Acer H9500BD vs. Panasonic AR100U

Comparing the Acer H9500BD and Panasonic AR100U

Now the fun begins. A brief rundown: The Acer H9500BD is a DLP projector, whereas the Panasonic PT-AR1000U is 3LCD. The Acer is priced at a few hundred dollars more than the PT-AR100U. The Acer offers 3D, but the Panasonic does not (it's a few years old). The Acer also has lens shift – both vertical and horizontal. The Acer can’t match the Panasonic’s zoom which is 2:1, but at 1.5:1 it’s got more range than most of the other DLP projectors at or under its price. The Acer also has a good dynamic iris, very nice black level performance, which I consider to best than the PT-AR100U’s.

Comparing Picture Quality: Take a Look

NOTE: We don't have any pictures to compare these two projectors side-by-side--they were reviewed at different times. Sorry!

In the slider above, though, are a couple shots of the same images from both projectors. The first image in each pair is from the Acer, and the second is from the Panasonic. Check out the individual reviews (Acer H9500BD and Panasonic PT-AR100U) to see their images separately.

Comparing Color

Based on our original review of the Acer H9500BD, and the lack of a full set of grayscale calibration controls, we found this projector a touch thin on reds… The out of the box color is actually rather good, but couldn’t be improved much. We later took a second look, after a reader suggested another way of tackling a the problem (using the wall color feature), not what one would think of, but it gives you another alternative, that’s a touch warmer. Bottom line, the Panasonic calibrated is more accurate, but the H9500DB should be enough to satisfy those looking for a great projector for the money, but can forgive a little color accuracy imperfection.

Comparing Brightness

The Bottom Line

You’ve got tough choice, between these two, if you aren’t interested in 3D. Like DLP over LCD, you’ll almost certainly choose the Acer unless you need every last lumen. Mind you, the Panasonic still has a good deal lot more brightness, which would be great if it also had 3D. Overall, the Panasonic can handle a larger screen, or brighter ambient levels, but many will prefer the Acer for its better blacks and what I like to call a bit more “pop” to the image.