Sanyo PLV-Z700 Home Theater Projector Review: Image Quality - 8

Sanyo PLV-Z700: Sharpness

Sanyo has been very consistent in terms of providing home theater projectors with a sharper than average picture. The Sanyo PLV-Z700 is no exception. I should note that with each new generation of LCD panels, the pixel structure is less visible, and this tends to give images a touch more softness. This does not affect the ability to resolve detail, which is what sharpness is all about, but it may mean a slightly less crisp looking image. You'll note there isn't a great deal of difference between most of these images.

Our first image is the closeup of the DTS logo, from their test disc. The Sanyo does extremely well, compared to most of the competition. That's impressive, considering that the Sanyo is perhaps the least expensive 1080p home theater projector on the market.

Bottom Line Sharpness: The PLV-Z700 produces a sharp image. It is, for example a bit sharper/crisper, than the Panasonic PT-AE2000U, the Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB, and the more expensive JVC and Sony LCoS projectors. There are other sharp projectors too, though, including the Mitsubishi lineup in general, as well as Optoma, and especially BenQ, which is about as sharp as it gets. I'll give the Mitsubishi HC5500 a slight advantage over the Sanyo.