Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 2 Posted on July 26, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Review - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Highlights - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features - True 4K Resolution - 2K to 4K Upscaling: Sony VPL-VW1000ES Reality Creation engine - 2K to 4K Upscaling3. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features 2 - "Future-Proofing" the Sony VPL-VW1000ES - Dynamic Iris - VPL-VW1000ES 3D Abilities - 3D active glasses4. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features 3 - 2D to Simulated 3D on the VPL-VW1000ES - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Gamma Modes - CFI - Sony MotionFlow - Lens Memory Functions - Individual SXRD panel adjustment5. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Appearance - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Control Panel - Input/Output6. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Menus - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Remote Control - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Lens Throw - VW1000ES Lens Shift - VPL-VW1000ES Anamorphic Lens, Lens Memory7. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality - VPL-VW1000ES "Out of the Box" Picture Quality - VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Flesh Tones8. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 2 - VPL-VW1000ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance9. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 3 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES - 4K, Overall Color & Picture Quality - The bottom line on overall picture quality:10. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 4 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Bottom line for HDTV on the Sony VPL-VW1000ES Home Theater Projector11. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Brightness12. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 2 - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration) - VPL-VW1000ES Dynamic Iris - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Post Calibration - 3D Brightness of the VPL-VW1000ES13. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 3 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images14. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Image Sharpness - VW1000ES Light Leakage - VPL-VW1000ES Image Noise - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Audible Noise15. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Basic Settings - VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Eco-Mode Brightness16. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Post Calibration Grayscale: Reference Mode - "Best" - RGB Settings17. Sony VPL-VW1000ES – Projector Screens - VPL-VW1000ES Projector Screen Recommendations18. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Warranty - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Warranty19. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Home Cinema Projector – Review Summary - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - The Bottom Line - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Cons20. Sony VPL-VW1000ES – Full Specifications VPL-VW1000ES Black Levels & Shadow DetailBelow, our usual Starship set of images from The 5th Element. To see how good blacks are, just note how light the letterbox area is, compared to the starship. If the letterbox area is very dim, and the starship totally overexposed, that shows more range, than if the letterbox is brighter, or the starship less overexposed. Many of these images have been converted to grayscale, so the shifts in color don’t make it harder to judge them. Click Image to EnlargeBlack Levels ComparisonVPL-VW1000ESVPL-VW95ESMitsubishi HC9000DJVC DLA-X70R:Sharp XV-Z17000Epson Home Cinema 5010PreviousNext Note, that the VW1000ES (above) is substantially better than even their VPL-VW95ES below: Mitsubishi HC9000D (uses Sony LCoS panels) – Similar to the VW95ES (just the image is a bit more overexposed) – both the letterbox and the starship are slightly larger. JVC DLA-X70R: Sharp XV-Z17000, This Sharp was the first single chip 1080p DLP projector to hit the market under $5000. Being replaced by a XV-Z30000 Epson Home Cinema 5010: Epson has reigned for years as the “black level champ” in the under $3500 price range, and can compete in blacks, rather easily with most projectors up to $10,000 projectors. Finally, an interesting shot, but not of the VW1000ES. Remember, the Sony VW1000ES has better blacks than their VW95ES. Yet, in the image below, we have the VW95ES (right) vs. the $20K SIM2 Nero 3D2 (left). The less expensive Sony easily does better blacks than the Nero. Along comes this VW1000ES, which is even better still. Neither the SIM2 nor the $28K Runco LS10d, really come close to the blacks of the Sony (nor are they 4K, and only the Nero of those two has 3D): Click Image to EnlargeShadow Detail PerformanceDark shadow detail is good, but relative to all the strengths of this Sony projector, it has to be considered one of the Sony’s least impressive levels of performance. It’s not hard to find other good projectors that will reveal a touch more dark shadow detail, but, as I often point out, the better the black levels, the darker the darkest shadow details are, and therefore hardest to spot. Look, I can get a touch more dark shadow detail out of a number of projectors some as inexpensive as the $2700 Epson 5010 (you’ll find that image below) – for a comparison look at the line of shrubs behind the tracks, on the middle-right and far right of the image. Let’s not worry about that however. As I have often stated in reviews, a slight loss of dark shadow detail is a very minor thing, compared to even a slight increase in black level performance. In other words, don’t worry about it! Our major comparison uses the night train scene from Casino Royale. Look to the trees and shrubs on the right, especially just above the tracks. The first image is the Sony VPL-1000ES, followed by the 95ES. Then the Mitsubishi HC9000D, followed by the less expensive Sony HW30ES. Fifth is the Epson Home Cinema 5010, followed by the JVC RS25, and the last one is from the Runco LS-10d projector. Shadow Detail PerformanceVPL-VW1000ESSony VPL-VW95ESMitsubishi HC9000DSony VPL-VPL-HW30ESEpson's Home Cinema 5010JVC DLA-RS25Runco LS-10dPreviousNext 1. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Review - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Highlights - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Overview2. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features - True 4K Resolution - 2K to 4K Upscaling: Sony VPL-VW1000ES Reality Creation engine - 2K to 4K Upscaling3. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features 2 - "Future-Proofing" the Sony VPL-VW1000ES - Dynamic Iris - VPL-VW1000ES 3D Abilities - 3D active glasses4. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Special Features 3 - 2D to Simulated 3D on the VPL-VW1000ES - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Gamma Modes - CFI - Sony MotionFlow - Lens Memory Functions - Individual SXRD panel adjustment5. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Physical Tour - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Appearance - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Control Panel - Input/Output6. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Menus - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Remote Control - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Lens Throw - VW1000ES Lens Shift - VPL-VW1000ES Anamorphic Lens, Lens Memory7. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality - VPL-VW1000ES "Out of the Box" Picture Quality - VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Flesh Tones8. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 2 - VPL-VW1000ES Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance9. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 3 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES - 4K, Overall Color & Picture Quality - The bottom line on overall picture quality:10. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 4 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports - Bottom line for HDTV on the Sony VPL-VW1000ES Home Theater Projector11. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Brightness12. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 2 - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration) - VPL-VW1000ES Dynamic Iris - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - Post Calibration - 3D Brightness of the VPL-VW1000ES13. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 3 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison Images14. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES: Bottom Line Sharpness - Image Sharpness - VW1000ES Light Leakage - VPL-VW1000ES Image Noise - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Audible Noise15. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Color Temperature - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Basic Settings - VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Eco-Mode Brightness16. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Post Calibration Grayscale: Reference Mode - "Best" - RGB Settings17. Sony VPL-VW1000ES – Projector Screens - VPL-VW1000ES Projector Screen Recommendations18. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Warranty - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector Warranty19. Sony VPL-VW1000ES Home Cinema Projector – Review Summary - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector - The Bottom Line - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Pros - Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector: Cons20. Sony VPL-VW1000ES – Full Specifications Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 3