Sanyo PLV-Z4000 Remote Control

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Art Feierman

I really like this Sanyo remote control, with its bright red backlit buttons. The top half of the remote has different sized round buttons, as well as the usual four arrow key configuration for menu navigation in a round configuration with a center OK (enter) button. On the top right is the power button (once for on, twice for off), and the backlight button is on the top left. The light stays on for about 10 seconds after you hit the button, which is a very reasonable amount of time (I hate remotes where the light's out by 3-5 seconds).

Next is the Menu button (left) Reset (center), and Back (for navigating) on the right.

I really don't like seeing a Reset button on a remote control, there's always the chance to wipe out important saved settings, even if there is a confirm yes/no. Better to leave such things to the menus.

The last two round buttons are the Screen button (Aspect ratio) on the left, and Info button on the right.

In the lower half of the remote are a whole lot of rectangular buttons. Down the left side are seven, one for each of the different inputs (HDMI1, compoenent video, 1, etc.) To the right of the first of those inputs are two buttons, one for selecting between the preset modes (Pure Cinema, Dynamic...), and the other for any of your user defined saved modes.

Next down the center and the right, are a number of buttons for direct access to image controls, including Brightness, Contrast, Color Temperature, Color (saturation) sharpness, etc.

Finally, further down, are buttons for freezing the frame, displaying a user inserted "logo", the video mute (the lens door closes), and Lamp control.

All considered, an excellent remote. It has a logical layout, good spacing, bright light, and good range. Hard to find anything to complain about (ok, except the Reset button).

Click Image to Enlarge

PLV-Z4000 Lens Throw

The PLV-Z4000 can be placed as close as 9.8 feet, or as far back as 20.0 feet from a 100 inch diagonal 16:9 screen (as measured from the front of the lens). This provides about as much placement range as is found in any home theater projector. If you plan on a different sized screen, you can use these numbers to calculate the appropriate distances. A 90" screen, for example, would have distances 90% of those listed above for a 100" screen, and so on.

This is about as much placement range as any home theater projector offers, and allows plenty of flexibility regardless if you are ceiling mounting, rear shelf mounting, or placing it on a table.

PLV-Z4000 Lens Shift

Lens shift allows you to place this Sanyo projector below the bottom of the screen surface, above the top, or anywhere in between. For a 100 inch diagonal screen, the projector - as measured from the center of the lens, can actually be up to 24.5 inches above the screen surface, or down to an equal amount, below the bottom. This assumes you are not using horizontal lens shift (most don't). If you do need some horizontal lens shift, it will reduce the range of the vertical lens shift.

The combination of wide range zoom, and lots of lens shift, make the Sanyo PLV-Z4000 equally flexible, regardless of the type of placement you choose.

Anamorphic Lens

The PLV-Z4000 will support anamorphic lens and motorized sled. It has the necessary aspect ratio for using an anamorphic lens. It does not have any special anamorphic features such as those found in the Panasonic PT-AE4000U (emulates an anamorphic lens - with minor limitations), or the Mitsubishi HC7000 which can work with an anamorphic lens, without needing a motorized sled. As this is not an overly expensive 1080p projector, I don't expect many owners to even consider an anamorphic lens and sled. After all, a lens and sled will normally cost more than the Sanyo!