It was just last year that SANYO entered the 1080p home theater front projector market with the PLV-Z2000, a projector that Mr. "Big Picture" himself, Joe Lozito liked so much during his review that he bought one. This fall Sanyo is expanding their line, replacing the Z2000 with an improved model PLV-Z3000 and adding a new entry-level 1080p projector, the PLV-Z700 for a previously unheard-of price point of under $2000. Both projector's use Epson's 3LCD technology to produce a full HD 1920x1080 pixel image, but while the Z700 features a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1, the Z3000 uses Epson's latest generation D7 3LCD chipset to produce a dynamic contrast ratio of 65,000:1.

The PLV-Z700 may be bargain-priced, but it doesn't suffer from a lack of features. It offers a new variable iris which adjusts automatically every 1/60 of a second to optimize contrast levels, a wide range of lens shift for flexible installation options, a 2X zoom lens for a wide range of throw distances, and two HDMI 1.3 inputs with full support for Deep Color.

The PLV-Z700 from SANYO, features 1080p resolution for under $2K.

The PLV-Z700 also features SANYO's 3D color management system that addresses changes in color phase and color level to obtain improved color reproduction. Other features include an electronic shutter that protects the lens from dust when not in use, a whisper quiet fan, rated at only 21dB, and five video modes, optimized for different lighting conditions and content and 1200 ANSI Lumens of rated brightness.

SANYO's PLV-Z3000 includes the latest D7 3LCD chip from Epson for enhanced contrast.

The step-up PLV-Z3000 model also includes full HD 1080p resolution, flexible lens shift options, 2 HDMI inputs, a motorized lens cover and 1200 ANSI Lumens of brightness, but that's where the similarities end. Using the latest Epson D7 3LCD chips, the Z3000 offers a whopping 65,000:1 dynamic contrast. The Z3000 also offers the industry's first 5:5 pulldown feature - its 120 Hz frame rate can display 24 frames/second content natively, displaying each frame 5 times to minimize visible flicker. The Z3000 also features SANYO's TopazReal 3D color management system for truer color reproduction.

Both projectors also feature an "anamorphic" mode for use with an external anamorphic lens for Cinemascope (2.35:1) screen installations.  The preliminary specs don't mention this but I pulled up the anamorphic option on the PLV-Z700's menu at a press event in New York so I know it's there.   

The PLV-Z700 will be shipping in October 2008 with a MSRP of $1995. The PLV-Z3000 is expected in December with a list price of $3295.

PLV-Z700 Preliminary Specifications

• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
• Native Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Color range: 1.07 billion (10 bit)
• Brightness: 1,200 ANSI lumens (Dynamic Video Mode)
• Contrast Ratio: 10,000:1 (Dynamic Video Mode)
• Projection Lamp: UHP 165W
• Screen Size: Minimum 40", Maximum 300" (with projection distance of approx 4-60 feet)
• Projection Lens: Manual Zoom 1-2.0x (f=22.6-45.3mm, F2.0-F3.0)
• Video Modes: 5 (Brilliant Cinema/Creative Cinema/Natural/Living/Dynamic)
• Noise output: 21 dB (Cinema Black Mode)
• PC I/O: Mini D-sub 15-pin, analog RGB
• Video Input: HDMI x 2 (ver1.3b w/Deep Color), Component (Y/Cb/Cr) x 2, Composite (RCA) x 1, S-Video x 1
• Dimensions: 15.75 (W) x 5.75 (H) x 13.6 (D) inches
• Weight: 16.5 lbs

PLV-Z3000 Preliminary Specifications

• Contrast Ratio: 65,000:1
• Brightness: 1200 ANSI lumens
• Noise output: 19 dB (economy mode)
• Video Inputs: HDMI 1.3 x 2, Component x 2, D-sub 15pin, Composite (RCA), S-Video
• Control Ports: Mini DIN 8-pin (RS232)
• Dimensions: 15.75 (W) x 5.7 (H) x 13.6 (D) inches
• Weight: 16.5 lbs.

More Information: http://www.SANYOProjectors.com