Sanyo PLV-Z4000 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Art Feierman

Sanyo PLV-Z4000 Projector: Pros

Good color accuracy post calibration in "best" mode (extremely minor yellow push)
Rich, dynamic image in "brightest" mode, with extremely good picture quality, for a brightest mode
Excellent shadow detail performance
Black level performance better than most projectors but not quite as good as the other ultra high contrast projectors, but it is low priced
Images really "pop" on bright scenes, and mixed scenes with a good amount of bright areas
Two HDMI 1.3 inputs,
Creative frame interpolation for smooth fast motion, with 96/120fps frame rate
Support for an anamorphic lens
Very sharp image
Plenty of user savable settings
Excellent remote control
Excellent placement flexibility with 2:1 zoom and lens shift
Audible noise is extremely quiet in low power, and quieter than average in full power mode
Very good menus
Sophisticated gamma controls (Mike did not play with). Gamma was very good
A lower cost ultra high contrast projector
Quite respectable price/performance (9/2010) (These things change over time!)

More difficult to calibrate than most, and lacks separate color gain and offset for grayscale calibration
Slight yellow/green push, noticeable on skin tones, may be correctable with adjustments in the Color Management section
While black levels are most impressive the Z4000 is still at the lower range of what we call "ultra high contrast"
Limited brightness - best with screens smaller than 110" diagonal
Image tends to look a bit flat on dark scenes in Pure Cinema modes (I think that mostly due to running out of lumens)
Documentation is weak in terms of explaining the effects of the many dynamic features, and how they interact with each other

Selection of inputs
Documentation
Physical appearance - basically a box, but with nice edges, monotone dark, flat gray, a clean look
Lamp life (unpublished)