Sanyo PLV-Z2000 Projector: Cons

Posted on October 18, 2007 by Art Feierman

Brightness! At 363 measured lumens in best mode, 2nd lowest of all 1080p projectors measured to date
Documentation: User Manual is only on CD (nuisance) setup guide is in book form, but lacks len shift info, making it incomplete.
Brightest modes need adjustment to look better (Dynamic and Vivid)
Black levels could be a bit better
Menus (not bad really, just those multiple page menus can make finding some features a pain).
Could use a 3rd HDMI input (I say this of all 1080p projectors)
No 12 volt screen trigger (not an issue for most, and most motorized screens can (standard or optionally) be controlled remotely with IR or RF remotes.
No support for Anamorphic lens for true Cinemascope (very, very narrow appeal)

Sanyo PLV-Z2000 Projector: Typical Capabilities

Black level performance for a low cost 1080p projector
Lamp life (assumed, Sanyo does not publish lamp life specs)
User manual - some good explanations of features, could be better still
Setup

Sanyo PLV-Z2000 Summary: The Bottom Line

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!

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!