If you aren’t already following us on Twitter, or Facebook, then you may not know that our first shipment of the new Panasonic PT-AE4000U has just arrived!

We’ve got a couple truckloads full of them, so we are happy to report that all of our customers who pre-ordered their AE4000U should have theirs on the way to them before the end of the week – aka today or tomorrow.

One of our Facebook fans is already planning his first movie night with new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie (available November 17th on Blu-Ray and DVD)!

If you don’t already know about the new Panasonic PT-AE4000U, then we have some stuff for you to read. Just a few weeks ago we didn’t even know if it would be available in the U.S. Then, we found out it would be coming here, and we dropped the price on the old AE3000U and sold through our remaining inventory in short order.

Also popular, the Epson Home Cinema 8500 UB and the BenQ W6000, can be compared here. Also, we had a Panasonic representative here a few weeks ago, here’s some not so good video of her AE4000U presentation.

Alright, so now you are up to speed on the Panasonic PT-AE4000U. Now all you have to do is wait a few days for yours to roll in – or upgrade your shipping ASAP and have it for Halloween.

And just for fun… here is some video of the unloading – because we have iPhones, a Flickr account (we won’t bother YouTube with this one), and are very excited

We’ve been getting lots of questions about when the new $999 projectors will be in stock here at ProjectorPeople.com. Here’s a very quick review of when we expect to receive our first/next shipment* of three new sub-$1000 1080ps from BenQ, Optoma, and Vivitek. (Updated October 5th, 2009)

• BenQ W10000 – Late October, 2009
• Optoma HD20 – Now in stock! (click to check inventory)
• Vivitek H1080FD – October 15th, 2009

You can check out our complete selection of 1080p Projectors here.

Some good news today for the casual videophile with a hankering for bargain home theater. There will soon be a true HD 1080p home theater projector on the market for just $999. The new Vivitek H1080FD projector is expected to ship in August 2009, and it’s burying the price barrier by taking entry level 1080p downtown to $999. So how can 1080p be so cheap?

[ In Photo : Christopher Yang, Vivitek senior product manager. Photo via Twice.com ]

Compromising Contrast?

We don’t have the official Vivitek spec sheet just yet, so there may be additions or changes before the projector hits the streets. But based on what has been reported, the features appear to be similar to previous low-priced home theater projectors with a couple nice additions.

So what are the compromises buyers will have to make to get a true HD projector for this price? We haven’t seen the product in person yet (and we hope to soon) but if we just compare spec for spec it looks like the biggest loser on this projector is the contrast ratio. At just 5000:1 contrast, the H1080FD doesn’t compare to the current 1080p champs at around 60,000:1. This means blacks may appear more gray, and that the image may be a bit less punchy.

But if you’re not picky about contrast, this projector will save you a few hundred bucks. And for buyers who care mostly about price, a lower contrast ratio may not be a big issue. That is as long as the video quality is up to true high-definition par.

Features of the Vivitek H1080FD Projector

There is no lens shift mentioned which makes sense, as it is not common in an entry level projector. The H1080FD is a DLP home theater projector and using DarkChip II technology. But with 1800 lumens the H1080FD should produce a nice bright picture. It also has two HDMI inputs, a 12v screen trigger, and RS-232 control, which are all strong features in entry level home theater.

So When Can I Buy a 1080p Projector for $999?

Vivitek should have models on the streets by August of 2009 – next month. We also expect to see some other manufacturers coming out with $999 1080p projectors soon. So you should have a bit more selection in this low-end 1080p category after Summer and into the holiday season.

How Much Am I Really Saving?

Currently entry level 1080p projectors hover at around $1499 to $1799, and have reached as low as $1299 for close out models early this year. That means your actual savings is around $300 – $700 for a comparable unit today – but with lower contrast. It also remains to be seen if the video quality matches the quality of current entry-level projectors, or if this projector represents a new lower entry level category that may just open up 1080p front projection to a broader audience.

You can check out an article on the Vivitek H1080FD here. [ via Twice.com ]

[ 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.

The new crop of 720p and 1080p home theater projectors looks impressive and remains very competitively price, though the price reduction is not quite as dramatic as it was last year. What we do see, however, are more options under $3000 and some very high-performance products in the $3,000 range. Check our our new 1080p projectors comparison here.

Projected Release Dates for New 1080p Projectors :

• Panasonic PTAE3000U : Late October
• Sanyo PLVZ700 : Late October ($1,795.00*)
• Epson HC6100 : Mid November ($1,999.99*)
• Sanyo PLVZ3000 : Mid December
• Epson HC6500UB : Mid December

Projected Release Dates for New 720Projectors :

• Epson Movie Mate 72 : available now
• Sanyo PLVZ60 : September 26th ($1,195.00*)
• Epson HC700 : Mid October ($799.99*)

* Prices listed are the MAP (minimum advertised price – or the lowest price authorized resellers can advertise.

There is sure to be more to come next week at CEDIA, but Sanyo has announced a new product that is said to be an ‘entry level’ 1080p projector. What does entry-level mean? Typically it means that it will cost less, has a few less features, and may not have the latest and greatest chipset. So how does the PLV-Z700 spec up? Sanyo is reporting the following :

• 1200 lumens of brightness
• Built-in Full HD 1080p LCD panel (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• “Wide-Area” lens shift (100 degrees vertical and 50 degrees horizontal)
• 2X zoom for a 100-inch screen from 3-6 meters back
• Electronic sliding shutter door (for lens protection)
• Whisper quiet 21dB fan noise
• 2 HDMI and component video inputs
• Advanced color management (’3d Color Management’ and ‘Advanced Image Mode’)

MSRP has been announced at $1999, which means it should hit the streets at a very competitive price point. The new 1080p projector is expected to be released in October of this year.

We haven’t seen one in person yet, so we can’t comment on the picture quality. But rest assured we will fire one up as soon as we get the chance and share our thoughts with you.

[ see Sanyo's website for more details ]