Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 3 Posted on January 4, 2010 By Art Feierman 1. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review2. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Overview - VPL-VW85 Projector Highlights3. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 3 - Specs for Sony VPL-VW85 - Sony VPL-VW85 Special Features - Sony SXRD panels - (LCoS) 4. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 4 - Individual SXRD panel adjustment - CFI - MotionFlow - Film MotionFlow5. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - Appearance - VPL-VW85 Control Panel6. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 3 - Input/Output - VPL-VW85 Menus7. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 4 - Sony VPL-VW85 Remote Control8. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 5 - Sony VPL-VW85 Remote Control - Lens Shift - VPL-VW85 Anamorphic Lens9. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - Image Quality - VPL-VW85 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones10. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Sony VPL-VW85 Black Levels & Shadow Detail11. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 412. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 513. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 6 - Shadow Detail Performance14. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 715. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 816. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 917. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 10 - Overall Color & Picture Quality18. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 11 - The very bottom line on overall image quality and color: - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports19. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-VW85 Brightness - The measured brightness of each mode (pre-calibration): Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration):20. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 221. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 322. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-VW85: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise23. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW85 Color Temperature - After calibration, the measurements are even closer to 6500K, and overall, an excellent set of results: - Sony VPL-VW85 Basic Settings24. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - RGB Settings25. Sony VPL-VW85 – Screen Recommendations26. 7Sony VPL-VW85 – Warranty27. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - The Bottom Line - Sony VPL-VW85 Brightness28. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary 2 - Fancy features: - The very bottom line: - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Pros29. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary 3 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Typical Capabilities The VW85 is a very good looking projector physically (“wife friendly”), in almost all ways, except that it is one of the largest home theater projectors around, in the under $10K price range. The top of the projector is done in a nice, shiny, black finish with embedded blue speckles. When the room lights are on, that does add just a touch of blue to its look. Most of the other surfaces are a matte very dark gray. Input/OutputClick to enlarge So close The input panel of the Sony VW85 is located on the left side (if looking from the front). Click Image to EnlargeFacing that side, from back of the projector to the front, you’ll find the power receptacle, two HDMI inputs, and a standard HD15 connector for the usual analog computer input (it can alternately be used as a second component video input… Next, comes the S-video (DIN connector), and composite video (RCA jack). Then comes the standard component video input (3 color coded RCA jacks). Next to that are two jacks for screen triggers (or controlling an anamorphic lens sled, or masking system (trigger 2 engages when “wide mode” is set to anamorphic zoom). Finally there’s an RS-232 serial port for command and control by a room control system, or a computer, if so desired. The HDMI inputs support 1.3, Deep Color, x.v.Color, HDCP, computer HDMI standards, and LipSync. That pretty much covers the newest standards. This is an improvement over the older Sony VPL-VW60, which had HDMI 1.3, but, for example, lacked Deep Color support. (No content yet, for Deep Color, but, we should see some content in the next year?) VPL-VW85 MenusThe Sony’s menus are well organized. Type size is on the small size, but still readable at normal seating distances. The Picture menu is the one that people will use most often, and is shown here. From it, you can access sub-menus inclucing Picture Mode (ie. Cinema), color settings (Color Temp menu), Iris control and Lamp brightness (Cinema Black Pro), Gamma settings, black level and color space (Expert Setting). Below are images of three of the Picture mode’s sub-menus: Please note, on the Picture/Expert Settings Menu, the Gamma is listed. Sony provides six different gamma settings, as well as gamma adjust off. Please note, per the manual, on the provided disc, there is a program ImageDirector3, which allows you to save your preferred gamma in a computer. I did not look at this, but I suspect it allows you to fine tune the gamma. There are a number of other menus (including a passive Information menu). These menus control everything from intial setup – menu language, projector orientation (front, rear, ceiling, floor) to things like where the menus will appear on the screen. Shown to the right is the Setup Menu. VPL-VW85 Menus VPL-VW85 menu picture VPL-VW85 menu expert VPL-VW85 menu picture cinemablackpro VPL-VW85 menu picturemode VPL-VW70 menucustom VPL-VW70 menu setup 1. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review2. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Overview - VPL-VW85 Projector Highlights3. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 3 - Specs for Sony VPL-VW85 - Sony VPL-VW85 Special Features - Sony SXRD panels - (LCoS) 4. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review 4 - Individual SXRD panel adjustment - CFI - MotionFlow - Film MotionFlow5. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - Appearance - VPL-VW85 Control Panel6. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 3 - Input/Output - VPL-VW85 Menus7. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 4 - Sony VPL-VW85 Remote Control8. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 5 - Sony VPL-VW85 Remote Control - Lens Shift - VPL-VW85 Anamorphic Lens9. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 2 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - Image Quality - VPL-VW85 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones10. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 3 - Sony VPL-VW85 Black Levels & Shadow Detail11. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 412. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 513. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 6 - Shadow Detail Performance14. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 715. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 816. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 917. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 10 - Overall Color & Picture Quality18. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Image Quality 11 - The very bottom line on overall image quality and color: - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports19. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance - Sony VPL-VW85 Brightness - The measured brightness of each mode (pre-calibration): Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom): - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration):20. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 221. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 322. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Performance 4 - Sony VPL-VW85: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise23. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings - Sony VPL-VW85 Color Temperature - After calibration, the measurements are even closer to 6500K, and overall, an excellent set of results: - Sony VPL-VW85 Basic Settings24. Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Calibration and Settings 2 - RGB Settings25. Sony VPL-VW85 – Screen Recommendations26. 7Sony VPL-VW85 – Warranty27. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector - The Bottom Line - Sony VPL-VW85 Brightness28. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary 2 - Fancy features: - The very bottom line: - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Pros29. Sony VPL-VW85 – Review Summary 3 - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Cons - Sony VPL-VW85 Projector: Typical Capabilities Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 2 Sony VPL-VW85 Projector – Physical Tour 4 LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ==