CE Pro September 2022 - 61

in the power.
Using those lens controls
I mentioned, I set the image
position, size and focus.
Next, I set some basic items
in the projector's menu,
which I accessed by pressing
the " menu " button that's
located in the center of the
remote control.
Most of what I did was
simply turn off the various
image processing options and
find a preset picture setting,
and in my case I preferred the
" Reference " option.
Later, just eyeing things,
I performed some quick
adjustments to the VPLXW7000ES'
black levels,
contrast, color and hue
settings. I also engaged the
MotionFlow processing in
its low setting after seeing
some motion judder in some
of the images.
Performance
& Conclusions
Not that I would recommend
anyone pulling out
a TV or projector straight
from the box and walking
away from it, but Sony and
its products do deliver solid
images straight from the
box. With adjustments, the
picture quality can be taken
to a much higher level to
achieve results that deliver
the best images Hollywood
can offer.
Watching content such
as Netflix's Cracow Monsters
and HBO Max's Tokyo
Vice, I was impressed with
how these streaming shows
looked using the VPLXW7000ES.
Colors
were well saturated
and rich, I didn't notice
any image artifacts, brightcepro.com
ness
levels were good, and
low-level image detail - especially
on the show Cracow
Monsters, which has a lot of
dark or dimly lit scenes -
also looked very strong.
Another of the things that
I appreciate about Sony's
projectors, and this is true of
the VPL-XW7000ES, is the
overall balance the images
deliver. Yes, the projectors
produce noise-free images
with accurate colors,
but those colors are rich
and bright and the image
dynamics are broad without
blowing out white levels or
crushing black levels.
cased the capabilities of this
new Sony projector.
On the classic opening
war scene of Saving Private
Ryan, the brightness of the
image and specific items like
explosions and fire, along
with the range of color detail
in aspects such as Normandy's
beaches, soldiers' uniforms,
wooden gun stocks,
and hue of concrete German
bunkers made " D-Day " as
realistic as can be expected
from Hollywood.
The only thing that integrators
will have to consider
is the warmup time it takes
for the projector to throw
an image. During my time
with the unit, it took roughly
a minute from the time the
power button on the remote
is pressed until an image is
displayed onscreen.
Integrators can setup
A pair of HDMI 2.0b
inputs deliver 4K 60Hz
content with just 27ms of
latency, and 1080p 120Hz
at just 16ms of latency.
Broadcast content
also looked good with
tough-to-reproduce sports
like hockey, which I like to
use as a processing litmus
test. The Sony passed this
real-world test without any
issues during a Bruins-Capitals
game I watched on live TV.
Moving on to disc-based
media with my Panasonic
Ultra BD player connected
to the Onkyo AVR, watching
the UHD version of Bohemian
Rhapsody and the Blu-ray
of Saving Private Ryan, I
thought they really showmacro
commands to sync receivers,
a room's lighting, and
source components to turn
on sequentially during this
warmup period, but some
people expect new, solid-state
projectors to turn on
and throw images instantly.
I will point out that I did
have a demo, not-for-sale
review projector, so production
units may produce
faster turn-on times.
Checking in for $12,000
less than the previous generation
VPL-VW1025ES and
a few thousand more than
VPL-VW915ES, the new VPLXW7000
offers improved
processing, increased brightness,
and a smaller, lighter
physical size and weight.
Adding it all up, the VPLXW7000ES
continues the
legacy Sony has created in
the world of home theater.
September 2022 CE Pro | 61
SPECS
Sony
VPL-XW7000ES
Projector
Rated to produce up
to 3,200 Lumens of
brightness
Laser phosphor light
source and three 0.61-inch
native UHD SXRD chips
(3840 x 2160)
Proprietary X1 Ultimate
for Projector processing
Dual Database Processing;
HDR Remaster; Digital
Contrast Optimization;
object-based Super
Resolution; Dynamic
HDR Enhancer among
processing technologies
Motorized lens with
picture position memory
Sony Advanced Crisp
Focus (ACF) lens with
70mm aspherical front
lens and floating focus
system
Two HDMI 2.0b inputs
that handle 4K 60Hz with
just 27ms of latency
MSRP of $27,999
electronics.sony.com
CE PRO
VERDICT
PROS: Impressive noisefree
images and details; rich,
well-saturated colors; strong
image dynamics, black levels,
low-level detail
CONS: Takes time for
projector to warm up;
flagship price limits potential
clientele
http://electronics.sony.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro September 2022

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