Sanyo PLV-Z700 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities

Posted on October 8, 2008 by Art Feierman

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Sanyo PLV-Z700 Projector: Pros

Most affordable 1080p projector currently shipping (though competition at that price is on the way)
With minor performance compromise in "best mode", average or slightly above average brightness
Very good, post calibration
Sharper than most, image
Really good shadow detail
Dynamic irises on image and lamp, for improved black level performance
Extensive selection of image enhancement processing capabilities
Good image noise performance
Better performance than many on SD-TV sources
Performed very well on HDTV and hi-def sports, in particular
Very good remote control
Very quiet operation
Three year warranty

Manual on disc only - no hard copy
Below average brightness, in absolute "best mode"
So-so black level performance
Lack of separate "gain" and "bias" controls make calibrating trickier than most
Many image enhancement features impact grayscale balance, thus, it's best to find the best combination of these that you like, and then perform the grayscale calibration (color temp)
Not the most film-like picture quality, but good, nonetheless

Lamp Life (assumed - since Sanyo provides no lamp life rating)
Placement flexibility relative to most other 3LCD home projectors
Price performance when compared with other new entry level 1080p projectors that are shipping so far this fall
Manual - it provides some good descriptions of key and advanced features, but thin on other ones
You'll want to use the user memory areas, instead of the preset modes, if you want to make any changes at all, since the Presets (Creative Cinema, etc.) reset brightness contrast, etc., everytime you enter them. Not a big deal, but important to know (there are 5 user memory slots - more than enough)