Panasonic PT-AX100U 3-LCD HD Home Theater Projector- Product Review and Rating

At an MSRP of $2,999, the Panasonic PT-AX100U 3LCD projector offers lots of useful features and solid video performance that is normally reserved for projectors in higher price ranges. With a native pixel resolution of 1280x720 (720p), the PT-AX100U is HD-compatible. In addition, the video quality is excellent for a projector in this class; flesh tones, overall color saturation, and contrast levels provide a very natural looking image, with none of the usual LCD artifacts, such as the screen door effect. This level of performance is hard to find in other similarly-priced units currently on the market.

Panasonic PT-AX100U features include:

1. 3-Chip LCD Video Projector with 2,000 Lumens of light output and 1280x720 (720p) Native Pixel Resolution.

2. Image size range: 40 to 200 inches - adds flexibility for both small and large screen sizes and room environments.

3. Native 16x9 Screen Aspect Ratio. The PT-AX100U can also accommodate standard 4x3 aspect ratio sources. The 16x9 aspect ratio is desirable for widescreen films and HD sources. The aspect ratio can be adjusted to 4x3 for projection of material shot in the 4x3 format.

4. 6000:1 Contrast Ratio. This contrast range provides the ability to view details in very dark scenes as well providing a more natural look and texture to all images.

5. 220 Watt Lamp and 3000 Hour Lamp Life. This is consistent with projectors in this class.

6. HDMI, VGA, HD-Component, S-Video, and Composite Video inputs. Any standard video source, except RF sources, can be connected to this projector.

7. Compatible with input resolutions up to 1080p, including 1080p/24 (scaled to 720p for screen display). NTSC/PAL Compatible.

8. Automatic video input Detection - Manual video input selection also available via remote control or buttons on projector.

9. Built-in Test Patterns to check focus and image alignment.

10. Ceiling and Table mount compatible. Wireless Remote Control. Easy to use owner's manual and quick startup guide.

The PT-AX100U is easy to set up, even for the novice.

After setting up a screen (size of your choosing), position the unit at the optimal distance from the screen (your choosing). I chose to place the unit on a mobile cart to make this easier, but the PT-AX100U can be ceiling mounted with an accessory mount.

Starting up the projector is easy. First, plug in your source (such as a DVD player) to the proper video input. Then, plug in the power and turn on the main power switch on the projector's rear panel. All you have to do now is turn on the single power/standby button on the top of the projector or on the remote control. When you see the Panasonic logo projected on your screen, you are set to go.

At this point, you can raise or lower the front of the projector using the adjustable feet, and you can also adjust the actual lens angle using the Lens Shift Lever. You can also use the Keystone Correction function (this adjusts the "squareness" of the image), and/or Zoom the lens to get the image to fill the screen properly. After this, use the manual focus to sharpen your image.

When you turn on your source, such as a DVD player, the PT-AX100U will automatically search for the input that the DVD player is using and project the image on to the screen. Besides the automatic input detection function, you can also select input you want via the remote or the projector's buttons.

TIP: If you turn on your source before you turn on the PT-AX100U, it will make it easier for the projector to find it.

Additional components used in the review:

1. Yamaha HTR-5490 6.1 Channel AV receiver, Outlaw Audio Model 950 Preamp/Surround Processor paired with a Butler Audio 5150 5-channel power amplifier.

2. DVD players included, Oppo Digital DV-981HD DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio Player (HDMI output 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling), and Helios H4000 (HD-component and HDMI output with 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling).

3. Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD Players included: Toshiba HD-XA1 HD-DVD player and a Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Player and LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo player.

4. Loudspeakers used, included: Klipsch B-3s, Klipsch C-2, Optimus LX-5IIs, Klipsch Quintet III 5-channel speaker system, and Klipsch Synergy Sub10 and Yamaha YST-SW205 Powered Subwoofers.

5. Optoma H56 and Mitsubishi XD-350U 4x3 DLP projectors were also used comparison.

6. 10-foot (120-inches) diagonal (16x9) custom-made theatrical screen used to project images sizes ranging from full screen down to 40-inches for the purpose of this review.

7. Connections between components were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

Software Used:

1. Blu-ray Discs used included: The Italian Job, Superman Returns, Into The Blue, Stealth, and Mission Impossible III.

2. HD-DVD Discs used included: Phantom of the Opera, The Italian Job, Heart - Live In Seattle, King Kong, Batman Begins, and Serenity

3. Pre-recorded standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: Serenity, The Cave, Kill Bill - Vol1/2, Moulin Rouge, Pirates Of The Caribbean, V For Vendetta, U571, Lord of Rings Trilogy, and Master and Commander.

4. The Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD video test disc was also used for more precise video performance measurements.

Video Performance

With 2,000 lumens output, the AX100U projects a very bright image, with execellent contrast, black levels, and color rendition. In relation to my comparison projectors, the AX100U easily surpassed their performance in terms of image quality.

The Color consistency and contrast was excellent throughout, which was evident on standard DVD clips from Moulin Rouge, Lord Of the Rings Trilogy, Master And Commander, The Cave and Kill Bill Vol1/2. I found that the PT-AX100U was able to bring the out the details in dark scenes much better than the comparison projectors.

I also found that the PT-AX100U did a fine job with 480p sources with regards to acceptable upscaling. Also in terms of scaling performance of standard DVD; in using two different upscaling DVD players (set at 720p), the Oppo Digital DV-981HD DVD/SACD/DVD-Audio Player (HDMI output 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling), and the Helios H4000 (HD-component and HDMI output with 720p/1080i/1080p upscaling), I found that the PT-AX100U reproduced the upscaled performance of both units accurately.

Although not true HD-sources, the PT-AX100U, upon casual viewing, delivered the goods in terms of the upscaled source material.

Proceed To Page Two - A Further Look at Video Performance and The Bottom Line