FWIW, I just got an e-mail from Costco Online offering the Sharp Z12000 Mk II for $1999.99!

Has the MSRP really dropped to anywhere near this price?!

FWIW, I just got an e-mail from Costco Online offering the Sharp Z12000 Mk II for $1999.99!

Has the MSRP really dropped to this anywhere near this price?!

720P is the new 480P and the prices are reflecting the relative worth of the technology.

Yeah, I got the email, too.

The MSRP is $4,999. (http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1574,00.html)

I'd be tempted, but I already have a 720. I'll hold out for a 1080.

I saw this in my email box yesterday as well. That really is an amazing price for a really nice projector!

720P is the new 480P and the prices are reflecting the relative worth of the technology.

Well, I've moved up to 1080p with the Z20000, so I do appreciate the progress HD is making, but I don't think it's fair to say that "720P is the new 480P", as there's a big difference between SD at 480 and HD at 720p.

I'm not a bit surprised that 720p has gotten cheaper. What surprises me is the quality (i.e. lens, processing, feature set, etc.) of 720p that is available at this price point. The Z12000 is a really nice projector!

If you ever wanted an example of the total collapse of the 720p market, this has got to be it.

I just saw this and it is the deal of the century.

This EXTREMELY high quality PJ (DarkChip 3, expensive optics, full CMS) retailed for $12,000 just a year and a half ago. Amazing.

I guess consumers are saying 1080p or nothing.

Jason put out a feeler here a couple weeks ago to gauge interest in this projector. Not sure if he's going to go through with it but my guess is that it will be cheaper than the costco price if AVS decides to sell these.

At least one member on AVS has spoken highly of the Sharp. What's the rainbow effect on this one like?

"What's the rainbow effect on this one like? "

It is a 5x 7 segment wheel. But I'm seeing rainbows all over the place with it. YMMV.

Shawn

Too bad it's 720.

Let's hope the Sharp 20k will show up at Costco for $4k!

Seems unlikely that Sharp would have their top of the line model at Costco at this juncture - the Z12000Mk II is essentially EOL, which is why it's at Costco.

If you ever wanted an example of the total collapse of the 720p market, this has got to be it.

I just saw this and it is the deal of the century.

This EXTREMELY high quality PJ (DarkChip 3, expensive optics, full CMS) retailed for $12,000 just a year and a half ago. Amazing.

I guess consumers are saying 1080p or nothing.

Yeah, the MkII was a refresh of the Z12k, and came out when everyone (well, me) was expecting the first 1080p DLP. At its price point, it was essentially knecapped by the Ruby and the Sim2 C3X. Somehow, I think the 20K is probably good for a few years before a similar fate awaits it. :)

BTW, you guys may want to kill the explicit price info, since this is already covered in the "deals" forum.

Bill

I have a sharp xv-z9000 that I bought 5 years ago for$8K and at the time I thought it was a bargain! Is the xv-z12000 MK II that much a visibly better projecor that would be worth $2000. I am not lusting for a 1080 because where we sit (distance to screen) I do not think it would make much of a difference. I just wondered how much the 12000 is better than the 9000- Contrast, brightness, etc.

what does this sharp z12000 compare like to the panny ax-100 on costco's site?

Great price.

Coming from the <3k forum this is 'old' news. Some may wish to reconsider the value when up against Sharp's killer duo z3000/Dt-500. A little shopping and luck places these squarely at half the price with a competing image. (Actually, brighter with HDMI, though not suited for anamorphic setups).

Yes, I'm about to hear about the DC3...so what.

I have a sharp xv-z9000 that I bought 5 years ago for$8K and at the time I thought it was a bargain! Is the xv-z12000 MK II that much a visibly better projecor that would be worth $2000. I am not lusting for a 1080 because where we sit (distance to screen) I do not think it would make much of a difference. I just wondered how much the 12000 is better than the 9000- Contrast, brightness, etc.

Yes, I've had both the video difference is huge all across the board, contrast, black level, deinterlacing, features (Iris /color mgt).
The 12k has four times the contrast.

I have a sharp xv-z9000 that I bought 5 years ago for$8K and at the time I thought it was a bargain! Is the xv-z12000 MK II that much a visibly better projecor that would be worth $2000. I am not lusting for a 1080 because where we sit (distance to screen) I do not think it would make much of a difference. I just wondered how much the 12000 is better than the 9000- Contrast, brightness, etc.

The difference is significant. You're a few generations behind on the DLP chip; the DC3 CR is a vast improvement. You'll also pick up digital input capability which I don't believe the Z9000 has. Others may try to steer you towards other 720p options near this price point, but they won't have the same quality optics that the Z12000 II has. If 1080 isn't a priority, you can't go wrong upgrading to the Z12000 II at this price!

Great price.

Coming from the <3k forum this is 'old' news. Some may wish to reconsider the value when up against Sharp's killer duo z3000/Dt-500. A little shopping and luck places these squarely at half the price with a competing image. (Actually, brighter with HDMI, though not suited for anamorphic setups).

Yes, I'm about to hear about the DC3...so what.

The 12K has lens shift and the optics might be a slight upgrade but I agree the Z3000 would seem to be a better value if lens shift is not a need.

Moe