Sanyo Electric is bringing full high-definition video to the entry level of the projector market with its PLV-Z700 that launches in Berlin this week at the IFA consumer electronics show.

The projector delivers 1080p widescreen resolution (1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels), which is the highest of several video modes that qualify as high-def, and will do it for US$1,995, Sanyo said Monday. That price makes it cheaper than 1080p projectors from other major electronics companies, most of which retail in the U.S. for prices between $2,200 and $3,000 according to an eBay search.

It's based on the 3LCD system that is backed by Sanyo and a handful of other Japanese projector makers as a rival technology to Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing) system.

A lens shifting system that can adjust the equivalent of 3 screens vertically and 2 screens horizontally sits in front of the panels and there is a 2X zoom mode. The optical system is designed to allow the projector to work just as well in small rooms, like bedrooms, as it will in larger living rooms. The effective screen size can be varied between 40-inches and 300-inches over a projection distance of between 1.2 meters and 18.3 meters.

Other specifications include a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,200 lumens brightness, two HDMI1.3 and two component video signal inputs and a quiet fan rated at 21dB.

Sanyo will unveil the projector this week at the IFA show that begins on Friday in Berlin.

It will be available from October in the U.S.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.