OFFICIAL Sanyo Z3 thread [Text View] - Page 4

jaggernaut1

04-19-05, 08:52 AM

Newbie here - first post. Need expert or experienced opinion(s) on the Z3 and room setup.

I'm thinking of the following setup:

Z3 @ 10-14' from 100" or 106" diagonal screen. Seating @ 11' and 15'. I will have complete lighting control, but my wife likes a little indirect lighting when she watches with me.

1) Is 106" too big? will seating @ 11' see screendoor effect? 100"?

2) What throw distances are ideal for 100", 106"? Sanyo.com calculator does not include the Z3.

3)What gain should I look for in a screen?

4) I am looking for a recommendation on where to buy the Z3. I've seen some places online for $1600, but want to be certain they are reputable with quality service. Same goes for the screen. My budget for the screen is about $400.

Thanks a lot. This forum is great!

jaggernaut1

nickbuol

04-19-05, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by jaggernaut1
Newbie here - first post. Need expert or experienced opinion(s) on the Z3 and room setup.

I'm thinking of the following setup:

Z3 @ 10-14' from 100" or 106" diagonal screen. Seating @ 11' and 15'. I will have complete lighting control, but my wife likes a little indirect lighting when she watches with me.

1) Is 106" too big? will seating @ 11' see screendoor effect? 100"?

2) What throw distances are ideal for 100", 106"? Sanyo.com calculator does not include the Z3.

3)What gain should I look for in a screen?

4) I am looking for a recommendation on where to buy the Z3. I've seen some places online for $1600, but want to be certain they are reputable with quality service. Same goes for the screen. My budget for the screen is about $400.

Thanks a lot. This forum is great!

jaggernaut1

OK. Since nobody else has responded yet, I thought that I would take a few minutes and give some initial answers.
1) I am sitting at 11.5' (from my eyes to the screen, not from the front of the couch), and I have 104". This is bigger than most people recommend, but I have no screen door problems, however, I am not sure that I would want anything bigger. Depends on the video format. HDTV looks VERY LARGE, but wide format movies (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc) look great! 106" isn't much larger vertically an horizontally than what I have, so you might be OK. You will most likely want the Z3 mounted about 12.5' from the screen to get a good screen size and to get it mounted slightly behind you so it doesn't seem like it is right above your head.

2) For the calculator, go to http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sanyo-PLV-Z3-projection-calculator-pro.htm

3) This is a preference thing. I asked the same question and got the same vague answer I just gave. Some people like the high contrast grey (around .85 gain) material, others like a brighter white (around 1.4 gain) material, and others go with plain old matte white (1.0 gain).

I struggled for a while with this. I liked the black levels of the high contrast grey, but it was missing the "punch" and bright whites. Now, this may have been because I was doing side by side tests with materials, so the grey looked, well, grey compared to the white samples I had. If I had known nothing else, and only had the grey sample, my mind may have been fooled into thinking that the whites were actually white, and not a "dirty" greyish white color.

I ended up with a Carada screen, and they can send you free 9"x11" samples of their three materials. Even if you don't go with them, you will still have an idea.

4) BEWARE OF THE LOW BALL SHOPS! (you can read my horror story here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=522572 )
I got burned by a low balling place because I was going soley by price. In the end I went with an AVS forum sponsor and was SUPER happy with them. They price match any other authorized reseller too, so you really can't go wrong with them. I can't tell you their price as that violates the forum rules, but I can tell you their initials. Look for a grey button at the top of this forum screen with a vendor by the name of V. A.
As for a screen, it depends on what you want. I went with a fixed screen after hearing horror stories of pull down screens getting waves and wrinkles unless you get some of the really high end ones. Some people have done really great DIY screens. I have also heard of people making their own frame, and then buying a cheap pull down screen, and cutting it off of the roller and mounting it to their fixed frame. That gives them a good surface material with no waves. Another guy here (Sirquack) bought some Dazian screen material on eBay and made his own frame. I have yet to see it myself, but that is another low cost option.

Good luck!

DanLW

04-19-05, 09:05 PM

Jaggernaut, since you are in the market, do me a favor. I'm trying to see if LCD Projector manufacturers are like LCD monitor manufacturers or not. You see, with an LCD monitor, warranties won't cover you for dead pixels unless there are 3-5 of them. And it gets worse in the case of stuck pixels.

As you do your research, see if you can get a pixel policy, preferrably written, on what Sanyo's warranty policy is. I was told at a Home Theater store today that they replace on 1 dead or stuck pixel, but I'd like to see that in writing. The pixel policies could very well effect wether I go with LCD or DLP. I'd prefer the Z3 because of the excellent price point, but if I run the risk of staring at a dead or stuck pixel, I'll probably go with the more expensive InFocus 7205. I have an old school DLP projector with a 1X color wheel, and am not suceptible to rainbows, nor has anybody who has watched a movie on my projector complained. Of course, I can see the rainbow if I move my eyes fast enough, but I don't usually watch movies after drinking ten cups of coffee.

Dan

nickbuol

04-19-05, 10:00 PM

Originally posted by jaggernaut1

I will have complete lighting control, but my wife likes a little indirect lighting when she watches with me.

jaggernaut1

I forgot to mention this before, but if you have any light on in the room it is going to impact the screen image. Trust me, if this is your first front projection system, you will find out soon enough that there is no need for other lighting, as your screen will reflect a lot of light into your room.

Speaking of screen reflecting light. The color of your walls, floor, and ceiling will impact room light. I have a white ceiling, and until I completely finish my basement, I have just white sealer (like a hard paint) on my cement floor. I get a LOT of light reflection from these two area, but the picture is still amazing.

Good luck!

jaggernaut1

04-19-05, 11:14 PM

Thanks for the input nickbuol! I plan on a projector friendly color scheme in the finished basement.

Thanks for the warning on the lowball shop. I am perfectly comfortable going with a reputable dealer like the one you eluded to, and their price is right in line with my budget.

I'll just have to do some research on the screen. I'm very comfortable with building my own frame if I can get some good material. I'll probably go with a 1.1 or 1.2 gain. I'll have to see what I find.

Do you watch any standard satellite TV (4:3) on it? How is that?

Thanks!

Dan - I'll post anything I find on the warranty.

nickbuol

04-21-05, 10:38 AM

I have not watched any standard TV on it yet. That is on my list of things to hook up after I get through a few "family" projects around the house. (My wife says that I have spent too much time lately in the basement working on the theater, and I need to do some things for/with the family. She is probably right!)

Anyway, last night I did some landscaping work, the night before I changed the brakes in her minivan, I need to put up a new basketball pole and hoop (tonight), and build my oldest daughter (11yrs) a "cat ramp" so her cat can get up on her loft bed. Only then will I be able to pipe our Dish Sat. feed to the Z3. After that, I am going to do some good, hard research on over the air HDTV. I have heard (maybe only once, though) of someone watching regular TV on their Z3 and they said that the picture was really good. Not sure what they were using for a source (cable, satellite, over the air, etc) as I am sure that it makes a difference.

wicked_ride

04-21-05, 01:06 PM

i am canadian and got the z3..building my basement currenlty for it. I seen it in action and WOW!

pinkfloydhomer

04-21-05, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by enier
Press and hold the power button to show the lamp hours.

On the remote or on the machine? I tried on the remote with no luck.

/David

Jeremy Anderson

04-21-05, 02:33 PM

It works on both the remote and the unit itself on my Z3. But you have to hold it for like 30 seconds.

enier

04-21-05, 05:18 PM

Forgot to mention to hold it long enough...

Allan Jayne

04-22-05, 07:41 AM

On another thread on this forum, pertaining to another LCD projector comparable to the 'Z3, someone mentioned "peekaboo scan lines".

Could someone explain it for me: Is "peekaboo scan lines" an actual array of 360 thin black lines, every other row of pixels on this 720p native projector, seen for a fleeting moment as if we were looking at an old fashioned interlaced CRT picture? Or is it just a dozen or so thin black lines across the screen evenly spaced throughout the picture? (Either way it is annoying)

As far as relevance to the 'Z3, has "peekaboo scan lines" been observed with the 'Z3?

Disclord

04-22-05, 10:16 AM

The "Peek-a-boo" scanlines are like seeing an interlaced image momentarily - my Sanyo Z1 had it but then I quit noticing it and just saw the progressive image - the Z3 doesn't have it at all - not even my partner has seen them, nor can I make them appear by moving my eyes vertically up or down the screen. They are really not scanlines per-se, but look like it - they are inherent in LCD technology and I've even seen them on portable LCD screens.

Cheers!
Ty C. :-)
________
Can you cry for a shadow?
Can you cry for a heart crying out for you?
Can you cry for a shadow?
I've cried for a few.

Allan Jayne

04-22-05, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by Disclord
The "Peek-a-boo" scanlines are like (snip)
Thanks.

BobLeedom

04-22-05, 11:33 PM

My Z3 will be arriving early next week. I'm trying to prepare the installation, which involves cutting a hole in the wall of a room adjacent to the theater, because the projector will be on a shelf, beaming through the hole.

Problem: because of room geometry and desired screen size, the projector needs to be nearly sticking out of the hole. But the space between the wall's two-by-fours is only 14.75 inches. Therefore, the front 3.5 inches of the 14-inch-wide projector will be sitting snugly between those two studs.

I can't tell from the (downloaded) manual exactly where the hot air will exhaust from the grilles on the sides. If the heat comes out, say, 4 inches back, then I'm fine--the entire room is available for venting. But if the heat comes out the sides at the very front, I could be asking for trouble. The messy solution for said trouble would be to do a partial stud-ectomy to give the heat a place to go.

So, current Z3 owners, a question: from exactly how far forward does the heat come out?

Jeremy Anderson

04-23-05, 01:35 AM

Pretty near the front. If it were me, I wouldn't risk it.

BobLeedom

04-23-05, 02:00 AM

Jeremy Anderson answered...
Pretty near the front. If it were me, I wouldn't risk it.

Rats. Not what I wanted to hear, but at least I can spend the weekend getting ready properly instead of getting the bad news upon initial turnon of the Z3.

I appreciate your speedy response.

Jeremy Anderson

04-23-05, 12:20 PM

No problem. In fact, the vent is pretty much the front half of the left side of the projector (when facing the lens).

Given the Z3's zoom, why couldn't you bring it forward through the wall so that the vent just clears the studs?

Ricketty Rabbit

04-23-05, 01:20 PM

Originally posted by DanLW
Jaggernaut, since you are in the market, do me a favor. I'm trying to see if LCD Projector manufacturers are like LCD monitor manufacturers or not. You see, with an LCD monitor, warranties won't cover you for dead pixels unless there are 3-5 of them. And it gets worse in the case of stuck pixels.

As you do your research, see if you can get a pixel policy, preferrably written, on what Sanyo's warranty policy is. I was told at a Home Theater store today that they replace on 1 dead or stuck pixel, but I'd like to see that in writing. The pixel policies could very well effect wether I go with LCD or DLP. I'd prefer the Z3 because of the excellent price point, but if I run the risk of staring at a dead or stuck pixel, I'll probably go with the more expensive InFocus 7205.

Dan

Don't know if this is too late for you, but there is no mention of pixel defects in my warranty. I asked the retailer what Sanyo's policy is (in Canada) and he said Sanyo sometimes replaces, but decides whether to replace or not on a case-by-case basis. He said they will replace for one dead or stuck pixel if it is in a distracting location on the screen, but not for one near an edge.

One well-known internet projector retailer I contacted said they would un-box and run the projector before shipping it to me to ensure there are no dead pixels. In the end, I went with a Canadian retailer to get a Canadian warranty, and also because allowing the retailer to open the box risks the retailer shipping you a returned projector. At any rate, there are no dead or stuck pixels on mine, and I'm delighted with the complete lack of VB.

Ricketty

Ricketty Rabbit

04-23-05, 01:36 PM

I apologize for this newbie question, but after reading many threads on the topic, I haven't been able to find an answer.

I have an older DVD player (Panasonic DVD-RV65) that has neither progressive scan nor interlacing. The specs say it has no 3:2 pulldown. I'm running it to my Z3 through component cables.

Am I likely to get noticeably better PQ if I buy a new progressive scan DVD player, and using my existing component cables? How about with a new progressive scan player using HDMI?

Thanks,

Ricketty

Allan Jayne

04-23-05, 04:16 PM

I would be interested in what the manufacturer's tolerances or performance specifications are for:

2. Misconvergence (I saw one picture, in a thread reply, of at least a whole pixel's discrepancey somewhere on this forum. To me, a white line one pixel wide should have all three color components within a 1.5 pixel width.

3. Nonuniformity of color, such as greenish or reddish patches in a solid gray field.

>>> older DVD player without progressive and therefore without 3-2 pulldown [recognition and retention].

One review of the PLV-Z3 I saw (on a dealer's web site) said that "you don't need an external scaler such as an iScan HD". This would indicate that the PLV-Z3 can do the de-interlacing quite well and you don't need a progressive player. In addition some progressive players do a poor job of de-interlacing.

nickbuol

04-23-05, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by Ricketty Rabbit
I apologize for this newbie question, but after reading many threads on the topic, I haven't been able to find an answer.

I have an older DVD player (Panasonic DVD-RV65) that has neither progressive scan nor interlacing. The specs say it has no 3:2 pulldown. I'm running it to my Z3 through component cables.

Am I likely to get noticeably better PQ if I buy a new progressive scan DVD player, and using my existing component cables? How about with a new progressive scan player using HDMI?

Thanks,

Ricketty

I noticed an increase in PQ when I went from a cheap Memorex progressive scan DVD player that I picked up new for $25 at Christmas to my recent Pannasonic S97 which is both progressive scan and upconverting. I don't see much difference in the PQ of the upconverted HDMI and non-upconverted component video on the S97 (thanks to the good scaler built in to the Z3) but the S97 is just a better DVD player all around than what I was using before, so I am still very happy with the purchase. In fact, I actually have it defaulted to letting the S97 upconvert the video over the Z3 doing it, so I guess it is of some value.

Either way, the Z3 and S97 combination is very, very good!

DanLW

04-24-05, 01:52 AM

Originally posted by Ricketty Rabbit
Don't know if this is too late for you, but there is no mention of pixel defects in my warranty. I asked the retailer what Sanyo's policy is (in Canada) and he said Sanyo sometimes replaces, but decides whether to replace or not on a case-by-case basis. He said they will replace for one dead or stuck pixel if it is in a distracting location on the screen, but not for one near an edge.

Thanks for the info! It's not too late yet, and won't be until probably late this year. I don't really like that policy as it seems arbitrary. And unfortunately, I can't go three years into the future and see how many Z3 owners in this forum eventually end up with a dead/stuck pixel. I may post a question in the general forum to see how many LCD owners in general wind up with a dead/stuck pixel. That's my main concern for an LCD device. On that note, I wonder if any DLP owners have a dead mirror?

If Sanyo indeed doesn't have a 100% pixel guarantee, I wonder if the manufacturers of the $5000+ boutique projectors do have a 100% pixel guarantee?

As for opening the box, I think if I do buy online I would request that it be viewed to ensure pixel perfection before it is shipped. But I'm hoping I can find a Sanyo dealer in Denver so that I can simply check the projector out myself before I buy. (Any of you know of a Denver Sanyo dealer? The Sanyo website's dealer locator doesn't work as the E-mail of the person who is supposed to refer dealers is no longer valid)

Dan

Allan Jayne

04-24-05, 07:21 AM

Originally posted by Ricketty Rabbit
One well-known internet projector retailer I contacted said they would un-box and run the projector before shipping it to me to ensure there are no dead pixels. In the end, I went with a Canadian retailer to get a Canadian warranty, and also because allowing the retailer to open the box risks the retailer shipping you a returned projector.
If the projector is perfect to you but was a returned unit, you probably don't care. But the dealer has no incentive in sending out a returned projector that will be returned again for the same reason it was returned the first time, dead pixels or whatever.

Anyone able/want to post experiences with bad convergence?

Disclord

04-24-05, 10:23 AM

>>One well-known internet projector retailer I contacted said they would
>>un-box and run the projector before shipping it to me to ensure there
>>are no dead pixels. <<

That would be Projector People? I've bought two projectors from them and had them QC both and was absolutely delighted with their service. They make a note on the invoice and put a sticker on the box that the projector has been QC'd for stuck/dead pixels, dust blobs, etc... Considering Sanyo's replacement policy, I prefer my projector be checked out before shipping.

Ricketty Rabbit

04-25-05, 12:46 AM

Originally posted by Disclord
>>One well-known internet projector retailer I contacted said they would
>>un-box and run the projector before shipping it to me to ensure there
>>are no dead pixels. <<

That would be Projector People?

Bingo. Nice to hear they're well regarded.

Ricketty

DanLW

04-25-05, 10:59 PM

How about convergence? Would they oblige if you specify that you want spot on convergence with no more than half-pixel misconvergence? How about quarter pixel or less? How well do your Sanyo projectors "line up"?

Allan Jayne

04-26-05, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by DanLW
How about convergence? Would they oblige if you specify that you want spot on convergence with no more than half-pixel misconvergence? ...
Alas I am not confident the person who inspects the projector may not mistake chromatic aberration of the lens for misconvergence -- unless he is a projector technician as opposed to a salesman. I can tell, but I cannot describe the difference in words concisely.

I don't mind receiving the projector, checking it out myself, and paying shipping to send it back and get it exchanged. But I don't want someone telling me "it is within spec. (which spec. I cannot find out in advance)" or "what do you expect for $2499, $2999, etc." and refusing to satisfy me or refund my money.

CT_Wiebe

04-27-05, 01:13 AM

The pixel warrantee on the IF7205 isn't any different than the Z3. The last PJ, under $3500, that had a zero dead pixel guarantee was the Panny L300. That policy has been dropped from most PJs.

BobLeedom

04-27-05, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by Jeremy Anderson on 23 April 05
Given the Z3's zoom, why couldn't you bring it forward through the wall so that the vent just clears the studs?
Aesthetics, mainly. I want the effect of being in a theater with an adjoining projector room--so all you see is a hole in the wall. A secondary reason is to keep the fan noise out of the viewing room, although I understand that the Z3 is (or can be, depending on setting) extremely quiet.

Finally, my engineering pride doesn't want to be hurt by an apparent flaw in the pre-purchase calculations: I don't want my design plan to be so obviously compromised.

POST-INSTALLATION NOTE: Hole in wall is cut; Z3 is sitting on its little shelf. Turns out that if I dial the zoom down to nuthin' (that is, 1.00) and push the projector just a leeeetle bit in between the studs (maybe 3/4 inch), I can get the 110" diagonal picture on the bare (wood-paneled) wall. When the screen arrives in a few days, if it can be mounted such that it's maybe 3/4 inch away from the wall, the projector should be able to be pulled back completely free of the studs for care-free ventilation.

Man, this theater came out VERY close to the design plan...haven't used this much trigonometry in years!

Bob Leedom

CT_Wiebe

04-28-05, 02:37 AM

I Know the feeling. Mount the screen an inch off the wall and you're home free!

Happy HT-ing :D.

silroc

04-28-05, 06:28 PM

cut through the stud - you have plenty holding up the walls :)

BobLeedom

04-30-05, 11:48 PM

Have any Sanyo PLV users (Z3 and Z2, at least) tried creating a personalized logo screen to be called up with the My-Picture control instead of the Sanyo logo?

I'd be interested in ideas for this graphic image, how you created it, and how it looks. My thinking is that this is the poor man's answer to the customized intro movie you can have made and put on DVD (a setup that won't work for me because I have only a single-DVD drive, and no good way to switch in a second DVD player).

Jeremy Anderson

04-30-05, 11:55 PM

I just use a still of Darla tapping on the fish tank in Finding Nemo. But now that you mention it, that would be kind of cool. I may have to do a little Photoshop work and hook my PC up to my Z3 long enough to capture it.

Allan Jayne

05-01-05, 12:58 AM

Originally posted by silroc
cut through the stud - you have plenty holding up the walls :)
I disagree. A slight sag from above could occur, causing the nails that hold the wallboard to the stud to start to rip through the wallboard in turn causing dimples to appear. In some cities, homes with 2x6 studs have them spaced 24 inches apart rather than 16 and if a stud is cut you have a 48 inch unsupported span.

nickbuol

05-01-05, 01:03 AM

Originally posted by BobLeedom
Have any Sanyo PLV users (Z3 and Z2, at least) tried creating a personalized logo screen to be called up with the My-Picture control instead of the Sanyo logo?

I'd be interested in ideas for this graphic image, how you created it, and how it looks. My thinking is that this is the poor man's answer to the customized intro movie you can have made and put on DVD (a setup that won't work for me because I have only a single-DVD drive, and no good way to switch in a second DVD player).

I've played around with this. I used my laptop connected up to the Z3, and after playing with it for a while, I found that if I create an image in Photoshop, put it in DVD format, and then play it with my DVD player (Panny S97) and THEN capture it. That was the combination that yielded the best results because the Z3 could capture the image at a higher resolution.

silroc

05-01-05, 12:40 PM

Originally posted by Allan Jayne
I disagree. A slight sag from above could occur, causing the nails that hold the wallboard to the stud to start to rip through the wallboard in turn causing dimples to appear. In some cities, homes with 2x6 studs have them spaced 24 inches apart rather than 16 and if a stud is cut you have a 48 inch unsupported span.

it was a joke

BobLeedom

05-03-05, 12:40 AM

Originally posted by nickbuol
... if I create an image in Photoshop, put it in DVD format, and then play it with my DVD player (Panny S97) and THEN capture it [,]... that yielded the best results because the Z3 could capture the image at a higher resolution.
I thought the Z3 would only grab 1024 by 768, no matter what you do. That was all I got, and I was a bit disappointed that my splash screen wouldn't fill the 16:9 image space the way the default Sanyo logo does. Were your results any different? [If so, I may finally have found a reason to let my Mac burn DVDs.]

Nevertheless, "Welcome to Stevens Valley Cinema...Enjoy The Show" on a predominantly red background [called "Light Fountain", swiped from PowerPoint] does look pretty cool, I think. And then when I hit the button and a true HD picture from some ComCast channel fills the eight-foot wide screen...well, it's just awesome.

Bob Leedom

BobLeedom

05-03-05, 01:08 AM

Thanks, all, for the stud-cutting discussion, but I didn't have to do it. With the appreciable fraction of an inch that the screen stands away from the wall, I was able to move the Z3 completely (albeit barely) away from the studs. So the picture is being projected across the 14-foot room through the hole in the wall, and the Z3 is sitting on a shelf in the adjoining room one stud-depth away from that opening.

The Zoom is dialed all the way down to 1.00 and it just exactly fills the 110"-diagonal screen size. From the 12-foot viewing distance, absolutely NO screen-door effect is visible. (Starts to be seen at maybe 9 feet, I think, if you're looking closely.)

Incidentally, I made the hole in the wall 5 inches high and 9 inches wide, thus covering the entire height of the projector, but only the width from the right edge [as you look into the lens] to just past the sensor for the remote. From a projection point of view, the height of this hole is overkill, but it does allow me to reach into the hole from the screening room to flip the front cover open or closed. (Wish I could say I planned it that way.)

Also, I bought nice 20-foot RGB cables (Blue Jeans brand) to connect the DVD player and the HD decoder. What I didn't realize was how freakin' heavy these high-class cables would be! As a result, they exert a tension on the projector--which, remember, is just sittin' there on the shelf--and are therefore able to pull it out of position if the projector is bumped even a little bit....such as when I flip the cover open or closed. So my super simple installation is going to need some modification either to relieve the cable tension or to clamp the projector and shelf in position. For now, though, the wall's hole is big enough that I can reach through and hold the projector still with one hand while I flip the cover with the other.

Hope the above notes prove useful for someone else who's just in the planning stages.

Bob

jaggernaut1

05-03-05, 09:40 AM

Thanks for the info Bob, this is very helpful as I am mid construction but have yet to determine my screen size.

Let me confirm what you are saying.

You have a 14' throw distance with a 110" diagonal screen on 1.00 zoom.
Screen Door appears at about 9' from the screen and closer.

This is very close to my planned setup, though I am building a concealed shelf above my main seating area for the Z3, rather than behind. Main seating will be 14.5' from screen to head, with additional (big beanbag chairs) in front at about 9-10'. My throw distance can be anywhere from 12-14'. So it sounds like I can go 110" diagonal with no worries. I was originally thinking 106". Since I am planning a DIY blackout screen, I guess I can start big and always reuse the cloth if I need to go smaller.

My main concern has been the seating in that 9-10' range and SDE.

Any thoughts or reassurance?

BobLeedom

05-03-05, 10:39 AM

jaggernaut --

I wanted the Z3 in the other room (behind the viewer) for quietness, aesthetics, and simplicity of projector mount. My concern had always been that I'd end up with too large a screen for the room, and the on-line projector calculator had (correctly, I now know) showed that I would not be able to get anything smaller than 110" diag from my throw distance.

I just measured the installation (trying to keep my metal tape from sagging): it came out to 14' 6.25" from face of screen to face of projector (with lens cover closed). Zoom is down to 1.0 to keep the picture on the 110" screen--during my final adjustment I might have had to touch the lever ever so gently to get it just right, so maybe it's not at the very bottom of the zoom, but it's darn close.

Screen Door is not there at all where my seats are, with head position at 13' (or 12' if you lean forward in the big comfy chairs, but why would you do that?). I can't say that I measured the distance to the SD effect precisely...just got off the chair and moved forward a bit to look for it, and it was in the 9' area that I was able to see it in certain areas of the image, but maybe only because I was looking for it.

About your setup, you said...
...Main seating will be 14.5' from screen to head, with additional (big beanbag chairs) in front at about 9-10'. My throw distance can be anywhere from 12-14'. So it sounds like I can go 110" diagonal with no worries. I was originally thinking 106". ...

My main concern has been the seating in that 9-10' range and SDE.
I agree, no worries on achieving either of your screen sizes or on SDE for your main seats, but the beanbaggers at 9-10' might see the SDE on the 110 (or larger) screen...depends on what they're watching and how picky they are.

HTH,

Bob

Ricketty Rabbit

05-04-05, 08:54 PM

I'm posting to say how pleased I am with my Z3 after a month. After adapting my ceiling mount, expanding my DIY ME screen to 108 inch 16:9, tweaking the projector, and setting up my 5 year-old DVD player for optimum PQ, I'm blown away by the quality of the image. The biggest boost in image quality came from selecting the "cinema dark" option on my DVD player to accentuate black levels. Wow! The blacks and shadow details on the 2 DVDs I've watched after finding this setting have been terrific. This is so much better than my old PJ (NEC LT155) and other PJs I've seen. Without having another PJ here for a side-by-side comparison, I can't imagine getting upgrade fever for quite a while. And when I do, I can dump my old DVD player for a new S77 or something similar and run in an HDMI cable to the PJ.

For anyone considering a move to a WXGA LCD projector, give the Z3 serious consideration. The image is outstanding for a projector in this price range!

Ricketty Rabbit

jaimicox

05-08-05, 10:18 PM

Hi:

I have troubles with shading in my plv-z3,in movies in B&W anyone can help me how to fixed?

Thx

fdistasio

05-09-05, 04:54 AM

Originally posted by jaimicox
Hi:

I have troubles with shading in my plv-z3,in movies in B&W anyone can help me how to fixed?

Thx
Try to open the iris (-30 for example) and set sharpness to zero

booker21

05-11-05, 01:40 AM

I know this maybe be on the wrong thread but since i ask on the official 4805 i need to ask on the z thread.

I`m going to get into the projector world, so this will be my first projector. I between z2 and the 4805. and honestly i don`t know what to do.

the z2 scares me coz the VB and the "suppusly" bad blacks and contrast.
On the other hand the z2 is HD while the 4805 is not.

my main use will be Xbox gaming and DVD movies.

btw how bad is the VB and the contrast/black issue?

Ludde

05-11-05, 02:21 AM

buy the Z3 and you don't have a issue with VB..

booker21

05-11-05, 10:26 AM

I can´t afford the Z3.
I did have some who owned the Z2 and did recommend me the 4805 instead.
i didn´t find any 4805 ownder who did that, though.

pinkfloydhomer

05-11-05, 12:40 PM

I would take the Z2 over the 4805 anyday. 4805 means rainbows, rainbows, rainbows. And noise.

/David

booker21

05-11-05, 01:06 PM

Z2 could mean VB and VB and more VB :/
Could you give me more explanation pls!, why whould you choose? if i´m not rainbow sensitive, i should choose the Z2, then?

is really hard to choose.

pinkfloydhomer

05-11-05, 01:18 PM

VB is a non-issue with Z2 at reasonable viewing distances (1.5 x screenwidth and up).

If you're not rainbow-sensitive, and you don't mind the noise, there is still the matter of the lower resolution. But if that doesn't bother you either, go right ahead :)

I would still try to find the money for the Z3. It represents best value for money I think.

/David

booker21

05-11-05, 01:49 PM

david,
thanks for the info :)

What do you think about the lacking of true black levels and contrast? compare to the 4805? you think this give the 4805 an advantage? the Z2 is still good doing it and the 4805 is just better?

i don´t want to get a projector who is unable to do good blacks.

pinkfloydhomer

05-11-05, 02:08 PM

"Good blacks" is relative and dependant on many factors such as screen, filter etc.
But blacks are better on the 4805, no doubt about it. The Z3 can compete with the 4805 I think (and has much better resolution and much less noise). The Z2 is in a class beneath these regarding blacks.

/David

booker21

05-11-05, 02:50 PM

so basically the picture quality is better on the 4805 since has better blacks and contrast... while the Z2 has better Definition since it´s 1280x720.

I´m correct?

pinkfloydhomer

05-11-05, 03:04 PM

Roughly. Although contrast and black level is not all that defines "better picture quality". Some people like the look of LCD, some like the look of DLP. And there's is still the matter of rainbows and noise. And resolution (what you call definition). I personally couldn't go back to a display with such low resolution. Z2 has 2.25 times as many pixels as the 4805.

/David

Phish

05-11-05, 03:20 PM

How many hours do people have on their PJ's so far? Any bulb failures? I'd like to determine if average bulb life is closer to the 1500 hour range or more toward the 3000-4000 hour "expected" life of the Panny 700.

booker21

05-11-05, 07:55 PM

I read everywhere the bad black on the lcd projector, my question since most of you own the z1 or z2, does the black are "grey" blakcs, like when u have brightenss over the recommend setting?

Since i´m not going to compare the blacks between other projector...

YamahaRXV3000

05-13-05, 06:31 AM

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum and seeking your comments on the Z3. I'm about to purchase a projector and it's down to 2, the Z3 & the AE700. The Z3 is more than likely going to be my choice due to better flexibility in the installation (100% LT). I'm after your thoughts on the Z3 and the pro's and cons between it and the AE700. I've been on Projector Central but would like comments from users that have them installed in there on homes. My main use will be for DVD (which is soon to be upgraded to DVI out) via a DVI to HDMI lead.

Thanks in advance.

Jas.

wae5

05-13-05, 07:44 PM

booker21: I have a Z1 which projects onto a highly reflective High Power screen. This screen is surrounded by a black velvet wall. I can compare the blacks on the screen with my very black wall. Black jackets, black suits, black bags, black hair, black cars, black walls, and all things black look really black on the screen. However, when I compare these with the true black of my velvet wall, they're not really black at all, they're really dark gray. Because blacks on the screen appear to be black even though I know they're not, I've stopped worrying about just how black are the blacks of my Z1 and now just try to enjoy the movie. Though I occasionally check out the blackness of black just for the fun of it;o). This brings up this question: If grays can appear to be black on the screen, what black level and contrast do we need before any additional would be superfluous?

nickbuol

05-13-05, 11:50 PM

I have a Z3 shooting on to a 1.4gain brilliant white screen, and you are right. Blacks look black until you look at the black velvet around the screen, and then they look grey. It seems that the human brain can be fooled (easily) into seeing black based off of how bright the rest of the image, or other elements in the image are and your brain just compares the contrast and thus fools you into seeing black.

It really isn't a problem to me. I have even asked other people what their honest thoughts were about the black levels and people kept saying "until you said something about it, I never noticed" which just goes to show that the image quality of the Z series is great, the brightness is good too, so is the contrast, and that combination effectively makes you see "blacks" even if they are really a dark grey.

Not sure if that helped or even made sense.

Also, you can increase the depth of the blacks by using a high contrast grey screen. I had a few samples of Carada screen materials (high contrast grey, matte white, and brilliant white), and the grey had better blacks, but I liked the "pop" and "vividness" of the brilliant white.

In my opinion, I made the best choice (for my tastes) but others may have different opinions.

booker21

05-14-05, 03:08 AM

i don`t mind if the black is not black when u compare to real black from your house etc, the only thing it matters is to look and feel black when u see it on the screen.

This bring another question, when i got a "black gray" on my tv, is coz i have brightness a little higher than it should be, this seems or give to the picture the feeling of having A GRAY FILTER ON THE WHOLE PICTURE wich make the picture soft and without immersion, does this happen as well? seeing the black is not truly black, more like a gray black?

Coz this really matters, i don`t want to feel the picture seems to have a filter gray mask on the whole screen.

thanks for answer this and i hope you understand what i`m asking...

nickbuol

05-14-05, 11:27 AM

I know what you are talking about. On a regular TV, the whites "bleed" into the blacks, and so forth.

That is not what is happening with the Z series.

For example, when the Z3 is on, but not shooting any image on the screen, it is still shooting light, so the screen is receiving light even when there is nothing to show. I believe that this is true with all projectors (at least in the price range that we are talking about here).

Again, to put your mind at ease a little, when watching a movie, you do NOT notice that the blacks are really dark grey because the contrast it so good on the Z series.

I'd say that the only time you will notice anything is before the movie when the "coming soon" preview stuff comes up. I like previews and all, but they aren't what I am there to watch. I don't get as emersed into the story because I know that I am only getting 30-60 seconds of one, so if the preview is at a screen ratio "wider" (thus letterbox bars on the top and bottom of my 104" 16:9 screen) I notice the bars are not black. I wil be fixing this by contructing a simple masking system that brings black velvet right up to (and down to for the top) the image, and then I won't notice it at all. In a movie, I might notice it for a second or two at the start, but that is because I am a very picky person when it comes to quality. I know, so the next question is why didn't I get some $20,000 projector then... Well, I am picky, but not wealthy... I've already spent around $10,000 on my home theater within the last year, and I have other things in my life that I need to spend time and money on.

biglyle

05-16-05, 12:01 PM

Does the Z3 have 2 component (RGB) inputs?

Anyone have any bulb life info they can share?

Screenshots, anyone have some?

nickbuol

05-16-05, 02:07 PM

Yes, 2 component inputs...

I have a screenshot or two on my website (see the link in my sig).

Note: The "blue" hue to the image is correct. I was asked if the Z3 was shooting too much blue, but in the scene from The Incredibles, there is blue light shining on them, so thus the blue color.

I am VERY happy with my Z3....

Jeremy Anderson

05-16-05, 05:22 PM

Hit my gallery for some Z3 screenshots.

biglyle

05-16-05, 05:25 PM

How is the Z3 for gaming?

silroc

05-16-05, 06:34 PM

Halo 2 looks great -

ESPN in 720p looks insane.

I recommend it

biglyle

05-18-05, 09:09 AM

Doesn't anyone have any experience with bulb life on these?

Has anyone hit the 2000 hour mark?

Has anyone had to replace their bulb already?

nickbuol

05-18-05, 11:37 AM

Originally posted by biglyle
Doesn't anyone have any experience with bulb life on these?

Has anyone hit the 2000 hour mark?

Has anyone had to replace their bulb already?

I would guess that nobody has yet hit the 2000 hour mark and only a few may have had a bulb go out yet. Keep in mind that the Z3 has not been on the market for a real long time. I know that I am lucky if I put 4 hours a week on my Z3 right now (in winter months that will be higher like maybe 6 hours a week), so if you average out about 5 hours a week, times my 52 weeks a year, I will be at about 260 hours in my first year. So I am on track for about 7 and 2/3 years before I would hit 2000 hours.

If you are playing XBox or computer games or the like, you will obviously hit higher numbers, but for me, who watches an average of 1 movie a week right now, and I don't play games on it, this isn't as big of an issue.

Also keep in mind that if you are using full lamp on mode, the life will be shorter than if you are on one of the lower lamp modes.

Jeremy77

05-19-05, 03:22 AM

Question:
I have my Z3 on the way and was just wondering if it is worth the money to get the Oppo Digital OPDV971H dvd player and use the upscaling on the Oppo or is the upscaling on the Z3 better than the Oppo?

Thanks for the info
Jeremy

nickbuol

05-19-05, 03:55 AM

Oddly enough, I have never heard of the Oppo... Not saying that it can't be a good product, but I am not sure who here has one, so you may be the first.

I have the Panasonic S97 and I like to let it work the upconversion, although, without getting into the details that I have many times in the past, the PQ is about the same whether I feed the Z3 an upconverted image or let the Z3 upconvert it for me. I like some of the options I get with the S97 for tweaking the picture. That way, when I play DVDs, the player is configured to show the best picture for the media, and if I ever hook anything else up, I will configure the settings there as well. That way the Z3, while still tweaked as well, is more "stable" with its setting. By that I don't mean that there are any problems with the Z3, but just that I won't have to set up different tweaks for each input, although I certainly can do that and save them as user preferences....

Long story short, I let the DVD upconvert, and the Z3 project. Picture is amazing, end of story...

PS. Just got back from Star Wars E3 midnight show...

If you folks even remotely liked E1 or E2, you should really like E3... Go see it! It answers questions, and ties the trilogies together.

jportnoy

05-19-05, 11:00 AM

I use the Sony upscaling DVD player conncected by HDMI to my Z3 and am very happy with it.

CT_Wiebe

05-19-05, 02:55 PM

The Oppo DV971H is new, roughly Dec. '04. Based on the attached thread, it doesn't do as good a job on component output (plus no up-scaling on component) as the S97, but appears to be as good as the S97 on it's DVI output. Plus it's region free and works with HDCP and Non-HDCP PJs.

Oppo Thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=482239

Jeremy77

05-19-05, 05:59 PM

Thanks for all of the Help!

I went ahead and ordered the Oppo OPDV971H dvd player, I figured with a MSRP of $199 and a very high rating on Secrets, 1y warranty and 30 day money back guarantee, that I could not go wrong.

Picked up a 40ft DVI to HDMI cable from a sponsor of this site
They also have a money back guarantee if the cable does not work.

I will post a reply once everything arrives and I have a chance to set-up and view the Z3 with the Oppo.

Jeremy

nickbuol

05-19-05, 06:41 PM

Depending on the quality of the cable, a 40 foot DVI/HDMI cable may not work well. Just a word of caution that if you get everything set up and see unusual artifacts, noise, etc, to try a shorter cable first as it has been seem to be a source of problems for long runs. For some people, it works just fine...

Good luck.

jaimicox

05-20-05, 11:13 PM

Originally posted by fdistasio
Try to open the iris (-30 for example) and set sharpness to zero

I do it, but is the same effect

jeffinator

05-23-05, 04:23 AM

Ricketty Rabbit

05-23-05, 01:54 PM

Ricketty Rabbit

05-23-05, 01:58 PM

I am in the market for a new projector, but I'm not sure I should be. :)

I currently have a 2.5 year old NEC LT240 (DLP) projector that I run in 1024x576 mode. I'm seriously looking at the Z3, but not sure if it's worth the incremental upgrade cost...I have a buyer lined up for my old projector, so it'll be (fairly) painless money-wise.

I'm wondering the following:

Has anyone else out there made the same transition from DLP to LCD?

What's it going to be like moving from DLP to LCD in terms of brightness? What about black levels? Will I suffer? I have a light-controlled room.

Is it worth the upgrade for the additional resolution? I have multiple HD sources now (including an HTPC and an HDTiVo).

I'm right at the edge...I just need a nudge. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find local dealers in my area with the projector in stock, so I'm gonna have to pull the trigger and take a little risk. Help!

I haven't owned a 240LT, but have used one for data projection at a client's office. My impression is that it's a much brighter projector than the Z3. You may find the Z3 dull by comparison. I wouldn't make this switch unless I could return the Z3 without a restocking charge if you don't like it. I went from a NEC LT155 to the Z3, and the Z3 is far superior, but the 240LT is superior to the LT155, too.

Ricketty

enier

05-23-05, 02:41 PM

Upconverting . . . . . ?

I have an upconverting DVD player (Panasonic DVD 97S) currently running 480p through component cables. I can't seem to get this combination to project in 720p. Is there a way to upconvert to 720p with the Z3 / DVD97S combo through component cables, or must I go to HDMI / DVI?

Ricketty

If you use the component cable, you're using the the Z3's scaler to upconvert the analog 480p to 720p. On the other hand, using the hdmi bypasses the scaler. Some people prefer using the component cable over the hdmi while others don't. I'm currently using hdmi on my S97.

echnaton

05-23-05, 06:18 PM

This may sound like a dumb question, but does anybody know a good carrying case for Z3?

Thanks!

biglyle

05-23-05, 07:38 PM

has anyone had any problems with severe bulb dimming after a few hundred hours?

Ricketty Rabbit

05-23-05, 10:30 PM

If you use the component cable, you're using the the Z3's scaler to upconvert the analog 480p to 720p. On the other hand, using the hdmi bypasses the scaler. Some people prefer using the component cable over the hdmi while others don't. I'm currently using hdmi on my S97.

With my DVD player set to 480p output (to component) and my projector set at 720p, I get 4 separate images, like 4 PIP screens. Am I missing some settings?

Ricketty

maratik999

05-24-05, 12:51 AM

Hey guys,

I just ordered a Z3. For a completely light controlled room, what type of screen is ideal. This is a room in the basement with no windows at all. In the process of finishing up dry walling the place. The projector will be hanging at approx 14 feet away for a 110 screen on the wall. Seating will at about the same distance with a 2nd row of seating right behind it on a little stage. The colors of the room, as has been suggested on the forum, will be darker colors. Room will be exclusively for dvd watching and HDTV content.

My main question is what type of screen should be ideal in my situation if im looking to limit my screen expense to 1000 or less. Suggestions on type of colors to use to paint the wall? What type of flooring if that is sagnificant? Thanks so much guys for your input. This forum has certainly got me on track on learning about home theater and the like. Thanks.

Marat

biglyle

05-24-05, 10:00 AM

Try painting an piece of 1/2 or 3/4 inch MDF with 2 coats white primer followed by either 2 coats of Behr UPW flat (low gain) or eggshell (higher gain) . The results are great at a price that cant be best. Mask off the screen with a black border when you are done.

pinkfloydhomer

05-24-05, 10:42 AM

Whatever you do, use a gray screen. Of course, this is a matter of taste and a source of debate, but you will never see me recommend anything else but gray screen for LCD and DLP projectors. At least not until the contrast is above 10000:1. Black level is important, and gray screen will help with that. I went from a white to a gray screen after comparing a lot, and the difference is huge. I will never go back.

/David

enier

05-24-05, 11:46 AM

With my DVD player set to 480p output (to component) and my projector set at 720p, I get 4 separate images, like 4 PIP screens. Am I missing some settings?

Ricketty

That's sounds like a setup issue. It's been a long time since I've tinkered with the Z3 settings except brightness & contrast. Last setup change I did for the S97 was after the 540 firmware upgrade I did. I have to connect my S97 back to component to verify my settings. I'll see if I can do it this afternoon... I'll get back to you.

enier

05-24-05, 11:54 AM

Marat,

Use a dark paint for walls and ceiling. Use also dark carpet also. They all reflect light back to the screen. The screen is a great diy project and savings. Check out the DIY screen thread for more info. I like the grey screen too but some people prefer white. As always it's a matter of preference. I heard Carada is a good value if you're planning to buy one.

Jeremy Anderson

05-24-05, 12:15 PM

With my DVD player set to 480p output (to component) and my projector set at 720p, I get 4 separate images, like 4 PIP screens. Am I missing some settings?

Ricketty

You're misunderstanding what that setting does. The projector ALWAYS outputs at 720p, its native resolution. The setting that you are changing is to tell it what the resolution of the INPUT signal is, in case it can't auto-detect it. The reason you are getting wierd problems is that you're sending it a 480p signal but telling it you're sending it 720p. Leave that setting at AUTO and it will automatically detect the incoming signal and scale accordingly. Or if you're solely sending 480p to it, set it to 480p... It will output at 720p regardless, even if you send it 1080i.

Ricketty Rabbit

05-24-05, 01:53 PM

You're misunderstanding what that setting does. The projector ALWAYS outputs at 720p, its native resolution. The setting that you are changing is to tell it what the resolution of the INPUT signal is, in case it can't auto-detect it. The reason you are getting wierd problems is that you're sending it a 480p signal but telling it you're sending it 720p. Leave that setting at AUTO and it will automatically detect the incoming signal and scale accordingly. Or if you're solely sending 480p to it, set it to 480p... It will output at 720p regardless, even if you send it 1080i.

Thanks, Jeremy. That makes sense. I had the mistaken idea that the projector had to be set at 720p to project a 720p image.

And I guess means that my Panasonic DVD S97S will only send 480i or 480p over component, and that if I want to send a 720p signal to the Sanyo Z3, I must use a DVI or HDMI cable?

Finally, for anyone who has gone from component 480p to digital 720p with a Sanyo Z3, how much difference in PQ did you notice? Is it worth the ~$180 it will cost me for a 40 foot cable, plus cutting two holes in my ceiling to pull the cable in? :) Subjective question, I know, but how much difference did others see in the image?

Jeremy Anderson

05-24-05, 03:06 PM

maratik999

05-24-05, 03:26 PM

Thanks guys for responding to my inquiry. I will check out the DIY for screens thread. Take care. Cant wait to have everything finished up. :)

Marat

biglyle

05-24-05, 04:54 PM

Has anyone had to replace a bulb yet?

Or noticed signifigant dimming?

Cost of a bew bulb?

enier

05-24-05, 05:23 PM

Yes, you must run DVI/HDMI to use the scaler on the S97. The Z3's scaler, however, does a pretty good job on its own, so you may or may not see a massive improvement by using the S97's scaling instead.

Just to clarify, anything not 720p goes to the scaler regardless if analog or digital? In my case, the player is connected to Z3 via hdmi/720p and C1/480p. So the 480p is upscaled by Z3 while the 720p is displayed natively. I got confused with the AUTO setting too. As far as difference in pq, component is pinkish as it is w/o changing anything. I have to recalibrate for component cable input. It's probably a coin toss.

Jeremy Anderson

05-24-05, 05:58 PM

Yup. 720p sources are displayed natively. Anything else is scaled up or down accordingly.

When I checked my Z3's color decoding with Avia, I was getting too much red (about 10% red push) which could explain why it appears pinkish to you. I fixed this by getting a 1dB line-level attenuator from PartsExpress and putting it on the Cr lead of the component feed. This brought the red and blue to 0 and green to -5%, which is pretty close. For like $10 shipped, it was worth it.

silroc

05-24-05, 07:06 PM

CT_Wiebe

05-24-05, 09:05 PM

Has anyone had to replace a bulb yet?

Or noticed signifigant dimming?

Cost of a bew bulb?

We can't post prices or dealers, or we'll get this thread closed immediately (see the moderators threads at the beginning of this forum!)!!!

Check the projector vendors at the top of the AVS forum intro page or call AVS sales personnel like Jason Turk, Daniel Hutnicki, etc. and they'll help you.

biglyle

05-25-05, 07:34 AM

DKaps

05-25-05, 08:12 AM

stupid ques from me - why does 1080i content look soo damn good if it really is only coming out of the Z3 at 720p?

First, 720p is nothing to sneeze at. That's alot of resolution. Also, a quality scaler can make all the difference. If you've ever seen HD material on an older machine like the Panny 300, which is only capable of 540 vertical lines, it still looks outstanding because of a quality scaler.

Dan

biglyle

05-25-05, 12:48 PM

"stupid ques from me - why does 1080i content look soo damn good if it really is only coming out of the Z3 at 720p?"

720p would translate to 1440i, it is actually higher resolution than 1080i

pinkfloydhomer

05-25-05, 01:47 PM

Oh well, what I really want to know is about bulb life anyway. I dont understand why Sanyo wont give numbers on this (every one else does). Are these lamp 1000 hours, less, more?

WHat kind of hours do people here have on their lamps?
Has anyone noticed any dimming at low hours?

Cant anyone help me, oh woe is me;)

In the official brochure of the Sanyo PLV-Z3 that I have right here, Sanyo writes that the lamp has an average lifetime of 2-3000 hours. Pretty normal I think.

/David

DKaps

05-25-05, 02:01 PM

"stupid ques from me - why does 1080i content look soo damn good if it really is only coming out of the Z3 at 720p?"

720p would translate to 1440i, it is actually higher resolution than 1080i

Not true. 1080i refers to 1080 vertical lines of resolution where every other line is "updated" with each interval. 720P means 720 vertical lines which are ALL upated with each interval. So, 1080i is still higher resolution. At the same time, 720P often looks better when you have fast moving action as you don't experience the combing effect that interlacing and motion can cause.

Dan

biglyle

05-25-05, 02:02 PM

"In the official brochure of the Sanyo PLV-Z3 that I have right here, Sanyo writes that the lamp has an average lifetime of 2-3000 hours. Pretty normal I think."

Thank you very much. Finding this info had become a little like pulling teeth.

"Not true. 1080i refers to 1080 vertical lines of resolution where every other line is "updated" with each interval. 720P means 720 vertical lines which are ALL upated with each interval. So, 1080i is still higher resolution. At the same time, 720P often looks better when you have fast moving action as you don't experience the combing effect that interlacing and motion can cause."

This just proves that I indeed know nothing. Back to the drawing board.

audiophobe

05-25-05, 02:14 PM

Not quite wrong - 720p would indeed have the same bandwidth as 1440i if the number of columns wasn't different, too. 720p is only 1280 pixels wide while 1080i has 1920 horizontal pixels.
Interlaced modes cannot easily be compared with progressive, only for a given situation. 1080i will display more detail than 720p on pictures that are static or only slightly moving, while 720p displays more detail on fast movements.
When watching films, you get 24 progressive frames in 1920x1080 through 1080i after IVTC. Interlaced is no problem in this case because the film has a low temporal resolution anyway (low FPS), so 1080i on a PJ would be much better for movie viewing.

zeev

05-26-05, 08:24 PM

Just finished setting up my new Z3. I've noticed a phenomenon while calibrating with DVE, in the aspect ratio patterns (which have a somewhat grayish background), the top right and lower left areas of the image background aren't quite gray but have some sort of slight coloration to them. This seems to disappear when I switch to one of the high output modes like "Dynamic" for example, but re-appears in my user settings (lowest lamp mode and Iris at -31).
Is this normal/expected? What is this phenomenon? Should the projector be serviced by Sanyo?

audiophobe

05-26-05, 09:39 PM

That's a known problem with Z3s. They are calibrated for an open iris. You don't experience this uniformity issue if you open it, which some modes are doing.
Guess we'll have to live with it. You could also open the iris up to -40 or -30 which is still pretty good and has less color aberration.
I think we have to live with quite a lot when it comes to PJs for <2000 bucks. If manufacturers really gave the customers working devices, I guess they would be left with a yield of 10% or less..

silroc

05-26-05, 10:23 PM

OK , not sure if 1080i looks better because of the resolution, or because of the programming.

Let me put it this way - to me, when I see CBS sports in 1080i, I am blown away. 720 sports on other channels look great, but CBS looks even better.

So maybe it is just my mind playing tricks on me

Nicholas Mosher

05-28-05, 01:16 AM

I've been following this thread, and plan on purchasing a projector sometime in July (I'm broke except for a few hundred bucks after completeing my audio setup).

So far I'm leaning towards LCD rather than DLP. While I can't see rainbows, the dithering in DLP setups annoys the hell out of me. So I started comparing the Panny AE700 and Sanyo Z3 (by reviews as I don't have any local dealers with setups). Reading the AE700 thread, people seem to be having alot of issues with various things. Some reviews also say that the smooth-screen lense on the Panny causes pixelation to appear "wavy". That doesn't appeal to me. The dynamic Iris of the AE700 and Sony HS51 also causes me to raise an eyebrow.

The simplicity and ease of setup with the Z3 along with a relatively cheap pricetag and comparable performance to higher priced models is really perking my interest. Given that 1080p LCD PJs are on the market and should reach the sub $5k price range in a couple/few years (I'm guessing) also makes this PJ much more appealing.

Can't wait to hear more about your experiences with this unit as I save my pennies... :D

wae5

05-28-05, 07:02 PM

Very positive Z3 Secrets review here: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_2/sanyo-plv-z3-projector-5-2005-part-1.html

Italia_NYC

05-28-05, 11:38 PM

Does anyone know if Discrete IR Power codes exist for the Z3?

echnaton

05-29-05, 06:10 AM

Reading the AE700 thread, people seem to be having alot of issues with various things. Some reviews also say that the smooth-screen lense on the Panny causes pixelation to appear "wavy". That doesn't appeal to me. The dynamic Iris of the AE700 and Sony HS51 also causes me to raise an eyebrow.

My dealer showed me both the AE700 and the Z3 side by side. The AE700 had noticable vertical banding. Very annoying in my opinion although other people in the showroom did not notice it until I told them. So I decided to go for the Z3. And I am happy with the decision. :)

zeev

05-29-05, 02:41 PM

Which will produce less distortion: horizontal shift of one half image width or vertical shift of one half image height?

Ricketty Rabbit

05-29-05, 03:45 PM

Does anyone know if Discrete IR Power codes exist for the Z3?

If you mean having different power on/off codes for two Z3s operated in the same room, I have seen that in the manual.

Ricketty

Italia_NYC

05-29-05, 08:20 PM

I mean two codes; One for ON and one for OFF, instead of one Power button code.

CFR

05-30-05, 06:54 PM

I bought the Z3 as a replacement for a Panasonic H75u that has a 4:3 panel. The H75u was great value for its time, but the Z3 contrast is a major improvement. The only problem is 4:3 material on DVD which has to be projected with black bars on either side of the 16:9 Z3 panel. The picture is better in this mode than using the full 4:3 panel of the Panasonic, but a lot of pixels are being wasted. Is there any anamorphic lens that will allow the Z3 to use all the pixels of its 16:9 panel and correctly project the 4:3 image?

wicked_ride

05-31-05, 10:31 AM

biglyle

05-31-05, 10:39 AM

wicked ride

Not all widescreen formats are the same, they are quite a few commonly used aspect ratios, 1.85 to 1 and 2.35 to 1 being the most common.

Your is 16:9 or 1.77 to 1, so all 1.85 to 1 material will fill it entirely. 2.35 or 2.40 to 1 material will have black bars at the top and bottom, this is just the nature of the beast.

wicked_ride

05-31-05, 01:38 PM

ohh ok thanks!

zeev

06-05-05, 05:12 PM

nickbuol

06-05-05, 06:12 PM

I finally got my room done, and got the z3 hooked up and WOW! but when viewing widescreen format 1.85, 2.35 ( what ever those numbers are) they all come with different size bars on the top and bottom..it does not fill my 96" diagonal sized screen? i think the 1.85 ratio did! why? is there a setting that will fill it perfect all the time for all wide screen formats? without looking stretched?

Another way to look at what biglyle said is this. Those numbers are aspect RATIOS, so for a 16:9 image (1.78:1) for every 1" vertical (up and down) you get 1.78" horizontal (side to side). Now, take The Incredibles. That movie is something like 2.40:1, so for every 1" vertical, you get 2.4" right and left. Your limiting factor with your screen is the width, so if you reverse what the ratio is in respct to your screen, you can figure out the height of the image. For example, I have a 104" 16:9 screen. It has a 90.6" viewable width, and a 51" viewable height.

Now, if I watch a true 16:9 (1.78:1) movie, I take my width (90.6) and divide by 1.78 to get my height. I get 50.8988, or real close to the 51" height of my screen.

If I watch The Incredibles (or one of the Lord of the Rings movies, as I think they are 2.40:1), I take my width of 90.6 divide by 2.40 and I get 37.75 for my height, leaving 13.25" of empty space (6.625" above and below the image) known as "letterbox bars" or whatever you want to call them.

As stated before, there is nothing you can REALLY do about this. If all movies were made in the same aspect ratio, that would be easy, but since there are many different formats, you have to deal with bars at some point, whether they are at the top and bottom, or on both sides (like when watching standard TV on your HD projector).

The biggest problem I see with this is that the empty bars really are not empty. The Z3 is still shooting light at those pixels so they are not black (this happens with other projectors too). You are also not using the projector's full resolution and part of it is consumed by the space that is not used to display the movie because it is in a wider ratio than the 16:9 projector.

There are lenses called anamorphic lenses that allow a projector to "stretch" the image to the full 16:9 (thus using all of the projector's resolution) and then the lens squishes it back down to the wider ratio image so that it is no longer stretched. You don't get the grey bars at the top and bottom any more, the projector is using the full resolution, and you are getting an even higher quality picture out of the Z3 (or any projector). The lenses are not cheap, and I have not used one, but others have (not sure if anyone with a Z3 has or not), but it is an interesting option. Of course, you will still have "blank" bars at the top and bottom, but at least the projector will be at full resolution.

CT_Wiebe

06-05-05, 06:58 PM

I've just finished installing a shelf hanging from the ceiling for the Z3 and noticed the manual says one should provide 50 cm (about 1.5') of ventilation space above the projector. Assuming this shelf is located in the middle of the room, i.e. there's plenty of space around the projector, how important is it to provide these 50 cm at the top?? (My shelf only provides about 4 cm at the top :( )
If you don't follow the manufacturer's recommendations on clearance, you run the risk of overheating the PJ and having early lamp failures. Heat is the killer on all electronics parts, especially lamps.

zich

06-05-05, 08:13 PM

TCroly

06-06-05, 05:41 AM

I've had this projector for a couple months now, and I don't think I'm getting the image quality I should be. It seems like I have a "ghost" image of sorts to the left of the real image. It's barely noticable, but I think it's contributing to what I perceive as a general softness or fuzzyness of the image. I'm using the Panasonic S97 DVD player. I've tried 2 different HDMI cables (the one that comes with the player and one from Blue Jeans Cable), as well as the component connection, and they all look about the same. Any ideas?

I have had my Z3 for 4 months and before that I had a Z2 for a year. I could not be happier with the performance of my Z3. If you are seeing a ghost image, indeed something is wrong. What kind of screen are you projecting to? Is there anything in the path of the light (like glass)?

I can tell you that you will get the best image from your S97 using 480p output. Throw away the HDMI cable and hook it up via component. This will not address the ghost image issue, but after extensive testing, I have concluded that the scaler in the Z3 is better than the one in the S97, So forget about upscaling.

Tom

Karl Englebright

06-06-05, 10:48 AM

The 1.5' clearance requirement mentioned in the earlier post bothers me. Doesn't this further limit the ability to hang this projector from a ceiling? How many people with 8' ceilings have enough space to hang their projector and leave enough clearance?

biglyle

06-06-05, 11:14 AM

Karl Englebright

06-06-05, 02:21 PM

Phew! I thought for a while there I was going to have to look at something else...

zeev

06-06-05, 03:01 PM

I think you misread the instructions a little. The manual says "Keep the exhaust vent at least 1.5' (50cm) away from any objects"

The Z3 exhaust vents are on the side of the unit, so you wont need to mount it 50cm from the ceiling.

Take a look at the attached excerpt from the manual regarding ventilation space, take a look at the required space at the top.

biglyle

06-06-05, 03:14 PM

When ceiling mounted though, the bottom of the PJ will be facing the ceiling. So in reality the clearance would only apply to the distance from the PJ to the floor, meaning I have way more than the needed 50cm. I have 7 feet.

zeev

06-06-05, 04:25 PM

Rutgar

06-06-05, 04:32 PM

You aren't being serious are you??
Heat goes up, basic physics, if you mount it upside down then you'll have to provide 50 cm above the bottom of the projector. The point is, they require 50 cm between the PJ and the ceiling.

I believe that's if you put the unit in a hush box, or cabinet. I really doubt that you need 50cm of clearance if the unit is open mounted from the ceiling on a standard mount.

biglyle

06-06-05, 04:40 PM

" You aren't being serious are you??"

Obviously I was joking

mason

06-07-05, 12:48 PM

This is probably hard to answer, but I have a question about light control. I will be setting up in a basement with total light control and DVD's are no problem since I watch them in the dark. My concern is HDTV especially sports. I like to watch this with the lights on although I can dim them if necessary. Will the Z3 be okay with this or am I better off with something else

CT_Wiebe

06-07-05, 12:59 PM

That depends on the screen size. The Z3 that I saw last Saturday (on a 80" wide screen - 92" diagonal, 16:9) had enough brightness to project a watchable soccer game with some room light on. A lot of light will wash out the picture but for enough light to walk around the room, the Z3 will do just fine (as long as the light does not shine on the screen).

mason

06-07-05, 01:36 PM

Well, I have two floor lamps that are dimable and can be adjusted in several ways to make sure it isn't shining on the screen. I do however, tend to have people over to watch sports (football, baseball etc) and would prefer not to watch in the dark. I'm just not sure if this is a good upgrade (tradeooff) from my 57" HDTV.

Are there other projectors in this price range that may be better for brighter environmnets?

I guess I'll have to find somewhere to demo and see if it's acceptable.

CT_Wiebe

06-07-05, 02:21 PM

mason -- You have to go up about 50% in price to get a brighter picture. You can also get a high gain screen, like the Da-Lite Hi-Power (gain = 2.8 - not when the PJ is ceiling mounted). IMHO, the only other choices, for brighter pictures (and higher contrast) are the MT700 & PE7700 DLPs, but they have other problems (motion artifacts -- you'll have to demo them for yourself).

mason

06-07-05, 03:48 PM

Thanks for your help!

If I can't ceiling mount with that screen I could set the Z3 on my bar which would be 13' - 13'6" from the screen and projecting just over the viewers heads. Seating would be approx. 10' from the screen. I'm assuming that would enable me to go with a good size screen.

Now the only problem would be the shadows caused every time someone gets up to get a beer!

johnny666

06-08-05, 09:42 PM

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME CHOOSE A SCREEN FOR MY SANYO Z3
****************************************************

I am going to get one of the cheaper Carada or Da-Lite screens.

What material would you recommend?? There will be a fair amount of ambient light during the daytime (BUT i also wont be using it too much during the day - except weekends). But at the same time i want to be able to get a decent picture during the day if possible.

I had planned on getting a Carada Brilliant White screen. But then i wanted to get the projector and the screen from the same place and they dont have Carada, but they have Da-lite.

So which material Da-Lite would you recommend?

At the place I am dealing with, they just threw a curveball at me - obviously he knows more than i do about screens and projectors, but please tell me if he is right.

Out of the Da-Lite screens he recommended the high contrast screen (which is grey) and a pearlescent screen. I thought that the grey wouldnt make the colors as vivid and that with the Z3's low lumens that getting a brilliant white screen or other high gain screen would give it a better picture with ambient light

Can someone PLEASE recommend a da-lite or carada screen that they use. I only wish to spend in the low 600's really , give or take just a little bit.

THANKS

jefe noche

06-08-05, 11:33 PM

johnny

I use an 84" High Contrast Grey Carada screen and LOVE it. However, I only use it at night (or when i make the room night... :) ) The biggest advantage I see,with using a grey screen, is being able to open the iris up while maintaining good black level. Opening the iris up to -21 GREATLY improves the color/tint uniformity issue that plagues many Z3s (including mine)

Incidently, with the lamp in econo mode it is plenty bright and vivid in a dark room. With the lamp set to A2 it looks like a giant plasma. I will NEVER use a white screen with a digital projector again.

CT_Wiebe

06-09-05, 02:00 AM

mason – That will let you go with a 100” to 110” (diagonal, 16:9) screen. At 10’ your pushing the seating and you shouldn’t go with anything bigger than 106”. I’m running a 106” and I sit so my head is about 11” from the screen (1.4 x screen width). This is as large as I would go (it’s almost too large :D).

johnny666 – I wouldn’t put that much importance on getting the PJ and screen from the same source. You can usually get better prices if you buy them separately (they normally get shipped from separate warehouses anyway). Just check for the best price for the Z3 and call Jason Turk or the other AVS sales personnel for screen advice and prices. Jason got me a real good deal on a Da-Lite screen. Tryg has posted some real good screen reviews on the Screen forum. Carada screens can only be purchased direct from the factory. Pearlescent screens can introduce color shifts. You can buy a Do-Able matte white board (under $20) from Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards and try it, before you commit to an expensive purchase. A plain white wall works too and it's even cheaper.

jefe noche has a point, but it is his personal preference. You can get samples from Carada to try (they are really helpful that way) – on your matte white Do-Able board, or a plain white wall (see the screen forum).

REFERENCE: My screen is a Da-Lite Hi-Power 106” pull down (needed for my dual purpose room) Model C. It was bought for my L300. If I upgrade to a Z3, I will have to dial down the amount of light from the Z3 because it is a lot brighter than my L300. That also will mean that I can watch with some light on too (at less contrast, of course). Gray screens are nice (I saw a AE500 on a Grayhawk – really nice picture).

johnny666

06-09-05, 10:25 AM

CT - thanks for the info. I am not too sure i could use my white wall as a "screen". It has some kind of texture. Its not too bad, but its definitely not flat.....but its definitely not stucco either.

i saw a few sample shots (i forget what site, but someone did a review by connecting a bunch of screen samples to form 1 big screen and showed screen shots of movies) and i seemed to like the Carada Brilliant White most of all, then secondly i liked the Da-Lite Cinema Vision. The grey high contrast screens seemed too dark (im sure it might be different in person - i dont know)

BUT the guy i was going to buy the screen from said he recommended the Da-Lite grey high contrast and that it wouldnt affect the brightness of the picture. He also said that that screen would be fine in lighted conditions, and that the Cinema Vision wouldnt make a difference in ambient light. I thought thats what high gain screens were for, no? I dont know. Im just confused now :) He told me the exact oposite of everything i thought

CT_Wiebe

06-09-05, 04:10 PM

I would still recommend that you call (or PM) Jason Turk and talk to him about screens.

johnny666

06-09-05, 07:40 PM

i PMd him earlier when you suggested it. I havent heard back from him yet

APorter

06-10-05, 04:16 PM

Heat goes up, basic physics, if you mount it upside down then you'll have to provide 50 cm above the bottom of the projector. The point is, they require 50 cm between the PJ and the ceiling.

The direction the heat travels as nothing to do with the clearance space required. You need to clearance so that the heat leaves the projector. If it's mounted upside down, the projector can be mounted flush to the ceiling.

CT_Wiebe

06-10-05, 04:24 PM

johnny666 -- He's very busy, give him at least a day or two.

APorter -- There is an air filter on the bottom of the Z3 which has to be cleaned periodically, plus you need clearance for air flow. Read the manual. If you mount it flush, you're in for early failures.

Karl Englebright

06-10-05, 04:34 PM

Is the manual online anywhere? I went to the Sanyo website and couldn't find it there.

Wow, I feel I'm stuck between a rock and hard place here. It seem like the Panasonic has more flexibility in how you mount it but has a poor warranty. The sanyo seems less flexible, but has a better warranty (much better, IMO). I am very concious about warranties on these projectors ever since my Panasonic failed right after it's warranty was over.

CT_Wiebe

06-10-05, 04:47 PM

Karl, PM (or click on emal) with your email address and I'll send it to you - it's a 2.5 MB PDF file. I don't remember what site I got it from.

Karl Englebright

06-10-05, 04:57 PM

Thanks Claus,

I sent you a PM...

Frank Jaeger

06-10-05, 05:08 PM

After I finally made my decision for buying the Sanyo Z3 instead of the Panny AE 700 I still have one question: because Panny uses a smooth effect which stops pixelation/Screen Door

.. what about the Sanyo Z3 and pixelation? I'll be sitting away 10 feet from a 80" screen, will I have problems with pixelation? from what +- measure would I be getting problems with pixelation sitting away 10 feet?

CT_Wiebe

06-10-05, 05:29 PM

Unless you have excellent visual acuity, you shouldn't see SDE or pixelization (except maybe a slight amount on white credits on black backgrounds). I had to walk up to about 3' from an 80" wide screen (92" diagonal, 16:9) before SDE was observable on a DVD movie on my Z3 demo.

On an AE700 demo, I had to get about 2' away before I saw SDE. Panasonic smooth-screen doesn't stop SDE it just reduces it's observable effect.

Jeremy Anderson

06-10-05, 06:15 PM

.. what about the Sanyo Z3 and pixelation? I'll be sitting away 10 feet from a 80" screen, will I have problems with pixelation? from what +- measure would I be getting problems with pixelation sitting away 10 feet?
I'm sitting 10' away from my 92" diagonal screen (45"x80"), and I can't see screendoor even if I'm looking for it. From about 7 feet, I can make it out if I'm trying to see it, but it isn't distracting. You can do a very slight defocus to minimize it if you do see it without losing any picture detail. But from 10' back, you ought to be fine.

CT_Wiebe

06-11-05, 12:51 AM

Karl, your manual was sent.

Karl Englebright

06-11-05, 03:06 PM

Thanks Claus!

Btw, I just read the manual an here is the statement about placement:

"Keep the exhaust vent at least 1.5' (50cm) away from any objects"

Since the exhaust vent is on the side (with the intake being in the rear) That tells me that keeping it 1.5' away from the ceiling is not really necessary.

zeev

06-11-05, 06:29 PM

Read the whole thing, it specifically shows to also keep 50 cm cleared above the pj.

Hulot

06-11-05, 09:08 PM

I'm sitting 10' away from my 92" diagonal screen (45"x80"), and I can't see screendoor even if I'm looking for it. From about 7 feet, I can make it out if I'm trying to see it, but it isn't distracting. You can do a very slight defocus to minimize it if you do see it without losing any picture detail. But from 10' back, you ought to be fine.
I can see SDE up to 2.0 screen width using Windows desktop. 1.5 should be fine for most of the people from what I have read. Defocusing with dekstop isn´t an option but with movies it may work well. Remember some people can´t even see pixels on their tft monitors no matter how close!

vidkidd

06-12-05, 02:28 PM

Ive noticed a dramatic drop in brightness. It seems almost from day to day that the image has significantly dropped in brightness. Im running around a total of 479 hours at this point. I've also noticed a a build up of dust on the inside of the lens.

Has anyone elase seen this happen? Perhaps its time for a trip back to sanyo.

Thx,
Vidkidd

APorter

06-12-05, 02:33 PM

Claus,
I did read the manual. Can you please let me know which page states that the projector must have 50cm clearance from ceiling while being ceiling mounted. I can only find where it mentions providing appropriate space on the top, sides and rear for air circulation and cooling. In my case the top of the projector is the bottom and has plenty clearance space. My projector is not currently flush with ceiling, but would like to know if I ever change in the future. I should note that when I say flush to ceiling I'm speaking as close as you can get due to adjustable feet and having a way to disconnect projector, so it's not actually touching the ceiling.

APorter

06-12-05, 02:41 PM

Here's a pic of my mount that is not 50cm from ceiling. In fact if you didn't need the extension pipe there is no problem with just mounting it to the ceiling the way it's attached to the MDF which only has a 1" gap between projector.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y113/APorter/Buckeye%20Room/IMG_1269.jpg

Diarmuid

06-12-05, 03:00 PM

I've noticed an interesting thing on my Z2 (not Z3). When I first got it, it had the infamous red push (a bias to red in the colour output), but as the bulb has aged and reduced in brightness the red push has disappeared and the colour output is much more balanced and natural. It suggests Sanyo actually might have the guts to send out a projector with red push, knowing that when the bulb settles down (after the first 100 hours and for the vast majority of it's life) so will the colour balance.

CT_Wiebe

06-12-05, 04:34 PM

Karl, that's interesting. However, there is an air filter on the bottom which also is an air intake. This air intake has to be clear enough to let air in. From the looks of your setup, APorter, you should have enough clearance (1" = 25.4 cm), lacking any other statments from Sanyo. When mounted upside down (ceiling mounting) the intake air for this vent will be warmer than if the Z3 is table mounted.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but heat is the bane (and major cause of part failure) of electronics, especially projection lamps (high heat generation in a small space). It just makes sense to position any projector so as to allow the maximum air flow possible in order to maximize lamp life.

APorter

06-12-05, 07:02 PM

1"=2.54cm
50cm=19.6"

Karl Englebright

06-13-05, 01:38 AM

Well Zeev,

You are correct about clearance. It actually does say that you need 50cm above and behind the projector. I think that it's based on the fact that you do want heat to have enough space to dissipate above the projector(since heat will rise) and enough space to draw cool air from behind where the air intake vents are.

That still leaves me wondering if this projector is going to cut it for me. I don't think you are being paranoid, Claus. My PT-L300 has had two LCD failures already and I think it's because of heat. Even though I am providing plenty of room around it. My projector is mounted 14" below the ceiling and 18" from the rear wall. But running the fan in the low mode might have caused my problems. Either way, Panasonic's ridiculous warranty will not fix it because it was after the 1 year mark. Now I'm being forced to consider the 700 again. Rats...

Oh, Aporter, it's on page 4. There's even a drawing showing it. For some reason I missed it the first time I scanned over the manual.

CT_Wiebe

06-13-05, 07:10 AM

Oops! I was thinking mm & writing cm. Bad error, thanks for the correction.

Karl - I had been running low fan & low lamp on my L300. For the last 100 hours, I've switched to low lamp, high fan, just to be on the safe side, 800 + hours & all is well.

biglyle

06-13-05, 07:23 AM

Which color temp setting on the Z3 will give me a 6500K color temp (high, mid, low1, low2, low3)?

APorter

06-13-05, 09:16 AM

Karl,

Above and behind is when you have it placed on table or bookshelf. When ceiling mounting the way I have mine mounted, the projector has to be upside down. The drawing only shows the projector right side up. It's up to you how you want to mount your projector and how much clearance you choose to have. I just wanted to let others know that ceiling mounting is an option and can be done. My projector has been mounted this way since February with no problems. It cools off very quickly after hours of operation. When I need to clean the air filters, I just unscrew the wing nuts and take it down.

halcali

06-13-05, 01:08 PM

any z3 owners have upconverting dvd players? which one, and how much of an improvement did it give you over a non upconverting player?

Karl Englebright

06-13-05, 05:18 PM

crackity

06-13-05, 05:28 PM

Is the fan speed automatic on the Z3 or do can you set it manually to hi or lo? How do you yours set?

fan speed is relative to the lamp mode with it being the quietest/lowest in Theater Black mode. I use different lamp modes for different purposes. Movies-theater black, computer use-full power as I usually have lights on and am not worried about fan noise, and for TV watching it changes depending on what I am watching and with lights on.off etc.

Of course ambient light will effect what lamp mode you can use as well.... ie if you have a lot of ambient llight you probably cant use theater black.

TCroly

06-13-05, 07:34 PM

any z3 owners have upconverting dvd players? which one, and how much of an improvement did it give you over a non upconverting player?

I have a Panasonic S97 DVD player. It is a great unit and gives a great picture via 480p. Up-res picture is inferior to the 480p because the scaler in the Z3 is better than the scaler in the DVD player. So it is my experience that up-res DVD players will not result in a higher quality picture from the Sanyo Z3. But I do recommend the S97 as a great DVD player.

Tom

halcali

06-13-05, 09:10 PM

do you have it hooked up via component or hdmi? if hdmi, does that improve pq noticably?

enier

06-14-05, 08:42 AM

I've my S97 connected to both hdmi & component cable but I put a 1db line attenuator in Cr line of the component cable to reduce red. My initial impression is the component cable is smoother but it could be my settings. I have to watch more dvds and do few more tweaking. I originally intended the hdmi cable for hdtv tuner.

TCroly

06-14-05, 09:54 PM

do you have it hooked up via component or hdmi? if hdmi, does that improve pq noticably?

I found that HDMI seemed to be a little noisier than component. I found this to be the case using HDMI from my S97 DVD player and from my SA8300HD cable box. I like the smoother appearance of component, but really the difference is pretty minor.

This was a surprise to me because for a year I had read so many posts from people raving about the pixel perfect image quality of their Z2s from their up-res HDMI eqipped DVD player. I think they were seeing what they wanted to see. IMO HDMI and upres DVD offers no improvement over component video on a Sanyo Z3.

Tom

johnnykretentiv

06-14-05, 10:55 PM

any z3 owners have upconverting dvd players? which one, and how much of an improvement did it give you over a non upconverting player?

I have a DVB318 Zenith with the old firmware running on component cables and do see a difference. I have tested it against my DVM1815 Denon changer and was impressed. I never see jaggies anymore. I really notice it on credits.

That's what I see. I am really happy with it especially at 1080i.

Note: Not a HUGE difference it is cleaned up quite a bit.

rdpiercy

06-15-05, 01:36 PM

Hey guys I have a Question,

I'm saving up for a PJ and had my heart set on the Z3, but after reading the recent thread
about the Z2/sanyo warranty blues i'm scared.

Does the Z3 have problems with the filter/overheating over time, and how have your experiences with using the warranty been?

I will be using the PJ in a 12 by 13 foot room so dust build up might be an issue.
Some of the Z2 guys said they cleaned their filter once per week and still had problems. I hope that is an issue confined to that perticular model.

Any comments THANKS!

CT_Wiebe

06-15-05, 02:49 PM

rdpiercy -- I've had 2 LCD PJs in the last 20 years. The filter cleaning frequency depends on how "dusty" your room is. I would recommend cleaning the filters every week or 100 hours, WCF (whichever comes first), as a minimum. Panasonic recommends every 100 hours, BTW.

I clean my filter(s) before every viewing, because my room is dusty -- I've never had any dust blobs either. Clean filters also give you better air flow, which keeps the lamp running cooler and heat will kill the lamp almost (?) as fast turning the PJ on and off too often.

johnnykretentiv

06-15-05, 02:58 PM

I would really like to think that that thread you are referring to is a couple squeeky wheels. They deserve to be squeeky consider the situation. I have emailed and called some folks as Sanyo with hopes to get some feedback from them. I hope there is a peacefull soln. to this issue. As for the Z3. I love mine and HIGHLY recommend it.

halcali

06-15-05, 07:27 PM

will a small amount of keystoning hurt picture quality on the z3?

halcali

06-15-05, 11:00 PM

my z3 arrived today. i think i might have a misaligned green panel (i am new to lcd so i can't say for sure). there is about a 1-1.5 pixel green line on the top of the screen, and a 2 pixel green line on the right of the screen.

this is a close up shot of the corner of my screen...
http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/506/green2.jpg

i have two other closeups of the clock display from my hd-dvr which shows the green issue in my photo gallery.

so do i have a misaligned panel? anyone else have this issue? do i have to send it in?

i also have three screen shots of empire falls in my gallery.

zich

06-16-05, 03:22 PM

Sanyo says my image quality problems are "normal", so alas, being a first-time projector owner, I turn to you guys again.

Here are the relevant pictures (hard to take pictures of this kind of thing):

Well apparently I can't post a URL... gah.

There are yellow lines and faint black lines along all edges of the screen. Also, are solid colors (the blue) supposed to look like they're "compressed" like that? I'm very disappointed by the image quality on this thing, and from everything I've read, that should not be the case. My 27" non-HD tv looks worlds better than the image coming from my Z3.

enier

06-16-05, 04:43 PM

halcali & zich, I have my Z3 for 7 months and I have never seen it in mine. So I do not think it's normal. Consult with your vendor and see if they shed light into the issue or ask for a replacement.

johnnykretentiv

06-16-05, 04:59 PM

halcali

06-17-05, 09:13 PM

i bought my z3 off ebay, so exchange might not be that convenient. i have a dvd player on the way which will allow me to play some jpg test patterns to see if the off green panel is a big problem or not, and whether it is worth requesting a replacement for. anyone here dealt with sanyo service? what is the turn around time? anyone know if a 1-2 pixel misaligned green panel really hurts percievable picture quality?

jportnoy

06-17-05, 09:46 PM

anyone here dealt with sanyo service? what is the turn around time?
Sanyo warranty service includes next business day repair and overnight return.

rdpiercy

06-20-05, 01:53 AM

I have another quick question for you guys,

Does the Z3 project directly in front of it, or is it slightly upwards of where it is sitting (thats called offset right?). I'm trying to figure out where would be the best place to put it, so I can have everything set up when I get one.

I know this info is probably around here some place but it's late and I don't have much time to look, so I thought you guys could help.

rdpiercy

Ricketty Rabbit

06-20-05, 02:00 AM

You can adjust the image to be above or below the projector, as well as to the left or right. There is a lot of latitude about where you locate it. I have mine ceiling mounted, but you could easily shelf-mount it at the back of the room in a smallish HT, or on a coffee table.

Ricketty

zich

06-20-05, 03:20 PM

Is there anyone around Reno with a Z3, or know a place where I can look at the image from another one? I go into stores and look at plasma and lcd screens and the like, and they look tons better than my Z3 image. Yet, my dealer and Sanyo both seem convinced that everything is A OK. Am I expecting too much for 2 grand? Is there no hope?

rdpiercy

06-20-05, 10:29 PM

rabbit,

I know it has lens shift, I was just asking about the offset asking because I read that using both extremes of LS was not good. As it is I will have to use the horizontal LS almost all the way. Thanks for the reply.

rdpiercy

CT_Wiebe

06-21-05, 12:31 AM

rdpiercy -- If you're going to use near maximum horizontal shift (not a good idea) then you will have zero vertical shift and the center of the screen image will line up with the center of the lens.

The zero-zero lens shift position (default offset) lines the center of the lens with the center of the screen. I think you should seriously re-think your location for the projector. You should stay away from using more than 80% of the lens shift in any direction (to minimize lens artifacts).

You need to read more of the Z3 threads, before you cast the mounting position in concrete :eek:.

rdpiercy

06-21-05, 02:25 AM

CT, you seem very knowlegable so maybe you could answer this one.

Say you have a screen mounted on the wall (80 inches wide) and have the Z3 positioned directly in front so that your not using any lens shift. How far to the left or right (in feet/inches) could you move the projector and still hit the screen with lens shift while not sacrificing picture quality?

Thanks for all the help.

rdpiercy

Disclord

06-21-05, 09:53 AM

halcali

06-21-05, 12:27 PM

does anyone have an email address for sanyo warranty service? their service phone number only allows me to leave a message and they have not called me back yet.

TCroly

06-21-05, 04:34 PM

>>IMO HDMI and upres DVD offers no improvement over component video on a Sanyo Z3.<<

Not so on mine - the Panasonic S97 via HDMI to the Z3 is a huge improvement over component. No noise at all, and perfect color.

I believe to each his own and I am glad for you that you enjoy the picture quality from your S97 via HDMI. For me component is more pleasing...

But it statements like this that sight a "huge improvement" that I honestly cannot understand. Could you describe the differences that you see?

I am very very critical about color accuracy and image quality. I can see slightly more noise noise via HDMI compared to component, but I would be hard pressed to say that there is any kind of a difference that could ever be described as "a huge improvement" between the image quality or color accuracy of HDMI and component. I think the S97 is a great DVD player and produces a very good image compared to other players out there, but for the Z3, upsampling and HDMI are not factors of this high image quality.

Tom

Disclord

06-22-05, 11:27 AM

>>But it statements like this that sight a "huge improvement" that I honestly cannot understand. Could you describe the differences that you see?<<

Less edge enhancement at 720P via HDMI - the S97's component 480P output has a slight ringing that is eliminated via HDMI (at any resolution). The Z3's component color decoder has red-push that is eliminated via HDMI - in fact, with HDMI, the colors are dead-on accurate and CAN'T be wrong unless the manufacturer is doing something funny with their processing. There is less noise in the image that makes everything much "cleaner." On resolution patterns, the highest frequencies are clearer and sharper via HDMI.

Again, it is a HUGE improvement - in standard-def terms - when compared to D-Theater via HDMI OR Component VS DVD HDMI, no contest - DVD looks like a LaserDisc.

TTP

06-22-05, 12:57 PM

Many people on the forum are saying that upconverted DVD (in the DVD player) is much better that the upconversion in the Z3. Projector central said that the Z3 has a much better scaler than the Z2. If upconverting is of high value. Why not buy a Z2 for $500 less and use an upconverting DVD player and skip the Z3?

johnny666

06-22-05, 11:12 PM

I will be getting my Sanyo PLV-Z3 tomorrow. And will be ordering my screen after I test some samples i got. I have a few questions about setting up the room:

1 - How do most of you have your components set up? I currently have a 55" Mitsubishi and all my components in entertainment shelf cabinets on both sides of the TV. But im figuring that with the projector im going to have to switch everything and try to put them above the sitting area (near the PJ) or just to the side of it.

2 - How do you recommend hooking a PC up to this PJ? It only has VGA (not DVI) but ive read that hdmi is backward compatible with DVI so should i get a DVI to HDMI cable? And what is the longest recommended length - without sacrificing quality. I have an ATI x800 XT video card so i could also use the component out, but i THINK that its inferior to VGA, correct?

3- can someone recommend a good component switch/system selector? Ive seen the Pelican one, but it only has 3 of them. I would probably need 1 or 2 more (xbox, DVD, xbox 360 when it comes out, maybe ps2, and dvd jukebox)

4- What connections do HDTV receivers usually have? I know little about HDTV but since i am getting this PJ i will be upgrading my cable service to hdtv and wanted to plan ahead of time to get it ready.

5 (sorry for the questions): is it okay if I Put my screen 31" to 35" from the floor? I didnt know if that was too high. We'll be sitting about 12'-13' from the screen.

johnnykretentiv

06-22-05, 11:17 PM

Johnny

Check out my sig and go to my theater site. I have everything behind my screen, the 65"er and all the equip. i use a Leapfrog IR Repeater with a IR bug to get the signal to the DVD player and amp since the sensors are covered by the screen.

johnny666

06-22-05, 11:24 PM

im going to be getting a fixed screen :( not a pulldown

johnny666

06-23-05, 11:56 AM

jriihi

06-23-05, 03:01 PM

2 - How do you recommend hooking a PC up to this PJ? It only has VGA (not DVI) but ive read that hdmi is backward compatible with DVI so should i get a DVI to HDMI cable?

Most ppl with pc use hdmi-dvi. Longest probably 15m hdmi-dvi cable. I have both pc and dvd player that i use with hdmi-dvi cable.

5 (sorry for the questions): is it okay if I Put my screen 31" to 35" from the floor? I didnt know if that was too high. We'll be sitting about 12'-13' from the screen.

Bottom of my 77" screen is 33"? or (85cm) from floor. I sit about 8'-9' from screen.

NOTE: check Z3 tweak thread for settings to get excellent pq (especially powerful vs creative cinema starting point).

johnny666

06-23-05, 03:15 PM

thanks jriihi. I'll have to figure something out somehow.

Dweezilz

06-23-05, 04:18 PM

I search the thread 1st, so sorry if this has been answered. I'm still debating between the z3 & the panny. I saw a few debates back & forth about the auto iris & it seems nobody can say for sure one way or the other; it's in there or it's not! Reviewers who received early versions of the unit all say it doesn't have it, although Sanyo's initial press release said it would have an automatic iris. So, after looking on Sanyo's website, it seems even THEY are confused by this. In several places it mentions manually adjusting the iris & even the manual ONLY refers to manually adjusting or it adjusts to different settings based on what mode you selected. Here's what they have about it not being automatic & via remote only (taken directly off of Sanyo's site):

Via remote control, you can change the amount of projected light in 63 gradations of approximately 0.6%. Contrast can thus be adjusted from 100% down to around 60%. Throughout this fine-tuning, the lens iris contracts and dilates smoothly, without noticeable jumpiness.

Then, in the specs sheet PDF...there it is:

NEW MOTORIZED IRIS YIELDS 2000:1 CONTRAST
RATIO
SANYO’s TopazReal® video processing combines with a new
optical engine to deliver a breathtaking contrast ratio of 2000:1
The motorized lens iris adjusts automatically according to ambient
light conditions in 63 increments from 100% down to 60%

GOOD GRIEF!! ha! Which is it guys? I called them & have yet to hear back, but if any of you know why Sanyo has two different versions of the story on their site, let us know! The only thing I can think of is that maybe the spec sheet is old & for some reason they chose not to put that feature in.

enier

06-23-05, 04:47 PM

Dweezilz, Sanyo is really confusing with this feature. Regardless, the Z3 produces good images in my opinion. Is it "better" than AE700 then that's depends on who you talk to. In case you have not, you should also consider other features that you might need like lens shift or longer throw distance among others. My neighbor will get the AE700 because he needs a 21' throw. A lot of people get good images with these 2 pjs so you'll probably not going wrong with either.

johnny666

06-23-05, 10:45 PM

Which output is better to use for PC to Sanyo plv-z3 (in order) - Is it HDMI-DVI then VGA then component?

lowspeed

06-23-05, 11:09 PM

Is the HDMI on the back of the z3 male or female ?

DavidRHend

06-24-05, 12:11 AM

It is a female HDMI connector on the back of the Z3.

lowspeed

06-24-05, 12:13 AM

It is a female HDMI connector on the back of the Z3.

Thank you :p

jriihi

06-24-05, 04:08 AM

Which output is better to use for PC to Sanyo plv-z3 (in order) - Is it HDMI-DVI then VGA then component?

Yes.

NOTE to ppl: remember to check z3 tweak tread for settings (especially powerful vs creative cinema as starting point).

Dweezilz

06-24-05, 11:13 AM

Nicholas Mosher

06-24-05, 04:34 PM

Look forward to hearing this too when you find out.

halcali

06-24-05, 06:32 PM

is there some secret to get the qrp support to call you back, i have left two messages, no return. also they ask for a ton of info and only give you about 15 seconds of record time on their message system... it's really odd. does anyone know if they have an email address?

Dweezilz

06-24-05, 07:47 PM

I'm guessing the secret is that you need to call their home entertainment # which is different than their regular support #. They will not ask for any information at all, just to leave a callback #. I momentarily misplaced that number!!!@#$!@#$!#

I will post it when I find it. I'm sure if you contact support, they'll give it to you. Also you might be able to find the # on the Sanyo LCDP site.

UPDATE - Here is the # for LCD Projector inforation & support (800) 421-5013
Options 2, then 3, 1

johnny666

06-27-05, 02:55 PM

I just got my Sanyo PLV-Z3. I have yet to truly set it up. I was going to wait to use it until everything in the room was rearranged and set up properly but i couldnt wait. All i did was take it out of the box and plug my dvd player and ps2 into it. All i have to say is...... HOLY FRIGGIN CRAP!! This thing is GORGEOUS! I just played the Incredibles for a little bit to see what it looked like and played God of War a little on the PS2. This thing with no tweaking or anything - straight out of the box is AMAZING. I cant wait to check the tweak thread to get it even better. OH YEAH....and this is WITHOUT A SCREEN!! I am a first time projector owner , so to anyone considering their first projector and are worried about a screen...... I say, buy the projector first and check out how it looks on your wall first. This thing is beautiful on my white wall that has some texture to it. I put my 3 samples of Carada screens in on the wall and there is a slight difference. The brilliant white was slightly brighter and the high contrast grey was too dark for my taste. If you are on a budget i would say test it on your wall first. You will be blown away. I know i was.

johnnykretentiv

06-27-05, 03:10 PM

Congrats Johnny! I knew you would like it. After you get the sucker tweaked out you are going to be blown away. Have you looked at HD yet?

God of War ROCKS!

johnny666

06-27-05, 04:07 PM

no, i havent seen hdtv yet. I will be ordering it soon. What exactly do i need for it? Does the cable company set you up with everything (the box,etc)? is that all i need? i was going to get the hdtv package with hd dvr

God of War is awesome, but it looks kinda crappy on the projector. i cant wait to hook my PC up and start playing some sick looking games (and xbox 360 when it comes out)

johnnykretentiv

06-27-05, 04:16 PM

Setting up HD is really easy. The guy will get it all setup for you. Make sure you set your projector to auto (resolution) so that it can adjust to 720P or 1080i or what every you feed it with your pc.

Games are cool on the Z3 have XBOX PS2 and Cube. XBox looks the best but PC will blow them all out fo the water.

johnny666

06-27-05, 07:50 PM

johnnykretentiv

06-27-05, 08:02 PM

Have only monkeyed with the pc a little and really can't tell you what I was using cause I don't remember.

This link should give you a little help. There are some tweaks you can do to some games to get them to show in the res that you want.

http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=hdtvgaming

Petroglyph

06-27-05, 10:24 PM

What resolution do you use when playing PC games? You cant really use anything but 1280x720 , right? I mean u can but i downscales it and doesnt always look too great, correct?

What do you use if 1280x720 isnt an option? I just noticed that with Doom 3 - theres no 1280x720

also, what refresh rate ?

Hmmmm, I would consult the Gaming Forum here and the widescreengamingforum site.

There are usually some tricks to get most games to run at nearly any resolution (with or without stretching or fisheye). Usually involving small changes in a PC ini file.

johnny666

06-28-05, 10:08 AM

thanks a lot guys

lowspeed

06-28-05, 01:59 PM

I am going to an HDMI to DVI cable to connect my PC.... are there any hdmi switches in case another component comes along that uses hdmi so i can connect multiple HDMI components to the PJ without having to unplug and plug each thing in every time?

I'm curious too.

I'm sure there's something out there... But you're gonna pay lots of $$ for it.

Anyone know of a affordable source?

johnny666

06-28-05, 05:39 PM

I am going to an HDMI to DVI cable to connect my PC.... are there any hdmi switches in case another component comes along that uses hdmi so i can connect multiple HDMI components to the PJ without having to unplug and plug each thing in every time?

And what about component switches? Are there any that you can connect more than 2 to? Ive seen the pelican pl 960 system selector pro and it SAYS it has 8 inputs, but it only has 2 for component. I'd like 3 -4 at least

htpcfan

06-28-05, 05:41 PM

Sure there are, google for HDMI switches. :)

johnnykretentiv

06-28-05, 05:55 PM

And what about component switches? Are there any that you can connect more than 2 to? Ive seen the pelican pl 960 system selector pro and it SAYS it has 8 inputs, but it only has 2 for component. I'd like 3 -4 at least
I have a great 4 in 2 out component switcher that is remote control. http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1002&sku=40020. I think Jeremy has the same one.

johnny666

06-28-05, 06:10 PM

i was just looking at that before. But it it 4 input??? it seems to me like it is 2 inputs for each of the 2 outputs

johnnykretentiv

06-28-05, 06:13 PM

i was just looking at that before. But it it 4 input??? it seems to me like it is 2 inputs for each of the 2 outputs

Nope, all 4 inputs can go to any of the 2 outputs.

I have Xbox, PS2, HD Box, DVD all hooked up to both my TV and the pj at the same time.

johnny666

06-28-05, 06:24 PM

oh cool. and the video quality is good? I was just looking at a 4.2 by a different brand and it was $499! if the quality is good, maybe i'll get that one. thanks

* i just tried ordering (from them and cablestogo - they seem the same). They both charge tax even though we are in different states. i guess im off to look for something else

Jeremy Anderson

06-28-05, 08:55 PM

Johnny, I got mine here:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=621258&sku=C184-40020

I see no difference in quality between a direct connection and using the component switcher, even with hi-def material. Plus, learning the remote's codes to my all-in-one made it really easy to automate switching from DVD to hi-def digital cable to X-Box.

johnny666

06-28-05, 09:39 PM

thanks a lot. I just ordered one earlier from somewhere else. Thank you though.

I'll have to wait on those HDMI switches....those things are expensive

johnnykretentiv

06-28-05, 09:59 PM

thanks a lot. I just ordered one earlier from somewhere else. Thank you though.

I'll have to wait on those HDMI switches....those things are expensive

That is why I am staying away from HDMI all together. The prices on those cables are CRAZY!!!!

Your gonna like that switcher. Now you are only going to have occupy one component input on your tv.

lowspeed

06-29-05, 08:29 AM

That is why I am staying away from HDMI all together. The prices on those cables are CRAZY!!!!

Your gonna like that switcher. Now you are only going to have occupy one component input on your tv.

Can you use one of the audios to switch digital coax? (left side for example) or the composite video.

lowspeed

06-29-05, 12:41 PM

I am going to an HDMI to DVI cable to connect my PC.... are there any hdmi switches in case another component comes along that uses hdmi so i can connect multiple HDMI components to the PJ without having to unplug and plug each thing in every time?

And what about component switches? Are there any that you can connect more than 2 to? Ive seen the pelican pl 960 system selector pro and it SAYS it has 8 inputs, but it only has 2 for component. I'd like 3 -4 at least

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=553529 DVI switch with converters can be used for HDMI i think :-p

johnnykretentiv

06-29-05, 12:56 PM

That's an interesting idea. I bet it would work. The cables don't know the difference.

lowspeed

06-29-05, 01:31 PM

That's an interesting idea. I bet it would work. The cables don't know the difference.

I would probablly agree if it was mechanical. But since its electornic you never know. It may pass composite singnal or regular analog audoio signal but not digital signal...

If i would guess i would say yeah it shuold work.... But the guys here with this switch could verify that....

Dick Kalagher

07-01-05, 07:48 PM

Has anyone compared different amounts of lens shift to see how it affects the quality of the image? Would using maximum lens shift negate the benefits of a high gain screen?

Thanks,

dick

rcgneo

07-05-05, 01:56 PM

Hello,

I just bought the Z3 and it is my first PJ. I have it hooked up via DVI to HDMI adapter and it looks great. I have the Samsung HD-841 upconverting to 720p. The picture looks better than what I expected. :-)

The only problem that I see is that I get a faint greenish color on the top right corner of the picture. Does anybody know why that might be? I am wondering if I have a defective PJ.

Thanks in advance

ted1001

07-05-05, 02:03 PM

rcgneo: I believe most of the Z3 suffers from that. Redish to the left, and greenish to the right.
Some have more, some have less. You can reduce it by opening the dynamic lens, but to the cost of less good black.

johnnykretentiv

07-05-05, 02:08 PM

Yep, it's the iris. Just tweak that a little bit I keep mine at about -38.

Dweezilz

07-05-05, 02:20 PM

Sanyo rep called me back today. Very friendly & helpful. He was going to check with the home office in Japan to see about this. He said it was enabled when they demo'd it initially, but it's possible it was removed in the software, but he didn't know off hand. I'll post the results when he calls back.

I have not heard back from the Sanyo rep, but he did have a local Home Theater company that sells Sanyo call me. I asked the owner (he owns a Z3 himself) & he said in the menu system, there is an option to turn on & off, the automatic iris. He also said it's possible it was not on the menu (disabled) in older Z3's. He says he keeps it off anyway because he doesn't like when it adjusts in the middle of a movie on it's own, so even if someone has a Z3 that won't do it, it's no loss at all. He just uses the manual adjustments on the fly instead of auto iris. Of course that is his opinion & I'm sure some people out there like the feature.

I'll post of the Sanyo rep ever calls back. I should have taken his name & number down.

cgraner

07-05-05, 03:05 PM

What is the difference in the USA and Japan version of the Z3? I have a friend that is going to be living in Japan and can get me one over there. Is there a significant price difference? What about warranty, etc.

Dweezilz

07-05-05, 04:35 PM

They are exactly the same except for one big huge difference. The warranty! The warranty for the Japan model is only 1 year & Sanyo USA WILL NOT cover it. So, you have to send the unit back to Japan which costs about $100-$150 each way. If you have a problem, it's gonna cost you up to $300 in shipping just to have the work done for free.

The US version has a 3 year warranty with very quick 48 hour return RMA delivery back to you once the unit has been received by Sanyo. So basically they fix it and return it to you within 2 days. VERY NICE.

I'd say it's not worth getting one from Japan, even though you'll save $300-$400 or so. There are places on the net that'll sell those from Japan too, yet, there is no way I'd do that. There is going to be a US price cut very soon (Z4 is coming before year end and maybe as early as Oct.) so it'll slash the price even more here.

Oh...and for the record, units sold on eBay are not covered either, regardless of what they say. To get warranty service, Sanyo states you must be the original buyer with an original receipt from an authorized dealer.

-Todd