background image

 

Panasonic PT-AE2000U 

Home Theater Projector

 

Evan Powell, November 2, 2007 

ProjectorCentral.com

 

Panasonic's

 second generation 1080p projector, the 

PT-AE2000U

, is a 

significant step beyond last year's impressive AE1000. Topping its long 
list of great attributes is its outstanding contrast and black level 
performance. On these measurements it outperforms every other 1080p 
projector we have put it up against that is anywhere near its price range. 
And along with its high contrast comes excellent color saturation. Selling 
at an official street price of just $2,699, it is one of the most formidable 
and competitive of the new 1080p projectors released this fall.  

Specifications 

ANSI lumens:

 1500  

Contrast (full on/off):

 16,000:1  

Light Engine:

 1920x1080, native 16:9, 0.7" LCD with a 165W UHP lamp.  

Video Compatibility:

 1080p/24/50/60, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i. NTSC/PAL/SECAM.  

Connection Panel:

 Three HDMI 1.3 ports, one 15-pin VGA input, two sets of 3-RCA YPbPr 

component video, one composite video, one S-video.  

Lens and Throw Distance:

 2.00:1 powered zoom/focus lens, with manual vertical and horizontal 

lens shift. Throws a 100" diagonal 16:9 image from 10 to 20 feet.  

Lamp Life:

 Unspecified.  

Lamp Cost:

 $400  

Warranty:

 One year.  

 

 

Panasonic PT-

AE2000U

 

16000:1 Contrast Ratio 

1500 Lumens 

$ 3,499 MSRP 

 

Panasonic PT-AE2000U 

dealers

 

 

 

Summary of Contents for PT-AE2000U

Page 1: ...ust 2 699 it is one of the most formidable and competitive of the new 1080p projectors released this fall Specifications ANSI lumens 1500 Contrast full on off 16 000 1 Light Engine 1920x1080 native 16 9 0 7 LCD with a 165W UHP lamp Video Compatibility 1080p 24 50 60 1080i 720p 576p 576i 480p 480i NTSC PAL SECAM Connection Panel Three HDMI 1 3 ports one 15 pin VGA input two sets of 3 RCA YPbPr comp...

Page 2: ... modes The AE2000 has a remarkably clear and sharp image Overall image clarity with HD material is as impressive as it gets We have not yet seen any competitive unit that can beat the AE2000 where sharpness and clarity of an HD image are concerned In standard definition the image is still reasonably clear but there is more noise present in SD than there is in HD Thus its standard definition perfor...

Page 3: ... a particular screen size and location Moreover the projector offers powered zoom and focus which makes it easy to stand at the screen and focus while making adjustments with the remote The vertical and horizontal lens shift controls are manual Fan noise is very low just a whisper in full power mode Even in high altitude mode when the fan is moving extra volumes of air to compensation for thin atm...

Page 4: ...making You can finish by either saving or discarding the changes you ve been experimenting with For many users this is a great educational tool that helps you understand the nature and range of the various adjustment controls available to you As far as brightness is concerned there is quite a range of options on the AE2000 The preset video optimized modes Cinema 1 2 and 3 are color balanced and se...

Page 5: ...creen with an anamorphic lens the AE2000 comes with the appropriate anamorphic vertical stretch mode needed to accommodate the lens Limitations We are having a hard time finding much to complain about on this model Certainly for those who want to ceiling mount their projector it would be nice to have an option to get it in a white case As it is the dark gray casework may not be aesthetically pleas...

Page 6: ... 345 to 390 lumen range In Normal mode lumen readings ranged from 600 to about 930 depending on the user s preference for color temperature setting But even at 930 lumens we did not feel the picture was excessively cold as it is on many projectors in high brightness mode Meanwhile the preset Cinema modes on the Z2000 Pure Cinema and Creative Cinema measured in the 230 to 260 lumen range While thes...

Page 7: ...e Z2000 s clean white case will probably be more appealing to the eye for most consumers My guess is that if you are a man trying to sell your wife on installing a projector on the ceiling in the living room she s probably going to like the looks of the Z2000 more than the AE2000 I might be wrong about this anticipating a woman s preferences has never been one of my strong suits On the other hand ...

Page 8: ...ittle in terms of color accuracy For HD DVD Blu ray and HDTV sources in particular the AE2000 is the strongest of the 1080p projectors we ve seen so far under 5 000 And since it is only 2 699 it represents a terrific deal for the money in today s highly competitive market for 1080p projectors We are reserving the final assignment of 5 star ratings on each 1080p model we review until we have been a...

Reviews: