PT-AE2000U versus the PT-ax200U

[Tonysac14]

Tough Question:

Is the PT-AE2000 worth the extra $1,000?
I have heard the AX has a nive virtual 1080i and the AX has a 500 lumen advantage over the PT.
This will allow me to use the room for playing cards or hosting a football party with the TV on in ambient light?
Is this true or will the PT work just as fine in ambient light?

[wbassett]

That's a great question...

Projector Central has done reviews on both of these units and both got rated and comments of being best in their class and price range. One thing to really take note of was PC said they had a tough time telling the difference between the ax200U and other native 1080p projectors.

Projector Central wrote:

The most remarkable feature of this projector to me is the outstanding rendition of 1080p film material from HD DVD and Blu-ray. The compression into 720p sacrifices surprisingly little detail. Quite honestly, the image at first glance looks as if it were coming from a 1080p projector. You do notice the lower resolution in white block letters of titles and credits, where edges are just a bit less precise than they are on a native 1080p projector. But for the most part, the video image itself looks very close to 1080p resolution. In addition to the excellent compression, the complete absence of pixel structure contributes to this impression. We can discern subtle differences only because we spend many hours looking at these products with the same test clips. But the typical consumer would have no problem believing the AX200U was a 1080p projector if they didn't know differently.

If you have the money to spare, then the AE2000U is well worth it and will be compatible with your HT gear for years to come while the ax200U being only 720p even though it looks better than most 720p projectors... if you're like me sooner or later you'll be wanting to move up to 1080p and looking at projectors all over again.

Again, if you're looking at the cost factor, I don't think you can go wrong with the ax200U and by the time you're looking at a new bulb, 1080p projectors will be down even further in price and most likely better too. You won't get retail for the ax200U, but I'm sure someone would buy it off you and you could put that money towards a 1080p projector that will probably be under the $1500 mark by then.

I know I was a bit wishy washy on that. I think you'd be happy with either. Just depends on your budget. $1000 can buy an awful lot of High Def movies though

[Sonnie]

I'd say that's tough call... since quite a few people say that they cannot tell the difference between 1080i/720p and 1080p.

I could tell a difference between my old Z4 and the PT-AE2000U, but there are many other factors other than resolution that have to be considered. Contrast, brightness, color and sharpness were all improved considerably.

[ACGREEN]

I agree with Sonnie, but I love my PT-AE2000U. It is difficult to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p, but I can say you won't be disappointed with the 2000U.

[Sonnie]

Oh yeah... absolutely!!! I have yet to see a picture as good looking as what I see with my 2000. It is remarkable! I'm sure there probably better, I've just never seen it.

[wbassett]

I'll be pulling the trigger tomorrow. I've researched, called, and narrowed the list down, then ended up adding to it again, and narrowing that list down...

I'm getting the Panasonic AX200u. For my room setting it has the lumens, plus I have an existing setup with the ceiling mount already in place for my current projector, cable raceway is already run, and the screen is a permanant fixture on the wall. So I have to have a projector that I know can be adjusted to match the current screen position without moving anything.

Then I ran into the issue that a few projectors only accepted a max of 1080i. Normally not a big deal, but I have a multifunction 'Theater room' that also has a 55" 1080p HDTV. I have no plans to change my player's output mode when I switch between devices. Also the AX200's ability to accept 1080p/24 input signals was nice too. For me, it was the one projector that met all the requirements.

[Sonnie]

Congrats! Look forward to seeing a full review from you.

[Blaser]

wbassett wrote:

I'll be pulling the trigger tomorrow. I've researched, called, and narrowed the list down, then ended up adding to it again, and narrowing that list down...

I'm getting the Panasonic AX200u. For my room setting it has the lumens, plus I have an existing setup with the ceiling mount already in place for my current projector, cable raceway is already run, and the screen is a permanant fixture on the wall. So I have to have a projector that I know can be adjusted to match the current screen position without moving anything.

Then I ran into the issue that a few projectors only accepted a max of 1080i. Normally not a big deal, but I have a multifunction 'Theater room' that also has a 55" 1080p HDTV. I have no plans to change my player's output mode when I switch between devices. Also the AX200's ability to accept 1080p/24 input signals was nice too. For me, it was the one projector that met all the requirements.

Hey Bill,

How's your new projector? Enjoyable? How much improvement compared to your XVGA projector?
What about your screen? If I remember well, your old projector was a 4:3 aspect ratio one...
Looking forward to hear from you!

[kyrogers]

i'm pulling the trigger on that one as well on Wednesday. Let us know what you think.

[strongisland]

Just purchased the PT-AX200U and coupled it with a Wilsonart FG DIY screen. WOW!!! This is a great combo. The picture exceeded my expectations. Just as good if not better than some of the high-end PJ I saw at the specialty stores.