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Panasonic PT-L300U Projectors Review

Model: Panasonic PT-L300U
Review Date: 8-1-2003
By: Kevin Olsen

Highlights: Portable Projector weighs just 6.4 lbs, outputs 800 ANSI lumens, and projects images as small as 40 inches and large as 200 inches (viewable area measured diagonally), Component RCA (Y,Pb,Pr) x 1, Composite Video (Single RCA) x 1, S-Video (Mini DIN 4-pin (Y/C)) x 1, SD Memory Card Slot x 1, Computer, Analog RGB (Standard VGA, mini D-Sub 15-pin) x 1, Computer, Digital RGB (DVI (Digital Visual Interface) 29-pin) x 1, Video Audio (RCA x 2) x 1, Up to ±30° vertically and horizontal digital keystone.

Chassis Color: Dark Grey
Resolution:1/4 HD (960 x 540) Native Resolution
Projection System:0.7-inch Polysilicon TFT LCD Wide Panel x 3 Lens: Manual zoom/focus lens; F 2.0-2.3, f 22.0-26.2.
Lens: 1.3x manual zoom lens.
Lamp Life: 2000 hrs typical replaced with 120W UHM (ET-LAE100) Lamp.
Model Inception Date:January 2003
Warranty: 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor

INTRODUCTION

Aimed at the Home Theater market, the Panasonic PT-L300U features three 0.7" native widescreen (16:9) panel LCD's in 960x540 resolutions (1,555,200 pixels total) less than XGA (1024 x 768), but with a true 16x9 aspect ratio LCD shape, so that it is convenient to use with a 16x9 screen. The outstanding 800:1 contrast ratio delivers stunning wide-screen pictures. This is the new 1/4 HD format, so called because the native HDTV 1080i signal of 1920x1080 can be compressed exactly 50% in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions 1/2 the resolution of 1080i, the most common High Definition format. The advantage is that it yields a particularly clean scaling of HDTV. The other specifications important to the home theater enthusiast are 800 ANSI lumens, as well as the capability to easily hook up to an assortment of home theater components video sources. Thanks to an extra short-throw lens, the PT-L300U can display an 80" wide-screen diagonal image from a distance of just 8 feet.


The moderately low resolution of the PT-L300U raises the obvious issue of the screen door effect, the annoyance of a lot of digital projectors, particularly those that use LCD technology. I was amazed at how little the screen door effect was with this projector. This is because of the Double Refraction Crystal Device which limits the screen door effect. On a large screen you can see grid lines or screen door between pixels. In Panasonic's innovative smooth screen technology use of a special double refraction crystal makes those lines thinner and lightens their color. As a result they are still their but hidden. In fact, it is about as visible as with a DLP technology type projector from the same distance. This has a negative effect on high intensity computer type presentations as I will cover later.

Weighing at just 6.4 lbs, this is one of the more compacted of the home theater projectors on the market. It can easily be placed on a coffee table for the evening, and put away after use. It takes a minute or two for the lamp to come to full brightness, and I did not find the fan noise objectionable. This projector in low power mode is the most quiet of any projector in its class. Noise is very low in both volume and pitch, making it a non-issue only 28dB in low lamp mode and 34dB in normal mode, the quiet fan will ensure that whether it is placed on a table or mounted from a room ceiling it will allow participants to engage in normal voice level conversations. As with any projector, you need to minimize any internal heat buildup. The cooling fan exhausts the air on the back side and so this keeps the exhaust away from the audience.

When viewed from the top it is nearly square, measuring about 11" in both length and width. It stands just 3.2" high. There is not any fancy style design work here, just a simple inconspicuous box. All the visual excitement of the PT-L300U is packed inside and shows up on the screen.

This projector is easy enough for anyone to use. Controls on the top of the projector give you access to the input select, menu button and Keystone setup controls. In the menu system there are setup features for many different lighting conditions this is a nice feature and will touch more on this later. The OSD (On-Screen Display) for projector control is available in 7 languages - English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese.

The panel in the rear allows for the following connections: One composite jack, one S-video port, one DVI-D input, one 15-pin VGA input, and a set of three RCA's for component video.

On the side there is an SD memory card slot. It enables you to load pictures or presentation data that have been stored on an SD card via a digital camera or computer. The SD card is a Panasonic product. The memory card reader will read only SD cards. It is not compatible with Compact Flash, or other competitive formats such as Sony's Memory Stick.

Home Theater Use - 94

As I was setting this projector up and looked at the design I thought that this projector looked as though it is designed for entertainment and after reviewing it I have found that to be the case. The manual does not really discuss the projector being used any other way. I also wondered how such a compact box could do much for a home theater. The picture was crisp and clear I did not need to make any color adjustments it exceeded my expectations for the price and case size quite a lot. Watching a movie with the PT-L300U produced good skin tones and vibrant colors. The good quality contrast is the highest I've seen in any LCD projector, rivaling that of the much more expensive models. High-contrast images can be projected wonderfully in low ambient light conditions. Blacks are rendered as true black, and shadow details open up with definition that is not seen on other LCD projectors anywhere near this price range.

Color decoding is overall extremely good. The green and blue channels are almost perfect. Red has a slight orange tint and is just a bit weak, but the error is not enough to whine about. Black levels, gray scaling, and contrast are all good. There are a number of prominent aspects to the projectors image and performance. Primarily the remarkable lack of pixilation and from a distance of 1.5x the screen width, there is no screen door effect and no visible pixel structure. In this regard it is the best I've seen for a non-DLP projector. The absence of pixilation in the image matches that of the higher resolution WXGA products and I did not expect to see this.

Picture controls include contrast, brightness, color, tint, Panasonicness, color temperature, and black level and white level gamma adjustment. Color temperature can be altered with separate contrast and brightness controls on red and blue. With a PC or DVI signal, there is additional independent white balance control on red, green, and blue.

The PT-L300U is HDTV compatible and has DVI-D input, so you can use a computer with DVI output as a DVD player for the cleanest possible DVD signal. DVI-D input, for my home theater use is a must. Internal de-interlacing is very good, but you will get a Panasonicer image from a progressive scan DVD player or home theater PC. Considering the fact that this projector is not HDCP compatible, the benefit of DVI is to be realized by those who use a home theater PC for DVD playback. This gives you the best possible picture, and you don't have that option on a lot of other projectors I have seen

The PT-L300U has quite a few pre-programmed operating modes. The picture menu lets you adjust all the things that you might want for personal preferences, including color temperature and gamma. Each input has its own memory, so you can adjust each one separately. With the picture mode you can select what matches the image source and source and room environment these include; Normal, Dynamic, Cinema 1, Cinema 2, Music, Sports, and Natural. Normal is for when the brightness of the room is at a standard level. Dynamic when the room is brighter. Cinema 1 is for watching movies. Cinema 2 is for watching movies with lighter and clearer pictures. Music is for watching concerts or live performances. Sports can be the setting for watching sports programs live outdoor type sports. Natural setting is to project the image faithfully from the image source. In addition to these you have the ability to set your own calibrations and save them in three user memories. I am not one to want to access the menu system every time I watch so I would find a setting that looks good for all viewing types and stick with that. I preferred Cinema 2 mode.

The projector can automatically resize 525i (480i), 625i, 525p (480p), 750p (720p), and 1125i (1080i) images for 16:9 wide-aspect display component video signals and S-Video can also be displayed in either 4:3 or 16:9. The projector delivers broad compatibility by supporting various video formats such as: NTSC, NTSC4.43, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, PAL60, and SECAM.

The PT-L300U has the infra red receiver on the front of the projector so you can point the remote at the screen and control it. The remote control is small and easy to use once you get used to it. It has back-lighting for handy use in the dark. It has over a 40 foot range and this is excellent, the projector's receptiveness to it is virtually instantaneous. The remote lets you select three input categories: video, which toggles between composite and S-video; component, which selects the component input, and PC, which toggles between the VGA and DVI ports. You also have the ability to instantly freeze a moving image.

Screem Size Minimum Distance Maximum Distance
40" 3'9" 4'6"
60" 6'2" 7'2"
80" 8'3"" 9'5"
100" 10'2" 12'1"
150" 15'4" 18'4"
200" 20'3" 24'3"

Computer Presentation Use - 70

The PT-L300U is not really intended for computer presentation. I found the quality in this use to be very poor. Not only that the 800 ANSI does not provide the brightness needed to make a proper presentation in brightly lighted rooms, but small detailed images such as the lines in an excel spreadsheet could barely be seen. Overall presentation seemed blurred and unimpressive this is caused by the smooth screen technology I have already discussed. I do not have too much at all to say in this area and will focus my review in the home theater use section were this projector really excels!

If you do a lot of your presentations in offices, conference rooms and hotels you will need at least 1000-1500 lumens. The brightness of projectors is measured in units called ANSI lumens. The requirement for brightness is dependent on three factors: Throw distance, which is the distance between the projector and the display screen. The ambient light in the room, brighter rooms require a brighter projected image. Desired projected image size, the larger capacity rooms obviously require a larger image and hence a brighter projector.

If you do need to use this projector for a personal computer a Digital Video Interface (DVI) terminal that allows it to directly receive digital signals from a personal computer system is available.

No security features are available on this projector so you had better bolt it down to keep it from walking away or mount it on the ceiling. This projector seems to be designed to be mounted then adjusted and then left alone.

Screem Size Minimum Distance Maximum Distance
40" 4'9" 5'9"
60" 7'5" 8'9"
80" 9'8" 11'8"
100" 12'5" 15'1"
150" 18'7" 22'6"
200" 24'9" 30'2"

VALUE - 86

The Panasonic PT-L300U is a terrific value for those that are looking for a great projector to use for entertainment purposes. For anyone wanting to have an inexpensive projector that will provide great movie viewing, this product is a common sense choice. It impresses at a cheap price. The PT-L300U is offered at suggested list price of $2,799 and I have seen it for as low as $2000. I prefer this one over a lot of other comparable brands.

The Panasonic PT-L300U works very well out of the box, and really does not need much, if any fine-tuning. It has a nice Panasonic image, with good shadows and highlights, and throws plenty of brightness onto the screen for home theater, no pixilation, no fan noise, small, easy to install, It is lightweight, easy to set up, and has the necessary DVI input to stay ahead of the obsolescence curve. Panasonic has pooled all of the vital elements needed for resounding success.

The user can select from Standard and Low lamp power modes. Designed for use in dark rooms, low power mode uses a lower lamp power that minimizes energy consumption and lengthens the lamp life. Panasonic claims you will get up to 5,000 hours, 3,000 more hours than the 2,000 hours in low power mode. Low power mode is the preferred way to run it.

As far as maintenance this projector does not come with an extra air filter. This is odd considering it requires cleaning after only 100 hours of use. Be prepared to clean this often to prevent malfunction. When the lamp temperature indicator flashes red this could be the hint that it is time to clean! The air filter can be removed very easily and then cleaned with a vacuum.

The liquid crystal panel of the projector is built with very high precision technology giving you fine picture details. Occasionally, a few non-active pixels may appear on the screen as a fixed point of blue, green or red. I did not notice any of such things on the projector I reviewed which indicates the quality of parts used.

Exceeding the bulb use time can cause some projector bulbs to explode to prevent this from happening this projector has a feature that will not allow the projector to function after the lamp use timer exceeds 2000 hours of coarse this varies with the power setting in the menu. Make sure you have a spare bulb on hand when you are getting close to the time limit. This could be a very irritating feature that can be fooled by pretending to replace the bulb. I do not recommend you to do this of course but for informational purposes it might be good to know. The lamp is a fragile product. Even when the full life of the bulb has not been exhausted, the brightness of the lamp will gradually decline. So periodic replacement of the lamp I would strongly recommend. Replacement of the lamp will set you back around $360.

I have always been one who values customer service and Panasonics warranty offers good service and support but only a one-year limited warranty on the projector what's with that?, they must not have much confidence in this product. Customer service seems to be very responsive. The manual is very complete and concise. I requested some information from the Panasonic web site on a Sunday and had a response the following Monday morning impressive!

STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES

OVERALL RATING 83

Model Number Home Theater Computer Presentation Value Overall
Panasonic PT-L300U 94 70 86 83

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