Is Selling my Panasonic PT-AE2000U for the new AE4000u worth it?

[caliviper]

I currently have the Panasonic PT-AE2000U and absolutely love it. We hit a 120" screen with it and when friends come over, they cannot believe the quality of it compared to their HD TV's at home.

Anyway, I now see that the 4000U is out. The specs seem nice. I haven't actually seen one in person though.

If I throw my Panasonic 2000 on ebay for $1300 this week, does the AE4000 unit warrant the difference in cost that I would have to spend?

By the way, is $1300 too low or too high for a quick sale?

Thanks for the input guys. I haven't posted much here, but I have been a member for a long time.

Cheers

 

[BMXTRIX]

I wouldn't do it personally. The jump from year to year has been real, but not major and you have a projector that is likely worth keeping for another 4-5 years (or more) before any significant quality change would be worth upgrading for.

 

[caliviper]

Thanks BMX. Is there anybody in here who has actually owned both units that could comment on the difference? The reviews talk about 'major' differences in quality. Motion blur is supposed to be vastly reduced. I play a lot of fast moving video games, so this could be great. I see that lumens has gone up 100 points, but the biggest thing I see is the contrast ratio jumping from 16K to 80K. Seems like a pretty drastic jump.

I can't find the link now, but there was a page that showed the older and new units side by side with movie video so you could see the difference. I believe the movie was Space Cowboys that they were showing. The contrast seemed to make a lot of difference.

 

[jostenmeat]

There are improvements, definitely. It's just a matter of personal opinion if it's worth upgrading, because, c'mon, you say yourself that you and all your friends love it.

In contrast to the guru's opinion, and depending on just how much you use the PJ and how much $700 means to you, I think it's worth the upgrade.

HOWEVER, I truly doubt you can get that much for it.

I see two videogon ads, at around $1100, and I highly doubt they will be a "quick sale".

So, then, you have to ask yourself if $1,000 is worth it to you. Very likely even $1100 to get it, selling the 2000u for $900, but that's just speculation on my part.

If it was Space Cowboys, I bet it was an Art Feierman review.

 

[caliviper]

What do you see the next huge advancements being in the $2K-$3K range projectors over the next few years?

 

[jostenmeat]

What do you see the next huge advancements being in the $2K-$3K range projectors over the next few years?

I don't know enough to say. But at that price range, I simply expect the same trend, better overall performance, better brightness, at the same or better price.

I don't see "huge" advancements at this price point.

Ok, there is an outside possibility of having much superior calibration controls, namely CMS. Now, the price drops have consistently been impressive to me the last few years, but I dunno, 3k still seems low to have CMS (the first I think of was last year's JVC RS20, but that's about triple the 4000u price).

The 4000u has 9pt gamma control, and TBH, that definitely surprised me for "only" $1,999, especially considering how it's already ridiculously loaded with features as it is. So who knows.

That's something I wish I had. You know, not so long ago, there were some people who decided upon very expensive pre/pros just to have better gamma control.

Granted, I'm talking about the videophile. For the normal consumers, they probably won't care.