Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality Posted on July 27, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Panasonic PT-AR100U Home Theater Projector Review - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Highlights - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Overview2. Panasonic PT-AR100U Special Features - PT-AR100U Projector - Typical Street Price, MSRP, and Value - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Game Mode and Gaming - PT-AR100U Dynamic Iris - PT-AR100U Projector 3D - Rather, The Lack of 3D3. Panasonic PT-AR100U Special Features 2 - PT-AR100U Frame Interpolation - FI - not CFI - Viera-Link - PT-AR100U Lamp Life - PT-AR100U Gaming Abilities4. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Physical Tour - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - Appearance - PT-AR100U Control Panel - PT-AR100U Projector - Input/Output5. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Physical Tour 2 - PT-AR100U Menus - Panasonic PT-AR100U Remote Control - Panasonic PT-AR100U Lens Throw - PT-AR100U Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Image Quality - Panasonic PT-AR100U Out of the Box Picture Quality - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - Flesh Tones7. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Image Quality 2 - PT-AR100U Projector Black Level Peformance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: PT-AR100U Projector - Bottom Line8. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality 2 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - General HDTV images10. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality 3 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content11. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance - Panasonic PT-AR100U Brightness - Post Calibration: Best Mode = REC 709 - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode):12. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 2 - PT-AR100U Eco-Mode vs. Full Power - Panasonic PT-AR100U Pre-Calibration Color temp, REC 709 Mode: - PT-AR100U, Post Calibration, Best Mode (REC 709)13. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 3 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images - Detail Clarity Control14. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 4 - Panasonic PT-AR100U: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Calibration and Settings - Panasonic PT-AR100U Color Temperature - Panasonic PT-AR100U Basic Settings - Panasonic PT-AR100U Post Calibration Grayscale - PT-AR100U Greyscale Calibration - PT-AR100U RGB Settings16. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Projector Screens - Panasonic PT-AR100U - projector screen - cave / home theater - Panasonic PT-AR100U - projector screen - family room17. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Competitors - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Mitsubishi HC4000 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. HD33 Projector - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Acer H9500BD18. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Competitors 2 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Epson Home Cinema 3010 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - The Panny Compared to the Optoma HD20, Vivitek H1080D, and BenQ W120019. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Warranty20. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Review Summary - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - The Bottom Line21. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the PT-AR100U projector - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Pros - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Cons22. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Full Specifications If you are a “purist” looking for the best image quality down around $1000, and plan to place your projector in a home theater like environment, this Panasonic PT-AR100U may not be the best choice for you. Some of you who are really looking for that best movie image are going to favor some of the DLP based projectors in the price range, for that “look and feel”. But, just as in the past, with older Panasonic projectors taking on their DLP competition, any slight advantage from that DLP “look”, is offset by the much more flexible design, and bigger feature set found with this Panasonic. Color itself is not an issue. A mix of additional images to show off the Panasonic PT-AR100U: While the projector calibrates easily, it doesn’t result in the tightest numbers post calibration. Still, overall image quality is very good in calibrated REC 709, and not much worse without any calibration at all. All the brighter modes, I’d have to say, offer better color, than most other projectors in modes producing upwards of, for example, 1200 lumens. I was especially impressed with the color, right out of the box, of modes like Sports and Dynamic. Normal, the 2nd brightest mode, also worked fine, though thin on reds with a 9000+ color temp. Color may not be an issue for the PT-AR100U projector, and for that matter, black levels and shadow details, aren’t an issue either. Blacks are just fine for a projector in this price range. Of the 4 or 5 DLP’s at or below this price, probably one can beat the Panasonic’s blacks, while the others are either roughly comparable, or worse Shadow detail is good! It’s about where you want it to be. Yes, all considered the PT-AR100U could reveal a touch more in terms of dark shadow details, but we’re talking just a touch. Further, we’re talking a really minor difference between the PT-AR100U, say, and another projector with “great” shadow detail. Close enough! 1. Panasonic PT-AR100U Home Theater Projector Review - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Highlights - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Overview2. Panasonic PT-AR100U Special Features - PT-AR100U Projector - Typical Street Price, MSRP, and Value - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Game Mode and Gaming - PT-AR100U Dynamic Iris - PT-AR100U Projector 3D - Rather, The Lack of 3D3. Panasonic PT-AR100U Special Features 2 - PT-AR100U Frame Interpolation - FI - not CFI - Viera-Link - PT-AR100U Lamp Life - PT-AR100U Gaming Abilities4. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Physical Tour - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - Appearance - PT-AR100U Control Panel - PT-AR100U Projector - Input/Output5. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Physical Tour 2 - PT-AR100U Menus - Panasonic PT-AR100U Remote Control - Panasonic PT-AR100U Lens Throw - PT-AR100U Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen6. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Image Quality - Panasonic PT-AR100U Out of the Box Picture Quality - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - Flesh Tones7. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Image Quality 2 - PT-AR100U Projector Black Level Peformance - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: PT-AR100U Projector - Bottom Line8. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality 2 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports, including 3D - General HDTV images10. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality 3 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV Sports, and also 3D HDTV content11. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance - Panasonic PT-AR100U Brightness - Post Calibration: Best Mode = REC 709 - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode):12. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 2 - PT-AR100U Eco-Mode vs. Full Power - Panasonic PT-AR100U Pre-Calibration Color temp, REC 709 Mode: - PT-AR100U, Post Calibration, Best Mode (REC 709)13. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 3 - Panasonic PT-AR100U Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images - Detail Clarity Control14. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 4 - Panasonic PT-AR100U: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise15. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Calibration and Settings - Panasonic PT-AR100U Color Temperature - Panasonic PT-AR100U Basic Settings - Panasonic PT-AR100U Post Calibration Grayscale - PT-AR100U Greyscale Calibration - PT-AR100U RGB Settings16. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Projector Screens - Panasonic PT-AR100U - projector screen - cave / home theater - Panasonic PT-AR100U - projector screen - family room17. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Competitors - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Mitsubishi HC4000 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. HD33 Projector - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Acer H9500BD18. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Competitors 2 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Epson Home Cinema 3010 - Panasonic PT-AR100U vs. Epson Home Cinema 8350 - The Panny Compared to the Optoma HD20, Vivitek H1080D, and BenQ W120019. Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Warranty20. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Review Summary - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector - The Bottom Line21. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Review Summary 2 - The Very Bottom Line on the PT-AR100U projector - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Pros - Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector: Cons22. Panasonic PT-AR100U – Full Specifications Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Image Quality 2 Panasonic PT-AR100U – Overall Color & Picture Quality 2