I tried futzing around with Video and Dynamic modes, and I think I prefer them to Normal with the 81EF filter. I will post my settings after I recheck it with DVE.

OK, here are my settings in Dynamic, Low Lamp, 81EF filter, 106" HP screen, PJ mounted 11' from screen at 4' high (April 2006 build, if I recall correctly):

Contrast -13
Brightness +6 (varies)
Color -18 (varies)
Tint +3 (varies)
Temp -1

GH -8
GM +4
GL +6
CR -4 (varies)
CG -14
CB +6
BR -4
BG -13
BB -4

Picture is pretty bright, skintones are pretty good, a bit pink, with little green push. I tweak this and that with the source. This is by eye, and grays look pretty good to me.

CPCAT - if you try my settings let me know what you think, OK? Do you have a meter and cal software to check with?

I am a new owner of a AE900U and very, very happy. Previously, I had been projecting onto a plain white wall and decided to go with the Behr Silverscreen paint many on this board have endorsed.

My first impression was WOW at the improved sharpness and detail I noticed, as well as the quality of the blacks. However, the picture does appear a bit dim - particularly in Cinema 1 and Cinema 3 where I had been doing most of my viewing prior to the paint job.

Does anyone have a good calibration recommendation for a light-controlled room with Behr SS as the screen? If so, I'd love to see what you've done.

(By the way, I have no filter on this projector)



PS - Question 2. How often should you be doing "maintenance" on this PJ? Cleaning, etc.?

Sullender, why don't you try these settings for Normal mode, no filter from the first page. Silver and Grey screens are darker than white screens, and Normal mode has higher lumens than Cinema1. You will probably have to make adjustments, since there is a lot of variability among ae900 PJ's.

Eric Awtry 's Original Settings without a filter 1/15/06

Normal
Color Temp -4
Gamma
H 0
M 0
L +1

Contrast
R -4
G -4
B 3

Bright
R 0
G -2
B -1


or: Mike's settings with no Filter 12/27/05

Normal mode
Low Lamp, Color Temp = -4

Gamma
High= 0
Mid= 1
Low= 3

Contrast
Red= 0
Green= -8
Blue= -8

Bright
Red= 0
Green= 2
Blue= -1

Thanks. The first mix looks pretty good. But I still am pushing contrast up to 10 and bright up to 4. I only painted a few days ago, maybe it will lighten up naturally as it sets?

Its not bad - in fact, the picture is much, much sharper than before. But watching sports in particular it just seems a tad dark. It's like I've made my blacks look incredible and the picture more sharp, but lost a little in brightness. Maybe I'll get used to it - I'm going to keep playing with it for a few weeks.

Keep the suggestions coming if any of you have them.

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but it appears the 900 will accept 720p72 and display it natively. I set up an output configuration on my Lumagen HDP for 720p at 72hz and it appears to work fine. Pretty cool. :)

Are you finding the blacks kinda crushed on your unit? Mine is Jan 06 as well and when I watch dark films, like the UK pressing of The Descent, I really have to bump up the brightness.

I think the reason for this is that if you set the black level using AVIA, then you are doing so using a half black / half white screen. the AE900 auto iris will decrease the overall light output during dark scenes, thus affecting the shadow detail observed relative to the amount observed in the test pattern . I use AVIA to make the setting, tweak it using a dark scene of a really dark movie. yYou will see that you need to increase the brightness to recover the shadow detail. Bottom line (to my eyes) is that the half white / half black AVIA screen is not perfect for sources that use an auto iris. You need to do the final calibration using a real world dark scene and then you'll be pissing in tall cotton.

Here are my settings for April, 2006 ae900, MOXI HDTV via component with the 81EF filter and 106" High Power screen, seating at 10', PJ at 12' mid-wall (4' high, with a homemade matte box in front of the PJ to block light leakage and improve contrast). It looks pretty good to my eyes (without a color meter) for HD sources. First I tweaked the DVD over HDMI with DVE and saved the user setup, then loaded the settings with the component input and re-tweaking for HDTV by eye.

Normal
Contrast -7
Brightness +6
Color -15
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +4

Gammas
H -4
M -2
L +5

Contrast
R -8
G -16
B -10

Bright
R -5
G -11
B -5

Anyone with a similar setup who wants to try out my settings, please let me know what you think (especially if you have cal equipment). I got rid of the green push for most sources with these settings.

Are you finding the blacks kinda crushed on your unit? Mine is Jan 06 as well and when I watch dark films, like the UK pressing of The Descent, I really have to bump up the brightness.

.


You might try bumping your gamma up some. Then readjust black level with AVIA or DVE.

I'm using the following at present from MikeSRC with my 81EF filter:

Gamma
High: 3
Med: 2
Low: 5

Compared to all at zero, this seems to give me better shadow detail while the absolute blackness of black remains the same.

You might try bumping your gamma up some. Then readjust black level with AVIA or DVE.

I'm using the following at present from MikeSRC with my 81EF filter:

Gamma
High: 3
Med: 2
Low: 5

Compared to all at zero, this seems to give me better shadow detail while the absolute blackness of black remains the same.

I used the Get Gray disc to get my basic calibrations done and now I've just been tweaking the brightness and gamma as well for the individual sources. That Descent disc is DARK. Other stuff is looking fine though. Thanks for all the tips everyone.

E

Hi Cpcat,

I reduced gamma high because (for me) the HP screen makes whites too bright in contrasty bright scenes, and I get white crush, even sometimes with the filter, depending on the source material. I still do minor tweaking for most programs/DVDs since they are all a bit different. Black level should not affect the gamma high and mid, only the gamma low, right?
Everyone has different tastes, too.

Hi Cpcat,

I reduced gamma high because (for me) the HP screen makes whites too bright in contrasty bright scenes, and I get white crush, even sometimes with the filter, depending on the source material. I still do minor tweaking for most programs/DVDs since they are all a bit different. Black level should not affect the gamma high and mid, only the gamma low, right?
Everyone has different tastes, too.

You are correct. I went back and checked the gamma values and decreasing both the mid and high gamma back to zero allows for a higher contrast setting without crushing whites. This also seemed to smooth my AVIA grey ramps out a little more. Increasing the low gamma to +5 seems to give better shadow detail but still keeps black at the same absolute level after readjustment of black level. I've settled on high and mid gamma at zero with low gamma at +5.

On another point, I've also found that using the 81EF filter I need to adjust COLRED on my Lumagen to +10 in addition to placing COLGREEN at -35. This puts everything at zero on my AVIA color decoder check and I think was the reason I was still seeing a slight green tinge to faces on occasion. Without the benefit of the Lumagen, you might try shading the tint control on the 900 back a little towards red and decreasing saturation a smidge.

I tried increasing Color Temp to +6, and it makes the sky look better - more blue. Not too shabby for an LCD PJ, eh? I'm liking my HP screen more and more. Maybe two Cokin filters (like 81C + CC20M or 81B + CC30M) would fix the green tinge, but possibly at the expense of sharpness, depending on the quality of the filters. I have not tested the filter with binocolars yet (looking for a double image, which would be bad).

I made a mask box out of a cardboard shoebox, with a rectangular hole cut out of the front to just block any light leakage to fit the screen, which was suggested in the ae700 tweaks thread. I'm not sure the slight possible improvement in contrast was worth the effort, and it does stick out 8" and looks pretty goofy. Maybe the ae900 doesn't need it like the 700 did. I can't do a quick A-B comparison with and without the box, so it's hard to tell what difference it makes. Plus, my husband doesn't care for how it looks. Oh, well.

I think I need to start a 12-step meeting - TA - tweakaholics anonymous!

Per a request by iggymama

I've scanned the transmission graphs of the most commonly used filters for grey-scale calibration.

These are from a LEE Filters (http://www.leefilters.com/) swatch book which is provided by the manufacturer upon request. There might be slight variations between manufacturers but for all intents they are manufactured to photographic standards.

They will provide an idea of the way these filters affect the light from a source, though I'm unconvinced of its direct applicability to a pj without first measuring what a a particular picture mode is providing.

ted

and the remaining files...

ted

Thank you for that, Ted!

Here are my settings for April, 2006 ae900, MOXI HDTV via component with the 81EF filter and 106" High Power screen, seating at 10', PJ at 12' mid-wall (4' high, with a homemade matte box in front of the PJ to block light leakage and improve contrast). It looks pretty good to my eyes (without a color meter) for HD sources. First I tweaked the DVD over HDMI with DVE and saved the user setup, then loaded the settings with the component input and re-tweaking for HDTV by eye.

Normal
Contrast -7
Brightness +6
Color -15
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +4

Gammas
H -4
M -2
L +5

Contrast
R -8
G -16
B -10

Bright
R -5
G -11
B -5

Anyone with a similar setup who wants to try out my settings, please let me know what you think (especially if you have cal equipment). I got rid of the green push for most sources with these settings.

Hi Ted,

I plan on getting a Cokin 81C filter (SOON), and I want to add a CC20M or CC30M filter to cut the green. Do you think the CC20M would be enough? Would the CC30M dim the image too much when combined with the 81C?

The 81EF is giving me a green tinge that I can barely tweak out, and it cuts a bit too much light output. If I can get rid of the excess green, then maybe it will improve my contrast and color balance even more. What do think?

Hi Owners,

I just got my AE900 with a Hoya 81C filter and the Toshiba HD-A1 both are connected by a cheap 15 ft HDMI cable. The problem I have is that the picture is not Uniformly fit on my 106 inch draper screen seem like the left side and the right side is off center am I Explaining it correctly?

One side is higher. I know on my computer monitor there is Pincushion, Trapezoid, V and H Position to fix it but I only see V and H position, Keystone and they don't seem to fix it. I haven't mounted it yet it just sit on a chair and about 13 feet away from the screen.

Please Help or direct me to the correct site..or my projector is bad? Thank you!!

Have you tried raising one side by using the leveling feet under the front of the pj?

Hi, Cpcat
Thanks for your response..but It's not that the projector is not level it's the picture thats not level or should I said Overscan?

left side of the picture is higher then the right side..Let's said my picture is not a perfect widescreen rectangle shape..the top right picture is off by couple of degrees. Thanks again.

Mike

Be sure any keystone correction is off.

Be sure you are shooting straight at the screen, not from the side, up from below, or down from above.

Be sure the lens shift knob is more or less centered within it's range.

You already said leveling the pj doesn't help.

If you still have a noticeably tilted picture after all of that I'd say something is wrong.

I also have a slight tilt to my image, but my PJ is about a foot from dead center of the screen, so I think the PJ has to be tilted slightly or lens shifted to center the image, and that is why one side is taller than the other by about 3/4" (I'm guessing).

Hi Ted,

I plan on getting a Cokin 81C filter (SOON), and I want to add a CC20M or CC30M filter to cut the green. Do you think the CC20M would be enough? Would the CC30M dim the image too much when combined with the 81C?

The 81EF is giving me a green tinge that I can barely tweak out, and it cuts a bit too much light output. If I can get rid of the excess green, then maybe it will improve my contrast and color balance even more. What do think?

I'm probably the wrong person to ask but I *can* say:

The 81C is similar to the EF with respect to its transmission graph's linearity, ranging from 40% to 95 % throughout the spectrum.
The 81C will cost you about 1/3rd stop, the 20R & 30R CC will drop your output another 2/3rds stop. This is a full F-Stop loss which is 50% of any output your lamp provides. Is this acceptable to you, particularly after the lamp's expected 50% drop by 300 to 500 Hrs?

Though there is a slight slope change in the Green region of the EF which would result in small "boost" in Green, I doubt this is the reason you are seeing this tinge, that "boost" is also in the 81C's spectrum. I believe you have stated elsewhere that this is not visible to you on reference greyscale (DVE, AVIA et al).

The very modes you are filtering are already Green/Blue excess - it is the only way we can gain CR and use the primary amps in a more balanced manner which overdrive the RED because of the UHP Light source. Have you read the links connected to Steve Smallcombe's SMART III site which clearly explains the "why" of using filters?

I'm not a fan of coupling too much glass - be sure they are high quality and coated.

Again, because my approach is different from yours, I am the wrong person to ask.

ted

Oh, I thought the CC20 only dropped 1/3 of an F stop! 2/3 is definately too much. Yes, I have read Steve Smallcombe's SMART III site, among other things. I have read so much my eyes are starting to bleed! I may have been wrong initially about the grayscale being balanced, because I looked at the DVE gray ramps again, and they had pink and green tints at different IRE levels after I had tried tweaking out the excess green (although it looks a lot better now that I re-tweaked again).

The 81EF drops a bit more blue than green, and the HP screen has been stated as emphasizing yellow (although I don't know if that is really true). Also the newer ae900s may be biased more towards green, so it has to be tweaked out more to equalize the grayscale.

I bought the 81EF filter because I was trying to improve my contrast ratio and black levels, which seems to be badly needed with the HP screen. I didn't think I would need the filter when I had the GW2, but it had too many problems for me that I returned it. Now that I have the HP screen, I miss the deep blacks I was getting with the GW.

I don't believe the Cokin filters are coated, but I didn't think it was necessary for a projector (based on recommendations in this thread). Maybe for two filters, coated would be better. Plus the CC filters are not glass, they are resin or polyester.

I don't mind dropping 2/3 of a stop, but not more than that. Thank you for enlightening me! I guess I will let it go and be satisfied with my picture until someone else with cal equimpent, a newer filtered ae900 and an HP screen posts their settings.

Oh, I thought the CC20 only dropped 1/3 of an F stop! 2/3 is definately too much.
It is indicated by the EXP parameter on the transmission charts.
The 81EF drops a bit more blue than green, and the HP screen has been stated as emphasizing yellow (although I don't know if that is really true). Also the newer ae900s may be biased more towards green, so it has to be tweaked out more to equalize the grayscale.
This should be within the range of the primary amps. Have you tried adding some Red/Blue? Ultimately however the pj may not be capable of completely flat response without some dE at some stimulous levels.
Now that I have the HP screen, I miss the deep blacks I was getting with the GW.
I assume your room is not an issue - LEDs and reflective walls are enough to play havoc with blacks. Unfortunately with current tech it can be a trade off between deep blacks and Ft Lamberts.
I don't believe the Cokin filters are coated, but I didn't think it was necessary for a projector (based on recommendations in this thread). Maybe for two filters, coated would be better.
I recommended coating because of your wish to stack the filters. Coating will lower the second order reflections which can affect black levels more than whites - not that I think it will be an issue really.
I guess I will let it go and be satisfied with my picture until someone else with cal equimpent, a newer filtered ae900 and an HP screen posts their settings.
Mind altering substances plus a lot of good films can work wonders. Why not find something reasonably acceptable to you and revisit in a month or so? Its usually recommended to break in your bulb a bit before calibration anyway.

ted

Thanks... cpcat and Iggy!!

Got home went to my basement..did everything and check everything again..it just needed a little tilting like Iggy said. What happen is i was going to mount it but the tilt of the image scare me so i had to make it go away before i mount it..i had a omnimount pmd1 that has a grid system with washers and bolts seem like one of the screws was not balance and the fact that it was on a table make it worse. I am glad I can keep my AE900 didn't want to sent it back my first projector !! thanks again...this forum is the best i been lurking in here for so long, got all my equipment because of this forum my toshiba HDDVD though onepass miles, Mirage Omnisat's, Panny sa-xr70 with hdmi works great with my ae900 and toshiba
hd player. It's nice to finally set up my basement with everything and watch a movie on a 106 inch screen but not done with tweaking the ae900 yet!!

I've owned the Panny AE900 for 2 months now and very happy with but I feel that the blacks could be better or improved on. I don't like using Dynamic Iris since it somewhat affects the whites especially on the beginning and end credits of dvds where the background is black and the text is white. So, is there a way to improve the blacks. The one I can think of would be a filter for the lens. Any recommendations. I know this thread has gotten very long and I don't feel like searching for it. I just want straight answer.

I've owned the Panny AE900 for 2 months now and very happy with but I feel that the blacks could be better or improved on. I don't like using Dynamic Iris since it somewhat affects the whites especially on the beginning and end credits of dvds where the background is black and the text is white. So, is there a way to improve the blacks. The one I can think of would be a filter for the lens. Any recommendations. I know this thread has gotten very long and I don't feel like searching for it. I just want straight answer.

It depends on your screen and build date of your PJ. Do you have AVIA, DVE or GetGray DVD? You should get one of them so you can tweak with some accuracy. GetGray is supposed to be good for PJs. I use DVE.

If you have the high power screen and a newer ae900 mounted close to the center of the back wall, you might try the 81EF filter (77mm threads) with my settings as a start. If you have a lower gain screen, or a glass beaded or gray screen, or your PJ is mounted near the ceiling, you might try the 81C, which cuts less blue/green output. The 81EF may improve you contrast more, but it may also cause a bit of yellow/green tinge that is tricky to tweak out.

The purpose of the filter is to cut the blue and green to bring it in line with the red, since LCD lamps are deficient in red. Then you boost the blue and green gains to make white look white and grey look grey, not tinted with red, blue or green - 65K. This improves the contrast and black levels, and eliminates the blue tint in the blacks. There are plenty of articles on this subject in these forums and elsewhere. If you don't have a meter, you have to tweak by eye. Brightness adjusts the black level and Contrast adjusts the white. Tweak the color and tint using the RGB filters included with AVIA or DVE. Then go to the advanced menu and tweak the gammas and the RGB contrast (looking at the 70-100 IREs) and brightness settings (looking at the 10-30 IREs) to eliminate color tinting in the grays and whites. I'm probably not explaining this with all the correct jargon, but hopefully you get the idea.

Dynamic Iris does improve contrast, and most people leave it on! It's worth it for most.

Here are my settings for April, 2006 ae900, MOXI HDTV via component with the 81EF filter and 106" High Power screen, seating at 10', PJ at 12' mid-wall. It looks pretty good to my eyes (without a color meter) for HD sources. First I tweaked the DVD over HDMI with DVE and saved the user setup, then loaded the settings with the component input and re-tweaking for HDTV by eye.

Normal Mode
Contrast -7
Brightness +6
Color -15
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +4

Gammas
H -4
M -2
L +5

Contrast
R -8
G -16
B -10

Bright
R -5
G -11
B -5

Again, you can try my settings, and make adjustments to suit your taste and environment. There are a lot of factors that can affect the picture, so tweaking is not a perfect science when you don't have the meter and software to do it accurately. And as Ted said, mind-altering substances can go a long way to improving your enjoyment!

Mind altering substances plus a lot of good films can work wonders.
ted

Maybe that's why my eyes are bleeding! ;)

Iggymama, I'm using Stewart Studiotek 130 Microperf 110" (1.3 gain). PJ is around 12-13 ft from the screen ceiling mounted. I think my AE900 is built in May 06. I have the Avia & DVE but don't have the GetGray DVD. I use Normal mode only and all settings are on default except for Green Contrast -10 and Red Bright -4 & Color Temp -1. Greyscale looks good to me. So would the 81EF filter work on my setup? Where can I buy this? Thanks.

Can i use a HP 119´´ with no filter can the image be good?

Iggymama, I'm using Stewart Studiotek 130 Microperf 110" (1.3 gain). PJ is around 12-13 ft from the screen ceiling mounted. I think my AE900 is built in May 06. I have the Avia & DVE but don't have the GetGray DVD. I use Normal mode only and all settings are on default except for Green Contrast -10 and Red Bright -4 & Color Temp -1. Greyscale looks good to me. So would the 81EF filter work on my setup? Where can I buy this? Thanks.

If the studiotek is silver, your image will be noticeably darker than the high power screen, particularly with ceiling mount. I would recommend the 81C filter.

You can get filters at adorama.com.

Cokin Series P - Filter Holder (48mm-82mm filter sizes)
(SKU: CKBPP) $8

Cokin Series P 77mm Lens Adaptor Ring (SKU: CK77P) $14

Cokin Series P Warming Filter 81EF (SKU: CKP37) $19

or:

Cokin Series P Warming Filter 81C (SKU: CKP028) $19

Total with shipping $46 (for one filter).

For screw on filters at adorama.com (plus shipping):

Hoya 77mm 81C Glass Filter $45

B+W 77mm 81EF Glass Filter (KR6) $53

or
B+W 67mm 81C Glass Filter (KR3) $37

Heliopan 67mm 81EF KR 6 Filter $43

plus a 77-67mm step down ring (SDR7767) for $10 at Adorama (or ~half that on ebay).

Tiffen was not recommended.

Iggymama, my screen is white with 1.3 gain microperf. Should it still be 81C? Thanks again for the info.

The reports here suggest that the 81C provides same or better improvements in overall contrast and still lowers the absolute black level significantly, although maybe not quite as low as the 81EF. The advantage to the 81C seems to be that it doesn't dim the overall light output quite as much. With a 1.3 gain screen, I'd agree go with the 81C. Iggy and I are both using our 81EF's with HP screens which have gain around 2.8 properly setup and within the viewing cone.

cpcat, So, 81c it will be. Thanks.
iggymama, thanks for input.

Thanks for your succinct explanation Cpcat. That's what I was trying to get across in not so many words. So how are you enjoying your setup these days?

Iggymama, which filter are you currently using? The screw on or with holder? Which brand of 81C would you highly recommend?

Thanks for your succinct explanation Cpcat. That's what I was trying to get across in not so many words. So how are you enjoying your setup these days?

Loving it at this point. My neighbors have me committed already to the Ky-Louisville game. :)

Iggymama, which filter are you currently using? The screw on or with holder? Which brand of 81C would you highly recommend?

Any of the ones I listed in my earlier post (B+W, Hoya or Heliopan screw-on or Cokin with holder) have been recommended. I listed the cheapest ones that Adorama has in stock. I have not used any of the others, so I can only repeat what I have read in the forums. Tiffen was not recommended.

Cokin is the cheapest, and you can get additional filters for around $25 with shipping if you are not happy with the one you bought. The filters are glass, so they will not fade or change color.

It is possible that Hoya or B+W KR6 81EF filters may look somewhat different than my Cokin filter, but I have no basis for comparison. I read somewhere that KR6 81EF filters are different, and the KR6 B+W 81EF filter is what was used in the cine4home.de review of the ae900 (in German) mentioned earler in this thread.

Maybe that explains part of my green tinge using the older settings on page 1 of this forum. The Cokin filter looks pretty brown to me, not really very orange. Maybe the KR6 cuts more green than the Cokin 81EF filter. But Cpcat has the B+W KR6, and he also has green push which he tweaked out with his lumagen.

I did wonder if it was different than the other brands, particularly the ones called KR6, but I have never seen a KR6 to compare it with, nor have I seen an 81C except in brochures. I just read A LOT!

By the way, I put most of the settings from page 1 in an excel spreadsheet. If anyone is interested, PM me and I can send you the file. I used it to figure out my own tweaks.

This is what I read in the dtvforum:

"B+W filter is a different colour to an ordinary Wratten 81EF. Although they have the same mired shift value, (i.e. they change the colour temperature an equivalent amount), the KR6 apparently does a better job of compensating for the particular colour profile of the AE700 globe."

What is the size of the lens on the AE900? The manual just says: F1.9-3.1, F21.7mm-43.1mm. The filters you recommended are 67 & 77mm. Will the step down ring (77-67mm) or the filter holder (48-82mm) fit on the AE900? Just want to make sure they will work. I don't like tha hassle of returning & exchanging by mail.

What is the size of the lens on the AE900? The manual just says: F1.9-3.1, F21.7mm-43.1mm. The filters you recommended are 67 & 77mm. Will the step down ring (77-67mm) or the filter holder (48-82mm) fit on the AE900? Just want to make sure they will work. I don't like tha hassle of returning & exchanging by mail.

It is 77mm threaded. You only need the step down ring if you get the 67mm filters, which are a bit cheaper. Check ebay for the adapter rings if you want to save a few bucks.

Looks like the Hoya 77mm 81C screw on is a simpler alternative to the Cokin. If I choose the Cokin Series P 81C which is cheaper, will I need BOTH the filter holder (48-21mm) for $8 and Cokin 77mm lens adapter ring for $14 or just one?

If you go with Cokin 81C, you need 3 items:

Cokin Series P - Filter Holder (CKBPP) $8 (filters slide into 3 slots on the holder, and many accessories are available, including hoods and covers)

Cokin Series P 77mm Lens Adaptor Ring (SKU: CK77P) $14 (screws onto the ae900 lens, and the filter holder slides onto the adapter ring)

Cokin Series P Warming Filter 81C (SKU: CKP028) $19

Total with shipping $46 (for one filter).

The Hoya 77mm filter will run you $50 with shipping. I say, go with the Hoya, since for the 81C you only save $4. For the 81EF you save more.

If you want to experiment, you save even more, which is why I went for the Cokin. Plus, you can remove the Cokin filter without unscrewing it, if you want a brighter image for football games or whatever. I doubt that I will be doing that, now that it is tweaked for the filter.

So, it depends on whether you plan on leaving the filter on all the time, and won't change to a different filter. In that case, go for the Hoya.

I'll be leaving the filter on permanently so I guess I'll go with the Hoya. Thanks so much Iggymama!

Thanks, Iggyman,(Diane) I will be posting your spreadsheet on page one.

Iggymama, I received my Hoya 81C filter yesterday and tried it on last night. It warmed the picture but it didn't make the blacks blacker. It only made it a little or a hair darker. However, I like how it warmed the picture.

This is what I read in the dtvforum:

"B+W filter is a different colour to an ordinary Wratten 81EF. Although they have the same mired shift value, (i.e. they change the colour temperature an equivalent amount), the KR6 apparently does a better job of compensating for the particular colour profile of the AE700 globe."

The KR6 is a little browner than the others, which leads to slightly orangey reds (which I didn't like). The 81C doesn't have that issue.

Iggymama, I received my Hoya 81C filter yesterday and tried it on last night. It warmed the picture but it didn't make the blacks blacker. It only made it a little or a hair darker. However, I like how it warmed the picture.

Please understand that without the proper calibration equipment (or if your AE900 is simlar enough to those whose calibrated settings are posted on the first page), you will not fully realize the advantages of the filter. It's looking warmer because it's cutting the green and blue output. That must be compensated for in the Advanced settings to get the increase in CR.

Yes, Francis, you must tweak the advanced settings to balance the Red, Blue and Green colors (Contrast and Brightness). You can also play with the Gamma Low (increase for more dark details at the expense of black level), Mid and High settings to improve the picture.

You have to go by eye without the meter and software. Unfortunately, there are no SmartIII systems for sale any more, which were relatively cheap. I wish!

You can try my settings for the 81EF if you have a newer PJ, or try other settings for the 81C from page 1, and see if any of them look good with AVIA, GetGrey or DVE. You should at least get a cal disk! Or you can wait for me to tweak with my new 81C after I recieve it and tweak it again. I should have it this week.

Iggymama, I received my Hoya 81C filter yesterday and tried it on last night. It warmed the picture but it didn't make the blacks blacker. It only made it a little or a hair darker. However, I like how it warmed the picture.

My blacks were noticeaby darker after adding the 81EF. Several knowledgeable folks here have said the same for the addition of the 81C, although maybe providing not quite the lowering of the absolute black level.

I'd definitely recommend getting a calibration disc such as AVIA or DVE to set your brightness and contrast. Using the Stewart screen, in a dark room, and with properly adjusted brightness/contrast you should have very satisfying black levels even without the filter. The dynamic iris definitely helps as well especially in dark scenes and will noticeably lower the black level on a black screen such as the AVIA moving black bars test pattern.

Remember that ambient light will raise the black level no matter what you do, there's no way around this that I'm aware of.

Hi all,

Sorry to ask because I know this was posted earlier but dang it all I can't find it. What is the website to check on rebate status.

Elio

Call the number on your rebate form!

Iggymama, The 81C did improve the blacks a little after tweaking with the Advance Menu settings and I also tried the tweaks on page 1 of this thread. However, I find that the blacks are still near black enough for me. I guess I'm so used to the black level of a CRT and that this is the limitation of LCDs. I tried adjusting the greyscale/black level using the Avia DVD (0, 10 IRE pattern) and played with the gammas and the Contrast/Brightness (RGB) and indeed, it is the limitation of LCDs. Of course with the Dynamic Iris On it helps a lot but I prefer to keep it Off. So I guess it lies on my Iris setting. Reasons why I like to leave the Iris Off is: 1) I don't like it's effect on the Contrast during dark scenes (example: white credits on black/dark background) - it darkens the black but also darkens the whites and affects other colors and 2) slight howling noise (mine is not loud like discussed on other threads) but I can definitely hear it (PJ is 3 feet above me). Please post your new settings when you've received your 81C filter.

Call the number on your rebate form!

Ew. That means I have to talk to someone.. hehe.. thanks Iggy. I'll give em a call. Didn't notice the durn number was right on the form.

E

Yes, Francis, you must tweak the advanced settings to balance the Red, Blue and Green colors (Contrast and Brightness). You can also play with the Gamma Low (increase for more dark details at the expense of black level), Mid and High settings to improve the picture.


Since I am annoyingly pedantic, some small comments in the name of keeping our terminology correct.

Gamma might affect the black *range* but in a properly implemented control it would not affect the black point i.e. the bias point or where digital 16 is set.

The setting direction for GAMMA on the Panasonics are the inverse of what is happening - a numerical increase in fact decreases the gamma level.

...and because I'm cloyingly over-opinionated:
Playing too extensively with the Gamma curve is one of the easiest ways to throw off the accuracy of the response of the primaries, though I'm not suggesting you don't do this if it works for you.

This page (http://www.milori.com/articles/image_quality_issues.asp) from the maker of Colorfacts provides the visual appearance and the graphed analysis from adjusting the various controls on a display.

ted

tvted, I'm aware of what Gamma (as well as Contast & Brightness) does the picture. I'm just saying that despite making adjustments on these, it proves that LCD still has a lot of catching up in terms of black level to CRTs & DLPs.

tvted, I'm aware of what Gamma (as well as Contast & Brightness) does the picture. I'm just saying that despite making adjustments on these, it proves that LCD still has a lot of catching up in terms of black level to CRTs & DLPs.

Sorry Francis, I never meant for what I posted to be taken personally - simply clarifying what I felt needed a few additional comments with respect to iggymama's suggestions.

I agree about LCD's poor black level performance and am sceptical that even C2Fine will rectify this.

ted

The Panny AE900u is a great projector! I like it a lot. The plusses for me are the invisible Screen door effect, it's bright, and the picture is SHARP! If only it has a comparable black level to a CRT or DLP, then I'll be 100% satisfied.

I installed the 81C filter last night, and it looks very close to the 81EF, just a bit brighter. I tweaked it a bit (mostly just lowering the contrast) and it looks great! Blacks look pretty good to me!

Iggymama, What settings (Advanced Menu) do you have currently on your 81c? I would like to try them.

I will post my settings when I watch some more and maybe tweak a bit more. I have not watched much, mostly Discovery HD and the DVE disk. Maybe late tonight. My ol' man hates me tweaking when we are watching, so I have to wait for him to go to bed. I'm a night own, he's not!

How is your ambient light control, Francis? It makes a huge difference!

Iggymama, Perhaps you should buy your own PJ and keep it in your room :D
I'm a night owl too. I usually go to bed around 3 am. My AE900 is in my bedroom turned home theater which is VERY dark (light controlled, windows boarded up). You can't even tell what time of day it is in my room.

Iggymama, Perhaps you should buy your own PJ and keep it in your room :D
.

If I'm not mistaken, that would be where her "ole man" sleeps as well. :)

Actually, he sleeps in our 32' RV (the bed is very comfy, and he likes sleeping there) while I get the master bedroom (besides, I snore!), so the living room is the perfect place for the HT setup (with two comfy recliners). I swear that RV has kept us from splitting up (or killing each other) but that's another story!

Anyways, here are my settings with the 81C filter for HDTV:

Normal Mode
Contrast -11
Brightness +13
Color -15
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +3

Gammas
H -4
M +1
L +5

Contrast
R -6
G -16
B -9

Bright
R -3
G -13
B -4

Cheers!

I tried your settings and the color on mine looks purplish. There was no difference in the black level. It still look greyish to me. It proves then that it is the limitation of LCD. Of course I could always upgrade my screen to greyhawk for blacker black but I don't want to. I think I'll stick to my setting which is all on zero default except for Green Contast -10 and Red Bright -5. Grayscale looks great to me especially when watching black and white shows. 81c made the difference.

Remember what MikeSRC said earlier:

"Please understand that without the proper calibration equipment (or if your AE900 is simlar enough to those whose calibrated settings are posted on the first page), you will not fully realize the advantages of the filter. It's looking warmer because it's cutting the green and blue output. That must be compensated for in the Advanced settings to get the increase in CR."

Every projector is different. You have a newer build, so I thought my settings might work for you. I guess not. You should tweak the RGB contrast so the whites look white and the RGB brightness so the blacks look black, without any dominant color. Of course you also need to also tweak the contrast, brightness, color and tint with DVE or AVIA.

The filter should increase the red and decrease the blue and green (decreasing blue more than green). It took me a while to get it to look right. I also tweaked the colors in CCM so the color bars looked better. I think it helped with facial tones.

Of course, you have to use your own eyes, which is not accurate, but what else can you do without spending a bunch of cash on the meter and software, and learning how to use it! Have you tried the settings on Page 1 to see if any of them give you better results? Have you lowered the Gamma Low to get darker black while not losing shadow details?

Good luck!

Iggymama, Perhaps you should buy your own PJ and keep it in your room :D
I'm a night owl too. I usually go to bed around 3 am. My AE900 is in my bedroom turned home theater which is VERY dark (light controlled, windows boarded up). You can't even tell what time of day it is in my room.

What color are your flooring, walls and ceiling? You'd be surprised at how much light bounces off white walls and ceiling and back to the screen! I have a dark brown tapa cloth from Tonga stapled to the ceiling in front of the screen, and another one stapled around the PJ on the wall. It made a noticeable improvement in black levels.

My ceiling is dark blue, walls dark gray, and carpet is dark brown. I'm happy with the greyscale color the 81c produces. Perhaps it's close to the 6500. It's just the blacker black I'm after.

I also tweaked the colors in CCM so the color bars looked better. I think it helped with facial tones.


Good luck!

I can't figure out how to do anything with CCM. Am I just an idiot or what?

I can't figure out how to do anything with CCM. Am I just an idiot or what?

Here's what I did: Display the color bars on DVE. Use the Red, Green and Blue filters that came with DVE while tweaking CCM to make the colors blend better with the filters. Use the cursor to select a color and adjust the settings, then save the settings under User1, User2 or User3.

Where are you getting stuck?

Colour Management does not affect the range of the primaries but selects for a specific hue. In other words it should have no effect on grey scale. I really don't get how adjusting the individual xy point on the chromaticity scale with bars is going to affect your overall colour balance. All you are doing is adjusting that specific xy point.

Perhaps you can explain?

ted

I don't think it affects grey scale. It seemed to improve facial tones with a bit if fiddling. Of course that is just my observation without any color meter to verify.

I don't think it affects grey scale. It seemed to improve facial tones with a bit if fiddling. Of course that is just my observation without any color meter to verify.

That is what I said - it doesn't change grey scale. It works at the Hue level i.e. it only affects one xy point within the display's gamut (probably by adding a determined amount to the LUT) so it is not an effective tool for calibration. You can tweak each individual source until the cows come home but you are not doing service to the source.

ted

I am not suggesting that it does affect grey scale (now that I fiddled with it). It just seems to help with some colors, which may be affected by the 81 filters. It will not improve contrast ratios. I was just answering CPcat's question on how to use or adjust it.

I am not suggesting that it does affect grey scale (now that I fiddled with it). It just seems to help with some colors, which may be affected by the 81 filters. It will not improve contrast ratios. I was just answering CPcat's question on how to use or adjust it.


You seem to misunderstand what I said.

It does not adjust greyscale. Colour management is meant to affect one colour within the gamut located at its specific xy point, not a range, hence it does not affect the balance of the primaries, since the D65 point is not affected. The only way in which it affects a range is that in an additive system nearby colours are bound to be affected. This range by its nature would be limited.

To each his own, but I think that what you do is for your eyes only and has little to do with accurate calibration. You can make a source look good to your eyes but that doesn't necessarily make them correct or respectful of the source. In my business we quite often tweak things to make them look a certain way as a means of expression or simply catching your eye, but here we assume displays calibrated to references.

Now its your display, and you can do with it what you please, but the purpose of calibration is accuracy to the source, not what is correct to your eye. What is correct to your eye is not necessarily true to the creative intent of the production. So tweak as you wish, but since it is accuracy I am after, I wouldn't let you near any of the monitors I sit in front of.

ted

OK, I finally figured it out. Thanks Iggymama.

I guess what tvted is saying is that CCM doesn't function like color "cut" and "drive" controls in that it doesn't effect the primaries but only a specific XY point in the gamut.

I have color cut/drive controls on both my NEC plasma and on the Lumagen scaler. On the Lumagen you can adjust COLRED, HUERED, COLGRN, HUEGRN individually. On the NEC, the adjustments are for red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta.

So the CCM functions differently, i.e., you can't put up a 100 IRE green field, put the cursor up, press enter, and adjust out green push for example?

If that's the case, what's it for?

When I put the 81C filter and then measured my primaries and secondaries using a Spyder2 and the CalMan sheet (and the Red, Green, Blue, Magenta, Cyan and Yellow fields in AVIA), I found that they were way off their proper locations on the CIE chart. I adjusted them using the Bright, Color and Tint controls so that they were back in line using the CCM before doing my grayscale.
See my attempts in this thread. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=710351) (Actually in that first attempt I did it in the wrong order --- I did the grayscale first).

Adjusting these properly made a HUGE difference in the flesh tones etc.

(Actually in that first attempt I did it in the wrong order --- I did the grayscale first).

Adjusting these properly made a HUGE difference in the flesh tones etc.

Why would you consider this the "wrong order" since grey scale is the base on which every thing else is built? In other words this is the lowest order function.

The only reason this would seem to work to me is that Colour Management doesn't allow for adjust of Black point or White point

Have you graphed your dE and gamma? Is gamma flat?

ted

All I know is the facial tones now look great. Before they looked pretty far off. I wouldn't dream of touching your monitor, Ted, so please don't take offense! I am just trying to fix what was quite obviously off on my setup with out the tweaks that I did. Now everything looks great. I would be happy to post my CCM settings if anyone is interested in knowing what they are, although your results may, of course, vary. This is what we do when we don't want to spend the time and money on calibration meters and software. I am just trying to assist those in the same boat as myself! I really have no idea if my gamma is flat or my grey scale is right, I just know that I am now enjoying watching HDTV and DVD movies without feeling the need to obsessively tweak the color, tint, contrast and brightness to compensate for weird skin tones, etc. Like green or pink tinge around the edges of faces, which is really annoying, and I seriously doubt was the intention of the artist on HD broadcasts of modern dramatic TV shows in normal lighting situations.

I get kinda of tired of all these so called calibration experts telling people what should be correct. I have seen perfectly calibrated displays that did not look pleasing to the eye. Any display is really an illusion of real life. Should it be technically perfect or should it look like your eyes see looking out of a window? Everyone see things a little different. Your idea of a correct flesh tone might not be the same as mine. Who's correct? Some people get so hung up and are constantly tweaking their image that they miss the whole movie! Do the basic calibrations, adjust the projector to what you like and be happy.. If you don't, you will drive yourself nuts!

I would be happy to post my CCM settings if anyone is interested in knowing what they are, although your results may, of course, vary. .

Assuming you are still using the 81EF filter, did you end up cutting green and boosting red a little? That's what I did through the Lumagen. I looked at the AVIA color decoder test and did the adjustments. I could easily see the adjustment working in real time.

I'll try it putting the Lumagen back where it was and see if it seems to work the same way using CCM on the 900.

Why would you consider this the "wrong order" since grey scale is the base on which every thing else is built? In other words this is the lowest order function.

The only reason this would seem to work to me is that Colour Management doesn't allow for adjust of Black point or White point

Have you graphed your dE and gamma? Is gamma flat?

ted

That is the assumption under which I did my calibration --- first grayscale and then CCM to adjust the primaries and secondaries. However, Bear5k (developer of CalMan) tells me that the grayscale can get affected by the CCM adjustments, but not vice versa.

The reason as I understand it from a layman's perspective is that the CCM impacts the coordinates ("nature") of a pure red, green or blue signal, while the grayscale only impacts the "magnitudes" in which these three are mixed to create white. Changing the "nature" of red, blue or green will impact how a given "mixture" will look (i.e. may not be white anymore). However, once the "nature" of R/G/B is set, changing the magnitudes to get white will not impact how a pure red, green or blue field will appear. This is why grayscale (which as I understand it is altering the relative magnitudes) will not impact the CIE coords of RGB and should be done AFTER making the CCM adjustments.
Why is it important to get the pure red/blue/green correct? It seems to me that we get color images by "adding" red/blue/green to a base gray field. It is important to get the "base" right (else it won't be gray!), but its also important that when we add a mix of r/g/b to make pink that the r/g/b produced by the PJ be "correct" in the sense that it conforms to the standard used in the original recording. This is why flesh tones etc. look much more natural when the r/g/b coords are right.

I know that this is all probably not at all technical and experts can poke a million holes in my explanation, but I'm new to all this and am struggling to get some intuitive understanding ... experts, please be gentle :)

I've not gone back and checked my grayscale after my last calib (where I did things in the "wrong" order), but this weekend I hope to connect everything using hdmi (currently everything is done using component) and will try and redo the calib then.

My gamma is pretty good at around 2.2 or so, but the dE runs has 2 humps - one at low IREs and the other at high IREs. Its in part due to the blue amp running out of steam at high output levels (the 81C filter cuts blue). (see the pdf file with my results in that other thread)
I'm planning to do my grayscale calib slightly differently this time around and use the ColorTemp setting to get a rough starting point (last time I left it at 0). Lets see if that helps.

I get kinda of tired of all these so called calibration experts telling people what should be correct. I have seen perfectly calibrated displays that did not look pleasing to the eye. Any display is really an illusion of real life. Should it be technically perfect or should it look like your eyes see looking out of a window? Everyone see things a little different. Your idea of a correct flesh tone might not be the same as mine. Who's correct? Some people get so hung up and are constantly tweaking their image that they miss the whole movie! Do the basic calibrations, adjust the projector to what you like and be happy.. If you don't, you will drive yourself nuts!
Hey, but its fun! And how else can I keep myself from going nuts during a boring movie that others want to watch? I think of all the places where the display could be "better"!
:D :D

Assuming you are still using the 81EF filter, did you end up cutting green and boosting red a little? That's what I did through the Lumagen. I looked at the AVIA color decoder test and did the adjustments. I could easily see the adjustment working in real time.

I'll try it putting the Lumagen back where it was and see if it seems to work the same way using CCM on the 900.
I am now using the 81C filter. It is a bit brighter, but the blacks are still pretty good, so I'm going to leave it on, since I got it tweaked nicely now. Yes, I cut green contrast and brightness a lot, but I also cut blue and red. I cut red the least. I have tweaked a few things since my post at the bottom of page 22 of this thread, and I never posted my CCM settings. Maybe the purple tint is a result of not doing the CCM tweaks, too.

With the 81C filter, I increased my Low Gamma from -2 to +1 vs the 81EF. I also changed my red and blue brightness and contrast settings a bit. It's all on page 22. I will post again with all my latest settings soon, for your viewing pleasure! Maybe tonight.

Again, here are my settings for April, 2006 ae900, MOXI HDTV via component with the 81EF filter and 106" High Power screen, seating at 10', PJ at 12' mid-wall. It looks pretty good to my eyes (without a color meter) for HD sources. First I tweaked the DVD over HDMI with DVE and saved the user setup, then loaded the settings with the component input and re-tweaking for HDTV by eye.

Normal Mode
Contrast -7
Brightness +6
Color -15
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +4

Gammas
H -4
M -2
L +5

Contrast
R -8
G -16
B -10

Bright
R -5
G -11
B -5

Let's be nice, OK?

Thanks iggyman.I tried those settings just to see what happens.They were okay for me,But i like me settings better,But i have a totaly different screen.Being a carada 110bw,I use dynamic and a 81c and low gamma to +5.everything else is set to 0 in advance menu.Brightness +2 contrast -3 overscan off NR OFF.This gives a shaper pic being that all NR filter soften.Well back to playing BUDDA

I tried dynamic and video modes with the 81EF, but couldn't get the picture to look right. The high gammas looked wacked out (white crush), and the colors were off no matter how I tweaked. I tried hard to get a good picture and finally gave up. Others have had similar experiences with those modes. Normal with the filter seems much better balanced.

I see the carada brilliant white screen only has a gain of 1.4 (as opposed to the 2.8-ish gain of the HP), so I guess you are trying to make it brighter. Have you tried normal mode with higher contrast settings?

I find with overscan off, I sometimes get an annoying whitish line at the top of the screen with certain sources (I forget which). Overscan eliminates this line.

Yes i have tried normal,In fact i have tried all of the settings with the 81c.To me and others.The dynamic with the 81c has a very warm feel and still some pop.Plus i am getting good color tones.The HP screen must be a totaly different animal than the carada bw.

Also today i posted this over in the 2.35 forum.I bought some black velvet to mask my screen.I only use my panny for movies and they all are 2.35.I do have alot of concert dvd also and they are mostly 16.9.But i used the lens shift to place the 2.35 pic at the bottom of my CARADA BW and it fills both sides.I then mask the top off and it looks so good.No black bars now.Really makes it looks like a 2.35 screen.Now if i only had one of those panamorph lens to use.My pic right now is great.wonder what using the lens would do.Or would the extra pixles make that much of a difference.For the money they want it should.THANKS BUDDA

Hey, whatever works for you - more power to you, BUDDA! ;)

Here are my latest settings for HDTV over component with the 81C filter, 106" HP screen...

Normal Mode
Contrast -10
Brightness +10
Color -12
Tint -3
Sharpness -6
Color Temp +2

Gammas
H -4
M +2
L +4

Contrast
R -5
G -16
B -9

Bright
R -2
G -14
B -5

CCM Numbers
Point 1 Red Color +2 Tint -4 Bright -4
Point 2 Green Color +2 Tint +10 Bright +1
Point 3 Cyan Color -1 Tint +8 Bright +4
Point 4 Magenta Color -5 Tint +1 Bright +2
Point 5 Yellow Color -3 Tint +6 Bright +5

I am very happy with the results! Your results will probably vary, but you could give it a shot for the heck of it!

Yes i have tried normal,In fact i have tried all of the settings with the 81c.To me and others.The dynamic with the 81c has a very warm feel and still some pop.Plus i am getting good color tones.The HP screen must be a totaly different animal than the carada bw.

Also today i posted this over in the 2.35 forum.I bought some black velvet to mask my screen.I only use my panny for movies and they all are 2.35.I do have alot of concert dvd also and they are mostly 16.9.But i used the lens shift to place the 2.35 pic at the bottom of my CARADA BW and it fills both sides.I then mask the top off and it looks so good.No black bars now.Really makes it looks like a 2.35 screen.Now if i only had one of those panamorph lens to use.My pic right now is great.wonder what using the lens would do.Or would the extra pixles make that much of a difference.For the money they want it should.THANKS BUDDA

Yeah, having true 2.35:1 is probably the next step in this whole process. Let's see, it took me 4 years after I got HDTV to finally get a pj. I guess I'll be going with a 2.35:1 setup somewhere around 2010. Hey, it could be a Space Odyssey! :)

Hey cpcat, you mentioned before that you got 720-72p to work with your AE900.

A couple of questions - firstly does the menu display reflect that ? ( i.e. show 720p72 on the projector menu ).

Secondly, do you possibly have any idea how I would go about constructing a modeline for linux for 720p72 ? I have found a couple of them around, but all the settings that I tried have been rejected by the projector's EDID information.

Hello all, I am somewhat worried about how close we will be sitting to the screen. I will have the projector 10 ft. away using a 1.87 zoom, projecting a 92 inch image. Because of the smooth screen I am pretty sure it will be ok.

But I am looking at getting a poll of how big of a screen your projecting and how far you sit away from the screen.

Thanks, Michael (aka tweak)

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic_Home-PT-AE900U-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Check out this calculator. It's pretty cool.

How far do plan on siitting from the screen? 92" doesn't seem too big unless you will be really close, but at a real close distance, you will probably see more screen anomalies.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic_Home-PT-AE900U-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Check out this calculator. It's pretty cool.

How far do plan on siitting from the screen? 92" doesn't seem too big unless you will be really close, but at a real close distance, you will probably see more screen anomalies.

Yeah I have been using that since day 1, thats how I found out how far the projector will be away and such with what zoom.

BUT I have not personally seen the projector work its magic with smooth screen and I was wanting to see where YOU (the people) that have the projector sit, and what size image your projecting.

But thanks :0)

Hey cpcat, you mentioned before that you got 720-72p to work with your AE900.

A couple of questions - firstly does the menu display reflect that ? ( i.e. show 720p72 on the projector menu ).

Secondly, do you possibly have any idea how I would go about constructing a modeline for linux for 720p72 ? I have found a couple of them around, but all the settings that I tried have been rejected by the projector's EDID information.

No it still says 720p60 in the 900 menu. It's taking it though. I have two separate output configurations on my Lumagen and I toggle between. If I use 720p72 with a video source the judder is terrible.

I still have 1:1 mapping via the Lumagen H-line and V-line patterns with 720p72 which is nice.

I'm sorry but I know next to nothing about HTPC's. I'd be happy to give you the specific 720p72 timings though if that would help?

Hi there i have a HP sreen 119´´ with the panny 900, can you tell me the best setting with no filter?I buy the proj in NOV 2005. I am using it now in normal mode and like very much the brightness and colors but i think it can do better! I tried the cinema 1 mode but the whites are too yelow!!!i dont know why!!I have calibrated with THX optimode I will try also the AVIA disc

Hi there i have a HP sreen 119´´ with the panny 900, can you tell me the best setting with no filter?I buy the proj in NOV 2005. I am using it now in normal mode and like very much the brightness and colors but i think it can do better! I tried the cinema 1 mode but the whites are too yelow!!!i dont know why!!I have calibrated with THX optimode I will try also the AVIA disc

I used normal alot before i got my 81c filter and now i use dynamic with the filter on a carada bw screen.It is impossible IMHO for others settings to work for another.Screens come into play'lighting'distance'even ae900 are differenet.Check the front of this thread.Their are tons of settings you can play with.First calibrate your grayscale with a avia disk.Then tweak yo your eyes and be happy with it,What looks good to one might looks bad to another.Have fun,BUDDA

I'd be happy to give you the specific 720p72 timings though if that would help?

I'd be interested in seeing the specific timings...

thanks,
jeff

I'd be interested in seeing the specific timings...

thanks,
jeff

Here you go:

VTOT 750
VACT 720
VSYN 5
VFRN 5
HTOT 1652
HACT 1280
HSYN 80
HFRN 70
VRATE 71.93

Hope it helps.

I am new to this forum and recently (last week) took delivery of the 900U, ceiling mount and Elite fixed screen from the projectionguys. I set it up and I am having a problem with a "blurry" image. It seems that the projector loses and then regains focus. This happens almost instantly and constantly. Watching a DVD will quickly gove you a headache. I have checked my connections (I am using a radioshack gold series 12 ft component cable) I have a Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player. I have the same issue with the picture from the HD cable-box source.
There is now question that the colors are spectacular, the picture is spectacular, but the "focus" issue... ????
The top of screen is 1 ft from the ceiling. It is a 106" diagonal.
Seating distance (front row) is 14'-6"
Projector is ceiling mounted and 17'-6" from screen. Projector locationis only 1/4" off of horizontal centerline of screen.

Thanks for your help.

(Tom in Alaska)

I am new to this forum and recently (last week) took delivery of the 900U, ceiling mount and Elite fixed screen from the projectionguys. I set it up and I am having a problem with a "blurry" image. It seems that the projector loses and then regains focus. This happens almost instantly and constantly. Watching a DVD will quickly gove you a headache. I have checked my connections (I am using a radioshack gold series 12 ft component cable) I have a Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player. I have the same issue with the picture from the HD cable-box source.
There is now question that the colors are spectacular, the picture is spectacular, but the "focus" issue... ????
The top of screen is 1 ft from the ceiling. It is a 106" diagonal.
Seating distance (front row) is 14'-6"
Projector is ceiling mounted and 17'-6" from screen. Projector locationis only 1/4" off of horizontal centerline of screen.

Thanks for your help.

(Tom in Alaska)

Sounds like a bad FP.Never had this problem.Might have to send it back.GOOD LUCK BUDDA

I am new to this forum and recently (last week) took delivery of the 900U, ceiling mount and Elite fixed screen from the projectionguys. I set it up and I am having a problem with a "blurry" image. It seems that the projector loses and then regains focus. This happens almost instantly and constantly. Watching a DVD will quickly gove you a headache. I have checked my connections (I am using a radioshack gold series 12 ft component cable) I have a Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player. I have the same issue with the picture from the HD cable-box source.
There is now question that the colors are spectacular, the picture is spectacular, but the "focus" issue... ????
The top of screen is 1 ft from the ceiling. It is a 106" diagonal.
Seating distance (front row) is 14'-6"
Projector is ceiling mounted and 17'-6" from screen. Projector locationis only 1/4" off of horizontal centerline of screen.

Thanks for your help.

(Tom in Alaska)

As always start with the cheapest link in the chain then work your way up.. Try a different cable before you send the projector back.

Elio

I have had the 900u for about 9 months now. It wasnt until recently that it appeared the convergance was getting worse (around 350 hours on the original lamp).

Today I tossed up a crosshatch pattern.. the conv. looks pretty bad.. can easily see it from 14 feet away. mostly on things like white shirts and dark backgounds. enough to really bother me.

all three colors are distinct from eachother in the vertical plane. more tha one pixel each..

I started looking for the service extenders... in the service manual for the 900 it lists the part number as

TZSH07018 (though I noticed many referred to the part number in here as TZSH07017) Im assuming the 17 model might have come from the AE700u?

In anycase the reason I was trying to nail the 018 kit is because I noticed the price was almost half the cost of the 17 part number.

Anyhow I called panny to order the part.. only to be told its "discontinued" I mean WTF! how can it be discontinued when the projector has only been out for a year? Anyhow someone is suppose to call back but I doubt it will ever happen.. I saw a few places via google that has the part listed but im hesitant that they will ever get it.

does anyone have the extenders and would like to rent em out for a week?

:)

Just upgraded from my 711xu to the 900. Unfortunately my picture seems significantly less detailed. In HD sports the picture before was much more detailed. I did move the new projector back to 21 ft. from 15ft. New high power screen, 92", over old grey hawk. Is this just too much distance? I have tried tweaking all settings just can't seem to get as good of picture. Any suggestions? I have reviewed the settings at the start of this thread but detail is the issue. Thanks

Just upgraded from my 711xu to the 900. Unfortunately my picture seems significantly less detailed. In HD sports the picture before was much more detailed. I did move the new projector back to 21 ft. from 15ft. New high power screen, 92", over old grey hawk. Is this just too much distance? I have tried tweaking all settings just can't seem to get as good of picture. Any suggestions? I have reviewed the settings at the start of this thread but detail is the issue. Thanks

Mae900 is at 12.5ft back.And pic is perfect.BUDDA

Question #1 (see #2 in next post)
Is there a computer based (downloadable- and free) test disc/tweak that can be used to help set up PJ's?

This is a MAJOR NEWB question for the owners of Panny900/PJ's. I am going to post here and in the tweak section for help.

I just put up my Panny 900 and it seems to work pretty decent. I put in a couple of movies (in an older DVD player) and have started to tweak. I am new to this whole "big screeen" thing and was wondering why my movies do not fill the screen (48x85). NOTE-This older DVD player does not seem to have a 16:9 setting.

Maybe I just need to read up a bit more, but it seems that when I play a dvd that is "normal" it actually fills the screen better than the "widescreen" dvds I have which play a narrow band in the middle of the screen. I kinda expected the opposite. This with the panny in 16:9 mode. Either way, the screen is only completley filled when the disc menu is showing.

Maybe this older dvd player is limiting the view by not having 16:9 on it? I will be able to hook it up to a newer player that does have this setting in a few days, but I just wanted to post this question.

Thanks for your help.

I just got off the phone with panasonic.. Im going to send my 900 in for repairs.. The convergence is pretty rough and I just realized my warrenty is up at the end of October.. I figured it was worth a shot.. if it doesnt come back better than it is riight now then im going to figure out a way to adjust it myself :)

i sent my 900 back about 1 1/2 weeks ago and they are replacing the optics unit. My picture was never sharp. As a short term replacement i bought a Optoma H31 and I have better blacks and much better picture. I hope that the 900 comes back looking better then the H31.

The convergence is pretty rough and I just realized my warrenty is up at the end of October.. I figured it was worth a shot.. if it doesnt come back better than it is riight now then im going to figure out a way to adjust it myself :)

It can be done, but you will need a Service kit (see attached) but the buy in can run in the region of 250 to 300 U.S.

ted

yea and im picturing very very fine adustments to pull in a few pixels.. in otherwords I cant imagine its that simple..

as far as the actual adjustment

Can anyone help me with this. I was going through the settings on my PJ using the HD Net test patterns through my DirecTV HD Tivo unit. I noticed on the Convergence pattern that there is a slight red push to the left. Can any one tell me if there is a way to adjust the Convergence on the PT-AE 900U Thanks Matt

Can anyone help me with this. I was going through the settings on my PJ using the HD Net test patterns through my DirecTV HD Tivo unit. I noticed on the Convergence pattern that there is a slight red push to the left. Can any one tell me if there is a way to adjust the Convergence on the PT-AE 900U Thanks Matt

Appears that there may be sufficient interest to do a group "buy". With 10 people the charge comes down to under $30 each.

I'm definitely willing to pay that amount and let someone else keep the kit finally. Maybe the person who buys it first can do it first, document the process, and then once others are done, get to keep the kit?

Appears that there may be sufficient interest to do a group "buy". With 10 people the charge comes down to under $30 each.

I'm definitely willing to pay that amount and let someone else keep the kit finally. Maybe the person who buys it first can do it first, document the process, and then once others are done, get to keep the kit?

might be a good idea- but keep it in a "shared" status as long as people own the projector.

anyone tried to feed this projector 1080p.

Yeah lol I was gonna ask that soon. Ive always wondered if someone fed the ae900u 1080p. It says the ae900u can upcovert to that res.

might be a good idea- but keep it in a "shared" status as long as people own the projector.
Is there likely to be a reason to do the convergence more than once over the lifetime of the PJ? (unless the panels are replaced)

heck i'd be willing to pay a $30 rental for even a one time deal :)

The only thing I can think of is that I know for fact my convergence got worse over time..(8 months) so perhaps there would be a need.. but then again by the time it would fall out of whack again im betting I'll have another projector.

Does any one know where or how to purchase the 'Service Kit"??

yea you would have to contact the panasonic broadcast division... they dont sell it through the consumer side

just found that out yesterday

Yeah lol I was gonna ask that soon. Ive always wondered if someone fed the ae900u 1080p. It says the ae900u can upcovert to that res.

downconvert/scale?

Does any one know where or how to purchase the 'Service Kit"??

If you've a local service centre/dealer, see if they will order you one. That was the route I was taking when I thought I would venture that path.

ted

fwiw, I've posted some of my recent experiences calibrating the AE900 in this thread. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8353898&&#post8353898)
Sorry for the shameless point ... but I would like views/opinions/criticisms since there is a subjective component there!

Appears that there may be sufficient interest to do a group "buy". With 10 people the charge comes down to under $30 each.

I'm definitely willing to pay that amount and let someone else keep the kit finally. Maybe the person who buys it first can do it first, document the process, and then once others are done, get to keep the kit?

*****
How do you guys want to do this? I am in for a group buy; I am more than willing to split it with 3 or less people (e.g would do it for $100). This issue with my 900 is really bugging me. If more want in then we could reduce the cost;

Looking for help... so how do we start?

I think 6 people at $50 a piece would be a good number. As stated above with the one taking the initial risk and hastle of getting the jig being allowed to keep it iin the end.

Right now mine is on its way to panny to be looked at.

I think 6 people at $50 a piece would be a good number. As stated above with the one taking the initial risk and hastle of getting the jig being allowed to keep it iin the end.

Right now mine is on its way to panny to be looked at.
I'll start a thread later today with this in mind explicitly using all the info I have so far and soliciting interest for a group buy.

I've been toying with the idea of sending my Panny in as well, but would prefer to do it myself since its "fun" and I also will know that its done right!
My concern with sending it in has been that I've heard stories where a few weeks later the unit came back with the problem still in place or some new issue. My unit is working fine otherwise and I'd be happy if I could just fix the convergence issue.

I've started a thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8369461#post8369461) for the convergence "group buy" ... hope that it does not violate any rules!!

"anyone tried to feed this projector 1080p. "

I've fed it 1080p/60 from my Lumagen scaler. It actually will sync to it but it basically thinks you are feeding it 1080i and it shows roughly the top half of the picture.

1080p/24 which it is supposed to accept according to the manual it won't sync to. At least not as generated from my Lumagen scaler.

Shawn

If you've a local service centre/dealer, see if they will order you one. That was the route I was taking when I thought I would venture that path.

ted


I'm still very happy with my PQ (purchased in February) using 81C and tweaked settings. I will take a look at convergence and if it's off and folks think this servce kit will do the trick, I'll go in on a group buy.

I don't think that this issue has been quite settled (yet)

What causes vertical banding?

The manufacturers are not giving out detailed information about the VB so the actual reasons for VB are not very well known. During spring 2006, no reliable information on the topic was available in the Internet, however I got some information from a peer HT enthusiastic, who had browsed the japanse pages on VB. According to him, two types of VB can that are attributed to the LCD panel. The first is called 'mura' and is considered a manufacturing error. In mura, the different layers that make up the LCD panel are mismatched in some way, resulting in a very small but systematic deviations that are visible to the eye. Units showing mura should normally be discarded. 'The other type is caused in the rubbing process, where the liquid crystals are aligned. This is a contact process, resulting in nano-size grooves in the panel, which will turn out as vertical lines, but much more random and noisy than the mura'. But this is not all. The same guy also reported that his own projector, serviced for considerable VB, was fixed by changing the motherboard (electronics). I've myself experienced increased VB due to prolonged stand-by mode, so it seems evident that VB can also originate from the electronics and not only from the LCD panels.

Text body extracted from my AE900 resource
http://i.org.helsinki.fi/lassial/articles/audio_video/Panasonic_AE900

What settings should I use for the best color and contrast for my ae900u and a silvermax screen?

I just bought the PT-AE900U. Great projector but too many settings. After some adjustments, I feel comfortable with the look but a little dissapointed with the resolution. It looks too soft. Is there a setting that tweeks the resolution to the max?

I usually give it about 5 minutes to warm up then adjust the focus. I need to do this every time.

I just bought the PT-AE900U. Great projector but too many settings. After some adjustments, I feel comfortable with the look but a little dissapointed with the resolution. It looks too soft. Is there a setting that tweeks the resolution to the max?

Am I the only new PT-AE900U owner who finds this tweak section to be almost entirely useless? I don't own any of the filters discussed in so many of the threads.

I searched for pointers/advice for people without the filter but was not successful. (Especially in regard to how to use Avia to set individual RGB brightness/contrast and color temperature.)

I searched for pointers/advice for people without the filter but was not successful. (Especially in regard to how to use Avia to set individual RGB brightness/contrast and color temperature settings.)

There are some settings (without a filter) posted at the beginning of the thread. However, due to the variation between projectors (especially the older ones vs. the newer ones), there's probably little advantage in using them. It's not possible to correctly set the RGB brightness/contrast and color temp with a test DVD alone. You need calibration equipment (at least a SpyderTV) to do that.

There are some tips (somehwere) in this thread about eyeballing the RGB settings using a gray ramp in Avia. Basically, you don't want the grays to look blue or red tinged (green is usually not as noticeable). Adjust RGB Contrast for the lighter grays and RGB Brightness for the darker grays. If you start with Cinema 1 and the default color temp, the fewest adjustments will be necessary as those settings are the closest to providing proper grayscale.

Right now the top of my screen is 15" from the ceiling, and the center of the 900 lense is 11.5 from the ceiling. I've the "lense shift" function nearly fully cranked. I'm using a 106 inch image with a throw distance of 13 feet.

The image looks pretty good right now (although it will look better when my Da-lite Video Spectra 1.5 shows up next week, and I can take this bed sheet down :) ) I do notice a little convergence problem from time to time.

I've got room to drop the 900 another 8 inches if need be. That would get me well within the area of the screen.

Could I expect a better picture? How? Convergance, focus, linearity?

Thanks in advance.

Mike:

This may help some of us in So-Cal. What does a calibration visit actually cost?

Tube
vs.
RPTV
vs.
Projector?

How long does it take?

I've got a 900 with a little over 1100 hours on it. I'm in a bright room (white walls and ceiling), but have light control. PJ is 77" from the floor, aligned with the top of the screen, give or take. I sit about 10' back from the screen. I'll be getting my 106" High Power tomorrow. I was wondering if I'm a good candidate for a filter, and if so, which one? And what settings? Thanks in advance.

Hi all,
I've been mucking around with the AE-900 calibration capability to figure out a situation I have. Hopefully, the experts here can address this. My search in this thread did not return anything relevant. If this has been addressed before, I apologize and would appreciate a reference to that post.

I was use the Comcast/Motorola HD-DVR at 1080i that is connected to this projector through both component cables. I find the darkest black to be not very black (subjective). I initially thought this was a limitation of the projector and so, I converted my room to a black cave. This helped some, but still not to a satisfactory level. I've tried an HDMI link between the DVR and the projector and this made no difference.

Then, I happened to connect an XBOX 360 to the PJ and I was blown away by the darkest black from this device (primarily on games). Very dark and satisfying. This convinces me that this projector is much more capable. It also gives me confidence that I can improve the black level for the DVR source.

I am trying to reconcile this discrepancy. The only thing I have been able to figure out is that the DVR puts out black at 7 IRE and the XBOX HD output is at 0 IRE. There does not appear to be any way to calibrate the DVR. That leaves the PJ. Adjusting gammas does not have any effect on darkest black. Is there a way to take the IRE 7 level to IRE 0 (or something to that effect) inside the PJ?

Any insight is deeply appreciated.

Thanks
Adi

I have examined the service manual pretty carefully and it appears obvious that:

The panels as shipped from the factory are glued to pins on the optical block. They must have been auto-aligned at the factory and then glued in place. In order to reconverge, you have to cut the panel off of the block by severing the pins, and then attach the panel to an adjustable plate that would then be a permanent part of the optical block. You could probably leave one panel alone, and then modify the other two to get perfect convergence, but you would have to buy two sets of plates, as they would remain with the projector from that point on.

Alternatively, you could replace the pins, drill out the old glue and re-epoxy the panels, but you would have to be sure that you had the adjustments absolutely correct.

Am I missing something?

I really like this machine, but I'm dissappointed by the less than perfect convergence. I think that perhaps I will go with a one-chip DLP when I upgrade to an HDTV projector.

hey ,
I'm new to this forum, and I had a question... I'm getting a new ae900 and was wondering what settings maybe the best for (like most)Star wars , lord of the rings, and any darker movies.. I'm kinda new to projectors , my first was an EP719...My screen is a DA-lite model B 16:9 screen .. I've been reading a bunch about filtering on this thread and was wondering if I needed any to get the best out of this AE900..I'm really just wanting to have a basic setup of the projector out of the box, I've looked at settings from you all. just wondering what would be best with the type of screen I have....Any helpful ideas , I would really appreciate it , like I said , I'm new to projectors , so be gentle...(JJ).....You guys are definately into this so if you all could help me out , I'd appreciate it...I'm also running a HD-A1 and an oppo971...for video.. HD-DVD used to look pretty good on the EP719, but the colors on grass always, no matter what looked nucleur...and skintones always were hard to get , is this a DLP thing? That's one of the reasons I bought the AE900 , heard so much about skintones and picture quality . I know It's a definately improvement from the 4:3 EP719.... Anyway, Thanks again..

Marc

I am looking for the best filter for my 900, I am seeing a lot of you are using the 81EF, what brand and size should I get?

Thanks,

Lou

Marc:

Try the settings at the beginning of the thread. I would recommend starting with the Cinema2 as a baseline and then getting a DVE (digital video essentials) disk for your DVD player or source component and running the gamut of tests after you start with the references in the first few posts for that mode.

You may also want to try filters but they really darken the image and can be tricky.

Look for MikeSRC's posts - I used his as a baseline for mine then adjusted with DVE.

If you can afford it, get a professional calibration. I am looking into it for three of my displays if someone would only PM me a cost or recommendation for one in So-Cal.

Can anyone with a newer AE900U confirm whether their menu options are the same or different than as discussed throughout this thread? I have no access to color, tint and cinema reality. And, the ranges of the numbers for some or all of the options I have are different. I'm not sure what the build month is of my unit, but I'd guess it's about 9/06. Thanks

What is your source/signal/connection? Different options are available depending on the source. For instance, I don't believe that Cinema Reality is available with a progressive signal.

What is your source/signal/connection? Different options are available depending on the source. For instance, I don't believe that Cinema Reality is available with a progressive signal.

That explains it then. I was using VGA from my PC. I will need to switch to HDMI and my DVD player. Thanks

My observations how to reach much better black leverl and contrast on Panasonic AE900.

Recently I replaced old Matte-white screen to more larger High Contrast Grey screen. After this I found that image is not enough bright as before. I decided to adjust color settings and found that Gamma, Brightness and other settings just narrow color range.

I opened for myself wonderful observation, increasing of global "Contrast" parameter excellently adjusted brightness in light scenes. I took manually prepared DVD with gray strips and color figures and color range is ideal even with +20 correction of Constrast! No overbrightness. I see all grayscale and light tones in scenes of movies.

When I set fully white picture and changed Contrast in various values. I noticed that increasing of Constrast increases brightness of even fully white picture. It means than Contrast affects on dynamic IRIS of the projector!

Probably you will think now that in night scenes we will see poor black level? Nothing similar! Same black level with Constrast "+20" as with Contrast "0"! And additionally more bright grayscale but with all tones!

So "Constrast" parameter is wonderful tool that smartly work with IRIS.

Now I did for my self more wonderful opening.
If take much more grey screen (more black than usual HCG screen) and set Constrast to +20 we will reach terrific black level in "dark/night" scenes and same brightness/quality in light scenes!!!

Also I found that no sense in settings high power mode of a lamp. Constrast is much more powerful tool for adjusting brightness and if you screen too large you can adjust this parameter for ideal result.

In fact in "Cine 1" mode with usul value of Contrast "0" and in the most bright scene (white solid screen) we have in 2x times darker light output in comparisson with Contrast "+20". Wonderful work of IRIS that controls light output.

(Sorry for my poor English.)

I am happy to see this thread continue. I recently switched from a neutral gray screen to a matte white with matte poly top coat. I am very happy with the results. I do use the high lamp mode though and am afraid it might decrease lamp life.

I am curious to hear what your observations were as to how each gamma setting (high, mid, and low) actually affect the picture, and if you use the advanced color adjustments as well.

What settings did you end up using?

I currently use normal mode with these settings:

High lamp
Contrast +15
Brightness +15
Color +5

Also anyone else out there reading, post your settings for the 900.

Thanks

is there a way to get into the service menu on this PJ?

i looked through this thread quickly, but i can't find it.

i'm having an issue with picture alignment, running a 360 through the vga port. i've read in other threads that panasonic has good controls in the service menu for this adjustment, and the basic controls aren't cutting it.

thanks!

also, i have a graywolf 1.3 gain screen. what's a good filter to use for that?

is there a way to get into the service menu on this PJ?

i looked through this thread quickly, but i can't find it.

i'm having an issue with picture alignment, running a 360 through the vga port. i've read in other threads that panasonic has good controls in the service menu for this adjustment, and the basic controls aren't cutting it.

thanks!

also, i have a graywolf 1.3 gain screen. what's a good filter to use for that?
There is a hidden menu: Power - Right - Up - Down - Up - Down - Enter, but with no picture alignment functions.
If you are connecting the 360 to de VGA port of the projector: if I remember well, the 360 is sending a VIDEO signal (¿bug?) and the AE900 is expecting PC signal.
Did you try with a component cable or a converter (VGA-Component)? (VIDEO - VIDEO)
Did you try with the POSITION menu functions (in the main Menu)?
Did you try turning off OVERSCAN (if it's available)?
Hope it helps and sorry my english.
Fernando

There is a hidden menu: Power - Right - Up - Down - Up - Down - Enter, but with no picture alignment functions.
If you are connecting the 360 to de VGA port of the projector: if I remember well, the 360 is sending a VIDEO signal (¿bug?) and the AE900 is expecting PC signal.
Did you try with a component cable or a converter (VGA-Component)? (VIDEO - VIDEO)
Did you try with the POSITION menu functions (in the main Menu)?
Did you try turning off OVERSCAN (if it's available)?
Hope it helps and sorry my english.
Fernando

thanks. i've tried all of that, except maybe turning off overscane.

with the 360... the reason i want to use VGA is i get upconversion on dvds. if i use component, i do not.

thanks!

Maybe you can ask here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=141
Good luck!

Maybe you can ask here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=141
Good luck!

thanks, i've asked there, and there's possibly a fix coming out may 7th with the update. we'll see. :)

Who all here is using their PT-AE900u with a PS3 and has recently calibrated or re-calibrated the HDMI from a DVD player to the PS3.

I am starting today and noted that the PT-AE900 apparently sees a new component on the HDMI port and deleted all of my prior calibration settings.

How nice.

Back to square one... Thank goodness for this thread and this forum.

QUOTE : Am I the only new PT-AE900U owner who finds this tweak section to be almost entirely useless? I don't own any of the filters discussed in so many of the threads.

I searched for pointers/advice for people without the filter but was not successful. (Especially in regard to how to use Avia to set individual RGB brightness/contrast and color temperature.)

Robert- Break down and buy the 81c filter and try out the the various settings listed. Helps blacks and contrast considerably IMO. No regrets here for that purchase (~$65) here

Discussion about convergence restarted in the main thread, but I think it would be more appropriate over here.

I'm taking up the issue as it has been previously claimed that convergence adjustment requires complete reinstallation of the panels. However, the service manual indicates otherwise.

I hope JamesNW will post his results if he dares to try the adjustment.

L

Has anyone calibrated using Avia or VE using the preset "Dynamic" mode?

What were your findings? Does using the "Dynamic" preset offer any advantage vs Cinema 1 or 2 as the beginning point for calibration?

Would love to hear your thoughts...

bump ^ can anyone answer my question above?

Read the begining part of this thread...many have said that Cinema 1 is the best preset to start out with due having the best gray scale (or something along those lines)...I would start with Cinema 1

Read the begining part of this thread...many have said that Cinema 1 is the best preset to start out with due having the best gray scale (or something along those lines)...I would start with Cinema 1

Yup, I understand that, but was wondering if someone had specifically tried to use Dynamic as a starting point for calibrations and what their findings were.

Also, is it possible to properly adjust the Gamma controls without having Colorfacts or other fancy calibration equipment? My gamma controls have always been at zero.

So I have read a few posts on this thread mentioning the ability to display 1080p @ 24 fps on their AE900. I can't seem to find details as to whether this is right out of the box or if it requires some version of firmware, etc.

I would really appreciate if anyone can give me details. Specifically, I would be wanted to display 1080p from my PS3.

Thanks.

So I have read a few posts on this thread mentioning the ability to display 1080p @ 24 fps on their AE900. I can't seem to find details as to whether this is right out of the box or if it requires some version of firmware, etc.

I would really appreciate if anyone can give me details. Specifically, I would be wanted to display 1080p from my PS3.

Thanks.

I was reading on the HD=DVD thread about this same issue. Low and behold I set my Sammly 1400 and Tosh ax2 to up to 1080/24, and my denon receiver a 4308ci to 1080p and low and behold My panny showed it was receiving a 1080P/24 signal. I have had the 900 allmost 2years since it came out no firmware upgrades do not know even if there are any. Unless it is my imagenation it is smoother and sharper and overall better pq. Just watched two movies so far Flyboys, and Eastern promises. Both awsome pq and no stutter so far. Give it a try.

William06:

What a wierd coincidence. I also just watched "Flyboy's" on Blu-Ray yesterday afternoon on my Samsung 1400 set at 1080p/24 into my Panasonic 900. It worked perfectly for me, too. (Actually, I had already watched several movies with this setting with no problems, and I have never upgraded software on either the player or the projector.)

I set my PS3 BD 1080p 24Hz Output to ON. My AE900 had no problem handling the signal. It even indicated 1080/24p under Screen Mode. The picture is very clean and solid. Thanks for posting this info. I never considered trying this setting.

Just a further note, My daughter came over christmass eve and later she wanted to see hair spray. I watched it a couple of weeks ago and good copy no problems. Last night we watched it on the panny 900 with sammy set to 1080P. pic was much better but noticable slight stutter at various times throughout whole pic. barely noticable but there. I have had this player about a week and hope firmware out soon or I think I will have to return it for an upgrade. But the 1080p/24 setting is a big improvement and supprised the panny 900 accepts that signal.

Looks like the projector has always been able to accept the 1080p/24Hz signal.
From the Ops Manual:

YPbPr signals: 525i (480i), 525p (480p), 625i (576i), 625p (576p), 1125 (1080)/60i, 1125 (1080)/50i, 1125 (1080)/24p, 750 (720)/60p, 750 (720)/50p

Who reads manuals anyway?
--Armando

As far as the 1080p/24fps (Hd-dvd, blu-ray) on the AE900:

Are you guys using HDMI?

Also, which 1080p players are you guys using with success?

thanks!

As far as the 1080p/24fps (Hd-dvd, blu-ray) on the AE900:

Are you guys using HDMI?

Also, which 1080p players are you guys using with success?

thanks!

Tosh xa2, and sammy 1400, saw som slight stutter on sammy. there are claims of it on tosh too. but over all pic smoother and much more film like. any stutter problems are to be fixed with firmware updates from both soon.

As far as the 1080p/24fps (Hd-dvd, blu-ray) on the AE900:

Are you guys using HDMI?

Also, which 1080p players are you guys using with success?

thanks!

My AE900 is hooked up using HDMI. In between the PS3 (fimware 2.10) and the AE900 is an Onkyo TX-SR605.

Most of my HD movies are on HD DVD but my now ancient HD-A1 will only output up to 1080i. I guess now I have an excuse to upgrade. There is a noticeable difference as William06 mentioned. There's no stuttering/blurring of fast moving objects or stair-stepping of angled lines. Obviously the image is scaled down to 720p. I just can't tell if the refresh rate is 48Hz or 50Hz. Either way, eliminating the 2:3 processing really makes a difference. Thanks again all.

Just a further note. I watched POCAWE last night only because all had said they had so many problems with it. I played fine sammy 1400 1080p/24 to denon 4308ci set at 1080p to panny 900 1080p/24. just a very slight almost unoticeable stutter once in a while. so far this is a pretty good little player where the next firmware fix should clear up the stutter. And to further answer a post above I believe you must use hdmi for 1080p/24.

Just wanted to add I have had the panny 900 for 2 years, picked up a PS3 Friday and 1080p/24 is very nice indeed. No stutter noted whatsoever. What a solid projector this has been!

Mine looks best with 720p selected for my HD DVD player and for some strange reason it looks better with BlueRay when I have it set to 1080i 24fps. That does not make any sense but that is how it is. Could be the scaler in the BDP1400 just works better for 1080i than for 720p is my guess. How many hours do you guys have on your bulbs? I am closing in on 2600hrs on mine. Are you sure you guys are sending a 1080p signal? because the projector is only 720p and can except a 1080i 24fps signal. When I send it a 1080p 24fps I get no picture.

I send it a 1080P/24 signal from bothe my Tosh HDax-2 and from my Sammy 1400 No proplem. It goes through my Dennon 4308CI AVR. Over HDMI. Never a problem with either.

Oh, duh it is my RX-V2600 that is not passing the signal. doh!!

Sorry to wake this thread up from the dead, but wasn't getting any responses on the other Panny AE900 thread.

Strange issue I need help with.

My HDMI input just died. Won't handshake with anything but a friend's Marantz DVD player... but more on that in a bit.

I have 2 HDMI sources plugged directly via a 30 ft HDMI cable into the PJ (Yes, there's only one slot, but I switch from the back of the sources, depending on which I want to watch.)

One fine day, I was watching a movie (on my Apple TV, over HDMI), and decided to take a break and get my tv tuner working (over composite). All connections were just fine, but nothing would display. I don't know what came over me, but I decided to take hte HDMI cable out and see... and Voila! The composite video showed up!

After that, however, when I plugged the HDMI back in.... nothing. I thought perhaps the cable has gone bad, so I tried a few short runs of cables that I have... still nothing. I tried difference sources... Nope. Plugged those sources into other displays, and they work just fine.

Told my friend about this, and to trouble shoot, he brought over his panny ae900, some HDMI cables, and a few dvd players.... and nothing would work with my pj, except for his Marantz dvd player... which seemed to play just fine.

Any ideas? It seems to me that some setting somewhere has changed and I need to either flash the rom or get back to factory defaults somehow. I can't seem to figure out how to do either.

One more symptom: For a while there, even though nothing would show up on the screen, when I would connect my other source (a Denon 2930) to the pj, on the Denon's display, it would seem like it was trying to figure out the panel's resolution, but couldn't seem to find it, and hence was displaying nothing.

Even today, component and composite work just fine.

Please help... LOVE the pj, and LOVE my (now-dead Home Theater).

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

-Fauzi

this is prob a stupid suggestion, but the digital input and analogue inputs are in different banks. I dont think the auto-search will switch from analogue to digital....but it has been a while since I've used analogue inputs to the projector. also you might try turning auto-search off in the option menu.

have you tried hard switching to make sure your pj is on the HDMI input? Also, have to tried to power off and unplug everything...plug in hdmi, turn on pj then turn on the source?

Jeff J,

Nope.. not a stupid suggestion at all... In fact it makes a lot of sense...

I think that the pj refuses to sync with anything now. In fact, I finally found out how to get to the service menus, and where it gives the hdmi resolution that the pj is currently switched onto, it just says, "No Sync".

I've already turned Auto Search off.

"have you tried hard switching to make sure your pj is on the HDMI input?"

How do you do that? You mean from the remote? or is there some other way?

Also, any ideas about how I can dump back to factory defaults?

Thanks for taking the time out... Highly appreciated.

-Fauzi

Hi Fauzi -
I was just refering to using the hdmi/pc button on the remote to make sure the hdmi input is active. but it looks like you have already tried that.

I attached the only reset function that I could find in the user or service manual....does not look like a global setting, just a menu specific setting.

one other suggestion - can you plug your source into another display to verify the resoultion/refresh setting? I know the ae900 will not take a 1080p60 input....maybe try switching the source to output 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i or even 1080p24 to see if you have any success with a different resolution/refresh rate....

good luck!

I've run into instances where certain projectors have had missing or corrupt EDID info, which is what tells the projector how to decode an HDCP signal. I've never heard of it happening on a Panasonic but I suppose it's possible. That would jive with your report of the Marantz DVD player working when no other sources do. I know Optoma is able to re-flash the EDID ROM when this happens, but like I said I've never heard of it happening on a Panasonic so I don't what recourse, if any, you'd have. (assuming this is the correct diagnosis)

Jeff J,

Thanks, will give it a shot, though I don't expect much.

TF Ghost,

I think you're taking me in the right direction. So you think if I just update the firmware, that should flash the right chip / ROM?

And if so, any ideas where I can get instructions to do that?

-F

Since a lot of firmware updates are released to address HDCP handshake issues I would think updating (or reflashing) the firmware would resolve this - assuming it's not a hardware failure. The newer Panasonic projectors have to be sent in to Heartland for firmware updates so I'd guess the same holds true for the AE900.

So my projector has this "flickering" issue. Where it's gets brighter and darker and brighter and darker and just sort of flickers. The switching the bulb to high power mode does fix it. The bulb has maybe 500 hours on it and it's been doing this for a while. Is there any other ways to fix this or is the projector pretty much junk?

fauzigarib, I have a similar problem today. let me know if you find a solution.

Ranaali,

No luck for me. I tried something everywhere, but had no luck. I live in Pakistan, so there was no one (that I could find, at least) who could flush the firmware and install an update.

However, I have a feeling that my problem was a little more complicated. I found afterwards that I had introduced an external TV tuner into my system (a REALLY cheap device) that was shooting out a bit of voltage in the video outs. This out was going directly into the projector, so I wouldn't be surprised if it actually fried something on the mother board of the panny.

So in short, I think it's worth a shot if you can get the firmware upgraded. Otherwise, time to scrap it. :(

Good luck to you,

Fauzi

Bumping a blast from the past!

Has any AE900 owner been using theirs at the "dynamic" setting? I previously had it calibrated using Avia on "Cinema 1". I was messing around with the menu settings the other day and just out of curiosity changed it to dynamic. It look at lot more vibrant, bright, the colors were popping, but there was a loss of shadow details.

My question is, has anyone tried to calibrate using Avia using the "dynamic" setting as a starting point, without using a filter?