Using the PT-F200U as a Theater Projector

I heartily recommend this unit for dual use if your idea of dual use is taking home this projector from the office (with permission of course) for the occasional movie event. I do not recommend the opposite - using this as a home theater projector that can occasionally double as a business unit. The reason is simple: black detail is non-existent regardless of ambient light conditions or projector settings. It's simply too bright (without supporting the accompanying black levels) for home theater use. If you do use it for home theater, remember to place the Aspect Ratio in 16:9 and set both the Color Mode and Picture Mode to STANDARD. Daylight view can be set to Auto for best results.

Viewing Tests

We actually brought the projector along to a local Men's Retreat and it worked wonders in a room with massive amounts of ambient light - even when playing a movie that had several dark scenes. For that particular event we were using a portable Da-Lite Deluxe Insta-Theater 90" Screen, which gave us a nice big picture. This system featured a 2.2 gain "Wide Power" screen that further increased the gain from the projector. During this time we viewed material ranging from PowerPoint presentations to a DVD (Big Fish). I would say that the movie gave us several moments where blacks ran together and definition was completely lost, especially during some of the forest scenes. What that told me, as confirmed by our more controlled viewing tests below, is that the PT-F200U, while a super bright and competent performer, can't do everything well. If you think you can show a horror film in a room with lots of ambient light and see tons of dark detail you'll need to re-adjust your expectations.

This is what a movie like Bladerunner will look like during any of its many dark scenes. Notice the absence of black level detail. Stick to brighter content overall for best results.

During bright scenes, like this shot from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the picture looks excellent, though a little soft due to the resizing of the image to the LCD panel's native pixels.

These guys are actually fat, not stretched. Colorful, bright images look incredible on the PT-F200U.

Conclusion

This projector got a lot of use during its stay with Audioholics. We used it during a presentation meeting, church event, and of course watched several films on it. Overall, it is an excellent performer when used within its limits. Play to the strengths of this projector (bright output, excellent installation flexibility, automatic gamma control, etc) and you'll more extremely happy. If you're looking for a unit that will allow you to watch movies during the day - you found it. While you certainly can't watch with the sun pouring in on your screen, the Daylight View system does an impeccable job of varying the gamma to increase picture viewability and color. If you want a winner in the light-controlled home theater department as well as the office, keep looking. The PT-F200U gets our hearty recommendation for commercial and business use - it's an amazing value and a solid product that should provide more than enough power and features.

Panasonic PT-F200U LCD Projector

MSRP: $3,999 | Buy It Now from VisualApex

Panasonic Corporation of North America
One Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
http://www.panasonic.com/

About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of US$81.44 billion for the year ended March 31, 2005. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, New York (NYSE:MC), Euronext Amsterdam and Frankfurt stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.co.jp/global/index.html.