To DLP or LCD, that is the question.....

When the world of home cinema took it's turn to DLP, I must admit that I thought it was spelling the end for LCD. I was a DLP fan but that is not to say I was not a fan of LCD. The technology at the time was just better.



After the response time was adjusted and the introduction of Blu Ray was made, I quickly jumped off the DLP ship in favor of sharper images, no rainbow effects and lower prices.


Now, the prices are similar, the LCD is still a bit sharper, DLP is making huge strides in the commercial cinema and 3D arena and home theater is on the verge of being the only media forum worth attending (especially after my most recent outing to a theater).

I will be looking at a standard 1080P LCD projector. The decision to go with LCD was based primarily on feature set rather than technology but I do notice a bit more detail in the LCD images. There for the Panasonic PT-AE4000 will be the projector of choice.

Before I get to the reasons why I chose this projector, let me give you a quick list of specs....

MSRP: $2,499
Contrast: 100,000:1
Lumens: 1600
Resolution: 1920x1080
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Technology: 3 LCD
Lens: 2x powered
Lens Shift: H + V
Lamp Life: 2,000 Hrs
Lamp Cost: $400.00
Warranty: 1 year

Not to shabby, I would like a little more lumens but I think I will be fine for the screen I am going with.

Panasonic has been making excellent home theater projectors for many years now. A friend of mine had a PT-AE500 (960x540) which was 1/4 HD and the image looked fantastic on his 92" 16x9 screen. So as I followed the reviews of Panasonics projectors over the years, it seemed the natural choice for me. I also had the privillege of installing another friends home theater on a budget and we went with the AX200 (1280x720) and on his 120" screen, it looked amazing, even with upconverted DVD.

I have chosen to do a CIH (Constant Image Height) theater and in order to do this you need to have one of two available setups. Option 1 is to have an HD projector and an anamorphic lens. This is the way that the traditional movie theater does a cinemascope movie. The only problem witht his method is, the lens is generally more than the projector (around $4000). I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!

Option 2, buy a Panasonic AE4000. It has a wonderful feature which they call Automatic Intelligent Lens Memory. They brought the idea to the table with the introduction of the AE3000 with the Intelligent Lens Memory but not until the AE4000 can you get the Automatic portion of this feature. What this feature does is automatically detects the black bars at the top and bottom of your screen. When the movie has this scope, the projector automatically zooms in from the original 16x9 image, filling in the entire 21:9 screen. Did I mention how much I love technology? Voola, you have your cinema-wide screen..... just like a theater.

Another feature I love about this projector, which is not exclusive to this model but is more prevelant in the LCD rather than DLP, is the fact that it has a long lens throw. My screen will be approximately 20' from the back of the room, this is where I want to mount my projector. most DLP projectors will not go that far back before the image is to big for my room.

Another reason I am going with the Panny, in almost every review I have read, they all repeat the same thing, out of the box adjustments are barely needed. They have the colors so close to awesome that, you only need minor adjustments. Also adding, the Panasonic is the most realistic of all the other projectors in its class. Combine that with the two or three panasonics I have already seen in action and I'm sold.

My next post will review the cinemascope screen. Have a great day!!!!