Size matters, and for many commercial uses—including education—laser projectors are the top choice! When people ask me who led the shift from lamp-based to laser projectors, Panasonic is the first name that comes to mind.
The first laser projectors that really made a splash were Panasonic’s. Maybe another company was first, but Panasonic was definitely the early leader. Now, a decade later, they’re one of the biggest and most dominant players in the laser projector market!
Here’s a real-world setup of a Panasonic long throw laser projector in a large lecture hall at Hiroshima City University.
In this feature, we’re focusing on two main projector use cases:
Higher Education – which makes sense, as it’s peak buying season for colleges and universities.
Houses of Worship – including churches, synagogues, mosques, and more. Projectors are widely used in sanctuaries as well as classrooms.
Also, don’t miss the amazing light installation photos—most are featured toward the end of this article!
Greenville Redemption Church—a megachurch in South Carolina—relies entirely on Panasonic laser projectors.
This feature is part of a sponsored June 2020 custom advertorial (written by me), highlighting some excellent Panasonic projectors suited for education and worship environments. Over the years, we’ve reviewed many of Panasonic’s commercial models.
If you want a deeper dive, scroll to the bottom for links to two recent Panasonic projector reviews by Phil Jones, our expert in high-end commercial AV (and a former Sony projector engineer).
Our goal here is to give you practical insights—without the marketing fluff you often see in brochures. That said, here’s one data point worth sharing:
Panasonic ranks #1 in U.S. laser projector revenue for models with 10,000+ lumens, according to PMA Research’s Q1 2020 Census. These high-brightness projectors—what we call the “heavy metal” class—are leading the market.
A Touch of Art
As promised, you’ll also find stunning visuals below. These include creative digital signage and light art—an exciting, fast-growing use case for commercial projectors.
Projectors in Higher Education
Higher ed is quickly shifting to solid-state projectors. Bright laser projectors now make it possible for large classrooms and lecture halls to display clear, vivid images viewable from nearly every seat. Below, we’ve included real-world examples from Panasonic case studies around the globe.
Hiroshima City University – A large main screen at the front, with extra screens halfway back. (Plenty of windows on the left side.)
Lecture halls and other large spaces can use multiple projectors to ensure everyone has a clear, readable view—no matter where they sit. Affordable laser projectors like Panasonic’s VMZ60 Series can be easily networked or controlled separately.
Thanks to brighter laser projectors and ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) screens, schools can now display much larger, clearer images—even in bright rooms—at a fraction of the cost compared to just five years ago.
Yasuda Women’s University (Japan): Bright and clear even under full lighting
Laser projectors have become the top choice for higher education—not just for auditoriums, but also for everyday classrooms. Thanks to lower costs and minimal maintenance, laser models now offer better long-term value than traditional lamp projectors.
Take the Panasonic PT-RCQ10, for example. It can run up to 20,000 hours without needing maintenance. That’s nearly 2.5 years of nonstop use, or over 6 years at 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Most university classrooms can be well-served by projectors in the 5,000–10,000 lumen range. Many affordable laser projectors in this category include a zoom lens (but no swappable lenses), making them ideal for lecture halls, labs, and smaller classrooms. A great example is the Panasonic PT-VMZ60 Series, offering up to 6,000 lumens.
One important feature to look for: built-in HDBaseT. This allows for long cable runs—something often needed in campus environments—without compromising signal quality.
Laser projectors are ideal for edge blending applications.
Panasonic Laser Projectors Bring Buildings to Life
The image above shows a creative digital signage display—projected directly onto a house—using multiple Panasonic laser projectors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come. Remember when digital billboards first appeared? They just displayed basic car ads or product promos. This kind of large-scale projection is on a whole new level—bold, eye-catching, and truly artistic.
A Bit of History
Panasonic was one of the first major brands to build a full lineup of commercial laser projectors. Before laser tech became common, most commercial projectors used dual or even quad lamps. These multi-lamp designs were all about reliability. If one lamp burned out (and back then they only lasted 500–1000 hours), the projector would keep running at reduced brightness instead of shutting down completely.
While some of those old multi-lamp projectors are still around, they’ve mostly been replaced by more efficient, low-maintenance laser projectors. And with stunning results—just like the display above.
No More Dark Rooms Needed
Gone are the days when classrooms and lecture halls had to be darkened just to see the screen clearly. With today’s ultra-bright projectors, even rooms with lots of ambient light can still deliver a vivid, clear image—especially with modern laser projectors.
Why Laser Projectors Lead the Way
When it comes to large-scale digital signage, laser projectors are the go-to solution. Their brightness and reliability make them perfect for big displays—and this is one area where Panasonic truly shines.
The Growing Need for 4K-Ready Projectors
Panasonic offers a wide range of projectors that either support or natively display 4K content. Some, like the PT-RCQ10, use pixel-shifting to deliver a sharper image, even though they’re WUXGA (1920×1200) in native resolution. Others, like the VMZ60 Series, accept 4K/30fps input and downscale it to fit their resolution—perfect for future-proofing your setup.
Even lower-resolution models like WXGA can still accept 4K content and scale it down. So even if 4K content isn’t widespread just yet, Panasonic projectors are ready for it when it is.
In total, Panasonic offers 22 commercial models that are either native 4K, use pixel shifting, or support 4K input and scale it down. That’s a lot of flexibility.
Meet the RCQ Series: Bright, Sharp, and 4K-Ready
Panasonic’s newest 10,000-lumen projector, the PT-RCQ10, and its 8000-lumen sibling, the RCQ80, are impressive additions to the lineup. These projectors use pixel-shifting to deliver detailed, 4K-like images.
The “L” models (RCQ10L and RCQ80L) come without a lens, giving you the flexibility to choose from 11 available lens options to suit your space.
Panasonic PT-RCQ10 Laser Projector – Key Highlights
10,000 lumens brightness – bright enough for large spaces and high ambient light
Single-Chip DLP with Pixel Shifting – delivers about 4.5 million pixels (native WUXGA x2)
4K Compatible – accepts and displays 4K content
Dynamic Laser Dimming – for deeper blacks and better contrast
Supports Edge Blending & Projection Mapping – great for large, creative displays
Advanced Networking – includes Digital Link (Panasonic’s enhanced HDMI over HDBaseT)
Control up to 99 projectors – perfect for large-scale setups
HDBaseT built-in – ideal for long cable runs
Wide Lens Shift & Stackable Design – flexible installation
20,000-hour Solid Shine™ laser light engine – virtually maintenance-free
11 lens options – 9 zoom lenses + 2 fixed (short throw & ultra short throw)
Lightweight – under 53 lbs
Warranty – 3 years (projector), 3 years or 12,000 hours on the laser engine (whichever comes first)
Looking for a bit less brightness?
Check out the PT-RCQ80 and RCQ80L – same great features, with 8,000 lumens of brightness, and a more budget-friendly price.
Let me know if you want this formatted for a product sheet or sales brochure!
Panasonic RCQ Series – Highly Versatile
The PT-RCQ10 and PT-RCQ10L (with or without the standard zoom lens) are brand new and compact. They can run on regular 110–120V power, which makes installation easier. The projectors have lots of connection options and include standard features like edge blending and projection mapping, common in this brightness class.
This single-chip DLP uses pixel shifting to deliver sharper, more detailed images than regular WUXGA projectors. As 4K content becomes more popular, the RCQ10 offers a more affordable way to enjoy great image quality compared to native 4K projectors — including Panasonic’s own.
The RCQ10 is also quite flexible — it can operate at altitudes up to almost 14,000 feet. So if you want to light up the Rocky Mountains (Pikes Peak is 14,115 ft!), this projector can handle it!
While the MSRP is $29,999, Panasonic’s actual street prices are often much lower, so don’t rely solely on MSRP to judge cost. If you want to learn more or get in touch with Panasonic’s team, check the links at the bottom. We plan to review the RCQ10 or the RCQ80 as soon as they’re available.
Houses of Worship
For those working in AV for houses of worship, you already know this is a huge market. Projectors play a key role in helping places of worship—churches, synagogues, mosques, and more—share their message and engage their congregations.
Projector setups in houses of worship can range from a budget-friendly under $1,000 system for small churches to multi-million dollar AV productions in huge mega-churches. Some of these mega-churches have production setups so advanced, they make Broadway shows look simple.
In the US, there are over 3,000 mega-churches (with 2,000+ weekly attendees), and the biggest 50 attract between 10,000 and 47,000 people each week! (Source: Wikipedia)
Meet the new PT-VMZ60 Series, named after its flagship model. It’s an affordable laser projector with 6,000 color and white lumens, WUXGA resolution, and great connectivity.
| Model | Lumens | Resolution | Accepts 4K Content |
| PT-VMZ60 | 6,000 | WUXGA | Yes |
| PT-VMZ50 | 5,000 | WUXGA | Yes |
| PT-VMZ40 | 4,500 | WUXGA | Yes |
| PT-VMW60 | 6,000 | WXGA | Yes |
| PT-VMW50 | 5,000 | WXGA | Yes |
These projectors can be used as portable units or small fixed installs, but they’re powerful enough to work in large setups like universities. The series includes WUXGA and WXGA models with 6,000 and 5,000 lumens, plus a budget-friendly 4,500 lumen WUXGA model (the VMZ40) that doesn’t have the advanced connectivity of the others. Not every school or business needs enterprise-level networking.
What’s impressive is that all five models can accept 4K/30p content and downscale it to their resolutions—a feature still rare even in WUXGA projectors, and even more so in WXGA. This makes them future-proof, especially with 20,000-hour laser engines. Smart move, Panasonic!
Four of the five models offer advanced networking options, including HDBaseT, 100BaseT, Crestron, AMX, and PJ-Link compatibility. Wireless is optional, which is common for this class. With 1.6:1 zoom lenses and the ability to mount at almost any angle, these projectors are very flexible.
Digital Signage and Light Art
This isn’t the main focus of this advertorial, but I just had to share some amazing photos from Panasonic showing cool art installations and digital signage. Seriously impressive stuff
The Bottom Line
Projectors are growing fast in higher education, houses of worship, digital signage, and more—helping improve communication everywhere. Panasonic is a big name in all these areas, offering one of the widest and most advanced laser projector lineups available.
Here’s a recent update from PMA Research (April 2020): Among the top 5 commercial projector sellers tracked from distributors, three were Panasonic laser projectors. The VMZ50 came in 5th, the flagship VMZ60 was 3rd, and the 5400-lumen RZ570 topped the list at number 1.
With nearly 70 projector brands out there, Panasonic’s 1st, 3rd, and 5th place finishes say a lot about their quality and popularity.
If you need projectors for your church, school, museum, or event space, it’s hard to beat Panasonic’s experience, support, and wide range of products to fit your needs.