Sony VPL-VW80 Projector Review
The Sony VPL-VW80 is one of Sony’s newest home theater projectors. It features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, 800 ANSI lumens and a 60000:1 contrast ratio. It is part of Sony’s long line of projectors to have SXRD display technology. The SXRD display panel uses ultra small crystals to display the image, which almost eliminates the pixellation problems that occur with most LCD display panels. Recently the writers at Trusted Review got their hands on the VW80. The writers bring to light the inclusion of the intriguing high-end MotionFlow processor. This device inserts extra, newly calculated frames of image data to make high movement video appear to look more fluid and sharp. Another main feature that the writers mentioned was the 60000:1 contrast ratio, which is made possibly by an ‘Advanced Iris’ system. The system automatically adjusts the amount of light through the projector’s iris in response to how dark or bright a particular image is. The writers noted that the VPL-VW80 is loaded with mouth watering features, but the big question they asked themselves was do all these features constitute the £4,995 ($8882) price tag? Their conclusion was, “The VW80 is an excellent projector in itself, introducing Sony’s fascinating MotionFlow system to a lower price point, delivering SXRD’s best black levels yet, and reaffirming SXRD’s prowess in the sharpness and lack of video noise departments. Whether it truly justifies its £5k price tag, though, is another matter. It largely depends on just how much store you put in its MotionFlow system, to which end I strongly recommend that you try one before you buy one. For me personally, while MotionFlow has certainly grown on me since I first saw it, it doesn’t quite do enough - especially with the flawed Motion Compensation element - to persuade me that the VW80 is genuinely £2,000 better than, say, the JVC HD1.”
[via Trusted Reviews]
