Evan Powell of Projector Central is doing some comparisons of some mighty fine projectors. He’s looking at the Sanyo PLV-Z4, the Panasonic PT-AE900U, and the Mitsubishi HC3000 in a new article.

The interesting thing that’s happening these days is that 3LCD projectors have come up in quality so much that you can no longer say that DLP projectors are de facto better. The cheapest 720p DLP projector is the Mits. Yet it still goes for quite a premium over the 3LCD offerings from Sanyo and Panasonic. Is it worth it?

Personally, I do not see it. I have spent a great deal of time viewing these projectors side by side with identical sources. And the simple fact is that, while each of them has unique advantages over the others, if I were to select one for my own use while ignoring price as a factor, I would select the Sanyo Z4. Here are the reasons: First, I see a sharper image on the Z4 than I do on virtually any other projector under $10,000 other than the BenQ 8720, which also has a razor sharp image. I value this extremely sharp image acuity over most other performance criteria.

Others would choose the Panasonic because of its lack of any pixel structure. It provides a very smooth image. Conclusion?

Many consumers will prefer [the Panasonic] to the Z4 due to the absence of pixelation and its exceptional color accuracy. Together with the Z4, these two models represent a one-two punch that will cause many people to question the traditional supremacy of DLP as the preferred video technology. Few people expected LCD to show this well against its DLP competition.

Yup, the Panasonic and Sanyo projectors are so good, I put them both in my new HD Buzz section. Check it out!

Projector Central - The New 720p Projectors