best projector under [...] hands down.

I was looking for a projector that would be able to play nice with my Mac via a digital connection, do HD, be able to hook up an HDMI source, as well as an SD source and haven't been disappointed at all!

NOTE: Not all DVD players are created equal and if you think your image looks kind of crappy, consider the source, I played a DVD through my PS2 onto this thing and it looked like crap, I could literally count the pixels, then I played a DVD through my Mac and I felt like I was sitting in a freaking theatre, it was pristine and clear and the colors were amazing.

I have mine hooked up to a receiver that up-converts my SD TV signal to 1080 and it looks alright (but what can you expect when you blow a 720x480 pixel image up to 92"!), though some channels I've noticed are better than others, it really shines when you play an HD source through it.

Sometimes you have to fiddle with the color/luminance options, but the good news is it has a ton options to tweak, and you can save profiles, so you basically tweak it once and load up different settings for different sources.

I play DVD's out of my Mac into the pt-ax200u onto a 92" screen via a cheap DVI-HDMI cable and it's like being at the movies. Playing HD content off of fox.com is even better than what you see at the theater no joke! You seriously have to see it to believe it. And it works as nice big monitor, even though it's native 1280x720, it'll do 1920x1080 which is actually more than my regular flat screen monitor. I do video production and I can't use it to accurately monitor the color and luminance levels of my photoshop projects and video projects, but it's nice when you want to just sit back on the couch and get the work done that doesn't involve tweaking colors or brightness/contrast levels.

A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE:

I tried to the point of almost killing myself to get this thing to work right with a laptop running vista and couldn't get it to do the same thing twice, the problem might be on Vista's end (big surprise) but it's something to be aware of.

Also if you get it you SHOULD NOT ENABLE ECO-MODE RIGHT AWAY.

I did that thinking I'd extend the life of my lamp and after 30 or 40 hours of use and noticed extremely annoying flickering. After searching forums about it I read that your supposed to "burn in" the lamp for like the first 500 hours or something by leaving it in normal mode. I switched it to normal mode and after an hour or so of use the flickering went away and I haven't seen it back since almost 50 hours later.

ALso be aware of the lens shift difference between LCD and DLP projectors, the lens on this thing can move around a decent amount verses a DLP projector which can barely move the lens, if at all.

So bascially it's not a perfect projector, but it works great with everything, really shines with HD content and you can't beat the price.

Picture is outstanding right out of the box... even at 120 plus inches. would be even better if had 12v trigger. Still a great projector

I am the lead installer for a company that installs RealHomeTheaters, so hopefully my experience can be of some help. This projector has some great features not found on all projectors in it's class.

1. Great throw ratio. ( the zoom lens on this projector allows you to throw a 120" image from as close as 11' and from as far from the screen as 22'.)

2. Brightness. ( at 2000 lumens it is one of the brightest 720p 16:9 home theater projectors in it's class. This allows you to overcome ambient light that would "washout" dimmer projectors.)

3. Lens Shift. ( give you the ability to mount the projector off camber to the screen and in most cases higher or lower than normally possible with other projectors.)

But, if you have a normal room with controlled lighting and are able to install the projector at a normal height (7 to 10' off the floor) and centered on the screen. You will not benefit from this projector. Consider the Mitsubishi HC1500 and be sure to read my review on it as well. It will give you just as strong of an end result and save you some money. Provided you do not need any of the three features above.

Hope this helps get your RealHomeTheaters off the ground!

This projector is simply fantastic. DVD's look great and HD sources look even better. While very similar to last years model, this one has an additional HDMI input and, more importantly, is about $700 cheaper. Some benefits:

- Amazingly versatile placement options with wide zoom range and lens shift. I have this projector mounted on a shelf above my couch. This is perferable to a coffee table, and much less invasive than a ceiling mount. It's also very quiet - especially in eco mode.

- Extremely film-like "Cinema" mode right out of the box. I felt no need to calibrate this thing beyond the factory preset, although you can use a calibration DVD with color bars and adjust it yourself.

- LCD. It spite of what you might hear about DLP being more film-like, the image from the PT-AX200U is awesome. DLP projectors in this price range use a spinning color wheel which is usually louder and prone to requiring repairs. Worst DLP projectors can leave a rainbow trail / after-image detectable in a percentage of the population. Even if you can't see the rainbows, do your guests a favor and go LCD.

- Larger image and more flexible than a TV. If you're considering a plasma or LCD TV and enjoy watching movies (but don't necessarily leave the TV all the time), consider this projector. It's smaller, much easier to move, less expensive, and casts an amazing 106" image. If you have a room where you can control the light level (it doesn't have to have dark walls) this is the way to go for watching movies.

-This projector works very well hooked up to a computer. I have a Mac Mini that I use thru a DVI to HDMI converter and it works great, but you can also use a standard VGA connector. In the summer you can take it in the backyard, connect it to a laptop and project movies outside your BBQ or pool party.

I purchased the PT-AX200U for my dedicated home theater room in Aug 2007 after much reading and reviewing all options. Projectorcentral dot com is one of the best sources of information such as placement as well as reviews (both professional and consumer).

About the projector: Sharp, clear and bright (2000 lumens is really bright). While this PJ is 'only' 720p several professional reviewers have dubbed this the 'poor-mans' 1080p. Panasonic has developed a technology called smooth screen that effectively minimizes screen door effect and it really works. I have my viewing area exactly 1.8x the diagonal (105" screen) and there is NO pixel distinction.

Setup: This was a snap. I used the much debated Avia setup DVD and the "Cinema 1" Mode was spot on out of the box. Looked great.

Gaming: While we are not a gaming family, we do have a Wii hooked up with great results. We also have the Fisher Price Smart Cycle and it looks awful - terrible resolution a la 1985. The PJ just exacerbates the lousy FP technology in the Smart Cycle - Don't misunderstand - the Smart Cycle is great - just needs real graphics.

Placement: This PJ has phenomenal flexibility with incredible lens shift and 2.0x zoom. To make a 106" picture unit can be from about 10 feet to about 20 feet away. Look carefully at zoom and lens shift before you buy.

Compatibility: This PJ accepts nearly all inputs (i.e. 1080p/24) and does not have to put the picture through 2:3 pull down. If you are considering a Blu-Ray or HD DVD be sure to check the signal compatibility of the PJ you are considering.

Noise: I sit under and just behind the PJ installed on the ceiling and it's barley audible with no other sound in the room. Very good dB rating.

Summary: Great value. Great picture. Easy installation. 2 HDMI ports. Highly recommended!

I chose this projector over competing models because of its flexible placement options. Flexible zoom and lens shift allow placement in any room or any location in room in my house. YMMV. Good review at ProjectorCentral.

It's also bright. 1280x720 native resolution. A 1920x1080 projector, such as the Panasonic AE2000U, may be a good alternate choice.

Projectors are rapidly evolving and prices dropping almost monthly.

Update 22-Dec-2007: Prices of 1920x1080 projectors have plummeted in just one month. I definitely recommend buying a Mitsubishi HC4900 over the AX200U. It is a much better value (search FatWallet) but beware the limited horizontal lens shift.