pannaonic AE1000 owners calibration thread

Sunshinewelly

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
5,791
Reaction score
734
Points
1,404
Age
51
i know there are a few threads which touch on this subject within other threads but i thought it would be helpful for owners to post their various own settings they have applied to any of the panasonics cinema modes.

Not everyone has a test disk and it may be helpful for others as a guide to calibrating their own machines.

I would also be interested in seeing what modes most people use and for what uses. for example i always use Cinema 1 mode for films whilst never using dynamic mode as i find it too harsh. For gaming or sports i will use normal.

I have used a DVE disk and found that no real alterations were required for cinema 1 mode, i turned the brightness down by one and the contrast up by one. that was it. it realy is tuned to perfection really staight out of the box.
 
Hi, I have found very little room for improvement with the projector. I have not done much at all, I use cinema mode 3. I used THX test of Finding Nemo.
I will eventually use DVE disc after 100+ hours.
There is so many options that you could get in a right stew if you are not careful!!
regards stasis.
 
Am I the only one that feels this PJ looks amazing straight out of the box ??

I really haven't changed anything - well to be honest I have changed anything At all.

Has any one found the need to change the colour , brightness etc ?
 
Cinema 1 is set to match the digital cinema specifications out of the factory which means very oversaturated primary colours and an incorrect white point!

I have one here but haven't done any detailed measurements on the out of the box settings. I will say that with the right tools you can dial this in for a very accuarte image!

Neil
 
I have 'calibrated' mine using DVE and the built in waveform monitor. My Sony DVD at 576p via HDMI and my HTPC at 1080p via the same HDMI socket use quite different settings. This shows how you should set it up using your own equipment and not someone elses settings. I think PJs are a little different from say, LCD TVs, where you can use some approximate settings to get in the right ballpark.

My DVD needed +17 on the contrast IIRC but my HTPC only +1. The brightness settings were closer, being about -1 or -2. I went through the whole of the colour RBG contrast and brightness, but these seemed spot on bar an odd + OR - 1 tweak (again using DVE grayscale test image and the waveform monitor). I also found mid gamma needed a tweak (to give 50% on the monitor) and low gamma also just to lift the 5% upto the line. I've saved 2 calibrated settings each for Cinema 1 and Colour 1 (my prefered choice) for 576p and 1080p in the memory load slots 1-4.

What I'm not sure about is that these tweaks are relative to the signal input to the AE1000's video processor/optical engine. Once displayed on my 120" Graywolf screen, how do I know what adjustment (if any) I need to make? The picture looks great to me when it is 'calibrated', but out of the box it was pretty good anyway!

I have added a neutral density (ND2) filter to mine just to tame the brightness, but this is more due to the fact that I maybe didn't need a 1.8 gain screen in my fairly well blacked out room. It helps give an even deeper black level and I still find bright scenes make me squint.:D I may even try an ND4 filter once we get some proper black out linings on the curtains that cover our patio door. My preferance is for a less bright image on TV/PC/Screen due to years of PC use giving me sensitive eyes to bright light.:rolleyes:

For information, I use my screen in 2.35:1 mode, by not lowering it all the way down. This way the 'black' bars (which are never completely black) are 'off' the screen (or at least in the jet black borders of the screen). This gives an impression of greater contrast when watching (the majority) of 2.35:1 films, plus it meant that I could get the widest screen that would fit in the height available.:thumbsup: 16:9 TV shows just suffer a little with 'gray' bars left and right, but this makes the image smaller and the imperfections in the broadcast less obvious. I may have to get some black cloth to hang up for 16:9 viewing just to get that last nth bit of perfection.:) Having watched every episode of 'Life on Mars' via my HTPC and AE1000 I have to say it looked pretty damn good for freeview. I haven't deceided on the HD DVD/BlueRay from yet, but the couple of films from BBC HD via my HTPC look pretty good.:thumbsup:
 
i mainly use cinema 3 settings as i prefer the higher lumens power.

Haven't really messed around with the settings as i've got Gordon coming over next saturday to ISF calibrate it :)

He did my 50" Plasma and the difference was massive!

Though to be fair settings could be hard to put on here as i would imagin thats he will be doing most of the calibration on my Lumagen scaler???
 
After my post above, I had a play last night after watching 'Hostage' on DVD (I do actually watch films on it rather than spending all my time tweaking!):smashin: . I have read and re read the manual regarding the waveform monitor ('WM' from now on). I did my previous setting up using the top dotted line on the WM as 100%, but now I think that this is wrong and the top solid line is the 100% marker. If you look at the spacing between the 0 and 50% lines then the top solid one seems to be the same scale...DOH!:oops:

Using the 'correct' 100% line I found my contrast setting dropped to +5 and the brightness to +1 (from +17 and +1 respectively). The adjustments to the gamma settings weren't needed apart from a +1 to the mid gamma to get the 50% marker spot on. Likewise the RGB brightness and contrast settings are now all at default. I was too tired by then to fire up my HTPC and do the 1080 settings from my software DVD player, but I'm guessing these will need similar tweaking. I may repeat the DVE colour adjustment using the filter incase that has changed, but I don't think it will.

With these settings I found that the sky in a particular scene in 'Hostage' had more detail, but the picture was still plenty bright enough. One slight dissapointment was that I noticed a single 'blue' pixel in the bottom right black bar when I was right up close to the screen.:eek: Luckily I can't see this stuck pixel from the sofa and it is within the black bars anyway. I didn't want to look for any stuck pixels when I got this PJ incase my eyes would be drawn to them...but I'm sure this is the only one in 2 million or so.:D

Has anyone else set up using their WM? I would be especially interested in hearing from anyone who has had an ISM calibration done to compare the readings within the WM. But I am now convinced the 100% line is the 'solid' top one due to the better white detail. I just don't know why they bother to show a reading for whiter than white, when the blacker than black line just bottoms out if you turn the brightness down too far on a 0% section on the test image?

I put the PJ on early last night, while it was still quite light so my son could watch a bit of a film before he went to bed. I just flicked it over to 'Normal' mode and it was quite watchable in a room with no curtains on the patio door at 7pm. So maybe I should be glad I bought the Graywolf screen after all?:)
 
The waveform monitor is a great tool to assess what is coming from the source components and so make some adjusmets to knock it in to shape however as noted above you need to take off screen measurements to be certain you are actually viewing accurate data.

I have the AE1000 to use in my basic display calibration and ISF classes as it is great to use the waveform monitor to educate what all of the various controls do to the underlying video signal and how that translates to what you see on screen. The effects of the sharpness control etc can all be easily noted :) It is also interesting to see how ambient light in the room is affecting the potential black level and dynamic range of the displayed image. Unless your room is pretty dark (black) the 0 IRE video content shouuld be somewhere above the 0% line on the WM as you need to increase the video level so that the lowest light level from the PJ is higher than ambient. This of course also reduces your dynamic range.

Typically I like to set the device up so that 105IRE content lies on the 100% line to allow for any overshoot.

HTH

Neil
 
can anyone give a beginers guide to using the wave form monitor please
 
can anyone give a beginers guide to using the wave form monitor please

Given my above (now corrected) error, maybe I'm not the best person to do this, but I'll give it a go and those who know better, please feel free to correct me.:D

I used a test DVD 'Digital Video Essentials', but there are others available. Some say that there are certain THX Optimisers on (I believe) Star Wars episode 4 that is actually encoded at the correct black and white levels.

Each press of the WM button takes you through 6 different modes. I started on the 'Single Line Scan Y' mode:

Start with all the PJ controls at their default, including the 'advanced' menu ones and use your prefered 'Picture' mode (Cinema 1, etc). Then get your test picture on screen: one with a known 0% black section on it. Move the WM line up or down the screen until it bisects the 0% square (if using DVE). You will notice that on the WM in line with the 0% bar/square the WM shows a line which should be around the 0% marker. Adjust your 'Brightness' control to get the WM showing exactly on the 0% marker at the point where it lines up with the 0% square/bar.

Then get a picture up on screen with a known 100% white square/bar. Postion the WM line so it passed through the 100% white. Adjust your contrast control so the WM shows 100% (using the 'Solid' marker NOT the higher dotted marker on the WM;) ). DVE has a test picture with squares going from 0 to 100% complete with squares with black 0% with an inner square of 5% and an equvalent one for white 100% with an inner square of 95%. It saves jumping from chapter to chapter, plus you can just move the WM line up or down to the right bit you need to measure.:smashin:

If you have DVE or a disc with 50% square on it you can use the mid gamma to trim the WM to show 50%. If you use the 5% and 95% squares on DVE you can see the use of the High and Low gamma respectively, but I just tweaked my low gamma to +1 to slightly improve shadow detail...but maybe that wouldn't be done by a professional calibrator.:nono: :D

You can then repeat the brightness and contrast settings using the WM in 'Single Line Scan R/G/B' modes and adjusting the 'advanced' RGB brightness and contrast controls to get 100 and 0% for each colour on the WM. I don't understand the use of the WM 'Full Scan' settings, so I haven't used them myself. Nor the 'Color Profile' menu for that matter...if anyone can explain I'd like to have a go at using them later?

If you have DVE you can use the coloured filter to adjust the 'colour' control as per DVE instructions, I believe only the blue one is very acurate...but I stand to be corrected.:)

You may need to go back over these checks after adjusting incase any interaction between the controls effects the WM readings, eg Contrast/Brightness may move the the mid gamma (50%) WM reading.

Once you are happy with the settings, save them using the 'Mem Load' button. Note that if you change the 'Picture' mode then the settings will be different, so you can 'calibrate' for, say Cinema 1 and Colour 1 (my favourites) and have two memory settings.

I hope this helps....maybe it is as clear as mud.:rotfl: I feel like I've just typed out the whole manual.:D I know what I mean, but maybe my text doesn't explain as well as a photo would? I'll try to take some pics sometime, but I've never uploaded pics to AVForums before, so there may be some delay.:D
 
which test images from the DVE disk should i be using.

i have the disk and note there are a number of reference images available.

for those without the disk its available on sendit (the HD-DVD new version )for £7.99
 
Move the WM line up or down the screen until it bisects the 0% square (if using DVE). You will notice that on the WM in line with the 0% bar/square the WM shows a line which should be around the 0% marker. Adjust your 'Brightness' control to get the WM showing exactly on the 0% marker at the point where it lines up with the 0% square/bar.

This is only true when the ambient light in the room is lower than the inherrent black level of the projector. In a completely light controlled room this would therefore be correct but in a room with any ambient light you will typically find the brightness should be set higher to avoid crushed blacks. This PJ may often bbe used in non ideal rooms so worth noting.

You can then repeat the brightness and contrast settings using the WM in 'Single Line Scan R/G/B' modes and adjusting the 'advanced' RGB brightness and contrast controls to get 100 and 0% for each colour on the WM.

This will balance out errors from the source but ideally you want to be using off screen measurements to accurately set the greyscale.

Nor the 'Color Profile' menu for that matter...if anyone can explain I'd like to have a go at using them later?

Colour Profile is used to correct the "primary and secondary colours" so that they match the standards for NTSC, PAL or HDTV. Again this can only be done with off screen measurement.

If you have DVE you can use the coloured filter to adjust the 'colour' control as per DVE instructions, I believe only the blue one is very acurate...but I stand to be corrected.:)

The blue filter is of little use with this projector due to how inaccuarte it may become. In fact you can use the WM to set the colour perfectly. Just pull up a 100% blue window and note the position of the blue scan line on the WM. Then pull up a 100% white window and adjust the colour control so that the blue scan line matches the reading on the 100% blue level. The goal is to get the blue level in the white equal to the blue level on it's own.

HTH

Neil
 
Thanks Neil:thumbsup:

As I said I stand to be corrected by those who know better.:D

JamieUK23:

The DVE chapter I was refering to is in the '13. Picture Resolution'...Its the first one you come to 'SMPTE test pattern RP-133 copyright 1983' is on the test pattern near the bottom centre, if it helps. Obviously take note of Neils comments above regarding my WM guide.
 
Hiya all,

When following on from that great review i really cant wait to get my Panasonic calibrated!!! roll on saturday!!!

Might have to get both the cinema 1 and cinema 3 options done though as i prefer sports and normal sky/sky hd usning cinema 3 but films i like on both cinema 1&3
 
The blue filter is of little use with this projector due to how inaccuarte it may become. In fact you can use the WM to set the colour perfectly. Just pull up a 100% blue window and note the position of the blue scan line on the WM. Then pull up a 100% white window and adjust the colour control so that the blue scan line matches the reading on the 100% blue level. The goal is to get the blue level in the white equal to the blue level on it's own.

HTH

Neil

I tried this using the 100% white and 100% test windows from DVE, but I found the 'colour' control didn't move the Blue line in the WM using the White window. It did move when using the 100% Blue window. Maybe I'm missing something (apart from an ISF calibration of course.:D ).
 
One key point:

"The goal is to get the blue level in the white equal to the blue level on it's own."

Adjust away and then check that red and green are also accurate using the same method!

HTH

Neil
 
for people that have calibrated it, did you find you had to change much from the standard settings ?
 
Just a follow up from my email to Panasonic regarding the apparent non changing brightness when engaging the econ mode for the lamp:

My Email to Panasonic:

Projector PT-AE1000E: When I select 'econo mode' for the lamp, the brightness
doesn't seem to change. I am using HDMI 1 as an input and a DVD is playing
during the change. The menu shows 'econo mode'correctly. Please advise if there
is a software/firmware change or a particular mode that will demonstrate the
change in brightness.

Their reply:

ISSUE RESOLUTION: Dear Mr xxxxxx,

Thank you for your email enquiry.

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the uncharacteristic delay in our response. Due to an unexpected increase in the number of contacts we have recently received, we have been unable to provide as speedy a response as we would normally.

In order to provide you with a full response, I have taken the opportunity to consult with our resident technical support advisors. They have explained that there is no firmware change on this unit for this issue, but brightness change is not always seen on all screens with this projector due to it being a lower output unit to start with. Please check by using no video signal and displaying in-built menus to check if a change has taken place.

I trust that this information has been of assistance to you. However, of course, if you should have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by either emailing us at [email protected], by fax on 01344 853213, or by telephoning our Customer Care Centre on 0844 844 3852.

Regards,
Customer Support

Note that they ask me to check using 'No video signal', yet the manual says on page 39 (Under 'Lamp Power') "When no input signal is detected, this function is disabled".:mad: Am I alone in thinking that this Model is 'stuck' in High mode to get the lamp to wear out at 2000 hours rather than later? Or maybe to make sure that nobody would set it to the 'dim' mode and give a negative response in a demo situation? I used to borrow my old boss' PJ which was a low contrast high brightness data PJ, but at least in 'low' mode you could clearly see how much better the blacks became.
 
If You Look At The Bulb You Can Clearly See A Change In Output Lumens When You Flick From Eco To Normal
 
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
Quote
"I used a test DVD 'Digital Video Essentials', but there are others available."


This disc from 'Digital Video Essentials', I notice that they do a HD DVD in a the trademark red case, and a DVD version, does anyone know if a Blu-Ray equivalent exists?

If not I assume I need to use the DVD version for a Blue Ray player.

Thanks
 
can any one just confirm for me that the HDMI input on this PJ is 1.3 version ??
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom