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There are ports on the projector that fit an air duster tube so you can dust the panels if you should get a speck or bit of dust on a panel. I've had it for over a year and I'm still very happy with it and it's still working like a champ.I prefer using this to my 42" 1080p LCD - the colors are much better as well as overall picture quality.
Also, it is quieter than the comparable Epson 720p projector which one of my friends has. On a side note, I have not seen any kind of banding artifacts that I've read other projectors occasionally have.
I had a Panasonic PT-AE100 before so I was coming from a 480p projector to 720p. I use this primarily at home in the living room for Bluray, HD DVD, and HDTV.
I cannot say how nice it is to have the lens shift and be able to place the projector off center and away. The automatic lens cover is great so you don't have to worry about misplacing a lens cap.
On occasion, I take it to friends' houses for movies by the pool (I bring a portable projection screen) or video games.
I have the projector roughly 14 ft from the 121" HC Screen. The image quality is fantastic using the HDMI connection. I have it hooked up to the DishHD and a upconverting Sony dvd player. When my old big screen decided to die, I decided I wanted to go with the full movie theatre experience. After about 2 months of research I decided upon the Sanyo Z4 and what a great purchase it was. If you search around you can find great prices on HDMI cables that aren't the ridiculous price monster ones.
I have about 700 hours on the original bulb and it's still going strong. There're a few concessions to be made with this setup, but I think it's worth it. How can you not love a crystal clear 9' across picture. I used a composite cable at first. You'll want to invest in component cables(if not better). Again, your picture is only as good as it's input.That said, I love this thing. Ambient light is a huge factor.- Your picture will only be as good as the signal you put into it.
There's a huge difference with this big of a picture. I use mine in my living room and the drapes are enough. Cost didn't sound like a big deal to me, until I realized I'd need 25' of component cable to go from the source to the projector. Also, take a look at your DVD/Cable service. Painful, but worth it. The darker the room, the better the picture. I've owned a Z4 for about a year now and am still blown away by it.
Just keep in mind that you won't be able to watch in a fully illuminated room like you can with a traditional television set. Here's some things you'll want to consider before buying a front projector, though:- You MUST be able to control the lighting in the room a front projector is used in. You don't need a dedicated theater room like a basement or anything. A screen this size combined with a kicking audio system is truly an experience.
After having the projector Warranty repaired by Sanyo, I am thoroughly impressed. It looks far nicer than any of the projectors I saw at local stores (Magnolia HiFi, Fry's, Bestbuy, Circuit City, etc).The colors are bright and defined, the image is sharp. Any closer and you can see them however. The lens throw is very handy. That is one of the fastest turn arounds I've ever seen, second only to warranty support that ships a replacement ahead of receiving the broken unit.
I have blackout curtains in the windows, but some light leaks in and my walls are white, so even in moderately lit rooms the projector is plenty bright.My projector did fry itself recently, but I have a feeling that is more the fault of my homes wiring. The black levels, while not as good as a plasma, are still plenty good.I use it mainly for Movies and an Xbox 360. My room is not completely dark during the day either. I had *my* projector back and working two days later after replacing the power supply, lamp ballast and a fan. They provided me a Fedex tracking number to ship the projector to them next day at their expense.
At this point I am just far enough away to not see pixels. I have had this projector for about a year, and as others have mentioned the image is great. The image controls it offers are great, to switch from highly vibrant colors good for Video games and back to more realistic colors for movies.I project approximately a 100" screen and sit about 10' from the screen. I will gladly do and recommend business to any company that treats their customers that well.There are better projectors out now, but for the money & free replacement lamp this is an exceptional deal still. The image isn't washed out like older LCD or in store units.
The only thing I could ask for at this point is 1080p, but 720p is great nonetheless.
If you have the right room for a projector (size and light control are critical) its blows the doors off a 50 inch HD set for less money. $1600 on amazon including a free replacement lame, I feel like I got a great deal. This projector is better than I expected. In Hi-Def its amazing and in SD its still very nice. I've yet to discover the downside after six months of use.
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