Review: Panamorph UH480 Anamorphic Lens

DVD, surround sound, HDTV, Blu-ray and streaming media have kept the home theater category growing for years.

The final element has been added with anamorphic lens systems and companion 2.40:1 screens.

CinemaScope was an expensive upgrade option that few could afford a few years ago when it was introduced. Since that time, however, Panamorph has promoted its retrofittable, more affordable fixed lens and automated lens solutions, helping folks make the transition from 1.78:1 to CinemaScope.

I recently installed Panamorph’s Anamorphic UH480 Lens. After unpacking the two small boxes, I assembled the lens and sled components, which basically amounted to securing the lens to the bracket via two thumbscrews. From there it was just a matter of plugging in the sled mechanism’s power supply and lining the lens up with my projector.

Over the course of a few months, I used it with my Dream Vision Dream E projector, as well as the Joe Kane Samsung SP-A900B and SIM2’s Mico 50.

Using the lens with each one of the projectors’ anamorphic vertical stretch processing modes along with a mismatched Screen Research 16:9 screen and a 2.40 Stewart Filmscreen Firehawk G3, I found the image quality to be good to great. The quality became better as I moved up the price ladder from my Dream Vision to the flagship features of the Mico 50 mated with the Stewart screen.

What really caught my attention about having a CinemaScope solution in my house were the intangibles it brought. Having guests over and watching their reaction as the lens slides into place and the image expands while the black bars disappear is priceless. Having family and friends comment that my home theater is better than going to the movies fed my ego. It also confirms the idea that installers looking to tap into their existing clientele should be presenting anamorphic solutions like the UH480 to their clients in a demo room setting.

As the economy slowly recovers, installers will have more opportunities to get in front of existing and new clients. Offering products like Panamorph’s UH480 could become the key element in igniting revenue growth in 2010.