The benefits of having a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution display become easier to see the bigger the HD picture you're watching. So it follows that Full HD's most natural home is the projector world.
But what technology serves the format best? For those hunting value, LCD has traditionally delivered the best savings – and it's no different with Panasonic's 1920 x 1080 resolution PT-AE1000. Listed at $7699, it's around the same price as Sony's cheapest Full HD SXRD model, the VW50 Pearl; two and half grand less than JVC's Full HD D-ILA model; and a whopping $5.3K less than the cheapest DLP Full HD model, Optoma's HD81.
But just how well does Panasonic's eye-catcher actually compare?
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Design and features
Its matt black body and chunky design are unrepentantly industrial, and its connections are functional too; twin HDMIs, component video input, D-Sub PC inputs and even a Scart. It's debatable how useful Scart really is on an HD projector these days, but we'd still rather have it than not.
As well as introducing Full HD LCD panels for the AE1000, Panasonic has completely redesigned the projector's optical system to boost contrast (a mighty 11000:1 is claimed) and brightness (to 1100 ANSI Lumens).
There is, of course, a specification caveat. The deepest black level can only be achieved with the help of an auto-iris that reduces the amount of light emitted through the lens when showing dark scenes. So you can't get high brightness and a good black level at the same time.
