Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons
Check out how the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 fared in our comparison report.
Click to read the head-to-head Sanyo PLV-Z2000 vs. Mitsubishi HC4900 projector comparison.
Click to read the head-to-head Sanyo PLV-Z2000 vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U projector comparison.
View annual winners.
As is traditional for Sanyo home theater projectors, the PLV-Z2000 is not particularly bright. Also traditional is Sanyo's very good value proposition. With the Z2000 having just started shipping, it holds the honor of lowest priced 1080p projector on the market. 
The $2495 MSRP is $200 below #2, the Optoma HD80, but Sanyo has launched it with a choice of a $300 cash rebate, or one of their GPS systems (your choice).
Most significantly, however, is that Sanyo has built a tremendously film-like, natural looking projector for such a low price. Most likely, if someone has a new projector that can rival it, it is the new Panasonic PT-AE2000U, which also just shipping at this time. The older Panaonic PT-AE1000U I also considered very film-like when reviewed a year ago, but I think the Z2000 is even better. It should be interesting to see this new Sanyo projector slug it out with PT-AE2000U.
Purists on a tight budget, and those who don't demand extremly large screen sizes (over 106") should flock to the Sanyo. Watching it on a wide range of movies, both hi-def - Blu-ray or HD-DVD - and standard DVD's (given their weakenesses) is a pleasure. Some projectors are "hard" looking, some never get skin tones down right, some have other flaws. The Sanyo doesn't suffer from any of those in it's best mode, Pure Cinema.
I'll just offer a quick run through here, mostly of things said in previous pages. After the beginning of the year, which means after reviewing 3-4 more new 1080p projectors, I'll have a full comparison article for your reading pleasure.
The HD80 has been the lowest priced projector until this Sanyo. The HD80 can definitely offer more lumens in best mode. The H80's 561 measured lumens, after grayscale calibration is its least bright and best mode, yet blows away the Sanyo's 363 lumens in Pure Cinema. Even The Sanyo's Brilliant Cinema wasn't any brighter, at 571 lumens. In brightest modes, too, it was no contest, with 601 lumens from the Sanyo being outdone by 1006 lumens for the Optoma in TV mode.
But, that's only brightness. And, while I really found the Optoma to be good overall after sorely needed grayscale calibration (definitely not a projector you want to watch "out of the box", without work), I still favor the Sanyo!
The image above of Jame Bond (Casino Royale, Blu-ray) looked great. Click for a larger version cropped to get you a very close look at his face.
And that includes in that other "holy grail" of home theater projectors being "film-like" normally a strength of DLP projectors over LCD, but not in this case. It's not that the Optoma is weak, but that the Sanyo is superb! Within the general area of "film-like" the Sanyo does slightly better skin tones, too.
I'll call the black level battle almost a tie, with the slight advantage (most of the time) going to Optoma, but I'll definitely pick the Sanyo for better shadow detail.
Sanyo has the advantage just about everywhere else, too: It is quieter, sharper, has drastically more placement flexibility than the Optoma with its very limited zoom and no lens shift (as is typical for most DLP projectors). The Sanyo also has a better remote control, is significantly quieter, and offers a better warranty.
I haven't recevied a PT-AE2000U for review yet (Nov 1, '07) , so for comments about the Sanyo vs. the AE2000U, look in the Panasonic review when published. As to the PT-AE1000U, it's been almost a full year since reviewed, so this is very general. Both are not bright projectors, both are film-like, both are quiet. Sanyo has the warranty advantage, and probably a slight advantage overall picture quality. However: The Panasonic offers phenomenal color management abilities, and built in tools. For those with the expertise, or hiring a calibrator, the Panasonic should be able to match the skin tone accuracy of the Sanyo, and perhaps have a slight edge overall. But for out of the box performance (both fairly good, advantage Sanyo), and for those doing just basic adjustments, I'll give the edge to the Sanyo.
Out of the box performance goes to Sanyo. The Epson's big advantage is lumens, lots more than the Sanyo can scrape up. By comparison, though, the Epson's overall image quality comes off a little hard. You are not likely to find yourself choosing between these two, because the Epson is likely to go to those demanding a bright projector.
Overall, the Epson, like the Sanyo, also offers tons of preset modes, and user savables. Their two year warranty is shorter than the Sanyo, but they overnight out a replacement if your Epson has a problem under warranty.
One downside to the Epson, is that in its brighter modes it is a bit noisy, unusual for an LCD projector and comparable to most DLP's.
The Sanyo has the edge on shadow detail, and (it's been a while), I'd guess that the Sanyo might have a small advantage in black levels. Both are sharp.
In December Epson will start shipping the replacement Home Cinema 1080 UB (Ultra Black). It offers the highest claimed contrast I've ever seen. How that translates into reality, we shall see. We should have it in, and reviewed, before you are down to last minute Christmas shopping.
The Mitsubishi HC4900 is LCD, and the BenQ is DLP. Both, however have sub-par black level performance. Both are sharp, but no sharper than the Sanyo.
And both have more lumens than the PLV-Z2000. The HC4900 also does well on shadow details, but is limited due to the worse black levels. the W9000 suffers the same problem.
Both of these projectors are slightly more money, and both are much brighter than the Sanyo. So, once again, the Sanyo from a picture quality standpoint has the advantage - if you can live with the less bright image or smaller screen size.
The above competitive section covers about all of the under $3000 1080p projectors, I've reviewed so far. We still have a new Panasonic and Epson to do, before year end.
I might as well say this, and then to move on to Pros and Cons:
If the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 were 30-40% brighter, and if considering its lowest in class pricing, the PLV-Z2000 might well be the hands-down, best projector value on the market, in the 1080p resolution class.
Since it is significantly less bright than many others, it will have to win customers because of its virtuoso picture quality. There is no question of its value, only a question of what percent of the 1080p buying public will choose it, and what percent will pass over it because of brightness.
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There are still two more new, low cost, 1080p projectors to review in the next few weeks, the Panasonic and Epson entries. Both have predecessors, and both claim significant improvements, but we shall have to see how they compare to the Sanyo, when we get them in.
The Sanyo PLV-Z2000, in my opinion, does produce the most natural looking and film-like image of any of the under $3000 1080p projectors we have reviewed to date. For movie watchers, in the lower 1080p projector price ranges, the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 is the projector to beat.
Purists and people in general should fully enjoy the overall picture quality of this first generation 1080p projector from Sanyo. What is impressive, is that it looks to be better than older 1st generation models, and some of the newer ones too.
And with only minor adjustments (and no technical skills required), the image quality goes from very good to excellent. In other words, for movie watching, this Sanyo PLV-Z2000 projector, is the low cost, 1080p champ.
So far!
But!
At the same time, the Sanyo just isn't that bright.
Under most normal circumstances (fully darkened, or almost fully dark rooms) for movie viewing, the Sanyo projector is going to work best on screen sizes from 82" to about 100" and can be pushed to 110" diagonal with the right screen and room conditions. In brightest mode, it can support that same range of screen sizes, with some ambient light, and the Dynamic mode does a good job with more than a little ambient light.
If only Sanyo would have built the same projector, but around a 240 watt lamp, instead of 165K, they would have opened the PLV-Z2000 to a world of potential buyers wanting more than 110" diagonal screens, or wanting 106" or 110", but with less than ideal room conditions.
Sanyo could have done a bit better on black levels, but they are good, just not great.
The Bottom Line:
The PLV-Z2000 is really a very watchable projector. Overall it is an excellent projector choice for those wanting great looking movies, and do not need the largest sized screens. A beautiful picture combines with placement flexibiliyt that should allow the Sanyo to work easily in almost any room. Add into that a great warranty, and the fact that it is the lowest priced 1080p projector to date, and you have a winner!
Overview
Image Quality
General Performance
Warranty
Summary, Pros, Cons
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