Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 3 Posted on July 25, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-HW50ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Highlights - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-HW50ES Special Features - VPL-HW50ES Detail Enhancement - Reality Creation - Sony VPL-HW50ES 1.6:1 Zoom Lens - VPL-HW50ES Projector 3D Capabilities - 3D Glasses (two pair provided standard): - VPL-HW50ES MotionFlow - Creative Frame Interpolation - Sony VPL-HW50ES Pixel Adjust3. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW50ES Control Panel - VPL-HW50ES Projector - Input/Output4. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Physical Tour 2 - VPL-HW50ES Menus - Sony VPL-HW50ES Remote Control - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen5. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW50ES Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Flesh Tones6. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Sony VPL-HW50 Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: VPL-HW50ES Projector - Bottom Line7. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES - Overall Color & Picture Quality8. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 4 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports9. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW50ES Brightness - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 992 lumens - VPL-HW50 Projector Low Lamp Mode10. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode11. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images - Reality Creation - Detail Enhancement - Continued12. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-HW50ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise13. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW50ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-HW50ES Basic Settings - Sony VPL-HW50ES Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - VPL-HW50ES RGB Settings14. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Screen Recommendations - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Screens For Dedicated Home Theater - Placing the HW50ES Projector - The Right Screens for Living Rooms, Bonus Rooms...15. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Epson Pro Cinema 6010/6020 and Home Cinema 5010/502016. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Sony VPL-HW30ES and VW95ES - VPL-HW50ES vs. Sharp XV-Z3000017. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Panasonic PT-AE7000 and PT-AE8000 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Runco LS518. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Warranty19. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - The Bottom Line20. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary 2 - VPL-HW50ES Color and Overall Picture Quality21. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary 3 - The Very Bottom Line on the VPL-HW50ES projector: - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Typical Capabilities22. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Full Specifications Sony VPL-HW50ES - Overall Color & Picture Quality Once calibrated, the VPL-HW50ES is about as good as it gets in terms of overall picture quality for projectors under, say, $5000. True, most projectors do really good skin tones, etc., when calibrated, but it’s more than just that. It is also clarity, pop, shadow details, blacks. Some projectors are great on bright scenes, so-so on dark ones, for example. So far, I haven’t found anything serious to complain about with this projector. The big buzz of course, is Sony’s enhanced Reality Creation. I’ve written pages about it in this review. I want to be clear – I am really impressed…but, it’s not something you may want to use all the time. Most of the time RC (at moderate levels like 20) dramatically improves details, but there are times when it can give you a “gritty” look/feel to the image. Such as the Pippin image elsewhere in this review. Ultimately, this Sony is now one of my all time favorite projectors in the under, let’s say $7500 MSRP range. This HW50ES projector establishes Sony as one of the very top performers in terms of picture quality – and value! 1. Sony VPL-HW50ES Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Highlights - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-HW50ES Special Features - VPL-HW50ES Detail Enhancement - Reality Creation - Sony VPL-HW50ES 1.6:1 Zoom Lens - VPL-HW50ES Projector 3D Capabilities - 3D Glasses (two pair provided standard): - VPL-HW50ES MotionFlow - Creative Frame Interpolation - Sony VPL-HW50ES Pixel Adjust3. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Appearance - VPL-HW50ES Control Panel - VPL-HW50ES Projector - Input/Output4. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Physical Tour 2 - VPL-HW50ES Menus - Sony VPL-HW50ES Remote Control - Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens - Wide Screen5. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW50ES Out of the Box Picture Quality - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Flesh Tones6. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Sony VPL-HW50 Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Comparison - Black Level and Shadow Detail Performance: VPL-HW50ES Projector - Bottom Line7. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES - Overall Color & Picture Quality8. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 4 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Bottom Line on HDTV and Sports9. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-HW50ES Brightness - Post Calibration: User "best" mode = 992 lumens - VPL-HW50 Projector Low Lamp Mode10. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Pre-Calibration Color temp, Cinema Mode11. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images - Reality Creation - Detail Enhancement - Continued12. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-HW50ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise13. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-HW50ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-HW50ES Basic Settings - Sony VPL-HW50ES Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode - VPL-HW50ES RGB Settings14. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Projector Screens - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Screen Recommendations - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - Screens For Dedicated Home Theater - Placing the HW50ES Projector - The Right Screens for Living Rooms, Bonus Rooms...15. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Epson Pro Cinema 6010/6020 and Home Cinema 5010/502016. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors 2 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Sony VPL-HW30ES and VW95ES - VPL-HW50ES vs. Sharp XV-Z3000017. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Competitors 3 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Panasonic PT-AE7000 and PT-AE8000 - Sony VPL-HW50ES vs. Runco LS518. Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector – Warranty19. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector - The Bottom Line20. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary 2 - VPL-HW50ES Color and Overall Picture Quality21. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Review Summary 3 - The Very Bottom Line on the VPL-HW50ES projector: - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector: Typical Capabilities22. Sony VPL-HW50ES – Full Specifications Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 2 Sony VPL-HW50ES Projector Picture Quality 4