I just got the Denon 3808 and Panasonic AE2000U to complete my HDMI 1.3 and 1080P24 upgrade. I am very satisfied with the Panasonic projector. I debated between this and Epson for a long time. The reason I chose Panasonic AE2000U over Epson 1080UB are as follows:
1. Panasonic has a power zoom and focus. I watch occasional 4:3 programing and I like the fact that I can zoom with the remote and make the 4:3 picture bigger.
2. Panasonic has vertical stretch capability. Although I do not have 2.35 constant height setup, I like the fact that I can do this at some point without needing an outboard processor.
3. The big advantage that Epson has over Panasonic is the often touted 50,000:1 dynamic contrast compared to 15,000:1 for Panasonic. These numbers mean absolutely squat in most realistic viewing environments. I do not have a bat cave and reflections from my ceiling and walls will more than cancel out any theoretical contrast advantage for the Epson.
4. Panasonic has a better reputation as a CEM compared to Epson. When I think of Epson, I'm thinking printers, not projectors.
5. Panasonic is cheaper than Epson by few hundred dollars. With the $100 instant rebate offered by many AVS Forum sponsers, Panasonic costs $2599 including shipping. Epson is $2999 with a $200 mail in rebate for the home model.
With these reasons, choosing Panasonic over Epson was an easy one.
1. Panasonic has a power zoom and focus. I watch occasional 4:3 programing and I like the fact that I can zoom with the remote and make the 4:3 picture bigger.
2. Panasonic has vertical stretch capability. Although I do not have 2.35 constant height setup, I like the fact that I can do this at some point without needing an outboard processor.
3. The big advantage that Epson has over Panasonic is the often touted 50,000:1 dynamic contrast compared to 15,000:1 for Panasonic. These numbers mean absolutely squat in most realistic viewing environments. I do not have a bat cave and reflections from my ceiling and walls will more than cancel out any theoretical contrast advantage for the Epson.
4. Panasonic has a better reputation as a CEM compared to Epson. When I think of Epson, I'm thinking printers, not projectors.
5. Panasonic is cheaper than Epson by few hundred dollars. With the $100 instant rebate offered by many AVS Forum sponsers, Panasonic costs $2599 including shipping. Epson is $2999 with a $200 mail in rebate for the home model.
With these reasons, choosing Panasonic over Epson was an easy one.
