Panasonic PT-AE900 review

Panasonic's latest LCD standard-bearer

TechRadar Verdict

A hugely accomplished projector that will serve anyone that buys it superbly for gaming and movies alike

Pros

  • +

    Exceptional colours

    Decent price

    Good black levels

    No noise

    Scart socket

Cons

  • -

    Picture is fractionally soft

    Black level outgunned by rivals

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Panasonic has been a long-standing champion of LCD technology for home video, even while it sold DLP projectors into the professional market. Its current model is the PT-AE900.

The AE900's looks are decidedly underwhelming. Particularly uninspiring is the finish, but I was also unmoved by the plain colour scheme and rather standard sculpting. If you were hoping to add a dash of glamour to your coffee table, this isn't the projector for you.

Connections get the job done. HDMI and component jacks satisfy the connectivity part of the HD Ready specifications, and they're joined by a PC input and a Scart socket. Yes, a Scart socket. Why more projector makers don't include Scarts is beyond me. So, well done Panasonic!

Panasonic's AE900's LCD system offers a 1280 x 720 native resolution, and serves up impressive contrast and brightness claims of 5500:1 and 1100 ANSI Lumens respectively.

This contrast is achieved thanks to a 'dynamic iris', which analyses the incoming picture and automatically reduces the amount of light let through the lens during darker scenes.

On hand to tackle LCD's visible pixel grid structure is a revamped version of Panasonic's tried and tested Smooth Screen technology. This uses a double refraction crystal/prism arrangement to reduce the gaps between pixels while making lines thinner and brighter.

There's also an innovative Cinema Colour Management system which allows you to adjust over a billion colours, and an inspired setup arrangement whereby you can shift the picture up, down, left or right using a joystick on the projector's front.

Panasonic's AE900 can be added to the growing list of projectors that delivers a really impressive picture performance.

Without doubt the strongest weapon in the Panasonic arsenal is its colour response. In terms of sheer vibrancy, in fact, the AE900 is arguably one of the best we've seen it its class. What's more, the brightness and richness of the colours even holds good during darker scenes, and the tone is generally unusually natural by LCD (though not DLP) standards.

Panasonic's Smooth Screen system, meanwhile, does a good job of removing all evidence of the LCD grid. In fact, noise in general is well suppressed.

Black levels are good too, going way deeper than most LCD models, including the more expensive Sony HS60. This helps give dark scenes a fair sense of scale.

However, while good, Panasonic's AE900 is found fractionally wanting in one or two areas by the extremely high standards of some of its rivals. For instance, the black levels of the DLP models, and the Hitachi LCD, are deeper and more replete with subtle shadow detailing.

Pictures from the InFocus, Sony and Hitachi projectors also look slightly sharper, perhaps because of the Panasonic's otherwise excellent Smooth Screen system.

Overall, there's a lot to like about Panasonic's PT-AE900. It's a hugely accomplished projector that will serve anyone that buys it superbly for gaming and movies alike. That it's marginally outgunned by some of its rivals in this group test says more about the quality of the competition than it does about the limitations of the AE900.

TOPICS

Tech.co.uk was the former name of TechRadar.com. Its staff were at the forefront of the digital publishing revolution, and spearheaded the move to bring consumer technology journalism to its natural home – online. Many of the current TechRadar staff started life a Tech.co.uk staff writer, covering everything from the emerging smartphone market to the evolving market of personal computers. Think of it as the building blocks of the TechRadar you love today. 

Latest in Projectors
Sony Bravia Projector 8 on black background
I tested Sony’s Bravia Projector 8, and its class-leading motion handling and ultra-low input lag make it fantastic for gaming
Yaber K3 projector listing image
I tested a cheap smart projector with surprisingly good JBL sound, but don't get too excited
Optoma UHZ68LV 4K Laser projector
Optoma's new 4K laser projector promises high brightness with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, so it knows what to do with it
Epson QB1000 on table
I tested the Epson QB1000, and this stunning, super-bright projector is perfect for gaming
Epson EH-QS100W projector lifestyle images
Epson's super-bright new ultra short throw 4K projectors promise easy elite home theater pictures up to 160 inches
Hisense mini-projector under a 100-inch projector screen
Hisense's mini 4K projector changes my mind about the laser TV revolution in 2 key ways
Latest in Reviews
Alienware 27 AW2725Q monitor on desk displaying a scene from Cyberpunk 2077
I played games with Alienware's new 27-inch 4K OLED monitor and now I don't want to see another LCD panel
MacBook Air 15-inch with M4 chip on a creative's desk with screen open
I've reviewed the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) - and it remains the best 15-inch laptop I'd recommend for most people
Samsung Music Frame on a table beside some books and a vase
I spent six weeks listening to the Samsung Music Frame and it kept missing the beat
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Groov-e Boston DAB radio on a wooden table
I tested this affordable DAB radio and, sadly, its tinny output made me think of every car garage I've ever been to
An AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D on its retail packaging
I've reviewed three generations of 3D V-cache processors, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the best there is