Sanyo PLV-70

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  • rhodiel
    Junior Member
    • Mar 2004
    • 20

    Sanyo PLV-70

    Hello all,

    Does anyone own a Sanyo PLV-70? How do guys rate or feel about this product? I am thinking about getting one.

    Thanks in advance,

    Ariel
  • Sonnie Parker
    • Jan 2002
    • 2858

    #2
    If you decide on this model then I'd suggest considering the Studio Experience 20HD which is the same as the Sanyo but with better service and a 4 year warranty instead of a 3 year warranty. Not sure on the pricing difference you might find but I would think they would be comparable.






    SONNIE

    Cedar Creek Cinema

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    • George Bellefontaine
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Jan 2001
      • 7637

      #3
      I only know what I've read about the PLV-70 lcd PJ. It is a long throw PJ and is noted for its brightness, and most owners seem to be very happy, with the exception of some who complained about dust blobs on the lcd panel, and in some cases a problem with color uniformity. But Sonnie is correct, you can pay a lot less for the model he mentioned and get a very similar ( though not as bright) picture.




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      • Sonnie Parker
        • Jan 2002
        • 2858

        #4
        Hey Daddy-George... that wasn't the 2HD I was recommending but rather the 20HD which is the exact same model as the PLV-70.

        I figure you thought I was referring to the 2HD which is cheaper by about $2K and is 800 lumens vs. 2200 lumens on the 20HD.

        The 20HD will cost him about the same as the PLV-70... there might be a couple hundred dollars difference.






        SONNIE

        Cedar Creek Cinema

        DVD Collection

        BFD Comprehensive Setup Guide

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        • George Bellefontaine
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Jan 2001
          • 7637

          #5
          Got ya, Sonnie my son. ops:




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          • Brandon B
            Super Senior Member
            • Jun 2001
            • 2193

            #6
            Well, since I have one, I guess I'm the guy to reply.

            I got one of the very first batch in the country, so I've lived with it for a while now (year and a half+). Also means I paid a good $1400 more than you are likely to.

            Pros:

            Brightness. It kicks every other HT targetted PJs butt in this area;

            Color - saturation and color fidelity is pretty darn good. I like DILA better, and some of the very best DLPs I've seen (Marantz S2, Panny 3 chip 7600) are as good or better, but compared to DLPs in the same class, I like this machine better:

            Resolution. It's wide XGA 1366x768, which means it's a small notch better than the 720 machines. Also is 16:9 native which makes it easy to go full panel 2.35:1 with an anamorphic lens and scaling.

            MLA on the LCD panels means you can pull the defocus trick and improve the smoothness of the image. MicroLensArray is literally a small lens for each LCD pixel that focuses the light through the pixel itself improving light throughput as well as diminishing "screen door" effect.

            LCD, the good. Therefore 3 chip, there are no rainbow or dithering concerns, if those matter to you. They do to me.

            DVI port which allows 1:1 native pixel mapping. Means you can use a DVI DVD player or scaler or HTPC and have an all digital signal chain (up to conversion to analog LCD drive voltages anyway) which absolutely makes a worthwhile difference at FP size images.

            Nice full complement of inputs.

            Fan noise is reasonably low. Unless the PJ is right over your head, probably not a concern.

            Generous amount of range in the motorized lens offset and zoom makes mounting position pretty flexible.

            Cons: (some of these are variable by machine and some are personal preference)

            LCD, the bad. Since it is LCD, this means it does have the lowest fill factor ff the PJ techs out there. I lean heavily towards the immersive way of viewing, and am therefore sitting about 10-11' from a 10' diagonal screen. At this distance, I can make out the grid somewhat easily with pixel grid focused sharply. With focus on the MLA panel, it hovers on being gone. I am talking about being able to distinctly see a pixel here. Other pixel based artifacts are more readily apparent (see below).

            FPN (fixed pattern noise). LCD panels have their individual pixels driving voltages biased at the factory to insure each pixel behaves like the others, i.e same picture signal gives same level of transmission. This is neither done to perfection, nor to consistent amounts on inidividual projectors. Where the are differences, it gives an effect whose appearance is almost exactly like mosquito netting, the screen door people speak of with LCD. It has two manifestations. General blotchiness visible in bright areas, and vertical lines (also called vertical banding) where columns of pixels are darker than neighboring columns. Looks very much like netting where 2 adjacent vertical threads have been pushed out of position in the weave so they are slightly closer together. These effects are clearly visible on my PJ at my seating position.

            It would appear from discussions with other owners of this Pj that mine, while not terrible, is maybe slightly worse than some others in this repsect. It also seems there is a set of parameters in the service menu which can help correct for this, but I have not taken that step myself.

            Black ain't black. While the contrast is pretty good on this unit (900:1 stated, in practice about 600:1+ when calibrated well). While in the context of mixed brightness media, I never notice black issues. But when the film goes to an all black frame or near darkness, you are suddenly confronted with a large not-so-dark grey rectangle. Can take you out of the moment.

            No HDPC compliance on the DVI port. And no upgrade will be available.

            Dust blobs. This is a real concern. You must either do the pre-filter procedure (I will instruct you if you buy one), or be prepared to clean the PJ (open the case and air clean delicate components, or mail it in for service). Obviously you would choose the former. Pretty much eliminates the issue.

            About me and why I picked it:

            Brightness, timing, non-DLP and price. When I bought, nothing in the price range was comparable except DLPs and the Hitachi 5500. I can see rainbows on any single chip DLP. So I don't want one. Ever. Also, I live in window central and am not able to have daytime full light control, so I bought the brightest PJ I could. Also got a Dailite high power screen (2.8 gain retroreflective), so my setup looks like a 10' plasma at night. Fun.

            However, it is a different market now. For the features I got, you can now get the Sony HS20, which has better contrast, HDCP compliance, and HDMI port, and somewhat improved image quality, for a LOT less money. If you don't mind the reduced brightness, that would be a better deal IMO.

            For a little more than I paid, you can get a JVC HX1 (probably %50 more than a 70 at today's prices). Far more beautiful image (excepting similar high black level) and higher resolution. If it had been available when I bought, it's what I'd have.

            So back to you. What are your priorities, are you a screaming raving image fanatic, how big of a screen will you have, ambient light conditions, do rainbows bother you?

            Unless you really need the maximum brightness of the 70, I think there are better choices in every direction for you.

            BB

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            • rhodiel
              Junior Member
              • Mar 2004
              • 20

              #7
              Thank you Brandon.

              I like good image quality. I am not an image freak. At least, I hope not :roll: . The rainbow effect does bother me a little.

              There will be some ambient light coming from the back of the room and a little on the side just enough to move around without tripping on something.

              I am still looking. You are right. There are plenty of choices out there. Just hard to distinguish what is REALLY good. I hope I will make a good choice.

              Thank you,

              Ariel

              Comment

              • Brandon B
                Super Senior Member
                • Jun 2001
                • 2193

                #8
                My friend just received his Sony HS20. He has the same screen and room layout I do, so I can make a very apples to apples comparison. I'll let you know how I think the 2 compare,

                BB

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                • Brandon B
                  Super Senior Member
                  • Jun 2001
                  • 2193

                  #9
                  Spent a little time looking at his HS20 last night. His setup is identical (D1 DVD player, same brand DVI cable, same brand/type screen) so the only difference really was screen size and PJ.

                  The Sony's picture is inarguably better. I see nearly no evidence of vertical banding or other fixed pattern noise typical of LCD. And the grid is virtually unnoticeable at 1.5 screen width viewing distance.

                  That said, he and I both agree the punch of the extra brightness of the Sanyo is a desireable thing.

                  All things considered, the Sony is a great bargain. Other nice features as compared to my Sanyo:

                  Almost a full set of dual inputs - comes with an INCLUDED all-in-one cable (at least 30' long) that can connct to svid, component and composite at the other end, but also has a separate regular type component and svid input, so you could run the all in one to a lower quality set of sources and switch through your receiver, and also connect to high quality through better dedicated cables. Has an HDMI AND a DVI-D input, both HDCP compliant. All in all, outstanding connectivity.

                  Has a plastic plate in front of the lens, keeping the lens itself clean. Easily replaceable with optical quality glass or a filter if you are so inclined.

                  Very quiet, a bit more than mine.

                  Smaller.

                  Comes with replacement filter, of plainly more effective than my dust bunny permissive ones.

                  BB

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