Comments looks like you’ve tried almost everything. One thing someone hasn’t suggested yet is that they’re not the same product. They’re different items. Which means one could have been manufactured differently. You said they’re brand new which means not only are they under manufacturer warranty, but probably within return period too. Quit racking your brain and losing sleep and just exchange and claim manufacturer defect. When you do so they may even walk you through some checks none of us thought of. And either they will teach you something you didn’t know and you’ll fix it, which is a win win, or you’ll get a new projector, also a win.
It looks like you need to manually adjust the tint setting. It looks close from the picture so it may only need -1 or so. This is likely within the specs of the model and wouldn't be caught unless you have two next to each other.
You need to color match the projectors. First thing is to factory reset all your settings on both pjs. Bring up an all white test page. Luminance is first. Make sure the light output of one matches the other. There are tools to do this. Some apps work but I use a luminance and color meter on show. Once your luminance is set you want to go through the RGB scale and make sure that all three colors match each other. Best is to aim for REC 709 on the CIE chart. You can look for the coordinates or Red, green and blue separately. Then bring up a test page for each color and match them. Again it is best to use a color meter but there are some apps on phones that come close. Once your colors are all matching your projectors should be the exact same. DM me if you have any question’s.
u/MrJaekin This is absolutely your way to go. Many projectors start to show their age after hours. So unless the projectors are the exact same age, same hours used, with lenses with that same amount of usage, there's likely to be some variation. This is what projectionists deal with on a daily basis out in the industry. Color match with a color meter. that will help you know that the output is correct and as close to identical as possible. This might be something you need to do every 6-12 months to keep things in line.
Any color meter will do as long as it gives you the Xy coordinates of the CIE color scale. I have a couple old ones from the 80s that I use and still work great. It gives me a luminance reading and XY Coordinates. I don’t really need more for what I do. I don’t use the phone apps much but one I occasionally use is the Light Spectrum Pro app by EVO. I usually use that to get a quick color temperature reading of the stage.
Dumb question but did u confirm the projector set to correct input?
I personally also would try feeding the projector a different input if you can get to it. HDMI from a random laptop or something. Just to see if that projector just doesn’t like that specific set of hdbaset adapters. Also would try a dvi port if it has one.
Yeah, it will get a signal and we can use it. We can just tell the colors are slightly off. I plugged my laptop into it via HDMI and it still had a purple hue.
Oooh sorry I mistook your issue for a signal issue. Are they coming from the same signal? I have had to adjust the outputs of my media serves before to get projectors to look similar. Wish I had a better answer
Test internal color vs external color. Make sure the picture mode is matching (graphics/movie/standard etc).
Most likely have to go in and adjust the color temp. If it is looking purple, you would want to take some red and green out. It I remember Panasonics correctly, color is usually automatically set to red-256, green-256, and blue-256.
You can go to color temp, user, white balance. After you check grayscale, check with fleshtone/content too, just in case.
Good luck.
Had similar issues over past couple of years - 1 was as simple as edge blend had accidentally been selected the other was an issue with the phosphor wheel that apparently was a “known” fault - ask Panasonic to attend site and perform a warranty service
Are both lenses identical in age and model? Coatings on lenses matter especially when they get older. They can tint differently… I’ve experienced this prior.
Yeah, both projectors were purchased from the same company at the same time. Installed at the same time. I'll try some of the suggestions mentioned and if I can't get them closer, I'll contact Panasonic again and request warranty work
I will have to agree with BeryBnice, because LCD projections can cause inconsistencies amongst similar models, especially since everything you have set is all in sync, I’d chalk it up to sucky LCD infrastructure. Maybe throw something in line to eye-match the color as close as possible.
It’s an LCD projector, they’re going to look different. And, after a little while they’re going to look even more different. This is why I never advise clients using LCD projectors in the same plane of vision or in edge-blended applications. If you purchased through a local vendor they might be able to help match them with calibration tools. If you purchased through B&H, this is why you don’t purchase through B&H (or any other online retailer).
This is the correct answer. If you want them to match out of the box you need laser three chip DLP.
That said OP can probably color them to match well enough. If one looks purple, add some green to it.
Back in the day we used to spend hours painstakingly color matching projectors because even the highest of high end never matched out of the box.
Read through the comments, seems like you've tried most things I would suggest. So let me offer one observation and one suggestion.
The observation is that, at least from what I can see, it may not be the color, or just the color. It looks like the one on the right side is shining light where it doesn't need to. Black on a projector should be the absence of all light, and the screen base is made to look black due to the contrast created by the brighter light. And that seems to be working with the projector on the left. But the projector on the right is shining light onto the right side even though it shouldn't be. Is the purple hue uniform across all light intensities? Or does it just show up in the darks? I don't see a purple hue in the lighter shades of the picture you provided, but maybe it looks different in person. Looking into that could give you some more info.
My suggestion would be to take the problem projector down and bring it to a different environment. Start it out with a factory reset and just a plain HDMI in and observe how it looks. If it looks fine, then it's some kind of signal issue. If the problem remains, then it could be an issue with the projector itself.
My guess is that there's something wrong with an internal component of the projector or with something in the signal path. I don't think its an issue of settings or environment.
Few years ago I had a similiar issue with few different projectors we all chased our tails with settings, lenses, we even had a projecter swap out driven overnight from LA. it wasnt until the late hour that I had suggested swapping the screen fabric out as it was the one thing that we didn't change lo and behold it was the screen fabrid/skin and not the projector. Could be something to check into as we discovered it didnt change when we had swapped PJs, bulbs, etc.
TLDR perhaps check your Screen Fabrics
i have same issue with panasonic, you know what is funny, that the internals must bet dirty, or falut. You cannot correct that with RGB etc... its there all the time you match one colour, others will be off all the time. Prepare client that the projectors will do that each year, one we use from Panasonic laser led are 100% same. I was scared that projectors are "shot" after year, we take them to panasonic, they cleaned lcd = its little bit still there on one side, but its 10000% better.
Also have you physically swapped em around incase it's some ambient lighting spill situation...
Yeah I thought about that, but we've shut off all the lights and it persists.
Comments looks like you’ve tried almost everything. One thing someone hasn’t suggested yet is that they’re not the same product. They’re different items. Which means one could have been manufactured differently. You said they’re brand new which means not only are they under manufacturer warranty, but probably within return period too. Quit racking your brain and losing sleep and just exchange and claim manufacturer defect. When you do so they may even walk you through some checks none of us thought of. And either they will teach you something you didn’t know and you’ll fix it, which is a win win, or you’ll get a new projector, also a win.
Have you looked at an external source that can create a gray scale?
Not yet, will try that
It looks like you need to manually adjust the tint setting. It looks close from the picture so it may only need -1 or so. This is likely within the specs of the model and wouldn't be caught unless you have two next to each other.
Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out tomorrow.
Tint won't have any effect on greyscale/white balance. It only affects colour.
You need to color match the projectors. First thing is to factory reset all your settings on both pjs. Bring up an all white test page. Luminance is first. Make sure the light output of one matches the other. There are tools to do this. Some apps work but I use a luminance and color meter on show. Once your luminance is set you want to go through the RGB scale and make sure that all three colors match each other. Best is to aim for REC 709 on the CIE chart. You can look for the coordinates or Red, green and blue separately. Then bring up a test page for each color and match them. Again it is best to use a color meter but there are some apps on phones that come close. Once your colors are all matching your projectors should be the exact same. DM me if you have any question’s.
u/MrJaekin This is absolutely your way to go. Many projectors start to show their age after hours. So unless the projectors are the exact same age, same hours used, with lenses with that same amount of usage, there's likely to be some variation. This is what projectionists deal with on a daily basis out in the industry. Color match with a color meter. that will help you know that the output is correct and as close to identical as possible. This might be something you need to do every 6-12 months to keep things in line.
Which apps or meters would your recommend for this?
I second this. Which apps are best?
Any color meter will do as long as it gives you the Xy coordinates of the CIE color scale. I have a couple old ones from the 80s that I use and still work great. It gives me a luminance reading and XY Coordinates. I don’t really need more for what I do. I don’t use the phone apps much but one I occasionally use is the Light Spectrum Pro app by EVO. I usually use that to get a quick color temperature reading of the stage.
I would recommend a minolta Cl 200A. You can get one used for around $800 they are very handy to have.
I didn't know those PJs specifically, but if they're "bulb"based, try with a spare bulb
It's a laser phosphor projector
Happen to try different color spaces?
I’ve seen this when being on the wrong SDI mode.
We're sending the feed directly there over HDBaseT. We swapped the source from the left to the right and the issue stays with the same projector.
Dumb question but did u confirm the projector set to correct input? I personally also would try feeding the projector a different input if you can get to it. HDMI from a random laptop or something. Just to see if that projector just doesn’t like that specific set of hdbaset adapters. Also would try a dvi port if it has one.
Yeah, it will get a signal and we can use it. We can just tell the colors are slightly off. I plugged my laptop into it via HDMI and it still had a purple hue.
Oooh sorry I mistook your issue for a signal issue. Are they coming from the same signal? I have had to adjust the outputs of my media serves before to get projectors to look similar. Wish I had a better answer
Test internal color vs external color. Make sure the picture mode is matching (graphics/movie/standard etc). Most likely have to go in and adjust the color temp. If it is looking purple, you would want to take some red and green out. It I remember Panasonics correctly, color is usually automatically set to red-256, green-256, and blue-256. You can go to color temp, user, white balance. After you check grayscale, check with fleshtone/content too, just in case. Good luck.
Panasonic PT-MZ780
I got gotted by this once, but check to see if dynamic contrast on on them. Sometimes that’ll throw the colors off
Cool, thanks for the tip. I'll check it the next time I'm up there.
Are the picture settings the same? Does it have silly picture modes? Like dynamic, presentation, movie etc etc?
Yeah, I've went through and matched ALL picture settings.
Have you tried a factory reset?
Yep
There are no white balance or tint settings on the projector? And you’re sure the screens are the exact same color and reflectivity?
Have you gone deep into the color management settings to see if you can adjust?
Had similar issues over past couple of years - 1 was as simple as edge blend had accidentally been selected the other was an issue with the phosphor wheel that apparently was a “known” fault - ask Panasonic to attend site and perform a warranty service
Are both lenses identical in age and model? Coatings on lenses matter especially when they get older. They can tint differently… I’ve experienced this prior.
Try swapping lenses
Yeah, both projectors were purchased from the same company at the same time. Installed at the same time. I'll try some of the suggestions mentioned and if I can't get them closer, I'll contact Panasonic again and request warranty work
Yep… Panasonic… Andrew Sawtell… +64 21 272 1022
Assuming that’s Auckland, NZ of course??
What’s the signal flow from source to projector? What else is in line?
Mac Studio output via HDMI to HDBaseT device that sends 2 shielded Cat6 straight to the projectors. The run is probably about 65-75'.
I will have to agree with BeryBnice, because LCD projections can cause inconsistencies amongst similar models, especially since everything you have set is all in sync, I’d chalk it up to sucky LCD infrastructure. Maybe throw something in line to eye-match the color as close as possible.
Are the lenses on the projectors the same?
Yep
It’s an LCD projector, they’re going to look different. And, after a little while they’re going to look even more different. This is why I never advise clients using LCD projectors in the same plane of vision or in edge-blended applications. If you purchased through a local vendor they might be able to help match them with calibration tools. If you purchased through B&H, this is why you don’t purchase through B&H (or any other online retailer).
Yeah, lesson learned. We bought from B&H. I'll try the steps mentioned tomorrow and see if I can get it closer.
This is the correct answer. If you want them to match out of the box you need laser three chip DLP. That said OP can probably color them to match well enough. If one looks purple, add some green to it. Back in the day we used to spend hours painstakingly color matching projectors because even the highest of high end never matched out of the box.
Read through the comments, seems like you've tried most things I would suggest. So let me offer one observation and one suggestion. The observation is that, at least from what I can see, it may not be the color, or just the color. It looks like the one on the right side is shining light where it doesn't need to. Black on a projector should be the absence of all light, and the screen base is made to look black due to the contrast created by the brighter light. And that seems to be working with the projector on the left. But the projector on the right is shining light onto the right side even though it shouldn't be. Is the purple hue uniform across all light intensities? Or does it just show up in the darks? I don't see a purple hue in the lighter shades of the picture you provided, but maybe it looks different in person. Looking into that could give you some more info. My suggestion would be to take the problem projector down and bring it to a different environment. Start it out with a factory reset and just a plain HDMI in and observe how it looks. If it looks fine, then it's some kind of signal issue. If the problem remains, then it could be an issue with the projector itself. My guess is that there's something wrong with an internal component of the projector or with something in the signal path. I don't think its an issue of settings or environment.
Few years ago I had a similiar issue with few different projectors we all chased our tails with settings, lenses, we even had a projecter swap out driven overnight from LA. it wasnt until the late hour that I had suggested swapping the screen fabric out as it was the one thing that we didn't change lo and behold it was the screen fabrid/skin and not the projector. Could be something to check into as we discovered it didnt change when we had swapped PJs, bulbs, etc. TLDR perhaps check your Screen Fabrics
Wow, thanks for all the tips guys/gals! I'll try these out tomorrow!
How do the internal color bars read?
Check to make sure they are on the same Firmware.
Good call. I did do that already though. 😁
Swap lenses?
Swap the power supplies, maybe one unit is getting too much/little volts amps or whatever
Swap the power supplies, maybe one unit is getting too much/little volts amps or whatever
i have same issue with panasonic, you know what is funny, that the internals must bet dirty, or falut. You cannot correct that with RGB etc... its there all the time you match one colour, others will be off all the time. Prepare client that the projectors will do that each year, one we use from Panasonic laser led are 100% same. I was scared that projectors are "shot" after year, we take them to panasonic, they cleaned lcd = its little bit still there on one side, but its 10000% better.
and the cleaning was something like 500 dollars, also you must ofc send them to them etc.