Panasonic PT-AE7000 Review

Over the last couple of years, the price of projectors has gone down considerably with quite a few of them being available for under Rs. 50,000. However, one should not forget that not too long ago, the price of a standard projector was over a lakh and it offered pretty standard features. With the drop in price, the projectors available, nowadays do offer those extra features, but not state of the art ones that can compete with HD televisions. Panasonic, a brand well known for their AV equipment have an extensive range of projectors as well that span across all budgets. These range from outdoor projectors for large venues, installation projectors as well as projectors that can be set up in one’s home, doubling up as a home theatre solution. Based on the growing concept of 3D, Panasonic have launched the PT-AE7000, a projector with full HD 3D capabilities, Panasonic’s VIERA link and a feature list that is incredibly long. Read on to know about this high-end full HD projector from Panasonic.

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Design and Build Quality
As far as the design of the PT-AE7000 goes, it is a fairly large projector, as compared to the others, which we have reviewed in the recent past. But given the fact that it is a high-end model packed with features, the size of it comes as no surprise. Covered in a matte finish, this full HD projector is quite resistant to stains. The top panel has a pretty minimalistic design and apart from the Panasonic branding, the only other features found here are the LED indicators for temperature, lamp and on/ standby.

Controls at the back

The side of the projector is adorned with the controls and the ventilation for cooling this projector. The controls found here, include a power button, input select, an enter button located between the four way navigational pad that allows one to navigate through the settings, a return button as well as focus and zoom buttons. The lamp at the front comes with a metal cover and a pinch to open mechanism. All the connectivity options are located at the back, these include three HDMI ports, inputs for component, computer, S-Video, video, 3D shutter out, trigger as well as a switch to turn on the projector. Apart from this, there are vents at the front and back as well, which assist in the cooling of the projector.

The build quality of the PT-AE7000 is great and it feels sturdy. The buttons appear firm enough to withstand the normal wear and tear of everyday usage.

Features

The Panasonic PT-AE7000 is based on the previously launched AE-4000 and the primary difference between the two is that the latest model can display content in full HD 3D. With it being able to deliver full high definition content in 3D, naturally, this projector can also play standard 2D content in full HD. Being a full HD projector, the price of it will rise, also because most projectors in the market can deliver content in HD at 720p.

Connectors at the back

The feature list of the PT-AE7000 is very vast and it has an interface that is very intuitive. The interface is broken up into six broad categories, which include picture, position, language, 3D settings, lens control and options. In the picture mode, one not only has the option of adjusting the brightness and contrast levels, but also the ability to adjust RGB as well as Gamma settings. This is a neat feature as one has the ability to calibrate the projector to get the perfect picture quality. The picture settings also has the ability to adjust the waveform monitor and this is something that is not very common for a projector, in this price range and is instead found on those that cost a whole lot more.

One can adjust the aspect ratio of this projector through the Position settings easily, by selecting the different presets available. In 3D settings, a neat feature of this projector is that it has the ability to convert content from 2D to 3D, thereby putting it in the same league as many high-end televisions found in the market, these days. The 3D glasses used are an optional accessory that does not come with the projector but rather as an aftermarket purchase. Another interesting bit about this projector is that it has a lens memory feature, using which one can save the placement of the projector. This can be really handy when one wants to set up the projector, again in the same place without having the need to calibrate it.

The lamp at the front

Summing up the features bit of the review, this is a projector that possesses qualities that are usually not found in projectors priced at this amount and with it one can get the maximum out of the projector at a fairly reasonable price.