Panasonic PTAE700 - Discontinued in October?

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paul_mowbray

Guest
Have had my eye on a Panasonic PTAE700 projector from some time now but i was thinking that it is probably coming up to that time where it will be replaced by a newer model.

I went into my local "shop@Panasonic" and asked if they knew if the 700 would be replaced any time soon to be told that is was being discontinued in october and that panasonic were pulling out of the Home Cinema front projection market and that they will just focus on there high end "DPL" products!!

Obviously his last comment made me take his words with a pinch of salt but i was wondering if anyone else know's what panasonic's front projector plans are for the future and if there is gonna be a PTAE900 with a 1080p panel for under 2grand by the end of the year or if i should bite the bullet and go for the 700 or a Z3 ;)
 
There is going to be a ae900 it has been anounced and ill be shown at cedia on september 9th.
 
That's what I was thinking/hoping/expecting and i apologise if that news about the 900 has already been posted but i hadn't read anything in the mainstream technology press about this upcoming announcement.

I look forward to the official specs and going back to the Panasonic shop and asking the rather dim shop assistant for a demo!

Has there been any leaked specs yet for the 900, i saw a few snippets about the upcoming Z4.
 
it has not been posted on here yet. There is a picture it looks very like the ae700 allmost identical. rumor is 5000:1 contrast with 720p. panasonic have not given anything away will have to wait till cedia in america and see what is reviled.

"Panasonic invites you to view the amazing, film-like picture
quality of its new PT-AE900 High Definition home theater projector. Once
you see the AE900's phenomenal image quality, we think you'll agree it
was well worth the walk. Stop by the main reception desk of the
Panasonic booth (# 2065 located upstairs in the Sagamore Ballroom) for
your must-have ticket to view the AE900 and other leading Panasonic's HD
projectors in the Grand Central Station meeting rooms (A - D) of the
Crowne Plaza Hotel (at Union Station adjacent to the convention center).
Panasonic is hosting education sessions in the Grand Central Station
Meeting rooms at 10 a.m. , 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9th and
Saturday, Sept. 10th and at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11th. Please join
us ... and while at the Crowne Plaza, submit your ticket for a chance to
win a PT-AE900!
 
It will be interesting what sort of price point it will come in at, i think the sanyo Z3 AT 800 odd is a steal, i can see the new crop of of pj`s being around double that price"
 
They usually release them for the same or slightly less than the previous models MSRP, I think. Factoring in the bulb voucher on the Z3, you're probably right. It is a steal!

However, you have to consider what the new D5 panels are rumoured to improve upon:

i) Pixel fill factor up by 20% (ie reduced screen door)
ii) No vertical banding
iii) Much improved contrast ratio (and since they all seem to be incorporating dynamic irises, the lowest is 4000:1).

So, if true, they fix all the main problems we moan about when criticising LCD. Personally, I'm waiting to buy one of the new breed.

Next week's CEDIA should be interesting. LCD is upping the competition dramatically after losing market share to DLP. Basically, we could see an LCD projector debuting at £1200 that has a similar spec to the Optoma H79 at £3000! It will be interesting to see how DLP responds (price cuts, dynamic irises for CR at 10000:1+?), and who starts knocking out affordable 1080P machines first.

If you like buying into last year's discounted technology (which, let's face it is the most sensible policy), the Z3 is the way to go. You'll get a lovely machine that will keep you happy for several years and the next time you look out of the door you might be able to get yourself a 3 chip DLP or Sony SXRD for £1500!

These new LCDs, however, do seem to mark a significant leap in performance.

Squibbly
 
Let the Z4 vs AE900 vs TX200 wars begin...PJ ;)
 

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