Panasonic's PT-AX100 LCD projector does home theater right

Those 1080p monstrosities are all well and good, but if you're doing up a home theater for reals and on a budget, Panasonic's new PT-AX100 might just do the trick. For its $2,199 asking price you can get yourself a bit of 720p 16:9 action, with 2000 ANSI Lumens, and a 6000:1 contrast ratio. Those specs, especially the lumens, give the projector a good leg up for its price range, and the HDMI port keeps it real for HD home theater use. We should be seeing this one in October.

[Via AboutProjectors]

[rsmith4321 Posted Sep 6th 2006 9:55AM]

Of course anyone into home theater knows that those specs are completely pointless with an LCD projector. They do it by changing the lamp brightness and with an iris. It's like turning a lamp on and then off and saying it has 100000:1 contrast. Still, LCD panels have come a long way, if it wasn't for the fact that 720p DLP's have dropped below $2000 this would be a good deal. Just doesn't seem like enough for the price.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 5th 2006 11:33PM]

Better get myself one of those PT-AE900U for under $1800.00 before they are sold out. Both are 720p, but I prefer the design of the current AE900U better.

Panasonic hasn't nail a single appealing design this year, except for the SA-XR57S AV receiver, DIGA DVD recorders and the PV-GS500 3CCD camera.

Everything else, like their plasmas and LCDs looks just as awful as this projector., I hope things get better in January 2007.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 5th 2006 11:17PM]

sounds like a good projector for traditional video projection, but for mixed use this line of Panasonic projectors is on the wrong track. Save youself the $$ and wait for the 1080p surprise due in November.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 5th 2006 11:23PM]

It's LCD so the question is: How good are the blacks? ...

[Chromium Posted Sep 6th 2006 12:54PM]

Perrey Z.. the PT-AE900U is only 1,100Lumnes. This projector is 2,000Lumnes, that alone is worth it unless you have total control of the lighting in the room its in.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 6th 2006 11:23AM]

You can get an AE-900U for $1350 (my buddy just got his in yesterday) and it's very formidible at that price -- If this is anything like the AE-900U, the blacks are absolutely fantastic for an LCD in this price range (as good or better than similarly priced DLP's) and the lens shift is icing on the cake.

If this new guy is in the same price range by January it will be a hell of a home theater projector.

Even if there are some cheap 1080p's that come into the fray at year's end, I doubt they'll have as good of a video processor as most of the 720p units currently do... The quantity of 1280x720 displays out there has really driven the price down on those types of parts...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 6th 2006 11:41AM]

You can't get a DLP 3 chip for $2000 so why bother with it? Rainbows (eye fatique/headaches) aren't worth $2000 or any price. The AE0900u is good for under $5000 and I hope I get grab one soon as everyone raves about it.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 6th 2006 12:22PM]

I run the cheapest dlp home theatre projector you can buy at home in my bedroom and I've never heard anyone say yet they can see rainbows.

The new LCD projectors are so good, there is very little difference between them and the DLP. The PTAE900 should move closer to teh $1,000 mark as this one hits stores. Utter bargain, although I personally prefer the Sanyo Z4.

Still waiting for a decent 1080 LCD projector to come out at $2,500 or so personally.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 6th 2006 3:58PM]

Help me decide,
I'm faced with buying a shop demo PT-AE900U with additional bulb Price NZ $3500
or
Latest PT-AX100E new (not a demo model)but no extra bulb Same price NZ $3500

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 9th 2006 10:07PM]

Get the AX100 and watch sports with the lights on!