Panasonic PT-AE4000 MSRP $1999 - Page 264

Originally Posted by crunchyfrogs


Just got done taking down the mount and I ended up moving it back almost 2 feet...so I was off a tad
What a pain pulling HDMI through a finished area with duct in the way. I would rather have a nail pounded in my head. I have a 30ft homerun but the last 2 feet which is all I needed...ugh.
The lens memory part oddly I picked up right away and wow...awesome. Watching Star Wars as I type this. I do have some painting to do....to add to my screen width for 2.35 which I am doing in the morning, my screen is painted on my front wall...dedicated room. Right now I am at roughly 133" wide for 2.35, roughly 15'8 throw. I am coming from a panny 900 with 2000 hrs on it so to me...this IS a light cannon.

Originally Posted by Viche

Just something to think about. No amount of reflections will ever flip an image upside down.

Originally Posted by m. zillch

Not true. Here's just one example: Mounting the pj on a rear of the room shelf, roughly at the viewers' head height (or even lower, close to the floor), aiming the light path sharply upwards (shooting well over their heads, which would otherwise be obstructions if aiming at the screen directly) at a ceiling mounted mirror above them, and then reflecting downward to the screen in front of them. This would require flipping the image top to bottom (as well as L to R).

[In fact, if I'm thinking this through correctly, the only time you don't need a top to bottom inversion when shooting forward and reflecting off a single mirror, is when the mirror is kept on the exact same horizontal plane as the conventional (non-reflected) lightpath. Mounting the mirror either above or below that conventional lightpath plane and you'll need top to bottom inversion done through the pj's software.]

Originally Posted by NxNW

let's see if we are indeed thinking this through correctly:

put a screen on one wall, a mirror on the opposite wall, and manually hold a projector cradled in your arms as you point it at the mirror on the back wall so you see an image on the screen.

now, using your arms, while remaining pointed at the mirror, move the projector all around. hold it high. hold it low. move to the left. move to the right.

at what point does the image on the screen suddenly flip its orientation?

it doesn't.

Originally Posted by NxNW

at what point does the image on the screen suddenly flip its orientation?

Originally Posted by m. zillch

Here's an easy test. Go grab a hand mirror and hold it at 45 degrees, right in front of your projector just a few inches from its lens, reflecting the image down to the floor [or if your pj is table mounted instead of ceiling, aim it towards the ceiling instead, it doesn't matter]. Notice the reflected image on the floor [ceiling] is upside down? You need to fix that in the menu setup.

Originally Posted by m. zillch

A fixed projection, without the benefits of any "manual H/V shift control knobs", must be projected (if using reflection) at exactly 45 degrees reflected angles, in order to have no keystoning at all. An example of this would be to mount the projector flat against the back wall, down low at the floor, shooting straight up toward the ceiling at a 45 degree mirror which then reflects the image, in top to bottom inverted form, forward to the front of the room where one has a screen.

The Panasonic 4000 however is not fixed so you are not limited to the 45 degree angle constraint. Thanks to manual projected angle "vertical shift" offset control [I'm guessing at that term, but what I mean is the fact that the Panny engineers have built in a control which allows one to project (conventionally) from not just the edge of the screen, instead of dead center, but even beyond the edge of the screen (providing one isn't using the "auto zoom/CIH thingy", those people must stay within the confines of the screen height and width for it to work right)] yet not get any keystoning at all.

Note: the manual advises not to physically tilt the projector more than 30 degrees up or down from a level surface, I presume because the cooling mechanism may be put under too much strain, so 90 degree mounting as I described is not advised by Panny.

Originally Posted by Studio2000

Guys, this is a serious price drop which will spark competitors in rethinking their pricing on some of the new models that came out.

Could we see prices dropping on other units by year end?

This will be very interesting to see what happens.

I dont own a PJ, but now I have these three on my list:

1) Sony VPL - HW 15
2) Mitsubishi HC3800
3) Panasonic AE4000

I hope to see all three of these in the future.

Dave

Originally Posted by Viche

Yes vertically mounting the projector would result in a flip, but as you pointed out, that's not advisable.

I don't think the lens shift would help you avoid needing 45 degree reflections, though.

Originally Posted by m. zillch

"Not advisable", so says the Panasonic manual, not me. They also say the issue is it "may" shorten its life. This generic disclaimer has been cut and paste from manual to manual for many years, despite several internal thermal sensors, constantly on the look out for trouble and which can regulate cooling fan speed, if need be. The manual also says one should dismount their projector and send it in to an authorized Panasonic service center for an internal cleaning, once every year, regardless of exhibiting any symptoms! I wonder how many people actually do that?



So you believe their "vertical lens shift" feature really works, i.e. it allows one to get a completely rectangular image, without any keystoning, even when projecting from a completely oblique angle, such as the top projector shown in the image below (borrowed from a review of a pj with a comparable vertical lens shift design, for illustration purposes, only):


however you believe this clever feature which allows one to project at such odd angles can't successfully be used simultaneously in conjunction with a mirror bounced projection, unless the mirror used is at exactly 45 degrees to the light path axis? O.K., whatever. I'm done trying to explain.

Originally Posted by m. zillch

What model of projector do you have?

Originally Posted by wnl

"Memory Load" on the remote is for loading saved settings from the Picture Menu (color management, contrast, brightness, gamma, etc).

Originally Posted by Viche

None. I can find or make a request for a perfect rectangular image from a lens shifted projected on just about any model that support that feature.

Originally Posted by Viche

I don't think the lens shift would help you avoid needing 45 degree reflections, though.

Originally Posted by Viche

I'll provide an image of a relatively perfect rectangle image projected using lens shift and no keystone adjustment, and you provide a relatively perfect rectangle image projected onto a screen in the middle of a wall from a projector using lens shift and a mirror at an angle way off of 45 degrees without using keystone adjustments. Deal?

Which projector do you have? Does it have lense shift?

Originally Posted by sivartk

I see I found the answer on page 253. Anyone know of an easy way to get to the lens saved lens memory feature. (I.e. with a Harmony remote that can't do sequences (I.e. 900).

Originally Posted by frank1940

Unfortunately, a Harmony remote can not do it directly. However, direct loading of any of the lens memory locations can be done using the RS-232 control signals. You use a converter box which will take an IR signal from the Harmony remote and send the proper RS-232 signal to your AE-4000. See this thread for more information:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ighlight=rs232

(You can also turn the AE-4000 off using an RS232 signal triggered by a single button push on your remote which saves jumping through hoops to do the same directly with the Harmony remote.)

Originally Posted by m. zillch

Although I'll have to make some guesses as to the actual meaning of your (grammatically questionable) challenge, the pertinent thing is you don't own a projector with this lens shift feature and therefore don't have the ability to see, firsthand, how it allows one to project a perfectly rectangular image, without any need for keystone correction, even from an oblique angle, with or without a reflective bounce off a properly placed mirror in the light path.



[emphasis mine]

Deal.

...and I win :


Note, this happens to be a rear projection set up to a translucent screen, however it could be viewed from the mirror side by simply reversing the image, left to right, in the menu set up of the pj. One could also use a much smaller mirror by pushing it farther away from the screen, as long as all the angles and overall path lengths are preserved. The reflection of the "principal ray" (the center axis of the light path, as illustrated) is not at 45 degrees!

Also, you never stated that the pj must be kept relatively level to the horizon, however if you get to add that, after the fact, I get to introduce a secondary mirror:



Images source.
[Da-lite has been in business for over 100 years, i.e. they are experts in these matters.]


I have the 4000; it has lens shift. I don't use a mirror currently.

edit to add: Some of the post(s) I have quoted seem to have been edited/deleted since I composed this response, however I stand behind everything I have posted as being accurate at the time I composed the post.

Originally Posted by m. zillch

So you believe their "vertical lens shift" feature really works, i.e. it allows one to get a completely rectangular image, without any keystoning, even when projecting from a completely oblique angle, such as the top projector shown in the image below (borrowed from a review of a pj with a comparable vertical lens shift design, for illustration purposes, only):

Originally Posted by m. zillch

^The manufacturer of that lamp is "Premier", not Panasonic.
The color temperature, brightness, longevity, and customer service backing it are probably all iffy, at best. Don't do it. Only buy genuine Panasonic if these things matter to you. They run $300 to $350 and the correct, real model number is ET-LAE4000 [although there's nothing stopping other copycats from using that designation, so beware] . It will come in a heavily padded box, clearly marked with the Panasonic trade mark logo, and comes with a replacement air filter [the whole thing that slides out, not just another foam filter].

B&H Photo Video or any of the pj vendors listed across the top of this forum page will all be good sources.

Originally Posted by manthatsnice

Quick question. Not near a manual and hope you guys can help...

I am trying to do CIH. Are there any limitations to how far down you can be from top of screen?

Originally Posted by wnl

If you want to zoom between settings for 16:9 and 2.35:1 without manual adjustment then the lens can't be any lower than the bottom of the screen.

Originally Posted by wnl

If you want to zoom between settings for 16:9 and 2.35:1 without manual adjustment then the lens can't be any lower than the bottom of the screen.