Sanyo PLV-Z5 Projector Offers High Contrast

Sanyo's new PLV-Z5 home projector offers dual HDMI and component inputs, and a whopping 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

Seems like just last month we were hearing speculation about home theater projectors eventually hitting contrast ratios near 10,000:1—oh, wait, it was just last month—and now electronics maker Sanyo is already pushing its new PLV-Z5 projector out the door, offering dual HDMI and component input, composite and S-video input, 1,280 by 720 resolution, 1,100 ANSI lumens of brightness, and (yes) a contrast ratio up to 10,000:1.

Part of the PLV-Z5’s secret is what Sany’s calling the industry’s first twin-iris system, which integrates both a lens aperture and a lamp aperture. Combined with Sanyo’s TopazReal Technology, the brightness level is blended with the lamp output and the projector’s integrated LCD panels to create a sharper, crisper picture in any scene with a brightness level. Other components include a 12-bit processing IC which “looks ahead” in a a video input stream to look for bright and dark scenes, adjusting the image brightness appropriately. The unit offers a brightness of 1,00 ANSI lumens, and can project the equivalent of a 100-inch screen from a distance of 9.8 feet.

The PLV-Z5 offers dual HDMI and component inputs for hooking up video sources, plus S-video and composite inputs, a 2× zoom and lens shift, and an HD-capable resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels. There’s also a D-sub 15 input for hooking up a Mac or PC.

The PLV-Z5 carries a suggested retail price of $1,695, and should be available now. Through January 31, 2007, Sanyo is offering a $200 mail-in rebate.