Panasonic PT-AX100

http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/05/p...theater-right/

Not a lot of details. Can't wait to see more to see if I should upgrade my AE700 or not.

I'm sure this will be an upgrade over the 900u, but how much? My 900u is coming on Monday. I'm not real concerned about the lumens, as I'm in a light controlled room. So far, this looks to be an incremental upgrade, just like the 900u was. Looks like it will have a very resonable price!

few specs
panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/projector/products/ax100/specifications.html

sorry no hyperlink

I would not worry too much i you already or just purchased one. It now has 2000 lumens and still the same CR ratio. This combination for what is essentially the same PJ sounds a bit suspect.

Any word on the SmoothScreen being more adjustable?

WOW. Fantasic Link. Full specs on both the AX100 and AE900U. Very nice. They must think Americans are dumb, they don't put that much info on the USA website. LOL. Thank you very much!

I did a quick comparison, and here are the obvious differences:

- 220W bulb (AX100) vs. 130W bulb (AE900U)
- 2000 Lumens (AX100 vs. 1100 Lumens (AE900U)
- 6000:1 Contrast Ratio (AX100) vs. 5500:1 Contrast Ratio (AE900U)
- AX100 can accept 1080P (50/60hz) inputs, AE900U can only do 1080i

Less specific improvements listed are: Better scaling/deinterlacing, a "Pure color filter", and "tuning" by a Hollywood colorist. Also better black levels. Even though these things are more nebulous, they may end up being the biggest improvements. Can't wait to see someone try them side by side. I'll probably cry when they say my new AE900U looks like a pile of dung in comparison.

In case others haven't seen the specs-
http://www.aboutprojectors.com/Panas...projector.html

It seems it doesn't do 1080i. For only $200 or so more, how does this stack up? Is this basically replacing the 900u?

Do the specs mean the minimum throw ratio is 1.9 to 1?

IB

Guess us older model panny owners will have a couple different options...wonder what the price difference will be between the AX100 and the new 1080p AE1000/1100. I love my AE700 but I'm starting to get the upgrade bug!

Check this out:

http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/p...100/index.html

I had jusy said Yesterday if my 900u could be a tad more brighter woow how nice!
Just woundering if 900 more lums will make a big differance..

Is this really a 1080p projector? Look at the specs ... they claim to have three 1280x720 panels --- that is 720p. The projector claims to accept 1080p (and that too only in the component input as per the specs page --- not sure about hdmi), but maybe its downscaled?

If this is indeed the case, then what real advantage does this offer over the AE900 - apart from the extra brightness and improved dynamic sharpness control (is that just a gimmick?). Additionally, it only has one component input as opposed to the AE900 which has two.

Frankly appears to be a lot of marketing hype ...

Wide Screen - yes 2000 lumens is really bright and would make a huge difference in brightness over the 900.

Sankar - this ISN'T a 1080P projector. It's 720P but will take 1080P inputs and downscale them. Their 1080P projector will be the AE1000.

Aha! Thanks!

No link, no specific specs yet (at least in english anyway...there is an italian link in the >3500 forum)...we anticipate details coming very soon...

No, but it is not advertised as such. I think you are confusing it with the new panasonic AE1000/1100 which is currently being discussed in the over $3500 forum. The AX100 is basically a brighter, slighly more contrasty AE900 and will probably cost about the same.

You are correct! I feel foolish now!

Just noticed:

If you compare the 900 with the 100 on the aboutprojectors link, the new Panny is over three pounds heavier (listed at 11 lbs. vs. 7.9 lbs. )

Would the increased cooling capacity needed account for all that weight? Just wondering what else might be in the package...

Also, on/off contrast is isted as the same (5500: 1), not 6,000:1 on the new model, as reported above...FYI

This seems like a good projector to me. I think extra brightness has real benefits for the majority of people (me included) who don't have light controled environments. It will mean a boost in perceived contrast, plus a more engaging and punchy image. I'm seriously considering this, especially as the RRP seems very reasonable.

Yes a bit bigger, heavier and louder. But I can live with that for the extra lumens.

Actually I see that someone else already provided this information to you above. I was in the process of typing my post when I got distracted (work does that sometimes) and didn't get around to finishing it for a while. So I'm sorry for telling you what you already knew.

Yep, 25 db to 26 db isn't much to worry about in most applications, I would think.



I keep coming back to the MSRP: $2199 out of the chute, vs. $3199 for the 900. Sweet to think about street prces, if they fall accordingly...add in the typical Panny rebate, and...woohoo!

Of course, if the AE1000 MSRPs at $3500, and you figure in street and rebates...

WOOHOOO!!!!!!!

"Manual zoom/focus lens (1:1 -1:2), F 1.9-3.1, f 21.7-43.1 mm"

Please explain this spec from Panasonic's own page. Does this mean it has 3 lens options? Or, are they describing a single lens with a very long zoom range?

Is the shortest throw for this projector 1:1 to 1?

IB

Basically, yes, this describes a very long zoom range of the lens assembly (which actually is several lenses operating in concert); the 1:1 to 1:2 describes your placement options: for a given screen size, your throw will be anywhere from the minimum distance to illuminate that screen fully, up to twice that distance--e.g. from 10 feet to 20 feet to illuminate a 100" screen (only as a hypothetical example, but pretty close to the 900's, if I remember correctly). The rest the focal length of the lens system.

EDIT: BTW: there have been several discussions on the foum about the benefits of using the minimum possible throw vs. the maximum possible throw, when you can: your possible light output will be greater the shorter the throw, unless you have VERY high quality optics (e.g. as on some Nikon professional lenses for SLR cameras), as you lose the equivalent of an F-stop at the longer distances, or more. this is not exactly my forte, so, perhaps do a search...sorry I don't have time to do it for you and link it, at the very moment!

"1:1 to 1:2 describes your placement options: for a given screen size, your throw will be anywhere from the minimum distance to illuminate that screen fully"

So, are you saying that with a screen that is 100" wide, the Panasonic could be used 110" away and still fill the screen?

IB

Um, no. I wasn't making any specific, accurate claims about throw distance for a given screen size, except by a hypothetical example.

All I was trying to say, and sorry for the confusion, is that:

Whatever the MINIMUM distance at which ANY GIVEN screen size IS illuminated, you can DOUBLE that distance via the zoom, is what I'm saying. If the specs listed so prematurely about the AX100 are correct; this is about what they were on the 900, if I remember correctly. So you DO have a relatively great range within which you can physically place the PJ in your room, when you have such a large zoom range, as this new one supposedly does.

If I remember correctly, to fill a 100" screen on the Panny 900, you needed (aproximately!) at least 10 feet, minimum. But, you could go to a maximum of (aproximately) 20 feet...so, the throw ranges from 1:1 to 1:2.

Hope this clears things up! (And, ugh, moreso: that I got it right!)

And, also, with the caveat that you SHOULD try to use the MINIMUM throw distance for any size screen, if your room permits it, rather than the maximum throw distance, in order to maximize light output...given the Panny's optics.

Inky Blacks:

If you go to ProjectorCentral.com, they have a throw-calculator for lots of popular PJs (See the link "Calcualtor Pro" on the left hand side near the bottom of the front page).

Per this link, for the Panny 900, the min. and max throw for a 100" diagonal screen was 10.1 ft--20.2 ft. (again, that 1:1--1:2 range)...

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Pana...ulator-pro.htm

You can play around with all the inputs (e.g. daigonal screen size, as here) to see how any PJ will tend to "fit" in your given room...



Hope this helps!

willdao


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