Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-2 Posted on October 13, 2011 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Highlights - Specs for Sony VPL-HW30ES - Sony VPL-HW30ES Special Features3. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES 1.6:1 Zoom Lens - VPL-HW30ES Projector 3D Capabilities - 3D Glasses (they are optional): - VPL-HW30ES Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion - Sony VPL-HW30ES Pixel Adjust4. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW30ES Control Panel5. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour-2 - VPL-HW30ES Projector - Input/Output - VPL-HW30ES Menus - Sony VPL-HW30ES Remote Control6. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen7. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - Flesh Tones8. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-3 - Sony VPL-HW30 Shadow Detail Performance10. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-4 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: VPL-HW30ES Projector - Bottom Line - Sony VPL-HW30ES - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports11. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-5 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports12. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW30ES Brightness - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 814 lumens13. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode:14. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-315. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-4 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Sharpness16. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-5 - Sony VPL-HW30ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise17. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW30ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-HW30ES Basic Settings18. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - VPL-HW30ES User Mode - VPL-HW30ES RGB Settings19. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Screen Recommendations20. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Warranty21. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Competitors - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Epson Pro Cinema 9700UB and Home 8700UB - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Sony VPL-VW90ES and VW95ES - VPL-HW30ES vs. Sharp XV-Z17000 - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Runco LS522. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - The Bottom Line23. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary-2 - VPL-HW30ES Color and Overall Picture Quality - The Very Bottom Line on the VPL-HW30ES projector:24. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Pros and Cons - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Typical Capabilities25. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Specifications Of the movies I viewed and took images of, many provide skin tones that I can only call natural and easy. Lord of the Rings and the modern Bond flicks I use fit that description. By comparison, movies like Red, and Star Trek (the new one), the Bourne movies, and many action movies in general, seem to push the dynamics, and therefore provide a projector with less accurate, and less forgiving skin tones to reproduce. Below are our three James Bond images from Casino Royale. Each has a different lighting scenario, the first – full sunlight, the second image; indoor fluorescent, and finally, filtered sunlight in the third image. And as one would expect, that causes each image of James Bond – Daniel Craig – to have different looking skin tones. All look pretty good! Sony VPL-HW30ES Black Levels & Shadow DetailVPL-HW30ES Black Levels Sony’s black level performance, i.e.,how close the HW30 comes to getting inky blacks, rather than medium dark grays, is very good. The HW30’s black level performance is great, but it isn’t going to match the best of the more expensive projectors, and even a couple of lower priced ones. If you are a black level fanatic, like me, you can be very happy with the VPL-HW30ES, even knowing that there are a few projectors that can do better still. I identify the Sony as a very good “ultra high contrast” projector. Forget the claims, I use the term subjectively, as a way of saying, “black performance we only dreamed about 4-5 years ago” (except in comparison with those old CRTs which really can do a true black). From a practical standpoint the Sony does well enough, with likely only one less expensive projector that does a bit better, the Epson Home Cinema 8700UB, and therefore also likely, the Home Cinema 5010 that will replace it. That said, black levels are just one element. The new Epson though, is in the same price range as the Sony. My point, however is that “ultra high contrast” projectors do black levels well enough, that you will in most cases, be considering other features as at least as important, when comparing two such projectors. vpl-hw30es 5th element starship4 largehd8300 5thelement starship over large8700ub 5thelement starship over largehd33 5thelement starship largehd250 5thelement starship2 over largeLS10 5thelement starship over largeVPL-VW90ES 5thelement starship over largeXV-Z17000 5thelement starship over largeW6000 5thelement starship largePreviousNext That is to say, you have found a very acceptable level of black performance for the vast majority of folks. Consider placement flexibility, ease of calibrating, final color, audible noise, brightness, and other features which will likely all be factors in your choice. The difference between black performance in this price class, is real, and visible. Remember that the difference in black level performance between the Sony, the Epson, the Optoma HD8300, JVC HD250 (being discontinued), and others, is hardly “night and day”. 1. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Highlights - Specs for Sony VPL-HW30ES - Sony VPL-HW30ES Special Features3. Sony VPL-HW30ES Home Theater Projector Review-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES 1.6:1 Zoom Lens - VPL-HW30ES Projector 3D Capabilities - 3D Glasses (they are optional): - VPL-HW30ES Creative Frame Interpolation - CFI - smooth motion - Sony VPL-HW30ES Pixel Adjust4. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW30ES Control Panel5. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour-2 - VPL-HW30ES Projector - Input/Output - VPL-HW30ES Menus - Sony VPL-HW30ES Remote Control6. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Lens Throw - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen7. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - Flesh Tones8. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail9. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-3 - Sony VPL-HW30 Shadow Detail Performance10. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-4 - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: VPL-HW30ES Projector - Bottom Line - Sony VPL-HW30ES - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports11. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-5 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports12. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW30ES Brightness - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 814 lumens13. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode:14. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-315. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-4 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Sharpness16. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Performance-5 - Sony VPL-HW30ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise17. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW30ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-HW30ES Basic Settings18. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - VPL-HW30ES User Mode - VPL-HW30ES RGB Settings19. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Screen Recommendations20. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Warranty21. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Competitors - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Epson Pro Cinema 9700UB and Home 8700UB - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Sony VPL-VW90ES and VW95ES - VPL-HW30ES vs. Sharp XV-Z17000 - Sony VPL-HW30ES vs. Runco LS522. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector - The Bottom Line23. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary-2 - VPL-HW30ES Color and Overall Picture Quality - The Very Bottom Line on the VPL-HW30ES projector:24. Sony VPL-HW30ES – Review Summary-3 - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Pros and Cons - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector: Typical Capabilities25. Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector Specifications Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality-3