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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.
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.
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.
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.
Unfortunately, 3D content wasn’t quite up to the same standard, although there’s still a great sense of depth and images looked very sharp. The problem lies in the slight presence of crosstalk, where the projector isn’t swapping between the left and right eye images quickly enough, leading to one eye seeing the other’s image and a ghostly outline on some objects. We don’t expect crosstalk in a £5,000 projector – it’s not enough to ruin 3D films, but it’s still a minor irritation once you’ve spotted it. We managed to improve matters by adjusting the 3D brightness setting to a notch below the default, but the reduction in brightness will force you to watch 3D video in a dark room to maintain the same punchy colours and detailed shadows of 2D content. Sony provides two pairs of 3D glasses with the projector, with additional sets costing around £60 each (part code TDG-BR250, www.richersounds.com).
The VW95ES’s high price is justified when watching 2D video – it comfortably challenges the most expensive DLP projectors for 2D picture quality. Although 3D video isn’t quite as impressive, there’s plenty of room for dedicated home cinema fans to tweak the picture to their own personal preference. Although you’ll need to be serious about film to justify such an expensive purchase, this is easily one of the best high-end home projectors we’ve seen.
