Panasonic PT-AX100U Projector Review

PT-AX100U Features & Favorites

The PT-AX100U LCD projector from Panasonic is the sequential upgrade product that replaces the PT-AE900U model we reviewed earlier this year. There are numerous differences between the two models, but they share many of the same core features. We quickly acquired a review unit. We not only wanted to compare the unit to what we recalled of its predecessor, but we also wanted to simply see how the new projector did in our newly remodeled Reference System 2.

Features and Favorites

There is a lot to like about the Panasonic PT-AX100U. Let's get a quick overview of some of the features that stand out:

• Light Harmonizer with Ambient Light Sensor
  This feature, unique to Panasonic as far as we can tell, allows the projector to measure ambient room light in combination with the input signal and adjust the gamma curve to compensate. The result is a "gamma jump" when the ambient room light changes from light to dark. No more washed out colors - and automatic adjustment for when the sun goes down.
• Smooth Screen Technology
  Back thanks to popular demand is Panasonic's Smooth Screen Technology which virtually eliminates the gap between individual pixels, providing a smooth, film-like image. It has been our experience that almost no resolution or sharpness is lost using this technology and we wouldn't mind seeing this feature on more products.
• 2000 Lumens of Daytime-Viewing Goodness
  The PT-AX100U breaks some light output barriers and takes names doing it. 2000 lumens for a 720p home theater projector is pretty much unheard of in this price class. What we'll find out later in the review is whether this increased light output affects or otherwise compromises the black levels we were impressed with last time around.
• "Hollywood Tuning" Pure Color Filter
  Optimized for the LCD panel's best performance, Panasonic's Pure Color filter is designed to enhance black levels and provide a truer color representation of the on-screen picture. We're hoping that this feature, combined with the increased lumen output will result in a more life-like and dynamic picture quality overall.

To say that there will be a'buzz' surrounding this projector is an understatement. Panasonic's PT-AE900U was one of the highest selling units in its price class and this updated model is sure to have many people watching and waiting for performance results with much anticipation. It also makes any leftover PT-AE900U models look mighty inviting for those looking for a steal in the projector market right now.

PT-AX100U Setup, Connections & Remote

Comparing the Panasonic PT-AX100U and the PT-AE900U Projectors

The biggest question that's got to be on people's minds is: " What's the difference between the two models? " Well, we asked the same question and set to work outlining a comparison of features once the unit arrived in-house for review. Here's a quick overview of differences:

Pictorially, this is what you're looking at:

PT-AE900U remote (left) and PT-AX100U remote (right)


PT-AE900U rear panel (left) and PT-AX100U rear panel (right)

PT-AE900U menu system (left) and slightly altered PT-AX100U menu system (right)

Basic Setup and Installation

The mounting and configuration process is no less complex or difficult than it was with last year's model. Lens shift takes a lot of worry out of the equation and Panasonic provides more than enough data on their website for you to be able to accurately place this product perfectly in your home theater. If you're shy on math you can follow the general placement guidelines of staying as close to the bottom/center of the screen (table mount) or top center of the screen (ceiling mount) as possible. For those considering the Panasonic PT-AX100U in their home theater room, take a look at the 16:9 throw chart (which hasn't changed from the prior model):

Throw Chart for Distancing the Projector from a 16:9 Projection Screen

We did our testing on a 100" Stewart Studiotek 130 screen. The results were exceptional and the amount of light coming from the screen as measured by our datacolor ColorFacts Professional software was more than enough for home theater minimum requirements.

We positioned the projector on our mobile projector stand about 6.5 feet off the ground and well within the lens shift capabilities of the unit. We always make sure that we are not close to the extremes of any lens shift adjustments to minimize lens distortion and to preserve the uniformity of the projected image.

We utilized HDMI cables (from DVIGear ) for the majority of our testing and also sent 480i signal to the Panasonic via component video (courtesy of Impact Acoustics ) from our reference Denon DVD-3930CI DVD player.

Like its predecessor, we recommend you set the Picture M ode to Cinema1, leave Dynamic Iris On , and set Lamp Power to Low. At this point you'll be in great shape to watch the unit in a light-controlled room. We'll get into the Light Harmonizer technology later during the technical evaluation period of the review.

Connections

The PT-AX100U, like the model it replaces, comes with a remote, batteries and power cord - no cables are provided. Should you have the desire, however, you can fill up a composite, s-video, HD M I-HDCP, RGB/HD15, and component video inputs (only one set this time) to your heart's content. A serial connector is provided which, with an 8-pin DIN to 9-pin D-SUB adapter (ET-ADSER) that is sold separately, allows you to connect the projector to an RS-232C-based control system. Custom installers can use the pinout diagram and basic control signal info which are conveniently provided in the user manual.

There is a lot of room on this projector for making connections. Panasonic opted to remove one set of component video inputs on this unit, no doubt as a way to reassign some of the product cost to other areas, like the dynamic gamma-correcting Light Harmonizer system and more powerful lamp system.

Remote Control

This would be the perfect remote (relax, there's more than one "perfect" remote) if it had some direct input selection controls for accessing component, HDMI, s-video, etc. Even without the direct inputs, the fact that it has a fully backlit control face and the menu/navigation system is well laid out make this a very functional remote. Gone is the "Exit" button, instead replaced by a more intuitive "Return" button. There are large "Theater Room" and "Living Room" buttons on the top of the remote as well as a "Favorite" button that recalls one of three saved Favorites display settings (think calibrated Day/Night modes or a black and white mode calibrated for ~5000K). The "Theater Room" button cycles through Cinema1 , Cinema2 , Video and Natural modes - while the "Living Room" button cycles through the much brighter Dynamic , Vivid Cinema and Normal modes. My favorite button on the remote ended up being the "Freeze" (frame) button that would freeze a full resolution image in screen for my camera to capture - helpful to say the least.

PT-AX100U Menu System

The Panasonic's menu system isn't much changed from the previous version found in the PT-AE900U. Changes include additional options for the added Noise Reduction options and new Light Harmonizer features. I won't rehash the menu system since I went through it at length in the PT-AE900U review, but I'll show the two menu systems here for comparison, along with any pertinent commentary on the changes:

PICTURE Menu
The Picture menu is nearly identical except that the PT-AX100U moves the noise reduction options to the Advanced Menu and splits out an option for MPEG noise reduction. "Memory" slots are now referred to as "Favorites" and the "Light Harmonizer" option is visible near the bottom of the screen (Auto/Manual/Off).

OPTION Menu
The Option menu combines the Desk/Ceiling and Front/Rear projection options into one setting that cycles through all four possible mounting options. An "HDMI Signal Level" apparently adjusts the HDMI color range from 16-235 to 0-255 (essentially washing out your image). The rest is about the same except for a few changes in nomenclature.

Color Management

In addition to getting your RGB colors correctly calibrated with gain. Cut and gamma settings, Panasonic also offers something they call Custom Color Management that actually allows you to perform color correction on-screen using the actual projected image. While not new (the PT-AE900U featured it) it's a nifty feature, though not one that I have yet found a particular use for (other than making some funny on-screen effects). The system does work, as noted by my photos below which show Discovery Channel's Jeff Corwin's red coat being turned pink with hardly any effect on the rest of the picture:

Light Harmonizer with Ambient Light Sensor

The Light Harmonizer system works via an ambient light sensor which sites on the top of the Panasonic projector (just in front of the navigation controls). This sensor evaluates the amount of luminance in the room, checks it against the source video, and then adjusts the gamma curve to compensate in a way that produces the brightest picture. The system does not appear to affect lamp power settings or even the dynamic iris, but it does produce a noticeable alteration should the ambient light suddenly change in the viewing environment. After trying different settings, I found that this was pretty much a setting that I wanted to leave "off" due to the fact that I don't like my gamma settings changing on a regular basis - something that is likely to happen if your room reflects enough light back from the screen. You may want to play with it in your environment, but I'd just as soon save a few Favorite settings for easy recall during Day or Night viewing.

Calibration - Getting Those Black Levels Right!

The PT-AX100U projector absolutely nails reds and blues, but greens tend to be a bit desaturated - not atypical for this type of display. I measured a "real world" contrast ratio of 1350:1 - awesome! This contrast ratio didn't change much after calibration since the white levels were spot on and the black levels were only adjusted by a couple of points on the settings bar.

We again utilized datacolor's ColorFacts Professional 6.0 software to calibrate and measure the grayscale response of the PT-AX100U. What we found was surprising and showed that Panasonic is paying attention and putting out a truly excellent product that requires virtually no initial calibration in order to look very very good. This is another difference from the PT-AE900U which needed a considerable amount of calibration in order to look its best.

Panasonic seems to be moving forward and we like the direction they are taking:

This is a marked improvement over the default state of the PT-AE900U and represents a concerted effort to bring consumers a well-calibrated projector that needs very little tweaking in order to produce a fantastic picture. Measured contrast was quite impressive and this is exactly the type of results we like to see "pre calibration".

Audioholics/HQV Bench Testing Summary of Test Results

Perfect Score is 130
Panasonic PT-AX100U Benchmark Score: 90 (yowsa, this is a great score and a marked improvement from the PT-AE900U which scored a 71)

Comments on HQV Testing

The HQV results of the Panasonic projector may be the most surprising thing we saw in the entire review. I was not expecting much of a change in this area, but the PT-AX100U surprised me with a stellar benchmark score of 90. This is no slouch and I really appreciated the ability of this projector to delivery excellent results with standard definition content which it deftly upconverted to 720p.

PT-AX100U Viewing Evaluation & Conclusion

This projector is still a hot ticket item. The picture quality is excellent "out of the box" and after a full ISF calibration the improvements were only minimal. Let me reiterate - Panasonic has just about gotten a decent calibration (Cinema1) out of the box on this model. I predict that this projector will sell at least as good as its predecessor - if not better. The default color settings from colorist David Bernstein (a Hollywood colorist who, as an example, redid the 50th Anniversary edition of Gone With the Wind as well as titles like Titanic and Moulin Rouge ) are decent and will provide satisfying results (using the Cinema1 mode with controlled room lighting). The following screen captures and viewing sessions were performed before calibration of the projector.

HDTV: Bones
I love this show - mostly for its foray into the scientific diagnostics associated with missing persons and mysterious homicide cases. The presence of David Boreanaz as the male lead also helps the show to have an appeal (especially for all of those Joss Whedan Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel fans out there). The characters are well-defined, both in terms of the scripting as well as the images which come across the screen. Facial detail and shadow detail in scenes make this a great show for putting a projector through its paces. In addition to the dark scenes shown here a lot of more colorful scenery was also visible, making for a well-rounded presentation. I loved the way the Panasonic's Smooth Screen technology allowed me to get very close to the screen (just over 11.5 feet in fact) without the dreaded "screen door effect" found in most LCD projectors.

HDTV: House
While detail was excellent, House showed me several scenes where I was able to compare to my reference projector and note that the Panasonic was ever so slightly soft on its images. This was about the same effect as if I did a manual defocus in order to gently blend the pixels and reduce screen door effect. I'm almost certain I like the compromise, though with a sharper unit you will get a better picture if you are seated beyond the visibility of the screen door effect. Look at the facial detail on the boy's freckled face and you'll start to see what I mean about this projector having no problem with rendering a crisp, clean picture overall. House provides excellent review material because it is a show with very little fast action, allowing the camera to sit for periods of time on a single point and allow the lens to capture subtle nuances not present in a pan or zoom shot.

HDTV: Prison Break
This is possibly my favorite show on television right now and it gave me several locations with which to evaluate color and brightness (black) levels. The digital camera, by nature, cannot capture all of the resolution and shadow detail present on the screen without artificial overexposing the image, but the detail present in the shadows of the "non-Memorex" experience was satisfying and revealing. I found no gradient banding with this display, whether it was a bright light source or a shadowy corner that faded from gray to pure black. The Panasonic PT-AX100U came through in each scene, rendering accuracy and satisfactory blacks each time. Don't get me wrong, the blacks were not as dark as DLP, but the results were no less impressive as a result.

Misc HDTV: Sunday Night Football, Discovery Channel, NASCAR
I tossed in some random screen captures of some shows and events I watched with the Panasonic PT-AX100U and I think you'll see that this is one projector that can make just about anything look good (even a holding penalty!) NASCAR has never looked this good (though I'm sure David Ragan's introduction to the sport was less than satisfactory) and the Discover Channel's Sunrise Earth - well, that always looks fantastic in high definition - and this was no exception.

DVD: Firewall
You're probably thinking that I was biased against DVD - but I simply wanted to show off the HDTV photos before I moved on to our reference Denon DVD-3930CI player and delivered the goods. Firewall was a movie that had plenty of dark scenes mixed in with varied sets and some decent camera work. I search for some of the more visually descriptive scenes and included them here. Again, the camera simply crushes the black levels - the Panasonic, on the other hand, left every subtle detail intact.

Conclusion

 

I'd wax eloquent about this projector, but I think the images and test results nearly speak for themselves. This is every bit as hot as the preceding model - more so if you figure in the fact that this model comes with better initial calibration, better benchmark scores and an improved lamp with plenty of lumen output. On top of that it is debuting at $200 less than the starting MSRP of the PT-AE900U. If you are looking for an LCD projector that will take you into the big screen experience for a reasonable amount of money I don't see how the Panasonic wouldn't make the top of your shopping list.

Panasonic PT-AX100U LCD Projector

MSRP: $2999

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.

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Detail and Resolution
Deinterlacing & Scaling
Contrast and Black Levels
Color Reproduction
Noise Reduction
Calibration Options
Build Quality
Ergonomics & Usability
Ease of Setup
Features
Remote Control
Performance
Value