Panasonic PT-L500U or Sanyo PLV-Z2? (1 Viewer)

[Jackson L]

I cannot decide which projector to get. I have changed my proposed usage habits a bit. At first I wanted to use a projector for all TV viewing even during the day which I don't do often. Now I would use it for after dark TV viewing, DVD's, and Xbox games. Through my research I have narrowed it down to two models. The Panasonic PT-L500U and the Sanyo PLV-Z2. They both have similar brightness ratings which I hear don't mean much. The Sanyo has a 3 year warranty while the Pannasonic has 1 year. The Panasonic has a higher max resolution. According to the comparison review at ProjectorCentral.com the Sanyo's keystone correction is a bit better. Which one would you choose? HERE is a picture of the room. The screen would cover the entire area where the TV, reciever, and DVD player are. That right speaker has recently been moved to the corner.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

The resolution of both units is the same. They both use 1280x720 panels.

The Panny's bulb is rated for longer life at 5000 hr versus 3000 hr for the sanyo. ...

You don't want to use Key on either of these at it softens the image significantly.

The Panny is easier to calibrate out of the box while the Sanyo needs access to the service menu and is more convoluted. Harder to clean dust blobs from the Z2 as opposed to the Panny.

Regards

 

[Jackson L]

Thanks for the reply. According to the reviews I have read the keystone on the Sanyo doesn't soften the image nearly as much. I would need to use the keystone (I think) because the projector would be mounted on the ceiling and the top of the screen is about three feet from the ceiling. The Sanyo also hase an adjustable iris and lens shift. Is the Panasonic that much better? I'm not biased toward either one. In fact, I really like Panasonic products but the Sanyo seems to have some features that might be useful.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Does an apple taste better than an orange ... hmmm? This is what you are asking ... neither unit has any feature that makes it definitively better than the other. It's a draw ... so it won't really matter which you choose. Pick the one that is right for the layout of your room then ...

Regards

 

[Jackson L]

I know it was basicly a draw. I just wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions. If there are any other models I should be looking at please don't hesitate to let me know. As of now it looks like the Sanyo is the one I would get mainly because of the keystone correction that doesn't soften the image.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

It sounds like the Panny 700 and the Sanyo z3 are out of the picture ...

Might consider the BenQ 5120 or the Infocus 4805 DLP units as well. They have better contrast but have fewer pixels though ...

Regards

 

[Jackson L]

What advantage would the Sanyo Z3 hold over the Z2? They seem to have nearly identical specs. The Panasonic PT-L700U specs are almost the same except it has lens shift and a higher brightness rating. Any reason to go with one of those? I may be able to stretch my budget if there is a good reason. I would really like true HD resolution so the BenQ and Infocus wouldn't work. Thanks.

 

[Chris PC]

Higher contrast. Whatever projector you get, compare the picture thoroughly with and without keystoning. You may find that keystone adjustment is un-acceptable. It softens the picture alot with any projector. Its a non-uniform scaling distortion that looks quite bad in most peoples experience.

 

[Scott*B]

Where did you find this info? I own the PT-L500U and everything I've read states the bulb is rated at 2000 hrs at which point you'll get a nag message shortly beforehand saying the bulb life is running out. If it truly has a 5000 hour lamp life I'll be a happy camper. I've had mine about 2 weeks and logged 50 hours on it. We use it as our primary TV in addition to movie watching. I'm gonna put away some funds for a new bulb cause I'll be needing it before I know it I'm sure.

 

[Jackson L]

The Panasonic website states that the bulb will last "up to 5,000 hours".

I have another question. If a projector has lens shift and I were to use it to adjust the picture would I need to use the keystone correction?

 

[DuWayne]

I've had my Z2 since Jan. and love it to death. If you are worried about dust blobs then get the Z3 (as it has special ports for cleaning dust.

If you are angling the projector at all, you will need to usr ketstoning. If you can point it straight (90degrees from wall), then you can use the Lens Shift. Remember that you don't want to go to the extreme ends if you do.

 

[Jackson L]

I would be putting the projector on the ceiling 90 degrees from the wall. So if I used lens shift to move the picture down about 3 feet from the ceiling I wouldn't need keystone correction?