I still have my 300, but was curious who still has a 500? and if not why?

I have the 500. My first pj. Got it a few months ago on sale, excellent price. I really enjoy it. vb is my only complaint, but it's tolerable.

Brian

I still have my L300 which I bought new in Feb. 2003. I have 800+ hours, low power, on the lamp with no problems. I'm currently projecting on a 106", diagonal, Da-Lite Hi-Power screen. I don't see any SDE at 1.4 x screen width. Minor VB shows up only very rarely, like the Star Wars IV, Tatoine desert sequence (it's supposedly on the original film - due to the desert heat).

I’m running in the Cinema 2 mode with a slight reduction in Contrast, Brightness, and Sharpness settings after calibration with AVIA (and double checked with DVE). All other settings are factory default. I haven’t checked the gray scale performance, but the PQ is excellent as set (good facial colors, etc.). It even does a good job on D* SD TV shows (VGA/RGB connection – Panny DVD-RP91 is connected via Component cables).

I'm planning on upgrading to a 1280 x 720 PJ that has a HDCP compatible, HDMI input, for future proofing, plus better CR. I've seen (in-home) demos of both the AE500 and the AE700. While both throw a very good picture, but neither one has less VB than my L300. The AE700 is much better than the AE500, in this regard. Consequently, I'm still looking.

My L300 is my 3rd PJ since the late '70s and was bought, sight unseen. My first PJ was a CRT (Kloss Model One) and my second was a (around 1985) Sharp LCD (640 x 480 – for $7000, ouch), so I was familiar with PJs.

I still have my 300, bought fall 03 and I have very little hours on it. I ended up not using it as much as I hoped, but each time I do use it I still really enjoy it. I project on to a BO DIY 106” diagonal screen. I need a smaller screen so I’m thinking about building the CRMA/MM Superplex screen in a 80” size but I need to do more research before I decide if I can get all the necessary parts. I did see VB once with my 300 and it was a very bright scene from LOTR TTT and I got very worried, but I haven’t noticed it since. The only thing I’ve done to it is used AVIA, no filters or mods. Add to the list another happy Panasonic PT-L300U user :)
Robert

ditto.

l300u for me too. Had it for 2+ years and still going strong.

I still have my AE500.

The AE700 uses the same epson panel, and it also sounds like the newer version of the smoothscreen actually reduces sharpness from reports I've read here, so I feel no need to upgrade yet. I built a larger m2500 screen and switched to high lamp mode, really enjoying the snappy picture.

Pluses: excellent resolution, outstanding HD picture, quiet (in low lamp mode) small, long bulb life. Plug and play.
Minuses: VB, fair/poor black levels, short throw (compared to the versatility of the AE700). Ringing/edge enhancement artifact when fed 480p over component, needs component upscaling DVD player (like the Zenith 318).

I keep getting tempted by CRT's for black levels, but I've never had a CRT that could resolve detail like this baby does (yeah, I'm sure 9"ers do).

ditto the ditto..... PT-L300U, bought May 2003; about 1000 hrs on the original bulb and going strong on a 106" diagonal Carada Classic Cinema White screen. Seating is about 1.5x screen width back and even after 2 years we still have the "wow" factor going! I bought a 3 year extended warranty on top of Panasonic's 1 year, so that stretches out to 2007 and so I'm standing pat 'til then!

Gee-wiz don’t you people ever use your projectors. I ordered my L300 in February of 03 and use it daily. I have 3800 hours on the original bulb. I clean the filter every time I vacuum the theater use Low light High fan; yes it is getting a bit dim these days but not bad. Took projector off the ceiling at 3500 hours and blew it out real well. Can’t say enough about this system. My first projector and it will not be the last. I am only now starting to be tempted by the newer higher resolution models.

I have a theory that when a company first introduces a product (e/e), that company puts out the best thing they have and then, after time tries to make it cheaper to make, but with adding extras, they can keep the price the same, but quality of the output goes down.
Sorry for being long winded, but basically I'd like to ask; Does the pt l300 still kick but? After reading the responses I'd have to say yes.
Anyone in the market for a very slightly uses 500?

Well I happen to have my AE500 on ebay now.
It is a great pj and is great with HD and with my bravo dvd via DVI.

Iam looking at a H77 optima - it will throw an image from a much greater
distance than the 500. (new house.new media room)

I have 495 hours , mainly on low lamp mode.

I have been using a silverstar 103" screen from about 12 ft away.

Mark Nikolaus, you may have misunderstood,
I would also like to get rid of one too!

I still have my LT500u (bought it about a year ago) and I plan on keeping it for at least another year.

PT L300u - 2500 Hours, original lamp. Still gets the wow factor for me.


Watched some UFC fighting match on INHD last night....still looks awesome.


I have several large dust blobs, but you can only see them on a black scene...so I just tolerate them.


I too am tempted by some of the new PJ's but...im gonna continue to wait, as I have a spare bulb and this PJ should keep me going for at least 12 months

DM

I concur.

Been using my PT-300U for about 18 months and just love it. It is what it was...A very good low price LCD FP that's extremely quiet.

I probaly won't buy a new projector till I get a new house.

:D

I've had the 300u for 13 months and I must say I'm a little disappointed that the projector is just so good that I just can't seem to get the upgrade bug. :) I thought by now I'd be chomping at the bit to buy another machine but this little gem still amazes me with it's HD picture and how quiet it is. A must in my room as my family sits right underneath it and we never notice the machine itself...only it's beautiful picture. I have 978 hours on it and I bought a replacement bulb with it so I'll be using it for a long time to come...or whenever the sub-$3000 1080p's come out. :)


http://www.travisthomasdesign.com/replay/DSC01348.JPG

I still have my AE300...actually I am on my second as my first one was stolen. I bought it sight unseen from recommendations on this forum, particularly that of Darinp and was purchased 'over seas' before it was available here in NA.

I project onto a rather large Dalite High Power (133") using the Bulb on the high setting (1700 hrs).

I picked up a FL-D filter a few months ago which really helped out correcting the colors and in my opinion improving it's CR. An added benefit was to lessen the amount of VB I can see.

Last month I bought a LG (Zenith) up-converting player...1080i over component......A great addition for this projector...it even bests my HTPC. I definitely think the component input is superior to the VGA input on this machine.

As for upgrading...I was tempted to get the 700 but after seeing 4 of them in action I was not impressed enough to get rid of my beloved 300....Maybe next year.

Hey all!! I have about 2k hours on 300u (last 500 or so on high lamp) purchased around May 2003. The only upgrade I'll be doing anytime soon is a new lamp. HD and upconverted DVD (Zenith 318) are awesome, but I think the lamp is dimming a bit (hence the desire for a new bulb). I don't feel a need to upgrade until 1080 comes down in price. I couldn't be happier with the projector.

Scotty, where did you get your filter, and what size is it? I assume it's some type of camera filter? What are your settings with the filter in place and is your screen high power?


Thanks!!

p.s. Supp Terpsfan (you hear about Gilchrest?)

I am using a Tiffen 52mm FL-D filter that I picked up at a local camera shop for about $40 CDN. I am using a High Power screen (133") and I have attached my settings via screenshot.

another

screenshot

ALL YE IN FAVOR OF A PANASONIC PT L300 USERS FORUM CATEGORY SAY YEAH!!

Btw, at one time the cheapest way of getting a replacement bulb was throught the panny website. I've just tried to do a search for the bulb and nothing came up. I hope to hell they still have them. I went to another website that quoted well over what I remember being on the panny site. Is the price actually going up because the pt l300 is no longer being made or, am I just going into a panic for nothing?

Still getting great service from my PT-L300U. I ordered 2 new lamps from the Panasonic website just a few months ago as I was approaching 3000 hours. The lamp was still running fine other than being a little dim and taking a little longer to come up to full intensity. I think the lamps were $237.00 each? Like I say this was only a few months ago. I smoke - HORRORS! and ok... the house is pretty dusty too! But, I never even got a single dust blob until after changing out the lamp. A few shots from a can of air fixed that right up. Everyone who has watched it has loved it and I'm still loving it. I just shoot on a nicotine-white wall from an rp91 or denon 1600 over component and it does a great job. Really need to get a new coat of paint on that wall! Hopefully with a new lamp and a spare it'll keep doing just that for a while! At least until much higher resoloutions come down quite a bit!

Just checked @
http://www.pasc.panasonic.com/epartr/
and the lamps (Part# ET-LAE100) are still showing. If you put PT-L300U in the search by Model the lamps will be in the upper box listed under accessories.
They are listed at around $255.00 now.

Today is the second anniversary of installing my 300U. Now have over 800 hours on the bulb (low power) and still looks great. On some scenes and the red screen in service mode, a slight band of orange at the top (ceiling mount) of the picture. Have cleaned the inside of the projector twice, the first time being to remove a large green dust blob. I project a 92" diagonal image on a Da Lite matte white pull down model B screen.

Does a great job on DVD's and also on OTA high def TV in spite of its 540 lines of resolution. See no immediate need to upgrade. May think about it when the 1080 models come out. Also use the SD (Secure Digital) memory card input (the 500 and 700 don't have this option) and can display jpeg files right from the projector.

Glad to hear so many are getting thousands of hours on their bulbs. Hope mine lasts as long. I usually run it for at least two hours a session to limit the number of turn on cycles.

Feed it with a component signal from both the ATSC tuner and the Denon 2200 DVD player switched through the Denon 2803 AV receiver.

This site has lamps as well...
ET-LAE100 Original Panasonic Panasonic Lamp
For Models:
PTAE100U
PTAE200U
PTAE300E
PTAE300U
PTL200U
PTL300U
http://www.wehaveparts.com/index.cgi?pid=487

Originally posted by SillieBazzillie
HD and upconverted DVD (Zenith 318) are awesome

p.s. Supp Terpsfan (you hear about Gilchrest?)

Hey there Sillie.... been awhile. I am going to look into the Zenith or another upconverting DVD player. I've been using a Panasonic RP62 which is great (cost me $40 off Ebay), but I'm thinking I can squeeze some extra quality out of an upconverting player.

Glad to hear you're still enjoying your 300. Comcast HD is just awesome and the Orioles are looking great!!

Yup, heard about Gilchrest - good riddance...err good luck I mean ;)

Orioles on Comcast HD might be the best HD I've ever seen.

After I get my new lamp I'll try to post some before and after pics.

Sillies

Had my AE500 for about a year n still running strong after 400 hours on high mode. Will wait for the new D5 panel to release, to see if the VB has been resolved. Or else, I will switch to DLP. However, I did demo a Sharp Z2000 in my house recently. It was much brighter n sharper than AE500, but surprising more video noises too, which I cannot accept.

I still have and love my 300U. No desire to upgrade until HD2+ units are less than 2k. Im actually more interested in getting a plasma currently.

KLAATUWI, et al,

One of the forum sponsors, visualapex, still carries lamps for the L300. They are also an authorized Panasonic dealer. I'm willing to bet that other forum sponsors do to. Plus, you can call AVS for help in locating replacement lamps.

Appologies to the moderators for the reference.

Originally posted by Midlife Crisis
Gee-wiz don’t you people ever use your projectors. I ordered my L300 in February of 03 and use it daily. I have 3800 hours on the original bulb. I clean the filter every time I vacuum the theater use Low light High fan; yes it is getting a bit dim these days but not bad. Took projector off the ceiling at 3500 hours and blew it out real well. Can’t say enough about this system. My first projector and it will not be the last. I am only now starting to be tempted by the newer higher resolution models.

My sentiments exactly.

8360hrs on my AE300!

I have a 7 month old PT-L500U. I love it for movie night and plan on keeping it for years. My other HD display a Sony XBR910 certainly has better picture quality but I couldn't be happier with the 500U for the value it provides. I am at 400 hours on my 500U, pretty heavy use in my opinion. I juse a Zenith DVB318, RCA DTC-100 and JVC HM-DH30000 D-VHS VCR with mine. DVI, component and VGA inputs all work fine for my sources.

Chris

I purchased my L300u about two years ago. It's has 680 hours, low lamp & high fan.
I recently noticed that colors displayed via component (RGB) appear washed-out when viewed via RGB. There used to be a substantial difference between RGB and s-video, RGB being far Superior. Now they are pretty close in quality. Any explanations???

300U purchased in Feb 2003. over 5k hours. replaced bulb around 2500 hours mainly so I'd have the old one as a spare. I had to replace the blue polarizer due to yellowing shortly after I replaced the bulb. It's always been run on low power - high fan speed.

I'm certainly not as knowledgeable as others but the only problem I have with the picture is shadow detail (or rather lack there of) particularly on dark film based material.


Just wondering - how many of you have had to replace a polarizer on a Panasonic??

What was the price for replacing the polorizer?

Thanks

The polarizer costs around $100 from Panasonic. It takes about 15 minutes to replace, if you have good directions.

I noticed at 3300 hours that mine was yellowing. Finally replaced at 3700. It made a big difference in color quality and brightness. The projector has run in low lamp/low fan mode about 99% of the time.

Have a Panny 500U with a Panamorph. Excellent combination.

Another AE500 owner, and have enjoyed watching movies with it since March, 2004. Other than the first bulb going at 350 hrs. everything has been great. I do notice the usual VB at times but only once in a while. The second bulb is now at approx. 380 hrs. so hopefuuly it will get to at least 1000. I use it in low power/high fan setting with the picture on Dynamic. For the longest time I had it set on Cinema 2 but somehow I like the look on Dynamic - the Brightness and Contrast have been reduced a fair amount so it isn't overkill on the colors. Like others I will wait for something that can really surpass it before upgading. Thinking of adding a Panamorph one day.

I've already asked this on a new thread, but I'll ask it here too.
Does distance affect brightness with a pj? Iamb thinking of placing it closer to the screen partly because of headroom situation, but hopefully the brightness may change.

KLAATUWI -- The closer the PJ is to the screen, the smaller the picture will be. The smaller the picture, the brighter it will be.

I just received my new bulb from Titronics. So if anyone was having cold feet from ordering from them do not worry. Excellent service and the lowest price I could find by a substancial margin.

I have close to 4000hrs on my L300U, still looks great. I have one little dust blob

I would like folks to post they're color settings, ect.

bump, agree, please post settings for L300U!

As you know, the PJ settings depend on the viewing environment and the viewer's preferences. With that said, here are my settings, as calibrated with AVIA and double checked with DVE.

PJ = L300U (about 800 hours on lamp)
Screen = Da-Lite Hi-Power Model C, Pull-Down, 106" Diagonal (92" x 52"), 16:9, Gain = 2.8
DVD Player = Panasonic DVD-RP91, Progressive Mode, Component Output
Seating position = 10.5 feet from the screen (no visible SDE)

L300U Settings:
Picture Mode = Cinema2
Contrast = -3 (White Level)
Brightness = -2 (Black Level)
Color = 0
Tint = 0
Sharpness = -4
All other settings are factory defaults (0)

NOTE: The Cinema2 mode looks (not measured) closer to D65 than any of the other settings IMHO. It also appears to give me a higher contrast ratio, again not measured.

I run my D* HTL-HD receiver to the PJ using the VGA connection and the settings are not changed, since they appear to be close enough for my limited TV viewing with the PJ (most TV watching is done with my Sony 27” TV set).

I picked up a FL-D filter a few months ago which really helped out correcting the colors and in my opinion improving it's CR. An added benefit was to lessen the amount of VB I can see.
Scotty,
Is that a Florescent to Daylight Filter (FL-D)? The descriptions I found for this type of filter on the web indicate it corrects color balance of florescent light, and is aimed toward the unwanted greenish tones. Also, what size fits the L300? I found sizes ranging from 49-72 mm. Thanks!

Terpsfan, the FLD filter helps correct the 300's tendency of 'green push'. I am away right now but when I return home I will double check the size.

CT_Wiebe..You indicate sharpness at -4...my 300 can only go to -2 ??????

scotty144 -- I'm going from memory, my PJ isn't set up right now (room re-arrainging). I could be wrong. The range of sharpness depends on the input (VGA, for instance has a minimum of 0 for sharpness).

From what I remember, when I was calibrating, component input - progressive scan, the range appeared to go to -6 and I had originally set it to -2. When I got my new screen, I recalibrated and tried a lower setting. I just looked in the manual, and it says nothing about the adjustment range for this control.

Can anybody tell me if it is true that the bulb for 300 has a longer life span than the 500. If yes, why is that ?

Installed my new bulb the other day...a very simple task. I have re-fallen in love with my 300! The upgrade bug has been put on hold again.

On another note, I have just returned from visiting a friend who has a Sanyo Z1. For those of you unfamiliar with that model, it uses the same panel as the 300 and is rated pretty much the same in it's specs. He has a similar setup as me but using a smaller high power screen. Smoothscreen makes a HUGE difference! The screendoor on his is very evident and bothersome. Even my girlfriend who is far from a videophile commented to me on several occasions that she likes "our" projector much more.

It is interesting that some owner's of the 700 gripe about the smoothscreen thinking it takes away from sharpness.

I used to have a Panny 711u and my 300u side by side and the Smoothscreen does indeed take away from the sharpness.

I actually prefered the 711u`s picture, even with the SDE, especially HD material, but the 711u developed a problem with displaying a 480 signal, but strangely enough still displayed a 1080 signal. It also developed a strong green push, so i opted to sell it. I was at that time using the 711u for HD material and the 300u for DVD.

For this reason i have never been completely content with the 300u right from day 1, but at the time(2 years ago) it was the best deal for the money(boy how prices just keep dropping on projectors) and sadly now they are commonly sold for under $1000.00 if you look around, but i couldnt wait a year for prices to fall.

I do admit that DVD is quite good on the 300u with my Panny RP56 Progressive scan and 120" Dalite model C , and i have zero trouble with the combo. The only trouble i get is frequent Dust blobs, even though i clean the filter regularly, but its easy enough to blow the dust off, so my question is, is the upgrde-itis worth it, since i have zero trouble with what i have?

I have been thinking real hard about how nice it would be to get something newer before the first football game this year, as i am lucky enough to get ALL my favorite teams games in HD, and this is where the 300u lacks IMO. So i have been seriously considering the 700u as a replacememnt, but i know just like before if i can hold out for another year, it might also be available for just over $1000.00 assuming a newer model comes out this fall.

Will the Zenith upconvert DVD player make a big difference over my RP 56 is my next dilema/question? Too me, it might be worth it just to able to use the DVI input for the DVD player and then i can switch my 2 HD satellite receivers via my A/V receiver with the component input. Anyways, around 1100 hours so far and the bulb seems to be as good as day 1 and thats a plus.

Does the 700u use the same bulb? $250.00 is pretty reasonable for a replacement bulb, especially considering how long they last.

The 700's bulb is different than the 300's and I agree $249 is a steal.

The upconverting player is a great upgrade for the 300...like I had mentioned before it even looks better than my HTPC with all the charms turned on. For some reason my/all 300's really shine when fed a 1080i signal over component.

The DVI input will not work for the upconverting players on the 300. I have no idea why they even included it on the 300 as it is absolutley useless.

Will the Zenith upconvert DVD player make a big difference over my RP 56 is my next dilema/question?
I've reached the 2 year point with my PT-L300U and as I've posted elsewhere, I remain incredibly happy with this projector. This particular thread motivated me to see what tweaks I could do now to perhaps squeeze extra picture quality out of my setup. I guess it was time, since it took me 18 months to actually FINISH my HT setup (screen, paint, wiring behind walls, new ceiling, etc.) - up 'til then it was a year and a half with beige walls, no screen, danglin' wires, etc. :cool:

Anyway, based on the feedback I read, I picked up the Zenith DVB318 upconverting DVD player about 10 days ago, new in box, off an Ebay surplus AV equipment seller. This replaces my Panasonic RP62 player and the difference is dramatic when using the component output of the player to upconvert to 1080i. Before turning on the upconvert feature, the projector reported a signal of 480P from the DVD player, fair enough. After engaging the upconvert feature on the player, the projector now reports a signal of HDTV60 which is the same signal it gets from my HD Comcast box when that's set to 1080i. And... the picture is significantly sharper, less jaggies and appears to have more depth. So, this is definitely a worthwhile upgrade IMO if you use the component input on the L300. (Note: The DVI input on this projector is not HDCP compliant so it's useless when feeding it directly with copy protected material on DVI).

So, this leads me to tweaks 2 and 3.... I know I know, I should have done this on day 1 of setting up my projector, but now with dark walls and ceiling, wall screen and a new DVD player, I bought the AVIA disk to calibrate. Should be here Monday or Tuesday!

Also, Scotty and others have mentioned the use of a F-D filter for the Panasonic PT-300U with excellent results correcting the projector's "green push". It looks like a 52mm lens will fit the inside of the projector's lens stack and a 67mm fits the outside screws. I'll pick one up this weekend and use AVIA when it arrives to calibrate.

So, the upgrade bug has still not made an appearance for me. It's great to hear from so many other L300 owners, many who were posting on these boards back in 2003 and have finally emerged from their home theater again. ;)

Let us know how your adjustments work out terpsfan.

I also bought a Panny 75u couple years ago from another forum member, but was quickly un-impressed with it and sold it immediately, but i was also given a filter with it, that i kept ,that fits into the 300u, and i tested it out, but it really dropped the brightness to what i thought was unacceptable...I`m not sure what kind of filter is is, i should go have another look maybe, since i have moved and i was also using a different 4x3 screen old Dalite POS before and now i have the HC Dalite.


I think i will also try the Zenith 318, and if it doesnt improve things, my wife can use it on her 36" HDTV.. There is someone on Ebay who reguarly sells them and for a reasonable price.

I guess i should also try and tweak it and hold out for another year, as i need funiture and i want to get a Samsung T-165 Tuner for recording HD, a component switch, and man this hobby can be expensive ;)

You will take a hit on brightness with the FLD filter. I am lucky I can spare a bit since I use a high power screen and have a new bulb. I think it is a worthwhile trade off as it helps color balance, makes blacks a little darker and does amazing things for reducing both banding and peek-a-boo screendoor. IMHO, an excellent budget tweak.

have had my panny ae300 for a couple of years, got it "grey market". used it every day, while i had voom. now i'm waiting for the mpeg4 thing to shake out and restart work on my home theater. currently using my V inc D1, with a modified dvd rom. works great.

i'm waiting for a cheap 1080p and the PS3 to come along

... Seating is about 1.5x screen width back and even after 2 years we still have the "wow" factor going!

Sandy and I are still WOWed from your marvelous HT demo last night. Thanks! It's really something to be proud of and completely captivating. Thanks for informing me of this forum as well. I'll be reading, searching and lurking for awhile as I dream and scheme.

I'm still in the happy camper boat with my L300 for now. I've had it since Feb. 2003 and really can't complain. I'm still on the original bulb with around 1500 hrs and I've shot down some dust blobs only once so far. A friend of mine just bought a L500u this past nov and after seeing it I'm still not getting the upgrade bug. Although, those 2 units are pretty much the same aside from the higher resolution - at least to my eye. I think I will stick with mine until the 1080p LCD panny emerges, which hopefully will be this next round if we're lucky. The PS3 is probably going to decide how fast I upgrade... I may have to go to a 720p projector if a 1080p is still a ways away just for the simple fact that I'm stuck with component out with the 300. Now if the PS3 will upconvert standard def dvds and display Bluray discs over component then I may still be fine for awhile. Just have to wait and see how these new technologies play out.

Even though the resolution on the 300U is 540 lines, the picture I get with either a 720p or 1080 high definition broadcast on my ATSC tuner feeding the projector via component cables is beautiful. I know the 720p 700AE would be even better, but I think I will wait until a reasonably priced 1080p model comes along. Until then my 300U will stay on the ceiling.

I have had my PT-L300U since March of 03' which I bought site unseen after Proj. Cent. reviews led me to it. As it was replacing a monsterous Electrohome CRT projector my expectations were low that such a tiny little box would perform.

I am still amazed that it performs so well, but I had a definite gripe (and apparently for good reason) when my bulb went at 1,380 hours. Yet, I didn't replace, I simply bought a replacement bulb plus a spare bulb. Can't live without the projector for a week while waiting on a bulb can I?

I keep considering the upgrades out there, and definitely look, but I am wondering just how a projector like the AE700 or the newer LCDs compare directly to the L300. On paper, the AE700 is far superior - but in reality, is it worth eBaying the 300 and upgrading? It just never seems that way and most who say 'YES!' have not actually looked at the 300's image quality to make such a statement. They just look at the paper specs.

Since I am new to these forums - and it is likely that someone knows...
IS THERE A WAY TO GET INTO A SERVICE MENU FOR THE PT-L300U?

Is it the same as the AE700? Menu, highlight OSD, press select for a few seconds?

My projector is currently just sitting on my mantle as I have just moved into a new home, but when I get it up and running it is getting a full calibration with Avia/DVE and I want to turn overscan on HD material ON, as I hate that I am not getting a full screen on HD content.

I will add my input. I have bought my AE500 a little over a year ago. Other then having the bulb go after about a 1000 hours it has worked well. I can notice VB on occasion but it doesn't boether too much. I am happy with it and I doubt I will replace it until 1080p projectors come down to a reasonable price.

Well, after reading other post in this thread, i decided to give that filter another try. Heres what it says on the filter ( HOYA HMC 55MM FL-DAY -Japan).

I was hoping to discover an improvement, but after trying every adjustment and setting, i just couldn't get an acceptable picture with this lens installed.

Is this the same lens that everyone recommends for the 300u?

I have had my l300 since fall 2003 and I love it. At the time, I was using a liteon upconverting dvd player. My house got broken into las christmas and they took the liteon but left the projector. Lucky me :)

I'm looking for a new upconverting dvd player. I have narrowed my choices down to 2 dvd players:Zenith DVB318 and Oppo 971H.

The Oppo upconverts to 1080i through dvi and has no hdcp.

Does anyone here have any thoughts on the Oppo?

See the Oppo threads on the DVD Players (Standard Def.) forum:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=482239,
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=548704, &
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=491306.

If you have an L300 you need something that can do custom resolutions to make it work. It doesn't process 720P/ 1080i correctly. It was really made for computer resolutions. I would suggest either a Bravo or Momitsu. I don't know if the Oppo can do custom resolutions but if it can't I wouldn't use it. If you get a player and need the video timings for the player send me a PM.

Bob

Ok, so heres another question to other 300 users:
Do I go ahead and buy an upconverting player (zenith,momitsu,etc) or do I just wait for the Blu Ray?
BTW, I currently have a Pioneer DV-563A.

I would go ahead and get a zenith or lg now. It really is a worthwhile upgrade. Also, the fact that our 300's do not have an HDMI input scares me. I am thinking that the next genration HD format will not be playable through component.

I just purchased an Oppo for my L300 and use the DVI input. There are currently some issues with this setup, here's the thread
avsforum_dot_com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5753460#post5753460
[replace the beginning of the URL, I can't post URLs yet...]

I've had my l300 since april of 04, about 1200hrs on the bulb, I was shooting on a white wall.. had bought the screen matieral with the pj, finally got around to making the frame and mounting.. what an amazing difference, its like having a new projector! I'll post some shots when I have time...

I have not plans to upgrade till reasonable 1080's are out

scotty144 – I can't guess what your problem is :o. I've plugged my PC into the my L300 DVI input and have no problems with it. It is not HDCP compatible, so any DVI source that has HDCP enabled won't work. However, I would think that up-converting players should work through the DVI input for non-HDCP sources.

I’m puzzled as to why yours won’t. Remember, the L300 DVI input is DVI-D, so it will not accept DVI-A (analog) signals.

AV_Integrated – I’ve had my L300U since February of ’03, and I’m looking for an upgrade replacement, see my thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=549660 :D.

My conclusion was that (at this time) the Z3 is the best LCD replacement and the MT700 DLP is a definite upgrade. However, the picture improvements are not overly dramatic. If you’re mainly watching DVDs and some HDTV, then the upgrade is not absolutely mandatory. A lot of the 720p PJs have drawbacks and do not represent that significant improvement over our units :eek:. The L300 is a very good PJ and has a better build and performance quality than a lot of the newer units. It’s only real drawback is the lower CR and lack of HDCP compatability, but that is a “future” issue and is not really applicable today.

The access to the “Service Menu” is the same as for the AE100 (yes it’s the same as the AE700, MENU --> OPTIONS --> OSD and hold the ENTER button for more than 3 seconds :cool: ). However, there are no user (picture) adjustments in the service menu, it just has usage and identification information. All L300 adjustments are directly available from the main menu.

Claus, I have many problems....I initially tried the DVI cable that came with my LG player but I could not get my 300 to sink with it. Perhaps it is the wrong type of DVI cable? As far as the manual states 1080i is not possible over DVI. If someone can prove me wrong please chime in a I would like to see if there is an improvement over component.

scotty144 -- I just re-checked the manual, you're right! The L300 will only display 720p (1280 x 768 = 768p) over the DVI input (1080i can be displayed only through the component inputs).

Will your LG send a 720p (768p) signal out of it's DVI output? The DVI cable supplied with the LG may not be that good either (a remote possibility).

Claus, I will give 720P over DVI a shot today and see how it looks. It baffles me that Panasonic would not allow 1080i over DVI as it touted this projector as 1/4 HD for excellent HD scalling. I would tend to think that would mean 1080i!

Ok, just tried it......Results....HORRIBLE!!!!! Picture is jumbled ie. a thin strip at bottom that does not belong...Just looks terrible. 1080i over component is they way to go.

Yup! Sounds like the Oppo is not compatable with the L300, since it doesn't do Component very well. The Panasonic S97 is supposed to give a very good picture over Component outputs also, but double check the S97 threads.

I bought a Zenith 318 that was changed to an LG, using Component with 1080i, and i`m pretty happy with the results.

Hard to believe something that only cost $150.00 could be this good.

I have yet to see any anomalies that some here have seen from Macroblocking.

When i do the "THX VIDEO" test that some DVD`s have, I need to turn my contrast almost all the way down to -30, and then when i switch back to the picture i just don't find it pleasing to watch, so i inevitably end up just going by my taste for the picture.

I think part of that problem is my screen is 130" and i need more native brightness. I checked out Fifth Element last night just to see how things stood picture wise, and Milla never looked so good..Still one cheesy movie though... The Orange room where Milla was reconstructed with the Tin foil walls :rolleyes: as i said, one cheesy movie.

brh -- That's why the "THX Video" clips are not a good calibrator. Get the AVIA "Guide to Home Theater" or the DVE (Digital Viseo Essentials) to do a proper calibration (AVIA is easier to use & quicker). It takes 15 minutes to calibrate (basic calibration) using AVIA and will get you to within 90%+ of the correct settings.

Bigrushhead, are you using the projector in 'Dynamic' mode? If so that may be why you have to adjut your contrast down so much. Try 'Normal' mode if that is the case.

Cinema 2 is often a choice with 300 users. I'm included in that camp.
Btw, Still waiting for my 318. I should be getting it this Mon. hopefully. Just in time for a three day weekend! I will definately post a review.
bigrushhead: When doesnt Milla look good!

I agree, KLAATUWI, after going through all of the options + calibrating with both AVIA & DVE (DVE showed that AVIA was spot on:D), I found that the Cinema2 mode had the best color, brightness, contrast ratio, etc.

When I saw the AE500 demo (see my signature), the PJ was totally uncalibrated (Grayhawk screen). We changed it to the Cinema2 mode and got a dramatic improvement in the picture with no other changes.

Yep, i`m busted :o I have always preferred the "Dynamic" setting since day one.

I`m all for trying new things though, and will try what you guys recommend and see what the outcome is , though that filter didnt work for me ;)

What about the filter did not appeal to you?

Its just too dark with the filter.. Dark movie scenes are too dark to make things out.

As i said, i think i prefer the brighter settings cause i need it with the 130" screen.

I was using a smaller screen when i first bought the 300u and had this screen in storage as it wouldn't fit in my old room. :)

I went through all the modes last night and i set them all the same and then cycled through to see which ones i preferred.

I set Contrast at +15 brightness +20 color +2 gamma black level -3 gamma white +1 and i still come back to the "dynamic" though i cant keep the contrast and brightness as high. The cinema 2 does have a nice look to it with the forementioned settings. I was watching HD old Voom channel "equator" on Dishnet as source material.

So i now need to check some familiar DVD`s on the cinema 2.

Scotty, you are using the filter with cinema 2? what are your picture settings? how big is your screen? Maybe i`ll try the filter with cinema 2, and i should look for an Avia disc i suppose.

Bigrushhead...Your settings seem really extreme. Especially brightness and contrast . First off, try setting your gamma back to zero for both blacks and whites. You must be really washing out your blacks with your black gamma and brightness set so high. I am using Normal picture setting with contrast around +5, brightness -7 (new bulb), color I think 0 or +1 and I am using a custom color temp setting.

Try setting your contrast and brightness with a DVD that has the THX optomizer on it with the filter and see what happens.

BTW, I have a large screen too...133" High Power.

Claus,

Did you adjust any of your gamma settings when you calibrated yours?

Ok, I only have a couple min before I have to leave for work.
It does look to push Green.
The download went flawlessly.(btw I'm computer illiterate)
Important: setup must be in Normal on the L300. It automatically goes to "special" and I was having problems seeing some DVD's (even after the firmware change) Change it back to Normal and Voila, it works.
Yes, some shifting occurs, not a big deal.
The pq for 480p while viewing 4/3 material is not any worse than watching with my Pioneer DV-563A.
and Finally (for now) It looks like I bought a brand new PJ. The picture is fantastic!
More of a review later. I hope I can get out of work early :D

... The download went flawlessly.(btw I'm computer illiterate)
Important: setup must be in Normal on the L300. It automatically goes to "special" and I was having problems seeing some DVD's (even after the firmware change) Change it back to Normal and Voila, it works.
...:D

Is this a firmware update for the L300 you're talking about???

Is this a firmware update for the L300 you're talking about???
I'm pretty sure he's talking about a firmware update (or downgrade) for the Zenith DVB318 DVD player. Some version(s) of the player's firmware allow upconversion of the output to 1080i over COMPONENT. This is an awesome matchup with the Panasonic PT-L300U. I bought the Zenith back in May after 2 years of owning the projector and using it with a DVD player that didn't have upconversion capability and the improvement is significant.

I'm finally getting back to posting about calibration. I picked up the AVIA calibration DVD and did the video and audio calibration. You'd think sometime in the past 2 years I could have found the time to do this? :confused:

Again, a huge significant improvement in color fidelity, contrast settings and sound level, especially after tweaking the subwoofer settings. I'm totally satisfied with the picture now, so I'm not pursuing a filter for the projector (thanks for the input on filters anyway, guys!).

So, if anyone else is on the fence as far as a calibration DVD, just DO IT. :) The addition of the DVB318 and calibrating the setup has been like a step-up for my HT. As I've posted before, I'm still extremely satisfied with my PT-L300U, 106" diagonal on a Carada screen, but I think I bought some extra time before I contemplate an upgrade.

scotty144 -- Nope. I only changed the Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness (low-power on the lamp) -- Cinema2 mode. I have a very slight red push (it's between 0 and +1), green and blue are both 0 (on the AVIA DVD -- non-Pro).

BTW, I'm using a 106" diagonal (16:9) Da-Lite, Hi-Power screen, projecting from 12.5 feet (table mount) and sitting at (eyeballs) 11' from the screen.

Sorry if my question is not directly related to the above Player but anyone have use the DVI to VGA D/A Video Converter from Dtrovision to use newer DVD players with their Pl-300? ei: 1080I via hdmi -> DVI -> D / A converter -> RGB - > Pl300. It would had extra year before I upgrade.

Thanks

Anyone still use them for their 300/500's?
I am referring to the FL-D, or Neutral Density filters.
Why? or Why not?

I still have my PT-L300u. I bought it in May of 2003. Up until recently, I only used it for movies and the occasional HD program. I now use it almost every day since I switched to Dish and the 942 DVR. Between ESPN, HD-NET, VOOM Channels, TNT and my locals I rarely watch SD. It's sad but I'd rather watch a crappy HD show then a mediocre SD one. I have ~1000 hours on the L300 and I don't plan to upgrade until by bulb burns out or I can get a 1080p machine for under 2K.

bump

Panny 300u 500u owner's! keep this thread alive!

Any owners still out there? My 300u is in its 4th year! I was going to get a AE900 , but I'm thinking waiting when panny has a sub-$3K AEx00 1080 native PJ!

My 300 is still going strong. It's almost 3.5 years old. On the second bulb. I'll either have to replace the bulb fairly soon or upgrade. One thing I've had to do is replace the blue polarizer right after I replaced the original bulb.

1500+ hours on my 300u. I'm going to be looking really hard at upgrading around February, so I just hope my bulb holds out until then.

I am still running a PT-L500U. Plan on moving soon and will install it in the new house, no plans to upgrade anytime soon. Picture quality is acceptable but most importantly, it works so well.

Chris

My 300U is now three years old and doing fine with the original bulb. Use it for SD DVD's and HD TV with OTA signals from the local stations. Waiting to see what happens with HD-DVD and Blu ray high def DVD's as well as this fall's offerings in front projectors. Will this be the year for 1080p LCD projectors? If not I am in no hurry.

My 500U is 1.5 years old, about 1300h, and I'm extremely happy with it. I noticed quite some VB when I bought it, but now I never see it if I'm not looking for it. The colours are wonderful the image is rock solid thanks to the total absence of SDE. The only problem with this PJ is the black level, because it has no dynamic iris (ih has an AI mode which plays with the two lamp modes but I don't use it, I prefer being in low lamp mode all the time).

For some time I considered upgrading to a 900, but as I'm moving and buying a stewart grayhawk screen I think I'll keep my 500 for a year or two. Hopefully at that time the Joe Kane blessed Samsung will be even more affordable than it is now or Panasonic will have a wonderful 1080p LCD for a very decent price.

Anyone still use them for their 300/500's?
I am referring to the FL-D, or Neutral Density filters.
Why? or Why not?

Hi KLAATUWI, I recently tried the FL-D and 2ND filters on my AE300.

After 3years and 300H (well I only watch movies, in the dark!) I wished I'd tried it earlier!

In the end I only kept the FL-D filter, as the addition of the 2ND is just too dark. But the picture quality is now excellent (after some re-calibration, less contrast and slight decrease on red). The blacker blacks, and general saturation realy give the image solidity and depth.

The settings are different on HD tv and DVD but the 300 'remembers' the settings according to source. (Australia is blessed with a few 1080 free to air digital channels) and I use the Philips Q50 (revised firmware) for progressive 576 PAL dvd, IMHO a perfect match for the AE300.

So, try it, its cheap and (in my case) effective. This is on a DIY BO screen, 2.5m diag (16:9), with total light control (after dark ;-)

I was starting to sniff around for possible upgrades, and the Mits HC3000 was looking good, but Honestly, after this adjustment its hard to justify, especially when C2Fine and 1080 are around the (next?) bend...

Cheers

Philippe

My 300u is about 1,500 hours... that's low mileage compared to some posters! i took a hard look at a blue screen to see if could see any dust blobs, and i couldn't. i never opened up the unit. i run in low power mode, cinema 2 onto a da-lite matte white screen.

1080 input via component works best, but I was always curious what method this PJ uses to scale the 1080 down to 1/4HD. If anyone knows, pls respond.

Love this PJ!

Looks like I'm in good company! My 300U is 3 yrs old, 1800 hrs on the original bulb. I got a 106" High power last year, which helps offset the dimmer bulb.
I originally thought I would hold this PJ for 3 years, then upgrade for hi def DVD. Now it looks like hi-def DVD is another 3 years away! (Practically speaking, I know the units are shipping) I'm still loving DVDs and video games on this unit and expect I"ll be using it another 2-3 years.

My 300 is 3 years old with 1062 hrs on it. Still have the original bulb. We just watch the occasional movie in the HT on it. I noticed for the first time tonight a green tint. Does that mean my bulb is going or is it something else? I seem to remember reading ages ago about something simliar but I can't remember what or where. I guess I'll have to do some searching.

anyone here using the 500 with the new toshiba hd-dvd player, how is the picture using component and dvi with the hdmi adaptor. are there any issues using the hdmi adaptor?

I replaced my original bulb on my 300U at around 2500 hours (even though it was still good) and kept it as a spare. The second bulb was up over 4500 hours and starting to get pretty dim so I put the original one back in and WOW it really brightened things up.

I was considering upgrading but it looks so good I think I'll keep this old pj a while longer before I upgrade and hope the lamp doesn't go at a bad time :-)

You could sell the 300U + both bulbs and upgrade to the Infocus HD70. It would probably only cost you a few hundred bucks out of pocket. For $999 the HD70 is really tempting. I've got close to 1900 hrs on my 300U. I was hoping to be able to hold out for a reasonably priced 1080p machine, but now I'm not so sure if I can wait. I would love the extra resolution, brightness and contrast that the HD70 offers. Plus, a new projector would give me an excuse to buy the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive. The limited 540p resolution of the 300U is holding me back from a next gen DVD player purchase.

It may be 2 more years with my 300U. looking like 1080p pj's are still out of my reach.

anyone here using the 500 with the new toshiba hd-dvd player, how is the picture using component and dvi with the hdmi adaptor. are there any issues using the hdmi adaptor?

I guess nobody is using the combination. I continue to use my PT-L500U with D-VHS over component, Comcast HD using the Motorolla DCT6412III HDMI>DVI and upscaled DVD over component. Previously had used DirecTV RCA DTC100 over VGA and the DirecTV HR10-250 receiver with TiVo HDMI>DVI. I am sure the HD DVD player from Toshiba will work fine with that projector. No issues at all and I currently have one hooked up at my girlfriend's house and one at my home. I won't be upgrading any time soon.

Chris

I guess it's time to make the annual "yes I still have my PTL-300U and am still VERY happy with it" post :)

Bought it in May 2003, so closing in on 3-1/2 years, about 1700 hrs (2nd bulb), using the Zenith 318 upconverting DVD player via component inputs. HDTV has always looked awesome on this projector and normal, standard, get them from Blockbuster or Netflix DVDs look great. I had the upgrade bug during year 1 of ownership, but after that subsided, I haven't really looked much. This bulb should take me through a few more years.

Its cool to come back here occasionally and see some of the old Panny owners who have been posting since 2003 still around, plus some new faces that are finally emerging from their home theaters to post about their amazing 300's!

I have a ton of dust blobs on my 300.....I have searched for the dust blob thread but I think it go lost in one of the site crashes...anyone have any instructions for dust blob removal on the 300.....

I have put up with it for over a year but i gotta fix it today, got guests coming over

I just saw that thread with the picture(s), not more than 1 month ago, lol. I think this is the one below.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572889&page=1&pp=30

Some points as I just did mine, hold can upright, hold projector on its side. If you have a small vacuum, I'd use it near where you will be shooting the air, just to help suck up the loosen dust particles. I aimed the air at the polarizers, look closely to see if you need to do more, a flashlight and good eyesight helps a lot here. I also used air on areas that looked like it had dust buildup, around the fans (I think I recall two...the main one with the filter and the one by the bulb) and be sure also to vacuum the small filter. There was also a buildup of dust on the front, hard to describe but it was facing the front of the projector, you should be able to easily see the dust once the top is taken off. Good luck.

I have a ton of dust blobs on my 300.....I have searched for the dust blob thread but I think it go lost in one of the site crashes...anyone have any instructions for dust blob removal on the 300.....http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572889

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572889



You guys freaking rock....I love this place

I still have and use my AE500 but it has been relegated to duty as an Xbox player and any signal that's composite. I have it mounted under my NEC 6pg projector and have it all automated with my Harmony remote. The Panasonic is really built. Panny makes fine projectors...

I have had my 300U for about 3 years. love it. also have had no urge for the upgrade bug until today.

Because I am having problems. I so want to see my new Playstation3 in the best quality I can get. The 300U says it is capable of 720p (750p).

I am running an HDMI to DVI cable from the PS3 to the DVI connector on the 300U.

I set the video out on the PS3 to HDMI, and I switch the input to DVI on the 300U, and all I get is a blank screen. Whats up with this? (I don't have to upgrade the projector because I could use component cable connector which I think give 720p also, but those PS3 component cables are hard to get right now.)

Has anybody else tried the PS3 with an HDMI to DVI converter cable? and got it to work?

anyone looking to buy email i have a l300 and upgraded tp ax100u
lots of light in my room thats the only reason for upgrade the pic
looks just as good on both but ax100 brighter in the day time

It sounds like you are getting a blank screen because the L300 isn't HDCP compliant. I know for a fact you won't be able to watch Blu-ray movies over HDMI with the L300U because of HDCP. I guess they may be enforcing it with games as well. The best that you will be able to do is 480p over HDMI or get the component cables which will work just fine with 720p.

I have an L500U for the last 18 months and have been very happy with it. I have 1800 Hrs on the bulb running in Eco mode. OTA HD Channels are impressive, still gives the wow factor when people come over. Like many others I would like to make the jump to 1080p when prices drop a bit..... Until then I am perfectly content.

My 300U is still going strong after 3 1/2 years. I think HD looks very nice on the projector. I have 1500 hours on the original bulb. People are still very impressed when they see the image the 300U produces. I'll upgrade when the bulb burns out.

Chiming in again, I just paired my 300u up with a Oppo 970 and now my SD DVDs have a new lease on life. Definitely improves the viewing pleasure on the trusty old 300.

About 565 hours on it, dreading the day I have to drop $350 for a new bulb/lamp!

It is projecting on an inexpensive blackout cloth over poplar frame in my upstairs home-theater...PSB Image surrounds, and PSB Alpha fronts and center (PSB Subsonic II subwoofer).

I like the projector--although somewhat handcuffed by the Component or DVI inputs only, I'm running mainly my 360 HD DVD through it, so it's a pretty good image regardless.

I hope I don't have to start a new thread for my queries.

I have a L300 and am now wondering if I should get one of those upscaling players (via component or HDMI). Checked that native LCD is 960x540 and will be scaled down if fed with 1920x1080.

Can someone tell me if this upscaling (720p or 1080i) and downscaling to 540, will produce a better result than my current 480p setup?

The only upscaling player that will work with the 300 is one that will upconvert over component (rare). Since the 300 has no HDMI and it's DVI input is all but useless you are sol.

There are players that upscale via component (not rare at all). And the DVI input is possible with HDMI-DVI cables, but am unsure if it accepts 720p or 1080i (heard some mention of HDCP).

What I want to know is the advantages of upscaling.... clearer pictures... more detail? And also disadvantages, if any eg. more noise? more anamolies?

I hope I don't have to start a new thread for my queries.

I have a L300 and am now wondering if I should get one of those upscaling players (via component or HDMI). Checked that native LCD is 960x540 and will be scaled down if fed with 1920x1080.

Can someone tell me if this upscaling (720p or 1080i) and downscaling to 540, will produce a better result than my current 480p setup?

If you are usng a good 480p player, I don't think you will gain much by using an upconverting player. What player are you currently using? I have used various upscaling players over component and DVI with my PT-L500U and have been happy with the results but my native resolution is 1280x720p. There isn't a big difference in any event.

Chris

Since my last post on this thread in June my 300U has continued to perform well. haven't had any dust bunnies since I last cleaned the inside. Other than cleaning the filter will leave well enough alone until I see another dust bunny.

Watched the Super Bowl in high definition and the ability of the 300U to scale the 1080i signal to its 540 output is hard to beat. I know the new AX100 has better contrast with 720 output, but I am still in no hurry to upgrade.

Almost 1400 hours on the bulb, which is not that many considering the unit was purchased in May of 2003.

I have a Momitsu upscaling DVD player hooked up through DVI to the 300U and I think the difference is worth the upgrade. It is all subjective, but I would say the difference is on the same scale as S-video to component. The Momitsu is one of the few DVD players that can output to a DVI cable that the 300U can handle due to copyright isssues.

I'd say the picture is top shelf, but the player itself kind of sucks. If it looses power, it defaults back to some other settings and you get no video. You end up pressing the display button on the remote for 5 minutes until it cycles around to a DVI input. Then you still have to reset everything, 16:9 instead of 4:3, digital audio instead of analog, etc. Also the player isn't too reponsive. If you put a DVD in, the power button and eject won't work until the DVD has loaded up.

I'm currently trying to sell my 300U and screen locally to upgrade to a Epson 700.
However it is still running strong @ 1100 hrs, 1st bulb. Picture still looks great minus the "peakaboo" scan line and VB. My only real reason for upgrade is I am building a new theater which will have a 130" 2.35 screen, so I want the extra brightness.

I'm using the Panasonic RP82 via components.

Not that I'm complaining about current output, but just wanted to know if I can squeeze more quality out of my trustworthy L300, before it's time to upgrade in the future.

In theory, standard dvd are at 480 resolution and should be sufficient at 480p connection. But some posts mentioned of better quality of upscaling. They could be referring to projectors/displays with higher native lens resolution compared to L300. That's why I'm curious how our L300 fares, 'cos it involves upscaling and downscaling at same time (back to square one or worse)?

As for upscaling via components, OPPO970, SNAZIO1350 and some players from Samsung, etc.. do all that. Via DVI-HDMI, more options.


If you are usng a good 480p player, I don't think you will gain much by using an upconverting player. What player are you currently using? I have used various upscaling players over component and DVI with my PT-L500U and have been happy with the results but my native resolution is 1280x720p. There isn't a big difference in any event.

Chris

I hope I don't have to start a new thread for my queries.

I have a L300 and am now wondering if I should get one of those upscaling players (via component or HDMI). Checked that native LCD is 960x540 and will be scaled down if fed with 1920x1080.

Can someone tell me if this upscaling (720p or 1080i) and downscaling to 540, will produce a better result than my current 480p setup?

As I said in an earlier post, I paired my 300u with the Oppo 970. Upscales nicely, visually much better than my previous Toshiba 480p player. I'd say go for that route.

I'm using the Panasonic RP82 via components.

Not that I'm complaining about current output, but just wanted to know if I can squeeze more quality out of my trustworthy L300, before it's time to upgrade in the future.

In theory, standard dvd are at 480 resolution and should be sufficient at 480p connection. But some posts mentioned of better quality of upscaling. They could be referring to projectors/displays with higher native lens resolution compared to L300. That's why I'm curious how our L300 fares, 'cos it involves upscaling and downscaling at same time (back to square one or worse)?

As for upscaling via components, OPPO970, SNAZIO1350 and some players from Samsung, etc.. do all that. Via DVI-HDMI, more options.

RP82 is a good player and should be a good match for that projector. I just ordered an Oppo DV970HD and will have a bunch of inexpensive upscaling universal players, I think DVD-V/DVD-A/SACD are great formats and want to be sure to have hardware to play them for the remainder of my life.

I do think the Oppo DV970HD is a better player than your current player but could only guess if the image quality will be better with your 300, I think it is unlikely.

Chris

I've got the L300, RP82 and a Oppo970.

You might be interested to know that I see a slight improvement in picture sharpness/clarity and 3-d feel.... could be psychological though. It's difficult to compare unless having them side by side on separate displays.

Only Oppo bummer is the picture squeeze bug. Hope they come out with a firmware to fix this.

Need an update from fellow l300's
Is it my imagingation or is the greens coming in a bit strong?
I just received Directv Hd upgrade. Is it worth running a component from where the box is upstairs to the pj downstairs?
Does the age of the bulb affect the contrast ratio? Whites are too white, and the blacks too black.
Has anyone had thier machine had a professional "check up"? Is it worth it?
If you only had enough money to buy a new bulb, would you buy a used pj instead? (any kind of pj)

How many hours have you clocked?

If I were you, I'd spend on the bulb now, till I can afford the next jump/upgrade to 1080p projectors.... that is if you still love your L300.

Need an update from fellow l300's
Is it my imagingation or is the greens coming in a bit strong?
I just received Directv Hd upgrade. Is it worth running a component from where the box is upstairs to the pj downstairs?
Does the age of the bulb affect the contrast ratio? Whites are too white, and the blacks too black.
Has anyone had thier machine had a professional "check up"? Is it worth it?
If you only had enough money to buy a new bulb, would you buy a used pj instead? (any kind of pj)

Personally, I would get a used 720p projector, even the PT-AE500U or similar to use until 1080p is proven and affordable and sell the PT-L300U. I plan to use my 500U for a couple more years or longer.

Chris

I'd run with the old projector until the bulb dies then upgrade to a new projector. I don't think I would sell the 300U and upgrade to one that is a slightly newer, better model, but still a few years old. Less than $1500 will get you a brand new 720P unit

I was trying to sell my 300U, but I am keeping it. My old theater was converted to an office / daughter's play area. With tax return money I budgeted the things I needed, paint, new desks, file cabinets, etc. I had $350 in there for a small LCD flat screen, so we could watch TV up there and play video's for the little one. After weeks of trying to sell my 300U, I decided to take it off the market and project it on the opposite wall. Going from a 92" screen to a 56". The 300U is now plenty bright to deal w/ some ambient light. I would much rather have a 56" screen than a tiny 20", although the 20" would look better during the day. Since I flip floped my arangement I am now using my rear in-wall speakers from my 7.1 set up as the main speakers for the new 5.1 set up. I just had to buy a new center channel speaker. Hopefully I will be fine w/ bulb life. In theory, only a little more than 1/4 of the way through. 1200hrs.

im still using ptl500 since july, 04. w/ 650 hrs. i only use the pj 3-5 times per month for about 2 hrs at a time. i think i like to collect movies more than i like to watch them. but i still get jazzed every time i fire it up. i want to eventually upgrade to 1080p machine after the prices come down a bit, and the hd/bd disc war is over. i feed the pj w/ panasonic s77 player w/ hdmi and its pretty amazing. anyway, the pj has no issues.

The polarizer costs around $100 from Panasonic. It takes about 15 minutes to replace, if you have good directions.

I noticed at 3300 hours that mine was yellowing. Finally replaced at 3700. It made a big difference in color quality and brightness. The projector has run in low lamp/low fan mode about 99% of the time.Sorry, I'm about a year late on this one, LOL.

My 300 started showing a yellow area in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. It eventually spread to the whole screen (yea, was too lazy to replace the blue polarizer for awhile). Only reason I'm bringing it up now is because I found the pics I took last year when I replaced the polarizer. ;)

This pic has the new polarizer on the left and the old one on the right (if you can't tell ;)). Note the discoloration of the old one. It covered the WHOLE screen, so you can see by the darkened area where the light shines through the polarizer.
http://idisk.mac.com/baron.ken-Public/IMG_1877a.JPG

This one (blurred badly, my apologies) shows that I really needed to blow out the dust more often. Note the band of dust along the right-hand side. ;)
http://idisk.mac.com/baron.ken-Public/IMG_1889a.JPG

Hope you found this interesting.

Still on my PTL-300U.... I think it's 4 yrs old this May and still enjoying the unit immensely. I upgraded from the RP62 DVD player a few years back to a Zenith DVB318, which upconverts over component. The difference was significant and I believe the 300U reports the signal as HDTV instead of 480 (which it did on the RP62). There were tons of posts on this a few years back and you can probably still find them in the archive message boards. So - an upconverting player over component, in my opinion, is a noticeable improvement with the 300U. A lot of folks here did the same thing. I haven't been on the boards in months (a year?), but I see some familiar 300U names in this thread!

I'm using the Panasonic RP82 via components.

Not that I'm complaining about current output, but just wanted to know if I can squeeze more quality out of my trustworthy L300, before it's time to upgrade in the future.

In theory, standard dvd are at 480 resolution and should be sufficient at 480p connection. But some posts mentioned of better quality of upscaling.

Just sold my 300 about 2 months ago, I had upgraded to hd-dvd's and wanted a nicer picture. The 300 is a great little machine and for h on the cheap it cant be beat. I got about $400 on ebay for it so I think that is a great deal for having a michine for about 4 years. Now I have a z5 and I really like that alot also. I have a zenith dvb318 also but I find i dont use it alot now that I have the hdmi ability to upscale using my sony megachanger now.

steve

I have been an owner of a ptl 300u since 2003. I replaced the bulb about 6 months ago. 3 weeks ago a large yellow "stain" covered 90% of the picture in a rectangular shape. I noticed your thread about the polarizer, pulled mine and it had the same discoloration pattern. I ordered a new one and installed it, and now there is a 100% "yellow stain" and my picture size has changed from the same distance(ceiling mount). Did I do something wrong? Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks
Mike
Hey Mike,
sorry to answer your questions with questions, but I don't know what happened.
Which polarizer did you replace? The blue one?
Did you replace any of the other polarizers? Did you take out any of the other polarizers (maybe to clean them)? Just trying to make sure you didn't mix up the locations of the polarizers.

You said that 3 weeks ago a 90% yellow area appeared. Did it appear all at once, or did it gradually grow? I'm asking because I believe the discoloration is from heat. My projector was mounted fairly close to the wall and did NOT have a deflector for the exhaust. I think that over time, the blue polarizer just got more 'burned'. No idea if this is correct, but it just seems that way to me. That's why I was asking if the yellow stain grew, or appeared all at once. If all at once, did anything change with the projector setup? Mounting location? Blocking exhaust, etc.?

I would suggest opening it back up and checking out the polarizer you replaced to make sure it isn't discolored already. I'm doubtful that it's 'burned' already, but I can't explain the new 100% yellow area you're seeing.

As far as the picture size changing, my guess is that while you were taking the projector apart (or putting it back together, or both), you bumped the zoom ring on the lens.

I'm going to post your PM and my reply to this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10373866&&#post10373866) so that maybe we can get some more people that might be able to help.

I would double check and ensure the polarizers are mounted back correctly. When I cleaned mines out and put them back, the picture was not right, it had messed up colors across the screen. I remounted and it fixed the problem, I think originally I mounted it at an angle, due to twisting when I was turning the screw back. My polarizers didn't have any burnt issues, just dust that wouldn't come off with the can. I wouldn't be concerned with the size, sounds like Baronken said, you just need to readjust the lens and focus.

I am sorry, this thread is too massive to read it all. I plan to continue to use two PT-L500U projectors for years to come and want to know the recommended cleaning procedures. All I have done so far is clean the filter regularly and I have now noticed a faint white small blob on one, dust on the LCD panel or polarizers I would guess.

Chris

Actually, there is another thread regarding polarizers and color uniformity that has more information than here (maybe there is a link left by me or somebody else somewhere in this thread). In short, if the 500 is anything like the 300, take apart the cover, remove a few ribbon connectors, unscrew the 3 polarizers, clean with a eye wear lens cleaner and cloth, and in reverse put everything back together and you're done. Do a search for the longer version.

Actually, there is another thread regarding polarizers and color uniformity that has more information than here (maybe there is a link left by me or somebody else somewhere in this thread). In short, if the 500 is anything like the 300, take apart the cover, remove a few ribbon connectors, unscrew the 3 polarizers, clean with a eye wear lens cleaner and cloth, and in reverse put everything back together and you're done. Do a search for the longer version.

Thanks, I will start with this and if needed look for the longer version.

Chris

3700 hrs on an AE500, had it about 3 yrs, Obviously enjoyed it a lot. Original bulb kept on low :)

Make sure you id ALL connectors and hook them back up where they are supposed to be. I clean my 200 this way every six months. Ok I don't own a 300 or 500 but my nine year old son uses the 200 regularly. We have added a second pj for the main HT room.

Thanks, I will start with this and if needed look for the longer version.

Chris

Here it is.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=572889

Just had the chance to try out HDMI-DVI cable to my L300, from OPPO970. Horrible, just horrible... the color, detail, etc. looks so bad, it was an easy comparison. Component is still the way to go.

The L300 only accepts 720p resolution, others do not work eg. 420i, 420p, 1080i.

Be careful. I bought a Panny PTL500 from a reputable dealer 29 months ago. About 4 weeks ago I started experiencing "burn-in" and "dotting". Shipped it to the dealer last week. Just got a call from them. The Optical Blaock and APCB Board need to be replaced. Repair estimate: $1355.00. This is the end of my Panasonic "experience". :mad:

Be careful. I bought a Panny PTL500 from a reputable dealer 29 months ago. About 4 weeks ago I started experiencing "burn-in" and "dotting". Shipped it to the dealer last week. Just got a call from them. The Optical Blaock and APCB Board need to be replaced. Repair estimate: $1355.00. This is the end of my Panasonic "experience". :mad:

How many hours of use?

Chris

L500 w/ 3788 hrs. on the original bulb in low lamp mode. I run all inputs via component through my Denon 3805. I honestly haven't noticed much light level loss, I'm sure there would be some if it were measured, but I can't tell.

I could not be happier with this projector. Black levels are it's only shortcoming, but I can't imagine upgrading until the 1080 projectors drop substantially in price.

I also use the VGA connection for my HTPC w/HD DVD.

This is the original bulb. Last I looked the hour count was at 4450 ish hours. It does power up however the only thing displayed is the replace bulb message. My question is what are the risks of pulling the bulb and reusing the same bulb? I thought I saw that someone was able to get more use of their bulb by doing this but I’m worried that I might harm the projector. I do not have a bulb to swap out with it and I’m really not wanting to buy another one as the price of the bulb is pretty much 1/5 of the price of an upgrade. Can I get more out of my bulb without hurting my projector, or should I just buy a new bulb? Or save up for a new projector?

With my 3800 hrs on my L500, I also would like to know when my projector will refuse to produce an image and if there is any way to override this. ( i can get into the service mode) The image still looks so good, I would like to keep using it.

ej

Just wanted to bump this up once to see if anyone could answer my question.

Thanks in advance,

ej

This is the original bulb. Last I looked the hour count was at 4450 ish hours. It does power up however the only thing displayed is the replace bulb message. My question is what are the risks of pulling the bulb and reusing the same bulb? I thought I saw that someone was able to get more use of their bulb by doing this but I’m worried that I might harm the projector. I do not have a bulb to swap out with it and I’m really not wanting to buy another one as the price of the bulb is pretty much 1/5 of the price of an upgrade. Can I get more out of my bulb without hurting my projector, or should I just buy a new bulb? Or save up for a new projector?


WELL.... this IS my first projector... and as it turns out... :o Ok i'm also using a Harmony 880... BUT... I turned on my projector one more time to look at the message and I'm embarrassed to admit... but... looks like all I had to do is press the "Enter" button and the "Replace bulb" message went away :o There is an LED on the projector for the lamp and it used to be green but now it is red... but it looks like I can continue to use the lamp until it burns out? I hope this is the case and I'm not going to harm my projector by continued use. :o

WELL.... this IS my first projector... and as it turns out... :o Ok i'm also using a Harmony 880... BUT... I turned on my projector one more time to look at the message and I'm embarrassed to admit... but... looks like all I had to do is press the "Enter" button and the "Replace bulb" message went away :o There is an LED on the projector for the lamp and it used to be green but now it is red... but it looks like I can continue to use the lamp until it burns out? I hope this is the case and I'm not going to harm my projector by continued use. :o

The potential for harm exists so you are correct to hope it doesn't happen. I don't know the likelihood, but to guarantee the bulb can explode without harm would not be correct. I think damage is rare as a result of lamp explosion, but I don't know how rare. Of course a new lamp could explode as well, very unlikely, but there is no way to avoid that concern.

Chris

The potential for harm exists so you are correct to hope it doesn't happen. I don't know the likelihood, but to guarantee the bulb can explode without harm would not be correct. I think damage is rare as a result of lamp explosion, but I don't know how rare. Of course a new lamp could explode as well, very unlikely, but there is no way to avoid that concern.

Chris

Ahhh ok, thanks Chris :) I guess I'll continue to use it and hope for the best. Do all lamps explode when they are done? or do some just stop working? Thanks again.

Ahhh ok, thanks Chris :) I guess I'll continue to use it and hope for the best. Do all lamps explode when they are done? or do some just stop working? Thanks again.

Most just stop working.

Chris

im still using ptl500 since july, 04. w/ 650 hrs. i only use the pj 3-5 times per month for about 2 hrs at a time. i think i like to collect movies more than i like to watch them. but i still get jazzed every time i fire it up. i want to eventually upgrade to 1080p machine after the prices come down a bit, and the hd/bd disc war is over. i feed the pj w/ panasonic s77 player w/ hdmi and its pretty amazing. anyway, the pj has no issues.

this 500 is still running strong! just passed 720 hrs. (pun intended)

I am still running a PT-L500U. Plan on moving soon and will install it in the new house, no plans to upgrade anytime soon. Picture quality is acceptable but most importantly, it works so well.

Chris
same w/ my 500. im a happy camper!

Most just stop working.

Chris

Thats good to know, thanks again Chris.

I just purchased a PS3 (it hasn't arrived yet) and I have a few quick questions for fellow Panny 300 owners.
I will be hooking this up via component video, what setting is best, 720p, 1080i or 1080p?

Pixel 8
The L300 only accepts 720p resolution, others do not work eg. 420i, 420p, 1080i

How can this be true? I thought the 300 was best used with 1080i because it scaled to 540? (1/4th HD)

Also, a quick question to those who've tried cleaning their 300. I am still reluctant to take my professionally installed PJ from the ceiling mount and open it up (calling the pro's would cost too much) but I do have those reddish (dust?) blobs. Can I just shoot air into the PJ without moving it? Where do I aim?!?

I just purchased a PS3 (it hasn't arrived yet) and I have a few quick questions for fellow Panny 300 owners.
I will be hooking this up via component video, what setting is best, 720p, 1080i or 1080p?

Pixel 8

How can this be true? I thought the 300 was best used with 1080i because it scaled to 540? (1/4th HD)

Also, a quick question to those who've tried cleaning their 300. I am still reluctant to take my professionally installed PJ from the ceiling mount and open it up (calling the pro's would cost too much) but I do have those reddish (dust?) blobs. Can I just shoot air into the PJ without moving it? Where do I aim?!?

On component the Panny 300 will work best with 1080i:). 720p should look very good as well. Will not accept 1080p. Will not accept standard TV signal over DVI except Wide768 :( (and that may look strange)


The Panny has to have the top cover removed (and thus removed from the cieling mount) to get compressed air in through the polarizers and/or panels to get the dust removed. There were much earlier threads describing this particular process.

The 300 works best with 1080i as others stated. Chris_clem, I also replied to your question regarding cleaning in the other thread you posted.

The problem only occured for my HDMI/DVI cable tests. Works fine with the component cables.



How can this be true? I thought the 300 was best used with 1080i because it scaled to 540? (1/4th HD)

Thanks for the replies. I guess 1080i is the way to go then.

Here's a question for everyone:
In your opinion, does this PJ bring out significant differences between a standard DVD and a Blu-ray movie? I ask because on paper it doesn't sound like you're getting much of an upgrade due to the Projector's limitations.

Mather and windsorite, thanks for the cleaning tips...now if only I can muster up the nerve to open it up... (I am quite useless when it comes to that sort of thing and will probably screw it up!)

In your opinion, does this PJ bring out significant differences between a standard DVD and a Blu-ray movie? I ask because on paper it doesn't sound like you're getting much of an upgrade due to the Projector's limitations.


There is some difference vs SD DVD, but from what I have seen with a friend's 300u, it doesn't show that much of the increased information in the disk. IMHO, you would be better to hold off on BD and put the extra money into your projector upgrade fund to help finance an eventual upgrade to a newer projector. These days, entry level models starting at around $900 USD provide a sizable upgrade from the 300u generation. I realize that you are likely paying a nasty import premium in the RP, but the general idea still holds. . . to go much beyond DVD performance you will need to upgrade both your projector and your media source.

I realize that you are likely paying a nasty import premium in the RP

Ain't that the truth! Projectors and flat panels usually cost double whatever it goes for in the US (around MSRP +50%)! There are some perks though, such as free installation (A big plus for projectors since the screen has to be built and the PJ mounted) since labor is quite cheap. I'm still saving up for the Pioneer plasma for my living room though so the upgrade will have to wait =)

I just picked up another PT-AE500U for a bargain price since my girlfriend complained that she wouldn't run the home theater when I was gone for almost a month recently. I paid a lot for that first one in 2004 and that works into her fear of breaking it and she won't risk using it while I am away. This used one with 1,950 hours overcomes that fear. I realize that my original 500 isn't worth much now either, but sometimes I don't like to get too logical with this relationship. I was surprised to see the lamp so bright with that number of hours and now I should figure out how to disable the replace lamp message and light. The lamp is brighter than my 1,400 hour lamp. I still have a new lamp in a box and I am also still happy with the picture so I may as well get used to having one of these things running for several more years in one of our two theaters.

Chris

Thanks for the replies. I guess 1080i is the way to go then.

Here's a question for everyone:
In your opinion, does this PJ bring out significant differences between a standard DVD and a Blu-ray movie? I ask because on paper it doesn't sound like you're getting much of an upgrade due to the Projector's limitations.


Last year April when HDDVD started with spectacular reviews I asked myself the same question. I already had experience with the HVD System (red laser DVD with 720p resolution). I have a Neuneo HVD player and the HVD "Winged Migration" looked clearly more detailled on the Panny AE300 than even the best PAL DVDs. I guess, even the best DVDs are somewhat filtered and do not use the full theoretical resolution. Therefore I would expect that HD DVD and Blu-ray looked better than DVD on the AE300.

But in the end I waited, mostly due to the "format war" (as well as waiting until decent selection of hard- and software is ready) and plan to buy a 1080p projector this autumn. Afterwards I will think about HD...

by the way, around 1300 hours on the first bulb on the AE300. Still quite happy with the picture, but upgraditis gets worse each month.

I test drove hd-dvd for a couple weeks with my 300 and it looked much better than sd dvd, certainly alot sharper. I returned the player, however, because the number of titles available on hd-dvd at the time didn't justify it for me.

What would an L300u be worth with 1400 hrs on it? I haven't seen any on Ebay for quite some time.

Thanks,

Warren

I test drove hd-dvd for a couple weeks with my 300 and it looked much better than sd dvd, certainly alot sharper. I returned the player, however, because the number of titles available on hd-dvd at the time didn't justify it for me.

What would an L300u be worth with 1400 hrs on it? I haven't seen any on Ebay for quite some time.

Thanks,

Warren

I agree the HD DVD software selection is poor, but you needed to know that before buying the player and that doesn't constitute a good reason for a retailer to eat return costs. I purchased a mint L500U with 1900 hours for $175 including shipping at Home Theater Forum.

Chris

I was toying with the idea of getting a new ax200, as the retail price is $1295, but at 4000 hours on my L500, and no obvious dimming problems, I think I will just replace the lamp when the time comes. I just like it too much to let it go!

I was toying with the idea of getting a new ax200, as the retail price is $1295, but at 4000 hours on my L500, and no obvious dimming problems, I think I will just replace the lamp when the time comes. I just like it too much to let it go!

The street price of a new PT-AX200 is probably going to be too attractive to justify buying a lamp for a PT-L500U for anybody that can afford the additional $900 or so. Getting 4,000 hours with one lamp out of your PT-L500U is really good. It will be interesting to see if the much brighter PT-AX100 and PT-AX200 projectors are as reliable. Nothing but good things to say about my PT-L500U experience here.

Chris

I allowed the lamp in a 500U to go over 2,000 hours. Now the lamp indicator flashes and the projector won't come on. The manual says it should go into standby after 10 minutes, but it goes into standby after 10 seconds so I can't get to the menu to reset lamp runtime. The manual indicates I need to call a service center when it does this as there may be an abnormality in the lamp circuit. I did replace the lamp, but the projector doesn't ever display a picture. Any ideas?

Chris

I allowed the lamp in a 500U to go over 2,000 hours. Now the lamp indicator flashes and the projector won't come on. The manual says it should go into standby after 10 minutes, but it goes into standby after 10 seconds so I can't get to the menu to reset lamp runtime. The manual indicates I need to call a service center when it does this as there may be an abnormality in the lamp circuit. I did replace the lamp, but the projector doesn't ever display a picture. Any ideas?

Chris

Is this the other l500u you picked up? Or your original l500? I don't know how the l500 may be different from my l300 but I think I'm either over 2k or close to 2.5k and I haven't seen any messages or indicators.

Is this the other l500u you picked up? Or your original l500? I don't know how the l500 may be different from my l300 but I think I'm either over 2k or close to 2.5k and I haven't seen any messages or indicators.


It is the one I picked up used recently with 1,900 hours or so. As the manual indicates, it showed the replace lamp warning but I didn't read about that until after I had the problem. At about 2,050 hours I can't figure out how to get it work at all. The lamp is still ok, I tried it another projector. I may try to get a service manual and see if there is an easy fix I can do myself. The lamp in the PT-L500U I purchased new three years ago became too dim at 1,575 hours so I just replaced it with a new lamp so I still have a projector that works fine at my girlfriend's house.

Chris

4-1/2 years on my PT-L300U.... in a dedicated, light-controlled HT. A couple of months ago, after 4+ years of no issues, one annoying green pixel got stuck "on" near the center bottom. I am still covered by an extended warranty I got from the dealer at time of purchase, so I just took it in for a service center cleaning and look at the stuck pixel. Hopefully they can fix it - if not, I'll wait until this (2nd) bulb goes and upgrade to one of the new 720 or 1080 projectors I keep reading and drooling about :)

I see some familiar names on here from 4 years ago still lurking and still using their L300's... a really excellent purchase for me - have certainly gotten my money's worth with tons of enjoyment!!

I see some familiar names on here from 4 years ago still lurking and still using their L300's... a really excellent purchase for me - have certainly gotten my money's worth with tons of enjoyment!!

I agree, though due to the l300's success, I'm afraid the newer one "may" disappoint if it doesn't last as long or have more problems. :(

From your postings, it sounds like the 2nd projector is the "problem"? Have you checked how the lamp from the 2nd projector works on the 1st projector?

It is the one I picked up used recently with 1,900 hours or so. As the manual indicates, it showed the replace lamp warning but I didn't read about that until after I had the problem. At about 2,050 hours I can't figure out how to get it work at all. The lamp is still ok, I tried it another projector. I may try to get a service manual and see if there is an easy fix I can do myself. The lamp in the PT-L500U I purchased new three years ago became too dim at 1,575 hours so I just replaced it with a new lamp so I still have a projector that works fine at my girlfriend's house.

Chris

I still have my L300U, going on almost five years! I've never had a bit of trouble with it other than a dust blob. Haven't even notice any dimming. But, the release of the AE2000 has me seriously thinking of that upgrade. It's brought me out of the woodwork and back to AVSForum. If I do get it I'd be very pleased if it approached the reliability of the old 300.

From your postings, it sounds like the 2nd projector is the "problem"? Have you checked how the lamp from the 2nd projector works on the 1st projector?

The lamp from the 2nd projector still works, the 2nd projector won't work with any lamp. Power on and it goes into standby now quickly. Like I tried to explain I always got the replace lamp warning after power on but that would go away and the projector would work fine. After I let the hours get to 2,050, it just shut down and the lamp indicator starting flashing. Now it will briefly flash light and immediately go into standby and then the lamp indicator light will start flashing. I called Panasonic and they were certainly nice enough to talk to me but the technician I spoke with didn't know and could only suggest I send it in for a $130 evaluation and if they fix it, the $130 would be applied to the total fee. I am going to see if I can pick up a service manual and take a crack at repairing it myself. Since the owner's manual indicates it will go into standby after 10 minutes once the lamp hours get to this level, that function may be what is screwed up, it goes into standby in 10 seconds, not 10 minutes. I might try some circle jerk method of seeing if I can get into the menu without seeing the menu by memorizing the button pushes and reset the lamp. I just reset the lamp hours on my original projector since I decided to replace the 1,550 hour lamp with a new one.

Does anybody know the least expensive way to get the service manual?

Chris

Chris, ok now I understand, try contacting CT_Wiebe or Thomas Willard here, and point to this thread, I think they have/had a AE100/300 service manual. There may be others as well. Also, I'd start a new thread asking for help if anyone has either the 100, 200 or our 300 series service manuals. May get better visibility that way. Hope you find the answer, and don't forget to post here if you have resolved it (just in case mine goes belly up too). :)

Hey everybody, i have the PT-L500. i've been running component from my PS3 for several months now for the ol' blu-ray. I thought i would "upgrade" to hdmi/dvi for the holidays. When i hooked that up, the picture looked pretty crappy. Everything seems to have a pinkish hue. Looks terrible. has anyone else used the dvi? do we just have to go and adjust all of the settings or something? i'm pretty confused.

Hey everybody, i have the PT-L500. i've been running component from my PS3 for several months now for the ol' blu-ray. I thought i would "upgrade" to hdmi/dvi for the holidays. When i hooked that up, the picture looked pretty crappy. Everything seems to have a pinkish hue. Looks terrible. has anyone else used the dvi? do we just have to go and adjust all of the settings or something? i'm pretty confused.

How long is your HDMI\DVI cable?

Did you use components or HDMI/DVD?

Which resolution did the 300 accept/get to achieve better than SD results?





I test drove hd-dvd for a couple weeks with my 300 and it looked much better than sd dvd, certainly alot sharper. I returned the player, however, because the number of titles available on hd-dvd at the time didn't justify it for me.

What would an L300u be worth with 1400 hrs on it? I haven't seen any on Ebay for quite some time.

Thanks,

Warren

What resolution do you get from PS3 components? 1080i?




Hey everybody, i have the PT-L500. i've been running component from my PS3 for several months now for the ol' blu-ray. I thought i would "upgrade" to hdmi/dvi for the holidays. When i hooked that up, the picture looked pretty crappy. Everything seems to have a pinkish hue. Looks terrible. has anyone else used the dvi? do we just have to go and adjust all of the settings or something? i'm pretty confused.

I have a 300 hooked up to a PS3 using component cables.

Set it to 1080i, wasn't sure I'd see the difference at first but I'm glad I was wrong! Blu-ray certainly looks much better than SD-DVD even though this set is "merely" extended def.

I've heard about other people having problems using HDMI-DVI adaptors on this set. (some very old threads, possibly not at this forum)

At the time some people were insisting that HDMI-DVI was merely "rearranging" the wires and couldn't possibly be the problem. But, someone with more technical knowledge said something about it not being that simple. (something about DVI using RGB and HDMI using something else causing problems with a select few sets, including this one apparently)

I have a 300 hooked up to a PS3 using component cables.

Set it to 1080i, wasn't sure I'd see the difference at first but I'm glad I was wrong! Blu-ray certainly looks much better than SD-DVD even though this set is "merely" extended def.

I've heard about other people having problems using HDMI-DVI adaptors on this set. (some very old threads, possibly not at this forum)

At the time some people were insisting that HDMI-DVI was merely "rearranging" the wires and couldn't possibly be the problem. But, someone with more technical knowledge said something about it not being that simple. (something about DVI using RGB and HDMI using something else causing problems with a select few sets, including this one apparently)

Chris:

I don't have a PS3, but your info that 1080i will work over component is very good news.

The 300 will not operate over DVI/HDMI unless the signal is non HDCP encrypted and the signal is compatible with WIDE768 (1280 X 768) or another signal identified in the manual. I have found that 720p may work (shows as WIDE768, it does look strange with blackout bars at the top and bottom of the screen). 1080i and 480p/480i will not work.

I have an OPPO 971 which is non HDCP and the picture will only be shown when the player is set to 720p over DVI. Good player, but very limited for L300, which seems to be designed for component use only.

HD cable connected through component looks amazing.:) The scaler in this PJ is very good.

The L500 is a different kettle, it will accept DVI at almost any signal and is HDCP compatible.

Anyone tried a HDDVD or BD player with the AE300? Is it world's apart with SD player?

OK, so here I am again after starting this thread some time ago. This time I need help.
What do I do to get a picture from the blu ray to the l500 via hdmi/dvi cable? So far, I'm getting nothing. I have not tried it with the 300 yet.

I think I'm going nuts.
I tried it with the l300, with no picture again. I have also tried the dvi to dvi cable to the other dvd player I have, and it did not respond to the signal either. Yes I have worked the input selection. wierd.

The DVI port on the L300 isn't HDCP compliant. You won't be able to watch Blu-ray movies via HDMI/DVI. I'm not sure about up converted DVD's played back on your Blu-ray plaer. You can watch Blu-ray movies via component however. You won't be able to watch upconverted DVD's at 1080i via component however. The output will be restricted to 480p.

I don't recall if the L500 is HDCP compliant or not. I'm a former L300 owner.

bump
Anyone here can help me?
I'm looking to see if there is Any way that I can hook up my blu ray to my l500 via hdmi to dvi cable. In another thread it was mentioned that the l500 was indeed HDCP compliant and that it was able to take the PS3 blue ray signal with no problem.
Anyone here have the same hangup, or for that matter, hookup?

As it says in the subject, I've got an L300 I purchased in August 2003. When the bulb hit 5000 hours, I reset the bulb counter and upped the power to hi. There's some minor pink/red discolorization on the panels or insides somewhere, but besides that its been amazingly reliable.

My plan is to replace it with a PT-AX200U if or when the bulb dies. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Anyone else willing to admit to running the bulb overtime?

As it says in the subject, I've got an L300 I purchased in August 2003. When the bulb hit 5000 hours, I reset the bulb counter and upped the power to hi. There's some minor pink/red discolorization on the panels or insides somewhere, but besides that its been amazingly reliable.

My plan is to replace it with a PT-AX200U if or when the bulb dies. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Anyone else willing to admit to running the bulb overtime?

I got over 5800 hrs on the original bulb in my PT-L200U. As I have mentioned before, I was waiting for the bulb to die but finally tired of waiting and bought an AX-200 a month ago. As you can imagine, it is a HUGE upgrade. You will not be disappointed.

bump
Anyone here can help me?
I'm looking to see if there is Any way that I can hook up my blu ray to my l500 via hdmi to dvi cable. In another thread it was mentioned that the l500 was indeed HDCP compliant and that it was able to take the PS3 blue ray signal with no problem.
Anyone here have the same hangup, or for that matter, hookup?

I just ordered a hdmi to dvi cable for my 500u so I'll let you know how it goes when it arrives.

I replaced my original bulb at about 4500 to prevent the thing from exploding. At the time I aslo had it cleaned and I had the Blue polarizer replaced as I had what looked like a dust blob...but was actually a burn on the polarizer. The funny thing is the replacement bulb ended up burning out at about 1000 hours. I have since put the original back in...and its still going a year later. I must have over 5500 on that bulb. Its not as bright as it used to be....but I have no reason to upgrade until this bulb bites the dust. I will probably upgrade to Panasonic's native HD PJ when it comes time

bump
Anyone here can help me?
I'm looking to see if there is Any way that I can hook up my blu ray to my l500 via hdmi to dvi cable. In another thread it was mentioned that the l500 was indeed HDCP compliant and that it was able to take the PS3 blue ray signal with no problem.
Anyone here have the same hangup, or for that matter, hookup?

I purchased a 25' HDMI to DVI cable from Monoprice and connect the PS3 just fine to the 500.

I have 4000 hrs on my 300u. I just got a replacement bulb for it and will install it soon. Bought it on ebay for $247.00, not bad for a replacement bulb. I think the picture has gotten a little dimmer since when I first got the projector but not anything to worry about. I will wait to upgrade when either the second bulb dies or the projector dies. I have cleaned it out with air once to get rid of a dust blob and that is it. Still a great picture!

I purchased a 25' HDMI to DVI cable from Monoprice and connect the PS3 just fine to the 500.


I have a Samsung BD-UP5000 Duo player connected to a L500 through HDMI to DVI. There are some synching issues at times. The projector does not immediately recognize the player, but eventually the DVI symbol stops flashing and it is ready to go. The quality of Blu-ray and HD-DVD using DVI is something to behold. I watched Fools Gold in Blu-ray two nights ago and wanted to jump in the water!

Still have my 300u... with 117 original hours on it! Bought it while I was building my HT and then I moved from that house (actually out of the country for a while). As soon as I'm done my with my new HT, the 300u is going to be set up again. Figured that I use it until the bulb goes and then buy a 1080p...

I have a Samsung BD-UP5000 Duo player connected to a L500 through HDMI to DVI. There are some synching issues at times. The projector does not immediately recognize the player, but eventually the DVI symbol stops flashing and it is ready to go. The quality of Blu-ray and HD-DVD using DVI is something to behold. I watched Fools Gold in Blu-ray two nights ago and wanted to jump in the water!

when the dvi is flashing on screen it means the hdcp (hdmi-dvi) handshake is taking place.
on my l500 it stops after about 5-6 seconds.

~800 hours on my l500 in 4 years; bought new july 8, '04; never had a single issue.
black levels could be a little better but thats it.
i'll have to have a party this 7-8 to celebrate.

i'll upgrade eventually to a c.i.h. setup.

Does feeding the L300 with 1080p material, show a big difference?

I've tried with upconverted 720p sdvd material thru dvi, i got worse results than 420p via components.

pixel8 - I don't think you can feed the 300u 1080p... according to the manual the highest resolution accepted (through component since the DVI is very limited in what it accepts) is 1080i (both 50 & 60).

I still have my L500u, with only 2000 hours on it. I did upgrade to the ax200u and the only thing better is the brightness and color is a little better.

Well, I'm finally catching up with this thread. I retired the excellent PT-L300U after 4 yrs and 8 months of viewing pleasure (2 bulbs, 2nd still works with about 800 hrs on it). I bit the bullet in Jan '08 and upgraded to the Mitsubishi HC4900 (1080p) when they were running a $500 rebate, so the net cost after the rebate and the reseller's "Superbowl" promotion was under $1400.

The upgrade is fantastic - while the L300 served us well, going to 1080p with a much brighter, sharper image, improved black levels, etc. was like rediscovering the magic of HT all over again! Other than a stuck green pixel on the L300, which showed up about the 4 year mark, the projector works well and I'm going to get around to putting it on eBay or giving it to a nephew.

Wow, this thread is ancient... these are old Panasonic models we're talking about, correct?

Wow, this thread is ancient... these are old Panasonic models we're talking about, correct?

yes.

I have my ptl 500 hooked up to panny bd30. Great pic. Going strong for about 4 years now. About 800 hours on it.

I have my ptl 500 hooked up to panny bd30. Great pic. Going strong for about 4 years now. About 800 hours on it.

last night i hooked up my (new to me) 'refurbed' onkyo hd805 (with reon v.p.) hd dvd player via hdmi to my ptl500 and watched 1st flic, 'jurassic park III', sd dvd, looked pretty darn good.
WOW!
my other players produced great images but the onkyo image is a bit sharper, cleaner, and SMOOTHER !!

the 805 breathes new life into my old pj!:)

I have my ptl 500 hooked up to panny bd30. Great pic. Going strong for about 4 years now. About 800 hours on it.

i just got my 1st bd player about 3 weeks ago, a refurb sam. bdp1400.
came with latest fw-1.8; so far, so good!
then 2 weeks ago i got a m'price 4x2 switcher for my 2 hd dvd and 1 bd players.
current configuration:

onkyo hd805
tosh hda2
samsung bdp1400

to m'price 4x2 hdmi switcher to:

panasonic ptl500 pj
and/or
element lcd hdtv

so far, this setup is working great also.

Got a PS3, hooked it up via HDMI/DVI cable to L300, but nothing ?!

Worked fine with my plasma. Changed output settings to 720p, 1080i and 1080p, but nothing ?!!

Looks like I probably need to upgrade to a 720p or 1080p projector soon.... any recommendations, coming from L300 users?

The L300 never worked with standard 720/1080 signals over DVI. It worked with Bravo and Momitsu upscaling DVD players that could to set custom resolutions to match the L300.

You'll have to get a component adapter for the PS3 to work or upgrade the PJ.

Bob

I didnt have problem with the oppo 970 upscaling at 720p.

Maybe there's something significant with PS3's output signal. :confused:

I didnt have problem with the oppo 970 upscaling at 720p.

Maybe there's something significant with PS3's output signal. :confused:

If you were trying to watch a Blu-ray movie than it definitely would not have worked since the DVI input on the L300 isn't HDCP compliant.

I wasn't watching bluray. I was just booting up the PS3 but nothing showed. not the sony splash screen nor the menus.

It could be the hdcp compliance or maybe output is a different frequency (hz)

Looking at my problems now, here are options playing in my mind :-


Get a BD player which doesn't require hdcp compliance. Is there such? Anyone using with AE300?
Get a new AV receiver. PS3 -> AVR -> Ae300 via hdmi. Or is it same hdcp problem?
Get a 1080p projector. Or should I go halfway with 720p?



So what do you think? I think no. 3 is the most expensive option.

The only way to use a BD player with the AE300 (yes, still using mine as well!) is through component... to my knowledge there's no BD player without hdcp... so neither #1 or #2 is really an option. So, basically either a new proj. or use component video output, and remember to put the output to 1080i (or 720p), 1080p doesn't seem to work (probably says so in the manual, but that's kind of last resort if I can't figure it out myself...)

After much much thought, thinking option 3 with 720p projector is the most logical.

Cos if option 1 and 2 works, there's still the problem with the dead pixels at the bottom of the screen due to mismatched resolution. That's what you see, audiojan, right?

I see that with my oppo970 upscaling via hdmi or components.

In a couple of weeks it will be 5 years that I've had my AE500. Still loving it. When the bulb blows I'll upgrade.

This is only my second projector, but it's such an improvement over my first one (Sony 400Q) that I've never been unhappy with it.

In a couple of weeks it will be 5 years that I've had my AE500. Still loving it. When the bulb blows I'll upgrade.

This is only my second projector, but it's such an improvement over my first one (Sony 400Q) that I've never been unhappy with it.
i'm up to 4 years and 5 months (~820 hours) with no issues at all. (crosses fingers/knocks on wood).
i still go 'holy sh*t!!':eek: every time i fire it up.:D

I have been running a 500 for 4+ years now and it is still going strong. It is in my basement theater room and used for about 2 movies a week plus some gaming, so hours on the (original) bulb are relatively low.

I recently upgraded my receiver to a Denon 889 and hoped to take advantage of the HDMI switching capabilities. I run a "Popcorn Hour" media streamer and my upconverting Sony DVD player into the receiver from their HDMI outputs and through an HDMI cable from the Denon to the projector with an HDMI/DVI converter plug. These two devices work flawlessly with the Denon doing the sound duties and switching the video to the projector. The problem I have is with a new XBox360. I have it hooked up the same way as the other two devices, but I get audio, but no video signal to the projector. I checked the HDMI output and cable by plugging it into my plasma in the family room, and everything is good. I understand that HDCP content (blu ray) cannot be passed through the HDMI cables to the DVI port on this projector, but I dont think Xbox games have HDCP. The Xbox is currently working by sending component into the Denon, which converts it to HDMI and sends it off to the projector, but I was hoping to keep the signal all digital if possible. Any ideas? Thanks.

gotta keep this thread alive. why, i dont really know.:confused::D

anyhoo, my PTL500 has been in my possession for 5 years as of 7/8/09.
still running strong.
got blu ray/hd dvd/reon processor/etc, most of the tricks...
only have ~850 hours on original bulb. it's still bright enuff to hurt me peepers sometimes. i'm loving it!

will go 1080p eventually, but for now this pj is good.:)

Glad to see people still posing stuff about the 300. Mine is still going strong but I think it's time for another bulb replacement. Has anybody ever tried the generic bulb without the housing? They can be found on Ebay for a couple of hundred. Considerably less than original Panasonic which they probably quit making years ago. My 300 is getting close to 6 years old now, and still is one of the greatest things I have.

Glad to see people still posting stuff about the 300. Mine is still going strong but I think it's time for another bulb replacement. Has anybody ever tried the generic bulb without the housing? They can be found on Ebay for a couple of hundred. Considerably less than original Panasonic which they probably quit making years ago. My 300 is getting close to 6 years old now, and still is one of the greatest things I have.

don't know anything about the '300', sorry.
but my 500 is still crankin' along. its image still looks as good as the day i bought it, 5 1/2 yrs ago.
original lamp with under 900 hrs.

only reason i'll upgrade (maybe) is for the added detail of 1080p and better black levels. but no rush.

looks like I relegated my 300 to portable duty from now on. instead of buying a new lamp, I bought an Epson 8100. I project onto an 11' diag, as I've yearning for full HD and more lumens and CR for some time. also no BD player compatability headaches given the lack of HDCP in the 300. I actually packed the 300 in the travel bag that I dug out of the original shipping box from 6 years ago.

looks like I relegated my 300 to portable duty from now on. instead of buying a new lamp, I bought an Epson 8100. I project onto an 11' diag, as I've yearning for full HD and more lumens and CR for some time. also no BD player compatability headaches given the lack of HDCP in the 300. I actually packed the 300 in the travel bag that I dug out of the original shipping box from 6 years ago.
just curious, what make/model blu ray player?
i have a samsung bdp1400, it's pretty good.

looks like I relegated my 300 to portable duty from now on. instead of buying a new lamp, I bought an Epson 8100. I project onto an 11' diag, as I've yearning for full HD and more lumens and CR for some time. also no BD player compatability headaches given the lack of HDCP in the 300. I actually packed the 300 in the travel bag that I dug out of the original shipping box from 6 years ago.

Same here, except I got the AE4000. Kinda sad to put away my L300 and leave the club.:( I must say, though, that the picture on the new PJ is truly superior. No Blu-Ray player yet so I popped on a regular DVD and my 10 yr old walked in and said "what happened to the projector - it looks 3D!".

looks like I relegated my 300 to portable duty from now on. instead of buying a new lamp, I bought an Epson 8100. I project onto an 11' diag, as I've yearning for full HD and more lumens and CR for some time. also no BD player compatability headaches given the lack of HDCP in the 300. I actually packed the 300 in the travel bag that I dug out of the original shipping box from 6 years ago.

Doing the exact same thing. Hope to pick up the 8100 this week.
My 300u treated me well for over 6 years. Second bulb just went. Projector works fine otherwise. So many SuperBowl parties(Go Pats!) and thousands:eek: of hours of gaming.
I used it outside for big Boston sports playoff games in 10-80 degree weather on a 16' by 9' screen. Was thinking of selling it cheap but I'll keep it around for watching the big game outside. Don't think I want to drag the 8100 out there.

Westgate:
Actually, no player yet. I'm thinking about the LG BD390.

Croberto:
Confirmed. The Pats do look pretty good on on a 8100! First SB party with my 300 was Pats v Panthers. Be nice to ring in the 8100 in a similar fashion. Pats need win against the Bills or they'll be in another tie breaker situation like last year!

Rick

Just plugged in my first BluRay player into my 500U. I thought that since the 500U only has a DVI input (i use a hdmi/dvi adapter), it might not play HDCP protected bluray's, so I even re-installed my old component cable to get ready for the bluray player's arrival on xmas day. Anyways, I plugged everything in and I am happy to report no HDCP issues - everything works fine with DVI/HDMI input.

Just plugged in my first BluRay player into my 500U. I thought that since the 500U only has a DVI input (i use a hdmi/dvi adapter), it might not play HDCP protected bluray's, so I even re-installed my old component cable to get ready for the bluray player's arrival on xmas day. Anyways, I plugged everything in and I am happy to report no HDCP issues - everything works fine with DVI/HDMI input.
re bd player hdmi to panny PTL500u dvi-i coulda told you that back in aug of '08.
been using my bdp via hdmi to my 500u s' dvi since then. works great!:)

well, this 'ol PTL500's still crankin. and its images still looking good!
i'm all the way up to almost 900 hours in 6 years :eek:.

in the last two weeks, i've watched 'legion', 'moon', 'the road', and 'gran torino', all bds. all looked great!

the bulb has just enough hours on it to produce almost decent blacks, lol!
and it's still bright as he((.

bds look like a million bux on this pj. that's using a dvi > hdmi cable from a monoprice 4x2 switcher with a samsung bdp1400, sylvania bdp, comcast hd stb, and the onkyo hd805 (hd dvd-reon processor) as sources.

Hey .. I still have my PT 500 .. bought in 2004 ..
I have pushed the bulb way over the limit .. er . 2855h hours ...yes i know its time to change (evidence is there ) but really still a great picture
Using an LG BH200 BLuray/HD-DVD combo player .. but getting a PS3 soon ..
Bulb has been ordered ..
Will likley upgrade in a yr or 2 . no rush ..

Yup, we have to keep this thread alive. My old L300 is still going strong in my son-in-law's house (whenever he still uses it) -- he's also using my old screen, too.

My current PJ is a 1080p Mitsubishi HC5500 (vintage 2008, mine was bought in October '08). I currently have 2700+ hours on the HC5500 (5000 hour rating at low lamp power). I will say that I'm using the HC5500 a lot more than any PJ I've owned (~50hr/wk, when I'm home). If anyone upgrades, I will say that they should get a 1080p PJ. The picture is absolutely stunning, especially with an HD source.

PS -- I'm trying to keep the HC5500 thread alive, too. It's another great "bang-for-the-buck" PJ.

Hey .. I still have my PT 500 .. bought in 2004 ..
I have pushed the bulb way over the limit .. er . 2855h hours ...yes i know its time to change (evidence is there ) but really still a great picture
Using an LG BH200 BLuray/HD-DVD combo player .. but getting a PS3 soon ..
Bulb has been ordered ..
Will likley upgrade in a yr or 2 . no rush ..

glad to hear it's still running. that's a lot of hours on that bulb. congrats!
i'd also like to upgrade, probably to a 1080p eventually. no rush here either.

Yup, we have to keep this thread alive. My old L300 is still going strong in my son-in-law's house (whenever he still uses it) -- he's also using my old screen, too.

My current PJ is a 1080p Mitsubishi HC5500 (vintage 2008, mine was bought in October '08). I currently have 2700+ hours on the HC5500 (5000 hour rating at low lamp power). I will say that I'm using the HC5500 a lot more than any PJ I've owned (~50hr/wk, when I'm home). If anyone upgrades, I will say that they should get a 1080p PJ. The picture is absolutely stunning, especially with an HD source.

PS -- I'm trying to keep the HC5500 thread alive, too. It's another great "bang-for-the-buck" PJ.

based on your and others experiences with the mits 5500, it's on my short-list of pjs to upgrade to, when i eventually do it. altho, it'll probably be not available by the time i get around to making that upgrade. 'course, that means that there will most likely be something better by then-
hmm, the cedia show is only 3 months away.

westgate -- Actually, the HC6500 is a slightly better PJ than the HC5500, in all respects. The new (2010 model) HC6800 actually had some detractors and 2 AVS members were dissatisfied, for one reason or another. Also, Mitsubishi, changed there advertised features for the HC6800, which makes me wonder.

I have vowed to never buy a brand new (announced at CEDIA) PJ until it has been on the market for at least 4+ months. That way, other AVS members have time to ring it out, and find all it's flaws. I've been burnt by one bad design, and I can't afford another. When Mitsubishi released it's HC3800 PJ last fall, it had all kinds of problems. Now, 6 months later, it looks like they have, finally, ironed them all out (fingers crossed for the new owners). At least Mitsubishi doesn't turn it's back on their customers, like some manufacturers do.

You are right though, it will be interesting to see what real improvements, if any, are coming for 2011 (aside from the 3D hype).

i can't even begin to say how UN-interested i am in 3D. don't want anything to do with it.

I'm still enjoying my 500u but I'm getting itchy for a brighter, 1080p picture. I'd like to go mobile the the 500u and upgrade. What do you like in the up to $2500 range? The pj is ceiling mounted 14' with a 106 inch screen.

Brian

I'm still enjoying my 500u but I'm getting itchy for a brighter, 1080p picture. I'd like to go mobile the the 500u and upgrade. What do you like in the up to $2500 range? The pj is ceiling mounted 14' with a 106 inch screen.

Brian
i'm still enjoying my ptl500 also. with only ~900 hours on it in 6 years (july 8, '04) it's still bright enough to hurt my eyes on bright scenes.

re new pjs in ~$2500 range (or any other price range), i haven't kept track of very many new pjs.

altho, mitsubishi pjs seem to be pretty popular and reliable. i may go with one of their 1080p jobs eventually.

in the meantime, i'm quite happy with the 500.
i also watch some movies on my LCD flat panel so it helps keep pj lamp hours down.

ahh, the 'ol 500 just keeps crankin' out the videos (blu-rays) and looking good!

Eventually got my new lamp for my 500 ( after 3042 hrs on 1st lamp ) , and its nice and bright again !! BLuray movies Looking great with my PS3 !!!

we'll see if and when the itch starts ....

Eventually got my new lamp for my 500 ( after 3042 hrs on 1st lamp ) , and its nice and bright again !! BLuray movies Looking great with my PS3 !!!

we'll see if and when the itch starts ....

Congrats on new lamp! your 500 is just barely broken in, good for many more years. :D

i'm gonna try my 500 in an outdoor setting this weekend. some neighbors here have been doing an outdoor (kid-friendly) movie every other saturday night using a sanyo 4x3 business pj with a w'mart dvd player with only a composite cable video connection. that image onto a 10' screen. YUCK! :eek:

once i got wind of this 'party' i offered to use my 500 with one of my bdps for this weekend. most folks here haven't seen hi def anything, much less blu-ray.
i'd like to go with a kid-friendly sci-fi movie, maybe the new star trek, independence day, something like those...

should make for an interesting night.

awright! last night we brought the 500 outdoors, set it up with my sylvania bdp, an old 8' x 6' sheet duct-taped to the side of the house, and let 'er rip.
looked pretty good.

about 35 folks, mostly kids, showed up. one mom brought her microwave oven outside with us and made popcorn for all!

the evening was deemed a success even tho it got cold towards the end.
several folks remarked how much better an image the pan ptl500 (>dvi to hdmi adapter cable >bdp) put out compared to the sanyo 4x3 pj with composite video cable they'd been using.

oh, the movie was the 'new' 'star trek', blu-ray.

outdoor home theater is the way to go! :D
but as it's getting cold here in no. new england, we gots to wait til next spring/summer to do it again. :(

:D

minor issue with my 500 ... since i changed the lamp .. I've noticed an intermittent horizontal line( video noise) that starts at the bottom of the screen and moves slowly upwards ! its annoying but the picture stays the same quality which is good ....
It also does not matter what the input is ..BLu ray , DVD , Sattelite,GAme .. same issue
I've checked all cables and even tried another receiver .. same problem

over the last week though the line had become more persistent ... last night i changed to high power mode and it seems to have disappeared ...... I;ve generally alway run on normal power before ..

I guess I could just stay on high power ... though would like to figure it out too ..
Anyway .. just wondering if anyone had any idea what might be the issue .???

still running my 500, looks as good as ever, imo.
just over 1k hours in 6+(!) years.

hard to justify spending another grand or two for a new one when this one looks as good as it does. 'specially with blu-ray.

vic1970, how're you making out with your 500?

Last month, I mounted my 300 on the wall vertically behind and just below the headboard of our bed. It's projecting about a 30" diag on the ceiling almost straight up. I ran component and audio rg-6 cables and I'm using the built-in speaker. The problem I have is the 300 doesn't have sleep timer on it.

Still enjoying my 300 that i purchased way back in '02 and personally, I think it kicks butt with blu-ray. No dust blobs, glitches, etc. I tell ya, they don't make 'em like they used to. I have about 1800 hours or so on mine.

hOLY cRAP!
yOU Guys still here! I remember when I posted this. Btw, Yes, Still running mine. I thought I would buy a new one When I move.