No love for Panny 200u?

[efarstad]

Hey gang...ok there's much love and discussion of the Panny 300u but not much is EVER mentioned of it's little brother the 200u. It has slighly less resolution, still 16:9 panel, 100 less in contrast and brightness, and no "screen door" technology goodies. But why no love anywhere? What are your takes on this one?

http://www.projectorcentral.com/parts_compare.cfm?pid_6=1947&pid_7=1949&x=50&y=15

E

[George Bellefontaine]

I think the reason you don't hear much about the 200 is because there is such a small price difference between it and the 300 that everyone seems to be going for the latter. I have never seen any of the Pannys so I really can't comment much here.




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[efarstad]

George, you're probably right...I was just interested because a vendor is selling the 200u and a 77" diagonal screen for $1,300!

E

[George Bellefontaine]

Sounds like a good deal for a starter PJ. You could always upgrade later.




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[efarstad]

Yea, I'm just concerned about Screen Door from 10' away (first row)...I know I could do the de-focus trick but I'm thinking spending $500 more might be worth it in the long run....heck of a deal though, for sure!

E

[JonMarsh]

If you're primarily watching DVD or NTSC, the 200 should be just fine.

If you have a real interest in "downconverted" HD, then the 300 would be a better unit, as it supports exactly quarter resolution for 1080i, and will probably have a better down converted image.

The proof would be in the viewing, though, so if possible, give them both a view with HDTV sources.

Note, that compared with typical CRT RPTVs with 7" tubes, the 300U will have about the same effective resolution, once you factor in convergence and beam spot resolution issues.

So, it just comes down to what your priorities are- DVD or HDTV? 200U or 300U? and bucks, of course. :W

~Jon




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[efarstad]

Great points Jon...and something I've thought about too...we have a 34" HDTV in the family room, and I'd probably put our 46" HDTV in the finished basement...so would I then want a FP system to do HD too? :x Probably!!! Oh the pain...That's why I tend to lean towards the 300u...but the 200u's price is so dang good...but again...it comes down to performance on dvd/movies FIRST...but then their's the future of HD DVD's...then what? My head's spinning.... :??

E

[JonMarsh]

Well, we should all have such problems, huh?
:^x

But you know, not to get to personal, but here's what I think....

Sony HS-10 :a>'> Panny 300U :#
:W

Just kidding, YMMV, but for a street price of ~ $2700, and 1366X768 with a constrast enhancing filter thrown in, plus DVI, what's not to like? I know, Lex would say I'm too much of a Sony fanboy, and of course, he's just the opposite. But have you seen one? I have, and they're really pretty dang decent for the money... especially on HD.

Image not available

Of course, if you have a "special connection" on Panny's, you may be able to do better price wise.

Best wishes making the decision for what pleases YOU!

Regards,

Jon




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[efarstad]

Jon, I hear what you're saying but our friends at ProjectorCentral had this to say:

Competition

In the world of widescreen LCD projectors under $3,000 there are now three giants at three different price points—the Panasonic PT-L300U, the Sony HS10, and the Sanyo PLV-Z1. All three of these are significant achievements, and all three deliver more video impact for the dollar than anything we've seen in the past. Most of the email we've received on these units asks for comparisons between them. Which is the best? Well, let's try to sort it out.

PT-L300U vs. Sony HS10: At the moment, there is at least a $500 difference in street price between these two units. At first glance the Sony would appear to win on specs alone—higher resolution, higher lumen rating, HDCP compatible, etc. Is the $500+ premium you'll pay for the HS10 worth it? Honestly, we would be hesitant to say so. The L300U is a much stronger overall performer than we expected to see.

First, the L300U and the HS10 are equal in terms of pixelation/screendoor, which is to say neither of them has a problem with it. In rolling credits you can barely detect some pixel structure from a normal viewing distance if you have great vision. So the higher resolution [1365x768] panels that you'd think would give the HS10 an edge in this regard do not in fact do so.

Second, even though the HS10 is rated at 1000 ANSI lumens to the L300U's 800, after calibration and the addition of the cinema filter on the HS10, the lumen output of these two machines is basically equal. There are differences that will vary based upon how you tweak them, but for all practical purposes they produce the same amount of light. Thus there is no comparative edge in brightness either.

In terms of HDTV, the HS10's ability to take HDTV via DVI with HDCP compatibility makes it a stellar performer with a clean crisp picture that is compromised only slightly by the need to scale it to 1365x768. The L300U must take the HDTV signal via an analog input. However, it gains an edge by rendering the HD signal more precisely into its ¼ HD format. The end of the story is that HDTV resolution on both of these machines is terrific, and neither has an advantage over the other.

Meanwhile, the L300U outperforms the HS10 in several key areas. Contrast and shadow detail are visibly better on the L300U. This by itself will tip the choice for most buyers toward the L300U. In addition, those sensitive to fan noise will definitely prefer the quiet L300U over the somewhat less than quiet HS10. And the 5000-hour life on the L300U compares favorably to the 3000 hours you may get on the HS10. For frequent users, this could save some extra cash down the line.

There are other differences but they get lost in the tall weeds. The L300U has an edge in color decoding, and the Sony has an edge in brightness uniformity, although the differences in both of these areas are subtle. We are now down to irrelevancies in the overall scheme of things.

The bottom line is that the Panasonic PT-L300U, primarily due to distinct advantages in contrast, shadow detail, fan noise, and perhaps lamp life, is in our estimation the stronger performer overall of the two machines.

This and reading many other accounts pushes me more towards the Panny...and I am like Lex perhaps...not too high on Sony for mee thinks about $500 just pays for those 4 letters alone!

I would love to see both side by side...but that's in a perfect world!

Appreciate all the input!

E