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Highly Recommended Award
Our Highly Recommended designation is earned by products offering extraordinary value or performance in their price class.
The Panasonic PT-AX100U is the seventh model in a line of low-cost widescreen LCD home theater projector to come from Panasonic's laboratories in under five years. Starting with the original AE100, an 854x484 projector released in January, 2002, the Panasonic home theater projector line has progressed through increasingly higher resolution, higher contrast, and ever-improving video processing capabilities. Models have included the AE200, the AE300, the AE500, the AE700, and last year's AE900. The AX100U is the latest and by far the best in the line.
One could argue that this is the single most influential line of digital home theater projectors ever brought to market. It features unique innovations such as Panasonic's "Smoothscreen" technology that completely eliminates visible pixelation. Moreover, with the AE700 we saw the first combination of horizontal and vertical lens shift along with a 2.0x zoom range which allowed for previously unknown installation flexibility. With its aggressive pricing strategies, Panasonic has hastened the erosion of competitive DLP 720p pricing and brought high quality, large scale home theater within the financial reach of the average consumer.
ANSI lumens: 2000
Contrast (full on/off): 6000:1 with auto-iris
Light Engine: 1280x720, native 16:9, 3x 0.7" PolySi LCD with a 220W UHM lamp.
Video Compatibility: HDTV 1080p/60, 1080p/50, 1080p/24, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p. NTSC/PAL/SECAM.
Data Compatibility: Computer resolutions up to SXGA.
Connection Panel: One HDMI input, one VGA input, one set of component YPbPr inputs, one S-Video input, one composite input, one serial port, one kensington lock point, hardwired power on/off switch.
Lens and Throw Distance: 2:1 manual zoom/focus lens with manual H/V lens shift. Throws a 100" diagonal 16:9 image from 9.9' to 20.3'
Lamp Life: Unknown.
Warranty: One year.
The AX100U is a much improved version of last year's AE900. It retains the long 2.0x zoom range which enables it to deliver a 100" image from a throw distance of anywhere between 10 and 20 feet. The primary benefit of this long zoom range is that it enables the user to place the projector on a rear shelf, and get a wide range of projected image sizes no matter the depth of the room. This will allow most users to avoid the cost and nuisance of ceiling mounting the projector. In addition, the AX100U has manual horizontal and vertical lens shift. When the lens is in its neutral position, the centerline of the lens intersects the image just above its geometric center. Once again, this design is optically ideal for a rear shelf mount.
However, if you wish to ceiling mount, you can shift the lens such that, once the projector is inverted, the top edge of the image is below the centerline by about 16% of the picture height. So for example, if you are projecting a 120" diagonal image, the picture height will be 59", and the maximum gap between the top of the image and the centerline will be 9.4". In practical terms, after adding a few vertical inches for the ceiling mount itself, if you have an 8 foot ceiling, the 120" image will appear on the wall about where you want it. If you are going for a smaller image, say 100" diagonal, or if you have a much higher ceiling, the range of the lens shift will not be able to compensate for such a radical offset. In these cases, you may wish to use an extension tube with the mount to keep the image from appearing too high on the wall. (We don't recommend tilting and using keystone correction on any 720p projector since it causes all signals, and native HD 720p in particular, to be rescaled.)
One of the unique features of the AX100U is its "Light Harmonizer." This gives the projector the ability to detect and automatically recalibrate itself to varying ambient light conditions. In total darkness it will reduce its lumen output and maximize black level. But when someone turns a light on, it will automatically boost lumen output to brighten the picture and make it easier to see.
The Light Harmonizer can be set on AUTO mode, or it can be either deactivated or set to manual mode. Thus, in the event you don't care for the results of the automatic adjustments in Auto mode, you can adjust the projector to output the level of brightness you want. Manual mode enables you to set the iris at one of ten different apertures of increasing brightness.
Another capability that is new to many of the latest home theater projectors is the ability to accept and display a 1080p/24 signal. The AX100U will accept 1080p/24 as well as the more conventional 1080p/60. The 1080p/24 format is important because it will become a standard feature on many of the new high definition DVD players, HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Indeed, a couple of the Blu-ray players scheduled for release next month already have it.
The benefit of 1080p/24 transmission between the HD player and the projector is that it eliminates the need for 24 frame/sec film material to go through 2:3 pulldown conversion. This conversion has always been necessary to get film to synch with the 60 cycle displays that are part of the NTSC world. But with digital projectors being able to run at 24 Hz (or multiples thereof, 48 or 72 Hz), the conversion to 60 Hz is no longer needed. This will eliminate occasional artifacts such as judder in slow panning sequences and allow a smoother display of the film source. Once we acquire one of the new Blu-ray players with 1080p/24 output, we will do more testing to assess the degree to which this feature actually contributes to any incremental improvement in the viewing experience.
The AX100U offers a lot of flexibility in setting it up for various sources and lighting conditions. Not only will it save separate configurations for each input, but it offers three universal "favorites" which can be saved and loaded to any input at any time.
Finally, the AX100U comes with an all new remote control that is much easier to use than previous models. It is backlit, and the buttons are large, well-spaced, and easy to read in the dark. The remote provides button control for input selection, aspect ratio adjustment, picture adjustment, color management, access to precalibrated settings for dark theater viewing, living room viewing, favorite calibrations, as well as access to and control of the full menu. Most remote controls are a source of frustration for one reason or another. This one is not.
The AX100U delivers the most elegant and natural video image we have yet seen from LCD technology. By comparison, last year's AE900 was an incremental step beyond the formidable AE700, but this year the AX100U represents a very significant step to a whole new level of performance. Black levels are noticeably improved, and the subtle softness that we found in the AE900 is entirely gone. The AX100U's image is extremely sharp and clean.
Deinterlacing was already extremely good on the AE900, and it continues to be so on the AX100U. We find no difference in performance between the two in this regard. However, scaling on the AX100U is significantly improved and the image is quite obviously rendered with greater precision than its predecessor. The AX100 is able to resolve standard definition resolution test patterns to near perfection, whereas the AE900 was not quite there. There is also noticeably less digital noise and better color saturation and openness in the midtone values on the AX100U when it is placed side by side with the AE900. Collectively, these improvements produce a much refined image that, to say it again for emphasis, looks both elegant and natural.
The range of lumen output on the AX100U is exceptional. In optimized dark theater mode, our test unit measured 343 ANSI lumens. But in Vivid Cinema mode, which still retains exceptional color and contrast, brightness was boosted to over 800 lumens. And in Dynamic mode we were able to get over 1400 lumens without too much compromise in image quality. This would be ideal for a Super Bowl party where brightness in ambient light is all important, and small variances from color standards are not noticed by anyone. None of Panasonic's prior models in this line have anywhere near this range of lumen output flexibility. (The AX100U will actually generate lumen outputs higher than 1400, but we wouldn't use those settings for video viewing or gaming.)
Panasonic's SmoothScreen technology eliminates any hint of pixelation, even at very close viewing distances. Historically, LCD technology has tended to manifest more visible pixel structure than DLP products of the same resolution. But here the situation is reversed. Every DLP 720p projector we have seen in our lab thus far has more noticeable pixel structure than does the AX100U.
The Light Harmonizer feature is interesting, but it does not provide the full range of automatic adjustments to ambient light that the projector is capable of if you adjust it manually. For example, if it is operating in the low lumen Cinema 1 mode in a dark room, the introduction of ambient light will cause the projector to automatically boost lumen output by about 15%. However, if you go into the menu and select the Vivid Cinema mode, light output more than doubles. In addition, if you are already in Vivid Cinema mode, the Light Harmonizer does not have any incremental effect on light output. Therefore, the feature nicely accommodates a limited amount of ambient light introduced into a dark room, but it is not comprehensive enough to manage the projector's light output for all ambient light conditions.
As far as fan noise is concerned, there isn't much to worry about. Even in its brightest operating modes, the AX100U's fan noise remains remarkably quiet. There won't be any users of this projector opting to run in lower lumen output modes in order to reduce fan noise.
The Panasonic AX100U is the closest thing to a truly universal home theater projector we have yet seen. Its 2.0x zoom range and lens shift capabilities make it easy to place almost anywhere in the room you might want it. And its exceptional lumen output range will allow you to use it in a wide variety of room sizes and ambient light conditions. If you have a very large room, say 30 feet in depth, you may want a larger screen to go with it. You can install a 150" diagonal screen, and still put the projector on a rear shelf. That can save you time, effort, and the cost of a ceiling mount and long run video cables. Meanwhile, the Vivid Cinema setting will allow you to fill a 150" screen with a rich, pixel-free image. On the other hand, if you have a smaller room, you have the option to run in one of the low power Cinema modes that are ideal for a 100" screen in a dark room.
Though the versatility of the AX100U is one of its most distinctive characteristics, the ultimate satisfaction with this projector comes from its sharp, natural film-like image. In particular, standard definition DVDs look better than we've ever seen on any 1280x720p projector within this price range.
We rarely rate any projector a full 5 stars across the board, but the simple fact is that we find nothing to complain about with the AX100U. Panasonic has combined outstanding image quality with unparalleled ease of use and versatility in a way that we've not seen before. And as of this writing it is all available for street prices under $2,000. Accordingly, we are happy to give the PT-AX100U our strongest recommendation.
For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Panasonic PT-AX100U projector page.
I long for the day that we see a 4 panel LCD where you have Red, Green, Blue, and Gray. This would improve contrast ratings even more!
I currently have the PT-AE700U, and frankly, I was miffed when my lamp went out after only 1,000 hours!! So I think I am going to wait for a while and see if this is a problem with this new version. After all, once I buy one, I'm stuck.
To say the least I was unimpressed. If I did not already own a projector and know what image quality it was capable of I would have not proceeded further, if a USD10,000 sony 1080p projector looked that unimpressive, you would think to stick to LCD or plasma TVs! If I had spent all that money on a demo room I would have a HD or Blu ray player and HDMI at the very least.
To cut a long story short I bought the AX100U and from initial start up was very impressed. I haven't even yet connected it properly and tested it with an HDMI cable and HD-DVD or Blu ray yet the picture off DVD was amazing and bright like the LCD TVs you see on display in Best Buy. Wow!
I'll write a longer report once I've put some more hours on it. Before I forget, it looks smaller in the pictures than in real life, but not too big, manageable. The sony 100W? is BIG!
When we watch cable television, we sometimes get a white, shimmering/pixilation effect across the top 1-2% of the screen. The effect appears to be limited to broadcasts in 4:3 aspect, but, is not specific to one station or broadcast type. For example, the H-D, 16:9 broadcasts are perfect. However, certain H-D, 4:3 broadcasts exhibit the effect. Specifically, while we watched a Harry Potter movie with no issues on HBO HD (16:9), the effect was seen while watching "The Wire" on HBO HD (4:3). Similarly, while we watched a football game on ABC's local station in analog (4:3) with no issues, when the local news broadcast came on the same station right after the game (also 4:3), the effect appeared. Again, the only common denominator is 4:3 aspect, but only for certain broadcasts.
In regard to connections, we have our Scientific Atlantic 8300 HD-DVR cable box hooked to our Denon 4806-CI AV receiver using HDMI. In turn, the receiver also is hooked to the projector with HDMI. Any thoughts on what is causing this effect and how to eliminate it?
Hope this helps. Just a guess.
Cheers,
Alistair G.
Just wanted to hear, has any of you heard of problems with ghosting when it comes to connecting Xbox 360 to AX100?
Any of you heard of any kind of trouble with Xbox and AX???
Regards..
However, I just want to make sure that there is nothing better available out there. Any suggestions?
A variation of this fraud happened with Broadway Photo, Regal Camera, Digital Liquidators and Prestige Camera. All in NYC, all unethical, lying thieves. They could all be the same store, I wouldn't doubt it. I have no problem if they want to advertise the fact that is doesn't come with a lamp, but there is no way to know this from ordering on line. Each of the sites offers suggested accessories, yet not one is suggesting a lamp.
I strongly suggest everyone avoid these 'dealers'.
A variation of this fraud happened with Broadway Photo, Regal Camera, Digital Liquidators and Prestige Camera. All in NYC, all unethical, lying thieves. They could all be the same store, I wouldn't doubt it. I have no problem if they want to advertise the fact that is doesn't come with a lamp, but there is no way to know this from ordering on line. Each of the sites offers suggested accessories, yet not one is suggesting a lamp.
I strongly suggest everyone avoid these 'dealers'."
I discoverd the connection to all these bait and switch artists by checking the Better Busniess Bureau Online (http://search.bbb.org/searchform.aspx). I use it all the time to check out companies I haven't done business with. Very helpful.
Review says: "However, if you wish to ceiling mount, you can shift the lens such that, once the projector is inverted, the top edge of the image is below the centerline by about 16% of the picture height."
It can mislead you since the maximum vertical shift is 63% from the image height and not 16%. Max. horizontal shift is 25%. When combined, the range will be lower. Since this information is crucial when making calculations of the home cinema installation, I'd suggest the authors to correct the article.
Thank you!
Pavel Melnichonok-Rukser
So now I'm confused. According to the manual, if we shift the projector vertically up by 63% from the centre of the screen, won't the calculation mean the lens will be lower than the top edge?
I'm planning the set-up and got totally confused now...
Thanks in advance for your help!
So now I'm confused. According to the manual, if we shift the projector vertically up by 63% from the centre of the screen, won't the calculation mean the lens will be lower than the top edge?
I'm planning the set-up and got totally confused now...
Thanks in advance for your help!"
If your screen is 50" tall, then you multiply 50 by .63 which gives you (about) 31.5"
You can move the projector (center of lens) about 31.5" above the CENTER of the screen. This puts the centerline of the lens about 6.5" above the top edge of the projected image. Closer to 13% instead of 16%.
Since my screen is 106" diagonal it could be a bit over 6.5" above the top edge of the screen. This, of course, goes with the concept that there is no horizontal lens shift in use which will bring down the vertical lens shift range.
As of Sept 2007 Projector People had it for $1299 after rebate. This also included a Sanus ceiling mount. It can be had for about $100 less other places but, as described in other posts, they may not be trusted sources. I've purchased from ProjectorPeople.com in the past and have had great outcome each time. Yes, you pay $100 more but the peace of mind must be worth it to work with a reputable and knowledgeable dealer.
So I called Panasonic. They say that it is a faulty piece. And I've to ship it to Kansas. So now I've to dismount the projector from the ceiling and ship it. Meanwhile, I can't watch any TV.
So I called Panasonic. They say that it is a faulty piece. And I've to ship it to Kansas. So now I've to dismount the projector from the ceiling and ship it. Meanwhile, I can't watch any TV."
Just this week I experienced the same problem with my PT AX100u. How long did it take them to fix it and return. I want to have my projector for all bowl games.
"My PT AX100U has been working fine and I am very impressed with it. Till now. It has been around 3 month since I ceiling mounted it. It has been working fine. Since last week, it has started behaving strangely. Every morning, when I turn it on with my remote, it turns itself off after a few minutes. And it stops responding to the remote. Even the Power button on top of the projector doesn't work. It only works after I use the on/off switch behind the projector. And it happens only once a day. The first thing in the morning. The rest of the day, the projector works fine and responds to the remote fine. But the next morning, the same problem. It is like if I let it rest for more than a few hours, it stops responding.
So I called Panasonic. They say that it is a faulty piece. And I've to ship it to Kansas. So now I've to dismount the projector from the ceiling and ship it. Meanwhile, I can't watch any TV."
Who at panasonic did you speak with? I just started having the same problem with the Iris and I am positive my unit is out of warranty(build date Feb 2007). I am hoping they will fix it for free.
Thanks!
Brett or anyone else that knows,
I have this iris issue also and was planning on replacing the iris with the iris from the AX200U model since it is a ball bearing iris. But, when I go to the Panasonic website under the AX200U parts, I can not find this iris that you are talking about for around $85. Does iris go by another name? I tried to search and find out but was not successful.
Could it be this... TXZEC03VKD3 OPTICAL CINEMA FILTER 84.60
Thanks.
http://www.fixya.com/support/t451897-panasonic_pt_ax100u_ec
I'm a big fan of this projector. I'm considering selling it only because I'm looking at picking up a 1080P unit.
Its still [edited] (not working properly), same problem, I have to start it half a dozen times before it stays on, unplug, then it stays on.
This is a very lightly used projector, under 800 hours. If it acts up much more I will post a youtube video of me bashing it to bits with a baseball bat.
[expletive deleted]Panasonic, this should have been a class acton lawsuit.
Have had mine for about three years. Iris problem reared it's ugly head about 1 month after the initial warranty period was over. Kept resetting the power not knowing any better, until that failed to resolve a start up. Lamp light was blinking, but the picture looked normal when it did work so I hesitantly shelled out a few hundred bucks for a new lamp, which did not fix the problem. Since it was out of warranty, I took it to a local electronics repair place who charged me $380.00 to repair/replace the IRIS with a 90 day warranty. I swear, about 92 days later, same issue. I was pretty calm about it at first, sometimes you get a lemon and things sometimes just break, but this one was starting to get in my craw because I had almost $700.00 bucks trying to fix something that only cost me $999.00 to begin with and it's still broke.
Long story short, go through the whole process of finding out about the cheap lubricating fix, which temporarily fixes the problem. It worked at first on about a 6 to 8 week interval between "lube jobs" but now it's a weekly occurrence of getting the thing down off the ceiling mount and screwing with it just to get it to work like it should.
Panasonic is making a huge mistake by screwing there loyal customers on this. Panasonic CS is about as helpful as [negative phrase deleted]. I have over $12k of Panasonic products in my home and office between Plasma TV's, LCD TV's, phones, BD & DVD players,shavers etc.. No more. Panny has gotten the absolute last penny they will ever get out of this customer and has in fact created a negative megaphone who will warn anybody not to buy products marketed by this company. I fully anticipate a class action law suite against them on this issue. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about actively investing the time and effort to see what it will take to get one started.
I thought It was the Iris problem (it was indeed stuck), so I applied that fix (WD40) but the projector still shutdown and the temp light came on.
Has anyone else experienced this and know the solution?
I checked the Service Menu and Temp 1 drifts down (overheats), while Temp 2 stays around 165. What is the standard reading for Temp 1 during normal operation?
The front air exhaust is where I feel blazing heat, the one besides the lens, while the projector is running you can see there is a fan inside. Is this supposed to turn in normal operation? Mine doesn't ever.
I called Panasonic tech support and they suggested I plug it in a new outlet and if that doesn't work I would have to mail it in for $130 (non refundable diagnostic, but applicable to repair cost) + shipping.
Have any idea what is happening with my projector?
I'm trying to determine if it is hopefully fixable or time to buy a new projector.
after 5k + the lamp was still working fine, no loss of brightness. BUT football season was starting and I typically have people over. I didn't want the lamp to stop working mid game so I just gave in and replaced it.
The auto-white feature has meant no complaints against white/yellow/grey walls without the need for a dedicated screen--something I haven't had the pleasure of using for several years now. The 2x lens has also allowed for massive images in small spaces. The lens' flexibility has allowed for lots of creative placements, in a pinch, with minimal aberration/blur at the edges.
The iris issue led to fears of regret in Year Two. But seven years in, it's an old friend.
So I've had the Panasonic PT-AX100E projector for like around 7-8 years I think and have used it approx. 5000h (I am on my second bulb now). Have not had a single complain. Runs like a charme. So I got my moneys worth out out of it and hope to have it live through a third bulb. Wish more consumer tech was that well built.
3 tips: When buying a lamp, best order it from Panasonic in Japan. They are expensive, but it's the real deal and not some cheap copy which doesn't last long enough. (No, I am not from Panasonic; I just read some reviews online of people who had gone for a third party solution and were pretty disappointed because the lamp exploded/stopped working after 500 hours.)
Also the eco mode will cause the lamp to flicker after so many hundred hours. Make sure to use it at least every so often with the regular mode so the residues inside the lamp can be burned off properly (or whatever exactly the physics of that is). You will notice the flickering best on purely white backgrounds (desktop), not so much in games/movies. The lamp flickers and sometimes "gets stuck" in a dimmer setting. That is because the light arc is not properly jumping.
Oh and also as mentioned every so often: After approx. 3000h in eco mode the projector will automatically turn off after 10 minutes to prevent lamp failure. The projector does take into account whether it was used in eco or regular mode, so this may happen sooner than 3000h. (This is not stated in the manual, unfortunately.) So you can reset the lamp time. How long the lamp lives after 3000 hours is anybody's guess, but it may eventually explore when the glass becomes to strained by all the heat.
[...] select "Lamp Runtime" Press and hold the Enter button for approximately 3 seconds The "Lamp Runtime" will change to "Time Reset [Power Off]" Turn off the power and disconnect the power cord
Those were the most important three things for me not covered in the manual, when you want to use the projector for a long time.
