OWNERS Thread for the Panasonic PT-AE7000U 3D Projector - Page 114

I have a question for anyone who owns this projector. I was watching a video review where they were watching a 16:9 movie on 2.35:1 scope (CIH) screen with the black bars on the sides. In the video they enable a menu option feature that allowed them to fill the 2.35:1 screen. Can you tell me what this feature is? Also, is this only a unique Panny menu feature or is it available with any other new projectors...like JVC X30/RS45? Thanks in advance for your replies.

The Panasonic allows you to save zoom and focus memory positions.

You set it for 16x9, then zoom in and set it for 2.35, the 2.40, etc.

The motorized lens control is part of what makes the Panasonic great.

Is this unique only to the panny? By the way, here is the video where they specifically talk about it and show it between the 2:03 to 2:36 minute marker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OGx9CsKCA4

The new JVC's also have it, but not as many zoom memories.

Thanks for your reply. I'm just trying to make my projector decision soon and want to make sure I pick the one that fits my needs.

OK, so you can fill a 2.35:1 screen with a 16:9 movie with the JVC projectors like the video shows?

That's not a 16:9 movie they are zooming in on. It is in 2.4:1 within a 16:9. Then they use a preset 2.4:1 zoom setting to fill the 2.4:1 screen. Nothing magical about that except for the fact that the Panasonic is able to save the zoom and focus settings conveniently.

If you are actually watching a 16:9 movie on a 2.4:1 screen, I don't think you want to zoom that to fill up the screen do you? You will be trimming off quite a bit of picture and will need some good black velvet around the screen to absorb the light spill. I watch 16:9 movies with the black bars on the sides. That's just how it's normally done with CH setups. Correct me if I'm wrong because it's getting late here. Thanks.

You are correct. 16:9 is smaller than 2.35:1/2.40:1 on CIH screens.

Well, I have finally joined the club. My 7000 came yesterday. My new room is still under construction so I fired it up on a wall with light blue paint. It still looked great 3D, 2d, gaming in 3D/2D too. However, as a new owner and having read this thread multiple times, I see things about calibration and convergence. What should I be looking for? How do you calibrate? What menu do I use?

Also, I picked up two cheap 3D movies and some PS3 3D glasses. The movies were Cars 2 and Conan. I don't know if it was the movies, or a settings issue, but the 3D depth into the screen was fine, but nothing popped off the screen; the same when for Motor Storm when I played it. Is there a setting or was it just the movie?

Thanks,

Welcome Lowell. If you have any questions about the projector and you would like to PM please do so. I have enjoyed this projector very much and I'm sure you will as well.

Wow I feel like such an idiot. I've had this projector for almost a month now and I have been adjusting the lens shift with the joystick every time. Had no idea about using the H/Y-Area position in Lens memory to save the setting so it adjusts seamlessly...

This is what happens with I don't RTFM.

Are you feeling better now? I bet that was a load off your mind and back. It must have been harder every time you did it.

Wolfie

I can't speak for Conan, but Cars 2 is exactly like that in the cinema, too. And if you ask me, that's the correct way to do 3D. No breaking the fourth wall = the best 3D.

Well I have e-mailed Panasonic about the frame dropping issue I am experiencing with the 360 and DTV. I will report back with how it goes.

While I respect other people's opinions, I'm glad that not all movies are as lame as to only use depth with no pop-out. Despicable Me is awesome when the nose of his space ship comes out into the room. It's freakin' cool!

I've wondered this myself. Many people watching the same movie with me in 3D report stuff coming at them. I never get that effect. I always see the content in 3D behind the plane of the screen, nothing ever breaks the screen plane.

I wonder if my eyes are messed up? I do have to wear a prism when I wear glasses, but I don't need glasses either I have great vision. Never even knew my vision was messed up and it took years of routine visits to my eye doctor, and then I had to request the prism check, and my eyes were off 1.0 and -1.0 from center (very small). I have had depth perception tests and never any problems identified. So, my eyes don't line up so when my brain see an image, it has to merge them together to get a clear image. Very small amount and nothing to be concened with, but I think it is borking my 3D experience. You can easily test this at home, just close your eyes. Find a fixed object, and open 1 eye then the other, if the object moves you probably need to be checked for prism. My eyes become very relaxed with the prism glasses I might add.

Any suggestions peeps? Anyone else having this issue? or is it even an issue or just the 3d content and I am just being paranoid?

It might be your depth perseption. Many people, including myself, can't perceive negative depth, or 'Pop-Out'. I enjoy 3D just like it is anyway.

Wolfie

It's not you, I watched Avatar on a Panny Plasma and those floating seed things were popping way out of the screen. I am not willing to shell out $100 for Avatar, ($75 maybe, but not $100), so it may be awhile till I get to check that out. I also see the image pop out of the screen all the time on the LG passive sets.

On DirecTV I've seen a few shows where things can come out of the screen. I have Sharks3D on the DVR and whenever there are small fish in front of the sharks they put those things right in front of your face. It looks like you could reach out and just scoop them up. It's cool for about a minute. For the most part I would prefer that the 3D effect stick to behind the screen and I like the effect to be sensible. Unfortunately I still see some ghosting using the 3rd gen glasses with my Panny and it makes it almost an undesired feature for me.

I e-mailed Panasonic about my frame dropping issue. They asked me to try adjusting the framerate on the 360. That doesn't really make much sense but I told them I have tried different resolutions and different settings. They then suggested that the cable could be an issue. I told them that I have swapped the cables and I am using Monoprice high-speed 6 ft. 24AWG cables. They e-mailed me back and told me to try a cable under 10ft. (?!) They then asked me to call and said the unit might need to be serviced. I told them that it was the second unit exhibiting this same issue and that other people on avsforum have reported it as well. They said it still could be a service issue and I should call so they can start a case. I haven't had time to do that yet but I will be calling within the next few days. I suspect they are going to want me to send the unit to them, probably at my own expense, and after the unit is returned the problem will be exactly the same. Who knows though, maybe I will end up surprised.

I've noticed that on my Panasonic if there's a tiny amount of white text while the rest of the picture is black (IE: in the pause menu of the PS3, or if only one name is showing in credits) it gets incredibly dark to the point where it's nearly illegible.

Is this a common issue?

Turn off auto-iris.

lol I am now! Problem is now that I have get a new projector mount since mine isn't long enough. I'm about 1.5" short (center of lens to screen). I could do a 2x4, but I'll do a different mount since I didn't care for this one as much.

Since you are only 1.5" too high, I would suggest tilting down the 7000 SLIGHTLY, so that the lens does center up with the top edge of the screen. That small of an angle shouldn't put the picture too far out of square, if any. Then you can 'set and forget'. Worth a try and if it doesn't work, then you can just put it back to horizontal.

Wolfie

I got my projector back. When I sent it in, I specifically stated, twice, on two different sheets of paper to call before returning. There was no call and I received back the projector.

The repair notes were:

REPLACED LAMP
UPDATED FIRMWARE

Somehow, I feel the issues will return...I doubt it was a simple lamp issue.

I was also annoyed that those foam pieces that went into the lens were not put on when the projector was returned and was floating around the bottom. Additionally the lens cap was not on. I think I spotted a scratch on the lens. I am pretty upset and the customer service.

I'll plug it in and update later. At the very least, I am calling Panasonic and demanding my shipping costs be reimbursed for the poor way it was returned.

What exactly is auto-iris?

Is there a downside for not having it on?

Tell us if the 3D ghosting went away with the new firmware update.

Auto-iris opens and closes the iris based on the amount of brightness in the scene. It's purpose is to make the blacks blacker during darker scenes, but the result is making the lighter areas (that still require a brighter projection) darker too.

Turning off auto-iris will mean that blacks will be brighter during darker scenes, but I'd rather have grayer blacks than having the brightness shifting from scene to scene.

From Panasonic's web page:
Dynamic Iris Adds Beauty to Both Dark and Bright Scenes
The fifth generation intelligent iris system works by analyzing the brightness level of each iamge using a histogram, then adjusting the lamp power, iris and gamma curve* accordingly to create the ideal image. The adjustments are made virtually frame by frame. This helps the projector achieve a wide dynamic range with swift smoothness for added beauty in both dark and bright scenes.

The downside of not having it on is a loss of contrast. Test both (on and off) and use the mode you like more.

EDIT: ckenisell, your were faster

I got my projector set back up and I'm really curious if the firmware was actually updated. All of my settings were still intact. Also, the projector with set to the ceiling mode and it was on the composite input.

The flicker is gone, for now. I can't check the 3D as I returned the glasses for refund after seeing how bad it was. Perhaps I will swing by Best Buy and try out a set of the PS3 glasses.

There is also a slight cosmetic damage to my unit, and what appears to be hairline scratches to my lens. I am not sure what to do.

It was incredibly infuriating to see my projector returned with the lens guards in the bottom of the box and the lens cover completely off.

Contact Panasonic immediately. That's not really acceptable, and you know it.

Every projector I've owned out the box has had some scratches and or smudges on the lens and my Panasonic is no exception. It doesn't seem to effect the image so I've never worried about.