Are these two projectors comparable to each other? I've been looking for awhile to purchase my very first projector and it seems to have come down to the Sanyo PLV-Z5 or the Mits-HD1000u.

Obviously the Mits is a lot less expensive compared to the Z5. So would I be losing anything between the two in terms of picture quality? Would it be better to wait a little longer for the Sony AW15 that is coming out? The projector will be in a 12 x 23 x 7 room that has no ambient light. Screen size 106" on a Carada Brilliant White screen.

Thanks for the thoughts. If there's a thread that has covered this comparison my apologies.

I think the general consensus is, the Mitsubishi gives a better, more accurate picture. The Sanyo might be a bit sharper though with considerably more visible pixels up close.

The main advantage of the z5 is that it has lens shift for easier room placement and , for those who see rainbows with DLP, it is LCD.

If you don't see rainbows and don't need the flexibility, the HD1000 is a much better buy.

So if I have a 7ft ceiling would I be able to ceiling mount the Mits and fill the entire 106" screen? The seating distance will be 12ft or greater so I'm not sure if the projector should be mounted behind or in front.

So if I have a 7ft ceiling would I be able to ceiling mount the Mits and fill the entire 106" screen? The seating distance will be 12ft or greater so I'm not sure if the projector should be mounted behind or in front.

With a 7 foot ceiling, you'll be doing a decent amount of keystoning with the HD1000u. You can get a 106" image from 15-18 feet.

On the Z5, it doesn't matter where you put it.

With a 7 foot ceiling, you'll be doing a decent amount of keystoning with the HD1000u. You can get a 106" image from 15-18 feet.

On the Z5, it doesn't matter where you put it.

To put a finer point on it, if you have a 7 foot ceiling, look elsewhere than the Mits. Prior to keystoning, you would be projecting much of the 106" image onto the floor. Some keystoning is O.K. (according to some) but you're talking ALOT of keystoning.

One other point -- this notion that DLP produces a better image than DLP over-stated in my opinion. When you put a well set-up DLP next to a well set-up LCD, the differences are minimal. Go with the Z5 and get a great picture and the flexibility that you need.

Of course, that's just my opinion...

Thanks for the info. I agree the PLV-Z5 is probably the way to go for my situation. I believe the Z4 is around $1000 is that pretty much the same as the Z5?

The z5 has slightly better black levels. Visual Apex is offering a 5 year warranty and a 2 year lamp warranty free on the z5 so that is another thing to consider.

here's what projectorreviews.com said:

On the DLP front, you can consider the Mitsubishi HD1000u, which is brighter, but not significantly so. At its best, the Sanyo easily beats the HD1000U in black levels, but, as usual, in certain scenes, where all the AI can't do its thing, the HD1000U should have an edge... A typical DLP, you need to consider if it will place easily in your room, as it has a much more limited zoom lens, and no lens shift.