Sanyo's PLC-SW30 projector brings true portability into the budget projector space. Read our Australian review.

When buying a budget projector, you normally have to make some compromises, and one of the most common to date has been in the size of the projector. If you wanted a compact projector, you generally had to go further upmarket than you may have initially expected. That put lightweight and truly portable projectors out of the reach of the budget market, a gap that Sanyo's chosen to fill with the PLC-SW30. The PLC-SW30 has been clearly aimed at the budget market, as it delivers a small and lightweight projector for just under AU$2,000. It's a solid projector for presentation purposes, but those thinking of using it for home projection may find some of its quirks irritating.

At 2.1kg and 270 x 78 x 190 mm (WxHxD), the PLC-SW30 certainly manages to do its thing within a very compact frame. Sanyo clearly has it in mind that this will be a luggable projector, as it's one of the few projectors in the budget space that we've seen that comes with its own carrying case. The adjustable feet on the PLC-SW30 are easy to retract and wind for specific angle selection, although the same ease of use doesn't apply to the focus and zoom rings, which wrap around the lens and can be uncomfortably hot to touch after only a very short while.

The PLC-SW30 ships with two rather chunky remotes; one for projector settings and the other for presentation and PC remote control. The second remote works in conjunction with the USB-cabled IR remote that also comes as part of the package. In our testing, the presentation remote worked reliably and was simple to set up. The physical layout of the remotes and the small size of the projector leaves no space in the projector body for a remote storage slot (in the style of the Epson EMP-S1), but they're easy enough to store in the supplied bag, and given their large size they're also unlikely to be lost.

The projector remote is easy enough to work out from a layout perspective, but it has one interesting quirk -- it only works from the front of the projector. If you're presenting to a corporate client, that's probably a very natural position, but if you were considering the PLC-SW30 as a home theatre projector, it's much less compelling; while you're generally unlikely to spend too much time fiddling with settings, when and if you do you've got to be prepared to be staring down the barrel of an extremely bright lens.

Warmup time for the projector was acceptable, but the same isn't true of cooldown. We suspect it's a function of the projector's small size and thus lack of real sound baffling and exhaust fans, but when the fan kicks in to switch the PLC-SW30 off, it gets extremely noisy very quickly, and takes several minutes to finish this cooldown cycle. As it's always recommended to let the lamp cool down properly -- simply unplugging the projector has dire consequences for lamp life -- it's something you'd need to be prepared to put up with over the life of the projector.

The PLC-SW30's specifications are a mixed lot. At 1250 ANSI Lumens and a native SVGA resolution you can expect bright and crisp images, but the 350:1 contrast ratio is a bit of a letdown, as it lead in our testing to some rather washed out colour choices, especially when using the projector for home cinema purposes. Much of this may depend on your exact physical circumstances when using the projector, but for home theatre projection on a budget, we'd plump for the Epson EMP-S1, which although it only rates at a slightly better 400:1 contrast, didn't wash out its colours quite as badly.

The 150W UHP Lamp in the PLC-SW30 is rated for around 2000 hours of usage. A replacement lamp will set you back AU$399. That works out to AU$0.20/hour, which is a little higher than some competing budget projectors, but still well below what you'll pay for a bulb for a mid or high-end projector.

Ultimately the PLC-SW30 is a solid presentation projector and a slightly less compelling home theatre projector; it makes a solid job of the former and would do in a pinch for the latter.
Its array of extras solidly point it in the presentation path, and at AU$1999 it's a solid, but not spectacular buy.

Sanyo PLC-SW30 Projector
Company: Sanyo Australia
Price: AU$1999
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone:  1800 063 747

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