Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Calibration and Settings Posted on July 10, 2014 By Lisa Feierman 1. Sony VPL-HW40ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW40ES Highlights2. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Special Features 1 - Dynamic Iris? No - MotionFlow (aka Creative Frame Interpolation) - 1.6:1 Manual Zoom Lens3. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Special Features 2 - 3D - CMS - Color Management System4. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Hardware Tour 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Layout - Sony VPL-HW40ES Control Panel - Sony VPL-HW40ES Inputs and Connectors - Some quick thoughts on MHL5. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Hardware Tour 2 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Remote Control - Sony VPL-HW40ES Lens Throw - Lens Shift6. Sony VPL-HW40ES Home Theater Projector – Hardware Tour 3 - Sony HW40ES Menus - Menus - Comments7. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 1 - VPL-HW40ES Projector – Right Out of the Box - Skin Tones8. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Black Level Performance - Dark Shadow Detail9. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 3 - HDTV and Sports Viewing - VPL-HW40ES Overall Picture Quality10. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Performance 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness: Calibrated - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness: Calibrated, Eco-mode11. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Performance 2 - Sharpness and Image Noise - Audible Noise12. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW40ES Pre-calibration - Sony VPL-HW40ES: Calibration - Mike's General Notes - Mike's Grayscale Calibration Notes13. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Advanced Calibration Information - Sony VPL-HW40ES CMS Calibration - Calibration Charts14. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Summary 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Summary - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness Summary - HW40ES 3D15. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Summary 2 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Picture Quality Summary - Other Features and Benefits - Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector - The Bottom Line16. Sony VPL-HW40ES Review – Specifications SONY VPL-HW40ES PROJECTOR – CALIBRATION AND SETTINGS: Pre-calibration settings, Post-calibration settings, General Notes, Grayscale Notes Sony VPL-HW40ES Pre-calibration Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis): Reference TV Cinema Film 1 Cinema Film 2 User Contrast (90) (90) (90) (90) (90) Brightness (50) 51 52 51 51 51 Color (50) (50) (53) (50) (50) Tint (50) (50) (50) (50) (50) Color Temp (D65) (D65) (D65) (D55) (D65) Color Space (BT.709) (Color Space 1) Color Space 3) Color Space 3) (BT.709) Gamma (Off) (2.4) (8) (Off) (Off) Film mode (Off) (Auto 1) (Auto 1) (Auto 1) (Auto 1) Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis): Photo Bright Cinema Bright TV Game Contrast (90) (Max) 90 (90) (Max) 90 Brightness (50) 51 Color (50) (55) (55) (55) Tint (50) (50) (50) (50) Color Temp (D55) (D75) (D75) (Custom 5) Color Space (BT.709) (Color Space 3) (Color Space 2) Color Space 3) Gamma (Off) (9) (10) (9) Film mode (Off) (Auto 1) (Auto 1) (Off) Lamp Mode=High (unless noted otherwise) All other settings at default (untouched) Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector – Brightness by Mode, Mid-zoom (at 100 IRE) Mode Brightness (Lumens) Color Temp at 100 IRE Reference 1497 6721 TV 1509 6723 Cinema Film 1 1497 6721 Cinema Film 2 1354 5720 Game 1722 6860 Photo 1330 5725 Bright Cinema 1592 7787 Bright TV 1616 7789 User 1497 6722 Effect of zoom on lumen output (Game mode): Zoom out 1731 Mid-zoom 1722 Zoom in 1588 Lumen Output (Low Lamp, Game mode): 1117 Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration): Reference 30 IRE 6432 50 IRE 6578 80 IRE 6711 100 IRE 6721 Sony VPL-HW40ES: Calibration Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration): 2.2 Gamma 2.4 Gamma 20 IRE 6413 6219 30 IRE 6432 6376 40 IRE 6476 6375 50 IRE 6578 6500 60 IRE 6647 6598 70 IRE 6695 6675 80 IRE 6711 6690 90 IRE 6725 6721 100 IRE 6721 6721 Average gamma 2.11 2.30 Calibration settings for User: Gamma on 2.2 and 2.4, otherwise none, see notes Mike's General NotesAs was the case with other Sony projectors, a number of modes are almost identical when it comes to default grayscale. Reference, Cinema Film 1, TV and User modes all have roughly the same RGB balance that is excellent right out of the box. Red is slightly low and blue is slightly high in the upper IRE levels, but that’s about it. The RGB balance is also quite consistent across the entire IRE range. Delta E averages only 1.23, with a minimum of 0.6 and a maximum of 1.8. This is very good performance for a calibrated display, much less one in a preset color temp. This performance surpasses some of Sony’s more expensive models and is probably the best I’ve seen for a projector in this price range. Also, the BT.709 color space is extremely accurate with very low chromaticity error. However, as will be even clearer from the following discussions, this is not a projector for the tweaker. Mike's Grayscale Calibration NotesThe excellent grayscale performance is needed, mainly because of Sony’s inexplicable decision to only include one adjustable color temp, which unfortunately corresponds to the brightest color temp. Usually, Sony provides the usual preset color temps (ie; D55, 65, 75 etc.), but then also provides custom color temps that use one of the presets as the starting point. Here, the adjustable color temp (Custom 5) is so low in red and so high in green that even maximum adjustments to the RGB gain and offset will not make to overall balance as good as the default D65 setting. Since there are already slightly less bright, but better color balance alternatives to the Game mode (Bright TV and Bright Cinema) that uses Custom 5, there’s no particular reason to adjust Custom 5. Gamma settings allow for an overall gamma of 2.11 (with gamma set to Off or 2.2) or 2.30 (with gamma set to 2.4). Greyscale is slightly worse with gamma set to 2.4 as it increases red in the lower IREs, but not greatly. With both, the gamma curve starts at the target gamma at 20 IRE, then slowly drops as you move up the IRE scale. 1. Sony VPL-HW40ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW40ES Highlights2. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Special Features 1 - Dynamic Iris? No - MotionFlow (aka Creative Frame Interpolation) - 1.6:1 Manual Zoom Lens3. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Special Features 2 - 3D - CMS - Color Management System4. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Hardware Tour 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Layout - Sony VPL-HW40ES Control Panel - Sony VPL-HW40ES Inputs and Connectors - Some quick thoughts on MHL5. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Hardware Tour 2 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Remote Control - Sony VPL-HW40ES Lens Throw - Lens Shift6. Sony VPL-HW40ES Home Theater Projector – Hardware Tour 3 - Sony HW40ES Menus - Menus - Comments7. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 1 - VPL-HW40ES Projector – Right Out of the Box - Skin Tones8. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 2 - Black Level Performance - Dark Shadow Detail9. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Picture Quality 3 - HDTV and Sports Viewing - VPL-HW40ES Overall Picture Quality10. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Performance 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness: Calibrated - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness: Calibrated, Eco-mode11. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Performance 2 - Sharpness and Image Noise - Audible Noise12. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW40ES Pre-calibration - Sony VPL-HW40ES: Calibration - Mike's General Notes - Mike's Grayscale Calibration Notes13. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Advanced Calibration Information - Sony VPL-HW40ES CMS Calibration - Calibration Charts14. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Summary 1 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Summary - Sony VPL-HW40ES Brightness Summary - HW40ES 3D15. Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Summary 2 - Sony VPL-HW40ES Picture Quality Summary - Other Features and Benefits - Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector - The Bottom Line16. Sony VPL-HW40ES Review – Specifications Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Performance 2 Sony VPL-HW40ES Projector Review – Advanced Calibration Information