Which one do I Buy Sanyo Z3 or Benq 7700

As a long time viewer of this excellent forum I have finally come up with a question.

After several months of contemplation I am close to making a decision on the choice of a successor to the Panny PTAE 100. Having done research (on these forums and elsewhere) and being very impressed with the Panny I was originally drawn to the Panasonic 700 as the logical replacement. However, I keep reading about the VB issue - something I have not really noticed on the PTAE 100 – and have decided (reluctantly) to cross it off the short list.

I had all but made up my mind to go for the Benq 7700 but doubts over the rainbow effect are giving me cause for concern. I have never seen a DLP working and frankly I would not know where to find the nearest Benq dealer who would offer a demo - I Live near Stoke on Trent.

For this reason I am leaning towards an LCD based solution in particular the Sanyo Z3 as it appears (on balance of reviews read) to offer an image nearly as good as the Panny ( without the VB issue) and can be had for approx £800.00 with spare lamp and 3 year Warranty!

So here's my question is the difference between the Sanyo and the Benq worth some £600.00 extra (not forgetting a spare lamp). Has anyone upgraded to the 7700 from the Z3 and if so was the difference an 'order of magnitude' or merely evolution

I have a dedicated cinema room i.e. dark with a seven foot screen and would be looking to upgrade my current component fed progressive signal to a DVI source. Panny’s actual usage has been 400 hours in two years use.

[shaolin95]

Hands down the Ben Q.

Well I went for the 7700, but I auditioned a couple of DLP pjs first. I don't think anyone's demoing the 7700s.

I see some RBE but pretty rarely, even if I'm looking for it. You need to check it out for yourself though, watch a scene with large jet-black and brilliant-white areas side-by-side and move your eyes around the screen rapidly. When I do that I see a strong RBE, but in normal viewing I rarely do.

There are some scenes in Men In Black I and II with the dark suits against the white shirts, especially the night scenes, that show up RBE very well.

RBE certainly hasn't been an issue, the only headaches I've had are from moving my eyes around the screen rapidly trying to see it

Anyway, definitely go audition a DLP, and not just a quick look. Try watching a scene like I mentioned for around half-an-hour. If you see the RBE it's not the end of the world, I saw it and still bought it, and it doesn't bother me.

I think the 7700 is fantastic, but a guy at work has a Z3 and thinks that's fantastic too.

A big advantage of the Z3, at least for some, is that you can offset the image a long way both horizontally and vertically, which gives more options for placement of the pj. The 7700 doesn't have that.

Neither of them has great zooms, I'd like a much greater zoom range on my 7700. It'd also be nice if it auto-detected the aspect ratio of the input signal, like my TV does, and adjusted itself accordingly. I don't know if any pjs do that though.

And it's not as quiet as I thought it'd be, the warm weather may be a factor in that as the fans have to run faster.

They're the only quibbles I can think of though, so I must like it

[shaolin95]

try the second chapter of Van Helsing for good RBE test.

[dancingmatt]

Originally Posted by Bugblatter

Anyway, definitely go audition a DLP, and not just a quick look. Try watching a scene like I mentioned for around half-an-hour. If you see the RBE it's not the end of the world, I saw it and still bought it, and it doesn't bother me.

A big advantage of the Z3, at least for some, is that you can offset the image a long way both horizontally and vertically, which gives more options for placement of the pj. The 7700 doesn't have that.

And it's not as quiet as I thought it'd be, the warm weather may be a factor in that as the fans have to run faster.

Personally the rainbow effect is a massive turn-off for me so I'd definitely suggest everyone should demo a DLP first, as it may well be the end of the world for you.

And don't underestimate the advantages of having lens shift, my Z3 is to the side of the sofa and projecting horizontally across so it's directly in front of where we sit. This means I can have the Z3 further back, than if I had to put it on a coffee table to line it up directly in front of the wall/screen. It also vents to the side so that keeps the hot air from the exhaust out the way.

And the Z3 is very, very quiet. So I'm very, very happy with mine!

DM

[cybrey]

Originally Posted by Ianf

... drawn to the Panasonic 700 as the logical replacement. However, I keep reading about the VB issue - something I have not really noticed on the PTAE 100 – and have decided (reluctantly) to cross it off the short list.

Several people have reported the VB issues have been resolved with the 1.7 firmware upgrade.

[neil c]

The Z3 is now £800 inc. spare lamp and delivery. Lamps can cost £150 to £200, in which case you can value the Z3 (one lamp) at only £600 to £650.

The 7700 is around £1500 with only one lamp, so if you compare the two projectors based on my calculations, the 7700 is nearly 3 times the price.

Your decision should be based on your budget. Projectors lose their value at a ridiculous pace. The 7700 is yet to have a price cut, whereas the Z3 has just had one.

I hate watching my expensive purchases depreciate, so I'd definately go for the Z3.

[rob64]

i,m in the same boat . watching price of the z3 drop like a rock over last few months and then benq bringing out the 7700 .what to do ? i have only demo'd the 4805 , and was pleased with what i saw, and the sony hs50, also good . i'm stuck on what to do next , but the price of the sanyo is very appealing . cedia kicks off in a few weeks and i know that new options will come up and cause me another brainache . me being cheap i can see a sanyo being bought before long .

[Nick_UK]

Having owned a Benq 6200 for over a year now (and delighted with it), I would have no hesitation in buying a Benq 7700.

[PJTX100]

Originally Posted by Ianf

So here's my question is the difference between the Sanyo and the Benq worth some £600.00 extra (not forgetting a spare lamp).

For someone swapping from a Z3 to a 7700, I'm sure they'll be happy that it's money well spent. But when they've just dished out over a grand nett (presuming they sell the Z3), it's not surprising.

However, if your starting point is the AE100, I think the Z3 is too much of a bargain to ignore...PJ

Thanks to everyone for the feedback and advice.

With regard to the budget issue I would rather spend more now and get it right than take the cheaper route of potential false economy. That said I have a budget which as indicated would stretch to the £1500 (well actually I’ve seen it for around £1410) asking rate of the Benq. The risks remain of RBE and throwing away £600 plus if the gain in image quality is not proportional.

That said … I must admit to being very tempted to move on the Sanyo. I spent an enjoyable 30 minutes speed reading the ROne thread (small book) on settings and was impressed how his initial disappointment with the Z3 picture changed to an enthusiastic endorsement (IMO) as he tweaked the settings via a HTPC, better cables and filters.

So to summarize shifting towards a HTPC driven Z3 but still thinking of spending the extra on a 7700 or wait for the spec of the Z4 or the Panny 800, then wait for them to arrive in the UK by which time the price of the 7700 will be falling maybe and but then again the question of RBE still not resolved........

I use to be indecisive but now I am not so sure!!!

[paulmcp2403]

i got the panasonis ae700 - high def, HDMI ....and it's great....couldnt get teh DLP as I could see rainbows :O(

But the panny for under a grand is a winner.....bread the reviews - 93% etc...rilliant !!!!

[PJTX100]

Originally Posted by paulmcp2403

i got the panasonis ae700 - high def, HDMI ....and it's great....couldnt get teh DLP as I could see rainbows :O(

But the panny for under a grand is a winner.....bread the reviews - 93% etc...rilliant !!!!

There have been may recent threads discussing the Z3 and the AE700 and even AE700 owners agree that the Z3 is the best deal at the moment. If you are judging things simply on reviews and it being under a grand the Hitachi PJTX100 is just as capable...PJ