Panasonic PT-FRQ50 4K DLP Business/Education Laser Projector Review - Hardware

CHASSIS

The projector's lens is in the center front panel. The Horizontal/Vertical lens shift adjustment lever is located directly beside the lens. The window for the IR remote receiver is located toward the front panel's left side, along with indicator lights. Intake vents are located on the front and right sides of the chassis. Connections and the control panel are found on the left side of the PT-FRQ50 chassis.

The control panel has all the standard controls needed to power the unit ON/OFF, switch inputs, and navigate the projector's menus.

INPUTS AND CONNECTIONS

The PT-FRQ50 projector's power and input connections are on the left side of the control panel. There are a wide variety of video and audio inputs.

LENS

The PT-FRQ50 has a manual lens zoom, and focus adjustments are made using a ring surrounding the lens. It has a zoom range of 2:1 and a throw ratio of 1.46–2.93:1. The throw distance can quickly be calculated using the width of the screen. 

To make it easier for the installer, Panasonic has a Throw Distance Calculator on their website that can provide the throw distance easily.

Since diagonal screen size is usually listed to help eliminate the need for math, below is a basic chart for reference.

The PT-FRQ50 has horizontal and vertical optical lens shift, dramatically increasing installation flexibility. It also makes the projector a great choice for someone trying to replace an existing projector.

Lens Shift: Vertical (Max) +71% -48%, Horizontal (Max) +34% -27%)

Most projectors have wheels or knobs to adjust H/V lens shift manually. The Panasonic PT-FRQ50 lens shift adjustment control looks like a little joystick. This lever makes it quick and easy to align the projected image to the screen precisely.

MENUS

The PT-FRQ50 has an extensive but well-laid-out menu structure. The menu images included in this section represent only a small number of all the sub-menus available. I tried to show the submenus that contain frequently used adjustments (image, setting, networking, etc.).

REMOTE CONTROL

There are only two buttons at the top of the remote: Power and Auto Setup/Cancel. The row below has two buttons Menu and Return. Below this row are the projector's menu navigation control surrounding the Enter button. The next row features the Default and Function buttons.

Inputs and CEC buttons are in the next section. The Number pad with a specific shortcut keys section is next. Last are the Onscreen, Test Pattern, ID All, ECO, and ID Set buttons.

I would have liked to have Panasonic include a backlit remote with this projector.

Please see the photo to the left for more specific details.