I get. I pushed the screen size a bit and have a 120" screen and main seating about 14' back. Looks great.

I haven't posted here in 4 years, ever since I bought the Infocus LP350. That projector was vaunted here at the time, but I ended up with something I felt was a ripoff due to its appalling lack of contrast (I bought it over the net without a preview).

Can someone with firsthand knowledge tell me how the Panasonic AE700 stacks up against the NEC HT1000, or I should say vice versa since the latter is the older product? The AE700 has more lumens, but the HT1000 has the better contrast figure and is cheaper. I have had Sharpvision LCD projectors in the past, and, based on my very limited experience with DLP, I'd probably have to say I prefer LCD, but if the HT1000 is an excellent machine that at least breathes the same air as the au courant AE700, I would likely choose it.

Thanks to everyone for putting this thread together. I am experiencing some of the same symptoms as the other AE700u owners: 1) VB, 2) flashes over HDMI

I have used the flicker tweak suggestions for R, G, B in this thread and the difference is night and day. Finding Nemo is basically perfect now over 1080i and 720p along with The Matrix, The Italian Job. It looks like that fixed my VB issue.

My white flashes still occur and I thought I'd let everyone know that it does it for me on my Denon 2910 and my brand new Onkyo SP1000 (OMG what an amazing picture with this DVD player!). This happens over 1080i and 720p on both players. I have not been able to figure out how to turn WSS to "manual". It is disabled over HDMI, but also disabled when I changed to component inputs. The flash is brief (fraction of a second) and happens sporadically on every DVD I've watched so far (I've logged 50+ hours on the 700u).

I am using a 6m Monster Cable HDMI->HDMI reference series cable (boy was this expensive) so I don't think it's a cable issue. The flash is the same as when there's a negotiation between the DVD player and the 700u at the beginning when it's switching between 4:3 source and 16:9 source, but then it happens randomly during movies.

Can anyone tell me how to set WSS to manual? I wonder if setting it to manual will affect the HDMI flashes?

Thank you,

Darren

My apologies folks...I meant to post that to the 700u tweak thread. Guess I just got all happy after fixing the VB issue.

But, if someone can help me with setting WSS to "manual" that would be great.

Have a good day.

I am looking for screenshots of the AE700 in action and even better if it was a comparison against other PJs so I can compare images. Still, i pretty much decided on the AE700 and will skip the AE500.

Originally posted by dharvey


But, if someone can help me with setting WSS to "manual" that would be great.

Have a good day.

You can only set WSS to "manual" if you are watching a PAL disc. If you don't watch PAL discs - forget about it. It will always be "grayed" out...

Originally posted by dharvey

I am using a 6m Monster Cable HDMI->HDMI reference series cable (boy was this expensive) so I don't think it's a cable issue. The flash is the same as when there's a negotiation between the DVD player and the 700u at the beginning when it's switching between 4:3 source and 16:9 source, but then it happens randomly during movies.



You say that you notice the flashes when the DVD changes aspect ratios. Are you sure that the flashes during the DVD are random. Have you watched the same DVD more than once to determine that the flashes do not occur at the same point during the movie?

I still wonder if these flashes can be attributed to a change in the video stream (like aspect ratio), or a very brief drop in the video stream (like between chapters).

Originally posted by talo
Have not had much luck establishing any meaningful contact with the person who is doing the unofficial PB for this projector. Why bother if you do not contact interested parties? Amazed someone thinks people will simply transfer $2000+ to some PayPal account without some reasonable discourse. Does anyone has any suggestions for a good source? Im not too keen on getting it through ********** even though it is a great price.

I received two PM's from Najeeb with Spectre Audio today Talo (Mods: I'm assuming it's OK to identify since this is an authorized AVS PowerBuy), probably busy sending PM's to fellow Canucks looking for a deal :D. I appreciate the effort to get a lower price after seeing the inflated MSRP for the 500 and 700 in Canada.

Aussie Bob,

What exactly is your source>cable end>cable>cable end> AE700 input?

So you're going through the component connection? I'm not sure I understand. The VGA port may be preferable, and would only require a transcoder if you're using component output from your source. If you're going from VGA to component, why not just go in through VGA? I do know at least one person who uses their projectors VGA connection with a component signal (I sold them a VGA to 3 RCA breakout) because their PJ accepts component through VGA. Is that how you're doing it?

Again, I can't remember the slight difference between component and VGA, its RGB colour space Y-Cr-Cb etc, but regardless I believe VGA is preferable input to component on most projectors.

cpc,

With my DVD player, I'm using the Y-Cr-Cb outputs, feeding them to the projector's Y-Cr-Cb inputs with three RCA to RCA cables, one for each component. If I've hooked up my PC to the projector, I use the same 15-pin VGA cable I use for my PC monitor. I just unplug from the monitor and re-plug into the projector. Both look fabulous.

SVHS cables (4-pin DIN) only have two wires, one for Y (luminance) and the other for C (color). The PJ then has to decode the C part of the signal.

With the three-cable solution I use, there is less encoding followed by decoding, therefore appreciably better more image quality. Not as much as YC has over composite, but appreciable nevertheless.

We have trouble getting digital cables here in Australia, and they're expensive. That's another reason I've said, "Enough!" as far as cables are concerned.

Having seen the Y-Cr-Cb quality (and the VGA quality with the PC hooked up) I'm perfectly happy with that (and about $200 better off). I'm wary of tweaking for perfection by buying expensive cables using, as a source, what amounts to a flawed, low resolution original signal (720x580 PAL television signal... worse if it's NTSC). I just don't think there's much more quality to be squeezed out of such a low resolution original by using pure digital.

To repeat what I said the day before yesterday, a 720x580 active picture area (pre anamorphic stretch) DVD frame gives a maximum picture size of about 400,000 pixels, i.e. less than half a meg. If it's a Cinemascope aspect image (as most are nowadays), the numbers are even less, around 720x410 pixels: about 300,000 pixels. I routinely scan film at 6,000dpi, resulting in pixel sizes of my final Photoshop images of 50 megabytes, about a hundred times the filesize of a 16:9 DVD image, and 150 times the size of a 2.35:1 DVD image. Even after scanning transparencies at 6,000 dpi, sometimes I'd like more resolution with my photographs, as this dpi setting only allows 35mm frames to be enlarged up to 30x20 inches (at a viewing resolution of 300dpi) without artificial extrapolation. By comparison, at 300dpi, DVD images would be a whole 2.5 inches wide. Pretty poor, eh?

So, 400,000 pixels is a bit underwhelming and, in my opinion, trying to make a Home Theatre silk purse out of a DVD frame sow's ear has its limits. I'm more interested in getting the colors, contrast and brightness correct, which is why I've written so much about my experiments with filters, pink screens etc.

A lot of watching films involves suspension of disbelief. That applies to resolution also... I realise that. A 300,000 pixel picture that moves, and that involves emotion and dramatic involvement, can look a lot better than it does on paper. To my mind, I think I've found the happy medium between bang-for-buck and further needless expense trying to add decimal points to increase a precision that just isn't there in the first place, and never will be.

Do you see peak-a-boo's often? How is the sharpness? Do you focus sharply or defocus to reduce peak-a-boo's? Are you running 480i or 480p into the PJ now?

thanx for the feedback

Enjoy your PJ :)

AE700 flickering big time! Please help.
Heelp!

I have finally bought an AE700 today. I have a big problem the lamp is flickering on every inputs. I have tried to shut of dynamic iris but no difference at all. The flickering is different all the time, it's no system to it. But when i turn the lamp to high mode the picture is solid as a rock.

I will not use it in high lamp mode because of the noise and lamp hours.

I had this problem on my AE100 too, but only minor. I saw it on internet explorer's white screen. But never on movies or tv.

Now on the AE700 i see it on the movies too. Infact all inputs when they are black.(nothing connected)

I have a return policy until monday, so i have to make a quick decicion. If it it this bad i can't live with it. And by the way i don't think it was so quiet in ceiling mode either. But everything else look perfect to me, so this is a very sad dealbreaker for me. I am soo unhappy right now

Maybe its the dynamic iris going wild?

I hope this can be fixed.

I have a european 220 volt AE700

Please gimme some input!

Strange that it doesn't also flicker in high-bulb mode. Sounds like a faulty bulb. Or maybe it isn't seated properly. Or?

Projector is much quieter in "desk" mode. Can you set it on a shelf at the back of your room?

Originally posted by John Ballentine
Strange that it doesn't also flicker in high-bulb mode. Sounds like a faulty bulb. Or maybe it isn't seated properly. Or?

Projector is much quieter in "desk" mode. Can you set it on a shelf at the back of your room?

I have also heard that this is a problem with AE500. And problems go away in high mode. Right now it is ceiling mounted. As you say, i could put it in "desk" mod at a shelf. I could live with that noise. I yost started up my AE100 together with the AE700. Wow how much more noise the AE100 makes!

Right now my AE700 haven't flickered for 5 minutes!! Do you think flicker adjust could have something to do with this lamp flicker?

Do you guys use your 700 in high lamp mode?

Do you adjust flicker in high or low lamp mode?

You would adjust for flicker in your normal operating mode. If you would prefer to run the projector in low lamp mode, then adjust for flicker in that mode to see if it cures your problem. If it does not, I would most definitely exercise your right to exchange the projector.

Anyone have the new SA 8300HD running HDMI with the Panny yet?
I like the box with HD recording ability, but stuck running component.
With the previous 4200HD, no problem with a DVI to HDMI connection.

What is the best way to setup the 700 i read through several pages of this thread dbut i'm lost.

here what i got to connect:
hd cable box
PIO 56txi
Xbox
DVD player

please help me

Mello2000.

Have you tried, are you aware of the flicke fix available in the special service menu?

no what is it?

I was hoping to go HDMI to my cablebox (or DVD) then have the component connection connected to my PIO 56txi with the XBOX and DVD connected with component inputs

wha do you think?

Hi Guys,

I posted this separately but I guess I should have posted it here (I am new to the list).

I was considering the AE700 as my first PJ purchase and I went to my local AV shop to check one out. They also had a Hitachi TX100 on display.

I used the same source (Sony DVD component video) and screen (Draper Luma 106 diag) and compared the two PJs with a few different DVDs.

I noticed that during fast movement (like an action scene) the Panasonic seemed a bit "fussy" while the TX100 stayed sharp. I am not sure how to describe this other than "fussy" (not sure if there is a official PJ term to describe that ).

I looked through a lot of the threads and see lots of notes on the picture attributes but not so much on picture clarity during fast motion/picture changes. Is this just a difference in PJs or possibly a configuration issue?

Sorry if this is dumb question but I am hoping that someone can maybe suggest if there is a setting that I can play with on he 700 or if this is just the way the 700 is. (my friend is the manager at the store so I can spend as much time as I want playing with it).

I received my 700 last week and I just had time to do a few tests.

I have my Scientific Atlanta cable box and my Momitsu DVD player hooked up using a HDMI cable. I tried the THX optomizer test and on the first video
test it was impossible to to see 4 white boxes using HDMI. Using component there is no problem. I have previously used the Momitsu with
a Sanyo Z2 so I know that the problem is not with the player. Has anyone
else tried the THX test using HDMi and does anyone have any suggestions?

I hope this is not a bug in the Panasonic. Has anyone tried this test using
HDMI with the new Panasonic 97S DVD player?

AE700 owners using iScan HD ??

MELLO2000

Forgive me if I get this wrong - someone correct me - you go to the options menu and with OSD highlited press the ok button and hold for 5 seconds.

A new menu will be displayed and from here select "Flick adj". Now you need to adjust red, green and blue screens so that flickering is as diminished as far as possible.

Hopefully this helps - I am not near my projector so some of the instructions may not be right, I'm going on memory.

You should also consider turning of the power switch on the back of the PJ when not in use. The combination of adjusting for flicker and turning off the power helped a lot with my setup.

abirchwood,

how does that idea sound for hook things up?

abirchwood,

how does that idea sound for hook things up?

mello2000

My opologies, I must be confused or drunk - maybe both. I somehow read your post as a plea for help on flickering (Vertical Banding) problems. Upon re-reading you are after some guidence on system setup.

I may have bee reading exsodius post and that put me off track...exsodius, if you are listening I would definately try powering off your PJ overnight then set it up for your prefered operation then perform the flicker adjust. I don't have any issues now but I did when I did not power off my PJ.

Back to you mello2000. If it were me I would try each device on VGA, component and HDMI then work out which device/s give the best result with a particular connection method. I find that my DVD player works best with component and an interlaced signal (PAL 625i) but with NTSC material progressive seems to work better. Luckily the projector remembers settings for each type of signal - well done panasonic.

Your suggestion of HDMI for DVD or cable sounds fine, as I said the component signal progressive or interlaced can work very well. I would do a comparison and then make the decision.

Sorry for my confusion.

A follow-up on the Lee Light Salmon #109 filter I used for color correcting the AE700's cyanish black bias. I finally figured out a way to analyse the filter using a scanner and some software I wrote recently. As near as I can tell the Light Salmon filter is:

CC43M
CC29Y

Using my Nikon D100 as a "colorimeter" (WB = 6400K) the indicated correction was a theoretical:

CC43M
CC32Y

The Lee filter is only 3 CCY units (1/10th of a stop) different from the theoretical. So I guess this is why it worked so well.

I'm getting more confident that this is the correct fix for (at least) my own AE700's black bias.

What?

Where is the AI mode on AE700? Cant find it. Did they stop using this after the AE500?

Yes, there is no lamp AI mode (which is implemented poorly on the AE500 as I can easily detect the brightness change when changing scenes) on the AE700, only dynamic iris.

regards,

Li On

Originally posted by Li On
Yes, there is no lamp AI mode (which is implemented poorly on the AE500 as I can easily detect the brightness change when changing scenes) on the AE700, only dynamic iris.

regards,

Li On

Li On

Do you have 100 or 230 volt in your country?
Did you use high lamp mode on the AE700 in this test?
As i have big trouble with lamp/brightness flicker in low lamp mode. Do you see this in your AE200. Do you know whats causing this?My AE700 is only 2 days old and 16 hours. My country norway uses 230 volt.

I am going to return it today, maybe i will ask for a exchange. But maybe there will be no use. Maybe all are the same.
By the way, there is no trouble in high lamp mode.

Yes, Hong Kong is 230V. But for a historical reason (back from the CRT projector days), I always use 120V through a stepdown transformer on my projector. But that doesn't matter as I never try the AE700 in my own setup.

During all my test on the AE700 (so far 3 units), I only used High lamp mode. And all were on normal 230V. There is NO brightness/lamp flicker as far as I recall.

regards,

Li On

Last call for anyone who is still (potentially) having HDCP issues with an AE700?!?!?

Just got back from vacation to find I actually have the ear of an Engineer at Panasonic overseas. I'd like to make sure I am sending everything I possibly can.
If you are having trouble, I will need the following:
- Manufacturer and model of DVD player?
- HDMI or DVI?
- What length cable?

Might as well send it to me in a PM so we are not binding up the thread.
Apparently Denon is in Osaka, which is very close to the Panasonic factory. So I will try to throw by them the issue earlier with a Denon player as well.

In the Denon 2910 thread over on the DVD forum, there has been some mention of 3910 and 2910 owners reporting "flashes" via HDMI with various digital displays, not just projectors.

All,

I have recently received my Panny 700 and, for the most part, the image this projector produces is quite amazing. However, I noticed one small defect that is driving me crazy as my eyes constantly focus on it while watching movies. Basically, there is a small green spot in the upper righthand corner of the projected image. The spot is quite small (probably about 1/8th of an inch in diameter) and is primarily visible when the background is of a darker color. Does anyone know what may be causing this and what I can do to get rid of it?

Any insight will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Originally posted by Ericbres
Last call for anyone who is still (potentially) having HDCP issues with an AE700?!?!?

Just got back from vacation to find I actually have the ear of an Engineer at Panasonic overseas. I'd like to make sure I am sending everything I possibly can.
If you are having trouble, I will need the following:
- Manufacturer and model of DVD player?
- HDMI or DVI?
- What length cable?


Would you be able to ask about the new SA 8300HD Explorer? Can't get the HDMI to work now.
(Used to on the SA 4200HD.)
HDMI to HDMI, 6 foot cable.

Originally posted by frank99
All,

I have recently received my Panny 700 and, for the most part, the image this projector produces is quite amazing. However, I noticed one small defect that is driving me crazy as my eyes constantly focus on it while watching movies. Basically, there is a small green spot in the upper righthand corner of the projected image. The spot is quite small (probably about 1/8th of an inch in diameter) and is primarily visible when the background is of a darker color. Does anyone know what may be causing this and what I can do to get rid of it?

Any insight will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Sounds like a dust blob that can be remedied with some compressed air.

reaper

Sounds more like a stuck green pixel to me. If you show an all black image and it is still there, then it is definitely a stuck on pixel.

Dust Blob

I have one too reaper, it's about 2-2.5" and perfectly round.

Is it likely to be on the lens or the bulb?

I've clocked 210 hours...

Thanks for the input on this. Is there any way to confirm which one it is, a dust blob or a stuck pixel? If it does turn out to be a stuck pixel, how can this be resolved?

If you have the Panasonic engineer's ear, could you also ask about the pixel cropping on the HDMI input of the projector? Whereas we are still somewhat speculating that the white flashes are an HDMI/HDCP issue and could be a handshaking problem between devices, we KNOW there is a problem with the 700 cropping between 10 and 20 vertical lines off the display when connected to HDMI. That is clearly a Panasonic issue.

frank99

It does sound like a stuck pixel. You said that the image is about 1/8 inch,
if it's a sharply focused spot that will probably preclude a dust issue.

Unfortunately a stuck pixel in a corner of the image will not motivate the
Panasonic warranty manager however.
(see operators manual)

Ericbres, I hope it is not to late to report the following AE700 problem
to Panasonic. I have another HDMI/Hdcp issue. Using the THX test it
is impossible to adjust the picture to see the 4 white boxes. No problem
through component. The Panasonic is clipping something in HDCP.

Yeah, it could also be a stuck pixel. I guess I would look closely at it as color changes. If it is is truly stuck, it should always stay green. If it is a dust blob, you should be able to see color change underneath the green haze. Dust blobs look more like someone spilled something green on top of your image.

reaper

Thanks everyone for all your input. Based on the responses I received, it definitely sounds like I'm confronted with a stuck pixel issue. Unfortunately, it does not appear that I have any recourse as this is deemed acceptable by Panasonic. Any more suggestions you may have in terms of my options will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

I've heard of people putting tiny pieces of colored tape on the screen at the location of the stuck pixel to make it less noticable. Was it yellow tape? That's what I seem to dredge up from my memory but it's been years since I read that and it seems an odd suggestion. But I don't understand optics to any great degree.

reaper

I had almost the same problem but my AE700 "flickered" in low AND high mode. I posted this issue here a few days back and several posters were nice enough to reply and suggest either a bad bulb or power supply.

I sent mine back for exchange under the sincere hope this could not be a problem with all the units. Sorry I can't be more help but the unit is in transit and I have no idea what the official word will be.

Originally posted by reaper
I've heard of people putting tiny pieces of colored tape on the screen at the location of the stuck pixel to make it less noticable. Was it yellow tape? That's what I seem to dredge up from my memory but it's been years since I read that and it seems an odd suggestion. But I don't understand optics to any great degree.

reaper

Yup, yellow tape for a blue pixel ... magenta for a green ... cyan for a red.

Cut a square of the tape the exact size of the pixel on the screen, stick it to the screen, you are good to go.
I have done this with a PLV70 and it worked great from a normal viewing distance (up close you could make out the frame of the tape while on an all-white background).

*** Edit - to all who sent me PM's, yes, I have received them and will compile the info to send along this evening.

I'm a newbie and finally have my home theater set up using the AE700 ceiling mounted at 18' back from a 106" HCCV Da-Lite Tensioned Electrol Screen. I am loving this projector, but I have a few questions that would really be helpful for me as I try to adjust for optimum viewing.

1. Perhaps I should get Avia or some calibration disk, but without them, how is the best way to simply focus the projector? I don't see any test pattern or wording that stays on the screen to allow focusing. Other projectors I have used at work, etc. have a focus button that allows you to easily focus. Also, I have noticed that the focus ring is very sensitive so that it can easily be moved when putting on the lens cap. Do others always put on the lens cap, and how do others deal with this issue?

2. I had a heck of a time trying to use the manual lens shift to adjust the picture just right because it is so sticky. I finally got it to where I think is the right adjustment. I put the top of the picture just a hair above the top of the screen (just overlapping the black) and then zoomed out from there until the bottom of the picture just overlaps the bottom of the screen. When I do this, the sides of the picture overlap an inch or two. Is this normal and is it the desired way for setup or do you want equal overlap on the top, bottom and sides?

3. I've tried switching between high and low lamp modes, but notice no difference. Is this because of the Auto Iris and is there much difference between the modes? The only time I see a jump in brightness is when I try the "dynamic" picture mode, but we tend to like the "normal" picture mode the best. The Cinema modes seem too dark. What are the favorite modes for most of you when watching DVDs and/or T.V.? Does the fan mode affect the lamp mode? I have mine on high as the manual recommends because I live above 4500 feet (in Utah).

4. I have read that some use a solid color for various reasons, perhaps including aligning of the picture on the screen. What is the best way to do this?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!
Kapoguy

Originally posted by frank99
Thanks everyone for all your input. Based on the responses I received, it definitely sounds like I'm confronted with a stuck pixel issue. Unfortunately, it does not appear that I have any recourse as this is deemed acceptable by Panasonic. Any more suggestions you may have in terms of my options will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

It would not be acceptable by me - and Panasonic would hear about it...

Originally posted by jferris
I had almost the same problem but my AE700 "flickered" in low AND high mode. I posted this issue here a few days back and several posters were nice enough to reply and suggest either a bad bulb or power supply.

I sent mine back for exchange under the sincere hope this could not be a problem with all the units. Sorry I can't be more help but the unit is in transit and I have no idea what the official word will be.

Big news! I am so happy!!

I have just returned my 2 days old AE700 because of the lamp flicker. And they had just 1 more demo AE700 left. I thought i would give this up and buy a hs51 instead. But i asked the salesman if i could turn on their demo model. It was a lot of light in this warehouse, an it could not be turned of. I knew it had to warm up 30 minutes to get the brightness flicker. So i stood there and waited. And i could not see any flickering on this demo. But then again maybe i didn't see it because of the fully lighted room. So i asked the salesman if i coud get this demo with me home until tomorrow, he said ok. So now it has been on for 1 hour at my home, and it has not flickered even 1 time. And it is in low lamp mode.

So the first AE700 must have had a bad bulb or something. I didn't ask to get the demo model cheaper. It had only 21 hours on it, but it was scratched up a little on one side. But i don't care as long as it doesent flicker. The old AE700 had 8 dead pixels. And now i am going to count dead pixels on my new demo unit. Wish me good luck.

Another thing was that the first AE700 had a weird fan noise to it, as something was loose. And the new demo modell does not have this. Jippi!

AE700 now Rules!

Originally posted by rwestley
Ericbres, I hope it is not to late to report the following AE700 problem
to Panasonic. I have another HDMI/Hdcp issue. Using the THX test it
is impossible to adjust the picture to see the 4 white boxes. No problem
through component. The Panasonic is clipping something in HDCP.

Are you PJ and Player set for the same black level i.e Video which is 7.5 IRE or PC which is 0 IRE.

ted

Thanks Ted,

I did try the different settings on the AE700 and got the same results using
HDCP. I know the problem is not with the player since I used it with my
a Sanyo Z2 with no problem and I am able to use it with component
output with the same settings on the player. The Momitsu is an
upscailling player with DVI output.

Speaking of dust blobs, I noticed one inside the lens... what is the best way to get it out? Someone said compressed air, how do you introduce it to the inside part of the lens?

Hi guys, how many of u have lcd panel dis-alignment problem in your ae700. My own one's red panel place a pixel upper than the two. I want to know your guys' situation and see how worse the case to bargain with the dealer in our place

Originally posted by exsodius


So the first AE700 must have had a bad bulb or something. I didn't ask to get the demo model cheaper. It had only 21 hours on it, but it was scratched up a little on one side. But i don't care as long as it doesent flicker. The old AE700 had 8 dead pixels. And now i am going to count dead pixels on my new demo unit. Wish me good luck.

Another thing was that the first AE700 had a weird fan noise to it, as something was loose. And the new demo modell does not have this. Jippi!

AE700 now Rules!

Let's see here-

Flickering bulbs
Loose fans
Dead pixels
Panel misalignments
Cropping of 720p HDMI inputs
???

I *really* hope most of these are isolated incidents and not systemic manufacturing issues (though problems with HDMI inputs appear to be common across the Z3, HS51, and AE700)...

And 8 (!) dead pixels in one projector! That is completely ridiculous. The most I've seen out of the box dead/stuck was two.

Originally posted by Rgb
Let's see here-

Flickering bulbs
Loose fans
Dead pixels
Panel misalignments
Cropping of 720p HDMI inputs
???

I *really* hope most of these are isolated incidents and not systemic manufacturing issues (though problems with HDMI inputs appear to be common across the Z3, HS51, and AE700)...

And 8 (!) dead pixels in one projector! That is completely ridiculous. The most I've seen out of the box dead/stuck was two.

I used my AE-500 for 8 months and had only one problem. On my new 700 (which is still in the shop in Illinois by the way) I have to output interlaced component (!?) and turn off main power every day to keep VB under control and now I have to keep the aspect ratio at manual (to control flashing) and still don't know what to do about the color tints cast accross the image in B&W movies or the panel mis-alignment problem. Thankfully - I don't have pixel problems, fan problems, dust blobs or HDMI problems to deal with as well. Even without the 2X lens - the Sony HS-51 is sounding better all the time. Although - it may have it's own set of problems.

Originally posted by John Ballentine
It would not be acceptable by me - and Panasonic would hear about it...

Not to sound obtuse ... but this is like complaining to McDonalds that the coffee you just bought was hot.

*** EDIT - I take that back, a better example would be complaining that the ball landed on Red when you bet Black on a roulette wheel. It is assumed that you will probably receive hot coffee when you order it. Whereas, with a pixel on LCD technology ... you have to assume a slight probability of it occuring. And I also need to add ... in just my 4 years in the biz, I have seen the odds significantly reduced to almost the point of being able to comfortably assume you would not see one. But we aren't there yet ...

Dead/stuck pixels are a nature of the beast. However, no manufacturer is going to allow one in the "A" zone of your projected image (where it would be most annoying) and although they almost all would allow 1 on the outer edges of the image ... few would allow a super-bright shiney that is clearly noticable from normal viewing distance.

Re: fence-sitters/ Panny vs. Sony

For what it's worth, for my first projector I opted for the Panasonic over the Sony without regard to the relatively small price difference, but because the AE700 has an incredibly versatile zoom range and the picture is fantastic on a high contrast high gain screen. I initially wanted the Sony having liked the HS-20 very much in demos, but it just didn't fit my very large room. I have no regrets about my purchase.

Maybe I'm lucky, but using a fantastic sounding McCormack UDP-1 universal disc player utilizing what I suspect would be thought of as way below state of the art video(Pioneer 10bit), feeding the projector an interlaced component ouput, in Cinema 1 mode(low lamp) on a 123" Vutec Silverstar gives an incredibly smooth film-like image on dvd's unless the transfers suck to begin with. Yes, there is some very minor(on my unit) VB on scenes with fog etc(Master and Commander), but the colors are extraordinarily natural and the projector is a steal at this price and beats the hell out of rainbows and unnatural colors(to me at least) of single chip dlp's.

On hdmi, I'm using it just for my dish 811 with a dvi to hdmi cable. ESPN's Sunday night game (Broncos unfortunatley crashed and burned) was just absolutely incredible right down to the snowflakes on the shoulders of the players on the sideline. White flashes don't exist as the hdmi port is used on my unit, but have been reported by some on upscaling dvd players.

All in all, although I could certainly afford to spend much more on a projector than I did, given the rapidly advancing state of the art, for the near or even the long term, IMHO one would be hard-pressed to do better than this projector until full 1920x1080i is more affordable.

<QUOTE> 1. Perhaps I should get Avia or some calibration disk, but without them, how is the best way to simply focus the projector? I don't see any test pattern or wording that stays on the screen to allow focusing.
</QUOTE>

I just use the AE700 menu itself. It has plenty of text to focus with. After Focus with the menu text, then you can adjust it slightly up or down (defocus) if you like the picture that way according to the material.

Rgb
"Let's see here-........"
Give us a break! You can say this sort of thing about any "inexpensive" projector on this site.
Unfortunately us happy owners are not didling around here. We are watching movies and HD on these things. IME we are having a good time.

I"ve had my AE700 for almost 2 months now. I just want to comment on something, last night was the first time I didn't shut off the power on the projector (i plum forgot). Upon turning it on, I noticed some VB. After about 15 minutes it was gone though.

Originally posted by tsteves
Rgb
"Let's see here-........"
Give us a break! You can say this sort of thing about any "inexpensive" projector on this site.
Unfortunately us happy owners are not didling around here. We are watching movies and HD on these things. IME we are having a good time.

Yep. Price:perf ratio on this thing is insane. The AE700 is an unbeatable VALUE. Is it perfection? No.

Having owned one IMHO what is one of the best LCD projectors ever made (SE20HD/PLV70) I can say that this is one of the best looking LCD units I have seen and hands down superior to the 20HD for image quality. I thought the HS51 was pretty good too, but the light output is too low for anything other than a room with total light control. Plus Sony has a horrible reputation with HTPC interop; IE: the native refresh rate of the older HS series was a wacky 56 Hz. I just didn't want to go there. The AE 700 was plug and play and even with the bizzare croping of pixels on the DVI input it still works and looks great.

Movies look great. TV looks great. Hell, cable looks better on this thing than it ever did on the PLV70. The image is SMOOTH. Screendoor is a non issue and VB? Yeah, sometimes slightly, on some material. BFD. I paid $2K for it. If I'd paid $30K I might be a bit peeved but as I note above the VALUE of this thing is awesome.

Now I need to replace the .8 gain HCDM with a 1.1 gain HCCV screen. Luckily AVS will sell just the screen material for the frame I already have at a price that's quite low. Cool.

For you fence sitters: this projector rocks. If you're expecting perfection for $2K then you're smokin some good stuff. You're not going to find it at this price point.

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone is using a UPS with their 700? If so what rating UPS are you using?

Cheers

Mav

I'm using an APC 500 with mine, and it works fine... cleaner power and some degree of protection. Haven't had any blackouts or anything, and I'm always with the projector when in use, so far, no problems :)

Originally posted by mav
Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone is using a UPS with their 700? If so what rating UPS are you using?

Cheers

Mav

Originally posted by mav
Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone is using a UPS with their 700? If so what rating UPS are you using?

Cheers

Mav


i'm using a APC Back-UPS ES 500 (500VA/325W) european version..
***.apc.com
(i'm also feeding my computer and 19inch monitor with this)

but you could use a smaller one.. something like 200w..
(power consumption on the ae700 is 180w...)

The reason I am asking about the UPS is that today we experienced some pretty horrid power outages, in total about 10 in the space of about 5 mins with the last one taking the power out for about 2 hours. My 700 arrives next week so thankfully I did not have it on for this occasion. After experiencing this I have decided that I definitely need some form of UPS and I have seen them for around $90, which seems like a good price to pay for some peace of mind. I only want it to stay up long enough to do a gracefull shutdown.

I am using a Belkin 500 UPS and I have had no problems. The cost could
be much lower if you look for sales and rebates. I have seen them for
a very very low price. The unit also has surge protection.

New secret menu on the AE700.

Read about it, i started a new thread.

Originally posted by Birchwood
mello2000

My opologies, I must be confused or drunk - maybe both. I somehow read your post as a plea for help on flickering (Vertical Banding) problems. Upon re-reading you are after some guidence on system setup.

I may have bee reading exsodius post and that put me off track...exsodius, if you are listening I would definately try powering off your PJ overnight then set it up for your prefered operation then perform the flicker adjust. I don't have any issues now but I did when I did not power off my PJ.

Back to you mello2000. If it were me I would try each device on VGA, component and HDMI then work out which device/s give the best result with a particular connection method. I find that my DVD player works best with component and an interlaced signal (PAL 625i) but with NTSC material progressive seems to work better. Luckily the projector remembers settings for each type of signal - well done panasonic.

Your suggestion of HDMI for DVD or cable sounds fine, as I said the component signal progressive or interlaced can work very well. I would do a comparison and then make the decision.

Sorry for my confusion.

Nice to hear. Turn it off, and it will work.

Originally posted by ianken
Yep. Price:perf ratio on this thing is insane. The AE700 is an unbeatable VALUE. Is it perfection? No.

........

For you fence sitters: this projector rocks. If you're expecting perfection for $2K then you're smokin some good stuff. You're not going to find it at this price point.

In total agreement except - no comments on the flashes.
My initial plan was to drive this thing with an upscaling DVD on HDMI - with the comments on the flashes I`ve begun to second guess. I can tolerate slight VB, slight SDE slight discolouratiion (and I`m a B&W fan). Heck I watch TV from broken rabbit ears, but what I could not tolerate is a momentary interruption of the flow of a film - like music films shouldn`t skip. I`ve read your comments for a long time and value your opinion - so what exactly are you driving this box with that flashing is not one of your mentions. Is this `flashing`a unit to unit thing or is this where I part company with you on my level of tolerance.:)

still `smokin` after all these years,
ted

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I have my unit hooked up to HDMi
from an upscailing player and I have expereinced no white flashes. I wonder if it has something to do with the video card drivers or it could be
a cable problem. I also have very little VB. The one problem I have experienced is the inability to see the 4 white boxes on the first THX
video test using HDMI. Could this be a white crush issue caused by the
HDMI input since I have tried the DVD player with other projectors with
no problem?

Well, I had never owned a PJ before, but this thread led me to the 700. I was, of course, all paranoid about VB, SDE, flashing, pixels, yikes!!!!

However, my experience has been wonderful. The first thing I did was check for dead pixels on all three panels, and (gasp) found one on the green right away! I fretted tremendously (would Panny cover me? do I have to pay for shipping?). Well, I tried to forget about it and just watch some TV...

Here we are 110 hours later, and I have yet to see that blasted pixel on normal program material! My fears were so overblown. In fact, I have told my friends that I have a dead pixel somewhere, and if they identify it, I'll pay a cash prize. I know right where it is, and still can't ever see it unless I turn on that green-only field and getting within 1 screen-width. So, to newbies thinking of taking the plunge... things aren't as terrible as they sometimes seem!

Also, I've finally gotten VB licked with the flicker adj., and I never cut off the power. The VB is present for about 20 minutes, but after she's warm, I can't really see it. (I used to continously mess with flicker right when I turned it on, but then I'd have to play again in 30 mins.)

So stop worrying and just have fun out there!!!

E

BmoreE

Great message for everyone. Quit fretting and enjoy the show.

Originally posted by rwestley
I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I have my unit hooked up to HDMi
from an upscailing player and I have expereinced no white flashes. I wonder if it has something to do with the video card drivers or it could be
a cable problem. I also have very little VB. The one problem I have experienced is the inability to see the 4 white boxes on the first THX
video test using HDMI. Could this be a white crush issue caused by the
HDMI input since I have tried the DVD player with other projectors with
no problem?

What DVD player? Is it in fact set to output 720P ? Any differences with 1080i?
What do you mean by video card drivers since that is not something you could upgrade on a DVD player?
What Cable & Length?

ted

I had asked a question regarding this earlier (see below), but got no response, so sorry for asking again, but I'm kind of bothered by how the picture overlaps on the sides of my 106" HCCV screen. I thought that the black would absorb all light, but I can really notice the edges with light colored material projected. Is this normal and are others adjusting their picture so that there is overlapping on the sides, but not on the top or bottom? I'm just curious as to how those with more experience adjust their picture.

I'm also perplexed as to why I see no change in the picture when I select low or high lamp mode. Can I use low lamp mode and high fan mode with auto iris on?

Thanks!
Kapoguy


"I had a heck of a time trying to use the manual lens shift to adjust the picture just right because it is so sticky. I finally got it to where I think is the right adjustment. I put the top of the picture just a hair above the top of the screen (just overlapping the black) and then zoomed out from there until the bottom of the picture just overlaps the bottom of the screen. When I do this, the sides of the picture overlap an inch or two. Is this normal and is it the desired way for setup or do you want equal overlap on the top, bottom and sides?"

I assume that you are talking about a 16:9 screen. Measure the viewing surface height and width to make sure that it was cut to the correct proportions. A properly proportioned screen should result in an equal amount of overscan on all boarders.

There can be some tolerance in the LCD panel itself, but what you are describing is far beyond that.

This goes back to a question i had a week ago regarding the HDMI cropping problem. Surely if its cropping the vertical the 16:9 ratio is destroyed ? This is certainly my experience. I either have flush fitting sides and some dark grey top n bottom or i zoom and have overlap left and right but no 20 pixel or so gap at the top and bottom.

This is what bugs me most about the cropping. Not lost picture data but the fact it screws up my 16:9 ratio screen when playing full 16:9 source material.

Have we reached a consensus conclusion as to whether VGA and component are free of the white flashes?

This is off the normal topic here but what would be the best screen to use with this pj? I have the vutec 16x9 ,110" brite white screen. The 700 looks great but I wish sometimes it had more "punch". I read the screen comparison @ pjcentral and the vutec wasn't the brightest of the bunch. I don't think it was even a 1.0 gain. What do you guys recommend?
Thanks

Originally posted by cpc
Have we reached a consensus conclusion as to whether VGA and component are free of the white flashes?

At least one poster earlier in this voluminous thread suffered from flashes over component.

It's been so long ago that I don't recall whether he was having flashbacks or seeing flashes.

tvted, help me out here!

Not to mention that there are TWO different types of flashes talked about on here also! I can't recall which is which.

okay, i have to admit, i gave up reading this entire thread on about page 52...lol

i have a quick and easy question though

can i obtain a great picture with hdtv, htpc and dtv by only feeding the vga port of this animal? i don't have a dvi or hdmi cable strung in my ceiling and i feed everything else through a component to vga and deinterlacer.

i understand the image may not be as superior as using the digital input, but will the PJ accept all those sources through the vga port?

please advise-

Originally posted by bubbawilly
At least one poster earlier in this voluminous thread suffered from flashes over component.

It's been so long ago that I don't recall whether he was having flashbacks or seeing flashes.

tvted, help me out here!

:D
Far out man.
Flashbacks is what I would definitely suffer - this is the sixties isn't it?

Firstly I think its flashes that are of two types - one which exhibits a total picture loss and another which seems to just affect portions of the picture.
This impression is subject to the haze of memory of course.;)

Aussie Bob experienced them with component and goiing to MANUAL from AUTO aspect control seemed to help. See here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4710717#post4710717)

John Ballentine did as well I believe. See here (URL=http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4710717#post4710717)

One common thing though after going through some of this thread is players with Faroudja chipsets - Denon, Panasonic s97 wherein the new Sony 975 does not. Anyone using a Bravo?

Hope that was of some help - guess you realize this is my particular obsession - still think I'm taking the plunge though the HS51 is just too expensive up here in the frozen north and doesn't seem like they are willing to discount (not to mention that it is not without issues as well).
:rolleyes:

ted

Originally posted by billymac
okay, i have to admit, i gave up reading this entire thread on about page 52...lol

i have a quick and easy question though

can i obtain a great picture with hdtv, htpc and dtv by only feeding the vga port of this animal? i don't have a dvi or hdmi cable strung in my ceiling and i feed everything else through a component to vga and deinterlacer.

i understand the image may not be as superior as using the digital input, but will the PJ accept all those sources through the vga port?

please advise-

If you are solely feeding it from an HTPC to provide all those sources it is likely to be a winner - providing other issues mentioned can be tweaked or tolerated - see the tweaks thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=465849) and look for comments by rgb in both threads re his experience with HTPC through the VGA port and 1:1 mapping

ted

In response to TVDED (Ted) I am using a Momitsu player and have had the
problem on 720p & 1080i using a Momitsu player. I have had no problem with the THX test using component. I know it is not the player since I used it with a Sanyo Z2 and it passed all tests. In regards to the video card I was thinking of those who use a Media center PC with the 700AE

Anybody recommend a screen for the 700?

wiredman

When I ordered my projector from projector people, they recommended the da-lite high contrast matte white.

I requested samples from da-lite of the high contrast matte white, the high power and the glass beaded. I liked the extra punch of the glass beaded so that's what I bought. The high contrast matte white had better blacks but everything else was dark. The high power seemed to have the whites bleed into surrounding areas.

I think to a great extent, its a matter of personal preference. Narrow down your choices to 3 or 4 and email da-lite for some samples. Its worth the extra time involved.

Thanks JimP........I will. Glass beaded perhaps........

Originally posted by rwestley
In response to TVDED (Ted) I am using a Momitsu player and have had the
problem on 720p & 1080i using a Momitsu player. I have had no problem with the THX test using component. I know it is not the player since I used it with a Sanyo Z2 and it passed all tests. In regards to the video card I was thinking of those who use a Media center PC with the 700AE

TVDED ? - boring maybe but I'm still breathing I think.:D

As for the Momitsu - thats a Sigma Designs chip so I guess its not just Faroudja chips. :( Damn - I'm assuming you've suffered flashes with your Momitsu which is why I'm referring to the processor chip

ted

Originally posted by tvted
In total agreement except - no comments on the flashes.


I don't see these on my unit. Maybe I'm lucky, like people who don't see rainbows. I have never see this white flash anomoly on my AE700U. I drive it with YPbPr from 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i sources. I drive it with DVI from my HTPC running WindowsXP Media Center 2005 via a Geforce FX5200 using the released drviers from nvidias web site.

I will be a negative guy here and note all of the defects in my projector right here and still reccomend it whole heartedly:

1- Scaler: not that great. Pop in avia and bring up the 200TVL res pattern and observe the 6.75 Mhz patch. It's not quite uniform. Then go watch a movie. It still kicks ass. May be correctable with a video processor and a DVI connection. The scaler in my SE20HD/PLV70 was superior.

2- Scaler: Cropping of all content that is not 480i/480p. Adjust projector using an overscan pattern from a 480i/p dvd player, get it to the edge of the screen. Now switch to a 720p or 1080i srource. Note the cropped pixels on all sides. The image appears to be scaled to fit within this cropped area. The EXCEPTION to this is DVI at 720p, you are still cropped but the image is not scaled to fit within it. The cropping still sucks but you still get 1:1 pixel mapping which is good news for HTPC and outboard scaler users.

3- Video processing/deinterlacing: easily looses cadence on 1080i content. You occasionally see combing. But this is better than most low end scalers in low end projectors because it means the AE700 is using both fields in the 1080i signal when most devices just throw away a filed and scale the the other one.

4- Light output. In this respect I miss my SE20HD/PLV70, King of light cannons.

5- FPN. There's a little but you need to be a video nerd to see it. Guests aren't screaming "OH MY GOD WAHT IS THE GOOBER ON THE SCREEN!" :-)

6- VB. Some on some content. Rare.

7- Manual lens shift stick. This thing will drive you mad when a tiny touch can move the image an inch. Poor design here. Too sticky, needs to be smooth.

There it is, my list of "defects" in this projector.

It still rocks becasue it's all a matter of magnitude. In the end all that matters is that the projected image looks great and the AE700U throws a bad-ass image. It is quiet, has great blacks, rich accurate color and robust user adjustable controls. About the only thing missing from the menus is the ability to adjust the overscan and cropping.

Well, with only 30-odd hours racked up, I have a quite visible dust blob to the right of center. It's most obvious against a black (yeah, yeah, gray) background, appearing as a faint green perfect circle, about 2.5" on a 105" diag. image. Focusing to the plane of the actual bright green dust speck sharply reveals countless other specks of various colors, none of which has any impact on focused program material the way this one, single blazing one does. Judging by it's distance from the plane of focus of the picture, I am assuming it's located on a mirror or the prism, and not on an actual LCD panel (it's not on the lens). I'm fascinated (and perplexed) by the fact that dust specks appear brightly illuminated as opposed to being silhouetted.

Cripes, folks, at this rate, I hate to think how much will accumulate by the time I get a respectable amount of hours on this thing. Unless there is some sort of unusal breach in the housing assembly, allowing air to be sucked in (hence bypassing the filter) this seems a bit unreasonable as a standard for a piece of equipment that cannot be user-cleaned without voiding the warranty.

As I have no clean-room available, I'm considering wrapping the PJ in a "bag" of fine filtering material, and sucking air back through the opened filter port with a powerful shop vac, praying that I don't deposit even more crap on the elements.

Does anyone know if the housing can be opened and closed without leaving evidence of having done so, or what type of indicator would be used to show that it had been opened? While I don't relish the thought of jeopardizing my warranty, or of risking multiple blobs by monkeying around in there, I can't live with this, or with the thought of sending it in for cleaning every 30-50 hours or so.

KongFan

KongFan

Have you taken the filter off to examine how it's put together? Maybe blowing compressed air in from that direction would knock loose the dust bunny.

I definately recommend cleaning the fliter every 50 hours or so. At least in my enviornment I get quite a bit of dust in it every 50 hours. I've cleaned it twice now, and both times it's blown tons of dust off. 30 hours and a dust blob? Jeez....

Let me throw in my two cents' worth:

I have about 150 hours on my AE-700. It's my first projector and I'm very, very happy with it. I'd be happier if it were perfect, but it's such a major step up in quality from my 55" Mitsubishi RPTV that I don't have real complaints (other than the white flashes). And the 100" diagonal picture makes up for a lot of small deficiencies.

Problems:

1) VB. I leave the projector on standby constantly. VB is usually pretty bad for the first 30 minutes of viewing, then it mostly goes away. Flicker tweak can eliminate it immediately - the green value is always the problem.

2) White Flashes. Becoming increasingly prevalent on HDMI from my Hughes DirecTV HD receiver via a DVI/HDMI cable. I don't notice flashes from my 4-year old Mitsubishi DVD player using progressive component, but two thirds of our viewing is HD via HDMI, so I may just not have spent enough time on it. But I don't think it's happening.

The flashes I'm seeing look very much like the flash on the flash on the HBO promo where the image flashes to snow then shrinks to the middle, shrinking faster vertically than horizontally. Except the projector flash lasts a fraction of a second.

Last night we saw at least three flashes in 90 minutes. When the projector was new we hardly noticed any. However, that may be perception, not reality.

I currently have the HD receiver locked to output only 720p. That seemed to be the most logical, but I'm going to switch to 1080i for awhile to see if it makes a difference in frequency of white flashes. I could never tell any difference in picture quality.

3) Image size. There's something weird going on here, but I don't know that it's the fault of the projector. I set the blue screen image to just match my screen size. Then when using the Avia DVD via Component, there's no difference between the Avia vertical image size and the blue screen size.

Yet with Hughes HD source I have a black border at top and bottom regardless of HD output format (720/1080). There is roughly 1/2" black bar top and bottom when using 720p output. More importantly, on 1080i output, the top of the image shifts upward about 1//8" but the bottom shifts upward about 1/4". So the image on 1080 is fewer lines.

I assume this almost certainly has to be the Hughes receiver doing it. But maybe not. When I get an ADC/DVI adapter for my Mac shortly, I'll be able to compare a different DVI source to see if it's projector or source.

jet

Originally posted by tvted
TVDED ? - boring maybe but I'm still breathing I think.:D

As for the Momitsu - thats a Sigma Designs chip so I guess its not just Faroudja chips. :( Damn - I'm assuming you've suffered flashes with your Momitsu which is why I'm referring to the processor chip

ted

Since we're primarily talking flashes with HDMI/DVI, wouldn't the common denominator be the SI HDMI interface in these players? Add the Pioneer Elite to the list of flashers, and it uses a proprietary deinterlacer, not Faroudja. However, it does use the SI HDMI/scaler chip.

Are there any HDMI players that use the SI deinterlacer?

Originally posted by bubbawilly
Since we're primarily talking flashes with HDMI/DVI, wouldn't the common denominator be the SI HDMI interface in these players? Add the Pioneer Elite to the list of flashers, and it uses a proprietary deinterlacer, not Faroudja. However, it does use the SI HDMI/scaler chip.

Are there any HDMI players that use the SI deinterlacer?

It would take further research for me to contribute - you definitely know more about DVD players than I do.

Damn again though - I was hoping on a nice neat solution that we might have overlooked - simpleminded on my part. I guess I will have to accept the compromises that have been suggested.

Perhaps....

Ericbres,

Is it safe to assume you have consolidated the info you compiled regarding this matter? Pardon my impatience (I have sent an Email to Panasonic Canada pointing them to this thread), is it possible to publish that information or would it be infringing on privacy here?
Did Panasonic have any sort of response beyond the usual?

ted

Well I have just returned from demoing the 700 and thought I would leave some of my impressions. I currently own the AE300 fed by a HTPC projecting onto a 116" High Power screen. My biggest gripes with it would be VB and lack of 1:1 mapping. Of course I would like improved contrast and better blacks but who wouldn't.

The setup I viewed was far from ideal. Too much ambient light, a small crappy screen (a giveaway with the projector...maybe 6 feet wide, no gain, wavy). It was fed from a progressive scan dvd player and I viewed portions of 2 movies, The Last Crusade and Master and Commander.

First impression was not positive. I was hoping to really see some improved contrast and darker blacks but the lack of light control really washed out the image. The picture was not near as sharp as I am used to, granted I use a HTPC with ffdshow upconverting to 1920x1080i so I am once again assuming it was the source.

VB, boy oh boy was it there. The first blue sky shot in the opening scenes of The Last Crusade it was sticking out like a sore thumb. I asked the sales guy for the remote and went into the menu and checked the flicker values. Needless to say all 3 panels were flickering wildly. I did a quick adjustment while I explained to the sales guy what I was doing and went back to viewing. It appeared a bit better but I could still pick it out in certain scenes.

We changed discs to Master and Commander and qued up the fog scene....VB still there, so I went back in and looked at the flicker again did a few more adjustments and continued to view. By this time the projector was fully warmed up...20 min+ of viewing and the VB was still there. Also present was quite a bit of FPN...even more than my 300. I should have checked to see if the NR was activated but didn't remember until I had left the store.

I hope to go back and see the unit again tomorrow night but as it stands I don't think I will be upgrading from my 300. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to really see this baby shine...HD or upconverted source on a nice sized screen in a completely light controlled room. But I think that if I had the flaws I viewed today would only be magnified.

I do not intend to bash here as I am a proud Panny owner and would have loved to be more impressed. I think it is still a great entry level projector that most will be satisfied with, but my daily trolling on this forum for the lat 3 years has turned me into a video elitist.

Originally posted by ianken
There it is, my list of "defects" in this projector.

It still rocks because it's all a matter of magnitude. In the end all that matters is that the projected image looks great and the AE700U throws a bad-ass image. It is quiet, has great blacks, rich accurate color and robust user adjustable controls. About the only thing missing from the menus is the ability to adjust the overscan and cropping.

Thanks for that summation. I am currently in a pre-buy state of mind but I believe this is a positive assessment of the unit - am hoping to see one very soon.

ted

Originally posted by scotty144
I do not intend to bash here as I am a proud Panny owner and would have loved to be more impressed. I think it is still a great entry level projector that most will be satisfied with, but my daily trolling on this forum for the lat 3 years has turned me into a video elitist.

I am in the unusual position of being an "video elitist" in my day job but try not to bring my work home with me. ;) The one qualification is that, this for me is about Film which has held a special place in my heart for a long time. I hope to get my first test drive soon - we are a little backward here in Canada, too much time spent with shoveling snow, feeding the sled dogs, clearing away the moose from the roads and dealing with those pesky beavers who chew into our log cabins.:D

ted

Originally posted by JimP
KongFan

Have you taken the filter off to examine how it's put together? Maybe blowing compressed air in from that direction would knock loose the dust bunny.

Thanks. For simplicity's sake, I am tempted to do just that, but I'm anxious about the possibility of introducing more dust.

Re: "dust bunny", my first impression of the term"dust blob" was that it meant a cluster of dust or a "dust bunny", which I have come to realize would be catastrophic on the scale of the tiny LCD panels and subsequent reflective and transmissive elements. That type of cluster would have to be made up of fiberous material that would be relatively easy to effectively filter. I have come to interpret "blob" to mean the effect rendered by the defocused image of a particle located on something other than the LCD panels. I may be quite wrong about that, and I am not aware of any factor preventing dust from landing on the panels themselves, which I would expect to be even more pronounced.

I guess I'll just count to ten, hold my breath, and dive in to try to correct the problem. Unless someone talks me out of it, that is.

KongFan

Originally posted by bapenguin
I definately recommend cleaning the fliter every 50 hours or so. At least in my enviornment I get quite a bit of dust in it every 50 hours. I've cleaned it twice now, and both times it's blown tons of dust off. 30 hours and a dust blob? Jeez....

Yes, I suppose I'd better be ultra dilligent. I think the early arrival of "The Blob" is just bad luck on my part. Thanks

KongFan

On my 300, I've been able to get rid of dust by placing a vacuum nozzle over the filter opening (with the filter removed). I then place the heel of my hand around the nozzle to 'seal' the remaining opening and increase the suction inside of the unit. Give that a try before you tear the unit down.

This has worked for me every time.

Originally posted by bubbawilly
On my 300, I've been able to get rid of dust by placing a vacuum nozzle over the filter opening (with the filter removed). I then place the heel of my hand around the nozzle to 'seal' the remaining opening and increase the suction inside of the unit. Give that a try before you tear the unit down.

This has worked for me every time.

This is probably the reason soldering the parts in place was invented. ;)

ted

Can anyone confirm that the mounting holes on the bottom of the AE700 are the same as the AE500? I'm having a very difficult time finding a vendor which has a asthetically pleasing mount for the AE700 yet - but they all support the AE500.

Thanks,
Kevin.

Originally posted by masicycle
Can anyone confirm that the mounting holes on the bottom of the AE700 are the same as the AE500? I'm having a very difficult time finding a vendor which has a asthetically pleasing mount for the AE700 yet - but they all support the AE500.

Thanks,
Kevin.

I have asked this question several times in a 2 months time. And got no answer. So i just bought the 700 and hoped it would fit the old mount.
I don't understand why nobydy ever answered. How hard could it be?

Yes i can confirm. I mounted my AE700 saturday to the homemade ceiling mount for my AE100.

Originally posted by bubbawilly
On my 300, I've been able to get rid of dust by placing a vacuum nozzle over the filter opening (with the filter removed). I then place the heel of my hand around the nozzle to 'seal' the remaining opening and increase the suction inside of the unit. Give that a try before you tear the unit down.

This has worked for me every time.

RE DUST BLOBS:

Very interesting and valuable advice. I just hope I never have to use it. So far so good.

I noticed a friend of mine was running an air filter/purifier in his home theatre to help prevent dust blobs. Helps to cut down airborne dust. Anyone else doing this?

I must say that the air filter on the 700 looks soo much better than on the old AE series!

Originally posted by tvted
This is probably the reason soldering the parts in place was invented. ;)

ted

Indeed! :D

I've yet to hear the ominous clanking of something other than dust traveling up the tube. :eek:

I should mention that I use an older vacuum that doesn't suck like it used to. :( For those with a powerful vacuum, just don't do the hand heel seal thingy, lest you suck the panels out with the blob. ;)

I have a question:

I am planning on buying a projector for my home theater in the next few months. I will be using it in a dedicated theater room primarily for DVDs, PC and PS2 gaming, and HDTV. I have tried to keep up with the posts in this thread (although very difficult) and really like the looks of the AE700. However, a friend of mine recently told me he is getting the Dell 4100MP and can get me a deal on the same one at about $700 less than what I can get the AE700 for. The Dell 4100MP seems attractive from the specs, but I know very little about projectors (although I am learning). Can anyone help point out pros/cons between the two? I guess what I am really looking for is the areas where the 4100MP would be better or worse than the AE700.

Thanks

Originally posted by bubbawilly
On my 300, I've been able to get rid of dust by placing a vacuum nozzle over the filter opening (with the filter removed). I then place the heel of my hand around the nozzle to 'seal' the remaining opening and increase the suction inside of the unit. Give that a try before you tear the unit down.

This has worked for me every time.

Thanks a lot Bubbawilly, I'll give it a shot. I just needed to hear that someone had sucked air back through the filter opening (thus drawing unfiltered air in reverse through the unit) without discovering to their horror that they'd drawn a bunch more dust into it. I'm encouraged now, hearing that you've done this more than once, and I'll get right to it.

KongFan

Originally posted by extreme0016
I have a question:

I am planning on buying a projector for my home theater in the next few months. I will be using it in a dedicated theater room primarily for DVDs, PC and PS2 gaming, and HDTV. I have tried to keep up with the posts in this thread (although very difficult) and really like the looks of the AE700. However, a friend of mine recently told me he is getting the Dell 4100MP and can get me a deal on the same one at about $700 less than what I can get the AE700 for. The Dell 4100MP seems attractive from the specs, but I know very little about projectors (although I am learning). Can anyone help point out pros/cons between the two? I guess what I am really looking for is the areas where the 4100MP would be better or worse than the AE700.

Thanks

Hi extreme0016,

I am in the same boat as you and have done the same comparison so will share my thoughts. Short version - I would go the AE700. I have ordered one and am waiting on delivery.

My Reasoning (based on published specs from Projectorcentral.com):
1. Widescreen vs 4:3 (Square) - The AE700 has a widescreen 16x9 1280x720 pixel panel vs the 4100MP's 1024x768 square screen. It looks like you are going to be watching a lot of widescreen material so the AE700 will be a better fit as it will give a higher quality picture.

2. Bulb Life: The Panasonic has 5000 hours in eco mode vs the Dell's 3000. A greater than 50% increase.

3. Noise - Panasonic is a lot quieter. I have also read posts about the DELL still having the fan running even when its off.

4. Brightness/Contrast - Contrast will probably be comparable. The Dell is a lot brighter, though with a dedicated room, this doesn't really matter IMHO.

The Panasonic appears to be the better choice for a dedicated room where you are watching a lot of widescreen material.

KongFan,
I did it the first time that I had a dust blob, and now I do it every time that I clean the filter (just for grins).

I now vacuum the filter every 30 or 40 hours, and I've never had a blob since (fingers crossed).

Let us know if you have the same success.

tvted will swear that I'm loosening things up in there. ;)

I recently bought the 700 and I have a couple questions:

1. I am getting the model 6000 HD dish network satellite receiver, and I plan on running two devices from it with.....One, the 700. And the other a TV.

The receiver has two outputs to send HD signals. One is component....not a problem and this is the one I will feed my TV with. But the other is an 15 pin RGB output. Now is this 15 pin RGB output okay to hook into my "PC in" 15 pin input on the back of the 700? Or is it only for PC's?

2. I can't seem to get a signal if I hook up my DVD player/s through the S video input on the 700.....has anyone else run into this? Or what could be the problem.....Note....I switch to the "video" input on the 700 when I try the S-video. And nothing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Gabe

P.S. This is my first projector and all I can say is awesome! One dead pixel but I haven't seen any VB....probably because I don't know what to look for and I'm not really trying.

New owner and newbie to HT help me out:

So I brought the panny, I plugged it into my Cablebox and DVD so far. when should I use the different aspect ratios (4:3,just...etc)?

Is there any use of using Zoom from the aspect ratios? when do yoou use it?

Perhaps "video" means the composite (rca) connection. I think S-video is explicit. It should say S VIDEO. Correct?

Originally posted by mell02000
New owner and newbie to HT help me out:

So I brought the panny, I plugged it into my Cablebox and DVD so far. when should I use the different aspect ratios (4:3,just...etc)?

Is there any use of using Zoom from the aspect ratios? when do yoou use it?

Zoom is used for letterboxed films that are in a 4:3 aspect image. Think "ER" as broadcast on analog television, or "Stagate SG1" on SciFi where there are black bars on the top and bottom. This will zoom in a crop them off.

Set your DVD player to 16:9 mode. For films "enhanced for widescreen televisions" use "full" mode.

For regular TV I use 4:3 mode since regular TV is 4:3 and there is no risk of burn in. Some folks hate the black bars on the side wo they opt for the stretch mode like "just" as it makes them feel like they are "not wasting" any pixels.

I posted a long while back to say what refresh rates I could sync the AE700 to using my Geforce FX 5700 card and a DVI-HDMI lead. Nvidia's software was telling me I could set it to 72Hz, 75HZ, even 100Hz and the projector was syncing.

The other day, though, I thought I'd try and confirm this with Powerstrip running, as video-based PAL footage was showing judder that looked suspiciously as though the display was at 60Hz, even though I'd set it to 75Hz or 100Hz on the Nvidia control panel.

To cut a long story short, it turns out the Nvidia driver (66.93) was lying!:confused: Using Powerstrip, I couldn't sync to anything above 60Hz, which is as others predicted. However, Powerstrip did let me sync to 48Hz (for film-based NTSC), 50Hz (for PAL) and 60Hz (for video-based NTSC), so correct function has been restored, and what I thought was smooth-panning 24fps films at 72Hz, now look even smoother at a true 48Hz!:)

Some help\advice please?

I've had my 700 for a week now ... 15hrs on the clock. I'm trying to determine if I have worse VB than average - I've spent ages adjusting the flicker menu, turn the unit off at the wall each time, but can never get these blighters down to a point I'm happy with. ATOC ship landing scene in the cloud is awful - not looking-for required here ... VB jumps out all over the scene - you could be convinced that my screen had regular marks on it when the ship finally pans across the screen and the blue circle round the engines is seen.

Obviously that scene is a killer, but I regularly get annoyed by seeing VB when I'm _not_ looking for it - maybe on a sky shot or light cloud (all my movies seem to have cloud\desert\snow in them somewhere!! :) ) it'll just be obvious when I'm watching the action rather than examining the image.

Some feedback would be good - exactly how good have you got ATOC cloud scene? If you've adjusted flicker can you give me a psuedo walkthrough of the process ... I know I have to adjust these settings and I've played around a lot - maybe I'm missing something. For example I've tried 24/24/24, 24/24/26, 26/26/24 - I've been down to 23, and up to 2A on some screens. I've adjusted everything to minimise flicker, I've tired knocking 1&2 off minimal flicker, 1&2 on. I can always see VB on the green flicker screen irrespective of the flicker setting.

help ... I feel the clutches of madness coming !!

Duncan
Setup:
Tivo RGB into JS-Tech RGB->Svideo convertor and s-video into PJ
Harmon Kardon 25 component into PJ
also tried pioneer 656 RGB scart into PJ (component connections on this unit but no option in the menu ? :( ).

Originally posted by joffonon


To cut a long story short, it turns out the Nvidia driver (66.93) was lying!:confused: Using Powerstrip, I couldn't sync to anything above 60Hz, which is as others predicted. However, Powerstrip did let me sync to 48Hz (for film-based NTSC), 50Hz (for PAL) and 60Hz (for video-based NTSC), so correct function has been restored, and what I thought was smooth-panning 24fps films at 72Hz, now look even smoother at a true 48Hz!:)

Wow. If the AE700 really accepts and displays 48Hz, this is an outstanding capability for 24fps films!

What Powerstrip version are you using? What DVD player/codecs are you using?

However, I wonder if the AE700 internally converts all input refresh rates to 60Hz for the panels, including rates *less than* 60Hz (48Hz, 50Hz)?

Can Radeon cards output 48Hz? In not, this will just accelerate the shift back to GeForce cards ;).

Originally posted by John Ballentine
RE DUST BLOBS:

Very interesting and valuable advice. I just hope I never have to use it. So far so good.

I noticed a friend of mine was running an air filter/purifier in his home theatre to help prevent dust blobs. Helps to cut down airborne dust. Anyone else doing this?

As my basement nears completion I've been running an air purifier down there. There was a lot of dust, etc from construction and it's made a world of difference so far. I think I'm just going to keep it down there in the theater room in hopes of keeping it as dust free as possible. It was fairly cheap as well, I picked it up for 80 bucks at Home Depot, and it handles a 14x14 room.

I am running a Whirlpool air purifier with a Hepa filter in a dedicated home
theatre. This really helps. I have few dust problems and when I check the
filter on the projector it is really clean. Do not use the one from Sharper
Image it does not work. You must get one large enough for the room and
it should use the hepa filter. I would even suggest using one for a large
room.

Originally posted by joffonon
I posted a long while back to say what refresh rates I could sync the AE700 to using my Geforce FX 5700 card and a DVI-HDMI lead. Nvidia's software was telling me I could set it to 72Hz, 75HZ, even 100Hz and the projector was syncing.

The other day, though, I thought I'd try and confirm this with Powerstrip running, as video-based PAL footage was showing judder that looked suspiciously as though the display was at 60Hz, even though I'd set it to 75Hz or 100Hz on the Nvidia control panel.

To cut a long story short, it turns out the Nvidia driver (66.93) was lying!:confused: Using Powerstrip, I couldn't sync to anything above 60Hz, which is as others predicted. However, Powerstrip did let me sync to 48Hz (for film-based NTSC), 50Hz (for PAL) and 60Hz (for video-based NTSC), so correct function has been restored, and what I thought was smooth-panning 24fps films at 72Hz, now look even smoother at a true 48Hz!:)

Wow! Could you post your Powerstrip strings for these three timings?

I don't even know how to get 1:1-mapping with AE700 at whatever refresh rate.

/David

Originally posted by cpc
Perhaps "video" means the composite (rca) connection. I think S-video is explicit. It should say S VIDEO. Correct?

Not that I can tell. On the remote there are three input option buttons:

1. Video (and on the back you can see the composite and S-video connections are one on top of the other and are labeled "video")

2. Component

3. HDMI/PC

So I am getting concerned that my S-video input is not working. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Gabe

Gabe you just push the video button twice in a row to get svideo. Same with hdmi and D4 on the other buttons.
Also I am inputting my model 6000 throught the vga(15 pin) to the projector. It works wonderfully. I have the HTPC running through HDMI and all the others running through component. I wish I was there in person to help those with VB problems. I basically tweaked mine totally away. It just takes some time.

Originally posted by Dunkwho
Some help\advice please?

I've had my 700 for a week now ... 15hrs on the clock. I'm trying to determine if I have worse VB than average - I've spent ages adjusting the flicker menu, turn the unit off at the wall each time, but can never get these blighters down to a point I'm happy with. ATOC ship landing scene in the cloud is awful - not looking-for required here ... VB jumps out all over the scene - you could be convinced that my screen had regular marks on it when the ship finally pans across the screen and the blue circle round the engines is seen.

Obviously that scene is a killer, but I regularly get annoyed by seeing VB when I'm _not_ looking for it - maybe on a sky shot or light cloud (all my movies seem to have cloud\desert\snow in them somewhere!! :) ) it'll just be obvious when I'm watching the action rather than examining the image.

Some feedback would be good - exactly how good have you got ATOC cloud scene? If you've adjusted flicker can you give me a psuedo walkthrough of the process ... I know I have to adjust these settings and I've played around a lot - maybe I'm missing something. For example I've tried 24/24/24, 24/24/26, 26/26/24 - I've been down to 23, and up to 2A on some screens. I've adjusted everything to minimise flicker, I've tired knocking 1&2 off minimal flicker, 1&2 on. I can always see VB on the green flicker screen irrespective of the flicker setting.

help ... I feel the clutches of madness coming !!

Duncan
Setup:
Tivo RGB into JS-Tech RGB->Svideo convertor and s-video into PJ
Harmon Kardon 25 component into PJ
also tried pioneer 656 RGB scart into PJ (component connections on this unit but no option in the menu ? :( ).

Before I sent my 700 in for repair - I had this scene from AOTC looking pretty VB free. And I'm a VB nut. I used several of the work-arounds mentioned in this thread.

AUSSIE BOB: ARE YOU THERE???

Haven't heard from you in a while...

Are you still NOT having "flashes" ???? (Your projector that is). It's been about 10 days since you switched aspect ratio to "manual" to eliminate them. Inquiring minds want to know.

I talked to Panasonic Service about your work-around.

Can people report on how well EDID works on the AE700 with various HTPC setups? Post expereinces and gcard model number/driver versions used. Thanks

Originally posted by zxlr8
Gabe you just push the video button twice in a row to get svideo. Same with hdmi and D4 on the other buttons.
Also I am inputting my model 6000 throught the vga(15 pin) to the projector. It works wonderfully. I have the HTPC running through HDMI and all the others running through component. I wish I was there in person to help those with VB problems. I basically tweaked mine totally away. It just takes some time.

You're the best.

Thanks a lot. I was thinking I would have to send my unit back!

Actually, maybe I wasn't clear in my original post.....I don't have any VB problems. I haven't seen any yet....probably because I don't really know what to look for....but more likely....because I'm not really trying. Pure heaven as far as I see it.

What are you referring to when you say "same with D4 on the other buttons"...what is D4?

Regards,

Gabe

I have a Japenese version which has a D4 input as well as the component and hdmi, pc, video, and svideo.

Originally posted by KongFan
I have come to interpret "blob" to mean the effect rendered by the defocused image of a particle located on something other than the LCD panels. I may be quite wrong about that, and I am not aware of any factor preventing dust from landing on the panels themselves, which I would expect to be even more pronounced.

KongFan
I'm not sure people understand this.

Dust on the LCD panels is about the only ones you would see onscreen unless they are easily visible to the eye. And I mean large blobs/bunnies that are EASILY seen in the lens. Anything on/in the lens will probably not be seen as the lens is focussed to the LCD panels. You can have visible dust/fungus in a lens and never see it on a picture taken with the camera, even blown up to outlandish sizes. And DSLR cameras have far greater resolution and detail than this PJ. Fingerprints (oil) on the lens could alter certain wavelengths of the light passing through and be seen a little easier than particles.

I can't imagine there are many other surfaces in the optical path of a PJ where dust could reside besides the panels/mirrors and the lens, right? I haven't seen any pictures of the inside of this PJ, so can't really tell.

Originally posted by Jetucker:I have about 150 hours on my AE-700. It's my first projector and I'm very, very happy with it. I'd be happier if it were perfect, but it's such a major step up in quality from my 55" Mitsubishi RPTV that I don't have real complaints (other than the white flashes). And the 100" diagonal picture makes up for a lot of small deficiencies.

Problems:

1) VB. I leave the projector on standby constantly. VB is usually pretty bad for the first 30 minutes of viewing, then it mostly goes away. Flicker tweak can eliminate it immediately - the green value is always the problem.

2) White Flashes. Becoming increasingly prevalent on HDMI from my Hughes DirecTV HD receiver via a DVI/HDMI cable. I don't notice flashes from my 4-year old Mitsubishi DVD player using progressive component, but two thirds of our viewing is HD via HDMI, so I may just not have spent enough time on it. But I don't think it's happening.

The flashes I'm seeing look very much like the flash on the flash on the HBO promo where the image flashes to snow then shrinks to the middle, shrinking faster vertically than horizontally. Except the projector flash lasts a fraction of a second.

Last night we saw at least three flashes in 90 minutes. When the projector was new we hardly noticed any. However, that may be perception, not reality.

I currently have the HD receiver locked to output only 720p. That seemed to be the most logical, but I'm going to switch to 1080i for awhile to see if it makes a difference in frequency of white flashes. I could never tell any difference in picture quality.

3) Image size. There's something weird going on here, but I don't know that it's the fault of the projector. I set the blue screen image to just match my screen size. Then when using the Avia DVD via Component, there's no difference between the Avia vertical image size and the blue screen size.

Yet with Hughes HD source I have a black border at top and bottom regardless of HD output format (720/1080). There is roughly 1/2" black bar top and bottom when using 720p output. More importantly, on 1080i output, the top of the image shifts upward about 1//8" but the bottom shifts upward about 1/4". So the image on 1080 is fewer lines.

I assume this almost certainly has to be the Hughes receiver doing it. But maybe not. When I get an ADC/DVI adapter for my Mac shortly, I'll be able to compare a different DVI source to see if it's projector or source.

jet

1) After over 200 hours, I occasionally "think" I see a bit of VB, but it's gone before I can focus on it. I've tried leaving the main power on all night and I've tried turning it off for hours at a time (overnight) and it doesn't seem to make a difference. It's so rare and fleeting, I haven't bothered to go into the flicker tweak menu to attempt a fix. In fact, I'm not sure I would ever have noticed it in the first place if I hadn't been looking for it and I was only looking for it because I'd read about it here.

No slam at all against those who are experiencing it to a greater degree. I absolutely can believe some units may exhibit this more than others and mine may do so too eventually. So far I've been lucky I guess.

2) Haven't seen any flashes. But I also gave up on using the HDMI input with my Charter Communications Cable HDTV STB (Scientific Atlantic Explorer 8000HD. Should be replacing that with an 8300 in a couple of months) because I kept losing the signal through it on power down/up and Charter's signal triggered an on-screen pop up message that "Your HDTV does not support HDCP. Please use the component input to watch television".

Since there is nothing in the Panasonic AE-700U Operating Manual that says in plain language that the AE-700U supports HDCP, Charter's "pop up message" position has prevailed and they've stopped trying to make it work for me and, understandably, consider it to be a limitation of my projector and not an issue with their signal or equipment.

3) I have the same thing happening. The blue screen can be perfectly framed for DVD but the HD image will have the slightest bit of black border (which I've re-framed to only occupy the bottom part of the screen). And I'm watching both through the same component input.

Not that it has really concerned me, though. I guess I just attributed it to the possibility that source materials for HD broadcasts are sometimes of slightly variable aspect ratios, not all perfectly 1.78:1, and that, with a projector, I'm able to see extreme edges of material that would ordinarily disappear into the frame of a CRT or plasma. But I'm totally guessing here. The image with either source (DVD or HD) doesn't appear to be distorted in any way. It's just that it seems that I'm getting something closer to perhaps the original 1.85:1 image on some HD broadcasts and DVDs are coming in fixed at exactly 1.78:1.

BTW, HD movies certainly do look beautiful on this projector. But so do ordinary DVD movies. I'm really not sure I would swear that HD movies look all that much better on this PJ than DVD. In fact, I was reading the latest on the coming of HD-DVDs and, assuming the PQ on an HD-DVD is the same as a good HD broadcast, this is probably one time I won't really be compelled to RE-BUY all those HD-DVD movies (and replace the player) that I'm already enjoying at (to my eyes) very, very near to HD level on ordinary DVD.:D

I am not sure about the 500, but the 300 also has small black borders of unused pixels on HD content as well...Must be a Panny thing. I find it annoying as I have to re-zoom the projector to have the actual picture hit my blackout material on the screen. I was hoping that Panasonic would have this sorted out by now.

Yep. 300 here, and the same 1.5" border around the entire image on all HD feeds.

I guess that I just thought this was 'normal,' since this is my first projector. I never stopped to think that it simply makes no sense at all to have a border around a native 1.78 image on a 16:9 screen.

Has to be a scaler thing.

The AE700 supports HDCP.

Period.

If you are having a problem, you need to further discuss with Charter.

For openers, you can get a Samsung DVD player that upscales, requires HDCP, and test it out (buy from a retailer with a 30-day MBG in case you might wish to return).

The projector supports HDCP.

If you have or know of any decent screenshots of the AE700, please put them up for the rest of us wafflers.

Email me when you do it. I am dying to see your best shots. I still think the AE700 is better for me than the HS51 but I need more proof!

Thanks very very much!

I am now confirming the second HDMI cable for the SA 8300HD Explorer as not producing anything other than a blue screen with the flashing HDMI letters.

Don't waste your time and money trying to get these two to work. It isn't the cable.

CinePost

Here's one.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=4667732&fullpage=1

RE: Pixel Cropping on HDMI input

I just got an email from Tierney Brothers (www.projectorpoint.com) techncial support on the HDMI cropping vertical lines on the AE700. To quote....

"Throughout our testing we have noticed 'some' cropping on signals through the HDMI input. At this point, Panasonic does not consider this cropping abnormal or defective as it does occur on all units."

If this is second hand 'offcial' statement from Panasonic then I find unacceptable. Panasonic advertises that the projector can do 1280x720 resolution when clearly it cannot. They know it cannot, and apparently none of the units can do this. Is this not fraud, misrepresentation, or at least unethical?

I have not had anyone at Panasonic say anything about this so I am only getting this second hand from the dealer that I bought it from. Panasonic won't answer my emails. Can someone else who cares about this submit technical problem reports and see if Panasonic replies in the same manner as the dealer? I can see a world of legal and regulatory issues and hurt for Panasonic if they don't address this directly.

Romanesq it sounds like a software problem with the SA box. I had the
same problem for months by pestering the Cable Co and SA I did
get them to download new software. It still did not work until I replaced
my cable. I am now having a problem with my New Panasonic 97S DVD
player and a DVI switcher that I own. HDMI seems to cause nothing
but problems. There does not seem to be one standard.

Regarding the cropping issue. If Panasonic will not live up to what it
advertises it may be worth it to suggest a class action suite.

The threat may make them act!!!

Originally posted by DV8
RE: Pixel Cropping on HDMI input

Panasonic advertises that the projector can do 1280x720 resolution when clearly it cannot. They know it cannot, and apparently none of the units can do this. Is this not fraud, misrepresentation, or at least unethical?


You are justified in your sentiments.

This cropping of HDMI digital video issue is perfectly analogous to the audio dropouts on digital inputs on HK AVRx30 receivers, and the AVR630 in particular.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=344476

If you read that thread closely, you'll see the same psychology/ reactions among the user base and the manufacturer playing out in both cases.

I think threats of class action, and/or continued complaints about the issue to their customer support email and phone systems may be good motivators for Panasonic to develop a firmware update.

In the HK AVR630 case, longtime AVR/HK owners accused those of us making an issue out of the audio dropouts "too picky" or "not happy with anything". HK initially gave the response that the audio dropouts were "normal operation" and "part of the design". Sound familiar?

A few months into the thread, HK admitted an issue and has been developing a firmware upgrade to help reduce the audio dropouts.

Bottom line- keep making this an issue with Panasonic and the dealers, via emails and phone. The forums here can make a difference and motivate action on the part of the manufacturer.

Originally posted by ianken
Yep. Price:perf ratio on this thing is insane. The AE700 is an unbeatable VALUE. Is it perfection? No. .... If you're expecting perfection for $2K then you're smokin some good stuff. You're not going to find it at this price point.

AMEN to that....and I came from a Sony 1292 9"CRT. For the few years I had that monster I could never freakin' enjoy my HT as I was always aligning something or working on its hushbox or something. I was so glad to get that behemoth out of my basement, free up floor space and put my little 500 (now a 700) on the ceiling and finally start HAVING FUN as you'd said and enjoying my HT again.
Hard to find a better bargain in the price:perf ratio as you'd mentioned.
Cheers-
Warren

Originally posted by DV8
RE: Pixel Cropping on HDMI input

I just got an email from Tierney Brothers (www.projectorpoint.com) techncial support on the HDMI cropping vertical lines on the AE700. To quote....

"Throughout our testing we have noticed 'some' cropping on signals through the HDMI input. At this point, Panasonic does not consider this cropping abnormal or defective as it does occur on all units."


What a ridiculous assertion.

So if all AE700's that have shipped have bulbs that burn out in 1000 hours, even though the stated life is several thousand hours, this would not be considered abnormal? (just an example of their logic- there is no known bulb issue on the AE700!)

Originally posted by dvmdoc
AMEN to that....and I came from a Sony 1292 9"CRT. For the few years I had that monster I could never freakin' enjoy my HT as I was always aligning something or working on its hushbox or something. I was so glad to get that behemoth out of my basement, free up floor space and put my little 500 (now a 700) on the ceiling and finally start HAVING FUN as you'd said and enjoying my HT again.
Hard to find a better bargain in the price:perf ratio as you'd mentioned.
Cheers-
Warren

I agree with your sentiments.

That's why I placed my order today for an AE700 :D.

No, there is no conflict with the remarks I have made earlier in this thread re: Panasonic's liability with respect to outstanding issues discussed in this thread.

Sometimes manufacturers need tough love to keep them in line ;).

AUSSIE BOB CALLING EARTH... AUSSIE BOB CALLING EARTH... OVER... WE HAVE NO FLASHES... REPEAT... NO FLASHES... OVER...

I'd forgotten how.. ahem... controversial... my "flashes-fix" was. From reading the thread, I suspected that my "flashes" weren't the same "flashes" that others were experiencing. Whetever the truth (and it is Out There) let me report that no flashes have appeared on my system since I switched to "WSS = OFF". Just for fun, a couple of days ago I switched back to "WSS = ON". Still no flashes. But then again, they weren't all that bad in the first place. Maybe it's because I'm running a modest setup here... watching only DVDs off a regular DVD player, using Y-Cr-Cb, home-made screen, demountable installation so I - and the PJ - can be dismantled and lay low when Her Rolling Pin gets annoyed at the house becoming a cinema complex.

But there have been a couple of other changes to Aussie Bob's cinema project:

1. The Toshy Achieves "Honorable Retirement"
Upset at not being able to play home-recorded DVD-Rs on the Toshy SD-1300, I finally took the plunge and purchased a new DVD player from the local electronics warehouse (Dick Smith Superstore at Maquarie Centre, Sydney, for Aussies reading this). Progressive scan, no less! I am now the proud owner of a Sony DV-NS575P DVD player (A$179). No digital outputs, but it plays my home-recorded disks perfectly, even the three or four that the Toshy wouldn't even spin-up, much less play. Bliss!

Interesting side-note on DVD-R replay... a couple of years ago, they would play on the Toshy for a month or so after recording, but then started skipping and hesitating. I talked to both the disk manufacturers and to Toshiba, but neither would even admit that such a problem as skipping DVDs existed. I tried one of those "cleaning disks" (the one with two little tufts of fur on them that look - for all the world - like a pair of bees donated their pubic hair to AKAI). I tried using only Verbatim "super" disks... no use! Personally, I think the replay problem occurred because the dyes on recordable disks may "cure" over time, losing some of their original contrast, taking them from the "playable" to the "problematic" side of the Toshy's capabilities. Recently, even freshly recorded disks wouldn't play without skips. So I guess the Toshy's had its chips, or there's too much dust caked on the laser, or whatever... now every recordable disk is a problem to it. Pre-recorded's are still perfect. So there is a difference, even if the manufacturers won't admit it. All of these home-recorded disks always played on my PC, which has - I guess - a finer laser (i.e. one designed for burning, as well as playing disks).

2. The Demountable Screen.
I had been using some blackout cloth stuck up onto a pelmet in our living room with thumb tacks, until I made a final decision on how I was going to lay my (laughingly-called) "Home Theatre" out. This became too much of a pain to mantle and dismantle. So I went and bought some heavy duty 1-inch dowel (two 3.6 metre [142 inch] lengths) and some curtain knobs to screw into each end of the dowel (pictured in the attached jpgs). Hilarious scenes at the hardware store as A.B. tried to manoeuvre the two dowels through the checkouts without decapitating staff and/or customers... but that's another story. Also purchased some removable wooden hooks to hang the whole thing on and hey presto! A roll-uppable, take-downable 136 inch screen (with approximately 110x48 inch active picture area at 2.35:1... also pictured). When the screen's completely rolled up (via the knobs at each end of the dowel) I stash it behind the sofa (screen side "in") and remove the wooden hooks and all Her Rolling Pin can see are three sets of screws (painted white to camouflage them) in the pelmet. This is below her Irritation Threshold, so Aussie Bob survives to write this post.

The only mod I made to this setup (and this was anticipated) was to install a middle hook to provide support and prevent bowing in the middle. This middle hook sticks through a gap at the top of the screen... a small penalty to pay for complete demountability and stability while mounted. An added bonus is that I have a duplicate set of mounts in the upstairs area of the house and I can take the screen down from the living room and move it upstairs to Cinema #2 in five minutes. I'm even considering setting it up on our deck and having a "Cinema Under The Stars set-up". Why not?

Getting the screen to hang without kinks and creases took half an hour to perfect (best done when the screen is actually hanging). The final, de-kinked setup was tacked with a stapler as it hung, then taken down and hemmed properly on a sewing machine.

Total cost? A$45 for the blackout material, $70 for the curtain dowell and fittings. Tools: cordless drill, spirit level, Philips screwdriver, plus Her rolling Pin's sewing machine (for the top and bottom hems, once you get rid of the kinks in situ). To wind up the whole contraption, I glued the right-hand knob to the dowel (as well as screwing it in). This is because, winding it up (and keeping the screen side "in"), the direction of wind (counter-clockwise) also tends to unscrew the knob. So, add a hot-glue gun to the tools list.

3. Experiments with projector tuning filters.
My first "by eye" choice was correct: Lee Filters "Light Salmon", catalog number #109. Since guessing the filter by eye (and using the Lee Filters swatch for samples), I've evolved a technique for using a Nikon D100 ("Overcast" -2 white balance setting, 6400K) to photograph the screen as 50% gray is projected onto it, entering the RGB numbers of the resulting "gray" image (actually "gray" plus some unwanted cyan "haze" or bias illumination, the result of imperfections in the optics of the projector) into an Excel spreadsheet and coming out with the best "neutralizing" filter to get the "no-signal blacks" as achromatic (and hence as dark) as possible: in other words, a filter that filters out the haze.

This technique has been mentioned in a previous post, and it's a lot more involved than I thought, necessitating an understanding of how gamma curves and densities are calculated and transferred back and forth between Photoshop, the D100 and Excel (plus a "fudge-factor" column to make everything "right"). Many happy hours of Googling and reading technical PDFs right there...

A bonus to my research was an augmentation of the Excel spreadsheet I figured out for use with my flatbed scanner. As Lee Filters don't publish the Color Correction values of their filters - they just name them subjectively e.g. "Light salmon", "Flesh Pink", "Sunset Red" etc. - I figured out a way to scan them and then to turn the RGB values obtained into Color Correction factors (hint: start with ND filters... the Rs, Gs and Bs should all be equal.. if they're not, start using fudge-factors until they are... after that, everything else should come out correct, too). Each Color Correction unit equals 1/30th of a stop, by the way. It was only when I did this that I discovered that the "Light Salmon" filter was the closest Lee filter to my calculated, theoretically "ideal" filter for tuning the AE-700. The fudge-factor inputs are unique to each scanner and scanner gamma setting, but apart from that, all the other Excel calculations are based on rigorous theory, properly and soberly applied (I think).

To celebrate my (seemingly correct) decision to go with "Light Salmon", I went to the local Panavision shop (in McLachan Ave., Artarmon, Sydney for Aussies reading this) and shelled out $19 for a one-metre sheet of the stuff, plus A$85 for a 77mm mount "Clear Glass" filter. Geez, they know how to charge! No wonder movies cost a squillion dollars to make... at those prices!

Are Lee Filter sheets curly, or what? They're rolled up so tightly that it's impossible to flatten them out without "special" measures. Cutting a bit out and sticking it inside a book for 24 hours didn't even touch the sides. I swear I heard the Lee Filters wallahs laughing from afar at my pathetic attempts to tame their cursed gel. Eventually I applied the blowtorch to the belly and gave it The Treatment using a very low iron. Stick the gel between two sheets of printer paper, iron on a low heat for ten seconds and then stick it between the pages of a heavy book while still warm. Wait ten minutes and, voila!, a big sheet of Lee Filter bent (or rather, flattened) to my iron will. For some reason this gave me immense satisfaction: a backyard Aussie showing the mighty Lee Boys that we don't take no s--t Downunder.

For the final, finishing touch, I cut out a circular piece of this flattened gel (72mm diameter, slightly smaller than the filter diameter), bevelled off the top and bottom edges and stuck it to the back of the clear glass filter with sticky tape. After screwing the filter onto the AE-700, I now have a dust-proof filter assembly. All I need to clean is the glass front of the filter. The rest is sealed. This is also pictured in the jpgs.

Well (I hear you ask), is there an improvement? The answer is an emphatic "Yes". Blacks are richer, achromatic and contrast is vastly improved.

OK, what about the downside? Well, the "Light Salmon" filter modulates the lumen output of the AE-700 by just over 2/3rds of a stop: 23 Color Correction units (i.e. it nearly halves the PJ's brightness). Also, despite the blacks being now achromatic, the lighter tones are decidedly pink; so this needs to be compensated for.

Cine4Home picked "VIDEO" mode as their choice of mode to support the increased PQ that filtration provided. I went all the way and settled on "DYNAMIC" to increase brightness.

"DYNAMIC" is a wild beast: sharpening, contrast and brightness are wound out to the max to give the absolutely brightest "light cannon" output the projector is capable of. In short, it's horrible! But it can be tamed.

The basic approach I took was to never increase any BRIGHTNESS slider in ADVANCE set-up mode. I took out my pinks by reducing RED contrast and brightness, leaving BLUE and GREEN at "0" or less. As long as you don't increase brightness, then the no-signal blacks will stay at their darkest possible. Reducing brightness will not appreciably make the no-signal black any darker, or change its color temperature (because, by definition, it's as black as the projector can go, it's the "all pixels absolutely OFF" black level). But increasing brightness - any brightness - just adds numbers to all pixel levels that the slider affects, including no-signal black. So avoid the temptation to brighten your image with the "brightness" sliders (funny, eh?). It only makes the image less contrasty, and more muddy.

My "final" settings (always, of course, subject to change according to film transfer quality and personal whim) were:

PICTURE MENU
PICTURE MODE: DYNAMIC
CONTRAST: +4
BRIGHT: 0
COLOR: -4
TINT: 0
SHARP: -4
COLOR TEMP: 0
DYNAMIC IRIS: ON


ADVANCE MENU
GAMMA HIGH: 0
GAMMA MID: +3
GAMMA LOW: +3

CONTRAST R: -10
CONTRAST G: 0
CONTRAST B: 0

BRIGHT R: -5
BRIGHT G: 0
BRIGHT B: 0

with the Sony DVD player in either "Dynamic #1" mode or "Cinema #1" modes (both slightly "punchy"). To taste, reduce overall CONTRAST (the one in the PICTURE menu), even down to negative numbers, depending on the gamma of the film you're watching. But the above settings are my "basic" ones, committed to MEMORY-1 of the AE-700. You can also fool around with Color Management settings, mainly to reduce "yellowness" in flesh tones. But this is a matter of personal taste.

The Washup
How does Her Rolling Pin feel about all this? Well, she sat down the other night - after all of the above was complete - watched and really enjoyed two surprisingly entertaining movies (Spiderman II and I, Robot that really came alive on the Big, Big (and very flat) Screen (with nary a "pink" in sight) - and then said, "Great movies, Aussie Bob, but I'm sick of this house being turned into a BLOODY PICTURE SHOW!!!"

Moral Of Story
As has ever been the case in the history of Male v. Female interaction: you can't win 'em all... Her Rolling Pin will always find a way to burst any, and every bubble you blow in her direction.

Late-breaking update...
She has now calmed down, even rang from work next day to apologize for the outburst. Clincher: she's invited some of her girlfriends around to watch Under The Tuscan Sun... "on the Big, Big Screen" (cute film, by the way... I think I am deeply in love with Diane Lane... One thing I know: I know that I wouldn't send her back home to Cortona from the Amalfi Coast if she came calling on me in that white dress... no-sireee, Bob...and, Joy Of Joys, according to her I.M.D.B. biog, Di's a Home Cinema aficianado... how I would love to explain the finer points of Projector Fine Tuning, or Screen Hanging to her, and her alone, behind the big, big blackout cloth, as I progressively scan her...sigh... I fear it may never be...).

Postscript
H.R.P. and Aussie Bob may disagree on many things, but we'll always have Cortona.

We didn't always have it. We... we lost it for a while. But we got it back. Before Osama, terrorism, Neo-Cons, Iraq and Under The Tuscan Sun we had Cortona all to ourselves. We discovered it one lovely summer's day in June 2001, quite by accident, and only because there weren't any hotel rooms at Trasimino. We instantly fell in love with the place... and each other, all over again.

Sweet little cobble-stoned streets; centuries old hotels; a centro full of happy promenaders on Sunday morning; that Opera House which couldn't possibly fit into such a small building... but it does; psychopathic Italian drivers in little Fiats with the sides bashed in, no mirrors left, and the only piece of apparatus still working being the horn...

If you've been there, you'll know exactly what I mean. It'sa Belissima!

So, if she wants to watch the Tuscan Movie with her girlfriends on the Big, Big Screen, who am I to deny her - and myself - the pleasure? I even get to cook for The Gaggle. What joy! The bottom line is this: if it takes a blatantly sentimental girly-movie to make Aussie Bob's Home Cinema part of the Domestic Furniture, then so be it.

I ain't complainin'.

And the Full Catastrophe (the white rectangle is the approximate screen size in 2.35:1)

"Throughout our testing we have noticed 'some' cropping on signals through the HDMI input. At this point, Panasonic does not consider this cropping abnormal or defective as it does occur on all units."

If this is second hand 'offcial' statement from Panasonic then I find unacceptable. Panasonic advertises that the projector can do 1280x720 resolution when clearly it cannot. They know it cannot, and apparently none of the units can do this. Is this not fraud, misrepresentation, or at least unethical?
DV8/RGB - I know, it's damned annoying isn't it? I have done my part in contacting the dealership I bought the unit off and have written a couple of letters to Panasonic Australia about the issue, with testimony from several forums around the world.

Of course the dealership said 'Not my problem' and Panasonic said nothing.

It is defective, I'm sure we can all agree... well, actually some can't seem to such as this strange reply to my posts on www.avforums.com (http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163812).

Benjust, I have to doubt you own, or have even seen an AE700 using HDMI as the screen cropping everyone mentioned is obvious as that, screen cropping. The answer to the question is that using DVI/HDMI the projector does act as a FDP, with exact pixel mapping at 1280x720. The cropping is as clear as day when you change sources, the physical size of the projected screen changes, it is not rescanning. Therefore with HDMI/DVI you have an exact 1:1 pixel mapping at 1280x720, but you loose perhaps 20-30 pixels of the signal.
I'm still not sure what exactly he's trying to say here.. "It works but it doesn't"?

Anyway, I would also suggest that anyone who is annoyed by this issue (and I'll grant most are not) should write to Panasonic and voice their complaint - it's the only possibility of a solution.

Ben.

Originally posted by DV8
RE: Pixel Cropping on HDMI input


I totally agree with your post and understand your frustration. It is obvious that the projector can throw 1280x720 pixels on the screen because it does when you feed it 480i/p content (which is scaled and fills the screen of course) but any other content, HDMI, or YPbPr that is 720p or 1080i is cropped and some casese appears to be scaled to fit within the cropped space.

IN my previous post I noted how I adjusted the prokjector to fill the screen using AVIA and a DVD player adn afterwards noted that all non-480i/p sources were cropped and in the analog case scaled a bit. This is a bit disappointing.

The only positive thing in this is that at least with HDMI is is just cropped, and not scaled as well so al least you get 1:1 mapping but if you decide to emply an extneral scaler using a HDMI/DVI output you will not be able to take advantage of the entire pixel count. And that is just sad, becuase I don't hink it woulda killed them cost-wise to do it right in the first place.

The thing Panasonic should do find a fix, maybe within the service menu and publish it. AFAIK the unit does not have a port for firmware upgrades so you'd need to send it into the shop if that were required. Eitehr way they should "do the right thing" and find a fix for those that care about these things.

To follow up on my anti-dust blob measures: Trying Bubbywilly's suggestion of sucking air with a vacuum back through the filter opening (with the filter removed), I found, unfortunately, that the blob, if this qualifies as one, stubbornly remained. The 700 has a permanent grill, behind which the filter fits, and this kept me from reaching any distance into the unit to increase the power of the air flow. My "blob" is not an apparent cluster of dust, or "dustbunny", but a single, irregular, very bright green speck, visible sharply defined as such among many other minor specks (also mostly green) when I have substantially defocused the picture to a certain point. I only refer to it as a blob due to its perfectly round, much defocused appearance when the actual picture is in focus. Perhaps the term is meant to refer to clusters located directly on the LCD panels.

I am still not informed enough to understand why dust on any of the elements along the light path would appear in any form other than silhouette. But when all of it is brought into focus, dust it clearly is, though blazingly bright green against any dark background. For some reason of, perhaps, size or composition, this particular speck stands out as a supernova among the many other insignificant ones, hence it's persistence (and much magnified size) when very defocused.

Incidently, if anyone wants to see what I'm talking about, you can throw any very dark image far out of focus (sorry, as I sit here, I can't remember which direction) until you bring one of the mirrors or the prism (there is a prism, isn't there?) into focus. Reaching this plane of focus may be dependent on your throw, about 18 ft. in my case. I couldn't reach it while trying to demonstrate the problem to a friend in his tiny HT room. The defocused spot was as annoyingly apparent as before in the focused picture, however. I'm guessing, without having tried yet, that other elements may be brought into focus at different points along the focal range, revealing specks colored appropriately to their location relative to any one of the three LCD panels (or corresponding filters).

In mindless desperation, I may try more aggressive methods of moving air through the unit. More sensibly, perhaps, I might describe the situation to the Cine4home folks, if they'll listen, hoping they might narrow my search (and limit the potential catastrophies) if I gather up enough courage to open the unit and jeopardize my (extended) warranty. Of course, (grumble) I could always send it in for cleaning with less than 40 hours on it.

KongFan

Originally posted by ianken


The thing Panasonic should do find a fix, maybe within the service menu and publish it. AFAIK the unit does not have a port for firmware upgrades so you'd need to send it into the shop if that were required. Eitehr way they should "do the right thing" and find a fix for those that care about these things.

Recent posts in the AE700 tweak and/or EXT2 menu threads indicate that the hidden EXT2 menu has an RS232 pick. Exsodius, who found the EXT2 menu, also reports that there is some form of RS232 header/port inside the projector, which he saw when he took the cover off his projector.

I think that all of us who want a fix for the cropping issue show contact
Panasonic. We should do what ever we have to do to get them to fix
the problem. I don't think Panasonic wants bad publicity I will be calling
them on Monday. I would suggest that all others with the problem email
and call them. Keep a record of this.

Originally posted by tvted
As for the Momitsu - thats a Sigma Designs chip so I guess its not just Faroudja chips. :( Damn - I'm assuming you've suffered flashes with your Momitsu which is why I'm referring to the processor chip. - ted
I have an update on the Sony 975 player. I have now observed a white flash -- although I might describe it more accurately as a momentary flicker. With a total of 85 hours on the lamp, we have observed it a total of 3 times. So, it is not completely absent with the Sony, just infrequent.

I had originally used a 4 meter HDMI Monster cable that retailed for $150. Based on advice from the forum, I returned it, and replaced it with a 15 foot HDMI cable that I acquired from RAM (an AVS sponsor) for $42. I'm pleased to report that for this installation, at least, the moderately priced HDMI cable appears to work as well as the gold-plated one.

Originally posted by Rgb
Recent posts in the AE700 tweak and/or EXT2 menu threads indicate that the hidden EXT2 menu has an RS232 pick. Exsodius, who found the EXT2 menu, also reports that there is some form of RS232 header/port inside the projector, which he saw when he took the cover off his projector.

And we now know that the 2 options in rs232 is 232 or D-sub. And D-sub is the vga input. So maybe this means that you could upgrade firmware with the vga input too. And thats a lot easier than opening the projector.

I did not have flashes with the Momitsu. I did have another problem using it with the Panasonic and HDMI. I could not get it to see the 4 white boxes
using the THX Video test. It did work using component input. I plan to keep the unit and use it with component with a component switch box.
I also have the new Panasonic A97S which does use the Faroudja chips.
I feel it has a better picture but I am unhappy with the overscan issues
on the AE700 using HDMI

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
AUSSIE BOB CALLING EARTH... AUSSIE BOB CALLING EARTH... OVER... WE HAVE NO FLASHES... REPEAT... NO FLASHES... OVER...

I'd forgotten how.. ahem... controversial... my "flashes-fix" was. From reading the thread, I suspected that my "flashes" weren't the same "flashes" that others were experiencing. Whetever the truth (and it is Out There) let me report that no flashes have appeared on my system since I switched to "WSS = OFF". Just for fun, a couple of days ago I switched back to "WSS = ON". Still no flashes. But then again, they weren't all that bad in the first place. Maybe it's because I'm running a modest setup here... watching only DVDs off a regular DVD player, using Y-Cr-Cb, home-made screen, demountable installation so I - and the PJ - can be dismantled and lay low when Her Rolling Pin gets annoyed at the house becoming a cinema complex.



Aussie Bob:
Lots of good info in your previous post!

Yes - your flashes were more like mine. And I sent my 700 in for repair because of them. You obviously have your aspect ratio control still set to maunal as well ....right?

Panasonic repair agreed that setting it to automatic "could" cause an occasional "loss-of-sync" as the projector is continually re-locking onto the data stream. Well I guess a meteor "could" hit the earth and extinguish all life as we know it as well. Anyway it's on it's way back to me "no-fault-found" I'll try your work-around when it returns.
Thanks!

Originally posted by exsodius
And we now know that the 2 options in rs232 is 232 or D-sub. And D-sub is the vga input. So maybe this means that you could upgrade firmware with the vga input too. And thats a lot easier than opening the projector.

Makes sense, since there are a lot of unused pins on a DB15 VGA connector. All you need for RS232 serial is transmit and receive and maybe a flow control data line.

Just whip up a DB9 to DB15 adapter once we know the pinouts on the AE700 DB15 VGA port.

Look at the traces on the circuit board that connect to the DB15 VGA connector- it may yield more clues.

Also, if someone is adept with an oscilloscope and/or voltmeter, they could select "RS232" in the EXT2 menu, then scope the pins not used by the R-G-B-H-V lines on the DB15 port to sniff out the serial data lines...

Here is a pinout table for a standard DB15 VGA port:
http://www.mycableshop.com/techarticles/VGA.htm

The EXT2 menu option prolly switches pins 4, 11, 12, and 15 from Monitor ID data lines to RS232 serial data lines. All that is required for RS232 communications is 4 lines (or less).

It would probably be safe to make a prototype adapter cable that taps these 4 pins. Using a simple terminal program, you could probably try all 16 combinations of pin connections and see if you get an ack in the terminal window.

Of course, we need to know the baud rate/ stop bits/ flow control parameters of the serial lines. These might be deduced from earlier Panasonic AE100-500 projectors.

DISCLAIMER- If you fry your AE700 and/or house and/or loved ones trying this, it's YOUR FAULT ;)

P.S. We REALLY NEED the AE700 Service Manual! I am certain these issues would be described there...

PPS- I see a big aftermarket in DB15 to DB15/DB9 Y-breakout cables brewing, allowing simlutaneous VGA and serial port connection...:D

Continued in the AE700 tweak thread...

I have a Denon 2910 hooked up via HDMI to my AE700. I purchased the 2910 so I could upscale to 720P. Most every DVD looks great, but I noticed that some W/S DVD's such as True Lies and The Waterboy looked slightly "flattened" vertically. Even the AVIA test disc exhibited this. I cannot find anywhere to correct this on either the 2910 or the AE700.

However, when I change to component video cables, the flattening issue goes away (though I am then limited to 480I output from the 2910 instead of the more desirable 720P) I tried a new set of HDMI cables but no change.

Another forum member suggested that the AE700 may be locking into anamorphic mode only with the HDMI imput, but I don't kow if this is a problem or just a limitation of the PJ. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

--- John

Originally posted by jammin25
I have a Denon 2910 hooked up via HDMI to my AE700. I purchased the 2910 so I could upscale to 720P. Most every DVD looks great, but I noticed that some W/S DVD's such as True Lies and The Waterboy looked slightly "flattened" vertically. Even the AVIA test disc exhibited this. I cannot find anywhere to correct this on either the 2910 or the AE700.

However, when I change to component video cables, the flattening issue goes away (though I am then limited to 480I output from the 2910 instead of the more desirable 720P) I tried a new set of HDMI cables but no change.

Another forum member suggested that the AE700 may be locking into anamorphic mode only with the HDMI imput, but I don't kow if this is a problem or just a limitation of the PJ. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

--- John

I think this is normal. On the HDMI input, the projector locks the display onto "Full" mode, so any non-anamorphic DVD's will appear squished vertically, since the letterbox black bars are encoded with the image on non-anamorphic DVD's.

HDMI pixel perfect issue:

Could someone explain the HDMI pixel cropping more specifically? People are saying there IS pixel perfect even though there is cropping. I can't understand that. If you send the PJ 1280 x 720 and you have cropping, then you aren't seeing the full 1280 x 720. That doesn't sound like pixel perfect to me. What gives?

********** AE700 encounter ************

I saw an AE700 today at 2001audiovideo in Scarborough. I have to say the room was decent, except for the doors had glass in them! So close to complete light control, but no cigar. I watched as a couple who owned a 300 compared an AE700 to a BenQ 8700 and a Sony HS20. Watched a few minutes of a dvd and watched a guy compare the picture quality with a dvd paused.

Disclaimer. I don't think the projectors were calibrated because they all looked like they had markedly different colour temperatures. The BenQ was toned down in colour, while the Panny 700 appeared blue in comparison. The Sony looked kinda in between. The Panasonic looked ok, but in that situation, I can't say it looked that much better than my 200. I did see vertical banding on the 700 and up close (within 5 feet of the screen) the vertical banding looked a little sharp and harsh, but from far away, it wasn't too bad. No idea if they flicker tweaked it. The store sales guys said that Panny set it up for them. I saw rainbows with the 8700. I'm sure other people can get used to them, and its possible I could too, but most of the time, I get headaches. How many speeds is the colour wheel of the 8700? Not only did I see rainbows when I looked at the screen, but most of the time I looked around the room while I was talking to people and looking up at which PJ was showing at the time (the guy simply had two going at once and put his hand in front of one at a time to block it). The Sony HS20 looked good too. Fairly smooth looking and had decent black levels. The Panny did have decent detail in the blacks compared to the BenQ but again, I don't trust the calibration and had no time to ask about general settings. They had two guys running around trying find a remote to pause the dvd player. I forgot to check which one they were using.

All in all, I didn't learn much, because I'm sure the Panny was setup far from optimal. They also had a Hitachi PJ TX100 there too but I didn't bother with that. I may see the Panasonic 700 in a better setup a little later. Moral of the story, many chain stores have no capacity to set things up properly, and they don't know anything significant about the equipment, if anything at all.

Originally posted by KongFan
To follow up on my anti-dust blob measures: Trying Bubbywilly's suggestion of sucking air with a vacuum back through the filter opening (with the filter removed), I found, unfortunately, that the blob, if this qualifies as one, stubbornly remained. The 700 has a permanent grill, behind which the filter fits, and this kept me from reaching any distance into the unit to increase the power of the air flow...
KongFan

Sorry to hear that. You've got one stubborn dust bunny! Sounds like the 700 is much like the 300. I just place the nozzle of the vacuum up to the grill, and use my hand to seal the remaining opening.

Let us know if Cine4Home shares any tricks of the trade with you.

Aussie Bob,
Does your flash removal work-around work with HDMI? I thought it had been established that the "WSS" toggle is not available with HDMI.

Not that im defending Panasonic as i use HDMI myself, but VGA is capable of displaying a perfect 720p signal with no cropping. When my quality vga cable arrives I will probably give up on HDMI. I honestly dont see this issue being resolved and i certainly dont want to risk shipping this projector back to a service center capable of fixing it IF they ever decide to resolve this issue.

Oh for a Z3 with downloadable firmware :)

Durabolin, the problem using VGA and component is that it is not a digital
signal. If one owns an upconverting DVD player it will not work using
VGA. Panasonic is responsible for the cropping issue. If enough people
complain they will have to come up with a fix. It sould not be that difficult
since there is no problem using component.

Originally posted by jammin25
I have a Denon 2910 hooked up via HDMI to my AE700. I purchased the 2910 so I could upscale to 720P. Most every DVD looks great, but I noticed that some W/S DVD's such as True Lies and The Waterboy looked slightly "flattened" vertically. Even the AVIA test disc exhibited this. I cannot find anywhere to correct this on either the 2910 or the AE700.

However, when I change to component video cables, the flattening issue goes away (though I am then limited to 480I output from the 2910 instead of the more desirable 720P) I tried a new set of HDMI cables but no change.
--- John
Using component cables switches to max 480p which does not exhibit the same overscan/masking/pixel cropping probs noted with 720p or 1080i. Picture 'flattening' though seems to be a different problem and is most likely a result of non-anamorphic DVDs being stretched to fit your 16:9 screen via HDMI as opposed to the 4:3 screen that the idiot DVD production studios expected you would play it on. Since the Panny does not allow switichng of aspect ratio when using the HDMI connection, you have to change it with the 2910.

So here's the fix. Go into the setup menu on the Denon 2910. (Lowest button on left side of remote). In the setup menu, go to the third option from the left and I think second or third from the bottom, you'll see squeeze mode. Toggle this to ON and you should be set. The image will be smaller than it was before but the aspect ratio will be correctly adjusted so nothing looks squashed. If you had the blacks set to 'enhanced' on the second menu screen you will have to activate it again after changing squeeze mode. And you'll have to change squeeze mode everytime you switch between anamorphic and non-anamorphic DVDs.

MY question is - am I likely to pull this thing out of the box, plug it in and be happy?

Or must I use my inexperienced and talentless 2 left hands to calibrate this unit. If so, what are the most important things to do, other than V.E and Avia?

Thanks.

rezokl1

Basically, the projector is close, but does need a few adjustments. Primarily the mode needs to be in normal and color saturation reduced.

Whether or not you would be satisfied without any adjustments, well, that depends on your tolerance level.

Put your location in your profile and maybe someone will invite you over for an audition.

Oh i know its a problem i was simply stating that cropping does not exist on all 720p inputs. Have you compared the 2 ? Like other users have said its very hard to distinguish between hdmi and vga driven through a HTPC.

Rezok:

You will be happy UNLESS people have ever described you as pedantic or an obsessive compulsive.

Originally posted by cpc
********** AE700 encounter ************

I saw an AE700 today at 2001audiovideo in Scarborough. I have to say the room was decent, except for the doors had glass in them! So close to complete light control, but no cigar. I watched as a couple who owned a 300 compared an AE700 to a BenQ 8700 and a Sony HS20. Watched a few minutes of a dvd and watched a guy compare the picture quality with a dvd paused.

Saw the same setup today. They were using the upscaling LG (the Zenith 318 equivalent) over a component transport. Apparently the units are mounted with factory defaults.

As I said over in the HS51 thread it is comparable to the BenQ in Contrast, Luminance etc - didn't think to look at colour temp since I'm confident it can be tweaked quite well. I think I preferred the Benq *feel* whatever that means, but as has happened in the past the moment it was on my eyes hurt and I felt slightly queasy - no way of knowing if I would outgrow it. (I *do* have a weak stomach, wussy man that I am.) So I'm sure fatigue is an issue for me. Too bad as it limits my choices.

btw Chris I haven't disregarded your PM - it is an extremely busy time of year for me and I did want to have a better idea of what I might contribute.

ted

Perhaps this belongs in another thread, but after lengthy comparison, I think I actually prefer a non-upconverted DVD image to an upconverted image on the 700, using my Denon 1910 player as a source. I have cables from Blue Jeans, so they are quality cables of similar lengths. I have my 700 set to Natural with -1 color temperature (for both the component and HDMI inputs).

I've tried playing two movies - one of good video quality (American Beauty), one of somewhat poor quality (The Station Agent), flipping between component vs. HDMI inputs on the 700 for given scenes. I have the DVD player set to Progressive when using the component outputs, and to 720P when using DVI->HDMI (I also tried the 1080 upconverted setting which consistently produces jagged lines).

The results? I've found that upconverting to 720P (using the HDMI input on the 700) produces a more "grainy" and less 3-dimensional image as compared to a simple Component connection. At least with my DVD player.

Does this make any sense???

I really dont understand this.

I am shocked how good picture there is with s-video dvd standalone player on the AE700. Why is s-video input better than my htpc vga powerdvd 1:1 pixel mapping?

This is against all laws. On my AE100 s-video was far worse than my htpc.

Originally posted by NavinJohnson
I've found that upconverting to 720P (using the HDMI input on the 700) produces a more "grainy" and less 3-dimensional image as compared to a simple Component connection. At least with my DVD player.

Does this make any sense???

Thanks for this, you and Ohlson in the HS 51 thread have given me two word to help fill in my response to the AE700 I saw today.

Your usage of the word "grainy" and Ohlson's of "solidity" capture quite well my initial reaction to the "feel" of the AE700. This is probably the LCD panel - not necessarily an impossible to accept impression but definitely different than the "grain" of film and "solidity" is likely a result of fill factor.

If anyone reads the nonsense I spout do you have any suggestions for mitigating these impressions? Is the sharpness too high? (I noticed some ringing -EE- on LOTR TTT. Does one mode leave a better sense of solidity than the other? It occurs to me that what cpc reflected on his reaction to the unit he saw - too blue - might have enhanced my impressions - now that I recall what I saw. Blue gives an impression of brightness and would make the panel stucture more apparent - hence disrupting the "solidity" of the image.

Just looking for impressions/understanding.
Any thoughts or have I gone out to lunch?

ted

Originally posted by Durabolin
Rezok:

You will be happy UNLESS people have ever described you as pedantic or an obsessive compulsive.

:D :D :D
ted

Panasonic have now decided to not make VB on AE900, instead they will turn all the panels 90 degrees. With doing this they will have HB (horizontal banding) instead. This is much better because movies have most panning sideways, and not so much panning up and down. So the effect of a dirty picture will not be so visible.

This will take us 10 years back, when all lcd had the panels this way.

This is not a fact but a joke :)

What you bet another artifact pops out.

Actually, Im completely obsessive compulsive.

But heck, I think ill get it and enjoy it anyway, surely must beat the 10 year old Panasonic 68cm 4:3 monster in the lounge room.

Originally posted by exsodius
I really dont understand this.

I am shocked how good picture there is with s-video dvd standalone player on the AE700. Why is s-video input better than my htpc vga powerdvd 1:1 pixel mapping?

This is against all laws. On my AE100 s-video was far worse than my htpc.

Because, unless you are using FFDSHOW to scale the video the scaler in use (the one on the video card) sucks. On top of that your HTPC is just a flag reader, while the video processor in the AE700 handles 480i source material (DVD) very very well by comparison.

Originally posted by NavinJohnson
The results? I've found that upconverting to 720P (using the HDMI input on the 700) produces a more "grainy" and less 3-dimensional image as compared to a simple Component connection. At least with my DVD player.
Does this make any sense???

It could just mkean that the video processor in the AE700 is better than the one in the 1910, which while using a Faroudja part may not have the best scaler or even the best DVI output. Who knows? Or it could just mean that the settings via DVI need more tweaking.

FWIW I've found both connections produce great images, but I've yet to try a DVI enabled DVD player. I still use "old fashioned" YPbPr at 480p on a Denon 1600 relic. :-) Looks awesome.

I'm sending my satellite signal over a 30' DVI/HDMI cable.

The AE700 has no problem seeing the 720p and 1080i signal, but shows nothing on 480i. I have to switch it at the satellite receiver to 480p, 720p or 1080i.

Does anyone else get 480i over DVI/HDMI???

Originally posted by ianken
Because, unless you are using FFDSHOW to scale the video the scaler in use (the one on the video card) sucks. On top of that your HTPC is just a flag reader, while the video processor in the AE700 handles 480i source material (DVD) very very well by comparison.

You are rambling. Scaling and deinterlacing in a moderately reasonable HTPC greatly exceeds that of the AE700 by far.

/David

Originally posted by NavinJohnson
Perhaps this belongs in another thread, but after lengthy comparison, I think I actually prefer a non-upconverted DVD image to an upconverted image on the 700, using my Denon 1910 player as a source. I have cables from Blue Jeans, so they are quality cables of similar lengths. I have my 700 set to Natural with -1 color temperature (for both the component and HDMI inputs).

I've tried playing two movies - one of good video quality (American Beauty), one of somewhat poor quality (The Station Agent), flipping between component vs. HDMI inputs on the 700 for given scenes. I have the DVD player set to Progressive when using the component outputs, and to 720P when using DVI->HDMI (I also tried the 1080 upconverted setting which consistently produces jagged lines).

The results? I've found that upconverting to 720P (using the HDMI input on the 700) produces a more "grainy" and less 3-dimensional image as compared to a simple Component connection. At least with my DVD player.

Does this make any sense???

I found the same thing. In fact I prefer the interlaced component output to the progressive (!) Basically just for one wierd reason - it helps eliminate VB. I know this doesn't make any sense either.

Originally posted by John Ballentine
I found the same thing. In fact I prefer the interlaced component output to the progressive (!) Basically just for one wierd reason - it helps eliminate VB. I know this doesn't make any sense either.

Ok, now my COMPOSITE RCA input on the 700 is looking best. Or wait, why stop there... I think I have an old 13" color TV around here somewhere.

(anyone want to buy an upscaling Denon 1910??)

(and in case it wasn't obvious, i was joking about the composite input)

Originally posted by John Ballentine
I found the same thing. In fact I prefer the interlaced component output to the progressive (!) Basically just for one wierd reason - it helps eliminate VB. I know this doesn't make any sense either.

I'm not joking...

Originally posted by Rgb
Wow. If the AE700 really accepts and displays 48Hz, this is an outstanding capability for 24fps films!

What Powerstrip version are you using? What DVD player/codecs are you using?

However, I wonder if the AE700 internally converts all input refresh rates to 60Hz for the panels, including rates *less than* 60Hz (48Hz, 50Hz)?

Can Radeon cards output 48Hz? In not, this will just accelerate the shift back to GeForce cards ;).
Powerstrip 3.54 Build 478. TheaterTek v2.05. I haven't properly tested the 50Hz setting via the PC yet, but I'd be surprised if it converted it as PAL TV footage via the SCART or S-Video connections looks like 50Hz to me (there's no ghosting in movement which would imply a 60Hz conversion).

I have tested the 48Hz setting enough to know that, to my eyes at least, scrolling looked smoother than at 60Hz. My test material is always the opening title scroll to Attack of the Clones, as the movement is pretty constant.

Can't comment on Radeon cards as I've never owned one.

Originally posted by pinkfloydhomer
Wow! Could you post your Powerstrip strings for these three timings?

I don't even know how to get 1:1-mapping with AE700 at whatever refresh rate.

/David
I'm afraid I'm a Powerstrip novice, so can only state how I did what I did; all I did was reboot the PC with the projector being the only 'monitor' connected, so that Powerstrip recognised a digital display rather than my usual CRT monitor. Then, with 1280x720 as my display resolution, I went into Display profiles, then Configure, then selected Advanced timing options. I then changed the refresh rate to whatever I was testing, clicked OK, then the projector would re-sync (or not, at refresh rates higher than 60Hz!). All three timings are now saved for direct access.

As a new HT person, here I was ready to buy all sorts of 720p upscaling players, DVI/HDMI connectors and cable etc, and it seems my cheap 480p Panny DVD over component is not only great looking to my untrained eye, but turns out to be a great technical decision... !! ?? !!

Soooo, with two inputs, a DVD player and dish/HDTV, is anybody running both over component with a switcher and seeing great results/better than HDMI plus component?

Roy

If any have noticed - didn't see it in the manual but does the AE700 allow for selection of SD vs HD colour decoding?

Another question and unfortunately I haven't seen any discussion of this:
The AE700 brochure mentions in passing that the Auto Iris is coupled to a dynamic gamma. Frankly I don't see how an auto iris would be effective otherwise - the picture would just go dim without a corresponding Gamma change. Now this does open up some questions as far as gamma tracking is concerned but a big one for me would be control of that Gamma curve and how it is implemented - I'd rather decide how it affects my PQ.

So, has anyone seen any menu selection that might suggest this sort of control? It would have impact on how low APL and high APL seens are interperted by the PJ especially in areas of grey scale and colour saturation.

ted

just another two questions.
1. my house's ceiling is about 8 feet height and I need to mount the project about 18 inches below the ceiling and I think it's quite a lot. I am considering the use of keystone but don't know whether it will greatly affect the pq or not . any advice?
2. I am using a dvi>hdmi cable. I heard from a forum in China that the vga cables produces better color production than the hdmi with AE700.
With using the calibration disk. The use of vga cables can easily to distingish 1, 2, 3 % of black. However, with the use of hdmi cable. it can't be do so. Any one can share on this too?
Thx

Originally posted by rogo
The AE700 supports HDCP.

Period.

If you are having a problem, you need to further discuss with Charter.

For openers, you can get a Samsung DVD player that upscales, requires HDCP, and test it out (buy from a retailer with a 30-day MBG in case you might wish to return).

The projector supports HDCP.

I know it supports HDCP, you know it supports HDCP and Panasonic knows it supports HDCP.

But that isn't the problem. The problem is their Operating Instructions booklet doesn't say it supports HDCP. That's where Panasonic leaves their customers in the lurch when a question about this arises between the HD provider and the Panasonic AE-700 owner.

If they omitted saying it plainly in their literature because of an oversight or because not doing so saved them some money on a licensing fee or something, then I think it's unreasonable to expect their customers to "pretend" to buy an HDCP DVD player and then require their cable installer to sit for a little A/B comparison experiment.

We are talking about "Panasonc" here, right? I think they can afford to cough up whatever it takes to substantiate in plain language that their customer did indeed get a feature that they paid for.

However, I've printed out your post and I'll show it to the Charter installer next time I feel like taking another day off work to go through the HDMI input/HDCP dance for the umpteeth time and see if that settles it for them once and for all.
:D

Anyone else here bothered by the Fan noise on the AE700. I'm starting to wonder if there is something wrong with the fan in mine since it seems so much louder than the AE300 it replaced.

Tonight I did a little experimenting with my trusty Radio Shack sound level meter. With the meter just off the exhaust vent of both projectors, here are the results

Low Fan Desk Low Fan Ceiling Hi Fan Desk Hi Fan Ceiling
Ae700 75db 78db 80db 85db
Ae300 66db 66db 69db 69db

According to the specs, the AE700 is supposed to be 2 db quieter. I am starting to wonder if there is something wrong with the fan in my unit. If anyone has a Radio Shack meter and an AE700, I’d really appreciate it if you could see how loud your projector so I could see if mine is really out of whack.

Thanks,
Jason

Originally posted by jtremble
Anyone else here bothered by the Fan noise on the AE700. I'm starting to wonder if there is something wrong with the fan in mine since it seems so much louder than the AE300 it replaced.

Tonight I did a little experimenting with my trusty Radio Shack sound level meter. With the meter just off the exhaust vent of both projectors, here are the results

Low Fan Desk Low Fan Ceiling Hi Fan Desk Hi Fan Ceiling
Ae700 75db 78db 80db 85db
Ae300 66db 66db 69db 69db

According to the specs, the AE700 is supposed to be 2 db quieter. I am starting to wonder if there is something wrong with the fan in my unit. If anyone has a Radio Shack meter and an AE700, I’d really appreciate it if you could see how loud your projector so I could see if mine is really out of whack.

Thanks,
Jason

My results......

Low Fan Desk Low Fan Ceiling Hi Fan Desk Hi Fan Ceiling
Ae700 69db 72db 74db 77db

Looks as though my 700 is about 6dB quieter than yours but still not as quiet as the 300.

Originally posted by hitchfan
I know it supports HDCP, you know it supports HDCP and Panasonic knows it supports HDCP.

But that isn't the problem. The problem is their Operating Instructions booklet doesn't say it supports HDCP. That's where Panasonic leaves their customers in the lurch when a question about this arises between the HD provider and the Panasonic AE-700 owner.

If they omitted saying it plainly in their literature because of an oversight or because not doing so saved them some money on a licensing fee or something, then I think it's unreasonable to expect their customers to "pretend" to buy an HDCP DVD player and then require their cable installer to sit for a little A/B comparison experiment.

We are talking about "Panasonc" here, right? I think they can afford to cough up whatever it takes to substantiate in plain language that their customer did indeed get a feature that they paid for.

However, I've printed out your post and I'll show it to the Charter installer next time I feel like taking another day off work to go through the HDMI input/HDCP dance for the umpteeth time and see if that settles it for them once and for all.
:D

You put them on the phone with me when they are there and I'll explain to them that the projector supports HDCP and it's time for them to get their collective head out of their collective rear with regard to the piece of garbage cable boxes.

Oh, and I'll even be polite about the way I say all of that.

It is ludicrous for people to give a pass to incompetent cable companies. This HDCP nonsense should be nothing more than a nuisance, not a built-in excuse for their raging incompetence to be allowed to continue.

Oh, how I adore cable.

Mark

Anyone gotten a Panny 700 recently, and can confirm that there still is a VB problem?

I would have hoped Panasonic maybe fine tuned the machine in newer batches.

After a long wait of 5+ weeks, I got mine a few days ago, and it has a vintage of November 2004 marked on the bottom. I'm using VGA from a HTPC at 1280x720p. I have not seen VB, but I turn mine off (no standby) every night. I would not expect Panasonic to have fixed this problem so quickly, so I believe I would have seen vertical banding if I had left it on standby.

Somehow I thought I could just plug this thing in, switch it to Natural -1 color as per tweaks thread, and I would have correct color. Ick, no, horrid. I have no Video Essentials or anything, so I tried Normal mode and that worked much better to my eye.

Somehow I thought I could just plug this thing in, switch it to Natural -1 color as per tweaks thread, and I would have correct color. Ick, no, horrid. I have no Video Essentials or anything, so I tried Normal mode and that worked much better to my eye. [/B]

Same here. I am sure that this varies from one machine to the next. Natural -1 is not correct on all units. Here, Natural -1 looks too red. +1 looks too blue, but not as much. 0 is the most neutral.

/David

Try "normal" with color -9, tint +3

Originally posted by JimP
Try "normal" with color -9, tint +3

I am calibrating these with DVE or Avia.

/David

Originally posted by pinkfloydhomer
I am calibrating these with DVE or Avia.

/David

...and I'm calibrating with an Accupel HD signal generator for 1080i. I'll check 480i/p and see what I get.

Using DVE and Avia is really good if you want to calibrate an input for your specific DVD player/ HT computer.

Problem with using either a signal generator or a DVD player is that it may or may not be indicative of your other signal sources. That's why the eyeball check after you're done is so important.

Originally posted by hitchfan
I know it supports HDCP, you know it supports HDCP and Panasonic knows it supports HDCP.
:D

Just an FYI ... after having some discussions with some manufacturers of HDMI equipment ...
ANYONE who knows ANYTHING about HDMI also knows it supports HDCP.
From what I am told, the HDMI technology has the HDCP built in. You simply can't encorporate HDMI into a piece of electronic equipment and NOT have it HDCP compliant.

This is simply a matter of your cable companies ignorance of their own equipment. And I would make it a point to clearly point that out to them.

Originally posted by Ericbres
Just an FYI ... after having some discussions with some manufacturers of HDMI equipment ...


Speaking of matters HDMI,:)

Ericbres,
Any feedback yet from your communication with Panasonic regarding the issues some have had with the AE700's HDMI port?

ted

my house's ceiling is about 8 feet height and I need to mount the project about 18 inches below the ceiling and I think it's quite a lot. I am considering the use of keystone but don't know whether it will greatly affect the pq or not . any advice?

use lens shift

Originally posted by rogo

It is ludicrous for people to give a pass to incompetent cable companies.

Mark
That's redundant. And what's ludicrous is that they continue to pay more for this privilege.

What screen is recommended for use with this projector? I ran into some extra money and will be ordering next week. I was thinking a fixed Da-Lite HCCV.

Regarding the Da-Lite HCCV with the AE700.

Here's a shot of Spiderman (Superbit) running on the 106 diagonal screen (Cinema Contour with Pro-Trim). It works very well for bringing out contrast. The AE 700 is ceiling mounted about 16 feet from the screen. Picture is "normal" with +4 to brightness, -4 to sharpness. Source is a JVC progressive scan DVD player through 15 foot RAM component cables.

The only issue I have is that it's hard to get a "white" white... The whites tend to come out slightly grey unless you spend a while fiddling with the colour temperature and colour settings. It can be done, but I was able to see an AE500 on a Stewart Screen several weeks before, and I found that did a better job with whites. I'm still happy considering the price difference though.

Aaaaand a 1080i Hi-def shot from a football game. Source is a Bell ExpressVu 6100 High def receiver over component. Interestingly enough, I'm agreeing with many people on this topic that 1080i looks better than 720p. I notice slightly more aritifacting at 720P and the picture doesn't seem to have that much "punch". So the HCCV seems good. The 3 inch bezel with the Cinema Contour looks good, I'm glad I splurged vs. the Permwall bezel.

(let's try that attachment again)

Originally posted by CameronHunter
Regarding the Da-Lite HCCV with the AE700.

Here's a shot of Spiderman (Superbit) running on the 106 diagonal screen (Cinema Contour with Pro-Trim). It works very well for bringing out contrast. The AE 700 is ceiling mounted about 16 feet from the screen. Picture is "normal" with +4 to brightness, -4 to sharpness. Source is a JVC progressive scan DVD player through 15 foot RAM component cables.

The only issue I have is that it's hard to get a "white" white... The whites tend to come out slightly grey unless you spend a while fiddling with the colour temperature and colour settings. It can be done, but I was able to see an AE500 on a Stewart Screen several weeks before, and I found that did a better job with whites. I'm still happy considering the price difference though.

Wow thanks. Very helpful. I'll check out the Stewart Screens. Money is an issue, so if it's a lot more, I'll still be going with Da-Lite. I'll also be going with the perm wall instead of the cinema contour...I can't justify spending twice as much when there's no difference in pq.

EDIT: Ummm...ok, not going with Stewart...way too expensive. :)

Originally posted by dvmdoc
AMEN to that....and I came from a Sony 1292 9"CRT. For the few years I had that monster I could never freakin' enjoy my HT as I was always aligning something or working on its hushbox or something. I was so glad to get that behemoth out of my basement, free up floor space and put my little 500 (now a 700) on the ceiling and finally start HAVING FUN as you'd said and enjoying my HT again.
Hard to find a better bargain in the price:perf ratio as you'd mentioned.
Cheers-
Warren

Dvmdoc,

I just sent back an Infocus 5700 because of rainbow effect and are looking at the AE700. I was trying to find a dealer in the Tri State area who may have the ae700 on display, but could not get one. By chance, did you find one? I guess that after reading all these threads I really need to watch it before going ahead with the purchase.
Thanks
Pinco Pallino

PS I live in Plainsboro (close to Trenton and Princeton).

I have been using the cheap monoprices.com HDMI cable and so far no white flashes and it looks good. I did a comparison with component and the differences were very minimal. Component had a little more color to it but HDMI seemed ever so slightly sharper and brighter. Really not much difference.

I am using plain old black out cloth and am considering upgrading to HCCV to deepen the black levels. Will I really notice much difference though?