Sanyo PLC-XL50 Projector: Warranty

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Art Feierman

Sanyo handles the whole warranty issue a bit differently than any other manufacturer. It's not that the warranty itself is dramatically different - it's not. It is a 3 year warranty, parts and labor. In addition, while under warranty, Sanyo pays round trip freight costs (not such a small thing these days with the price of gas through the roof).

In addition, Sanyo claims they will turn all warranty repairs in 3 days or less at their facility. Privately, they say that most are actually turned around in 24 hours.

The one downside that I was alluding to above, is that Sanyo does not have a DOA policy. When you buy a projector from most manufacturers, if it is initially defective, the manufacturer or dealer will replace with a different new unit. Not so with Sanyo. If it is defective, they will arrange pickup, and do their usual quick 1 - 3 day turn around, but you get back the projector you started with. This is handy if your company, or institution does asset tracking, and would be unhappy with a change in units and serial numbers. But, for the rest of us, if we get a defective projector, we'd like it replaced with a brand new one that works.

There is a practical trade-off. Unlike other manufacturers, Sanyo is never unloading refurbished projectors (units initially with a problem, that have been repaired, and with fresh warranty). This keeps their costs down, and you can often "see that at the pump". Sanyo projectors are often priced slightly below the competition. Now, Sanyo has perhaps the most extensive lineup in the industry, so it's hard to see that, but it is evident in the home theater projector segment, where they typically are the least expensive of their type (ie. 720p 3LCD projector, 1080p 3LCD projector, etc.)

On more than entry level cost projectors (under $1000), the most common warranty is 2 years parts and labor. Some offer loaners or replacements. While Sanyo does not offer either of those, their promised rapid turn around is the next best thing. It's not uncommon with manufacturers that don't have replacement or loaner programs, for a repair issue to mean you will be without your projector for two or more weeks.

Bottom line: As long as you can live with the unlikely chance of a DOA unit that would need to be repaired, consider Sanyo's warranty on the PLC-XL50 to be better than most!

Time to summarize the Sanyo PLC-XL50, and list the Pros and Cons.