Gizmodo: pt-ax100u

Dealzmodo: Panasonic PT-AX100U HD Projector, $1,500 AR, Includes Extended Warranties

Travis Hudson — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:45:03 EDT

Visual Apex, a site that a reader highly supports, has the Panasonic PT-AX100U LCD HD Projector for one hell of a deal. Back when I first had my hands-on this projector I was very impressed with everything about the PT-AX100U, except the $3K price tag. Visual Apex now has the projector for $1,900 and is including a $400 mail-in rebate and free three-year warranty and two-year lamp warranty. I used this projector for a few weeks and give it my full recommendation, especially for this price. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Visual Apex]

Projector Thunderdome: Variable Lens Shifting vs Keystone Correction

Travis Hudson — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:01:38 EST

Simply put, if a projector isn't square to a wall, its image will be warped. To fix it, most low end models use digital keystone correction. The higher-end method that relies on adjusting the physical lens, is finally coming to less expensive models like the Panasonic PT-AX100U (that we have had for a while). Here's a video of it in action.

There are several reasons why variable lens shift is better than its evil nemesis, digital keystone correction.

Keystoning is when a projector is long lined up completely straight with a wall and creates a less than perfect rectangle and looks more like a trapezoid. Some projectors try to correct for this with Digital Keystone Correction. This correction process compresses the "fat end" of the keystone, or trapezoid, therefore lowering the quality. It wouldn't be very noticeable with a Powerpoint presentation, but it can be significantly noticeable with video or high resolution pictures.

The other option to correct non-perfectly mounted projectors is variable lens shifting. Most projectors already have a limited amount of lens shifting, but for the most convenience you want a variable lens shift that can move any direction while still maintaining a rectangular image (see video above).

Luckily, variable lens shifting is now becoming available on home theatre projectors that don't cost an arm and a leg. Aside from the one we tested, Panasonic's PT-AE900U, Epson Pro Cinema 800, Hitachi PJTX100 and a couple lower-end models from Sanyo all include the tech. Most of the projectors range around $2,000 to $3,000, which is fairly reasonable for a home theatre projector.

The Bottom Line
If you are looking at projectors for a home theatre, avoid projectors with Digital Keystone Correction and go with the variable lens shifting—it will look a lot better if you have to mount above or below the desired projected area. – Travis Hudson

Some keystone information via ProjectorNews

First Grope: Panasonic PT-AX100U HD Projector (Verdict: Quiet as a Mouse Fart)

Travis Hudson — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:18:09 EST

We first told you about the Panasonic PT-AX100U HD projector back in September, but I finally got my hands on this projector to try out on my own.

Jump for photos, and my impressions of the automatic brightness adjuster.

This projector is beautiful. It is one of the better, more reasonable ($3,000) HD home theatre projectors out there. It runs at a glorious 720p resolution with a lamp capable of producing 2,000 lumens of brightness. It also has a 6,000:1 contrast ratio. It isn't too bulky, and runs quiet as a mouse fart.

I have only been trying this projector out for a day, but thus far it is pretty amazing. From the picture image you see below, I have it projected across my entire wall (roughly 150 inches diagonal) and it still looks beautiful.

One of the nicer features is the automatic brightness adjustments. I have a giant patio door in my living room that lets in a decent amount of light. Using the Light Harmonizer technology, this projector will adjust the brightness depending on how much light is in the room.

Inputs include composite, s-video, component, VGA and of course, HDMI. Stay tuned for my full review to come soon. – Travis Hudson

(Pardon my projection picture. It is difficult to accurately capture how beautiful this image is with a camera)

Product Page [Panasonic]