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Panasonic PT-AX100 - Page 10

post #271 of 4544
9/28/06 at 8:35am
I am going to begin using my existing 106" dalite high power. I may need a welders mask.
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post #272 of 4544
9/28/06 at 8:49am
when using the zoom, does it hurt the quality of the picture?
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post #273 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:08am
If you're getting near the 2.8 gain, even at 500 lumens and a 106 inch screen, you'll get 42 ftL. You'll need at least sunglasses! That seems awfully bright. Let me know how that looks in a darkened room.
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post #274 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:20am
My Panasonic AX-100U arrives today to replace my Sanyo Z4.

The Z4 is a great projector but it's time to replace the lamp.

I'll post first impressions this weekend.
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post #275 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by drizzo4shizzo View Post

The 5 year warranty does not cover the lamp - this is at projector people. I called to confirm this.

There is a seperate 100$ 3-year bulb-only warranty you can get - that would allow you to swap bulbs twice in that period.


Buyer Beware!!! This is the exclusions statement from the Warrentech 3year lamp warranty. If i were you i would request a copy of the fine print that comes with that warrenty before you bought it.

Exclusions from Coverage

This Plan does not cover any loss or damage resulting from: pre-existing conditions; manufacturing defects; improper installation of the covered LCD, LCoS, D-ILA or DLP lamp; failure to reset timer after bulb replacement; dimming; exploding lamps; usage beyond lifespan of lamp; installation of incorrect lamp; unauthorized repairs or modifications; improper use of electrical/power supply; loss of power; power surge or overload; any result of a malfunction or damage of an operating part from failure to provide manufacturer's recommended maintenance, such as cleaning filters; intentional or accidental damage by third parties; losses on any component(s) never covered by a manufacturer's warranty; reception and transmission problems resulting from external causes.


After reading those exclusions, I would say that they have covered themselves from having to replace any defective lamps if they wanted. In reality they will probably honor most lamp replacements untill their accountants start to show them they are getting close to loosing money on the warranties, at that time i am sure they will start to bring up the exclusions section of the policy when you try to get a lamp replaced.
Think about it for a minute or two. Why would they repalce lamps for free that are over their recomended ussage hours. They must know that 90% of users will exceed the 2000-3000 hour mark in a 3 year period. So why would they sell you a piece of paper for $99 when they know they will be supplying at least one $300 lamp to 90% of the people who bought the warantee. This is why they have terms like usage beyond lifespan of lamp in the fine print. And if you get smart and ask for the replacement at 1500 hours they can fall back on the dimming exclusion.
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post #276 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by maingon View Post

what kind of screen would be best suited for this projector, used for xbox 360, hd-dvds, and upconverted DVDS I am gonna be getting a 92' screen from Carada. Would brilliant white do good or just regular Classic Cinema White be the best or high contrast grey?

You will want the BW carada,I have one and it is just plain killer.It will give you more pop and a better over all image for all your needs.Better to have more brightness than less.BUDDA
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post #277 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:39am
Yeah, I didn't go for the extra lamp warranty as I consider it a consumeable and a given cost for owning a projector. What I DID want the regular 5 warranty for, is the big loss of convergence on my old Mitsubishi X250 that I'm going from that would have been convered if I had bought such a warranty for it.
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post #278 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by richard_rd View Post

Buyer Beware!!! This is the exclusions statement from the Warrentech 3year lamp warranty. If i were you i would request a copy of the fine print that comes with that warrenty before you bought it.

Exclusions from Coverage

This Plan does not cover any loss or damage resulting from: pre-existing conditions; manufacturing defects; improper installation of the covered LCD, LCoS, D-ILA or DLP lamp; failure to reset timer after bulb replacement; dimming; exploding lamps; usage beyond lifespan of lamp; installation of incorrect lamp; unauthorized repairs or modifications; improper use of electrical/power supply; loss of power; power surge or overload; any result of a malfunction or damage of an operating part from failure to provide manufacturer's recommended maintenance, such as cleaning filters; intentional or accidental damage by third parties; losses on any component(s) never covered by a manufacturer's warranty; reception and transmission problems resulting from external causes.


After reading those exclusions, I would say that they have covered themselves from having to replace any defective lamps if they wanted. In reality they will probably honor most lamp replacements untill their accountants start to show them they are getting close to loosing money on the warranties, at that time i am sure they will start to bring up the exclusions section of the policy when you try to get a lamp replaced.
Think about it for a minute or two. Why would they repalce lamps for free that are over their recomended ussage hours. They must know that 90% of users will exceed the 2000-3000 hour mark in a 3 year period. So why would they sell you a piece of paper for $99 when they know they will be supplying at least one $300 lamp to 90% of the people who bought the warantee. This is why they have terms like usage beyond lifespan of lamp in the fine print. And if you get smart and ask for the replacement at 1500 hours they can fall back on the dimming exclusion.


I have seen this discussed in other areas of the forum. I would think that in order for them to enforce any of the exclusions, they would have to spend money to investigate if any of the exclusions occurred. Do you think that it would cost them more to find out the cause or just replace the bulb? I'll bet you that they also cover a lot of other types of warranted goods also. So in the big scheme of things a projector lamp is small potatoes. I have not seen others complain (unless I missed it) that the company did not cover failures in their case. I have read on this forum that an individual had ZERO problems getting lamps replaced. I would think that the resellers that are in the projector and AV business would not want that stain on their future warranty sales. Just my opinion. Of course I see the glass as half full in most things anyway.
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post #279 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:48am
Still hoping someone will shed some light on how the Epson 400 compares to the AX100U
-Jones
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post #280 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:49am
could someone PM the best place to pick this up?
thnx
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post #281 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:50am
PLincoln,

Give the folks at AVS a call.
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post #282 of 4544
9/28/06 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeyNow^ View Post

PLincoln,

Give the folks at AVS a call.

I've got an email in to Jason...I will give him a buzz.
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post #283 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis Medina View Post

Just received my PJ this morning. Opened it and it is bigger- (wider) and little heavier than my 900u. It's white. Can't wait to test it tonight. I'll try to post a review by tomorrow.

Francis, are the mounting screws in the same place of the 900? Thanks. Fernando
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post #284 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by broadwayblue View Post

Great times in FP world indeed. Now I need to decide whether to upgrade my 18 month old AE-700 to an AX100 or AE1000. I was planning on holding off for 1080p...but this model sounds like a winner.

A winner it is, question is - will it be your last projector (for some time).

The 1000 won't be as bright (that's my understanding), which is too bad, doesn't look like any particularly bright 1080p's coming out first round. After that - seating distance vs pixel structure should be a key consideration.

Also, from a timing standpoint, by late first quarter there should be at least a half dozen "affordable" 1080p's in full shipping mode, which probably translates to less money, than initially.

I can tell you the HD81 looked great at CEDIA, I'm tempted myself, too bad Panasonic didn't have a working 1000 on the floor or in the suite!

Good luck deciding.
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post #285 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHeat View Post

Grats Dan!

I hope to be joining you all soon !!

So whats the first movie you want to watch on it?

Maybe... O Brother, Where Art Thou??????????

That big Dan character is hillarious what a great movie!!

Grats again man.....

Thanks! I haven't seen that movie, so I'll put in my queue.

I seem to be suffering from post-purchase letdown now. Weird. I was obsessed with buying one of these things for months, and now I'm not sure what I'll even use it for

Actually that is probably due to the fact that I have a long ways to go before I can "fire up a movie" or for that matter, watch HD content from my motorola 6412 - screen, cables still TBD.

The DVD player and cable box are hooked up to the 34" CRT behind where the screen will pull down - I'm still not sure how I'll wire this all up regarding component vs HDMI - I don't have any HDMI cables yet let alone a switching device.

I'll probably hook it up to my PC first and fire up some FPS titles against a sheet. I wonder how well it will handle MAME. 10 foot Frogger anyone?

So much to do... but this is the fun part

Seriously - very psyched. I'm no videophile but I'll try and post my impressions / frustrations.

Dan
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post #286 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:49am
I feel ya, I'm remodeling the entire room mine is going in also.

We are finaly going to texture this weekend.

I plan to run IR, CAT5, HDMI, Component, and S to mine. Oh and dont forget the voltage lol.

Don't get down about it man you'll love it I'm sure!!!
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post #287 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by buddahead View Post

You will want the BW carada,I have one and it is just plain killer.It will give you more pop and a better over all image for all your needs.Better to have more brightness than less.BUDDA


thats what I want is more pop, but the Projector wouldnt be too bright for the screen?
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post #288 of 4544
9/28/06 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeyNow^ View Post

I have seen this discussed in other areas of the forum. I would think that in order for them to enforce any of the exclusions, they would have to spend money to investigate if any of the exclusions occurred. Do you think that it would cost them more to find out the cause or just replace the bulb? I'll bet you that they also cover a lot of other types of warranted goods also. So in the big scheme of things a projector lamp is small potatoes. I have not seen others complain (unless I missed it) that the company did not cover failures in their case. I have read on this forum that an individual had ZERO problems getting lamps replaced. I would think that the resellers that are in the projector and AV business would not want that stain on their future warranty sales. Just my opinion. Of course I see the glass as half full in most things anyway.

HeyNow,

I was involved in one of the other threads, but in case you missed it -

I Am Not A Lawyer, and I haven't purchased a bulb warranty (yet). I may when I get around to upgrading my 900...

The way I'm reading that exclusion language, I believe it refers to loss or damages to the projector, not the bulb itself. In which case it makes perfect sense - the warranty is only meant to cover the bulb, and if you screw up installing it, that's on you.

I would like to hear from someone who has direct experience with one of these bulb warranties.

DE
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post #289 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dedwards View Post

HeyNow,

I was involved in one of the other threads, but in case you missed it -

I Am Not A Lawyer, and I haven't purchased a bulb warranty (yet). I may when I get around to upgrading my 900...

The way I'm reading that exclusion language, I believe it refers to loss or damages to the projector, not the bulb itself. In which case it makes perfect sense - the warranty is only meant to cover the bulb, and if you screw up installing it, that's on you.

I would like to hear from someone who has direct experience with one of these bulb warranties.

DE

I guess that is why they have lawyers....to sort this all out!
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post #290 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by maingon View Post

thats what I want is more pop, but the Projector wouldnt be too bright for the screen?

How could the Projector be to bright for the screen,when you can chose low lamp mode if needed,It also has brightness control plus contrast plus many other option to get the level you want,You can allways turn down the brightness/But you can never get more if it is not their.Great problem to have to bright,BUDDA
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post #291 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by buddahead View Post

How could the Projector be to bright for the screen,when you can chose low lamp mode if needed,It also has brightness control plus contrast plus many other option to get the level you want,You can allways turn down the brightness/But you can never get more if it is not their.Great problem to have to bright,BUDDA

Another thing to think of is if the AX100 is anything like the previous AE700 and AE900, within about a month there will be a tweak thread explaining how to use a warming filter to tame some of the brighter, but less color accurate presets. You lose lumens when using a filter but black level and contrast are improved.

Moe
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post #292 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by htme123 View Post

Still hoping someone will shed some light on how the Epson 400 compares to the AX100U
-Jones

I think if you read the reviews of each of these projectors the major differences are:

AX100U has the following advantages from what I could tell:

Much quieter in high mode (this is a big deal for me)
Much less SDE without loss of sharpness (another big deal)
Seemed that processing was a little better from the two reviews

The two big deals easily add up to $500 better for me. I am getting the AX100 without giving the Epson a first thought. I have a projector now that gets much louder when kicking the lamp into high mode and that is very bothersome. I also notice SDE.

Good luck.
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post #293 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:41am
Is this available in Canada yet?
Either they never update the Canadian website, or they don't have it in Canada.
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post #294 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:44am
I think the main benefit for me of this projector is the higher lumen output. Without that, I would be looking to buy a 1080p projector. The extra lumens really gives you more options: bigger screen; different screen materials; lights on; ambient lighting; etc. Obviously, all of the other things (lower screen door effect, better blacks) are beneficial, but the higher lumen output really distinguishes this projector over competitors.
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post #295 of 4544
9/28/06 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dangc View Post

I think if you read the reviews of each of these projectors the major differences are:

AX100U has the following advantages from what I could tell:

Much quieter in high mode (this is a big deal for me)
Much less SDE without loss of sharpness (another big deal)
Seemed that processing was a little better from the two reviews

The two big deals easily add up to $500 better for me. I am getting the AX100 without giving the Epson a first thought. I have a projector now that gets much louder when kicking the lamp into high mode and that is very bothersome. I also notice SDE.

Good luck.

I'll add on based on the reviews as well:
Epson not as "bright"
Longer, better warranty with Epson
1.5 Zoom for Epson vs 2.0 Zoom for Epson
(I think the lens shift is better on the epson)
More user presets on Epson (9 vs 3 on Panny)
Panny has a better remote.

I think that it comes down to budget. I personally think the Epson is a great value and is the "budget king" of LCD projectors. However, the Panny seems to a great job of removing LCD weaknesses.


Add low cost DLPs too, everybody is a winner!
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post #296 of 4544
9/28/06 at 12:15pm
I just ordered the projector, whats a good ceiling mount?
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post #297 of 4544
9/28/06 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zipplemeyer View Post

Another thing to think of is if the AX100 is anything like the previous AE700 and AE900, within about a month there will be a tweak thread explaining how to use a warming filter to tame some of the brighter, but less color accurate presets. You lose lumens when using a filter but black level and contrast are improved.

Moe

Good points zipp'I forgot about that.I use a 81c on myae900.I use dynamic mode with the filter and the pic is amazing.I tweek the gamma settings a littel also,Can't wait to see the possibilities with the ax100.It is suppose to have a filter allready in the lens train,So a external filter may not be needed,BUDDA
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post #298 of 4544
9/28/06 at 12:41pm
I'm using a Peerless PRS model with 14"-20" extension column and it's currently setup at 14". I'll be using the same mount for my new Panny. I bought the mount at mounts and more.
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post #299 of 4544
9/28/06 at 12:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dougi3000 View Post

Is this available in Canada yet?
Either they never update the Canadian website, or they don't have it in Canada.

The Canadian website is notoriously slow being updated.

It also seems to take a while for Canadian distributors to get new projectors into their line-ups. Based on passed suppliers of the AE900, you should probably keep an eye out on the following to see when they add the 100 to their current Panny line-up:

AV4U
Eastporters
Quebec Acoustics

If anyone knows of any other Canadian retailers, please let us know!
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post #300 of 4544
9/28/06 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CMRA View Post

Two extremely positive reviews. I wouldn't let the screen shots interfere. Looks like Panny just upped the bar on LCD FP. May even give the 'hot' LCOS a run for the money. Certain to make many a projectorhead a happy camper. (Can we still use that term?)

I know these forums have a pretty substantial Panny Fan club and I'm going against the grain here, but I disagree. If you want to take 2 comercial reviews as gospel it's your perogative . By all means drink the cool-aid. I'll reserve my judgement once more is know about it's real world attributes and PQ. In the meantime prices will drop on the AX100 as competition releases their versions. It's strange to see some people jumping all over this thing top dollar for a 720p LCD and justifying it by using DLP models from last years DC2 generations as a gauge. How does the AX100 fair against the this years latest and to be released DC3 DLPs at the same 2K price range ?

It's also my opinion that the extra lumens on the AX100 is a false prophet. People seem to be under the impression that they're going to get an amazing PQ with the sun blaring and the lights on because of the extra lumens. It simply doesn't work that way.

To my eyes I see not just a red push, but a blue push as well. The image looks processed and artificial. It doesn't look even remotely close to D6500K. Time will tell if it's just an adjustment issue or a limitation of LCDs.

I saw this type of hype happen last year when the AE900 was released all the reviews said it was the bomb , sharpest picture and all that jazz. Soon as the DC2 DLPs in the same price range came out a few months later and Sanyo released the Z4, Epson with theirs, these same reviewers did the side step and deemed the AE900 too soft and blury as a side effect of Smooth Screen technology.

Not saying the AX100 isn't a great PJ, but I think it's a little soon to break out the champagne and declare victory, unless of course you have a lot of money to burn.

To all those AV Gladiators out there buying these things sight unseen and paying top dollar, I salute you and look forward to your reviews.
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