PANASONIC PT-FRZ60 LASER DLP INSTALLATION PROJECTOR REVIEW- PERFORMANCE

Panasonic PT-FRZ60 Laser DLP Installation Projector Review – Performance: Color Modes, Brightness, Video Quality, Text Readability, Audible Noise

The above screen shots are intended to offer only a rough idea of the color accuracy for each of the picture modes. However, when viewed in person, the color accuracy will generally look better than what is shown in these photos.

There is a total of seven factory color presets. The following observations were generally made with the projector using its factory default picture settings. To my eye, the most accurate modes out of the box were Cinema, Natural, and REC709 modes.

• Dynamic Picture Mode: This is the brightest mode. This mode would be most appropriate for displaying presentation materials where color accuracy was not of great concern.
• Graphic Mode: Designed to make computer graphics easier to read so contrast is a little boosted. More accurate color reproduction than Dynamic mode but it is little less bright.
• Standard Picture Mode: Color temperature that was just a little higher than ideal, but the colors are fairly accurate.
• Cinema Picture Mode: Designed for playback of movie content. It delivers an accurate picture, but image is slightly warmer than REC709 mode.
• Natural Picture Mode: Designed for displaying images in a dark room but image is slightly cooler than REC709 mode.
• REC709: Designed for broadcast video content, this mode delivered the most accurate colors out of the box.
• DICOM Sim: Designed to replicate the DICOM Part 14 Grayscale Standard for viewing of medical images like MRI photos.

Like most Panasonic projectors we have reviewed in the past, the color reproduction of the PT-FRZ60 was very good out of the box. Even though the PT-FRZ60 is classified as a business/education projector it produced more accurate colors than many home entertainment focused projectors.

For those who want to further fine-tune the PT-FRZ60 color reproduction, there are additional advanced color adjustments including color temperature and 2-point RGB white balance.

The PT-FRZ60 is listed as a 6,000-lumen projector. I took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens which usually gives a pretty good approximation of ANSI lumens. At full wide angle I measured the PT-FRZ60 in its brightest picture mode which is DYNAMIC with LIGHT POWER set to “Normal”.

PT-FRZ60 Brightness (At wide zoom, DYNAMIC mode): 6342 Lumens

The PT-FRZ60 measured 6342 lumens. This is above Panasonic’s brightness claim. I also measured the brightness of the other preset picture modes in both Normal and ECO lamp power.

Picture Mode Brightness

There are three preset LIGHT OUTPUT with NORMAL being the brightest. The other two modes ECO and Quiet reduce the light source output by about 80%.

As with most projectors, the onscreen brightness varies based on the amount of zoom. There is about a 30% reduction in brightness when the PT-FRZ60 is zoomed in (tele) versus zoomed out (wide angle).

The PT-FRZ60 delivered outstanding picture quality from several of its picture modes. In terms of absolute color accuracy, I preferred the Rec709 and Cinema mode. For the screen shots below, the factory default settings were used for Rec709 mode. Since the PT-FRZ60 includes user adjustments for white balance, gamma, and color temperature, I am sure it could be adjusted to produce an even more accurate picture.

Looking at the images on the player above, the first are our test images of color pie charts and skin tones, for the different Preset modes. Next are images of a variety of videos and photos in 4K and HD resolution. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced.

Although the PT-FRZ60 is designed for business and educational applications, it delivered a high-quality image that would normally be found on a home theater projector. Panasonic only lists the dynamic contrast of the PT-FRZ60, which is a claimed 20,000:1, but the PT-FRZ60 native contrast appears to be pretty good as well.

While a good home theater projector can deliver better black levels and shadow detail, the PT-FRZ60 produced deep enough blacks for most education or business applications. Spaces such as museums and lecture halls that frequently offer video content like documentaries should consider the PT-FRZ60.

The projector’s native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution is more than enough to render sharp looking text. I was able to get sharp focus over the entire image. Text as small as 8-point font was very easy to read from a distance.

Looking at the images on the player above, the first are our test images of color pie charts and skin tones, for the different Preset modes. Next are images of a variety of videos and photos in 4K and HD resolution. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced.

Although the PT-FRZ60 is designed for business and educational applications, it delivered a high-quality image that would normally be found on a home theater projector. Panasonic only lists the dynamic contrast of the PT-FRZ60, which is a claimed 20,000:1, but the PT-FRZ60 native contrast appears to be pretty good as well.

The PT-FRZ60 produces 30db in QUIET Mode and 35db in NORMAL (Highest Power Mode). This noise level is low for a 6000-lumen business projector. It is quiet enough that it would not be distracting in a conference room, museum, or classroom.