These days Panasonic has ended weeks of speculation by formally announcing its strategy to bring the PT-AE4000U to the US industry. The news that is a lot more buzz-worthy is that it might be offered at an official road price tag of only $1,999.
The AE4000 announcement is dramatic. However its spec sheet does not glimpse revolutionary compared to survive season's AE3000, the AE4000 is in truth a superior projector in nearly every single way. Absolutely it surpasses the AE3000 in image excellent. And it's even more fully-featured than its predecessor. But what the heck is most stunning is the price. Previous October, a mere twelve weeks ago, the AE3000 was released with st prices close to $a few,000. This calendar month the AE4000 comes to market place at $one,999. This aggressive run will drive other producers competing within the home theater projector marketplace to reassess their pricing levels.
AE4000 vs. AE3000: Variations and Improvements
The AE3000 was by now probably the most totally-featured residence theater projector about the current market. The AE4000 trumps it in various crucial means:
• Purple-Rich Lamp. Panasonic has engineered a proprietary new high stress lamp that puts out 50% much more purple gentle than its predecessors. Substantial strain lamps have always been weak in purple spectrum light, and this new lamp design and style usually requires an enormous action towards eliminating that weakness. And also the distinction is apparent. When placing the AE3000 and AE4000 facet by part, crimson parts within the image are noticeably brighter. The hue of pink is not any unique, but purple subject matter make any difference being a component of the whole image is extra vibrant. A crimson quit warning to the AE3000 seems pink, but it can be somewhat darker relative to the relaxation from the image than it can be about the AE4000. The increased purple subject material of the lamp also contributes considerably to improved epidermis tones.
• Improved contrast. The AE3000 was rated at 60,000:one, along with the AE4000 is a hundred,000:1. Can you see the big difference, you may wonder? Totally. When viewed in a dark place side by facet, the AE4000 is of course bigger in distinction and deeper in black stage than its predecessor. And with greater distinction happens the opposite typical positive aspects driven by distinction -- deeper shade saturation, an improved sense of image depth, along with the impression of improved image sharpness.
The enhancement in contrast was not accomplished by minimizing the aperture to the automobile iris. Rather, Panasonic has redesigned what they contact the Pure Distinction Plate, an optical component located right after the LCD panels to enhance the distinction degree. This component properly enables the polarization filters to block the mild leakage brought about from your panels, for deeper blacks.
As together with the AE3000, the AE4000 employs inorganic LCD panels which also contribute on the greater contrast in these models. In inorganic panels, the liquid crystals are vertically aligned, doing it simpler for polarizers to filter out nearly all lgt for deeper blacks.
• Improved Cinema mode brightness. The maximum lumen rating has not altered; each the AE3000 and AE4000 are rated at 1600 lumens. Nevertheless, the purple enhanced lamp contributes to some brighter total image in Cinema mode. Our AE3000 measured 385 lumens in Cinema 1 mode. The AE4000's Cinema one puts out 548 lumens, or 42% strengthen. The other programmed operating modes are brighter at the same time, but will not present as dramatic an increase. As an example, typical mode measured 792 about the AE3000, and we are seeing 950 lumens about the AE4000 (+20%). To the AE4000, the Coloring 1 and Coloration a couple of modes are equally measuring inside 550 lumen variety, compared to about 400 to the AE3000.
Conclusion
The Panasonic PT-AE4000 sets a new benchmark for selling price/functionality inside the household theater sector. In equally photograph quality and attributes, it easily surpasses the AE3000. And at only $one,999 it can have an earthshaking impact on charges all through the business. No other projector is as completely-loaded with person pleasant functions as this one; apart from the AE3000, no other competing model even happens near in characteristics and functionality. But what it constantly arrives down to is photograph quality. And in such a regard, the AE4000 surpasses not only the AE3000, but all other 1080p models that we've nonetheless noticed below $a few,000. It truly is not the brightness unit to the market by any stretch. Numerous other affordable 1080p models have brighter Cinema modes. But if you are seeking very excessive image high quality and are keen to offer up just a little lumen output to obtain it, the AE4000 produces a refined, elegant photo that may be very difficult to beat.
All of this adds as much as a remarkable significance proposition: at a road of $one,999, we've quickly hardly ever noticed this much performance at this price tag. Panasonic has been extremely tight-lipped about this product launch. Until eventually now many considered the corporate was dropping out with the dwelling theater projector market place. Currently's announcement helps make it clear that they are right here to remain. The Panasonic PT-AE4000U will likely be a single of your hottest selling dwelling theater projectors from the fall season, and we enthusiastically give it our highest recommendation.