Questions before I go ahead

[rkburton]

I'm trying to do the whole theatre thingy on my own, so bear with me if these questions have been asked before.
First - the #1 projector I'm contemplating is the Panasonic PT-AE700U.
Second, I have almost total light control in the space - at worst the space is dim, and most viewing, with the exception of Sunday afternoon NFL, will be done at nightime when the area can be pitch-black dark (except for the glow of the equipment - which is behind the seating area anyway).
I also do not want to have the projector in front of the seating area.
According to the Panasonic website and autocalculator, I should be able to throw from the rear wall (where I want to mount the projector) a total distance of 22ft.
- To get the same image, would I be better off moving the projector forward (and therefore ceiling mount it) about 5 feet? Will the image be brighter/ clearer/ less distortion?

Also - obviously the best deals are available on the internet. Is the machine easy to set up? If I have trouble, or need calibration, and need screen advice, will a local dealer just not do the work because they didn't sell the machine? How do I determine if the latest firmware is present? How hard is it to do the update? (Point of reference: I found that the Parasound Halo update was a cakewalk.)

Ok, that's enough for now - I'm sure there will be many more later.
Thanks in advance.

[Jurgen]

Hi,

I believe Lao Tze said something like: the road of a thousand miles starts with one step. With a set-up like yours, I probably would enjoy every step towards completion. :T

I can't help you out on the firmware of the PTAE 700. But you can definitely find some clues on this thread:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=12797

About the projector distance: I have learned, through an article on projectorcentral.com about the ae700, that, to my own surprise, the image quality is better when the projector has its maximum distance from the screen (no zoom). It had something to do with the light beam being the smallest therefore reducing reflections to the top and bottom of the room (which has a positive influence on brightness, colour reproduction and contrast).

Good luck (and have fun) with your progress!

Jurgen

[Chris D]

Hey, rk, yes, the PT-AE700 is a cinch to set up. One of the easiest components in my system, I think. Even the knob to displace the picture up, down, or side-to-side is so easy a kid could do it. (if anything, I would even prefer it to be a bit more hi-tech)

As for the firmware versions, read the other AE700 discussion threads here--we've got that info there. The thing is, though, that I'm pretty sure you have to send the unit back to a service center to have any firmware updated. Not user-installed.

For the projector distance, I read one person that said that the further back the projector is, the (slightly) better picture you'll get. Not sure if it's true or not, but in any case I do NOT think that you moving it closer to the screen is going to improve your picture quality, as long as you keep it within the throw range wherever you put it.

[Brandon B]

Shorter throw and hence wider zoom means a little more light bouncing around in the optic train, hence very slightly reduction in contrast, and using more of the outside of "value engineered" lenses all our PJs come with means very very minor image distortion. Odds are you wouldn't be able to pick these things out in a side by side comparison, so I would not concern myself with it unless I were building a black velvet lined high end theater with a $30K projector (really). But those are the reasons if you are curious.

BB

[Chris D]

Okay, thanks, B!