Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector – Performance 4 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 Panasonic PT-AR100U: Bottom Line SharpnessGood sharpness and clarity: Bottom line, sharpness of the PT-AR100U should please almost everyone, for a projector in this class and price. If you can find one visibly, signiicantly sharper for under $1000, good for you, but I’d be surprised. At the most, I wouldn’t think any other projector under $1000 is enough sharper, to really make any difference. Light LeakagePretty clean through the lens, and almost no ambient escaping from the vents. No light leakage issues. I should note, when projecting a black image, I can make out (fully darkened room) a dust blob. Image NoiseWhoa! My first impression of this PT-AR100U home entertainment projector was: Where did all that image noise come from? I mean it was almost shocking. No worries though, as it turns out, when I powered up, the projector was in Dynamic mode. I think I then switched to Normal (or one other mode) and was again dazzled by too much image noise. I mean more than a DLP projector and those are almost always slightly worse than projectors using 3LCD. Well, as it turns out, the problem was one of those pesky special features of the PT-AR100 projector. The PT-AR100U has a feature called Digital Clarity. And in those first two modes, it was set for one of the higher settings. (This was not a brand new AR100U when it arrived). I assumed it had been reset to defaults, but haven’t looked to make sure what the Detail Enhancement defaults to in the brighter modes. Well, turns out that control is a powerful dynamic feature for “sharpening” the projected image. It does make everything look super sharp when set to 3, but, at the same time, that also magnifies the visible noise levels. Bottom line, turn off that feature or keep it to its lowest setting, and image noise is back where one would expect it to be, barely, if ever noticeable, unless you are looking for it. Audible Noise Noisy! Not surprising, all the exceptionally bright home projectors tend to be these days, when running at full power. Panasonic, like some others, chicken out, and don’t provide an audio noise rating for lamp at full power, but they do claim 29 db in eco mode. How does that translate? Well, the quietest projectors around can break below 20 db in their eco-modes. Most average projectors try to be under 30 db at full and in the low 20’s in eco. Other bright projectors though tend to be in the low 30’s at full power, and you can count the two closest priced Epson projectors, the Acer H9500BD, and for that matter, most of the under $1000 DLP projectors. If the new Epson 5010 (2400 lumens claimed) is noticeably quieter than the Panasonic, when both are at full power, I’d be surprised. On the other hand, that same Epson, and several other projectors similar in noise at full power, are likely still a bit quieter than the PT-AR100U in eco. 29 db in Eco-mode is not a spec to be proud of in your basic home entertainment projector. On the “bright” side, this is, (again), a family room, bonus room type projector first. More family oriented environments tend to be noisier, than a dedicated theater, so most of you won’t think twice about the fan noise, at least in eco-mode, where this Panasonic is still brighter than just about all the competition at full power. 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 – Performance 3 Panasonic PT-AR100U Projector Calibration and Settings