Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-8 Posted on February 11, 2008 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review - Overview and Physical AttributesOur Runner Up for Best In Class Award2. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Highlights - Sony VW40 Home Cinema Projector: Basic Specs3. Sony PLV-VW40 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour4. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - The Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones5. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 Black Levels6. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-37. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-4 - Sony VPL-VW40 Shadow Details8. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-59. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-610. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-711. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-812. ony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-9 - Sony VPL-VW40 home theater projector: Sharpness13. ony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-1014. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-11 - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Overall Picture Quality15. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-12 - Sony VPL-VW40 Viewing - HDTV16. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - VW40 Menus - VW40 User Memory Settings - VW40 Projector - Remote Control17. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-2 - Sony VW40 Lens Throw and Lens Shift - VW40 SDE and Rainbow Effect, Pixel Visibility 18. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-3 - VW40 Projector Brightness - VW40 Projector - Light Leakage - VW40 Audible Noise Levels - VW40 Projector Screen Recommendations19. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-420. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-5 - VW40 Projector Measurements and Calibration21. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-6 - VW40 Image Noise 22. Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Warranty23. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080UB24. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. the DLP projectors - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. VW60 projectors - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U25. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons-3 - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z2000 - Sony VPL-VW40 projector, Pros, Cons, andTypical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW40 Summary: The Bottom Line More James Bond. This Casino Royale image from Blu-ray disc, makes an an excellent test of shadow detail. You can look in the trees on the left, but primarily, concern yourself with the roof. On many lesser projectors, when watching, the roof is basically invisible or you can see just a little of the left roof line, and maybe some detail in the roof towards the top left. On great projectors, the detail is visible throughout the roof. That’s what shadow detail is all about. Without it, you get large, dark areas lacking in detail. With great shadow detail, the image looks more complete, less like something’s missing. Here are four images. The standard size images below are all the same (from the Sony VPL-VW60), however when you click on them you will get larger versions, greatly overexposed, to show you what each projector is capable of. Sony VPL-VW40 projectorEpson Home Cinema 1080UB projectorSony VPL-VW60 projectorJVC DLA-RS2 projectorPreviousNext Bottom line: The Sony does an excellent job overall. That’s not to say it is best in class. Although very close, the Epson, for basically the same price, has the advantage. Understand, I’ve primarily compared the VW40, with other top performing projectors, as most of the competition at the VW40’s price, and below, come up noticeably short. Those that do reveal good shadow detail often have significantly inferior black levels, so that detail may be there, but the images look washed out by comparison. 1. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review - Overview and Physical AttributesOur Runner Up for Best In Class Award2. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Highlights - Sony VW40 Home Cinema Projector: Basic Specs3. Sony PLV-VW40 Home Theater Projector: Physical Tour4. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality - The Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector: Skin Tones5. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 Black Levels6. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-37. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-4 - Sony VPL-VW40 Shadow Details8. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-59. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-610. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-711. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-812. ony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-9 - Sony VPL-VW40 home theater projector: Sharpness13. ony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-1014. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-11 - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Overall Picture Quality15. Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-12 - Sony VPL-VW40 Viewing - HDTV16. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance - VW40 Menus - VW40 User Memory Settings - VW40 Projector - Remote Control17. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-2 - Sony VW40 Lens Throw and Lens Shift - VW40 SDE and Rainbow Effect, Pixel Visibility 18. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-3 - VW40 Projector Brightness - VW40 Projector - Light Leakage - VW40 Audible Noise Levels - VW40 Projector Screen Recommendations19. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-420. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-5 - VW40 Projector Measurements and Calibration21. Sony VPL-VW40 Home Theater Projector Review – General Performance-6 - VW40 Image Noise 22. Sony VPL-VW40 Projector Warranty23. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Epson Home Cinema 1080UB24. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons-2 - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. the DLP projectors - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. VW60 projectors - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Panasonic PT-AE2000U25. Home Theater Projector Review: Sony VPL-VW40 LCD Projector: Summary, Pros, Cons-3 - Sony VPL-VW40 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z2000 - Sony VPL-VW40 projector, Pros, Cons, andTypical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-VW40 Projector: Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW40 Summary: The Bottom Line Sony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-7 ony VPL-VW40: 1080p Home Theater Projector Review – Image Quality-9