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Sony VPL-VW60 by Roy Cordaro - Apr 14, 2008
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| HD 1080 (1920x1080), 900 ANSI Lumens, 24.3 lbs, $4,999 (MSRP) |
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| Personal Experience |
| I’m a “big screen nut”. For film, the involvement that comes with a ten foot screen has it all over any other kind of viewing device. My last video projector was a SharpVision 3 panel LCD I bought twenty years ago. Although impressive at the time and a big improvement over my 3 tube Advent, the LCD was plagued by “screen door” pixalization, no remote control and low light output. After losing it in one of our “Cah-lee-for-nya” wildfires, I took some time in selecting its replacement. The idea of a single chip DLP running through a motorized color wheel seemed very Mickey Mouse to me, (why are 3 chip DLPs so outrageously expensive and not just three times a single chip unit - greed)? Anyway, when Sony developed the SXRD process and 3 chip to boot, it seemed a natural winner. Although Sony has stumbled on occasion, their stuff is usually fabulous to wit, the Trinitron TV, the XBR LCD TV and now the incredible OLED TV. The VW60 is no exception; whata picture! Like all high definition electronics, whether audio or video, it is very sensitive to the signal you feed it. Even with 1080p upconversion, poorly digital-transferred DVDs with lots of compression lose all definition, especially on long shots; close ups fair better. Well transferred DVDs look very film-like with rich color and subtle shading. With the HD disc war over, I am anxiously awaiting a Blu-Ray purchase. Pixels are invisible from the viewing position (the tiny squares do appear when your nose is next to the screen and actually aid in focusing with the remote). Brightness is good, but as with most front projectors in this price range, you should have a partially darkened room. Yes, there are a zillion adjustments you can make in its Setup Menu, but only if you want to optimize; the projectorperforms very well right out of the box. If you mess up when making your own adjustment, the "Reset" feature will correct that particular adjustment, rather than reseting every paramenter on the projector. Although the list price of $5,000 may seem high, comparing the VW60’s performance with the competition; the Sony VW 100 & 200, the JVC IDLA-RS2, etc. it is a relative bargain. There are other projectors out there in its performance class, but my limited time auditioning the unit in the showrooms combined with the professional reviews which were so unanimously positive, confirmed my choice. Finding a low internet price of $3,400 made it even better. You’re not going to find a JVC RS2 for that kind of money – Sony is selling tons of SXRD projectors (economy of scale). All things considered, the VW60 is the best “bang for the buck” in home theatre; you will not regret your purchase. |
