Sony VPL-FHZ65 Laser Projector Review - Picture Quality

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Art Feierman

SONY VPL-FHZ65 LASER PROJECTOR - PICTURE QUALITY: Out of the Box Color, Skin Tone Handling, Black Levels and Dark Shadow Detail, Video Quality, Overall Picture Quality When set to "typical" settings - 6500K or 7500K color temperature, Standard mode, the FHZ65 produces very accurate looking color, not over the top at all. In Dynamic mode, the image has a bit more pop to it, including more lumens - better for cutting through ambient light, but still the colors were in good balance even if the dynamics are shifted. This Sony has extensive color controls - rivaling any home theater projector, so you can obtain the color you want, put in a full calibration, etc. Bad color is possible, but it seems you have to work at it. Many requirements for a projector in this class don't demand great color, or even particularly good color. Some do. But no one is going to complain bitterly that a projector's color is much better than they need.

Out of the Box Picture Quality

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We did not calibrate this projector. All these images above were taken without adjustment other than brightness and contrast.

Color temp was set to 6500K, although 7500K looked really good as well, and might be better suited for non photographic presentation work.

I was able to find at least one way to get less than good color, from existing settings, but that was about it. Considering all the different Color, modes and color spaces, that's impressive. (In that case, too strong on greens and yellows.)

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Skin Tones

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Today's presentations, not to mention specialty venues such as museums, galleries, and theaters, are more and more photo and video oriented. In other words, good, or even excellent color is more important than ever before.

Note, all the images above were taken with the FHZ65 set to Dynamic mode and 6500K color temp.

If your reds and blues and oranges and greens are a bit off on a pie chart, that's something most wouldn't notice. Have way too much green in a skin tone and everyone notices immediately.

The Sony FHZ65 offers really good skin tones in most modes, without adjustment. Want perfect - calibrate it. In addition to these stills, check out our video summaries of this review.

As is the case with many projectors in action that we photograph, the resulting photography on our site, and through your computer or phone, may appear a bit oversaturated. Others will find it a good match, and some will find them to appear undersaturated. That's the problem with trying to get a handle on a very high quality visual device, when viewed on lesser gear, and lots of extra processing. As I've said before, if the pictures here look good, the projector will look even better in real life.

Black Level Performance and Shadow Detail

Despite the 10,000:1 contrast claim, the overall black level performance of this projector is only acceptable, and not ideal for situations where great black levels are demanded for handling extremely dark scenes. If that is your bottom line, a DLP projector may be in order.

The Sony FHZ65 may be a laser projector, but Sony has not set up the light engine to act as a "dynamic iris" lowering overall brightness for very dark scenes, which in turn provides the darker blacks desired.

From a practical standpoint, however, the FHZ65 is most likely to be used in environments where there is at least some ambient light, and that will wipe out a good portion of the difference between it, and the few projectors that can best it by more than just a little when it comes to black levels.

Black level performance - while good for a commercial projector, could be better. Dark shadow detail on the other hand, is especially good. I should note that the Sony also did not crush near white areas.

On the other hand, I was impressed with the projector's handling of dark shadow detail (note the detail in the shrubs on the right, and in the darkest part of the forest), and also highlight detail. While not up to a great home theater projector, it demonstrates high performance in both of these areas, that almost any commercial projector would be "proud of."