Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Physical Tour-3 Posted on October 7, 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 Sony VPL-HW30ES Lens ThrowThe VPL-HW30ES offers a 1.6:1 zoom ratio. To fill the usual 100″ diagonal screen, the front of the projector can be as close as 9.7 feet from the screen, or as far back as 15.7 feet. In both cases, that allows you to place it a little closer, say, than the Optoma HD8300 (more expensive DLP projector), which has a slightly narrower zoom range of 1.5:1. Overall, the range of the Sony zoom is very typical for zooms in the 1.5:1 to 1.6:1 range. Even projectors with 2:1 zooms, typically can’t sit closer to a 100″ screen than about 9.5 feet, but can go back to about 20 feet. The only real downside for the VPL-HW30ES in terms of placement flexibility, is that while the HW30ES is capable of being rear shelf mounted, in many rooms, you won’t have the zoom range to place the projector on the back wall. If, however, you have a fairly short back wall, or a pretty large screen for the room, you may yet be able to rear mount. As a bonus, unlike most other projectors with this much zoom range, the Sony loses a lot less brightness than many, when going from wide-angle (closest to the screen) to tele-photo. Lens ShiftThe Sony VPL-HW30ES does offer manual horizontal and vertical lens shift. As is typical, there’s far more vertical shift. Remember, if you use any horizontal shift, that will affect the maximum amount of vertical you can use (and vice versa). Assuming no horizontal shift, the vertical lens shift of the Sony VPL-HW30ES will allow you to have the projector positioned +/- 65% of screen height. Our usual 100″ diagonal 16:9 screen is roughly 50″ tall, so that provides a range of +/- about 33 inches with the lens (measured from the center of the lens) approximately 8 inches above the top of the screen surface, all the way down to about 8 inches below the bottom of the screen surface. There are a number of projectors with more vertical lens shift range, but the Sony numbers are pretty good. Having more range would help someone with a high ceiling, allowing the projector to be mounted higher up, were it is more out of the way. Of course the difference between the Sony, and the competition that has more range, is typically maybe an extra 15 inches of shift at most, not exactly a factor if you have a really high ceiling. (I once had a projector mounted and hanging down almost 8 feet on the usual extension pole, due to having a cathedral ceiling). Anamorphic Lens - Wide ScreenThe Sony VPL-HW30ES does not support an anamorphic lens! 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 – Physical Tour-2 Sony VPL-HW30ES Projector – Image Quality