Panasonic PT-MZ670U Projector Review – Special Features

Panasonic PT-MZ670U Projector Review – Special Features: Motorized Lens, Dust-Resistant Cabinet & Re-usable ECO Filter, LinkRay Compatible, Daylight View Basic, PC-Free Presentation, Wireless Projection, Advanced Networking

As mentioned on the previous page, the Panasonic PT-MZ670U has as powered lens. This allows users to control the focus, zoom, and lens shift remotely, which is a major plus during installation, or when the projector falls out of focus after so many hours of use (that is typical of all projectors). That is especially true of installations where manually adjusting the lens would involve a ladder and maintenance worker, such as would be the case in an auditorium, lecture hall, or house of worship.

The lens shift on the MZ670U is generous, and allows for movement both vertically and horizontally. You can shift the projected image to 35% horizontally, and 67% vertically. That’s pretty impressive, and gives the person installing the projector room for error! I don’t know if you’ve ever tried lining up a projected image perfectly with a screen, but in some cases – such as with projectors that lack lens shift – it can be rather difficult. So major props to Panasonic for including this feature on the MZ670U.

This is not something most people consider when buying a projector, but sometimes, dust can enter the light path and obstruct the light being projected. This can result in a blotchy image. Panasonic created the MZ670U’s cabinet to have one-way airflow and be sealed around the filter module and air-intake vents.

Speaking of that air-intake vent, the actual air filter is another cool feature of this Panasonic. The filter can last up to 20,000 hours, depending on how dusty the environment is. At the end of that time, it can be reused. That’s right, it can be removed, washed out, dried, then replaced. There’s certain procedures that must be followed for that to work properly, so be sure to consult your manual.

LinkRay is a seriously cool feature that honestly boggles my mind. It's a technology that is awe-inspiring, at least to me, because it seems like something straight out of a science fiction movie - but it's reality, guys. So what is LinkRay? It allows people to view content related to what they're looking at via their smart phone by allowing these phones to read IDs sent from an LED transmitter. Basically, your phone scans a code transmitted via light to bring up specific content on your screen so that you can learn more information about a variety of things.

Displays, signboards and spotlights can transmit this code to your phone and bring up associated mobile content – this is a game changer for businesses! It can be used in restaurants, advertising, and sales to direct customers to discount codes, bring up mobile ordering, or even display your restaurant's menu. It can translate road and transporation signs when you're in a foreign country, and provide scheduling for transportation services. Exhibitions at museums and trade shows can enhance the viewing experience by providing more information about the content people are seeing, and provide it in multiple languages.

That's some futuristic stuff! I am under the impression that the only real limitations LinkRay has is those within the minds of the companies creating content for it. That the Panasonic PT-MZ670U has compatibility with LinkRay definitely ups its value proposition and makes it more useful in a higher variety of markets.

Daylight View Basic is one of the more unique features of the Panasonic PT-MZ670U, and the one I was most excited to test out. The projector has a sensor to scan for ambient light, and Daylight View Basic adjusts the half-tone and brightness settings to enhance detail, basically negating some of the image-degrading effects of ambient light hitting the screen. I have a comparison photo below so you can see the difference between having this function on and off.

The Panasonic PT-MZ670U has a built-in media viewer. This allows presenters to load their photo and video files onto a USB and project them without need for a computer - and that's just one of the ways that Panasonic has implemented wireless projection. Though this feature is found on many projectors for business and education, it is not included on all projectors use in these applications. So, when it shows up, we like to commend the manufacturer for making the addition. Great job, Panasonic!

Everybody loves wireless, and it’s particularly useful in environments where there will be multiple presenters. Using the optional ET-WM300 wireless module, presenters can wireless project from Windows and Mac PCs. The projector has screen mirroring built in to its operating system, allowing projection from mobile devices with iOS and Android operating systems, no app needed! This feature would be highly useful in classroom, conference room, lecture hall, and stage presentations at conventions.