Panasonic PTAE8000U 1080p Full HD Projector

• 2400 Lumens of Brightness
• 1080p (1920 x 1080) Resolution
• Full-HD-Optimized Lens
• 480 Hz Processing Capability
• 2x Optical Power Zoom

I love the projector, never-mind the 3D, it is not a subtle upgrade from the PT-AE4000. In terms of picture quality, everything is better brightness, contrast, and clarity. It is actually bright enough that in a reasonably light controlled setting, you could run in ECO mode and be perfectly happy. Again, going from PT-AE4000 to the 8000 is well worth it. 3D seemed fine, just make sure that you purchase the correct 3D glasses as there are different versions, even within Panasonic.

Now the bad part I like everyone else, try to save a buck when I can. I didn't realize that Amazon allowed grey-market, marketplace dealers; but in retrospect, I guess that was my own naivety. BIG VALUE, Inc. IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO SELL Panasonic. They claim that they are just like buying from your retail store, but I have never had a retail store that was grey-market. Your rebates and warranties WILL NOT be honored by Panasonic. Unfortunately the way I found this out was by trying to redeem a rebate. By the time I received a denial from Panasonic and clarification from BIG VALUE, Inc, I was outside of the 30 day return window.

I will go though the claim process and hopefully Amazon will support my side based on BIG VALUE's deceptive marketing, but it's an expensive lesson to learn; as regardless as to whether I am able to return the projector; I also lost out on the two free pairs of 3D glasses and the $100 rebate check.

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I wanted to wait a while before writing this review, but I can't hold off any longer. So far I have about 40 hours on this projector and I absolutely love it! I have it ceiling mounted in the rear of our home theater. The room is completely light controlled, and I am projecting on a 120" wide, 2.35 aspect ratio acoustically transparent screen. Throw distance is approximately 17'.

Out of the box without any adjustments, I thought the picture was great. I did a quick calibration this past weekend with the Disney WOW BD, and tweaked a few of the picture settings. Now the picture is fantastic! Colors are rich, great blacks and detail in dark/shadowy parts of movies, whites are bright when they should be. Everything really pops. Sharp focus and details as well. We have watched a mixture of HDTV, 16:9 movies, and 2.35:1 movies. All have been 2D. I don't have any 3D movies (or glasses for that matter) so can't comment on the 3D performance.

One feature that I really love is the auto sensing of the movie's aspect ratio. Everyone has to comment on how cool it is that once a 2.35:1 AR movie starts playing, the picture zooms to fill the entire screen automatically. I have to admit that I don't get tired of seeing that happen. Very cool.

One thing to keep in mind if you are going to use the auto AR switching is mounting location. In general, the center of the lens should be no higher than the top of the screen. Mine is about 2" higher, and I can still make it work with the lens shift and v-area position controls, but I don't think it would work if it were much higher than that. I'm sure this varies with throw distance and screen size, so make sure to test before you permanently mount it.

Also, if you are expecting to get the Panasonic rebate, you need to know that Amazon is NOT an officially authorized reseller of this product. They may be for other Panasonic items, but this is considered a "business class" projector, and Panasonic only has 5 authorized resellers for this projector. I'm not saying don't buy it from Amazon, I just want you to be aware that you will not qualify for the Panasonic rebate if you do. I found that out the hard way.

Overall I give this projector 5 stars. In my opinion, it would be very difficult to find a better projector with more features in this price range. I would not hesitate to recommend this projector to anyone.

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Compared to my previous old 2004 NEC LT-260K projector, which was quite good in my dedicated HT room wow, big improvement!!

I recommend ProjectorCentral.com to compare, and the Panasonic PT-AE8000U was very highly rated!

I've only had the new projector installed for a couple weeks, but here's the differences I've experienced so far:

Improved 1920x1080 Resolution (Now can even sit on the floor in front of the big 122in screen and it's still quite clear!)

Much greater Contrast Ratio! (500,000:1) Night Scenes are much clearer, and gives more depth of field.

Brighter (Can even use room lighting now if desired with very little screen washout!)

Quieter Fan (better during silent passages...)

Longer Lamp Life (2000-3000 previously, and now 4000hrs, 5000 in eco)

More refinement / adjustability controls options

3D capability that didn't have before... (Can be immersed in the movie if you choose on occasion... Wow! Amazing!)

2D to 3D Conversion option

Power Zoom & Power Focus, as well as other setup improvements

Better Color Interpretation

Very fast 480Hz Dual Core Processor greatly improves fast motion scene tracking in real-time without eye fatigue.

Split-Screen helps setup changes to see present and proposed change comparison...

The picture quality is so amazing, you completely forget that you're actually watching a projector!?!

Extremely impressive projector!! Yes, this likely is the best HT projector from Panasonic so far!!!

Thanks Panasonic!! Mike (Puget Sound Area, WA)

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If you are unlucky like myself, you would buy this projector. it is more than 2 months but I am still waiting for the 3D glasses and extended warranty. You are better of with another manufacturer if you want to enjoy 3D movies.

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Just bought it, but has worked great so far. I recommend the product. However the replacement lamp is very expensive.