Sony VPL-VW95ES Projector - Performance 2

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Art Feierman

Sony VPL-VW95ES Projector - Post Calibration

Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) User 2
20 IRE =	6490
30 IRE =	6557
40 IRE =	6554
50 IRE =	6550
60 IRE =	6510
70 IRE =	6489
80 IRE =	6460
90 IRE =	6422
100 IRE =	6602
Average gamma = 2.22

Brightness:

VPL-VW95ES Best mode- User 2: 725 lumens @ 6552
based on Cinema 3

VPL-VW95ES Brightest mode- User 1: 877 lumens @ 7830
based on Dynamic

Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration) User 2:

20 IRE            6490
30 IRE            6557
40 IRE            6554
50 IRE            6550
60 IRE            6510
70 IRE            6489
80 IRE            6460
90 IRE            6422
100 IRE          6602

Average gamma= 2.22

Mike's NOTES: Quite a bit brighter than the VW90. Excellent grayscale and gamma (without using custom gamma) results. As usual, Sony provides a range of color spaces that make using a CMS unnecessary. If you look at the CIE charts, Normal color space is very close to the Rec. 709 standard. Wide 1, 2 and 3 expand the gamut to varying degrees, with Wide 3 being the largest gamut.

The Calibration page provides the settings we used. That includes basic settings as well as gain and offset.

Sony VPL-VW95ES Sharpness

The Sony VPL-VW95 projector looks pretty sharp. A quick panel alignment and it looked a little better. Overall, the VW95 is very sharp for an LCoS or 3LCD or even a 3 chip DLP projector. A really good single chip DLP can prove to be a touch sharper, but that's about it.

Sharpness Comparison Images

Sony VPL-VW95ES

Runco LS-5

JVC RS25

Epson Home Cinema 5010

Panasonic PT-AE7000

Sony VPL-VW95ES: Bottom Line Sharpness

Very good clarity overall. Both 3D and 2D modes produce an image that is likely only to be bested by some of the better single chip DLP projectors.

VW95 Light Leakage

Previous VW series Sonys had no significant light leakage. Though we did report a minimal amount coming out through the lens and hitting outside the image last year. If anything the VPL-VW95 is even cleaner. Any leakage through the lens is truly minimal, and there's no issues through the intake or exhaust vents either.

VPL-VW95ES Image Noise

Last year we noticed some motion artifacts on certain scenes when the camera pans at a specific speed. Viewing the same segment from the movie Red, shows the problem is no longer there on the VPL-VW95ES. While not image noise per se, I note that the pure backbround of the Sony has a dark red cast to it, which can be detected on some very dark scenes.

I'm being rather picky. Overall, in a great many hours of watching (dozens), nothing jumped out to alert me to an issue.

Sony VPL-VW95ES Audible Noise

Medium quiet, but low pitched, the VPL-VW95ES should be fine for all but the really noise adverse, and even fine with most of them.. Low power definitely brings the noise down to quiet levels. Even at full power, it's significantly quieter than some rather excellent lower cost projectors like the Epson Home Cinema 5010, which probably has to be in eco-mode to be as quiet as the VW95 at full power.