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Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance

Posted on December 18, 2015 By Art Feierman

VPL-VW665ES 4K PROJECTOR – PERFORMANCE Page 1:  Brightness and Color Temp, Reference mode, Post Calibration Color Temp and Brightness, Eco mode, Lens Position Affect on Brightness

This page has not been completed.  The information here is from the VW600ES review done in 2014.  Due to timing, and that I didn’t feel a calibration necessary, Mike is just getting to doing the measurements, after I’ve been working with the projector for a couple of weeks, and writing the rest of the review.

The measurement numbers found below should be very close to what the newer VPL-VW665ES produces.

I did quick measurements myself.  The VW665ES measured in Reference mode, 8 lumens less than the older VW600ES.  However, that’s with my meter, Mike’s is a bit more optimistic so should come in several percent higher.  I’ve only plugged in  new numbers for Reference mode, as well as the affect of Eco mode, and of Lens position, on brightness.  The rest will wait for Mike’s numbers.   Where you are seeing Color Temp measurements, those are from the VW600ES until I get Mike’s report.

VPL-VW665ES - Modes Brightness and Color Temp

VPL-VW665ES MODES:  BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR TEMP
PICTURE MODE BRIGHTNESS COLOR TEMP
Reference 1625
TV 1468
Cinema Film 1 1635
Cinema Film 2 1592
Game 1625
Photo 1721
Bright Cinema 1493
Bright TV 1521
User 1635

Typically Mike provides these numbers, but he hasn’t had a chance to work with the VPL-VW665ES yet.  I did some lumens measurements using my own gear.  Mine tends to be a few percent less generous than Mike’s numbers, figure his numbers would be 5-6% higher.  He does most of our measuring.

As you can see in this chart, many of the modes are the same, at least in terms of brightness (and color temp).  Just think of modes for what they are – different looks for different purposes.  Two modes could be identical but for the particular gamma setting, or a different color space, which might make one better, perhaps, for sports viewing with ambient light.

The missing color temp measurements will be added after Mike gets his shot at the projector.  Because the color was so accurate, I did the review before Mike got his chance to do detailed measurements.

Photo has the lower color temp, so should be most suitable for black and white movies.

Color Temp Readings for Reference Mode

 

Reference Mode Color Temp in K (Kelvin)
100 IRE (white)
80 IRE
50 IRE
30 IRE

VPL-VW665ES Reference mode numbers will be added shortly

VPL-VW665ES Color Temp and Brightness - Reference mode

VPL-VW600ES Color Temp, Post Calibration
100 IRE 6467K
90 IRE 6463
80 IRE 6545
70 IRE 6539
60 IRE 6520
50 IRE 6492
40 IRE 6446
30 IRE 6481
20 IRE 6487

The chart above shows the post calibration results for the older VW600ES that the VW665ES replaces.  We will post the non-calibrated measurements for the 665ES when Mike gets done with the projector.

VPL-VW665ES Gamma Measurement

Gamma not yet measured, but VW600ES measured (for a setting of 2.2) at 2.27 just a touch high.

One more time.  Mike will pick up the VW665ES for measurements right after the first of the year.  Look for this page to be completed in the first or second full week of January.

Eco-Mode: Affect on Brightness, Power Consumption

VPL-VW665ES Full Power vs. Eco (Reference Mode)
Lumens
Full Power 1691
Eco Mode 1252

 

That works out to a drop in brightness of roughly 26% when you switch to Eco mode, from full power. Most projectors drop between 25 and 35%.

You can probably expect about a 20% drop in power consumption in Eco mode.

You can expect all picture modes to also have a similar drop in brightness when you switch to Eco.

You’ve got three good reasons you might want to use Eco mode:  You don’t need all of the Sony’s brightness, you want the fan to run in its quieter mode, and you want to cut back a bit on the electric bill.  BTW, that’s about 12 KW a month if you run this projector 40 hours a week. In overpriced California where I have tiered rates, that can work out to about $50 a year.  At the official “government rating of $.11 that they use on those yellow stickers on appliances to tell you how much your new frig, or microwave will cost to operate, that same 40 hours a week on this Sony would only cost about $18 a year.  Hey, I can even live with the $50 a year, call it $75 with the rest of my home theater electronics also running 40 hours a week.

Sony VPL-VW665ES Lens Position - Affect on Brightness

VPL-VW665ES Lens Setting vs Brightness (lumens) Reference Mode
Wide Angle 1691
Mid-point 1625
Telephoto 1318

As is typical, wide angle – the closest you can place your projector to whatever sized screen you have, is the brightest.  Measuring at the mid-point of the zoom lens results in a very modest drop of only 4% to 1635 lumens.  If you are rear shelf mounting, or need to place the projector relatively far back, at the full telephoto end of the lenses range, that 2.06:1 zoom lens will take some toll on brightness, losing about 22% compared to full wide angle.

That’s pretty minimal for that much zoom.  Some other projectors with 2.0:1 or 2.1:1 zooms lose as much as 40% of brightness.  The smaller drop is a good indication of excellent optics and light path design.

Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Picture Quality 3
Sony VPL-VW665ES 4K Projector: Performance 2