You Be the Judge: Sanyo PLC-XU70 Projector

It is rare for our company to write reviews on poor performing projectors. We prefer to highlight the leaders in the industry, giving customers a direction on where the market is going. Today our expert panel has tried and tested the Sanyo PLC-XU70 projector. Released in 2005 and taken off the market one year later in 2006, we thought a more thorough investigation on this projectors short life span was in order. For users who currently own this projector, we invite you to post your own reviews on our Blog. If you are a interested buyer in a refurbished Sanyo projector, please read on before your make your next projector decision!

The Sanyo PLC-XU70 projector push any boundaries, it does not have any cutting age features, and it really does not exemplify that wow-factor. It simply is, a functional, run-of-the-mill projector. Plug it in, adjust the lens, and see the image. No bells. No whistles. Our experienced projector panel tested the PLC-XU70 in many environments: a small conference room, a window-less (i.e. dark) theater, a well lit family room, and a few other typical projector scenarios. In each of the tests, our panel was not amazed at the image quality or the overall performance. The Sanyo projector performed well in dark situations, but failed to produce a bright image when used in our well-lit family room. The size of the image did not lend itself to bragging. The Sanyo spec sheet gives 300 inches as the maximum image size. We were unable to produce a crisp image at this height. In defense of this projector, it does meet the short-throw requirement that it boasts about.

The features of this projector might explain the poor performance in the variety of environments. The lite weight frame makes transportation very flexible; weighing in at only at 6lbs, but it is not pretty. One of our reviewers called it institutionalized in both appearance and style, reminding them of a government building. We will give credit also to the 1,500 ANSI lumens that emits from the 250W POA-LMP93 projector lamp. The bulb is maybe the only saving grace for this projector. It is calibrated to last over 1,500 hour lamp life hours. Many on our team were impressed with the low cost to purchase a replacement projector lamp for this projector. After searching the internet for other consumer-based comments, we uncovered that most end-users were happy with the longevity of the lamp. The POA-LMP93 can be purchased from this trusted source.

So after careful review, it begs the question, where would an end-user want to use this Sanyo PLC-XU70 projector? Our suggestion would be no-where! But for arguments sake, you will have the most success with this projector in a small conference room, with no windows, and perhaps with the lights off. This is not ideal if you are hoping to impress the CEO or Board of Directors in a multi-million dollar contract negotiation. How is anyone going to be able to take notes with the lights out? Don’t let this review taint your perception of Sanyo projectors. They still remain a dominant player in the market, and some of their projectors are among the top in their class. This projector model simply did not make the cut. For a complete list of Sanyo projectors and replacement projector lamps, be sure to click here.