Why drive down the street to your local consumer electronics store (if they haven’t gone bankrupt) looking for a projector? It doesn’t make sense when Projector People.com offers you a no-gas-using, hassle-free, super-saving experience in the comfort of your own home. And what better time to buy than during our Consumer Bailout (and Thanksgiving) Sale. So stay home, nestle in with family and friends, and enjoy this holiday season in your very own home theater.

Just the Facts

Consumer Bailout (and Thanksgiving) Sale
Sale Valid : Thursday, November 27th - Monday, December 1st
Save $50-$200 off popular projectors and acessories
Coupon Code : THANKYOU
Details : Click here

Here are the Deals

Projector People is offering two ways to save in these tough economic times. Flat discounts and Coupon Codes. Here’s the breakdown:

Products with Coupons

Use coupon code “THANKYOU” in your shopping cart when ordering these items See all coupons and specials here.

Accessories on Sale : Save $50 - $100

• Oppo Digital DV 983H Up-Converting DVD Player

720p Home Theater Projectors with Coupons : Save $50

• Mitsubishi HC1600
• Panasonic PT-AX200U
• Sanyo PLV-60

1080p Home Theater Projectors with Coupons : Save from $100 - $200

• Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB
• Epson Home Cinema 6100
• Mitsubishi HC5500
• Optoma HD80
• Panasonic PT-AE2000U
• Panasonic PT-AE3000U
• Sanyo PLV-Z700

Business Projectors with Coupons : Save from $50 - $100

• BenQ MP730
• ASK Proxima C445+
• Hitachi CP-X505
• InFocus LP850
• NEC NP901W

Use coupon code “THANKYOU” in your shopping cart when ordering these items See all coupons and specials here.

Flat Discounts

No coupon required. Just add it to your cart and save! Less work and even more great savings.
See discounts and complete list here

• BenQ SP830
• BenQ W20000
• BenQ W500
• BenQ W5000
• Casio XJ-S37
• DVDO Edge Video Scaler
• Epson Home Cinema 1080
• Epson Home Cinema 720
• Hitachi CP-X401
• InFocus X10
• InFocus X9
• Mitsubishi HC6000(BL)
• Mitsubishi XD500U
• Mitsubishi XL5980U
• Optoma HD65
• Optoma HD71
• Optoma HD806
• Panasonic PT-LB75U
• Sharp PG-F312X

See discounts and complete list here

Full disclosure : ProjectorPeople.com has not received federal money to subsidize this sale. Limited time offer. Some exclusions apply. Free ground shipping included on projectors over $999. No tax charged in states outside of Florida. Happy Thanksgiving.

I took the new Sanyo Z700 for a spin this weekend. At the current price point and $200 rebate it made this one a “must see” for the money.

First thoughts is wow it’s bright! Brighter than what you would think 1200 Lumens can look like. I could leave plenty of lights on and still have a great looking image. Also razor sharp! I watched some Blu-Ray movies, PS3 games, and some HD football and it looked like a 110″ Plasma on my wall!

Some other nice features are the lens shift that allowed me to dial in the image quickly. Also the Lens Cover snapping shut after it powers down. This helps keep dust off the lens and conceals the projector a little more. It’s smaller than some other 1080p projectors. Very quiet and practically silent in eco mode. If you need to think about the “look” and “sound” of the projector in your room then this might be the one. Good WAF on this one (Wife Acceptance Factor).

These pictures just don’t do it justice. Colors pop, Whites are crisp and Black levels are decent…but not the best I’ve seen. You need to spend about $1,000 more for the best black levels like the Panasonic AE3000 or Epson 1080UB. I think you could use a Calibration DVD to “tweak” the best out of this projector. HD material looked stunning even with lights on in the room. I caught myself even looking at some commercials in HD and those looked good, I normally fast forward the commercials on my DVR. I played a little PS3 and the game textures looked life like!

Bottom line is if you’re not a contrast junkie but like a Bright, Colorful, and Sharp 1080p image at a bargain then take a look at this Sanyo PLV-Z700.

People will think you spend $5,000 on this thing!

~ Review by Projector Expert Rich Morgan

The Star of Show : Mitsubishi HC1500

We worked with Mitsubishi to provide the folks at DIY a very popular (at the time) Mitsubishi HC1500 native 720p projector. If you’re in the market for a low-priced HD projector for a room like this one (or any home theater) the newer Mitsubishi HC1600 is a wildly fantastic deal at $749 after $100 rebate from Mitsubishi.

More Mitsubishi HT Projectors

• Mitsubishi HC5500 -1080p - $1695 after $500 rebate
• Mitsubishi HC1600 -720p - $749 after $100 rebate

Upcoming Broadcasts:

• Friday, November 14th, 2008 : 12:00 PM EST
• Monday, December 01, 2008 : 8:30 AM EST

Watch it on the DIY Network.

Nobody Puts Baby in a Box!

One small issue with the show might be the covered projector mount. Provided the projector is not covered during operation, this is a perfectly cool and protective feature. Just in case other folks may want to DIY a projector mount, we thought it might be a good idea to clear up any misconceptions about putting your projector in a box. Let’s refer to the HC1500 user manual for guidance.

This is in all CAPS so it must be important :

“DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE LENS WHEN THE PROJECTOR IS IN THE POWER ON MODE.”

Sounds like good advice.

Also good advice worthy the CAPS :

“TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.”

More good advice that many people don’t follow.

“Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a fi re or electric shock.”

As if this can be predicted or prevented. But good advice. :

“Never spill liquid of any kind on the projector.”

Do NOT use your projector as a coffee warmer or coaster.

Aha! Here is the relevant bit :

“Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation, ensuring reliable operation of the projector and to protect it from overheating. Do not block these openings or allow them to be blocked by placing the projector on a bed, sofa, rug, or bookcase. Ensure that there is adequate ventilation and that the manufacturer’s instructions have been adhered to.”

So, the show looks pretty cool. There’s even a Murphy bed in the room. You know, the kind of bed that folds back up into the wall. If you’ve got time or a Tivo, check it out.

Watch it on the DIY Network :

WASTED SPACES
Game Space Galore - Episode DWSP-304

[ UPDATE 11/12/2008: We recently learned that there will not be a large release in the USA for this projector. It will be available at Apple stores in Japan, and may be available in select consumer electronics stores. However, if you are looking for a small portable projector for presentations rather than a gizmo, we do offer several "palm" sized projectors that are MUCH brighter and also are not limited to composite only inputs. Projector People will demo the PK-101 projector soon, and provide some feedback for Optoma and for our blog readers. Stay tuned! ]

There’s a new projector gadget in town. It’s handy, high tech, and portable. It’s called a “pico” projector. Sometimes promoted as iPod projectors, these tiny portable beamers are getting lots of attention these days. So are they a good fit for a professional presentation pitch? Or are they just a gadget? Read on.

How Pico Are We Talkin’ Here?

New pico projectors like the soon-to-be-released Optoma PK-101 weigh in well under a pound. The PK-101 weighs just 4.2 ounces. Its footprint is about the same size as an iPod classic or a cell phone. By comparison, the smallest projector would be about 2.75 pounds, and it would have a footprint several times that size. Your pico projector actually slips into your pocket, rather than into a carrying case.

What’s Not to Like?

Well, if you are comparing it to a professional business projector, there are a few things that won’t cut it. Those include: brightness, image size, input flexibility, and sound. The pico projector is not nearly as bright as any professional presentation projector. Not even close. But it is definitely viewable. The maximum image size is about 60-inches, but the image will not be particularly bright (a dark room will help). You will also have limited inputs (just composite video and stereo audio-in). There is a built-in speaker on the PK-101, but it won’t exactly fill up a room with just .5 watts.

One more thing you might not like: the $430 list price. The street price may be lower than that, but since it’s new on the market it’s not clear how much less expensive it will be. And since we love comparisons, our cheapest professional “ultra” portable (but not Pico) projector is around $500-800. It will weigh more than the PK-101, but it would provide a significantly improved image and might also be highly conspicuous in your pocket.

What’s to Love?

If you’ve always felt you were a little like James Bond on the inside, or you just like to be the first to have an exotic gadget, this is a very cool toy. It’s also great for a plane ride (project on the back of your seat) or a car trip with the youngins’ (as long as they don’t try and blind you while you drive). Or you can also brandish your pico projector to promote your independent film guerrilla style when you bump into Spielberg in the men’s room at Canter’s.

So, go Optoma gadget go!

Optoma PK-101 Quick Specs :

• 4.2 ounces
• LED technology
• Chargeable 1.5 hour battery
• 0.5-watt speaker

Click here for mores specs and info

Some Ultra Portable Options :

• InFocus IN10 : 2.4 pounds ($949)
• InFocus IN1100 : 2.75 pounds ($1049)
• InFocus IN1102 : 2.75 pounds ($1149)
• Mitsubishi XD90U : 2.9 pounds ($1275)
• Optoma EP1691 : 3.2 pounds ($999) Widescreen native!
• Toshiba TDP-PX10U : 2.9 pounds ($759)

Search for more projectors by weight, brightness, resolution, and more using our Projector Finder.

Also found on the Internets :

Epson’s Home Cinema 1080 and Home Cinema 1080UB have been (and still are) best sellers for us. By comparison they are some of the nicest on the market. We were excited to learn more about the new line up.

Jeff is always an entertaining presenter, so it’s a great way to start our ‘Watch and Learn’ video series. Watch (or read) and enjoy!

Your Training Cheat Sheet for Epson Home Theater

If you don’t feel up to watching our entire training video here are a few notes from what we discovered this week.

Expected Ship Dates and Other Info

• The Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 6100
• The Epson HC6100 will include a 2 yr. advance replacement warranty
• The higher-priced 1080p HC6500 expected to ship last week of November
• New models have new industrial design, no longer “chiclets” but more squared edges and slightly larger cabinets for better heat and noise reduction, and for bigger video processors
• The new Color Light Output specification, developed by the 3LCD consortium, has been adopted by Sony as well as Epson with more to come

About Projector Contrast Ratios

• Average contrast ratio in a commercial movie theater is 150:1
• Lights off commercial movie theater contrast would be around 350 to 400:1
• The highest, true contrast ratio Jeff Paiva has ever measured was just over 400:1 and the image looked holographic from all the detail revealed

Watch:

Jeff Paiva on Contrast Ratio. How is contrast measured in a home theater projector? Epson’s Jeff Paiva discusses the difference between full on / full off contrast ratio and reveals the highest contrast ratio display he has ever tested in his years of experience.

Difference Between Home and Business Projectors

• Pushing green levels to achieve higher brightness
• Typically have poor video processors which show artifacts. Can’t handle fast motion video
• Louder fans on ultra portable projectors because of emphasis on smaller casing

Differences between image on a 720p vs. 1080p projector

• 3 million vs. 6 million pixels (or 1 million x 3 panels vs. 2 million x 3 panels)
• Colors appear more saturated in 1080p because there are more pixels to show depth
• Better black levels in 1080p
• More detail in the image, and a smoother image since less screen door effect visible

Watch:

Jeff discusses the advantages of 1080p over 720p projection.

Watch Entire Training Video

Epson Training Session from Projector People on Vimeo.

Full Epson Home Theater training video, including all of the things we mentioned in our cheat sheet above. Jeff also demonstrates how projectors create white light, how the new Epson home theater projectors achive their high contrast ratios, and the benefits of 1080p projectors over 720p.

We don’t want to scare you with our new coupon, but our prices are so low on projectors these days we’ve had to turn our attention to screens. With the help of Elite Screens, we have put together a Hallow-Screen Sale offering $100 instant savings on Home 2 and CineTension 2 electric screens.

Projector Screen Sale Details :

• Save $100 on select screens
• Use coupon code “SCREAM100″ in the shopping cart.
• Offer good from October 24th - October 31st.
• Link to products and details

Happy Hallow-Screen!

Panasonic has dangled another enticing carrot for those interested in their new PT-AE3000 projector. An extended warranty.

We just received word late Friday that they will be including an additional year warranty (click for .pdf) for a limited time (just as they did on the AX200 and AE2000) when you purchase from an authorized reseller. That brings the warranty period to two years, making it more competitive with Epson (2-year) and Sanyo (3-year).

What if You Purchased Before the Announcment?

If you purchased your AE3000 last week, never fear, you should also be eligible for the rebate which started 10/15/2008. The rebate is valid through the end of December (12/31/08). You can download the form from the Projector People website here.

PT-AE3000 Pre-Orders Accepted

By the way, we are now taking pre-orders on the PT-AE3000. As we mentioned, the price is $2499, and we expect it to ship at the end of October. If you prefer you can also call in your pre-order at 1-888-248-0675. This will get you a dedicated sales person who can answer questions about your specific needs as well as someone you can call and pester about when your order will ship. It will also give you a chance to get your best price on screens, receivers, speakers, mounts, and any other accessories you may need.

This morning Panasonic announced their new PT-AE3000U will be priced at just $2,499.

This is a bold and aggressive price point from Panasonic, particularly when you consider that their last home theater 1080p product was considered by many to be the best on the market for the last year. When you factor in the additional features like Lens Memory (makes your screen 2.35:1 CinemaScope with the touch of a button) and the improved 60,000:1 contrast ration (read more about the new features here) this is a remarkable price.

One AV blogger, Duncan Madden at AV Review UK said in his initial write up for the PT-AE3000; “Available this very November, Panny is hush hush about the price, but that flagship moniker should prepare you for the worst.” [complete post ]. And just a day ago we predicted a $3,499 MAP (minimum advertised price) with a lower street price and we said we would keep you updated.

So, as promised, here is your update : with the aggressive pricing coming directly from Panasonic you should expect street prices to stay close to the $2,499 price announced today. There may be dealer incentives as the holidays and Super Bowl draw closer, but dramatic price drops are unlikely in this writers opinion.

Why Go So Low?

Maybe it’s the tough economy. Maybe they are just continuing on their low price entry strategy they started last year when they released the AX200 at $1,299. Or possibly they are just trying to encourage the competition to think of joe-six-pack since its an election year. Whatever the reason, the $2499 MAP on the new PT-AE3000 is sure to be a temptation for shoppers who have been just waiting for the right time to buy a 1080p projector. And that Lens Memory feature is VERY cool.

What About the Panasonic PT-AE2000U

Expect the AE2000U projector to get a little cheaper. It still has an extra warranty and Blockbuster card associated with it that Panasonic has to honor till the end of the month. We did drop our price on it today (you’ll have to add it to cart or request a Quick Quote to see the better price) by a couple hundred bucks, so it’s a few hundred less than the new AE3000 and it will ship today (the AE3000 won’t ship until the end of October).

And what About the Panasonic PT-AX200?

Last year Panasonic blew the doors off the 720p market with their PT-AX200U projector (for home theater and video gaming) in part because if their aggressive price from the get-go of just $1,299. With features like lens shift, zoom, light harmonizer, great 1080p scaling, gaming mode and 2000 lumens of brightness, the AX200U should have been on any perspective buyer’s watch list, and it sold like hot cakes. The AX200 was among ProjectorPeople’s best sellers and should remain a rapid seller with its new $999 price point. Too bad you don’t get that Blockbuster card deal along with it anymore. Oh well, you’ll just have to keep the extra cash in your pocket.

That’s all for now! Come back again soon.

[ image from our AE3000U first look article last week. See more images and read First Look article. ]

Our friends at Projector Central have just posted their review of the new Panasonic PT-AE3000 home theater projector. We previewed the AE3000 just last week, and were also impressed by the quality if the image as well as some very cool new features. Projector Central breaks some of those features down in their thorough review. We are posting some outtakes below along with some of our own thoughts:

Go Wider with Lens Memory

One of the sweetest new features of the Panasonic PT-AE3000 is the new “lens memory” function. This feature allows you to convert the image to a 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) format without purchasing an anamorphic lens (which typically cost a few thousand bucks for a good one). We saw it and it looks fantastic. Here’s what Projector Central had to say:

Lens Memory. Are you interested in Cinemascope 2.35 widescreen format? A lot of home theater enthusiasts who are mostly interested in widescreen movie viewing (as opposed to HDTV sports and 16:9 HD broadcast programming), are considering the wider format 2.35 screens these days since most movies being made are in this format…

Panasonic’s “Lens Memory” system is a clever and exciting solution to this problem. If you have a 2.35 (or 2.4) screen, you can set up the projector with the lens toward the wide angle end, and fill the screen exactly to the format of a 2.35 (or 2.4) movie. Activate the Lens Memory feature, and it will go through a routine to memorize the exact position you have selected for the lens. Then zoom the lens forward so that a 16:9 picture fits perfectly into the height of your 2.35 screen.

Side by Side Comparison for Tweakers

This feature is also included on the PT-AE2000, and it is still a cool tool for videophiles. It’s also a fun way to impress your friends who purchased an el-cheapo-no-featured projector from DollarMart instead of a super valued top-of-the-line Panasonic PT-AE3000. PJC says :

[ image from Projector Central website. See more images and read complete review. ]

Now you can make any adjustments you want to color temperature, color saturation, brightness, contrast, or gamma. The projector will apply the adjustments you make to the image on the right side of the screen, and hold the image on the left side constant. In this manner you can see precisely the effects of the changes you are making. You can finish by either saving or discarding the changes you’ve been experimenting with. For many users, this is a great educational tool that helps you understand the nature and range of the various adjustment controls available to you.

Projector Central concludes their review with a prediction : “The Panasonic AE3000 will be one of the year’s hottest selling projectors… Panasonic has established a formidable price/performance proposition that will be hard for others to match.” No arguments here. Read Projector Central’s AE3000 complete review.

Other Panasonic PT-AE3000 Reviews and Links

Duncan Madden at AV Review UK says : “Available this very November, Panny is hush hush about the price, but that flagship moniker should prepare you for the worst.” For the record the MSRP looks to be about $3499, with a street price yet to be determined. We will keep you posted. [ complete post ]

Dvice.com says about Side by Side comparison :

“I have to ask: why did it take this long for manufacturers to give us such a mind-bogglingly useful feature? Not only would this finally let regular joes make picture adjustments like the pros, but it means home theater owners can do their own before-after demos to friends when they really want to show off their sets (”Just check out that kick-ass color, Dave!”). Get this feature in all HDTVs now!”

The AE2000 (the AE3000’s predecessor) had the side by side comparison feature last year, for the record, but it is pretty cool, no doubt.

And a long read for those who really like to dig in to the details, the UK website AV Forums (not to be mistaken with America’s own AVS Forum) has launched their official forum post on the AE3000 (European version). Most of this is still relevant for U.S. readers, but prices are posted in Pounds or Euros and they have funny accents. [ view the AE3000 post AV Forum here ]

That’s it for now on the new AE3000U around the web. We will have more soon, including what we expect the street price to be and when we think it will be available here at Projector People, and around the web.

Panasonic PT-AE3000 Videos

Remember our YouTube comparison videos. AE3000U (left) AE2000 (right).

See more videos of the AE3000U »

Quick Tip : You may sometimes see this projector referred to (as we do) by the part number Panasonic PT-AE3000U. The “U” designates the product as having a U.S. warranty. If you live in the U.S., that’s the model you want. An “E” typically represents a European warranty.

Adler President Paul H. Knappenberger Jr., talks about the Adler’s Zeiss Mark VI projector in the Sky Theater, clarifying that it is not a simple “overhead projector,” which was brought out for comparison. (Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)

In Tuesday evenings Presidential debate, John McCain mentioned a word that always makes my ears perk up and pay attenion. What word is that? You guessed it. “Projector.” Projectors are our life here at Projector People, you know. Here is what Senator McCain said Tuesday :

[Obama] voted for nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel earmark projects, including, by the way, $3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?

~ John McCain

We wanted to post about this yesterday, but our Panasonic PT-AE3000U demonstration kept us pretty busy. But in searching projector news today, we learned that we were not the only people with that $3,000,000 projector in our thoughts.

Fact checkers, news reporters, scientists, and people all over the web have researched the story and found out more than most folks care to know about the Adler Planetarium and it’s projector. We gathered a few links and quotes just for fun. We are the Projector People after all!

Don’t Mess with Scientists

One article (found on Yahoo! news) focused on the reaction from a few in the science community. It quotes Alan Boyle’s Cosmic Log’s coverage listing a few responses:

Planetariums are Bridges to the Future, and America would be a much better place if all the congressional earmarks went to projects like them.

~ The Perfect Silence

“The logo for Senator John McCain’s campaign has a star in the middle. I wonder what his guide star is? It can’t be the same one that ten million children have seen at the Adler Planetarium. Why should anyone want their star to dim?” (Discovery Space) [ click for complete story ]

What’s a Sky Projector?

The Chicago Sun Times ran a story with a cool picture (see above). No video projectors are shown, but rather an old school overhead projector. It is not clear where Paul H. Knappenberger Jr., the Adler Planetarium president, found this relic. But it is does appear he may need more than just a new Sky Theater. [ read complete story ]

The official press release from Adler reads :

To clarify, the Adler Planetarium requested federal support — which was not funded — to replace the projector in its historic Sky Theater, the first planetarium theater in the Western Hemisphere…. To remain competitive and ensure national security, it is vital that we educate and inspire the next generation of explorers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Visit the Adler Planetaruim Online

I am sure traffic to the Adler Planetarium website is dramatically increasing these days. But if you have a little time and are interested in stars (not Hollywood kind), check out their website for more coverage of efforts to fund their new projector and planetarium.

More Links Covering the Three-Million Dollar Projector

There are, of course, hundreds of other bloggers and news outlets covering this story. Just for fun, here are a few more links, enjoy! :

• The UK Guardian : Yay for earmarks!
• Gant Daily for AHN : Planetarium Projector McCain Dinged Obama For Is More Than A Simple Gadget
• Division Street : That $3 Million Overhead Projector
• Create Digital Motion : Projectors are Now Presidential Political Fodder in the US
• Gear Log : The Case Of The $3 Million Overhead Projector
• Public Historian : Museums in the news: about that projector