Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Calibration and Settings Posted on October 1, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Review - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Overview - DLA-PT-AE4000 Projector Highlights - DLA-PT-AE4000 Projector - Special Features - Color Management System (CMS) - Dynamic Features: Sharpening, CFI - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation - PT-AE4000 Split Screen and Waveform Monitor2. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector – Warranty3. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Physical Tour - Appearance - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Control Panel - Input/Output - PT-AE4000 Menus - PT-AE4000 Remote Control - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens4. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector – Image Quality - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - Image Quality - PT-AE4000 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones - PT-AE4000 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Panasonic PT-AE4000U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports5. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Performance - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Brightness - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - Uncalibrated6. Sharpness - Panasonic PT-AE4000: Bottom Line Sharpness7. Light Leakage - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Image Noise - PT-AE4000 Audible Noise8. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Calibration and Settings - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Color Temperature - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration):9. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Basic Settings - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Post Calibration Grayscale - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration)10. Panasonic PT-AE4000 RGB Settings - Calibration settings for Memory 111. General Screen Recommendations: 16:9 Diagonal - Cinemascope Projector Screens12. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Competitors - PT-AE4000 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro 9500UB - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Mitsubishi HC6800 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. BenQ W600013. Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. BenQ W6000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Planar PD815014. PT-AE4000 vs. InFocus IN83 and SP8602 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Panasonic PT-AE3000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. JVC DLA-RS25, DLA-RS15 older models - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Sony VPL-HW1515. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Review Summary - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - The Bottom Line16. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Specifications We calibrate each home theater that is reviewed. Normally we just do a basic grayscale calibration, as was the case here. I will note that there is still a bit of remaining excess red in skin tones (a very small amount), that a standard grayscale balance did not remove. Calibrating red, and the other individual primary and secondary colors should allow the removal of that small red push Panasonic PT-AE4000 Color TemperatureLet’s start with the basics. First, here are each of the modes, showing their “out of the box” measured color temperature for white ike calibrated Color 1, which has a very good color gamut, whereas, for example, Color 2 has the wider color gamut usually found on most projectors. A wider gamut, in theory, is a good thing, but it’s wider than the standards we use, so normally isn’t as accurate. We “bring back in” those extended colors when a calibration is done. In this regard, Color 1, might be thought of as similar to, say, the THX mode on the Epson projectors as they too have a tight REC 709 type color gamut in their THX mode. Thanks to Color 1’s defaults, it does produce very good color accuracy, even without calibration, but Mike’s calibration further improved the picture. Color 2 has that larger gamut. Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): Header Content Cinema 1 411 @ 7180K Cinema 2 457 @ 7751K Cinema 3 457 @ 8945K Normal 789 @ 9520K Dynamic 071 @ 9093K, 1159 with Contrast set to 8 Color 1 430 @ 6660K Color 2 440 @ 6357K Mike calibrated Color 1, which has a very good color gamut, whereas, for example, Color 2 has the wider color gamut usually found on most projectors. A wider gamut, in theory, is a good thing, but it’s wider than the standards we use, so normally isn’t as accurate. We “bring back in” those extended colors when a calibration is done. In this regard, Color 1, might be thought of as similar to, say, the THX mode on the Epson projectors as they too have a tight REC 709 type color gamut in their THX mode. Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): 30 IRE 6615K 6352K 50 IRE 6482K 6216K 80 IRE 6549K 6276K 100 IRE 6660K 6357K We normally do not calibrate a projector’s individual colors using their CMS (color management system), just a gray scale calibration. We on occasion, make an exception, where it really must be done from a practical standpoint. For example, my JVC RS20 projector, has a great THX mode, but, overall, can be improved. To do so with my RS20, though I had to use their CMS to recalibrate green, and other individual colors. This remains true for the newer JVC RS25. Recently, in reviewing the PT-AE4000‘s most direct competitor, the Epson Home Cinema 8500UB / Pro Cinema 9500UB, we were able to improve on it’s THX mode, with a grayscale calibration. Bottom line, we didn’t do CMS individual color adjustments with the Panasonic or the Epson. In the case of the Panasonic, however, without using the CMS, Mike still ended up with some slight shift towards red, due, I expect by a slightly oversaturated red output. Note, Panasonic is touting their new lamp, with a warmer – more red, color temp, so that isn’t overly surprising. (By comparison, the Epson and most LCD projectors, tend to overdrive green more than any other individual color. 1. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Review - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Overview - DLA-PT-AE4000 Projector Highlights - DLA-PT-AE4000 Projector - Special Features - Color Management System (CMS) - Dynamic Features: Sharpening, CFI - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation - PT-AE4000 Split Screen and Waveform Monitor2. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector – Warranty3. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Physical Tour - Appearance - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Control Panel - Input/Output - PT-AE4000 Menus - PT-AE4000 Remote Control - Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens4. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector – Image Quality - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - Image Quality - PT-AE4000 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones - PT-AE4000 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Panasonic PT-AE4000U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports5. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Performance - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Brightness - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - Uncalibrated6. Sharpness - Panasonic PT-AE4000: Bottom Line Sharpness7. Light Leakage - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Image Noise - PT-AE4000 Audible Noise8. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Calibration and Settings - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Color Temperature - Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration):9. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Basic Settings - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Post Calibration Grayscale - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration)10. Panasonic PT-AE4000 RGB Settings - Calibration settings for Memory 111. General Screen Recommendations: 16:9 Diagonal - Cinemascope Projector Screens12. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Competitors - PT-AE4000 vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB, Pro 9500UB - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Mitsubishi HC6800 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. BenQ W600013. Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. BenQ W6000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Planar PD815014. PT-AE4000 vs. InFocus IN83 and SP8602 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Panasonic PT-AE3000 - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. JVC DLA-RS25, DLA-RS15 older models - Panasonic PT-AE4000 vs. Sony VPL-HW1515. Panasonic PT-AE4000 – Review Summary - Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector - The Bottom Line16. Panasonic PT-AE4000 Projector Specifications Light Leakage Panasonic PT-AE4000 Basic Settings