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Sony VPL-VW95ES review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £5000
inc VAT

Serious cinema fans only need apply, but the picture quality is well worth the price of admission

Specifications

1,920×1,080 resolution, 1 ANSI lumens, 180x470x485mm, 11.0kg

http://www.projectorshop24.co.uk

Sony’s VPL-VW95ES home cinema projector is a huge active 3D unit that weighs a monstrous 11kg, and you’ll struggle to fit it on a coffee table. However, if you’re serious about cinema and have the space, it could have everything you’re looking for in a projector.

Aside from some great looks, thanks to a smooth elliptical design and centrally mounted lens, the VW95ES has all the features you would expect from a high-end projector. It uses SXRD projection, Sony’s proprietary version of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), to throw a Full HD image up to 300in across from a distance of 7m. The lens is completely motorised, so you can adjust zoom, lens shift and focus using the comprehensive remote control. You can also save different zoom and focus settings for different aspect ratios, to match the projection to your content.

Sony VPL-VW95ES

The remote is backlit, so you can easily find specific controls in the dark, and it has one-touch buttons for each of the nine picture modes. You can also adjust brightness and contrast without having to use the menus, although these are sensibly laid out so you won’t struggle to find a particular setting or option.

Sony VPL-VW95ES

All the projector’s inputs are hidden under the outer rim of the main chassis, although they point outwards from the side so cable management could be a little tricky. With two HDMI ports, one component and one VGA, you should have no trouble connecting digital sources, although you’ll have to plug through an A/V amplifier to connect analogue video such as composite. There’s also an RJ45 connector for an external 3D transmitter, although because there’s already one integrated into the main unit, you shouldn’t need to use it unless you plan on putting the projector in an enclosure.

Sony VPL-VW95ES

The main difference between this and the cheaper HW30ES is the higher dynamic contrast ratio of 150,000:1, which should make for some incredibly colourful images. It certainly helped during 2D video playback, which was highly impressive – despite the projector’s relatively low 1,000 ANSI lumens brightness, colour reproduction was among the best we’ve seen from SXRD technology. Black levels were also superb, with visible shadow detail that isn’t always noticeable on less expensive projectors. With a correctly calibrated lens, high definition footage had jaw-dropping clarity and sharpness and no noticeable noise.

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Details

Price £5,000
Details www.sony.co.uk
Rating *****

Specifications

Projector technology SXRD
Lamp brightness 1 ANSI lumens
Lamp life 3,000
Lamp life in economy mode 4,000
Contrast ratio 150,000:1

Picture

Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Max compressed resolution 1,600×1,200
Aspect ratio 16:9
Other aspect ratios 16:10, 4:3
Max diagonal at 7ft 70in
Throw ratio 1.37:1 to 2.19 :1
Optical zoom 1.6x
Projection distance 1.02m to 7.6m
Mirror image yes
Invert image yes
Lens shift horizontal 0%
Lens shift vertical 1%
HD Ready yes
Special view modes Dynamic, Cinema 1, Cinema 2, Cinema 3, Game, Photo User 1, User 2, standard

Inputs/Outputs

VGA input yes
DVI input No
Sound inputs none
Composite input no
S-video input no
HDMI input yes
PAL support yes
SECAM support yes
NTSC support yes
Audio output none
Video output none
Others inputs/outputs RJ45, 12v trigger

Other

Noise (in normal use) dB(A)
Size 180x470x485mm
Weight 11.0kg
Internal speakers none
Extras remote, cables (power), 2x 3D glasses
Remote special features picture mode, colour temp, aspect ratio, lens shift, zoom, keystone, overscan, black level, freeze
Power consumption standby 1W
Power consumption on 287W

Lamp

Lamp cost (inc VAT) £234
Lamp supplier www.replaceyourlamp.co.uk
Lamp cost per hour of use £0.08
Lamp cost per hour of use (economy) £0.06

Buying Information

Price £5,000
Supplier http://www.projectorshop24.co.uk
Details www.sony.co.uk

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