Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance Posted on September 9, 2009 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Overview2. VPL-HW15 Projector Highlights - Specs for Sony VPL-HW15 - Sony VPL-HW15 Special Features - Sony VPL-HW15 Gamma Modes - Sony SXRD panels - (LCoS) - Individual SXRD panel adjustment3. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW15 Control Panel4. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour-2 - Input/Output - VPL-HW15 Menus5. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Sony VPL-HW15 Remote Control - Sony VPL HW15 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens6. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality - VPL-HW15 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - Flesh Tones - VPL-HW15 Black Levels & Shadow Detail7. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-28. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-39. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-410. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Shadow Detail Performance11. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-612. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-713. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-814. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-915. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-1016. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-11 - VPL-HW15 - Overall Color & Picture Quality17. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-12 - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports18. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW15 Brightness - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration)19. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance-2 - Sony VPL-HW15 Sharpness20. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance-3 - Sony VPL-HW15: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise21. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW15 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): - Sony VPL-HW15 Basic Settings - RGB Settings22. Sony VPL-HW15 – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Screen Recommendations23. Sony VPL-HW15 – Competitors - VPL-HW15 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. BenQ W5000 - VPL-HW15 vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300024. Sony VPL-HW15 – Warranty25. Sony VPL-HW15 – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - The Bottom Line26. Sony VPL-HW15 – Review Summary-2 - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Typical Capabilities Sony VPL-HW15 Brightnesshe Sony VPL-HW15 Brightness is better than the older HW10 it replaces, but this Sony still isn’t a particularly bright projector. For your consideration, here are a number of measurements from different modes, pre-calibration: Dynamic 664 @ 9793K Dynamic w/ color temp on Middle yields 617 lumens @ 7637 Dynamic w/color temp on Custom 4 yields 837 lumens @ 10015 Standard 602 @ 7594K Cinema 540 @ 6266K Cinema (Iris on Manual, fully open)= 493 Cinema (Iris on Manual, fully closed)= 231 Cinema (Iris on Manual, 50% open)= 395 Cinema (Iris on Auto 1 or 2)= 536 Lumen Output (Low Lamp, Cinema, Iris open): 340 @ 6171K, which is down over 30%. Basically, the key numbe for movie viewing is with the Auto Iris on, and that translates to 536 lumens (pre calibration), and is almost identical to the 538 lumens measured post calibration. Click to Enlarge.So close When it comes to brighest mode, the Dynamic, combined with Custom 4 gamma gets a still below average 837 lumens, and that’s at 10K color temp which is, by any measure way, way, too blue. None of the other combinations we tested enabled the Sony to get over 664 lumens, making it one of the least bright projectors in “brightest mode”, and an achilles heel for this projector, for those that are shopping for a projector that is a good mix between watching movies, and watching sports with some lights on. Pre-calibration we measured these color temperatures (target is 6500K) over the grayscale range, for Click Image to EnlargeColor Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): 30 IRE 6574 50 IRE 6490 80 IRE 6382 100 IRE 6266 NOTE: Precal color temp numbers aren’t bad, but red is very high throughout the upper half of the IRE range, which among other things, indicates not enough green. (No worries, that’s why we calibrate the projectors.) Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode): Zoom out 721 Mid-zoom 664 Zoom in 542 OK, here’s what it looks like, post calibration: Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) 20 IRE 6426 30 IRE 6521 40 IRE 6548 50 IRE 6571 60 IRE 6525 70 IRE 6464 80 IRE 6534 90 IRE 6502 100 IRE 6444 Average gamma, iris off = 2.1 Note, the default gamma 4, produces a significantly low 1.8 gamma. 1. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Overview2. VPL-HW15 Projector Highlights - Specs for Sony VPL-HW15 - Sony VPL-HW15 Special Features - Sony VPL-HW15 Gamma Modes - Sony SXRD panels - (LCoS) - Individual SXRD panel adjustment3. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW15 Control Panel4. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour-2 - Input/Output - VPL-HW15 Menus5. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Sony VPL-HW15 Remote Control - Sony VPL HW15 Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens6. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality - VPL-HW15 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - Flesh Tones - VPL-HW15 Black Levels & Shadow Detail7. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-28. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-39. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-410. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-5 - Shadow Detail Performance11. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-612. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-713. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-814. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-915. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-1016. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-11 - VPL-HW15 - Overall Color & Picture Quality17. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-12 - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports18. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW15 Brightness - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): - Effect of zoom on lumen output (Dynamic mode): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration)19. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance-2 - Sony VPL-HW15 Sharpness20. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance-3 - Sony VPL-HW15: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise21. Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW15 Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Pre calibration): - Sony VPL-HW15 Basic Settings - RGB Settings22. Sony VPL-HW15 – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector Screen Recommendations23. Sony VPL-HW15 – Competitors - VPL-HW15 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. BenQ W5000 - VPL-HW15 vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - Sony VPL-HW15 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300024. Sony VPL-HW15 – Warranty25. Sony VPL-HW15 – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector - The Bottom Line26. Sony VPL-HW15 – Review Summary-2 - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW15 Projector: Typical Capabilities Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Image Quality-12 Sony VPL-HW15 Projector – Performance-2