Sanyo PLV-Z3000 Menus

Sanyo PLV-Z3000 Menus

Sanyo offers a very good menu system on the PLV-Z3000.

One has to get used to the fact that many of the main menus having multiple pages to scroll through, but once you are used to that, no problem.

The first main menu is the Image menu. It consists of two pages, the first showing all the image presets (Pure Color, Dynamic, etc.). Scroll down to the second page, and there you’ll be able to choose between the seven user savable image modes. Both pages are shown immediately to the right.

Note the indication of pages and what page you are on, in the lower right corner of the menu.

By the way, Sanyo, like most projectors, lets you position the menus in different locations around the screen, to best satisfy where you would prefer to see them. Myself, I like the lower right corner.

The Image Adjust menu has all the usual image and color control items, starting with the usual Brightness, Contrast, Color (saturation), and individual Red, Green, and Blue color adjustments.

The Image Adjust menu also has a second page, as shown below. Page 2 has controls for Lamp modes, Gamma, the ability to store User settings. A Reset is also found on this menu. From page 2, you can also access the Advanced Menu.

The Advanced Menu offers settings for the Dynamic Iris, and a whole host of other special features, including Auto Black Stretch, Contrast Enhancement, Smooth Motion (high frame rate), a Dynamic Gamma control, and the control to customize gamma.

When one selects an item to adjust, such as Contrast, or Lamp Control, a small horizontal bar appears at the very bottom of the screen. This way, it’s rather unobtrusive, if you are playing with adjustments, and want to see their affect on the image.

The other major menus include the Screen menu, which includes aspect ratios among other controls, the Input menu, which, of course let’s you choose between your various sources.

There is also a Settings menu, which as 3 pages of items, the first page of which is shown to the right. Note the Advanced menu option. If that is turned off, the Advanced menu is not accessable from the Image Adjust menu page 2.

The Settings menu primarily deals with physical aspects of the projector, (ceiling vs. table), menu location, options for the HDMI inputs, high altitude fan mode, and a lot more.

Sanyo PLV-Z3000 Remote Control

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, 1etc.) 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. logical layout, good spacing, bright light, and good range. Hard to find anything to complain about (ok, except the Reset button).

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