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OWNERS Thread for the Panasonic PT-AE7000U 3D Projector - Page 130

post #3871 of 4344
8/2/12 at 8:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WizardOfZo View Post

I do use the HDMI control and when I power down the projector it does turn off my Onkyo receiver.
I wish it would work the other way also, turning off the receiver to turn off the projector.
Yes, I can't figure out how to do that - the control seems to go in one "direction" only.

It's not that bad a compromise. I want everything to power down when powering down the projector, which it does. What I don't want is the projector to power up when I turn on the AVR. That could be a problem, if it were possible to control the projector from the receiver.
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post #3872 of 4344
8/5/12 at 6:33am
Hi All - hoping someone here can help me out. I'd like to upgrade to a new projector. I have been reading through the "official owners" threads for all the main players and I am aware of the pro's and cons for each of the latest projectors. I have read through the entire RS45 thread and now on my way through the AE7000 thread. As I go through this thread and the 130+ pages, I was hoping someone who has this projector, or someone whom has used this projector can give insight as to performance for my parameters.

The RS45 sounds as though it gives stunning 2D images, great blacks and contrast, and a bright calibrated 2d image. On the downside, 3D is lacking, motion isn't handled as well as others, and the part that makes me most nervous is the bulb issue.

My biggest concern for the AE7000 at this point is lumen output while maintaining an accurate picture. Doesn't need to be perfect Rec709 but want a sharp, fairly accurate picture that has the wow and pop. As I understand, the Panny is rated 2000 lumen but really only puts out ~430 lumen in best calibrated mode. Here's my set-up:

120" wide 2.35 AT Centerstage XD 1.2 gain
Completely light controlled theater room
Throw distance 17'
first row seating ~ 11 feet
Second row seating ~ 17 feet

Will this projector fit the bill for brightness (recommended 12 fL - 14 fL) or will I be disappointed with to dim a picture OR a brighter picture that is off on accuracy, color, saturation, etc. My watching preference is 2D high definition Blu-Ray from my HTPC (95%). I may move my PS3 up to the theater room which would provide some gaming. 3D not really into but maybe changes in the future.

Nearly impossible to see any of these projectors demoed in my area so unfortunately I have to purchase based on what I read.

Thanks
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post #3873 of 4344
8/5/12 at 9:03am
Hi MysticalJet

If you've used one of the projector calculators you already know you're right at the limit of this projector for brightness of 12 fL, given your parameters. For what it's worth I have mine mounted 14 feet from the screen and the seating position is slightly behind the projector. The room is completely light controlled.

I am very pleased with both the image brightness and color. The lamp power is set to "eco" since "normal" is almost too bright. The best picture mode I have found has been either "normal" or "cinema 2", haven't decided which is better, and I have made only minor adjustments to both.

3D is not that big a selling point for me but it's fun for the kids. It seems well implemented to me. I am at a loss to understand the other complaints about ghosting. I have not experienced that. The only possible complaint would be brightness - the image becomes noticeably darker with the 3D glasses - but this is a well-documented consequence of this implementation of 3D. As far as I'm concerned 3D remains a gimmick that does not bear on a purchase decision for me.

I also don't understand your concern of ~ 430 lumen in "best calibrated mode". I have not heard that claim, but I surmise it is the result of overly extensive tests conducted by unreasonably demanding critics. Your stated criteria ("doesn't need to be perfect Rec709 but want a sharp, fairly accurate picture that has the wow and pop") is probably more typical of most consumers than a techno-critic, so if that is an accurate description of your goals then you should be more than pleased with the 7000.

I began construction on my theater over five years ago and have been improving it since. Each time my family and friends use it they are thrilled with the results. After the upgrade to the 7000, at this point I really don't know what improvements remain. Perhaps it's time to move smile.gif

Although your screen size and seating position are slightly different from mine the difference is not substantial. I bought my last two projectors from Projector People and I recommend them. I believe they have a return policy if the Panasonic is not right for you.
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post #3874 of 4344
8/5/12 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6sj7gt View Post

Hi MysticalJet
If you've used one of the projector calculators you already know you're right at the limit of this projector for brightness of 12 fL, given your parameters. For what it's worth I have mine mounted 14 feet from the screen and the seating position is slightly behind the projector. The room is completely light controlled.
I am very pleased with both the image brightness and color. The lamp power is set to "eco" since "normal" is almost too bright. The best picture mode I have found has been either "normal" or "cinema 2", haven't decided which is better, and I have made only minor adjustments to both.
3D is not that big a selling point for me but it's fun for the kids. It seems well implemented to me. I am at a loss to understand the other complaints about ghosting. I have not experienced that. The only possible complaint would be brightness - the image becomes noticeably darker with the 3D glasses - but this is a well-documented consequence of this implementation of 3D. As far as I'm concerned 3D remains a gimmick that does not bear on a purchase decision for me.
I also don't understand your concern of ~ 430 lumen in "best calibrated mode". I have not heard that claim, but I surmise it is the result of overly extensive tests conducted by unreasonably demanding critics. Your stated criteria ("doesn't need to be perfect Rec709 but want a sharp, fairly accurate picture that has the wow and pop") is probably more typical of most consumers than a techno-critic, so if that is an accurate description of your goals then you should be more than pleased with the 7000.
I began construction on my theater over five years ago and have been improving it since. Each time my family and friends use it they are thrilled with the results. After the upgrade to the 7000, at this point I really don't know what improvements remain. Perhaps it's time to move smile.gif
Although your screen size and seating position are slightly different from mine the difference is not substantial. I bought my last two projectors from Projector People and I recommend them. I believe they have a return policy if the Panasonic is not right for you.

Thanks for the response. I have looked at the projector calculators - both projector central and the eliteprojectorcalculator (Coderguy). Not sure what lumen output projectorcenter uses, but the elite uses the calibrated best output taken from Art at projectorreviews.com (I think). Here's the link that talks about calibrated lumen output http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ae7000/performance.php.

So you think normal mode puts out a decent image? - as I see it Rec709, Cinema1, and D-Cinema may not be bright enough... and these seem to be the best modes according to reviews I've read.
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post #3875 of 4344
8/5/12 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalJet View Post

Thanks for the response. I have looked at the projector calculators - both projector central and the eliteprojectorcalculator (Coderguy). Not sure what lumen output projectorcenter uses, but the elite uses the calibrated best output taken from Art at projectorreviews.com (I think). Here's the link that talks about calibrated lumen output http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ae7000/performance.php.
So you think normal mode puts out a decent image? - as I see it Rec709, Cinema1, and D-Cinema may not be bright enough... and these seem to be the best modes according to reviews I've read.

in a light controlled room rec709, cinema1 and cinema2 are plenty bright.
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post #3876 of 4344
8/5/12 at 10:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalJet View Post

So you think normal mode puts out a decent image? - as I see it Rec709, Cinema1, and D-Cinema may not be bright enough... and these seem to be the best modes according to reviews I've read.
Now that you mentioned it I do remember reading that review. It references a "normal 110 inch screen" whatever that means. Yours is a bit larger at 120" so I understand your concern about brightness. However, after looking at the photographs on your HT build thread I think your installation will be more than adequate. You did everything right.

I would consider the photographs on projectorreview's page to be slightly exaggerated. Although they show obvious, relative differences between the various modes, there is no way to show the absolute result you will experience, which will a function of all the variables related to your specific installation. So, the fact that there is no practical way for you to demo various projectors where you live is of little consequence - you won't know what it really looks like until your projector is actually installed and working in your theater.

If there were a way to compare the color differences between Rec709 others side-by-side while leaving all other room variables unchanged, the differences would be obvious and you might prefer one over the other. I would not obsess about this though. For example, the review calls Cinema 2 "a nice choice, in the middle in brightness and a pretty good picture balance" and I agree with that brief description. Ultimately you will decide on what works best for you, which may or may not agree with projectorreviews' conclusions.

All I can say for certain is that I considered every projector in the $3500 or less category, decided upon the PT-AE7000, and so far it has met or exceeded my expectations. I don't expect it to be the last projector I ever buy though.
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post #3877 of 4344
8/5/12 at 12:57pm
I am sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it. Is there an optimal zoom for this projector? Meaning does it matter if I am at the 2X zoom, closest to the screen, so that it is brighter? Or should I put it mid way or somewhere in between?

Thanks,
Topp
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post #3878 of 4344
8/6/12 at 8:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by topp View Post

I am sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it. Is there an optimal zoom for this projector?
Hi topp,

I don't know if there is an answer to that question. You can start by reading about recommended seat-to-screen distances (THX for example) and calculate the image size you will require. Then, determine if the projector is capable of creating that image size within its zoom lens limitations, and finally determine if the resulting image brightness will be sufficient. Don't forget to include screen gain in your calculations.

I think the answer becomes much more complicated if you are designing a HT with absolutely no constraints, e.g. if you were designing new home around your HT smile.gif However, if you are like most consumers who have to adapt an existing space to a theater, or build a new room in an existing house, in which case you already have some limitations imposed by the room dimensions.

Personally I like a big image - I was the sort of person that liked to sit close to the screen in a movie theater so my installation may result in more than the 40° viewing angle suggested by THX. (I never calculated mine, I simply moved things around until I liked the result.) The tradeoff in a movie theater was sitting that close meant I had to look up at the screen... not a factor if you design your own HT.

The most important factor is to be able to completely control light intrusion. Though these newer projectors are very bright and can cope with some light intrusion, image brightness becomes less of a concern if the room can be completely dark.
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post #3879 of 4344
8/6/12 at 8:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6sj7gt View Post

... my installation may result in more than the 40° viewing angle suggested by THX. (I never calculated mine, I simply moved things around until I liked the result.)
By the way, I just calculated my viewing angle and guess what... it's 38°. How about that!
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post #3880 of 4344
8/6/12 at 9:43am
For the seating distance I was planning about 10 feet for 100 screen, which according CarltonBale.com spreadsheet should be about 39 to 40 degrees. But what I was actually wondering the best distance from the screen to mount the projector itself. Closer the projector to the screen seems like it would best from a brightness aspect. But not sure if there were any downfalls.

Thanks,
Topp
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post #3881 of 4344
8/6/12 at 10:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by topp View Post

But what I was actually wondering the best distance from the screen to mount the projector itself. Closer the projector to the screen seems like it would best from a brightness aspect.
Have you used this calculator Topp?

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic-PT-AE7000-projection-calculator-pro.htm

Set your screen size ("image diagonal") to what your room dimensions and seating locations dictate, adjusted for your own individual taste, then change the "zoom" slider to determine an optimum mounting distance.

There is a fairly wide acceptable range, a function of the PT-AE7000's zoom lens limits. "Closer" = "brighter", but remember there are limits to lens shift. In an ideal world, you would not want to shift the lens at all. Nearly all installations will require some vertical lens shift. I installed mine so that no horizontal lens shift was required. You also have to consider aesthetics, if you want the projector to be unobtrusive for example.

If all this leaves your brain spinning with confusing details, then you're doing everything right biggrin.gif
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post #3882 of 4344
8/7/12 at 7:58am
Not sure if it has been posted here already but here goes:
For those of you interested in the PT-AT5000 (AE7000) hidden menu; proceed as follows:

Press MENU
Goto OPTION and press ENTER
Goto On Screen Display and keep ENTER pressed for a few seconds.

E voila, your hidden menu. Have fun. William G can keep his integrity;)
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post #3883 of 4344
8/7/12 at 10:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bumper View Post

Not sure if it has been posted here already but here goes:
For those of you interested in the PT-AT5000 (AE7000) hidden menu; proceed as follows:
Press MENU
Goto OPTION and press ENTER
Goto On Screen Display and keep ENTER pressed for a few seconds.
E voila, your hidden menu. Have fun. William G can keep his integrity;)

Thanks! Saw this on another forum as well. Great to know.
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post #3884 of 4344
8/7/12 at 10:40am
what does it do exactly?
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post #3885 of 4344
8/7/12 at 1:16pm
Are there any better 3d glasses then Panasonic 3rd gen for AE7000 ? I herd the bigger lens glasses give better results is that true ?
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post #3886 of 4344
8/7/12 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bumper View Post

Not sure if it has been posted here already but here goes:
For those of you interested in the PT-AT5000 (AE7000) hidden menu; proceed as follows:
Press MENU
Goto OPTION and press ENTER
Goto On Screen Display and keep ENTER pressed for a few seconds.
E voila, your hidden menu. Have fun. William G can keep his integrity;)


Thanks so much! I was killing myself to find that menu so I can share it here. lol. Thanks again.
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post #3887 of 4344
8/7/12 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Susilo View Post

what does it do exactly?

+1
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post #3888 of 4344
8/7/12 at 3:54pm
Well, not much other than display some selftest properties. The menu has some options like Frame Creation, Initialize and Extended Menu and Flicker fixer but none of those seem to do anything except for the flicker fixer. My Freame creation is set to Mode 3 in the normal menu but if says 0 in the hidden menu. I can up it to 4 but it does not change the normal menu's mode 3 in any way. Extended menu doesn't display extra options of any kind. I may have to fiddle with it some more but I must say I don't care about it much. It's just nice to know it's there.
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post #3889 of 4344
8/7/12 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bumper View Post

Well, not much other than display some selftest properties. The menu has some options like Frame Creation, Initialize and Extended Menu and Flicker fixer but none of those seem to do anything except for the flicker fixer. My Freame creation is set to Mode 3 in the normal menu but if says 0 in the hidden menu. I can up it to 4 but it does not change the normal menu's mode 3 in any way. Extended menu doesn't display extra options of any kind. I may have to fiddle with it some more but I must say I don't care about it much. It's just nice to know it's there.

May be self explanatory, but what do you mean about flicker fixer does something? Is this strictly for 3D or related to the dreaded flicker I've read about throughout the thread?
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post #3890 of 4344
8/8/12 at 3:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalJet View Post

May be self explanatory, but what do you mean about flicker fixer does something? Is this strictly for 3D or related to the dreaded flicker I've read about throughout the thread?

Yeah, sorry I see what you mean.
My projector is ceiling mounted and when selecting the flicker menu option, the screen turns upside down (so normal position for non ceiling mounted) and the picture shows only two colors (red and black) and I see some numbers in the top left corner. Probably you can do more in that menu using other remote buttons but I didn't go there. See for yourself. I don't have that flicker problem (yet) so I didn't play with it.
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post #3891 of 4344
8/10/12 at 9:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Susilo View Post

Also you want at least 3ft away from any side wall and ceiling to lessen any reflection from reflecting back to the screen that will washout the projected image.

That is not a requirement. I have a 106" screen in room 9.5 feet wide. It is a true dedicated room with black velvet walls, etc. and looks great. I also use a High Power screen, so any reflections come straight back, and not to the sides. Home theatre rules are not set in stone. smile.gif

One more thing. For those that are seeing cross-talk with the panny glasses, pick up some PS3 glasses. They are not as light, but there is zero cross-talk. I couldn't understand all the cross-talk complaints in this thread, until my panny glasses arrived (they were back-ordered for months). I had been using the PS3 ones up until that point, and never saw cross-talk with them.

Art
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post #3892 of 4344
8/10/12 at 10:13am
That is not the rule of home theatre, it's the law of physics. You said it yourself. You're using velvet wall (absorbs light reflections) and high gain screen (very low angle of reflection). Those two things allow you to have the screen next to the wall without any problem. You don't need to talk down to me. I've been designing home theatres for almost 20 years.
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post #3893 of 4344
8/10/12 at 10:27am
OK, not called Flicker Fixer (old Commodore Amiga device I once owned) but called Flicker Adjust. With the cursor buttons the primary colors, ceiling vs normal mount and some numbers can be changed. No idea what the numbers mean.
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post #3894 of 4344
8/10/12 at 6:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adpayne View Post

One more thing. For those that are seeing cross-talk with the panny glasses, pick up some PS3 glasses. They are not as light, but there is zero cross-talk. I couldn't understand all the cross-talk complaints in this thread, until my panny glasses arrived (they were back-ordered for months). I had been using the PS3 ones up until that point, and never saw cross-talk with them.
Art
Quote:
Originally Posted by adpayne View Post

For those that are seeing cross-talk with the panny glasses, pick up some PS3 glasses. They are not as light, but there is zero cross-talk. I couldn't understand all the cross-talk complaints in this thread, until my panny glasses arrived (they were back-ordered for months). I had been using the PS3 ones up until that point, and never saw cross-talk with them.
Art

Once again you stated the obvious like your velvet and high-gain statement. PS3 glasses is "better" than the Panny. If you set the Panny Glasses to "darker" (the darkness is very similar to PS3 glasses in "normal")they both will yield a very similar results. The darkening of the overall brightness of the glasses hides the cross-talk. Once again it's the law of physics, not one being better than the other.
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post #3895 of 4344
8/10/12 at 9:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Susilo View Post

Once again you stated the obvious like your velvet and high-gain statement. PS3 glasses is "better" than the Panny. If you set the Panny Glasses to "darker" (the darkness is very similar to PS3 glasses in "normal")they both will yield a very similar results. The darkening of the overall brightness of the glasses hides the cross-talk. Once again it's the law of physics, not one being better than the other.

I actually played around with the brightness setting of the glasses in the 3D menu last night. I went from High (which shows the most crosstalk) to Normal. The crosstalk decreased dramatically, but so did the brightness of the picture. So, it would stand to reason that the only reason the crosstalk decreased was because there was less contrast due to the decrease in brightness. I could probably achieve the same thing by simply decreasing the brightness of the picture. It's a lame "fix" because it decreases the brightness well below the calibrated level making it no longer fun to watch.

I have come to the conclusion that, if I want great 3D from a projector, I am going to have to spend WAY more money than what I spent on the 7000U. frown.gif
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post #3896 of 4344
8/10/12 at 9:40pm
That is correct. The lower the contrast, the less crosstalk it will show. Unfortunately, even with passive, professional, multi tens of thousands of dollars installations, crosstalk is still there, only less severe.

I have yet to witness a crosstalk-free 3D presentation.
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post #3897 of 4344
8/10/12 at 9:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckenisell View Post

I have come to the conclusion that, if I want great 3D from a projector, I am going to have to spend WAY more money than what I spent on the 7000U. frown.gif

Nah, if you want to get rid of crosstalk, you need to go with a DLP for 3D. Most DLP's do not have visible crosstalk when setup properly with the correct glasses.
An Optoma hd33 should have no crosstalk, nor a Benq w7000.

Check out Zombie's thread: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1382091/jvc-rs-45-sony-hw30-benq-w7000-epson-5010-mini-shootout#post_21393953

He proves no crosstalk, he took pictures very closeup to the screen with a high-end camera of the Epson 5010, Sony hw30, Benq w7000, and JVC RS-45 all playing high-contrast scenes known to ghost heavily. I heard the Mits hc7800 has some crosstalk due to an inherent design flaw or the glasses or whatever, but in general DLP's do not exhibit crosstalk. The Benq exhibits no real visible cross-talk even pumping out max lumens, hence zero. If you are getting cross-talk on a DLP, either your parallax/convergence is misconfigured or the glasses or something. All LCD's and LCOS have crosstalk, the Epson 5010 has less than the Panny, and the Sony hw30 has the least for an LCOS. Other than that, you'll have to go DLP.
Edited by coderguy - 8/10/12 at 10:45pm
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post #3898 of 4344
8/11/12 at 12:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckenisell View Post

So, it would stand to reason that the only reason the crosstalk decreased was because there was less contrast due to the decrease in brightness. I could probably achieve the same thing by simply decreasing the brightness of the picture.(

Wrong. As it's already been discussed in this thread, the 3D glasses setting adjusts how long the blanking cycle (both shutters closed) is. It does not change the lumen output from the projector.

The purpose of the blanking cycle is to hide the slow LCD panel's transition from left to right image.
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post #3899 of 4344
8/11/12 at 4:32am
That is correct, it doesn't change the lumens output of the projector. However, the lower the contrast or the lower the perceived brightness, the less crosstalk you will perceive. You can try it on 3D TVs, lower the backlight and/or the contrast settings. You'll perceive less crosstalk.
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post #3900 of 4344
8/11/12 at 6:08am
Edit: False alarm! This is not from Panasonic.com but from a bait site setup by a vendor. Sorry, I fell for it. D'oh!

I was wondering if a new projector was comming from Panasonic this fall so I went looking.
I found a dead google link to the PT-AE8000U on Panasonic.com
Looking at google's cached version I I found what seems like a place holder with the same exact description as the PT-AE7000U.
The only new text is: "The PT-AE8000U projector is coming soon! Est. Sept 2012 "
Edited by DeKeSe - 8/11/12 at 7:03am
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