Panasonic PT-LB60NTU Review
Selling Points and Drawbacks of Wireless 802.11b/g Video Projector
Wireless video projectors are growing in popularity, and for good reason. The PT-LB60NTU touts itself as being able to provide full motion video wirelessly. Does it?
With dozens of manufacturers competing for limited technology dollars, it takes new innovations to grab potential buyers. Panasonic has attempted to do just that by offering the PT-LB60NTU. A very lightweight, feature rich projector with the added selling point of being able to project up to 30 frames per second from a computer via a standard Wi-Fi connection. Does the PT-LB60NTU live up to its billing?
Major Selling Points of the PT-LB60NTU
The projector is very lightweight, coming in at under 6 pounds. For travelers, the well designed carry bag is sufficient to carry the projector and a few extra gadgets. Features that make the PT-LB60NTU stand out include a very bright, very vibrant 3000 lumen picture with well designed optics. In testing the unit, the projected image actually looked sharper and clearer than the image on the LCD screen of the computer.
Add to this a very effective short throw lens and this projector is ideal for those making almost any type and size of presentation. Other handy features of the PT-LB60NTU include a two second speed start, automatic keystone correction, and the ability to immediately unplug the unit instead of having to wait for the fan to shut off.
Wireless Connectivity Suffers With the PT-LB60NTU
This projector is sold with the major feature of fast wireless transmission without the need for a VGA cable. Bundled with it is software that allows a computer to access one of any number of similarly equipped projectors, meaning that a presenter could move their laptop from room to room at a convention and wirelessly connect to each projector without interfering with the other presentations going on around them.
The caveat to all of this is that the wireless feature was not nearly as fluid and dynamic as the literature seemed to promise. Both the video and audio were unusably jerky when playing a video file on all but the fastest of PC's that were tested (wireless connection to a Mac is not supported).
Add to this the fact that copy protected DVD's will not even play over the wireless connection and this feature loses a bit of its luster. The wireless connection also does not play well with certain WI-FI adapters or routers. A nearby Microsoft branded wireless router had to be unplugged before the computers could see the PT-LB60NTU.
Review Summary of the PT-LB60NTU
If the PT-LB60NTU is to be used in a mounted or portable wired connection setup then users should have no qualms in making the purchase. As mentioned before the image clarity and brightness are excellent, and there are no problems with fluidity of motion when being used with a VGA cable.
The projector also offers near high definition output when used with component video cables. Those that are looking at the PT-LB60NTU solely on the basis of wireless connectivity however should consider other options or at the very least keep the receipt just in case it does not live up to personal expectations.
