Customer Reviews

Sanyo PLV-1080HD High Definition 1080p LCD Home Theater Projector

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We had been holding off buying a home theater projector since technology was improving and prices were coming down. I revisited the market this fall, doing some extensive research both online and at the local stores. I came across this Sanyo 1080p projector that seemed promising in its initial reviews -- and certainly was an attractive price point at $1,599. We have a large living room (29' by 16') that we intended to maintain as a multi-purpose living room/home theater. The room has one wall that has floor to ceiling glass with vertical blinds, which allows us to darken the room during daylight but certainly not to pure theater levels. For our situation our local retailers were promoting projectors that would cost $5,000 -- to be coupled with sound system, screen and installation that would push the cost to $10,000 or more. After researching the options, we bit the bullet and ordered this Sanyo 1080p projector from Amazon -- figuring it was cheap enough now that if it turned out to be a mistake we would just live with it for a few years until technology improved and prices came down further. In preparation for its arrival, we had our local cable company upgrade our service to digital which gave us access to their HD programming through their set-top box.

I am delighted to report that we could not be more pleased or impressed with this purchase. We had it up and working within 10 minutes of its arrival, using our white wall for our initial screen. I have to tell you that it looked so good that we decided to make the wall our permanent screen. The up-down and left-right lens shifting allowed us to place the projector about anywhere we wanted -- so my son and I designed a permanent installation with a wall mount near the ceiling. We added a $250 Sony "home theater in a box" for sound, concealed the wires, rearranged the living room furniture and have a complete home theater system for less than $2,000.

And the picture quality? Oustanding! We've set the picture size to the maximum for our room, which provides a picture that is over 6' tall with a 13' diagonal picture size. David Letterman is larger than life, and football games allow you to see the blades of grass and faces in the stands even on wide shots. With the 1080p HD, the "screen door" pixels are very sharp and clear at the wall but are virtually invisible when more than 3' away. The picture is as bright and clear as anything we saw in the local retailer home theater demo rooms -- maybe even better. Ambient light is no more of a problem than it would be with any TV in the room, and we find that we are using this as our primary TV. The setup and operating instructions were clear, setup was simple, the on-screen menus are easy to use, we don't hear the fan, and for our purposes, we can't think of a single thing we would change. If we have a concern, it's that we'll use it so much we'll have to buy that replacement lamp a lot sooner than we would like (3,000 hours they estimate) -- but we're beginning to consider that $300 cost a bargain compared to the entertainment value we're getting.

What on earth is a PLV-1080HD?? If you are looking for a Sanyo PLV-Z700, the 1080HD is the exact same thing with one big difference; a REDUCED WARRANTY.

I had to call Sanyo to figure this out. All the specs are the same as the Z700, except that the 1080HD has a black faceplate instead of grey. The Sanyo rep told me that Amazon wanted their own model number for marketing purposes, so they rebadged the Z700 as the 1080HD exclusively for Amazon. Only one difference I could find: the Z700 has a 3 year warranty and the 1080HD has a 2 year warranty. Bummer! I didn't find this out until I received the 1080HD. Amazon doesn't exactly brag about the reduced warranty. It would have been a hassle sending it back, so I just kept it.

On the upside, Amazon sells the 1080HD for $1600. Everyone else sells the Z700 for $1800 with a $200 rebate to bring it down to $1600. If you hate rebates like I hate rebates, it's nice to not have to deal with it. As long as my 1080HD doesn't break down in the third year, I'm happy.

I'm thrilled with the picture and performance of the 1080HD. Anyone who complains about the picture is either ridiculously picky or they have it set up poorly (or it's defective).

I did have one huge complaint that took me a while to figure out. The Variable Iris is AWFUL! In order to increase the contrast spec for marketing purposes, they have a mechanical barn door mechanism that opens and closes to automatically make dark scenes darker and bright scenes brighter. How can any videophile think that is a good thing? The pumping of the brightness is very obvious and very distracting. It has the exact same effect as overly compressed audio. It makes dark scenes too dark. I say let the filmmaker decide how it should look without the projector second-guessing him 60 times per second.

The good news, the Variable Iris can be shut off. Set the Iris Mode to "Fixed" in the Advanced Menu. The problem I had was that it would only stay shut off until I turned off the projector. The next time I watched, the Variable Iris would be on again. It took me awhile to realize I had to turn it off, and then Store that and all my other preferences as one of the 5 available User Image modes.

Now I'm thrilled to death with the projector. I've been wanting to make the jump to 1080 for years, and I'm so glad I could jump in for only $1600. I doubt very strongly that the 1080 projectors that are selling in the $2500 range have any significant advantage.

This is my first projector and so there is not much I can compare it with.

First the pros:

a) Great value for money. This is the first sub $2k 1080p projector I found.
b) Simple to setup. It has two HDMI and two component inputs. I just plugged the power in hooked up my HD tuner and DVD player in and I was up and running in a couple of minutes.
c) The image is bright, crisp and colorful. On my first attempt I projected the image onto a dark wall and yet I could see a lot of detail and colors.
d) The zoom combined with the vertical and horizontal shifts mean that you can pretty much install it wherever you want and control the size of the image.
e) The lens cover is motorized and shuts off when you power off the device, keeping out unwanted dust.

Cons:

1) The projector is a bit bulky.

I got mine today and hooked it up. Easy to setup, 5 stars there. The menu on the remote is a bit funky, not much though. It just needs a couple extra minutes to adjust to it. After that, it's easy sailing.

Picture Quality, contrast etc?
I don't have a TV in the room so I really have no point of reference other than what I understand to be a good picture based on the couple of plasmas and lcd's I have upstairs. The picture is decent. I projected it onto a light yellow wall and the image was as good as my LCD. Projected onto a screen, this is a very good image. It wasn't cristal clear because I was running Oceans 12 at 480P, still very clear. 5 stars there.

I have 20 pot lights downstairs, with half of them on (see my uploaded pic with Halo 3 http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B001GCUIK8/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all) the picture is still clear - not sure what the fuss is about poor image quality there. To me, the movie was easy to take in with half the lights on. With the lights dimmed, it's that much more beautiful.

It's bigger than I thought it would be. There's no way this will blend into a ceiling, won't happen. Get used to it. I'm not bothered by it because, how many people stare at your ceiling anway? 3 stars.

I didn't get a co-ax plug-in. Bummer. Still, there's ample s-video, component and hdmi to keep me occupied. 5 stars.

This projector runs hot. I spent a few hours installing it into the ceiling and I can tell it needs to be well ventilated. However, the fan is not loud enough to be noticeably. 4 stars

The problem.
This thing has no key stone (sp?) correction - at least that is what the tech support guy said it was. The projector must sit horizontal. If it is not, the projected image follows the angle so you end up with a projected angle that doesn't fit square into the frame of the projector screen. That bothered me because I could see black edges on the image before the black images on the projector frame.

Tech support didn't know how to fix it. What I had to do, which worked really well, was to set the projector plumb horizontal and use the lenses shift to move the image down and across to fit the screen. I played with the zoom (contrast was already spot on) until the image fit perfectly into the projector frame. That fiddling took about 2 hours to be honest. I couldn't drop the project lower down from the ceiling beccause of space issues - that would have worked as well. 3 stars.

All in all?
If I had 2 grand, I'd buy it again without even thinking about it. It's that good. The issues I ran into had work-arounds - except one which turned out to be really nasty. X-box 360 has a black level setting. The extended black option setting caused the component 1 input to cast nasty green lines. And it just would not go away. I finally figured out that it was the black level setting. After reverting to normal setting, the image came back.

At this point, I wouldn't drop money on a 720 projector, it's a bad investment giving the rate at which technology is moving. I wouldn't spend more money than 2 grand on a projector either because I don't edit movies for living and I don't work in a movie studio so I don't need a ferarri projector - not many of us do.

This projector works for me because I can run my computer through it and work on a 120 inch screen without fuzzy fonts, I can watch movies in all their splendor when I am bored, and the rest of the time, Xbox puts it to plenty of use.

I absolutely love this projector. I first bought one that was advertised as 1080p "compatible" and boy was I let down. I didn't realize that didn't mean it would project that image, only that it would RECEIVE that strong of a signal and then project at it's own native resolution. I sent that one back and bought the Sanyo, or as I like to call it "Old Beautiful" The image quality is SO GOOD. We have a 42inch 1080p LCD TV downstairs and the picture is just as good, only FOUR TIMES the size! For us men, Big TV is like Big Steak or Big Beer or Big whatever! Other reviewers mentioned not having a keystone correction but it has no need of one because it has this handy dial that will shift the image as far up or down as you might need. just lay the unit level and adjust the dials to put the image exactly where you want it. VERY easy. and the zoom lense lets you even DOUBLE the image size without ever moving the unit. I have it set up in my movie room with a projection distance of about 11 feet. With the zoom all the way out I get FULL USE out of my 120" 16:9 screen. Let me say, 120" of Hi-Def Master Chief is stinkin' ridiculous! (That's XBOX for anyone that doesn't know.) I have a 1080p upconverting DVD player hooked up and movies are fantastic. I do plan to pick up a Blu-Ray player but don't have it yet. My laptop is also plugged in so videos on my computer are displayed beautifully. My XBOX 360 and DVD player are both hooked up with HDMI cables. The only downside to this projector is that it doesn't have an AUDIO output. That means that if I want to use HDMI, and that is the best signal transfer, I also need to run AUDIO to my stereo. Not a big deal if your devices have both HDMI output and a separate AUDIO output. The XBOX 360 has the regular plug and the HDMI plug right next to each other, which doesn't leave enough room for both the regular cables, to run the audio to the stereo, and the HDMI to run to the projector. My solution for this was to remove the housing on the plug of the HDMI cable and carefully shove it in at the same time as the regular plug. Anyway, long story long, I made it work and I am so very pleased. I would HIGHLY recommend this product and would buy it again... but hopefully I won't have to. Oh ya, and the remote and menus and controls are all very simple and make perfect sense. I'm sure even my 13 year old son could figure it out. I hope he doesn't try. This is Dad's toy!

I have a 1080P and a 720P HD Plasma in my house as well as another 720P projector so ordering this thing was a no brainer when building my dedicated theater. I was however a bit concerned that other positive reviews on here were a bit overstated and the unit may not have been put through the level of scrutiny I was about to unleash on this unit after I opened and unpacked it from the box. Out of box experience: This unit is packed very nice and it's very simple to grasp what needs to go where. Install: Not a ton of setup here just hang it from the ceiling change the pic format to now be upside right (ceiling setting) and adjust focus, angle and size/ throw. The unit does not have a keystone adjuster but this is easily remedied by tilting/ angling the unit upwards higher than normal and adjusting the vertical lens adjuster/ control back down to center the pic your screen. Operation: The unit is way quite with hardly any noise at all, it does not seem to run as hot or as loud as my 720P unit. Very nice backlit remote is well laid out with all the right quick buttons on it. On Screen Menu is easy for even the non-audiophiles and adjustments are easy as well. Quality: I am blown away that this thing only costs what it did from Amazon, this unit has made me re-think all of my pre-order reservations and jitters. Very good build quality and it has an auto lens door making it even more of bonus, plenty of input options here as well. Overall: I love this unit and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking at obtaining a projector, the performance for price just can't be matched. Every audiophile / A/V friend that has stopped by does not want to leave after minutes of viewing this unit's epic picture and many have said this setup has destroyed their (now) sub-par HD home viewing. I am using the Elite 120" fixed CineWhite screen also bought here (link - Elite Screens EzFrame Fixed Frame Projection Screen, 16:9 Aspect Ratio - 120in. (Cine White)) and between this unit and the screen the viewing is every bit as good as my 1080P 55" HD Plasma running Blu Ray or HD cable. I do not work for Amazon, Sanyo or Elite and I have no reason for telling you this unit is simply "it" other than I hope my review helps you to get with the program and buy this unit if you're in the market for one - I'm kicking myself for not doing so sooner. Thank you Sanyo for hitting the mark on this one, the performance you offer here and the price is on point!

Cons: My original unit had to be replaced with another new unit, the first one had some bulb/ IC issues (I think) giving off a burning smell and powering down on its own with a fail indication. HOWEVER I would NOT trade this new unit for anything PERIOD!!!! The exchange with Amazon was painless minus a few days for the new exchange and now I am as blown away as all my friends every time I turn it on. No issues with this new replacement unit whatsoever. Lets face it this is technology we are talking about and everything you can buy retail will never have a 100% perfect quality control factor or an MTBF rating that is flawless - everything made has defects on some level. A majority of the time companies get it right and sometimes parts may fail on one in every so many units its just part of life. Sanyo has produced a great machine here and I encourage you to buy it. .

I bought this projector since I noticed trough research the problems with zooming on Epson. I love it the minute I crank it up!. I have combined it with a Bose V20 and use Bose 161 speakers as rear surround using the wireless device provided by Bose. I can't be more happier with my Movie Room, Watched Monsters Inc Blu-ray with the kids and could'nt believe the crisp images it reproduces.
One of the best single purchase ever.

Totally recomend it.

Update 10-01-2009: If you are planing using this projector for rear projection I totally recomend using a Wireless HDMI transmitter (WHDMI), you going to get rid of those messy cables and a long run for HDMI cable wich if extended over 35 ft one may lose signal in some cases. One good option is Brite View's Air HDMI. It worked fine for me.

This is a one of a kind purchase, your money will be well spent. it's like bringing the movies to your house. the picture quality is superb especially since I'm projecting from a beige wall. if your shopping for a big screen TV for your living room this projector is your best bet, it's lighter and the picture quality is absolutely superb. since buying this projector every Friday and Saturday night it's movie night @ Jeff's house. very very easy to set up Great Great Great Buy!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful. Set up is as easy as plugging it in. The HD picture looks great, even against a white wall when projected from about 10'. Still looks decent when moderate room lights are on. Had to put my hand up to the unit to see if the fan was running because it is so quiet. The multiple input options are handy too. I highly recommend this projector.

I purchased this unit in December of 2008 and have been more than pleased with it. The first thing I did was look for a calibration guide on-line so it would be perfect. After doing that I tweaked it a little bit so it fit my eye for optimal enjoyment. I have thoroughly enjoyed this product and would purchase another IF I HAD TO! I was reluctant to write a review, because knowing my luck that is when the problems will begin. Thus far I have had zero complaints. I have a dedicated home theater room in my basement with no ambient light so I can't comment on anything other than a dark setting. I will say that to do this product justice you should suck it up and buy a descent screen. I got a 120" silver frame permanent mounted screen from overstock and it made the projector. Shining it on the wall was pretty crappy so if your going to throw down some change on this you better have some extra for a screen. The picture quality is still excellent and of course all my buddies and folks who drop by are very impressed with it. I mounted mine to the ceiling and watch it at least 4 times a week for several hours at a time. 1080p is very impressive and even 720p football games and 1080i direct tv movies are phenomenal. I certainly recommend this product for a budget 1080p projector.......it makes me wonder how much better those "expensive" ones really are. If you are concerned about the projector being loud, don't be with this product. I am amazed at how quiet this is. The only thing "loud" or audible to be more specific is when the lens cover slides open and closed when turning on and off the projector. The fan is very quiet and the unit does not run hot. So if you want a good projector to enjoy movies or tv at home in a dark environment then this is the product for you.