where i can see how many hours use my lamp???I can't find in the menu

With the projector already ON, hold down the Power button on your remote for 30 seconds and it will appear on the screen.

thank you very much Tim Sly

Don't know anything about the graywolf II, but the Da-lite High Power looks excellent with the Z3.

if you see at 10-20 or 30 degrees its still ok?


the filter for z3 is this "Nikon 52mm CC30R red filter fits NIKONOS lens shade" or that"VIVITAR 62mm CC30R FILTER F/ UNDERWATER"

After 700(600eco 100normal)my lamp has broken is this normal?where can i bye a new in Europe(Greece)?

What would be a logical price for selling a used PLV-Z3?
I can't tell by looking through price search engines, the prices listed for electronics more than 2 years old tend to be nonsense.
It's in fine condition and has been used no more than 900 hours in 1/2 brightness mode, and I'll be selling an extra bulb with it.

What would be a logical price for selling a used PLV-Z3?
I can't tell by looking through price search engines, the prices listed for electronics more than 2 years old tend to be nonsense.
It's in fine condition and has been used no more than 900 hours in 1/2 brightness mode, and I'll be selling an extra bulb with it.

I just sold my Z3 on eBay this weekend for $521 shipped. It had an extra bulb with some hours on it as well. Another Z3 sold for $550 a few weeks ago with no extra bulb. Looks like this is about the going rate.

I've had a Z3 for about 30 months now and I have about 250 lamp hours on normal mode and another 820 hours in econo mode - just short of 1100 hours total. A couple of nights ago I noticed significant dimming in the picture - it literally happened overnight. My question is if this is a sign of a lamp going bad, and is it unusual for it to happen this early? I know Sanyo says lamp life is typically 2000 to 3000 hours. When I turn the projector on I always leave it on for at least 2 hours and usually more. And I clean the filters regularly.......thanks

I've had a Z3 for about 30 months now and I have about 250 lamp hours on normal mode and another 820 hours in econo mode - just short of 1100 hours total. A couple of nights ago I noticed significant dimming in the picture - it literally happened overnight. My question is if this is a sign of a lamp going bad, and is it unusual for it to happen this early? I know Sanyo says lamp life is typically 2000 to 3000 hours. When I turn the projector on I always leave it on for at least 2 hours and usually more. And I clean the filters regularly.......thanks
Looks like we purchased our PJs around the same time. I'm still on the first bulb of my Z3 (~970 hours, all but 9 on economy), but from what I've read, it sounds like a lamp going bad to me. Yes, 1,100 hours is early compared to what others have shared in this thread. How is the room temperature and ventilation for the Z3?

Looks like we purchased our PJs around the same time. I'm still on the first bulb of my Z3 (~970 hours, all but 9 on economy), but from what I've read, it sounds like a lamp going bad to me. Yes, 1,100 hours is early compared to what others have shared in this thread. How is the room temperature and ventilation for the Z3?Well that's the one thing that is not ideal in my setup; room temperature is not good. It's an upstairs bonus room over the garage facing the west and it can get real hot in there in the summer/fall. So I know that's not the greatest but there's nothing I can do about that. Ventilation is fine; it's desk mounted with plenty of room on all sides.

I had budgeted in my mind that I wouldn't be buying a new bulb for at least another year. So much for best laid plans....... :mad:

Well I can weigh in with the final verdict on my little dillemma; the lamp blew tonight. Guess that answers my questions. :(

Sorry to hear that, Doug. Here's the lowest price I've seen from a reputable company on a replacement lamp:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/357474-REG/Sanyo_610_317_5355_Projector_Replacement_Lamp.html

I'm hoping I don't need one soon, but if you find a better source for the lamp, please let us know.

Finally, be careful from whom you buy as it looks like someone received just the bulb and not the entire assembly when buying from myprojectorlamps.com.

wow 550, im gonna sell mine then, i just got a new LCD optical block on it with new polarizers before my warranty ended, it looks brand new, i might just keep it actually as a spare.

Sorry to hear that, Doug. Here's the lowest price I've seen from a reputable company on a replacement lamp:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/357474-REG/Sanyo_610_317_5355_Projector_Replacement_Lamp.html

I'm hoping I don't need one soon, but if you find a better source for the lamp, please let us know.

Finally, be careful from whom you buy as it looks like someone received just the bulb and not the entire assembly when buying from myprojectorlamps.com.I bought my replacement lamp from the same place I got the projector (VisualApex) for $295. That company has the best customer service I have encountered anywhere so I'm not worried about an incomplete product.

I've had my Z3 for a couple of years now and just recently noticed a blue smudge projected in the centre of the screen. On my 90" screen, I'd say it's about 3 or 4 inches in diametre. It's very faint, but it is noticeable when the picture is black or in very dark scenes in movies. I'm not too concerned about it as it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but it would be nice to get rid of it (without replacing anything or visiting the repair shop!) Has anyone else seen this before or have any idea what might be causing it? I tried having a look into the lens, but can't really see much looking in at an angle without blinding myself. I do use the blower to clean out the dust every couple of months or so.

I've had my Z3 for a couple of years now and just recently noticed a blue smudge projected in the centre of the screen. On my 90" screen, I'd say it's about 3 or 4 inches in diametre. It's very faint, but it is noticeable when the picture is black or in very dark scenes in movies. I'm not too concerned about it as it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but it would be nice to get rid of it (without replacing anything or visiting the repair shop!) Has anyone else seen this before or have any idea what might be causing it? I tried having a look into the lens, but can't really see much looking in at an angle without blinding myself. I do use the blower to clean out the dust every couple of months or so.
Sounds like dust on one of your LCD panels.

First, with the Z3 off, remove and clean both air filters and vacuum/clean any visible dust. Then (after reinstalling the filters) turn the Z3 on, put the fan in "cleaning" mode. and use the blower on all three LCD panels.

If that doesn't fix it, make sure that you clean it up and get it in for service before the 3-year warranty is up. Before you do, I'd strongly recommend that you search the Sanyo threads for advice on the best way to get a warranty repair without getting hassled/charged by Sanyo.

For the past year my PLV-Z3 has been exhibiting a weird glitch where periodically, a few lines of the image will suddenly just 'blink' once. It's like what I imagine would happen if somebody were to 'bump' the projector while it's playing; it almost seems like a brief power spike or even a short-circuit! If I look closely when this hapens, it appears as though a few horizontal lines of the image suddenly change colors or just go darker for a brief instance, and it's never the same lines twice. Like I say, it's just a 'blink'...very brief, very random, and it happens on average once every minute.

It doesn't happen during every session, and I haven't yet figured out what circumstances it happens under. However my impression is that it tends to happen more often if I have allowed the projector to 'time out' due to no image being displayed for an elapsed period of time, and then have waited out the 2-minute cool-down period before starting it again. So maybe it's an issue of starting up the projector when it's somewhat warm...

Any ideas? Has anyone else run into this issue? Could this be a symptom of my bulb starting to go?

I haven't seen anything like that, but if it's just a few random lines and not the whole image, I wouldn't think that it was the bulb. Maybe it's a sync issue between your source and the PJ. See if you can isolate to a certain source (DVD, cable box) or input (HDMI, Component). Also, it may be a bad cable.

I haven't seen anything like that, but if it's just a few random lines and not the whole image, I wouldn't think that it was the bulb. Maybe it's a sync issue between your source and the PJ. See if you can isolate to a certain source (DVD, cable box) or input (HDMI, Component). Also, it may be a bad cable.

Thanks for your response. Actually I've never used my pj for any sources other than DVD, and I always use component. So maybe it's an issue with component...? I've used 4 different DVD players though, and it happens with all of them so I'm pretty sure it's not the source.

Thanks for your response. Actually I've never used my pj for any sources other than DVD, and I always use component. So maybe it's an issue with component...? I've used 4 different DVD players though, and it happens with all of them so I'm pretty sure it's not the source.
Well, I guess you could try the other component input on the Z3, and if the issue persists, try a different cable. Finally, do any of your DVD players have an HDMI or DVI output? Monoprice has inexpensive, but effective HDMI/DVI cables.

The last two sessions, the Z3 has had glitches. Once, the screen went black but the bulb appeared to still be on; a restart was necessary. The second time, the colors became all washed out and again, a restart was necessary. The filters seem good. This is with an HDMI connection. If it were cable related, I'm not sure why since it was fine up until recently. This is a shelf mounted PJ with lots of copious ventilation. Ambient temps are up slightly due to summer, but not much as this is in a basement theater. Thank you!!!

Do the issues go away and things revert to normal after the restart? Also, does this happen with other inputs and/or source devices?

I have my living room closet converted into an AV rack. It works out very well, however, since I have gotten a few more pieces of gear I need to squeeze a little more room out of it. Most of the shelves are 8" tall which works well for smaller pieces, however, I gave teh Z3 18" and there is nothing else on the shelf... I really need to cut that in half, is that enough breathing room? The shelf size is 24x36 and like I said, it shares the space with nothing else.

I have my living room closet converted into an AV rack. It works out very well, however, since I have gotten a few more pieces of gear I need to squeeze a little more room out of it. Most of the shelves are 8" tall which works well for smaller pieces, however, I gave teh Z3 18" and there is nothing else on the shelf... I really need to cut that in half, is that enough breathing room? The shelf size is 24x36 and like I said, it shares the space with nothing else.
That seems way to tight. What does the manual say regarding clearance?

Unless you can figure a way to get cool air to the intakes, it looks like that will set you up for a vicious circle. Radiated heat from the PJ as well as the exhaust will have far less room to dissipate and will further heat the air being pulled into the intakes (bottom and rear of the Z3), reducing the cooling effect even more, and putting still warmer exhaust into the air surrounding the intakes, etc., etc.

UPDATE: On page 4 of the Z3 Owner's Manual, the clearance specifications are 50cm (19.7") clearance above, behind, and to the side opposite of the exhaust, and 1m (39.4") for the exhaust side.

Anyone seen this one:

I came back to the room to find the picture completely broken up into snow. I could make out the outlines of subject matter, for example baseball players or items being advertised, but the color was completely off and outlines very vague, blurry if you want to say that. Seemed like the whole picture was of a given overall color cast, say green, and different colors represented luminance. For example reddish for light areas, orangeish for not so light areas, green for medium areas, blue for darker areas, etc.

The projector would not respond to the remote or the button on top.

Seemed like the only thing I could do was switch the power off. I don't like to do this since the fan shuts off immediately losing the cooling and ventilation, and turning it back on after just a minute or two puts stress on the lamp. Everything was back to normal when I turned the projector back on.

I wish I had taken a picture of what all this looked like.

The projector sits on a shelf hung about 8 inches below the ceiling; it is open on all four sides.

If I understand you correctly, I sometimes have the same thing happen when switching between HDMI sources, although my Z3 never freezes. What source device and connection was running when this happened to you?

Was using the HDMI input. Could not switch to any other input at the projector since the projector was not responding to the remote.

The source was a video processor (by Lumagen), the program material came from an HDTV set top box connected to the processor. I could change channels on the set top box and I could switch inputs at the processor and could see, through the snow, the input switching taking place. I turned off the processor and the projector was still showing snow, this time with a distinct upright line near the left side suggesting a horizontal hold problem or sync. problem. I turned the processor back on and the (baseball game) came back on through the snow. It was not frozen and was not jittering with a real horizontal hold or real vertical hold problem.

Sounds like it may be a sync problem. Turning a problematic source device off/on has never fixed it for me. To fix, I need to switch to an HDCP-compliant device to reset the Z3, then try to switch back to the problematic device. Since you are running through a proc, the next time it happens, you may want to try hot-pluging directly into a different device, see if you get a regular picture back, then switch back to the proc. It may save you a power off/on cycle with a hot bulb.

Anyone happen to have this projector hooked up to a Denon 3808CI, 2809CI, or similar receiver? I'm curious to know how well it handles HDMI switching.

Right now, all of my HDMI switching is handled by a monoprice switch, and things don't go too well. I posted about this a while ago, but basically the problem is that, once I switch to my HD-A2, I cannot switch back to anything else without it being green tinted (or sometimes just black). My feeling is that once the Z3 handshakes with an HDCP device (the HD-A2), it cannot renegotiate with a non-HDCP device (my HTPC). The only way to get it to work is to completely shut if off, and turn it back on which of course I prefer never to do.

I'm thinking of a new receiver in part to avoid this. So, if you've had success with any HDMI switching receiver using the Z3 as a display and the HD-A2 as a source as well as any other HDMI device, I'd be interested to know...

Thanks,
Jeff

FWIW, I have the Monoprice 4x2 switch (which one do you have?) with an HD-A3 and an SA-8300HDC cable box.

Switching between both source devices works just fine to my 32" LCD HDTV, but once I fire up the HD-A3 on the Z3, I get the same green issue if I try going back to the 8300.

If I turn the TV on (while leaving the Z3 on) and switch betweeen the A3 and the 8300 a few times (the 4x2 switch can simultaneously show different sources on two devices), the 8300 resets to a point where it can sync with the Z3 again, and the picture goes back to normal on the Z3. I never get the green screen with the TV, even if it's green on the Z3.

Thanks for the response ajstan. That's very interesting. Due to the fact that you are able to get the Z3 picture to look OK after flipping around the other output, it certainly seems like its a combo of the A3 and Z3 not shaking hands very well. It is also good to hear that the Z3 is capable of renegotiating in some way without being powered down. Gives me some hope that the new receiver might do the trick, but I guess its still a bit of a gamble.

And the switch I have is the 4X1, but I think other than the one less output the switching is the same. The receiver I'll be getting is also 4 inputs and one output. I'll be sure to report back how it works, if and when I decide to pull the trigger on this.

Thanks for the response ajstan. That's very interesting. Due to the fact that you are able to get the Z3 picture to look OK after flipping around the other output, it certainly seems like its a combo of the A3 and Z3 not shaking hands very well. It is also good to hear that the Z3 is capable of renegotiating in some way without being powered down. Gives me some hope that the new receiver might do the trick, but I guess its still a bit of a gamble.

And the switch I have is the 4X1, but I think other than the one less output the switching is the same. The receiver I'll be getting is also 4 inputs and one output. I'll be sure to report back how it works, if and when I decide to pull the trigger on this.
You're welcome, affeking. In my situation I need a display device other than the Z3 to somehow "reset" the problematic source device(s) so they can properly connect again to the Z3. I don't think that my fix would work if I had only one display. Do you have an HDMI TV available to hot-swap cables to test?

I just picked up the Onkyo TX-SR606 and no longer have any issues switching between any device on my Z3, including the Toshiba HD-A3 and SA-8300HDC cable box, which were previously problematic.

I'm still running HDMI out of the receiver through the Monoprice 4x2 switch to split the signal to the TV and Z3.

affeking - did the new receiver work for you as well?

My Z3 will not power up. It was working fine for the last 2.5 years, though due for a new bulb. No power at all when plugged in. Anyone else experience this?

Regards
313

My Z3 will not power up. It was working fine for the last 2.5 years, though due for a new bulb. No power at all when plugged in. Anyone else experience this?

Regards
313
Haven't experienced the problem, but are any of the power/warning/lamp-replace lights lit up? If not, it may be the fuse. See page 7 of the manual for how to replace.

When i connect my Z3 to my htpc i get a green/blue picture. Tried another cable, and the picture was pink. Is it possible that my hmdi input connector is broken ?
It worked before.. it kind of disturbing to watch a pink movie :)
I know this is an old thread, but maybe someone got some ideas?

When i connect my Z3 to my htpc i get a green/blue picture. Tried another cable, and the picture was pink. Is it possible that my hmdi input connector is broken ?
It worked before.. it kind of disturbing to watch a pink movie :)
I know this is an old thread, but maybe someone got some ideas?
A quick thought:
Do other HDMI devices work on the Z3? If so, it might be a sync issue when switching from one of those other devices to the HTPC.

i don't have anything else to test with :(
But component work just fine, and at hdmi-mode the menu looks fine, with normal colors. It's just the picture that is f****ed up :eek:

i don't have anything else to test with :(
But component work just fine, and at hdmi-mode the menu looks fine, with normal colors. It's just the picture that is f****ed up :eek:
Here are a couple of other ideas on how to isolate the problem:

1. How is the everyday monitor for your HTPC connected? Do you have an HDMI connection available so you can test the video card and cable?

2. Are you sending a supported signal to the Z3? See the chart at the bottom of page 56 of the Z3 owner's manual. Try 1280x720 first, and if that doesn't work, try 640x480.

I have tried another gfx also and cable. same result. My monitor is connected via vga-dvi-adapter... works just fine.

i have tried different signals to, from 640-1280. The picture is still red/pink.

it sure looks like something happened to the hdmi-input.. :(

I have tried another gfx also and cable. same result. My monitor is connected via vga-dvi-adapter... works just fine.

i have tried different signals to, from 640-1280. The picture is still red/pink.

it sure looks like something happened to the hdmi-input.. :(
It sounds like a sync issue to me. Video card connections can be quirky sometimes, so I would hesitate to send the Z3 in for service until I was able to replicate the issue with a different HDMI source device. Would a friend loan you an HDMI DVD, Blu-ray, or HDDVD player to test?

hmm okey.. it's just weird that it worked at first.. then i got this crap picture. But i will test with something else :)

I called sanyo sweden, and they thought it could be the hdmi-plate.. and wanted to replace it. For about 240 $ .. if i cant get that spare myselt that is :P

hmm okey.. it's just weird that it worked at first.. then i got this crap picture. But i will test with something else :)

I called sanyo sweden, and they thought it could be the hdmi-plate.. and wanted to replace it. For about 240 $ .. if i cant get that spare myselt that is :P
Ouch. If they're charging you for the repair, it sounds like you're past the 3yr. warranty period. In that case, you're probably better off using a component connection from your HTPC and saving the $240 towards a new PJ the next time your lamp blows. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Hi everyone. Got a Z3 here, had it for about 3.5 years now-- August 2005 I think it was bought. Very minimal problems overall. The most noticeable has been the "red" panel not firing up on boot, but a quick shut down and restart would fix it. Another minor issue appears to be pillar-bar burn in noticeable in some lighter colored scenes (IE hockey games).

My reason for posting though, is my bulb appears to be on it's last legs. The LAMP REPLACE light is now on. I checked the usage a few minutes ago, and the totals don't make much sense to me. The box says:
Proj 2081
---------
Full 1868
Eco 213
---------
Total 3016

Where is it getting 3016? I did buy this new. Could this have been if someone reset the lamp counter? Thanks for any input! Debating on a new bulb or new projector (1080p).

Murph

Hi everyone. Got a Z3 here, had it for about 3.5 years now-- August 2005 I think it was bought. Very minimal problems overall. The most noticeable has been the "red" panel not firing up on boot, but a quick shut down and restart would fix it. Another minor issue appears to be pillar-bar burn in noticeable in some lighter colored scenes (IE hockey games).

My reason for posting though, is my bulb appears to be on it's last legs. The LAMP REPLACE light is now on. I checked the usage a few minutes ago, and the totals don't make much sense to me. The box says:
Proj 2081
---------
Full 1868
Eco 213
---------
Total 3016

Where is it getting 3016? I did buy this new. Could this have been if someone reset the lamp counter? Thanks for any input! Debating on a new bulb or new projector (1080p).

Murph
Hi Murph - the totals are correct. It doesn't look like any reset took place. The "Total" lamp hours you see are calculated as (Eco hours + 1.5X Full Hours).

You should feel good that you got 2,000+ hours with most of it in Full lamp mode. I always run Eco, only turn on once a day, use ceiling-mounted in a cool basement, and still only got 1,000 hours out of my original lamp.

If you bought the Z3 with an American Express, you may have a 4th year of warranty, and it would be worth exploring getting it fixed for free under warranty. In that case, you've got a great 720p projector for the cost of a lamp (~$300). If not, then you should consider buying new as a new 720p PJs are now under $900, and/or putting the $ towards a 1080p.

Good luck!

Hope this helps and good luck.

I just got an incredible deal on a new Z60 from Blintzes and Halvah and while I plan to keep it, I see very little difference between it and my Z3. People who don't know I changed PJs wouldn't know I did and this includes those who know what to look for. This is my opinion before I calibrate the Z60 so it may change. The Z60 has no screendoor from 10'-11' on my 80" wide High Power screen. And the Z60 is certainly bright enough in my bat cave. One surprise is I don't think it's quite as sharp as my Z3 but I'm withholding judgment on this until after I dial it in.

Thanks for the input. I have thought about going 1080P, but haven't been able to justify the cost yet. And of course, not thinking ahead, I bought with a Discover Card, the only card that offers NO extended warranty protection! :(

With intent to get a few more miles (a year or two would be awesome!) out of this, figure it's worth asking-- anyone got a spare new bulb that they might be willing to sell? Maybe someone else is in a better position to upgrade than me right now. :)

Murph

I just picked up a used PLV-Z3 with 1,000 total hours, almost all low lamp mode, in great shape. I have not had great luck with these inexpensive 720p LCD projectors, two Panasonic PT-AE500U projectors lasted less than 5,000 hours total combined before problems and I decided against repairs on both. I have been using a PT-AE900U for the last year and a half and it still works great at about 2,800 hours but I keep on expecting to turn it on and see issues. This one was inexpensive, probably market value, and the previous owner's settings look good although I may try to adjust it specifically for my theater soon, but using DVE is so boring and cumbersome for me.

I am really trying to decide whether or not to move up to 1080p LCD but I can't get past my previous problems with LCD and thinking maybe I should consider another technology. Basically, I am afraid to pay the money on a more expensive projector. I use a projector about 1,500 hours a year on average. My first projector was the Panasonic PT-AE500U about 5 years ago and I have not used anything other than 720p LCD projectors yet. In a dark room, I have been happy with the image quality all of these years, although I concede a new 1080p projector will beat it. As I sit now, I have a few years to make the decision and who knows maybe the Panasonic PT-AE3000U will have been proven to be a good long term performer and one of those might be available used for a little more than I paid for this PLV-Z3.

I think I will see if there are some recommended settings in this thread when I get a chance. I am using a 100" diagonal 1.1 gain white screen if somebody has some suggestions.

Chris

Hi Murphy74, you can order the new bulb here they have plenty of spare bulbs in hand. Check out the link;

Sanyo PLV-Z3 Lamp (http://www.projectorlampsworld.com/bulb/Sanyo/PLV-Z3.html)
Price $210

Well, it might be time to lay my Z3 to rest. We were watching recorded TV last night through the computer input and all of a sudden we have these nasty bars/columns going through the middle of the screen. Depending on the color being displayed, the bars/columns change colors.

White display -> yellow bars
blue display -> black bars.

The past few months we've been having some light blue blobs and eventually just a blueish tint to everything. I'm thinking the blue polarizer finally just gave up? What do you guys think, similar problems?

Same here. My Z3 is 3.5 years old. I am getting a blue tint starting at the bottom of the screen moving to the left. I am also seeing temporary burn in as well if I leave a static image on the screen for too long. It has gotten worse and worse. I am trying to decide what to pick up next. I have never had a DLP and am concerned about the rbe (I notice everything). I really want to try one though, because I don't trust that another LCD will last very long.

Well, it might be time to lay my Z3 to rest. We were watching recorded TV last night through the computer input and all of a sudden we have these nasty bars/columns going through the middle of the screen. Depending on the color being displayed, the bars/columns change colors.

White display -> yellow bars
blue display -> black bars.

The past few months we've been having some light blue blobs and eventually just a blueish tint to everything. I'm thinking the blue polarizer finally just gave up? What do you guys think, similar problems?

Same here. My Z3 is 3.5 years old. I am getting a blue tint starting at the bottom of the screen moving to the left. I am also seeing temporary burn in as well if I leave a static image on the screen for too long. It has gotten worse and worse. I am trying to decide what to pick up next. I have never had a DLP and am concerned about the rbe (I notice everything). I really want to try one though, because I don't trust that another LCD will last very long.

How many hours on the projectors? I am very suspicious of the LCD projectors now. I like the picture, but not the longevity. The blue polarizer has been a frequent cause of premature failure and for some odd reason, it is very expensive although it sure doesn't look like an expensive part. Failure of the LCD panels happens often as well. Keeping it cool and clean is the best we can do but that apparently doesn't guarantee it won't suffer an early death. I am running a PLV-Z3 with around 1,100 hours after having two Panasonic PT-AE500U projectors fail at about 2,500 hours each.

I don't have any issues with rainbows using DLP but I don't know if my children or girlfriend will. I hope to keep what I currently have working long enough to make a decision. Maybe the current generation of LCD projectors won't be so fragile.

Chris

We use the projector quite a bit. The projector came with the house and we have had to replace the bulb once, but use the projector like as our main TV. I'm thinking of heading to DLP with the HD20 or benq w1000. I'm trying to take apart the Z3 now to see if I can find any magical dust blobs.

I am on my second bulb. I think total I am around 4000 hours on the projector.

I am having what I think are polarizer problems on my Z3 with about 4000 total hours (about 1000 hours on my second bulb). There is a blue haze just to the upper left of center and it seems to be spreading. It has become quite a distraction and based on what I've been reading may mean that it's time to upgrade. If I could just replace the blue polarizer, that would be great - but I don't even know if that is for sure the problem and even if it is, where does one get the part? I'm looking at moving to a Panny 4000 (but this polarizer thing has spooked me) so may go with DLP or LCOS/SXRD. Suggestions?

You might want to try calling Sanyo Parts first to see if they'll sell you whatever parts you need to make the fix yourself.

(888) 337-1215 Option 3
http://us.sanyo.com/Projectors-Landing/Get-Service

That being said, are you sure it's a polarizer? It is my understanding that a bad blue polarizer will cause a yellowish tint, not a blue haze.

Also, have you tried using the blower to clean off the panels? Maybe it's a dust blob?

No, I'm not sure that the blue polarizer is the problem, but in doing a bit of reading I thought it might be. I've tried using the blower bulb to clean all three of the panels, but it hasn't helped. I thought about cracking the whole unit open and doing a total clean, but am unconvinced that it will help much if at all. I'll try it though and let you know if it makes any difference.

Mark

Thanks, Mark. While I only have about 1,400 hours on my Z3, it would be great to know how you resolve the issue, as we all may run into this same problem at some point.

Here's a link with some potentially helpful info on changing the polarizer. Also, it says that a blue polarizer will cause a yellow tint on bright/white images and a bluish tint on dark/black images.

http://geekswithblogs.net/lorint/archive/2006/08/24/89071.aspx

In any case, good luck!

Been over a year since I posted in this thread, but my bulb is STILL alive! (I do have a spare I bough ton Ebay a while back, factory new and sealed) Not sure how many hours are on it, but I'm gonna guess we're well over 4,000.

Anyway, just posting here to see if anyone every found a fix for the blue cloud blob issue? Mine's getting worse, from the bottom left corner, it comes and goes up to about the middle of the screen on the left side. Much more obvious on lighter scenes.

Is anyone else even using a Z3 still?? :)

Been over a year since I posted in this thread, but my bulb is STILL alive! (I do have a spare I bough ton Ebay a while back, factory new and sealed) Not sure how many hours are on it, but I'm gonna guess we're well over 4,000.

Is anyone else even using a Z3 still?? :)

Many still use 'em. They were, and remain a great 720p unit.

I myself have a brand new "Still in the Box" Bulb for a Z3 listed in the AVS Classifieds.

Mine's still in place, with a newish bulb (which I accidentally left on for 2 days straight, so who knows how "new" it is now).

Honestly, despite obsessive calibrations and having a high-gain screen an extremely dark room, my Z3 has never been as bright or punchy as I would have liked and that's always bothered me. There may be something wrong with it, but it was subjective enough that I could never prove it to Sanyo. Even a new bulb didn't solve the issue, and now I'm so bothered by it that I can't even bring myself to watch it.

I wanted to update to a new PJ a couple years ago, then the economy went bad, etc. Now my primary financial priority is paying off the mortgage while my Z3 gathers dust. :-( Does that make me a terrible person? :-)

Honestly, despite obsessive calibrations and having a high-gain screen an extremely dark room, my Z3 has never been as bright or punchy as I would have liked and that's always bothered me.
Hey there, shanksworthy and M-Man - good to see this thread resurrected, if only for a while.

shank - have you tried the cc30r filter with ROne's settings? If you haven't, it's a HUGE improvement. I'm still get the wow factor to this day.

Here's link to the PDF with the settings from the Z3 Tweak Thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=44892&d=1130151718

Here's a link to the filter I use:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/102664-REG/LEE_Filters_R30P3_3x3_Red_CC30R.html

As I generally understand it, the Z3 was limited in red level, so adding the filter allows for pushing the green and blue levels more, resulting in a brighter, punchier image with better accuracy and contrast. Best $15 I ever spent.

Even though I have light carpet, white walls, a white ceiling, and a 1.0 Gain screen (yes, I know, I really need to at least darken the walls), when people first see it, they think it's a giant TV. They can't believe a projector is that bright and crisp.

If you have tried the filter, and still don't think it's bright enough, then I would think it may be a projector issue.

shank - have you tried the cc30r filter with ROne's settings? If you haven't, it's a HUGE improvement. I'm still get the wow factor to this day.


Thanks for that! I'd come across the tweak thread, but never have I seen all the best info compiled into one place like this before. This is great.

To be honest, even with the iris opened to max the picture still seems barely bright enough to me. In the past I had tried ROne's settings without the filter, but it made the image so dim that I couldn't imagine how a filter would solve that. So it's probably a projector problem. But for under $15.00 I guess I can't go wrong by trying.

BTW when I say "dim", I haven't decided whether I mean that the picture is actually dark, or that the colours are just lacking in saturation (or a bit of both).

BTW ajstan, I took your advice and ordered the cc30r filter. Unfortunately the Lee filter was listed as a "special order item" which from my experience means my order would have sat in limbo for months. So I ordered a Kodak one instead on eBay (cheaper too).

Do you think it will make a difference?

BTW ajstan, I took your advice and ordered the cc30r filter. Unfortunately the Lee filter was listed as a "special order item" which from my experience means my order would have sat in limbo for months. So I ordered a Kodak one instead on eBay (cheaper too).

Do you think it will make a difference?
No, I would think the only thing that matters is that it's cc30r, other than how long the filter will last without fading and needing to be turned. I'll be interested in hearing how it turns out for you.

I have a Sanyo PLV-Z3 projector that is about 6 years old with 2160 hours on the original bulb. I have seen many posts regarding the "spreading blue area" issue, but I have not seen any AVS forum posts with a definitive resolution. Some say it's the bulb, others say it's the blue polarizing filter and others blame the LCD itself.

I have taken the projector apart and the blue polarizing filter shows some burn-in, but there is no dust on it. The inside of the projector is very clean (dust free). I did have 2 dust blobs in the past 6 years so I am familiar with the resulting picture and how to clean them. Dust blobs are not the issue. The polarizer burn-in might account for the static blue areas, but I doubt this is responsible for the blue areas that change as the projector heats up. Is it a bad LCD?

So, does anyone have a resolution and also a recommendation on a good source to obtain replacement parts. Any help is appreciated. I would love to be able to resolve this issue since the Sanyo PLV-Z3 has served me well over the years.