Like many others, I'm sure, I'm planning on buying a new projector w/ my tax return. I want to spend under $1,500, and I don't want DLP.

I've narrowed it down to the above three. Right now, Visual Apex has pretty good deals on all of them. The lamp warranties on the Panasonic and Sanyo are particularly nice.

I will be using this projector mostly at night. However, I will be using it in a room with a few windows and French doors. All of the windows/doors have blinds, but there's still a fair amount of ambient light during the day. This is an important consideration as March Madness is less than a month away!

I was leaning toward the Z5 based on the glowing reviews it has received. However, the general perception around hear seems quite a bit different... Also, I don't know if the Sanyo has the brightness I require.

Comments from owners of any of the above and people who have viewed one or more of the above are welcome. I'd like to know if the Panasonic is worth the extra money over the other two projectors.

Thanks for the help.

I doubt that anyone can give you a fair comparison unless they have put all three side by side. I was in my local A/V store the other day and they had $1,500 epson 400 in one room and a $5,000 epson in another room. Both were new and uncalibrated (according to the owner). He had some HD channel playing off of Dish network and I had a hard time telling the difference. End the end I thought the $5,000 projector looked at little better but that may have been more mental then anything else. I think most of these $1,500 LCD projectors are very close in picture qualityand it really comes down to extras and warranties.

I went with the Epson 400 but haven't plugged it in yet (basement will be finished in 2 weeks). It came down to Epson's history for me. Keep in mind that Sanyo uses Epson LCD technology. The Epson will also be the brightest of the 3.

I really haven't seen a bad review for any of these projectors.

I have the epson and love it. Its got a great picture but the most important thing is service and epson is second to none. I guess panny owners are having a lot of warranty issues so be cautious with that one. I did get to see a Z4 before I bought my pj and it looked very good too but I was concerned with brightness so I went the safe route with the epson to be able to choose which setting worked for me in different lighting situations.

I'm far from expert on those models, but the Epson has a tremendous warranty. I believe you get overnight shipping on a replacement PJ if need be. Since Epson makes the LCD panels for the others, and has the strongest warranty and the best reputation for reliability, it would be on my short list.

Thanks for the replies, guys. I've decided to go with the Epson I think. I just have to wait another week or so on my tax return. I'll definitely post my experiences after I've set it up.

Tristan

What are the downsides to the Epson 400? It's sounding pretty good. For instance, didn't I read that it doesn't support 1080p/24?

Guy