Best replacement for my aging Sony VPL-400Q?

[doug zdanivsky]

My beloved Sony (LOVE the picture quality.. Hate the fan noise, and the green blobs I keep getting when the blue deflector plate gets overheated.. But other than that..) is on it's last legs..

I have a budget of 3-4K Cdn (I live in BC, Canada) to spend on a replacement..

I am overwhelmed by how much the technology has come along since I bought 5 years ago..

400 lumins was considered pretty darn good (!)..

3 projectors have been flagged during the course of my research..

The Panasonic AE-900.. Truer skin tones than the "Z", better black level..

The Sanyo "Z".. sharper picture than the Panny..

And the BenQ 7700.. Better customer support and warrenty than the Panny and the "Z".. Picture quality: no info on how it compares to the other 2..

Which would you all reccomend?

Is there a 4th alternative?

I wouldn'y be averse to spending an extra K on a vastly (or even signifacantly) better projector..

Background info:

The throw distance will not be more than 15', the screen I have is a Dalite B widesceen 40"x80" with I think (I can't remember exactly) a 1.3 gain, and I use component video hook-ups..

I don't have any windows in my HT room, so I can get it pitch black in there, and the walls are matte..

the projector would be used 100% for movies on DVD.. No TV, no video games..

I hope I've provided enough info to make your reccomendations..

Thanks for any and all comments!

[George Bellefontaine]

Doug, you really should see these demoed yourself. I have two PJs in my theater: an NEC HT1000 dlp and a Yamaha LPX510 lcd. The Yamaha just happened to be the lcd replacement for my old Sony VPL400.

When I went to replace the Sony I looked at the Panasonic 700, the new Sony 50 or 51, and the Yamaha. Even though contrast was greater on the Sony, I saw things I didn't like. As for the Panny, well I just found the picture too soft. So in the end, the Yamaha was the best for me. But that's why I feel you have to look at these PJs yourself. The Panny and Sony are very big right now in sales.

[doug zdanivsky]

The Yamaha, eh?

You mind if I ask how much you paid and where you bought?

So you found the Yamaha MOST like the picture quality of the Sony VPL-400q?

Thanks!

[George Bellefontaine]

The delta pixel array on the 400 was a different breed of cat. None of the lcd projectors today use that technology. As far as the Yamaha goes, I was looking for something sharper than the 400 and it fit the bill quite nicely. The other thing is, I am a tweaker and the Yamaha had a lot of tweaking features, plus a power zoom and focus. It uses Epson lcd panels and I understand they are glass polariser plates rather than plastic so I am hoping I won't see a blue polariser plate problem like I did with the 400. The Yamaha also had vertical and horizontal lens shift and that really made installation easy. I paid under $4,500 and got an extended 3 year warranty as part of the deal. Bought it from a Yamaha dealer in Halifax. They also had the Panny ( which was much cheaper ) so I was able to see them both at the same time.

I actually found the 400 picture rather soft due to that unusual pixel array. Panasonic uses a smooth picture technology that is supposed to do away with screen door but I found it too soft-- almost out of focus. But the Panny's picture was probably closer to the 400 so you may like it. Whatever way you go you are in for a big treat because these newer PJs have much higher resolution than the 400. If I recall , the 400 was 1020 x 480 or just under 500,000 pixels. The newer PJs you mentioned all have 1280 x 720 panels ( 921,600 pixels ) so they are better for hi-def material . The newer makes all have much better contrast, too. My son, who was a Sony tech measured the 400 at somewhere around 200:1 contrast ratio while the newer PJs are in the thousands.

[doug zdanivsky]

I went and demoed the Panny again yesterday..

A very, very nice picture I thought.. The contrast and dark level was very nice indeed..

Too bad I can't compare it to the Yamaha or the Sanyo..

I'll do some more research on the Yamaha, and see what's what, but for now I see no reason not to get the Panny, besides from some reports of poor quality control..

[George Bellefontaine]

Trouble is, Doug, we only hear about the bad things about any projector out there. It's possible you could get a Panny 900 and never have a problem as long as you own it. I have had fairly good luck with all my front projectors with the exception of the Sony. The prism block had to be replaced on it after 6 months. Thank God it was under warranty because the part cost $6K, about a grand more than I paid for the 400.

A good thing about the Panny is the throw. It is a medium to long throw PJ and with the lens shift, it should be easy to setup in just about any home theater. By the way, the Panny I saw was the the 700. I understand the 900 is a much better unit.

[doug zdanivsky]

Yeah, I had to send mine in about 3 times over the years, at $175 a pop (for shipping) to the US..

I bought it from a US dealer, mostly so I could get the 3 year warrenty, who was nice enough to drive it over the border and ship it to save me duty, etc)..

Too bad he wasn't an authorized Sony dealer, but that's a whole other story..

The last time the polariser plate went I just ordered the part and replaced it myself..



Still a great little unit..

[George Bellefontaine]

Still a great little unit..

Oh, yeah, and the first widescreen PJ, too.

I had a 3 year warranty with mine, Doug, but I bought it through what they then called a professional division dealer.

[doug zdanivsky]

the part cost $6K, about a grand more than I paid for the 400

Isn't that nuts??

Too bad the Panny only has a 1 year warrenty.. I wonder if I can pay a little more and get an extended one..

[George Bellefontaine]

I'm pretty sure you can get an extended warranty through just about any dealer.

[doug zdanivsky]

I'll have to be sure and ask..

But I don't think this dealer I have in Prince George does this..