Panasonic LT200- One year later complaints (1 Viewer)

This is really a post about how you owners of this projector are doing after one year of Ron P post. I love my projector (about 700 hours). My complaints are recurring dust blobs and a green tinting on the edges of one corner. Is this tinting something that can be fixed? Another issue that emerge recently is that when I watch a 4:3 movie or a 2.35:1 widescreen movie it left a mark. I mean, when I swith for a FULL 16:9 SCREEN you can see vertical or horizontal brighter bands where the black bars where. This bands dissapears or minimized the next day of use. Any comments will be appreciated.

Greetings

The tinting might be the first signs of the blue polarizor filter failing/breaking down. You will start to see more and more discolouration as the # of hours goes up.

I've had both the PT aE100 and now the AE300 and have never experienced banding or persistence of vision ... effects and I have watched plenty of 4:3 programming and wide screen programming.

Regards

The bands reminded me of the effects of burn out in crt displays. I thought that never happened with lcd. What can be done with the blue failing?

Greetings

The part costs about $100 and some have replaced the filter themselves. Took about 15 minutes as they put it.

More can be learned about this over at AV Science.

Theory says that uneven wear should not occur in LCD since the panels do not emit light ... rather the light bulb emits light.

regards

Funny this thread comes up. I've owned my 200U for a year now. The picture quality has been great...when it's working.

I've had repeated dust issues and this room is constantly dusted and have 2 filters over the A/C vent.

The optical block went out on my 200U. Panasonic wasn't able to fix this and finally sent me a replacement. Sent a 300U (refurbished I'm assuming) and it had a stuck blue pixel right in the middle.

Needless to say I have been disappointed with the quality control of this manufacturer. However, I also love the image it projects. Great color, bright picture, good blacks for lcd.

There's nothing like front projection for movies. In fact, there's no going back to regular tv for me. Just trying to find some better luck with one in regards to problems.

Thinking I'll go with a modest DLP unit next time and see what happens.

Where can I buy on line this part, I've been looking with no luck.
Thanks

Go to the Panasonic on-line parts store (Link Removed), enter the model number (PT-L200U) in the search box, and scroll down the parts list until you find the following:
TENC0145 POLARIZING PLATE/IN (B). The price is $87.74.

While you are there you may want to check out the part: TKNE044 AIR FILTER,W/OUT FRAME. For 90 cents each you can buy replacement air filters. Instead of vacuuming my air filter I stock up on replacements and change it every ~100 hrs. This will help cut down on occurrences of dust blobs and ensure that your PJ runs cooler, hopefully prolonging its life.

Thanks Bob!

I know its not exactly a huge part, but replacing and throwing away the filter isn't exaclty a great idea. Seems kinda wasteful unless they are recyclable. I very gentley wash my filters with soap and water and that cleans them up well. Replacing the polarizer is a peice of cake if you can handle a small screwdriver and you are careful. Make sure to find the directions on the AVS website and be sure to make marks on the polarizer thingy so you have its placement marked properly.

Chris, with all due respect, the air filter is just a tiny, thin piece of sponge-like material. With all the tons of solid waste the average household discards, I do not think throwing away this ~2 inch by 3 inch item is going to make much of a difference.

Chris, do you have a link with the info on how to replace the polarizer on this projector?

Yep. Here's some info:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=378709

Just shows you where the polarizers are, underneath that pc board. The instructions below explain more how to get to them. You'd be better to search around and just try it for yourself. I've removed and replaced my polarizer plates and it wasn't too hard.

Here's some info from Monomer on AVS:

Ok, I finally purchase and replace the polarizer filter. But to my surprise the problem is still there! A green to yellow tint that covers part of the top and sides of the screen (cealing mounted) and very noticeable, specially on BW movies. I saw all three polarizers and none showed the irregularity. What is the problem then? I just cough up about $100 and everything is the same.

I'll apppreciate any suggestion or comment.

I now have just under 400 hours on my 200u. So far she is doing excellent. As for an update...

-Only one dust blob, which is so faint it's hard to notice so I have not gone in to clean it out yet.

-No green tinting that you speak of David.

-Still producing the same picture quality that it did the day it came out of the box.

-No issues with aspect ratio black bars leaving there marks behind and no failed pixels.

About the only thing I've noticed is that the warm up time is taking a bit longer than it did when new. I usually fire it up about 15 minutes before I go in to watch a film. Other than that she has been one awesome PJ.

I'm amazed that it's been over a year with this thing already. I hope she continues to run this well for another year and about that time I may upgrade.

I will say, I am still sold on FP and will never go back to a TV again.

I replaced my AE100 with an L200 because I found a low hour used L200 for a very low price. Its been fine, although I've noticed that it takes a little while longer to warm up in cooler weather, but otherwise, I think the slight boost in contrast over the AE100 is noticable.

I too notice the 2.35:1 bars on 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 material, but you only see it when watching anamorphic 16:9 material immediately after viewing anamorphic 2.35:1 material. Its incredibley faint, and it goes away after a few minutes, or over night. Its only noticable after watching some 2.35:1 material and then immediately watching 16:9 material and again, it soon fades. Trouble comes when watching extra's which show anamorphic 2.35:1 shots of the movies as part of the 16:9 featurettes, thats enough to cause the "bars" to remain for the duration of the featurette, provied they keep showing 2.35:1 anamorphic shots. Not sure what it is. I've also had some colour non-uniformity issues, but its quite variable. It goes from been somewhat noticable to practically non existent. I think I may start to view extra's on my TV soon. Good idea for saving my projector and its bulb.

I'm "upgrading" again. I've got an AE300 coming to replace my L200, so I'll have an L200 for sale soon.

As for your problems, I'm not sure what to make of it. My projector has un-even colour non-uniformity in the corners, but like I said, its never extreme and sometimes, I suspect in cooler weather, it even disappears completely.

I've got about 1,100 hours on my 200 and haven't noticed any major problems that are being described in this thread. My one complaint is that of screen door effect, but it's one I can live with until 1080P projectors become affordable or we get a decent raise in my school district. I honestly can't imagine that the AE500 would offer enough of a PQ improvement to justify the upgrade right now. Or maybe I am in denial as there is no way in hell I would be able to buy one if there was!

The screendoor effect is only really noticeable if I have recently watched a DVD on my 65" Mits in the living room. Wife's pregnant and can't stand to sit in the theater recliners at the moment.

Still, it's the greatest purchase I have made for my theater besides the HTPC.

later,

Don

With the AE700 coming out very soon, the price of the 500 is dropping considerably. The 500 is still a risk for vertical banding, but if you obtained a unit with little vertical banding, you would notice a significant improvement over your 200. People didn't notice as huge an improvement going from the 300 to the 500 though. I too love my 200, but I guess I become good at seeing screendoor, peak-a-boo's and vertical banding like the rest of us, and even though they are rarely bothersome, that information seems to wander through my mind and hang out with thoughts like wanting higher contrast and better black levels. Then they gang up me and chant "Upgrade! Upgrade! Upgrade!"..and so since I've no cash to dive in with a brand new unit, as soon as I saw an AE300 for sale, I went for it. I'll be able to wait a little longer before upgrading to a brand new LCD PJ. I hope to one day grab either a Panny 500 or AE700 or the Hitachi PJ TX100.

You know, after posting I saw a report on Projector Central about the AE700. This sounds like a kick ass projector. the reviewer said there is no screen door and the black levels are much improved.

Of course there is still the issue of having no money. I guess my daughter doesn't need to go to preschool! (slaps self back into reality)

The AE700 is boasting 2000:1 contrast ratio too. I love the image on my PTL-300U but have also had some quality control problems with the former 200u and now the 300u. Black levels are ok, but not great.

For what I paid, I cannot complain. However, the reviews would need to be out of this world for me to buy another panasonic.