Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons Posted on October 22, 2008 By Art Feierman 1. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview - Planar PD8150 Projector: Highlights2. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview-2 - Projector: Basic Specifications - Planar PD8150 Projector: Physical Tour3. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview-34. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality - Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Skin Tone Handling5. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-2 - Planar PD8150: Black Level and Shadow Detail6. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-3 - PD8150 Projector: Shadow Detail Performance7. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-48. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-59. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-610. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-711. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-812. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-9 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Image Sharpness13. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-10 - Planar PD8150: Bottom Line Sharpness - Planar PD8150 Projector: Overall Image Quality - Overall Picture Quality: Bottom Line14. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance - Planar PD8150 Projector: Menus - Planar PD8150 Projector: User Memory Settings - Planar PD8150 Projector: Remote Control - Planar PD8150 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Planar PD8150 Projector: SDE and Rainbow Effect, Pixel Visibility 15. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-2 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Brightness16. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-317. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-418. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-5 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Light Leakage 19. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-6 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Audible Noise Levels - Planar PD8150 Projector: Screen Recommendations - Planar PD8150 Projector: Measurements and Calibration20. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-7 - PD8150 Calibration settings for RGB - PD8150 Image Noise21. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Warranty22. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons - Planar PD8150 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Planar PD8150 Projector: Pros - Planar PD8150 Projector: Cons23. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-2 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Planar PD8150 Projector: Competitive Aspects - PD8150 vs. InFocus IN83 - Planar PD8150 vs. JVC RS1x and RS224. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-3 - Planar PD8150 vs. Sony VW60 - Planar PD8150 vs. Optoma HD81-LV - Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary 25. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-4 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Bottom Line Welcome to the world of premium single chip DLP projectors sold by local dealers only. Planar, which also owns Runco and Vidikron, offers projectors (Runco’s) that can cost upward of $100,000. Planar sees the Planar projector lineup primarily as their idea of an entry level projectors, that their high end dealers can sell to those less rich, or those needing a lower cost model for a second room (kid’s bonus room?). Click to enlarge. SO close The PD8150 is the flagship of Planar’s single chip DLP lineup, and a very worthy one. With a $7999 price tag (and probably no discounting), one might expect it to be a poor value proposition compared to big name, high volume projectors from the likes of Panasonic and Epson. Truth is, the PD8150 projector is expensive, but provides quite a bit of value for the high price. In fact, it is right up there with the best of the other 1080p projectors we’ve reviewed. It has its strengths and weaknesses, like all projectors, but it’s mostly strengths, as picture quality is excellent after calibration. Click Image to EnlargeClick to enlarge. SO close The only “major” flaw is the limited brightness in “brightest” mode, when you need lumens to fight ambient light, and that “flaw is typical of many of the highest performing projectors, notably the JVC’s and the Sony’s, none of those are appreciably brighter (if at all), and most dimmer, in brightest mode. Click Image to EnlargePlanar PD8150 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical CapabilitiesClick to enlarge. SO close Click Image to EnlargePlanar PD8150 Projector: Pros Click to enlarge. SO close One of the best projectors in terms of out of the box color accuracy Even better color and overall image quality, after calibration Brighter than average in “best” mode Extremely sharp image Vertical and horizontal lens shift Extremely good black level performance Very good shadow detail Two HDMI 1.3 inputs, full support for 24 fps, Deep Color, etc. Support for an anamorphic lens Extremely quiet operation Long life lamp – 4000 hours in economy mode, for low cost of operation Good looking projector (physically) ISF certified with the usual ISF Day, and ISF Night modes Low image noise Runs 24fps content at 48hz Comes with a cable cover to hide the connections – a real plus for ceiling mounting Good price performance compared to other local dealer sales only projectors Click Image to EnlargePlanar PD8150 Projector: ConsClick to enlarge. SO close Moderately noisy, typical of DLP home theater projectors. At full power, loud enough to bother those that consider noise to be an important issue Well below average brightness in “brightest” mode, although Adaptive Contrast and Brilliant Color can help a bit Could use an extra two or three user memory modes Menus have small type which may be hard to read at normal seating distance Click Image to Enlarge 1. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview - Planar PD8150 Projector: Highlights2. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview-2 - Projector: Basic Specifications - Planar PD8150 Projector: Physical Tour3. Planar PD8150 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector Review: Overview-34. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality - Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Skin Tone Handling5. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-2 - Planar PD8150: Black Level and Shadow Detail6. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-3 - PD8150 Projector: Shadow Detail Performance7. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-48. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-59. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-610. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-711. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-812. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-9 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Image Sharpness13. Planar PD8150 1080p Home Projector Review: Image Quality-10 - Planar PD8150: Bottom Line Sharpness - Planar PD8150 Projector: Overall Image Quality - Overall Picture Quality: Bottom Line14. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance - Planar PD8150 Projector: Menus - Planar PD8150 Projector: User Memory Settings - Planar PD8150 Projector: Remote Control - Planar PD8150 Projector: Lens Throw and Lens Shift - Planar PD8150 Projector: SDE and Rainbow Effect, Pixel Visibility 15. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-2 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Brightness16. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-317. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-418. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-5 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Light Leakage 19. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-6 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Audible Noise Levels - Planar PD8150 Projector: Screen Recommendations - Planar PD8150 Projector: Measurements and Calibration20. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector Review: General Performance-7 - PD8150 Calibration settings for RGB - PD8150 Image Noise21. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Warranty22. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons - Planar PD8150 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Planar PD8150 Projector: Pros - Planar PD8150 Projector: Cons23. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-2 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Planar PD8150 Projector: Competitive Aspects - PD8150 vs. InFocus IN83 - Planar PD8150 vs. JVC RS1x and RS224. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-3 - Planar PD8150 vs. Sony VW60 - Planar PD8150 vs. Optoma HD81-LV - Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary 25. Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-4 - Planar PD8150 Projector: Bottom Line Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Warranty Planar PD8150 Home Theater Projector: Summary, Competition, Pros and Cons-2