The flood of 1080p projectors at this year’s CEDIA expo continues. Sanyo debuted their own entry on Thursday, an American version of the Japanese LP-Z2000 that was announced days before. The real news, though, is the price: Sanyo’s projector offers many of the same features other manufacturers are pushing at a price that may prove to be one of the lowest so far, at $2,995.99.
Like the other hi-def projectors it competes with, Sanyo’s PLV-Z2000 can display full 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. Although it’s impossible to quantify image quality, contrast ratio plays a major role, and Sanyo’s promised specs of 15,000:1 are high, even higher than the Mitsubishi projector that debuted the day before for $1,000 more. Sanyo also claims the set can project 216 billion color combinations thanks to its 3D color management system, dubbed Topaz Real HD.
A lens shift function allows the Z2000 to adapt to different sized rooms, including very small ones, without having to shrink or distort the picture. It can throw up a 100-inch screen from 10 to 20 feet away. According to Sanyo, lens shifting allows wide-range shifting up or down to three screen sizes and left to right to screen sizes.
The projector’s 1200-lumen bulb is kept cool with a fan that Sanyo claims is the quietest in the industry. The Sirocco fan generates 19dB in economy mode, making it appropriate for smaller home theaters where viewers are seated close to the projector.
The Sanyo PLV-Z2000 will hit shelves in October.
