Anybody have the panasonic PT-AE 4000U

[BK94541]

I bought pana PT-AE4000U, and 138” 235.1 ratio screen to go with it
Panasonic have really F-UP tech support for projector and after 30 minutes transfer my call to this guy and that guy no one can help with projector they all knows about TVS and DVDS I end of it just hang up on that stupid tech support. Anyway I was wondering if any u guys have this projector or some info about it…my projector is about 10 foot anyway from screen. So with the ZOOM bottom fixed it to fit in my screen..But when I watch like HBO OR SHOWTIME OR CMAX ,the movies is all chopped up in the corners like 4.3 ratio way is like square box… I have alotssssss space of the both side my screen to stretch ..or when I look at the dish network guide is like chopped up in the corners don’t show the whole guide screen like shows in normal 16.9 screen TVs
Then I went to ZOOM/FOUCS feather on projector menu both 16.9 and 2.35.1 is off and is no way I can change that..is kind of sux watching HBO shows in 4.3 ratio looks s like this was wondering if any of u guys knows what can I do
Thanks

 

[8bitbytes]

Sounds like you have something set wrong on your source player. The panny PJ can only display what you are sending to it. You have to make sure your source is set to send a signal to a 16:9 display not a 4:3 display. Your post is very hard to follow but I think that is your problem. The Panny is an excellent projector that will serve you well after you figure out how to use it.

 

[teachsac]

You really do need to be a little clearer. It does sound like you have some setup errors. Minimum throw ratio is 1.36. 10 ft. throw is too close for a 138" screen. Should be at minimum 15ft. Ideal is about 18ft. Screen size for a 10ft. throw is about 96" on a 2:40 screen. Could be one reason why you are seeing black bars on the top and bottom. What connections are you using and through what other devices? Check the setup on your DN device as 16:9 is not the default setting. Are you able to toggle between aspects when playing a BD?

It could also be you're trying to view a 16:9 (1.78:1) on a 2.35 screen. There is no way to correctly fill the entire screen. They are completely different aspect ratios. 2.35 is wider. Therefore, there will be black bars or empty screen space on both sides when viewing Dish/etc. and 16:9 material. You will end up cropping, chopping, and/or stretching trying to fill the entire screen. Yuck. I explained that in the other thread. If most of your viewing is satellite, you should really have gone with a 16:9 screen. If most is BD, then you will still have a mixed bag of results as some movies are 1.85 and some are 2.35 or 2.40. You can either mask the l/r black bars or simply live with them. 10 ft. throw is too close for a 138" screen. Should be at minimum 15ft. Ideal about 18ft. Minimum throw ratio is 1.36.
S~

 

[8bitbytes]

You really do need to be a little clearer. It does sound like you have some setup errors. Minimum throw ratio is 1.36. 10 ft. throw is too close for a 138" screen. Should be at minimum 15ft. Ideal is about 18ft. Screen size for a 10ft. throw is about 96" on a 2:40 screen. Could be one reason why you are seeing black bars on the top and bottom. What connections are you using and through what other devices? Check the setup on your DN device as 16:9 is not the default setting. Are you able to toggle between aspects when playing a BD?

It could also be you're trying to view a 16:9 (1.78:1) on a 2.35 screen. There is no way to correctly fill the entire screen. They are completely different aspect ratios. 2.35 is wider. Therefore, there will be black bars on both sides when viewing Dish/etc. and 16:9 material. You will end up cropping, chopping, and/or stretching trying to fill the entire screen. Yuck. I explained that in the other thread. If most of your viewing is satellite, you should really have gone with a 16:9 screen. If most is BD, then you will still have a mixed bag of results as some movies are 1.85 and some are 2.35 or 2.40. You can end either mask the l/r black bars or simply live with them. 10 ft. throw is too close for a 138" screen. Should be at minimum 15ft. Ideal about 18ft. Minimum throw ratio is 1.36.
S~

Good catch there! I completely missed it. He has a 21:9 screen.


Teachsac is exactly right. You have the wrong screen for watching 16:9 content unless you plan on buying or building a masking system. The 2.35 or 2.40 format is for cinematic films. Most people who buy the cinematic screen format also setup masking to cover the sides when displaying the 16:9 formats on that screen.

 

[teachsac]

I'm betting the other part is the projector is too close for the screen size.

S~

 

[BK94541]

Well I didn’t know about projector thing i never had one so to know have to measure my room first before buy the screen and to late to return the screen I paid over thousand dollars for screen. And I put the projector all the way back my room. I can’t go further back wish i could. I don’t have blk bar on top ands bottom the screen just on both side is not stretch enough like 16.9 ratio that’s problem even when I click on guide in dish network is chopped up in both side. I don’t know might is format of projector is wrong or I’m to close.i didn’t try BLU-RAY player yet… I just done installing my I connecting is all equipments with monster cable HDMI to surround sound receiver then one to projector..That’s way I done my theater system in my bedroom also. I guess is just my bad luck but I really love the projector I mean the picture is real nice just format thing is problem,i just cant change the format in the menu is like says 16.9 or 235.1 is off might is that or not! buit just cant understant why chopped the both sides when i have wider screen

 

[BK94541]

I just measure my room from screen to projector is 20 feet long that’s really strange now so I’m defiantly not CLOSE!
sorry was my mistake

 

[teachsac]

DN can't be changed between 16:9 and 2.35. It is 16:9 for HD. It is "chopped" on both sides because 2.35 apsect is wider than 16:9. Hence the black bars or empty screen space on the sides when viewing HBO. If you try to make 16:9 material fit without black bars on the left and right on a 2.35 screen (without streching), the picture would run over the top and bottom of the screens' edges. There is no information there to fill up the empty space. Same thing in reverse running 2.35 material on a 16:9 screen. It has to be formatted to fit within the width of the screen, therefore you get black bars on the top and bottom. If you tried to make 2.35 fit on the 16:9 screen without any black bars on the top or bottom, the picture would run over the screens' edges. There is no way to perfectly fit a 16:9 image on a 2.35 screen or fit 2.35 material on a 16:9 screen.

S~

 

[teachsac]

I just measure my room from screen to projector is 20 feet long that’s really strange now so I’m defiantly not CLOSE!
sorry was my mistake

20 feet is fine. So if everything else is set up properly, when viewing 2.35 material it will fill up the entire screen. If you are viewing 16:9 material, there will be black bars on the left and right. That's the way it works.

S~

 

[tigerfan33]

Doesn't this projector have the zoom lens to let you put your 16:9 material to fill the whole screen with no bars?

• Intelligent Lens Memory. Lens memory was introduced by Panasonic on the AE3000. This feature enables you to set up the projector with a 2.40 widescreen, and zoom the lens to full frame 2.40 format when viewing a movie in 2.40 aspect ratio or higher. Then when native 16:9 material is being displayed, a push of the button moves the zoom lens to where the 16:9 image is centered full frame in the middle of the 2.40 screen. The objective is to let you enjoy super-widescreen format without the cost of an anamorphic lens. The AE4000 retains this feature and takes it one step further-now you don't have to press the button to change lens positions. The projector will automatically detect the format of the image being displayed, and the lens will reconfigure itself to accommodate it. This feature is optional. If you prefer to be proactive and select the lens position yourself, you can deactivate the auto-detect feature.

 

[BK94541]

Sorry , I know my English is kind of sux to understand , but I’m understand when u guys says when I watching 16.9 like HBO movies or DVD formats.. if is 16.9 format I would get blk bars on both side. But is not the blk bars on both side ....16.9 format gets chopped up on both side. For example when I click on dishnetwork guide screen is chopped up on both side the screen but when I watch my 16.9 regular TV shows the whole guide screen from side to side without gets chopped up on both sides! My question is why I get cuts on sides when I have wider screen just this projector don’t show me the 16.9 format on both sides plus i dont get blk bars on top of bottom eigther

 

[jayn_j]

Sorry , I know my English is kind of sux to understand , but I’m understand when u guys says when I watching 16.9 like HBO movies or DVD formats.. if is 16.9 format I would get blk bars on both side. But is not the blk bars on both side ....16.9 format gets chopped up on both side. For example when I click on dishnetwork guide screen is chopped up on both side the screen but when I watch my 16.9 regular TV shows the whole guide screen from side to side without gets chopped up on both sides! My question is why I get cuts on sides when I have wider screen just this projector don’t show me the 16.9 format on both sides plus i dont get blk bars on top of bottom eigther

It is tough for us to visualize. Could you post a picture?

 

[teachsac]

Sorry , I know my English is kind of sux to understand , but I’m understand when u guys says when I watching 16.9 like HBO movies or DVD formats.. if is 16.9 format I would get blk bars on both side. But is not the blk bars on both side ....16.9 format gets chopped up on both side. For example when I click on dishnetwork guide screen is chopped up on both side the screen but when I watch my 16.9 regular TV shows the whole guide screen from side to side without gets chopped up on both sides! My question is why I get cuts on sides when I have wider screen just this projector don’t show me the 16.9 format on both sides plus i dont get blk bars on top of bottom eigther

You're losing me. What do you mean by "cuts"? Are you simply meaning blank screen space between the edge of your picture and the edge of your screen? If so, that is what happens when you view a 16:9 image on a 2.35 screen. The image goes all the way to the edge of your old TV because it is 16:9 and the image is 16:9. You can call them "cuts" the rest call them bars or empty space. These bars (blank space) have no information to fill the rest of the screen. You can use masking to cover this space. The difference when you view 2.35 on a 16:9 is that the black bars are encoded/part of the image to fill the empty space.

S~

 

[teachsac]

Doesn't this projector have the zoom lens to let you put your 16:9 material to fill the whole screen with no bars?

• Intelligent Lens Memory. Lens memory was introduced by Panasonic on the AE3000. This feature enables you to set up the projector with a 2.40 widescreen, and zoom the lens to full frame 2.40 format when viewing a movie in 2.40 aspect ratio or higher. Then when native 16:9 material is being displayed, a push of the button moves the zoom lens to where the 16:9 image is centered full frame in the middle of the 2.40 screen. The objective is to let you enjoy super-widescreen format without the cost of an anamorphic lens. The AE4000 retains this feature and takes it one step further-now you don't have to press the button to change lens positions. The projector will automatically detect the format of the image being displayed, and the lens will reconfigure itself to accommodate it. This feature is optional. If you prefer to be proactive and select the lens position yourself, you can deactivate the auto-detect feature.

It doesn't quite work the way you might be thinking. The 2.35 picture is within a 16:9 framework (black bars encoded top and bottom). It removes the black bars, heightens and lengthens the picture to fill the 2.35 screen. There is no distorion like zooming or stretching. When you go back to 16:9 material there is empty space (no information) on the left and right sides. It does not extend all of the way to the edge of a 2.35 screen. That's why people use masking and top of the line screens have auto masking that extends to the 16:9 image.

S~

 

[tigerfan33]

It doesn't quite work the way you might be thinking. The 2.35 picture is within a 16:9 framework (black bars encoded top and bottom). It removes the black bars, heightens and lengthens the picture to fill the 2.35 screen. There is no distorion like zooming or stretching. When you go back to 16:9 material there is empty space (no information) on the left and right sides. It does not extend all of the way to the edge of a 2.35 screen. That's why people use masking and top of the line screens have auto masking that extends to the 16:9 image.

S~

Gotcha. Still learning.

Blacks bar do not bother me when watching blu ray on my 16:9. My watching is about 75% Dish- 25% blu ray. Love watching sports on it.

 

[teachsac]

This is what you should be seeing:

2.35 on a 2.35:1 screen



16:9 on a 2.35:1 screen



4:3 on a 2.35:1 screen



S~

 

[teachsac]

Gotcha. Still learning.

Blacks bar do not bother me when watching blu ray on my 16:9. My watching is about 75% Dish- 25% blu ray. Love watching sports on it.

It's all a part of different aspect ratios. They never bothered me either.

S~

 

[BK94541]

Thanks u guys..Only thing is now wrong when I go to zone lens shows square box to make sure is in center an even ..is like %20 narrow up on right side i mean in bottom line is not str8. I think the way they put the lens inside this projector is not in the right place, is not square.. i think defected..another thing I really bought this projector because of review of this in AVSFORUMS.TV Video
Have real detailed presentations about this projector.. And the guy shows how from 16.9 goes to 235.1 and play with feather ..but mine is always stayed OFF and never full the screen as he says I don’t know just getting piss ..and even my 16.9 like HBO movies plays like 4:3 ratio looks like that pic teachsac
And worst thing Panasonic customer service/tech support
Don’t know sh*t about projector & really don’t support it! Just a big mess

U guys ROCKS tho..
merry Xmas

 

[8bitbytes]

Thanks u guys..Only thing is now wrong when I go to zone lens shows square box to make sure is in center an even ..is like %20 narrow up on right side i mean in bottom line is not str8. I think the way they put the lens inside this projector is not in the right place, is not square.. i think defected..another thing I really bought this projector because of review of this in AVSFORUMS.TV Video
Have real detailed presentations about this projector.. And the guy shows how from 16.9 goes to 235.1 and play with feather ..but mine is always stayed OFF and never full the screen as he says I don’t know just getting piss ..and even my 16.9 like HBO movies plays like 4:3 ratio looks like that pic teachsac
And worst thing Panasonic customer service/tech support
Don’t know sh*t about projector & really don’t support it! Just a big mess

U guys ROCKS tho..
merry Xmas

Your PJ has LENS SHIFT, which allows you to move the image vertically and horizontally inorder to center your image when you can't center the lens perfectly on the mount. Look in your manual about lens shift. and get those adjustments set back to centered. Make sure your PJ is square to the screen and then make ay zoom or shift adjustments that might be needed to get the image perfect on your screen. If you get a 2.35:1 image perfect, everything else will be fine and just leave pillar boxing on the sides.

Lastly, head back over to AVS and get in the AE4000 owners thread and they can help you get everything perfect.

Merry Christmas!

 

[teachsac]

If it's not straight along the edges, your mounting is off.

If your pictures look like the images I posted it is correct. 16:9 will not fill the screen, period.

S~

Happy Holidays