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Panny Upgrade gun cocked, loaded, Boom!

1414 Views 24 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Nickoff, Jan 23, 2004

jacksonian

Discussion Starter · Jan 21, 2004

Couldn't stand it anymore. My Panthers are playing in their first Super Bowl and I want my 78% more pixels, my 403,200 more pixels for the High Def Bowl.

I ordered the Panny 300 this week last year from VA and today I ordered the Panny 500 from ze cracker. I was hesitant about the whole AE500 vs. L500u series stuff, but ze cracker said that Panny had made a statement there would be no pixel policy for either this year so it was a non-issue. I hope this holds true, but I didn't have any problems with pixels on my 300.

I've paid for next day air shipping and he said it should go out tomorrow, so I plan to have it for the weekend. I'll have both the 300 and 500 in the same room for comparison.

I am no videophile and have no magic color smart software, wave form emulator, power conditioners, or light meters. However, I will try to do a very thorough real world comparison of the 300 vs. 500. I'll try to take some screen shots of HD with each, but I will have to see if the differences make it through all of the transfer to a web link. I do not have a DVI source as of yet, but now I'm thinking real hard about it (yes the 300 had DVI, but I was waiting for all the HDCP stuff to get worked out, don't want a Bravo). I would REALLY like to compare component to DVI and take some screen shots with each.

My expectations for the 500 compared to the 300:

1) HD to look noticeably better due to the 78% increase in resolution

2) Even less visible pixelation due to the increased pixel density

3) Little to no difference with DVD's except for #2 above

My hopes/magic wishes for the 500 compared to the 300:

1) ANY improvement in blacks or shadow detail

2) ANY improvement in peakaboo horizontal scanline artifact

3) ANY improvement in brightness (although the lumen specs don't predict it, some have said the 500 seems brighter--my 300 has 400 low lamp hours on it, so I'll have to factor that in)

I'm also helping a friend set up his HT and he has a Z2 on order. If I can swing it, I'll bring his Z2 over and compare it to the 500 for another shootout review. So that's where I'll be starting. After I'm done with the comparison, I'll probably sell the 300.

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1 - 20 of 25 Posts

jimnc

· #2 · Jan 21, 2004

Congrats. Go Panthers!

Wonderment

· #3 · Jan 21, 2004

Funny post. Talk about excuses to get new toys! Ha!

SKoprowski

· #4 · Jan 21, 2004

jacksonian-You got a PM. I just discovered something great! I am really trying not to spend all my Eggs at once. I need to have control! I don't need better contrast-I don't need better contrast- I don't need better contrast!

I need to keep repeating..........

JPinTO

· #5 · Jan 21, 2004

But the AE600 is going to be announced soon... you might want to wait a bit.

jacksonian

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 21, 2004

Huge props to SKoprowski for saving me a fair amount of money! You da man!

I tried to fight the upgrade bug, but my willpower is too weak. I just couldn't stand it. Of course, I knew this going in. I do the same thing with cars. It's almost as if the demon starts calling my name as soon as the order is placed. Tomorrow I'll start pondering the Panny 700/Z3/HS30 debate for next year!

Yeah, the Panthers excuse was really lame. I live in NC, but I haven't been able to be a Panthers fan since they tanked a few years back. It was just too heartbreaking to watch. Who knew they'd go from 1-15 to the Super Bowl in 2 years just like the Cowboys a few years ago?

Mit07

· #7 · Jan 21, 2004

Funny - I have a Z2 on order. I'm hoping it arrives before the Super Bowl so I can watch my Pats win over the Panthers.

jamesboggs2

· #8 · Jan 22, 2004

Now you need one each of the Bravo and Momitsu DVI DVD players!

jimnc

· #9 · Jan 22, 2004

Lame excuse? First of all, any excuse is a good excuse to buy HT stuff. But yours sounds downright sensible to me. Of course, I am in a bit of a daze still.

ShagnWagon

· #10 · Jan 22, 2004

My Z2 comes in next week too, go Panthers! (I'm really a Miami fan from Dallas though...)

jacksonian

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 22, 2004

Shagn,

Close enough, we need all the help we can get!

Daekwan

· #12 · Jan 22, 2004

Pathetic.. just Pathetic!

That you would use poor ole' Carolina fight and determination in the playoffs to reach the superbowl as an excuse for buying a better projector!!

**especially when we all know the simple fact that 500 sounds better 300 is reason enough to upgrade**

:0)

bigrushhead

· #13 · Jan 22, 2004

Same here mit07...I figured spend $2000.00 to go to the Super Bowl, or spend that $2000.00 on a newer projector to watch Super Bowl on!

....Not to mention the whole rest of the years worth of HD and DVD viewing...What a year from our Pats eh?..I drove 6 hours to see the game Sunday night and i had one hell of a time

..I currently have a 300u and i posted a separate thread on whether the Z2 is that much of an upgrade or not...It should be, as the Z1 and 300u are about on par with each other and Z2 and 500U should also be on par with each other...I don`t think i would be able to get a 500u projector in time for the Super Bowl?...

Mit07

· #14 · Jan 22, 2004

You want desperate excuses and creative justification?

I'm thinking of getting an IF5700 because A) I can definitely get it before the Super Bowl, and B) the cost is almost exactly what I "saved" by not going to the Super Bowl.

BabaBooey

· #15 · Jan 22, 2004

What a fantastic way for you to experience such a terrible thing (watching the Panther's lose). I guess it's like getting kicked in the balls by Jessica Alba...

I would be watching the Superbowl on a new L300U, but my roomate ditched town oweing me $500 and sticking me to pay for my lease over the next 6 months. I would liken my situation to getting kicked in the balls by, well, my roomate. Or Hitler, but with one of those really big Austalian boots...

rlindo

· #16 · Jan 22, 2004

Go panthers!

(not a panthers fan but i hate the pats

)

bigrushhead

· #17 · Jan 22, 2004

Let me guess rlindo> your either a disgruntled Bills or Dolphin's, Rams,Raiders, steelers fan?? Usually people don't "hate" unless they are sick of seeing a particular team being so successful, or unless their own team was defeated often by said "hated" team....Hmmm lets see what other teams butts have we kicked recently that you could be a fan of?...oh yeah 14 in a row? pretty much every team

..Ahhh winning is so much fun

Kamus

· #18 · Jan 22, 2004

about peek-a-boo scan lines... i see them, quite a bit, as far as VB goes it's there, but i'm rarely able to see it, VB is a non issue for me, but the peek-a-boo's are annoying as hell, i did the "flicker tweak" hoping it would minimize them, but they're still the same to me, i have an AE500 just to avoid any confusion. i have a few dead pixels, not an issue either, rarely see them (i'm not willing to return it just for those... waste of time in my book since it's not noticable).

rlindo

· #19 · Jan 23, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by bigrushhead
Let me guess rlindo> your either a disgruntled Bills or Dolphin's, Rams,Raiders, steelers fan?? Usually people don't "hate" unless they are sick of seeing a particular team being so successful, or unless their own team was defeated often by said "hated" team....Hmmm lets see what other teams butts have we kicked recently that you could be a fan of?...oh yeah 14 in a row? pretty much every team ..Ahhh winning is so much fun

actually I am not a fan of any particular team especially the teams you mentioned. I gave up following a single team about 4 years ago when Steve Young retired. Now I just enjoy good games regardless of who is playing. But if you want to know who my fav team was when I was a team following person, it was the 49ers. I am more a fan of players in the league than teams. I find the loyal team following thing so uh, silly and lacking logic.

BTW "you" haven't beat anyone....unless you are a Pats player or owner. If so, cool!

hehe, sorry but I really don't like when people say "we" when talking about millionaire grown men they don't know or will ever know beating other millionaire grown men at a game.

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dennisgg

· #20 · Jan 23, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by rlindo
Go panthers!

(not a panthers fan but i hate the pats)

What is to hate about the Pats? I can see people hating the Yankees or the Lakers - rich teams that buy the best players, win championships acting like primadonnas (sp?). The Pats are a class act - they play like a team - no showboaters, no trashtalking, classy qb and coach. Other than being from MA, this is one of the main reasons I like them alot. I am a Red Sox fan, but there are a few primadonnas there that ruin it.

Go Pats!

Dennis

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