Sanyo PLV-Z700 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector Review

Posted on October 8, 2008 by Art Feierman

Specs Preview

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Sanyo PLV-Z700 Specs
Price	1995
Technology	3LCD
Native Resolution	1920x1080
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)	1200
Contrast	10,000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio	2:1
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life	Sanyo does not provide lamp life specs. Most projectors offer 2000 hours at full power, and 3000 hours in eco-mode (low lamp)
Weight	11 lbs. (4.9 Kg)
Warranty	Three Years Parts and Labor

Sanyo PLV-Z700 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector Review: Overview

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The Sanyo PLV-Z700 surprised me. I'm used to Sanyo projectors being some of the least bright out there, but ones, nonetheless, with very good overall performance.

In the case of the PLV-Z700, our initial measurements were not surprising, based on previous Sanyo projector reviews. It turns out, however, that upon playing with the many settings options, that the PLV-Z700 can manage very impressive brightness in its "best" mode, without much compromise. The "Best mode" is called Creative Cinema. Although the brightness measured at the default settings for that mode, was, as expected, below average, we discovered that by opening up the fixed iris all the way, (but still using the dynamic iris), brightness definitely achieved what I would say is average for 1080p projectors, or, actually a little more.

I'll go into that further, but, after watching the projector extensively, I am most happy with "best mode" performance (for an entry level priced 1080p projector), with the fixed iris opened further than the default. I believe most owners (except those with small screens - less than 100" diagonal), will like the Sanyo PLV-Z700 better, by opening the iris up from the default.