PANASONIC PT-AE8000U (US VERSION) PT-AT6000E (EUROPEAN VERSION) IFA BERLIN 2012 New LCD 1080p 3D... - Page 3

Actually, this is much more in line with Panasonic's release schedule (a new PJ every year). The two year gap between the 4000 and the 7000 was the exception, possibly due to the more significant change in features.

http://www.panasonic.net/avc/projector/special/home_cinema_projector/index.html

Probably because there hasn't been such a long time between new models as there was going from the 4000 to the 7000. Also, the feature set is more similar now (having 3D) then it was before (going to 3D capability).

Not sure if anyone saw it, but the review is up over at PC

http://www.projectorcentral.com/panasonic-ae8000_projector_review.htm

Looks like still nothing about pricing though.

EDIT:

I liked this piece here...

I'm really hoping the price is around $3k because if it is, chances are I'm going to be purchasing this as my first projector.
Edited by purbeast - 9/4/12 at 9:42pm

...and no mention of how it fares regarding crosstalk.

and not compared with non-Panny projectors....

I noticed that as well. If PC is not even touting reduced crosstalk in their review, its safe to say there is no improvement in this area.

Also, has the flickering issue so many had been fixed?

Thanks for the excellent and comprehensive preview, Ekki.

Can you elaborate on this:

"Because the lamp is subject to no risk of dust, this second air intake required no dust filter."

Certainly dust on the lamp is not as problematic as on optics or display chip, but a dust on the lamp would lower output, make it run hotter, and create more scattered light, no?

If this translation is accurate then everything looks good, but 3D? What does "artifact-poor 3D" actually mean.


"Very good colors, rich presentation, bright, high-contrast image composition, artifact-poor 3D, all in all, the Panasonic PT-AT6000 mediated during our afternoon together a very impressive first impression, and this is known to be the most important. But there are still many details in the final test to study, it will be exciting to us to achieve the first production run."

It's just a poor translation. If I run the same text through Bing Translator I get this:

My issue with Panasonics of late is that in ceiling mode the fan noise doubles. In high altitude mode it doubles again. The reviewers never mention either. In my application, 5 feet above the seating area, the noise is extremely distracting.

Didn't Panasonic shoot itself in the foot last year by naming the EU version "5000" and US "7000"? This year, it's "6000" and "8000", but next year the EU version is supposed to call "7000", which we had last year in USA... Do they think we aren't aware of the USA types in EU? Pretending the internet isn't there?

If they didn't want to name the thing identical, why not simply add US or EU after it?

If so, I would just open the thing and change the cooler(s) for some REAL quality cooler(s).

The down side would be losing the warranty.

The AE7000U will be my first projector, so bare with me if this is a "duh" question, but when you say "replace the cooler" do you mean the fan or are there heatsinks in there too that can would be beneficial to swap out? Is it common for people to replace fans with quieter ones in projectors? I would be comfortable doing it since I've replaced both in PCs enough times, but I'd be more inclined if I knew it was not uncommon.

For cooler (was thinking about computers when I write) I mean the fans yes.

AFAIK, not a common thing, at least with projectors.

Thanks Gradius2, you've peaked my interest with the thought, at least. If I ever do I'll be sure to report my results here.

So, when do we expect the PT-AE8000U to be available in the US? When will we see reviews from independent testers? When will we know pricing? I am on my third lamp in my PT-AE4000u. I love the autoswitching between 16X9 and cinemascope that it has. I would like a brighter projector as half my room is windows, although the AE4000 is watchable for sports even during the day...

I saw a reference somewhere to a new generation of IR based Panasonic 3D glasses coming out as well. Does anyone have further info and/or a link? Thanks.

http://www.projectorreviews.com/panasonic/pt-ae8000/first-look.php

Just another preview.

Quote:
The PT-AE8000, while really designed for a dedicated home theater environment, does have the lumens to also be one of the best in a family room environment as well.
Very good, just what I want to hear. I will keep an eye on it. Hopefully the room is done before the 9000 is anounced...

Not sure how much this means, but it appears that the suggested retail price for the european model (AT6000) is about 6% less than the suggested price for the AT5000. I don't know how to make a "pounds" symbal, but it is 2999 versus 3200 for the previous model. Hopefully we'll see the same reduction here in the states.

I thought the next gen was RF using Bluetooth, not IR. http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/TY-ER3D4MU?t=specs

The product page at VisualApex coincides with other statements I've read, which say they'll be available in late Sept/early Oct.
http://www.visualapex.com/Panasonic/projector-specifications.asp?for-the=PT-AE8000U

That's true of their television displays, however that Panasonic promo clip had the lady specifically explaining that they were sticking with IR for the projectors since there might be more viewers and apparently there are limits to the number of RF viewers that can sync with the displays.

Ah, gotcha, I hadn't watched the promo clip yet. Thanks for clearing that up, NMJack.

"Also, has the flickering issue so many had been fixed?"


for anyone who is interested, the "flickering" has been resolved (I had a long discussion with panasonic technical support). Essentially it was due to Sky 3D not sending the 3D signal identifier. this meant that you had to manually select 3D which is a pain but not a real problem.

What was then happening was the projector continued checking for the 3d signal identifier, and, depending on the image, the processor would "reset" thus inserting a white frame into the picture.

There is a firmware update that fixes this issue (for the 5000/70000) - you need to send your projector back to panasonic though.

(There is also a rumour that Sky are going to send the signal soon anyway!).

W.

Check out the review of the Panasonic AE-8000U at Projector Central!


http://www.projectorcentral.com/panasonic-ae8000_projector_review.htm


Wow, seems like there might be potentially substantial improvements in Brightness and Contarst not to mention a number of other interesting improvements!

I have been on the fence about purchasing a new JVC projector but this projector I might have to also consider especially if the lamp brightness and longevity pan out!


Well done Panasonic!


...Glenn

The increase in brightness they measured (50%) is pretty impressive, and will be much appreciated for those with larger screens. According to the review, lag time and 3D performance is also improved. This may turn out to be a good all around projector.
Edited by phisch - 9/11/12 at 12:12am

Yep! The 5000/7000 would not have been bright enough for my 130" width CIH screen in our garden-view room. But if their projection calculator is reliable, the 6000/8000 will work in 2.35/1 with low ambient light (watching movies after dusk, till dawn...) and in 16/9 with some ambient light (Tour De France, anyone?). Screen is Seymour AV XD 1.2 gain. Super!

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Panasonic-PT-AE8000-projection-calculator-pro.htm

So this looks like a decent update to the AE-7000U, with the increased lumens, screen memory in 3D mode, etc.

I really want my next projector to have screen memory, and so far the only ones in my price range that have this feature are this and the upcoming JVC RS-46.

It will be interesting to see how they compare. I've heard unkind things about the 3d on the JVC (which doesn't matter a lot to me) and the lag. I do
play some games, so that may be an issue.

I had an AE-900U back in the day that had a panel die after two bulbs, and a Sanyo Z3000 currently that after 3 years seems to have a failing panel with a line down it.
This give me pause to buy another projector with Epson LCD panels.

Looks like the MSRP is $3499 USD. http://www.projectorcentral.com/panasonic-ae8000_projector_review.htm?page=Conclusion. Will be interesting to see what it is listed for at the retailers.

So it'd be priced near the AE7000U. Nice. No panel alignment scares me though. Even when digital implemented, it can enhance sharpness of misaligned panels... and I'm paranoid about panels misaligning over time after my experience with my AE-900U (which is now severely misaligned).