Should you get a Projector?
Published by admin under Sanyo PLV Z5 LCD Projector on May 8, 2009Projector vs. Television
I will start by telling you quickly why I chose a projector over a high definition TV. When I moved into my apartment I wanted to have a true movie experience at home. I started by looking at HD televisions with a price range under $2000. I looked at what was available in the stores, and took note of the TV dimensions that were under my price range. I went home and put masking tape on the wall, sat on my couch and looked at a huge, beige painted, ghetto concrete block wall, with a tiny 50” rectangle in the middle.
I realized that wouldn’t be large enough to give me a true movie experience or cover my ugly wall.
What are you using it for?
Another major factor that played into my decision is that I wanted the home theatre only to watch movies. I decided not to get cable TV when I moved into my apartment. I have hooked up my computer on occasion to the projector to have fun playing some computer games which is great, but 99% of the time I am watching movies on it. Video games are great on the projector, but I have only played them a couple of times when my friends have brought their consoles over.
Light conditions
A projector is meant for a dark room. I was a little crazy because I placed my projector in the living room of a sunny 7th floor apartment. However, I worked an afternoon shift and watched movies late at night everyday after coming home from work, so it works for me. The best conditions would be setting the projector up in a room without windows (or completely covered windows) where you can easily control the ambient light.
Buy it now - Sanyo PLV Z60 - LCD projector - 1200 ANSI lumens - 1280 x 720 - widescreen
Beginning my research
Published by admin under Sanyo PLV Z5 LCD Projector on May 8, 2009So after deciding against a television, I decided to take a look at home theatre projectors. At all my local electronics stores they only had one projector at best and I’m not the type to make a large purchase without doing research on it first. So I looked online and found there were lots of different projectors to choose from. Using my price range of under $2000 as a starting point I began my research.
LCD vs. DLP
One of the first differences between projectors I came across was LCD vs. DLP technology. I won’t go into the details but just the pros and cons of each. LCD is generally cheaper but has what is called a ‘screen door effect’. This is where you can see the blacks lines between the pixels that looks like a screen door. DLP generally has better dark levels and shadow detail (more on that later) but some users report a ‘rainbow effect’, this is where they may see swirling color rainbows that are distracting.
My choice was to go for the LCD for the main reason that I had no available DLP projector to test if I would experience a ‘rainbow effect’ and I invite a lot of different friends over to watch movies and I wouldn’t want them to potentially be distracted from the movie experience.
720p vs. 1080i vs. 1080p
My next decision was which resolution I need for my projector. This was mostly an issue of price. If your price range is $5000+ or you want to fill a huge screen or you just really want the best, you will be looking at 1080p projectors. 1080i isn’t a real option but the ‘i’ stands for Interlaced which is the old TV technology and is actually half the resolution. 720p is better resolution than 1080i.
Another major reason I did not choose the 1080p route is that I only watch regular DVDs on my projector. (To get the bet experience with regular DVDs you need the right DVD player, check out my article here.) I don’t own a Blu-ray player yet and I have a large collection of regular DVDs. The 720p for me is a bonus that I will be able to experience high-definition when I do upgrade to Blu-ray. I honestly don’t think that I would be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p Blu-ray unless I had a larger screen.
Throw distance
Another major factor for me was throw distance. This is how close or how far you can place the projector. This was important because I was placing my projector in a small apartment living room. The Sanyo PLV Z5 has one of the best ranges of any projector. To fill a 100” screen up can place the projector as close as 9.8 feet and as far back as 20 feet. I originally had my projector only 11.5 feet away from a 106” screen.
Lens shift
This is also another important feature. Lens shift is the ability to place your projector at a different height relative to the screen and horizontally shifted from the center of the screen. This was also an important feature for me because I knew that I would not be permanently attaching my projector to the ceiling because I was renting my apartment and wanted my damage deposit back. The Sanyo PLV Z5 has the best lens shift you can find for a projector. You can place the projector almost one full screen length above or below the screen and the horizontal shift is just as impressive. This allows you to place this projector virtually anywhere in your room and still get a great picture.
Build Quality
Another important factor for me was build quality and reliability. Sanyo has made 4 previous versions of the PLV Z5, each building successively on the last. And virtually every review I have read of the unit has been extremely positive.
Image Quality
This LCD projector performs exceptionally above its class. The dark levels and shadow detail are actually better than DLP projectors selling for twice the price. (DLP projectors are supposed to have the best dark levels.) For projectors, the blackest black is the color of your screen and dependent on the darkness of your room and the technology of the projector. When light is projected on the screen it can only make the screen brighter so details in shadows are often lost. But the Sanyo PLV Z5 contrast ratio is rated at 10000:1 which is way above the quality at its price range. I read a review that rated it as having the 2nd best black level for all projectors under $10,000!
The sharpness of the image was what impressed me most when I got my Sanyo out of the box. It is crisp and clear, just amazing. Admittedly, this is my first projector, but from all the reviews I have read it beats the pants off all its competitors.
Additional features
- It has an automatic lens cover that opens when you turn it on.
- 2 HDMI ports instead of one. (When I finally get Blu-ray I can both connected at the same time)
- Computer input (which is very easy to use)
- 2 pairs of RCA jacks
- S-video and composite video inputs
- light-up remote control
- Very quiet, 22db
- 3 years parts and labor warranty by Sanyo and they will pay for shipping if repairs needed!
Negative things about the projector
The lamp bulb life is not guaranteed, which is a feature that many other companies provide. But the typical lamp life is about 2000 hours at full power and my bulb is going strong at 1345 hours. Read my article about extending lamp life here.
(Screen shot of lamp bulb hours)
Some people tend to notice a screen door effect. The recommended viewing distance from the screen to avoid seeing the pixels is 1.3 to 1.4 times the screen size. Personally I don’t mind the pixels and don’t notice them at all unless I sit 6 feet from my 106” screen. I sit at a 1:1 distance ratio from my screen because I want a real movie theatre experience. A lot of people have commented that I sit too close but that is really just a personal preference. Some people will prefer to sit further than 1.4 screen widths back.
The Sanyo PLV Z5 has a limited level of brightness when compared to other projectors in its price range. This is really a trade off for the exception dark levels the unit achieves.
The screen you choose should be less than 110”. This is because any larger and you will really start to notice the pixels.
Overall review
The Sanyo PLV Z5 LCD projector is a great home theatre projector for first time buyers and projector buffs alike because of the versatility of its setup, exceptional image quality, Sanyo’s solid reputation for build quality, and the unparalleled value in its price range.
Buy it now - Sanyo PLV Z60 - LCD projector - 1200 ANSI lumens - 1280 x 720 - widescreen
Buying a projector
Published by admin under Sanyo PLV Z5 LCD Projector on May 8, 2009How much I paid for my projector
I paid $1750 for a package that included the Sanyo PLV Z5 LCD projector, a 106” high contrast grey Draper Luma screen, projector mount and HDMI cable.
If I were to buy a projector today
If I were to buy a projector today, I would get Sanyo’s latest model the PLV Z60. It is an improvement on the now discontinued Z5 model. The PLV Z60 has even better dark levels than the Z5! (Which means it is even better for gaming.) The new unit is a charcoal black color which I think looks a lot sleeker. It still comes with all the features of the PLV Z5 and the same three year Sanyo warranty. And the best part is you can get it for less than $1000!
If you have decided the Sanyo PLV Z60 is right for you,
Click on the link to Amazon below:
This is the cheapest price for this projector.
Be sure to check out my other articles below:
Draper Luma 106” WideScreen High Contrast Grey Projector Screen
Jamo 5.1 Home Theatre Speaker System
