A healthy sign that has been observed in the home cinema projector market is that every other month projector prices are steadily going down. Meanwhile the performance of projectors is steadily getting better all the time. Furthermore, the introduction of new products to the field represents a significant value addition to the discerning customer. A value addition is usually done by carrying out notable improvements in one, or on a few rare occasions two or more, performance characteristics. The Panasonic PT-AE700U falls under the latter breed as it has incorporated a variety of improvements, which have given the product a real boost, as compared to its original model.
The unit has a theoretical brightness level of 1000 ANSI lumen, and is perfectly capable of illuminating screens up to 150” diagonal in a dark room. It is, however, important to note that a 120’’ diagonal is the prescribed size for optimal image quality. The contrast ratio stands at 2000:1 and is a significant improvement from the AE500, but not quite as advanced as the Panasonic PT-AE2000E with its incredible 16,000:1 ratio. This is also in part due to the dynamic iris feature and the dynamic gamma control as well.
Another great thing about the unit is that it has the option of manual zoom, and, in fact, is the first digital projector to offer 2.0 x zoom range on its zoom lens. It implies that you can now get a 100” diagonal image anywhere between 10 and 20 feet throw distance. Moreover, the unit has also been integrated with the popular horizontal and vertical lens shift feature. This feature gives you the leverage of moving the lens up and down so as to reposition the projected image on the screen. This feature eases up the difficulties found during installation, in particular.
Intuitive technologies kike the “Smooth Screen” technology are also onboard, which effectively reduce the visible pixilation and screendoor effect. Then, the unit offers 3000 hours of lamp life in high lamp mode, and an even longer life span in eco-mode. Furthermore, it offers you five selectable colour temperature settings, as well, labeled -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2.




