Panasonic PT-AX200E

Panasonic has updated its selection of mid-range projectors with the PT-AX200E. This 720p home cinema projector looks very similar to the PT-AX100E, although this new model has a selection of new features, including a second HDMI socket and a very effective dynamic iris.

Design & handling

The product’s design and handling mirrors that of Panasonic's two previous models. There’s a lens shift control stick on the front for adjusting the position of the picture on the wall or screen. It’s easy to use too— just unscrew the head of the joystick and move the stick around its circular radius (see photo) to move the projection zone on the wall. The zoom is very powerful and the diagonal picture size can be adjusted from 1.25 m to 2.49 m from a fixed distance of 3 m. Connections have been improved with two HDMI sockets (that’s one more than the PT-AX100E), a VGA connection and a component connection, which will be sufficient for most types of use. The remote control is identical to that shipped with the previous model, with a compact, backlit design. Some users may well prefer to have more shortcuts to the picture settings, but if you don’t need to recalibrate your projector often, it shouldn’t be a problem. Noise output is very low when the projector's in operation, with just 27.5 dB recorded.

Is 720p enough for HD?

With a recommended retail price of £1,197, it’s difficult to justify the 720p resolution, especially at a time when 720p is being progressively replaced by Full HD. The PT-AX200E does, however, have a few tricks up its sleeve to help fight off the growing competition. It offers flawless SD upscaling from sources such as DVDs, and its dynamic iris is particularly quiet and effectively manages the picture brightness (see right). When you activate the dynamic iris in most projectors, you’ll hear ‘click, click, click’ each time it changes position. In the AX200E, however, it’s hardly even noticeable, and it helps make the blacks noticeably deeper. Noise management is highly effective, which is no surprise given that Panasonic’s previous models were already top-notch in this field. Colour reproduction has been improved too, and although slightly less bright, the colours displayed are closer to the ‘ideal’ colours. The only real flaw is that the matrix gridlines are visible on certain single-colour backgrounds, like a cloudless blue sky, for example. This makes for a ‘chicken wire effect’ which is, thankfully, otherwise absent.

Before moving on, it’s also worth mentioning that this projector isn’t fantastic for office use. In fact, if there’s one area in which the PT-AX200E could do better it’s definitely here. Basically, it’s not possible to make the projected picture sharp and well-defined all over. If the bottom left-hand corner is crystal clear, then you can be sure the top right-hand corner won’t be. Although it’s not really a problem when watching films, it can be much more troublesome for office use. That by no means makes the office mode totally useless, but let’s just say we don’t recommend it.

Our recommended settings

After a couple of attempts at tinkering around with the Panasonic PT-AX200E, here are the settings I’d recommend for watching films.

Mode: Cinema 2
Brightness: +13
Contrast: -7
Dynamic iris activated

Then, you can lower the colour temperature to -3, bringing it nearer to the ‘ideal’ colour temperature of 6500 K.