NEWS: Panasonic's £2k Full HD projector

Panasonic has announced two new projectors in its home cinema range. The PT-AE2000E and the PT-AX200E will look to continue the good work of the '1000 and '100 predecessors, with the former making much of its Full HD resolution and three HDMI inputs, while the latter hopes to lure admirers with its super-smooth 'game mode'.

We were big fans of the PT-AE1000E when we first set our eyes on it, but despite a hefty price cut, the competition has well and truly caught up with it in recent months. The new model is cheaper still at £2000, and seems to have had a pretty thorough overhaul in to the bargain.

A whole new optical system is at the heart of the projector, delivering a claimed contrast ratio of 16,000:1 and brightness of 1,500 lumens – and of course that 1920 x 1080 resolution.

There's a new lens unit, too, comprising a startling 16 lens elements including two large-diamater aspherical lenses and two high-performance extra-low dispersion lenses. Also inside is Panasonic's latest, 7th-generation, Full HD LCD panel.

Other proprietary technologies on board include smooth screen technology – this aims to use crystal double refraction to arrange pixels without gaps between them – and pure colour filter pro, which hopes to produce deeper blacks and purer colours thanks to an optical lens filter.

There's also improved processing thanks to Panasonic's new detail clarity processor, which, working on one area of the picture at a time, should improve clarity and sharpness to details. In terms of connectivity, there are three HDMI inputs and two component connections.

Supporting 1080p at 24fps, the PT-AE2000E should be in your stores this month and will retail at £2000.

Joining the '2000 on the new roster is the smaller sibling, the PT-AX200E. Panasonic seems to be making a real song and dance about its 'game mode', which thanks to faster processing delivers a 5ms response time rather than the normal 15ms. This should mean smoother, speedier game action.

A new lamp produces a claimed brightness of 2000 lumens, while Pana's light harmoniser 2 technology should mean the projector can deliver big-screen images in brightly lit rooms, too.

Boasting a 1280 x 720 resolution and two HDMI inputs, the 'AX200 can receive 1080p signals but will naturally have to down-scale the image in order to make it fit – so it's not Full HD compliant.

Also out this month, the PT-AX200E should retail at £1099.

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).