Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour Posted on December 18, 2015 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-VW665ES Overview - Sony VPL-VW665ES Highlights2. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector – Special Features - VW665ES 4K Ultra-HD resolution - Multi-functional Dynamic iris on VW665ES - Reality Creation3. Sony VPL-VW665 ES 4K Projector: Special Features 2 - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation on the VW665ES - Auto Calibration - VPL-VW665ES Panel Alignment - Gamma Control - Blanking - Instead of Overscan or Masking4. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour - Hardware Overview: Sony VPL-VW665ES Projector - The VPL-VW665ES Control Panel - Inputs and Connectors - VPL-VW665ES Projector - Sony VPL-VW665ES Menus5. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour 2 - VPL-VW665ES Remote Control - Sony FMP-X10 4K Media Player6. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality - Out of the Box Picture Quality - VW665ES Handles Skin Tones Really Well - Skin Tones Depend on Lighting - Sony VPL-VW665 ES Black Level Comparison7. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality 2 - VPL-VW665ES Dark Shadow Detail Handling8. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality 3 - HDTV and Sports Viewing on the Sony VPL-VW665ES - 4K Picture Quality of the Sony VW665ES - 1080p (and 1080i) Content on the VW665ES - VPL-VW665ES: Overall Picture Quality9. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance - VPL-VW665ES - Modes Brightness and Color Temp - Color Temp Readings for Reference Mode - VPL-VW665ES Color Temp and Brightness - Reference mode - VPL-VW665ES Gamma Measurement - Eco-Mode: Affect on Brightness, Power Consumption - Sony VPL-VW665ES Lens Position - Affect on Brightness10. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance 2 - VPL-VW665ES 4K and Sharpness Demonstration - 1080p Sharpness and Detail - More 1080p images, 4K vs 1080p content compared - VPL-VW665ES Lens Throw Information - VPL-VW665ES Lens Shift Range - Image Noise and Audible Noise11. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector – Summary - The VW665ES is not just about full 4K resolution! - VPL-VW665ES Brightness12. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector: Summary 2 - Feature Performance - The Very Bottom Line: Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector13. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector Review – Specifications SONY VPL-VW665ES 4K PROJECTOR HARDWARE TOUR: Overview, Control Panel, Inputs and Connectors, Menus Hardware Overview: Sony VPL-VW665ES ProjectorThe VW665ES is a reasonably large projector, but with it’s very dark gray case, and large, rather pretty lens area, the Sony is designed to look impressive, yet blend in nicely into a typical home theater. The 2.06:1 motorized zoom lens offers tremendous placement range. This 4K Sony’slens is centered and recessed. The lens itself offers a very significant amount of vertical and horizontal lens shift, and (great) offers Lens Memory, for working with Cinemascope shaped wide screens (typically 2.35:1 or 2.40:1), such as my own setup. For this class of projector, unless you are buying primarily for sports viewing, I would think a widescreen – projection screen would be the preferred choice for most of us who watch a lot of movies (which means a lot of widescreen movies.) Despite the best intentions of the folks that created the HDTV standard as something about half way (in aspect ratio) between the old 4:3 TVs and “Cinemascope” widescreen movies, most movies today are still widescreen. There are exceptions mostly: Many animated films are 16:9 (HDTV), as are some of the 3D movies. Also many of the “made for TV” flicks. Still when you look at a list of the 2D movies you would likely see in the local movie theater (if you aren’t patient and waiting to see them at home), the vast majority will be widescreen. The finish is a dark gray matte, with a coarse texture. On the right side (if looking at the front of the projector), the control panel starts at the bottom by the front, and will be covered in depth, later on this page. On the opposite side, recessed are all the inputs and connectors, starting by the back and working their way more than half way to the front. Exhaust venting is found on the front to the left of the lens. There are infra-red sensors both front and back for the backlit remote control. The top (bottom when mounted) is blank, and curved, unadorned but for a Sony label. It is one physically impressive looking projector. That recessed lens with the gold trim and the solid look to the projector will shout “I’m one serious, high performance projector” at you. Click Image to EnlargeThe VPL-VW665ES Control PanelFirst, it’s almost invisible. Sony did a great job of camouflaging the control panel so that it is barely noticeable. This way the projector has a “sleek, unadorned” look.. From the front of the Sony, moving toward the back are the power switch (once for on, twice for off), followed by the input button. Hitting it once brings up the input menu. Each additional press toggles you through the choices. Next comes the Menu button, and then another one of those Sony “micro” joystick/buttons, that Sony puts on all of it’s LCoS (SXRD) projectors. The square “jog dial” is a micro joystick. It rocks in up/down/left/right direction to allow full menu navigation. Press the button straight in for the Enter function. The last button in the control panel is the Lens button for control of focus, zoom and lens shift (in conjunction with the navigation joystick). Important note: You can go into the menus and turn off Lens Control, so that no one accidentally changes the settings. Click Image to EnlargeInputs and Connectors - VPL-VW665ES Projector Considering the hefty price of this projector, you won’t find a particularly long list of inputs and connectors. Rather it is pretty typical of most home projectors except that it has a pair of screen triggers added. First up is the LAN connector, as the VW665ES has some standard networking capabilities. Right next to it is a USB port, followed by HDMI 1 and HDMI 2. Then comes an RS232 serial port with a DB9 connector, for command and control. It’s labeled Remote. Speaking of remotes, the next jack over a small mini-jack allows for using an external 3D emitter. I already mentioned that there are a pair of 12 volt triggers. Their function can be set from the menus. For example you might use one to control a screen’s up and down, and the other for an anamorphic lens. (Not that we feel you need an anamorphic lens for this projector, we favor using the Sony’s built in Lens Memory). All the connectors are recessed is a plus for creating a clean install in terms of cables. If I had two changes I could ask for, they would be: A third HDMI (with MHL support as a further plus), and a digital audio output. The Digital Audio out would be of great benefit for all of us without AV receivers that can switch full HDMI 2.0 HDCP 2.2 content. One of my challenges, for example is outputting sound from my Sony 4K media player. One HDMI goes into the projector, but the other (for audio) is also HDMI, whereas like many, I use a Toslink fibre optic connector to input to my older receiver. Sony VPL-VW665ES MenusThere are many dozens of menus, sub-menus, etc., and lots of sliders for adjusting values (i.e. brightness, saturation). We captured most of the important ones, and have brief descriptions in many of the captions areas. We might have missed an interesting tidbit or two, but these should give you just about all the explanation anyone not yet owning a Sony VPL-VW665ES should need. The manual has some additional info (but sometimes less insight). Most of these photos were taken of the older VW600ES menus which remain unchanged for the VW665ES. VPL-VW665ES, VW600ES Menu Slideshow Picture Menu This menu has multiple sub-menus, and controls most functions that affect the picture itself Picture Mode This menu shows all the picture preset modes, as well as User (used for post calibration) Reality Creation - Detail Enhancment Sony's very smart Reality Creation adds detail back in on 1080p content, and also can enhance true 4K content Auto Iris Control Select dynamic or manual, limit max brightness, versatile! Cinema Black Pro sub-menu This menu hosts iris, contrast, and lamp controls Dynamic Iris Control This sub-menu is where you can engage dynamic iris, while limiting brightness MotionFlow sub-menu Smooth high frame interpolation recommended for movies, S. Low for other content. True Cinema for true 24fps Color Temp controls In addition to standard color temps, there are 5 settable Custom modes. Mike used #3. Expert Controls Noise reduction and other functions including color space Grayscale color temp settings This sub-menu is where calibration settings for grayscale go. CMS Adjustment For calibration of primary and secondary colors Gamma Controls Sony offers six typical presets, including 2.2, plus four "non-linear" choices Sony's Auto Calibration menu Select this to enter submenu to calibrate Auto-calibrate sub-menu Pre-Check, then Adjust. Sony describes as a coarse control Picture Position and Aspect Ratio Enough said! 3D Settings Menu Additional settings appear when 3D content is present 3D Settings - a sub-menu When content is 2D, option to convert to 3D Setup Menu Choose menu language, position, altitude cooling, power saving, lamp reset, more Information Menu Nothing to adjust, just projector info and source info Installation Menu Lock lens control, flip image, function of 12v triggers, Panel alignment, Blanking (instead of overscan), networking Networking Sub-menu Very standard networking area 1. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector Review - Sony VPL-VW665ES Overview - Sony VPL-VW665ES Highlights2. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector – Special Features - VW665ES 4K Ultra-HD resolution - Multi-functional Dynamic iris on VW665ES - Reality Creation3. Sony VPL-VW665 ES 4K Projector: Special Features 2 - CFI - Creative Frame Interpolation on the VW665ES - Auto Calibration - VPL-VW665ES Panel Alignment - Gamma Control - Blanking - Instead of Overscan or Masking4. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour - Hardware Overview: Sony VPL-VW665ES Projector - The VPL-VW665ES Control Panel - Inputs and Connectors - VPL-VW665ES Projector - Sony VPL-VW665ES Menus5. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour 2 - VPL-VW665ES Remote Control - Sony FMP-X10 4K Media Player6. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality - Out of the Box Picture Quality - VW665ES Handles Skin Tones Really Well - Skin Tones Depend on Lighting - Sony VPL-VW665 ES Black Level Comparison7. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality 2 - VPL-VW665ES Dark Shadow Detail Handling8. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality 3 - HDTV and Sports Viewing on the Sony VPL-VW665ES - 4K Picture Quality of the Sony VW665ES - 1080p (and 1080i) Content on the VW665ES - VPL-VW665ES: Overall Picture Quality9. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance - VPL-VW665ES - Modes Brightness and Color Temp - Color Temp Readings for Reference Mode - VPL-VW665ES Color Temp and Brightness - Reference mode - VPL-VW665ES Gamma Measurement - Eco-Mode: Affect on Brightness, Power Consumption - Sony VPL-VW665ES Lens Position - Affect on Brightness10. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance 2 - VPL-VW665ES 4K and Sharpness Demonstration - 1080p Sharpness and Detail - More 1080p images, 4K vs 1080p content compared - VPL-VW665ES Lens Throw Information - VPL-VW665ES Lens Shift Range - Image Noise and Audible Noise11. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector – Summary - The VW665ES is not just about full 4K resolution! - VPL-VW665ES Brightness12. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector: Summary 2 - Feature Performance - The Very Bottom Line: Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector13. Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Home Theater Projector Review – Specifications Sony VPL-VW665 ES 4K Projector: Special Features 2 Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour 2 LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==