While Sony and others compete with Blu-ray burners of a paltry 8x, Sanyo's looking ahead with a new laser that could enable write speeds of up to 12x. More impressively, the 450 milliwatt diode (twice that of current burners) could read and write through four 25GB layers. If you're not so good at math (it's okay, we had to break out the calculator) that means discs of up to 100GB burned in 10 minutes or less! But don't go running down to your local Blu-ray emporium looking for double-digit speed drives just yet; new standards will be needed for discs that big and drives that fast, which could mean a year or two before production begins. If speculation of Blu-ray's impending demise is to be believed, that may be cutting things a bit close.

You're probably wondering if adding in a fourth panel to an LCD projector is really worthwhile. Actually, you're probably willing to bet your bottom dollar that it's a gimmick. Sound & Vision took the time to actually critique Sanyo's latest with an open mind, and believe it or not, it found the all new QuaDrive technology to be everything it was hyped up to be. To be fair, the PLC-XP200L isn't tailored for the home theater; the lowly 1,024 x 768 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio sound downright appalling. However, reviewers focused more on the actual technology / image quality given that Sanyo already has a compact, quieter, 16:9 QuaDrive beamer slated for 2009. During a demonstration, critics found the new tech to be visibly better than 3LCD rivals, with the picture appearing "dramatically more vivid." Should you rush out and buy the XP200L? Probably not. But you may just want to delay your impending PJ purchase until that HT version hits next year.

Thanks to Sanyo's quick-fingered Japanese branch, you already know the basics on the PLV-Z3000. For those that missed out, it's being hailed as the industry's very first 5:5 pull down beamer with a 120Hz Full HD panel. Furthermore, it boasts a 65,000:1 contrast ratio, TopazReal HD 3D color management technology, a pair of HDMI 1.3 inputs and 1,200 ANSI lumens. The best news here is the US price -- the converted yen amount is actually a fair bit higher than what Sanyo plans on charging in greenbacks, though $3,295 will still be tough to part with come December.

In a fit of drab, Sanyo just announced its most advanced home theater projector yet. Fortunately, the staid, colorless promotional shot above that heralds the arrival of the LP-Z3000 stands in stark contrast to the projector's impressive capabilities. First, it features a 120Hz Full HD panel and the industry's first 5:5 pull-down promising an accurate and smooth 24p projection onto the big screen even under scenes of intense movement. We're also talking a high-contrast, 65,000:1 ratio, 1,200 lumen lamp, and super quiet 19-decibel fan when operating in "theater black" mode. Around back we've got 2x HDMI v1.3b jacks, 2x component, and plenty more inputs for your PC or legacy AV gear. Ships November 28th in Japan for ¥483,000 or about $4,588 assuming the dollar doesn't completely collapse by then.

Sanyo's latest 1080i pocket camcorder (that'd be the Xacti 1010) was just sitting there all pretty like at IFA 2008, so our compadres over at Engadget Spanish took the liberty of posting up a gallery of hands-on shots. Not too many surprises in terms of design, but the demonstrative video of the super slow-mo mode is pretty trippy to say the least. Head on over and give it a look, won't you?

As the pre-CEDIA releases continue to roll, we've got yet another projector from Sanyo. The PLV-Z60 offers up a native 720p resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,200 ANSI lumens, 3D color management system, 12-bit processing IC for video decoding, scaling and gamma curve generation and a 2x optical zoom. You'll also find VGA, HDMI (x2), component (x2) and S-Video connections, and you can find the PJ itself next month for $1,295. [Warning: PDF read link]

After vaguely describing its new 1080p 3LCD-based PLV-Z700 projector as "entry-level", Sanyo's finally returned with a pricetag: $1,995. While that doesn't exactly spell "cheap" to most, good luck finding another full HD projector that matches these specs with an MSRP starting south of two grand. 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,200 ANSI lumens and a variable lens designed to adjust to smaller rooms adds up to the perfect solution for those who want more pixels but less price, expect to find out more when it hits the stage at IFA 2008 in Berlin August 29, followed by store shelves worldwide in October, closing out its run with full specs after the break.

"Entry-level" and "1080p projector" don't often go hand-in-hand, but Sanyo's mashing the two terms together with its PLV-Z700. The Full HD beamer provides a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, 1,200 ANSI lumens, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, twin HDMI 1.3b ports (along with an array of others) and a variable iris that can "control lens iris adjustment every 1/60th of a second." Unfortunately, the most tantalizing tidbit has been omitted for now (yes, the price), but word on the street has it shipping to the UK in October.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Step aside HD700, Sanyo just replaced you with its DMX-HD800 720p camcorder. According to Akihabara News who is attending the launch event, the HD800 features a "HUGE step forward in video quality" coupled with reduced noise thanks to Sanyo's 3DDNR filter. Spec-wize, we're looking at an 8.0 megapixel 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor, SD/SDHC support, 5x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, face tracking, and easier to use drag-and-drop to pull AVC/H.264 video from the camera to your PC. We'll have to wait for the reviews to know for sure but it looks like Sanyo just made one of the best 720p camcorders even better. On sale in Japan on August 22nd for ¥50,000 (about $463).

[Via Impress]

Oh sure, waterproof LCD TVs have been available for ages, but Sanyo's making the choice of which outdoor display to buy simple with the introduction of its CE52SR1. You see, unlike many alternatives, this waterproof set packs a 1080p Full HD panel, meaning that you can enjoy your Blu-ray films in full-res glory while slouched in a beach chair beside your pool. Furthermore, the display is daylight readable and features a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 1,500 cd/m2 brightness, 6.5-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles, a slew of inputs and a frame constructed from marine grade anodized aluminum. Unfortunately, the summer in America will be long over before you can actually drop $13,995 in order to claim one, but October isn't too far out, now is it?

It's not pretty (what Sanyo projector is?), but it is the world's first 4LCD projector. The 25-pound "portable" PLC-XP200L pumps 7,000 lumens across 1,024 x 768 pixels at a 2,200:1 contrast ratio in exchange for your $9,995. The new 4LCD optical engine adds what Sanyo calls a "color control device" to control the amount of yellow light in the projected image. The results are supposedly images which are "clearer, richer, and more beautiful" than those of 3LCD projectors. Sanyo also dropped in some new silicon allowing for 20% more color space. Ships in September -- full press release after the break.

In its battle with Sony for 1080i pistol grips, Sanyo just announced a minor, but notable update to its premium HD1000 Full HD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 camcorder. The new HD1010 adds improved image processing and stabilization, new "face chaser" technology for stills and video, and amusing new 300fps slow-motion mode. Nothing compared to Casio's freakish EX-F1 but a nice novelty for shooting the kids' sporting adventures. Sanyo also tossed in a new 7fps continuous still shot mode which snags images at the sensor's maximum 4 megapixel resolution. A minor bump for sure but it makes for a compelling offering at the (relatively) low asking price of $800 when it hits the US in July (Japan, June 20th).

Update: Akihabara News went hands-on in the video posted after the break.

[Via Impress and Akihabara News]

We've already seen Sanyo dish out this duo in Japan under slightly different model names, but Americans who were bawling at the thought of having to fly to Tokyo in order to grab one can put away those tears. The outfit has just unleashed the PLC-XC55 (3,100 lumens) and the PLC-XC50 (2,600 lumens) here in the States, both of which feature a 1,024 x 768 resolution and Sanyo's own Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system. These two mark the first "portable PJs" to be equipped with such a system, and if you're interested in knowing -- we know, you're on the edge of your Aeron -- it also boasts a built-in 7-watt speaker, DVI / VGA / component / S-Video / composite sockets and audio in / out jacks. Both units are landing in July, with the XC55 demanding $1,995 and the XC50 stickered at $1,495.

Considering that everybody is buying panels from everybody else these days, we're thrilled to announce that one more cute couple is joining the fray. Sanyo has recently announced that it has "started buying liquid crystal display panels from Sharp for use in its flat TVs sold in North America." According to Sanyo spokesman Hiroyuki Okamoto, the two firms are also pondering "joint development of kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens," but no further details were immediately available. LCD HDTVs and blenders -- a match made in heaven.

[Thanks, Atiba]

Sanyo's got a new duo of projectors hitting the Japanese market today, the LP-XC55 and LP-XC50. Both beamers boast white motifs, a boisterous 7-watt internal speaker, 1,024 x 768 resolution, a security bar enabling extra thick cabling to hold it in place and the Active Maintenance Filter system for easy maintenance. Essentially, the latter enables the filter to last longer between changes and "automatically senses when airflow is obstructed by dust, and advances the cartridge to the new filter." The only notable difference between the two is the 3,100 ANSI lumens (XC55) / 2,600 ANSI lumens (XC50), and of course, the ¥365,400 ($3,529) / ¥312,900 ($3,022) price tags.

[Via AboutProjectors]