Panasonic PT-DW5100U Projector; ET-LAD57W Projector Lamp

If you ever have experienced a time when you turned on your projector and simply wondered, how can I possibly get a brighter picture, then you are not alone. Many projector manufacturers have been trying to solve this problem as the years go by and one solution that Panasonic has come up with is to add another lamp. There are a couple companies to do this, Sony being another and NEC, however this usually is reserved for the industrial projector market.

Panasonic, a company that has traditionally done well in the home theatre market has pumped up their reputation by capturing the attention of mid sized venues. How have they achieved this? They started a few years ago by introducing a series of dual lamp projectors capable of producing a brighter image that was also much more consistent than other single lamp models. Able to fill a mid-sized venue with an image that is nearly impenetrable to ambient light the Panasonic PT-DW5100U used the newly created BriteOptic technology to utilize two lamps effectively in unison. This technology is what allows the PT-DW5100U to output 5000 ANSI Lumens.

Of course we are a little skeptical when we try and make sense of why two lamps will ultimately make any image brighter so lets try and break this down further to make believers out of us. Both lamps are 300W UHM projector lamps and thus by having two lamps, it certainly will not the make the image any brighter in any one spot. However the one thing that BriteOptic does accomplish is a much more even brightness. Since when you calculate ANSI lumens, you must take into account all portions of the screen, and not simply the brightest portion of the screen, this is why having two lamps makes all the difference in the world. The even distribution of the Panasonic PT-DW5100U is what makes it a machine that so many worship organizations have trusted to provide an image that is consistent throughout and thus better suited for professional use.

The Dual Lamp Kit that is utilized in the Panasonic PT-DW5100U is known as part number ET-LAD57W, however it can also sometimes be purchased as a single lamp. Some owners will notice that both lamps do not usually fail at the same time and thus you might only have to replace one at a time. Although this is usually not recommended, as it will probably significantly reduce your consistency throughout your image since the older bulb will not be as bright as the new one. The good thing is that the machine can still function with only one lamp, so if one burns out, the projector automatically adjusts itself. It is usually a good idea to purchase the Dual Lamp Kit and then simply keep your one old functioning lamp for the next time a bulb burns out. When you replace it with the old one at least you have both bulbs going until you get your new bulbs ordered.

Some other features that are common among this line of dual lamp projectors is the crisp WXGA resolution of 1280x768p giving you something very close to HD. Also you get a contrast ratio of 2000:1 and the ability to swap out your lens for something in a wide-angle format. Panasonic made many different types of lenses available to suit any need giving the user a dynamic experience that is not going to limit their usage. It was originally priced in the $12K mark, however you may be able to pick one up for about half that these days. Owners are reluctant to give up their PT-DW5100U machines and are probably willing to hold on to them until something much better comes along so if you see one, do not waste time.