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Here are two excellent 1080p home theater projectors, that, at the moment, are the least expensive 1080p projectors on the market. While similar in some ways, they are drastically different in others. This results in a comparison that should make for some clear cut choices for consumers. Where these to differ, is so great, that most people considering this pair, should find it easy to decide which is best for them.
The Sanyo PLV-Z2000 picked up our Best In Class - Runner-Up award for the entry level 1080p projectors. The Mitsubishi HC4900, received our Special Interest Award, as we consider that its unique abilities will generate large following of very happy owners.
Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons
Above: Mitsubishi HC4900 on the left, Sanyo Z2000, on the right
Other comparisons (more coming daily):
Panasonic PT-AE2000U vs. Sanyo PLV-Z2000
Mitsubishi HC4900 vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U
Sanyo PLV-Z2000 vs. Mitsubishi HC4900
Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB vs. JVC DLA-RS1x
Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB
Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U
BenQ W5000 vs. Sony VPL-VW40
JVC DLA-RS2 vs. Sony VPL-VW60
Let's start off, by looking at those similarities:
Both projectors have 2:1 zoom lenses, and vertical and horizontal lens shift. If one will work for you, in your room, from a placement standpoint, the other almost certainly will. And both of these offer about as much placement flexibility as any home theater projectors out there today.
True, the HC4900's zoom, focus and lens shift are motorized, while the PLV-Z2000's are manual, but for most, it's set it up once, and you're done. I seriously doubt that the motorized aspects of the Mitsubishi will sway anyone to buy it over the Sanyo, still, it's a nice touch.
Both are 3LCD projectors. The two typically sell within about $200 dollars of each other, now, in March of 2008. Of course, prices will change, throughout the year.
Then, there is the audible noise factor. Talk about close, I believe these are the two quietest 1080p projectors currently shipping (Mitsubishi's more expensive HC6000 is just as quiet as the HC4900). Even with the lamps at full power, they are both quieter than most other projectors in their low lamp (eco) modes, and dramatically quieter than many others, in full power mode. Anyone with a problem with the audible noise of either of these, simply will have to wait a generation or three, before they are happy.
When it comes to remote controls, I considered both to be good ones, although the Sanyo's remote has a little better range than the HC4900's remote control.
Projector Sharpness: More of the same! Both of these projectors produce a nice sharp image. Both, I regard as producing a crisper looking image than many other projectors - all of which cost more. Both, in fact are visibly sharper than our top two winners in the most expensive category. That's got to count for something!
There isn't enough difference between these two, in terms of sharpness, to even spend any time discussing.
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Here lies one of the two major differences between these projectors. The Sanyo happens to be one of those less bright projectors, measuring 363 lumens in its "best" mode - which is Pure Cinema.
By comparison, the Mitsubishi was almost twice as bright, with 688 lumens, making it one of the brightest of all the projectors considered in this report.
I should point out that the Sanyo Z2000 has two additional Cinema modes - Creative, which I didn't really work with, and Brilliant Cinema. Good news for those willing to sacrifice a bit of "best" for more lumens, as Brilliant Cinema measured 572 lumens.
When you need maximum lumens, again the Mitsubishi HC4900 has the advantage, with 962 lumens, compared to the Sanyo PLV-Z2000's 601 lumens.
Bottom line, the Sanyo is a small screen projector, and probably best serves those who really are buying it for movie watching, as, even in brightest mode, it lacks the muscle to deal with any significant ambient light, unless, say, your screen size is 92" diagonal or less. The Mitsubishi, while not overly impressive in brightest mode, still has more than a 50% advantage.
The Sanyo was "pretty good" with good overall color temperature measurements, but a steady shift from slightly cool (higher temperature) whites, to slightly warm (red) dark grays. Green was also just a touch heavy. The projector was easy to adjust.
The Mitsubishi HC4900 is a little better than the Sanyo, I would definitely say its out of the box performance is very good. All measurements were between 6500K (ideal) and 7000K (still not bad at all). Green, if anything was a little weak. Basically, the HC4900 is good to go, out of the box, but can be improved a bit.
Forgetting brightness, here the Sanyo shines. It produces a great, well balanced picture, with good black levels and shadow detail. It will definitely appeal to those looking for the most perfect image they can get, for the least dollars.
The Mitsubishi also has good shadow detail performance, but if falls seriously short in terms of black levels. When it comes to black levels, all the other projectors in this report did better, and typically, much better. I described its black level performance as mediocre. It is more typical of an average 720p projector than a 1080p projector.
Both, by the way, do a very nice job on skin tones, once final adjustments are made, and both do a respectable job, out of the box, although definitely a bit different.
User savable memories are handled differently on these two projectors, with the Sanyo being fairly traditional, with a number (7) user savable settings. By comparison, the Mitsubishi offers one user savable main mode, but has multiple savables in specific areas like gamma, color temp, etc. Overall, the Sanyo, I believe is more flexible, in this regard. The Mitsubishi HC4900 has some built in test patterns, such as a crosshatch that makes for easy focusing.
Talk about more similar than different, these are, at this moment, the two least expensive 1080p home theater projectors on the market. Due to different promos and rebates, which is the least expensive can change from one month to the next. Let's just say, that they are typically very close - within $200 of each other. In that regard, life is simple. You end up with the one that works best for you, since they are similarly priced.
Value in this case, will be determined by what is important to you. Overall, each has very distinct advantages over the other. Essentially, the Mitsubishi is brighter, and the Sanyo, a better overall picture quality, due to its significant advantage in black level performance.
In terms of picking the Sanyo for the Runner-up Best In Class Awaqrd, and the Mitsubishi getting the Special Interest Award, it required some serious debate on my part.
What it really boiled down to, is that, while the Sanyo is never really bright, even in "brightest" mode, I, personally would rather watch movies in Sanyo's Brilliant Cinema mode, than give up the black levels of the HC4900. Sanyo's Brilliant color may not be as good as their Pure Cinema, but it manages that 572 lumens, which pretty much levels the playing field with the HC4900 in brightness.
For some though, the extra 300 lumens of the HC4900 in brightest mode will be a determining factor, definitely more punch for sports, etc., with some ambient light.
I should note that several people, who have bought the PLV-Z2000, have emailed me to say that while they realize the image is "more perfect" in Pure Cinema mode, they favor the Brilliant Cinema - brightness wins over black level performance. Even in Brilliant Cinema, the Sanyo does blacker blacks than the HC-4900.
You would think this would be clear cut - 3 years for the Sanyo, and 2 for the Mitsubishi. There is one aspect of difference, however, or rather, two.
Unlike most manufacturers, Sanyo does not believe in DOA projectors. They don't take defective ones back from the dealers/end users, and replace them, even if they have a problem fresh out of the box. Instead, Sanyo's three year warranty includes paying freight both ways, and guarantying no more than 3 days as the service center. In other words, you are typically back up and running with your projector repaired, in a week or less. (Sanyo tells me repeatedly, that most often, they turn the units in one day, at the factory, which is fairly consistant with my experiences as a dealer.)
So, while Sanyo gives you the longer warranty, and pays freight both ways, when serviced under warranty, some will be turned of that if their projector comes in with a problem, they have to deal with Sanyo directly, and not exchange at the dealer level.
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Art's 2 Cents:
Of these two, the Sanyo for those more critical of the technical picture quality, by virtue of black level performance. That means enthusiasts, and "hard core crazies", but also those who's rooms can only support a smaller screen. It may also include some that will decide they need more brightness, but will solve that problem by choosing a true high gain screen, say 1.8 gain, which of course, makes the projector seem 80% brighter, when sitting straight back from the center of the screen, but rolls off quickly as your position moves to the outer edges of the screen. (Also, overall, the evenness of illumination is not as good as more standard gain screens.
The HC4900, on the other hand, is simply a really nice projector, but with black level performance on par with a typical 720p projector, not the 1080p competition. Many of you have come from there, and know, that for all the hype, that's not such a bad thing.
Truly the Mitsubishi is the more "consumer" model, in that it's the easier one to just buy one, with a decent sized screen, have plenty of lumens for movie watching (more than all but maybe four other projectors in this comparison report). Certainly it makes a good family room projector, where some ambient light will destroy most of the difference between two projectors, one with better black levels, and one with less impressive black levels.
Bottom Line: Two similarly priced projectors, both sharp and quiet, but with some really distinct differences, that should make chosing between them a clear choice, if not necessarily an easy one.
Click on these links to read more in-depth comparisons.
Panasonic PT-AE2000U vs. Sanyo PLV-Z2000
Mitsubishi HC4900 vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U
Sanyo PLV-Z2000 vs. Mitsubishi HC4900
Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB vs. JVC DLA-RS1x
Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB
Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U
BenQ W5000 vs. Sony VPL-VW40
JVC DLA-RS2 vs. Sony VPL-VW60
Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons
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