Cinema mode, screen size and throw distances are trade-offs of great significance. Try to
minimize the distance from the projector to the screen, and for the most elegant picture possible,
don't push the screen size beyond about 110" diagonal unless you are using higher gain screens.
If you are opting for operation in Normal mode with higher lumen output, you have the latitude to
go up to 150" diagonal or more. On all projectors there is the ever-present trade-off between
image size and image quality. As you increase image size you lose effective contrast and color
saturation. The interesting thing about the AE2000 is that you can go larger without as much
sacrifice of color balance and color saturation as you would experience on most other models.
Competition
Panasonic AE2000 vs. Sanyo Z2000
This head-to-head shootout between the Panasonic AE2000 and the Sanyo Z2000 compares two
1080p LCD projectors, both with extensive feature sets and aggressive prices. The salient
differences are as follows:
1. The AE2000 is higher in contrast, has better black levels, and better color saturation. I had
commented in the Z2000 review that this was most striking at smaller image sizes, and less so at
screen sizes of 120". While this is true, there is still a visible advantage of the AE2000 over the
Z2000 even at the larger screen sizes. Part of it depends upon the calibration settings one
chooses. But overall, the AE2000 has an advantage in contrast performance that is more than
you'd imagine from the slight difference in contrast ratings (16,000:1 vs. 15,000:1).
2. The AE2000 also has an advantage in lumen output. The preset Cinema modes on the
AE2000 (those with the most precise color that would have most appeal to the videophile)
measure in the 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 these are attractive calibrations, they are most
appropriate for use on smaller screens in the 80" to 90" diagonal range. The Brilliant Cinema
mode on our Z2000 measured 550 lumens, and this was the most practical option as far as the
preset calibrations are concerned. Brilliant Cinema delivers reasonably good color balance and a
bright image that can go to 120" or beyond in a dark room. It does not, however, have quite the
dynamic range or the black level of the AE2000 in Normal mode. You can tweak the Z2000
through user options to dial in excellent color balance at about 400 ANSI lumens, but again it will
not have the total range from black to white that the AE2000 does no matter what you do. At the
brightest settings, the Z2000 can generate over 1000 lumens, but the color balance is decidely
off, and would not be an appealing option for video viewing.
3. The AE2000 has no pixel structure whatsoever, and the Z2000 has a subtle and distinct pixel
structure when viewed close up. At viewing distances beyond one screen width, neither projector
shows any screendoor effect.
4. Both the AE2000 and the Z2000 have outstanding image clarity with HD material. In reality, the
AE2000 has a slight edge over the Z2000 in apparent clarity of high definition material due to the
effect of its higher contrast and saturation. However, the Z2000 has an incremental advantage
with standard definition material, in that it is smoother, cleaner, and more noise free than the
AE2000. When viewing Lewis Black's DVD "Black on Broadway" on these two projectors side by
