Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 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 "Out of the Box" Picture QualityFrom a color accuracy standpoint, this Sony is no better than its less expensive siblings, the $7K VW95ES and the $3500 HW30ES. Nor is it worse. In reality, the VPL-VW1000ES projector in its best “Out of the Box” mode looks very good, but as with the other Sony projectors, the picture is a touch cool – around 7000K instead of 6500K. Mind you, that’s not bad, it’s probably more accurate than most LCDTV’s offer in their “best” modes. Skin tones etc., look very good, just it’s just a touch strong on blues, especially in the brighter IREs. However, green is in proper balance, so color does look natural and good. Check out our recommended settings like Brightness, Color, etc. on the Calibration page of this review. Click Image to EnlargeVPL-VW1000ES Projector - Flesh TonesAlthough the VW1000ES does not calibrate as perfectly as some other projectors, the end result is extremely good. The projector finishes calibration with all but the extremes (100 IRE – white), and (20 IRE – lowest gray we can measure) being about dead on. White (100 IRE) remained just a tiny bit cool (6814K) while 20 IRE has an even slighter shift toward red (6256K). You really don’t notice those shifts – the picture just looks great. I’ll even mention that the slight red in the darkest areas seems to have pretty much vanished in the 150+ hours since Mike calibrated the new lamp (not unusual). I wouldn’t be surprised if 20 now read closer to 6500K if we remeasured. None of that matters, only the picture quality does, and skin tones in particular look very natural, one of those statements that I tend to keep repeating when describing Sony projectors. It’s somewhat “interesting” because, as someone who’s been in the industry for many decades, I tend to think that Sony still, to some degree, lives on its reputation established with the Sony Trinitron picture tube and the TVs developed between the 60’s and 70’s. Truth is, that may still be the case, but, it’s not particularly relevant to LCDTVs and projectors, The bottom line is that regardless of where Sony gets its rep, this projector has great, natural looking skin tones, and, thanks to the resolution, more detail in those close ups of faces, such as found in some of these images. VPL-VW1000ES Image Quality Slideshow SKIN TONES Lord of the Rings: Gandalf SKIN TONES Lord of the Rings: Arwen SKIN TONES Lucy, from Narnia: The Dawn Treader SKIN TONES Leeloo SKIN TONES NFL SKIN TONES RED SKIN TONES Iron Man 2 SKIN TONES Pippin SKIN TONES Iron Man 2 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 – Physical Tour 2 Sony VPL-VW1000ES Projector – Image Quality 2