Panasonic PT-LRZ35U RGB LED DLP Projector Review - Hardware

Panasonic PT-LRZ35U RGB LED DLP Projector – Hardware: Overview, Control Panel, Inputs and Connectors, Lens, Remote Control

Coming in just under 15 pounds, the PT-LRZ35U is Panasonic's smallest and lightest 3,500-lumen RGB LED DLP projector in its class. While you can find a handful of ultra-bright DLP Laser projectors that are close to the same size, most 3LCD Laser projectors are larger and/or heavier.

The size and weight of the PT-LRZ35U will appeal even more to Panasonic's target market since lifting the PT-LRZ35U to place it on top of my projector stand was easy due to its svelte 14.77 lbs of weight. The projectors weight is going to make it not only easier to install above your head or in challenging situations, but the light weight is also going to make it easier to move from the classroom or meeting room as needed.

The PT-LRZ35U has its control pad on the top left side of the projector when standing at its rear. At the top left of the control pad is the power button. The input button (to toggle to the desired signal input) is located on the top right of the eight-button array. The 4-way menu navigation buttons plus the enter button are in the middle. Above these are the Menu button (to display the on-screen menu) and an Auto Setup button. There is also an AV Mute button so you can temporarily mute the picture and sound.

There are 3 lights along the front edge of the projector’s top panel. The left light is the Power indicator which shows if the projector is ON/OFF/SLEEP. The Status light, located in the center, indicates the status of the light source. The light to the right indicates the projector’s temperature status. The indicator lights can provide projector status information by blinking various colors. As I’ve stated in previous reviews, I find this type of setup where the enter button and the navigation buttons are separate to be more comfortable when operating in dim lighting or by feel.

There are 3 lights along the front edge of the projector’s top panel. The left light is the Power indicator which shows if the projector is ON/OFF/SLEEP. The Status light is located in the center indicates the status of the light source. The light to the right indicates if the projector’s temperature status. The indicator lights can provide projector status information by blinking various of colors.

Starting at the left side of the projector's rear panel we have the standard three-prong AC connector with a serial input directly below it. From there we continue down to a series of three 3.5mm audio jacks for variable audio out and two separate audio inputs.

The rest of the projector’s connections continue to the right below a large exhaust vent on the rear panel. At the bottom, there is an RJ45 network connection port. Here’s my first complaint regarding this projector – the LAN port does not support HDBaseT. Next to the RJ45 jack, we find a computer-out with computer-in, 1 and 2 to the right. There is a standard composite video-in and a USB micro port. Be aware that this USB micro port is just a service port. From there we find a USB Type-A connection that is for power only. I find the implementation of USB on this projector a missed opportunity for Panasonic. While the full-size USB Type-A port is designed to provide 5V 2A of power for external devices like HDMI smart sticks, think FireStick and ROKU, the miss on this self-proclaimed business class projector is that there is no ability to review content from a USB stick or use Panasonic's optional USB wifi adaptor. The only thing this connector is capable of doing is providing power.

Last but certainly not least, we have two HDMI inputs. The PT-LRZ35U can only receive a video signal at 1920 x 1200 and no higher. Since the HDMI inputs feature CEC this is not a problem when using typical consumer video sources but becomes a bigger issue when being used in a business environment. Non-consumer video equipment rarely has the ability to send CEC signals embedded with the video so if you are trying to display anything higher than WXGA from a professional source the LRZ35U won't see it and just displays a blank screen.

The projector’s lens has a manual zoom lever along with a focus wheel on the lens barrel. A 1.3x zoom lens, vertical lens-shift function (up to +52%,+42%)*3 and vertical keystone correction (±30°) bring more freedom and less image distortion for desktop projection setups while 2-axis 360° installation expands creative signage possibilities. The Lens displayed no visible chromatic aberration and I didn't see any image artifacts that could be attributed to defects in the lens. The lens Panasonic is using on the PT-LRZ35U is an excellent match for this projectors light engine.