Why Many Video Enthusiasts Still Choose Projectors -Page 2

What makes the GTZ380 the ultimate Sony Home Theater Projector?

High Brightness with Accurate Color Reproduction

Because projector quality is typically dependent on the amount of ambient light in a room, the most common complaint about any projector is always "It ain't bright enough." That is not a consideration for the GTZ380. The 10,000 lumen GTZ380 achieves superlative levels of onscreen brightness that can approach the brightness of an OLED flat panel. There are several other projectors in the market that are just as bright, but none of them can match the 100% DCI-P3 color reproduction, 16,000:1 native contrast, and fine detail delivered by the GTZ380's native 4K SXRD panels.

The newly introduced VPL-GTZ380 combines outstanding contrast, brightness, wide color gamut, and high dynamic range with Sony’s famous 4K clarity to deliver what should be an amazing visual experience in any distance and lighting condition.

A newly designed laser light source incorporates a red laser diode in addition to the two different-wavelength blue laser diodes to achieve the full DCI-P3 color gamut that's 1.35 times wider than the sRGB achieved by other projectors, without any loss of brightness. This additional red laser diode dramatically expands color volume, without the loss of brightness common to other high-end models that utilize a built-in color filter.

The immense color accuracy of the VPL-GTZ380 makes it a compelling choice for reference theaters and professional environments such as art galleries and museums. In addition, details are crisp and clear, even when viewers are close to the screen like a retail display or lobby.

The GTZ380’s high brightness and high native contrast allow the projector to be used in both bright and dark environments. While its performance is best utilized in a space with light control, the GTZ380 can easily be used during the day when paired with an ambient light-rejecting screen.  

State of the Art Video Processing

Today, streaming has replaced physical media for many of us. A perception lingers that projectors are only suitable for die-hard movie buffs with a mammoth collection of laserdiscs or other bulky stacks of physical media. However, sufficient processing enables us to get good quality out of streaming services.

In addition to a rated brightness of 10,000 lumens, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, and a 16,000:1 native contrast, the flagship VPL-GTZ380 is also equipped with the most powerful video processor that Sony has ever put into a projector, called “X1 Ultimate for projector”.

This processor is based on the original X1 Ultimate processor used for Sony’s top-of-the-line BRAVIA TVs. While the processor was originally developed for Sony’s Master Series LCD and OLED flat-panel televisions, this version has been optimized for projectors with the goal of enhancing the picture quality of projected images.

The X1 Ultimate processor improves detail and resolution and it also provides a noticeable improvement in the HDR performance compared to the older VW5000ES / GTZ280. HDR content will be brighter with richer colors, deeper black levels, and bright highlight detail will be more visible.

This enhanced picture quality is possible because the GTZ380 is equipped with the Dynamic HDR Enhancer feature with the ability to analyze HDR content dynamically frame by frame in order to make better HDR tone mapping decisions. This ensures the awesome performance potential of the GTZ380 is fully maximized when viewing HDR.

In addition, a second feature called Object-based HDR Remaster analyzes and adjusts the colors and contrast of individual objects on the screen. Some projectors can adjust contrast frame-by-frame, this is accomplished along a single contrast curve. The X1 Ultimate adjusts each object in each frame individually using multiple contrast curves per frame. Because of Object-based HDR Remaster, you will experience results in greater depth, richer textures, and an even more realistic HDR image.

In the GTZ380, this precision tone mapping is combined with a dynamic laser and a dynamic iris to greatly improve the look of HDR content. In a recent article, we took a deep dive into how the processing of the GTZ380 achieves such stellar results. Check it out!

Installation Flexibility

The GTZ380 is compatible with two Sony ARC-F lens which are ultra-high-quality, multi-element, all-glass lens assemblies. This ARC-F lens is a significant upgrade in optical quality compared to the very good lenses used on Sony’s less expensive native 4K SXRD projectors.

The standard lens (VPLL-Z8014) has a throw ratio of 1.40:1 to 2.73:1. For even more installation flexibility, there is also a short-throw ARC-F lens available (VPLL-Z8008) which has a throw ratio of 0.80:1 to 1.02:1

Both of the ARC-F lenses available for the GTZ380 offer motorized focus and zoom as well as plenty of horizontal and vertical lens shift. Having a large amount of zoom and shift capability makes installation a breeze, especially when you are trying to replace an older unit that was previously fixed mounted.

In the past, a projector of this capability was about the size of a small SUV. Weighing just 112 pounds, the VPL-GTZ380 is the lightest and most compact native 4K projector in its class. This has a lot to do with the SXRD panels used in GTZ Series projectors. The SXRD panels have a pixel density of about 61,000 pixels per square mm which is a much higher density than those found in competing DLP and transmissive LCD projectors.

It's not only smaller, but it's also less obnoxious. A high brightness home theater projector like this typically needs a special room to deal with the resulting heat and noise. Sony has made huge advancements to conquer the challenges of brightness – the GTZ380 is remarkably compact and quiet and you won't need a power plant to run it. The advanced phosphor wheel design features a patented spiral fin that ducts heat away efficiently for impressively cool operation—a frequent issue with other high-brightness projectors. Its liquid SXRD panel cooling system and streamlined airflow design make the VPL-GTZ380 very quiet for such a bright professional projector at just 39dB.

Low Maintenance

The GTZ380 features an ultra-pure, reliable Z-Phosphor laser light source. The laser light source ensures up to 20,000 hours of uninterrupted operation, with no lamp replacement and virtually zero maintenance. Because of the long-lasting laser, you don't have to watch movies with a stopwatch. With a bulb projector, every time you fired it up, you might have felt like the clock was continuously ticking toward an eventual and costly bulb replacement. With a laser-equipped projector like the GTZ380, you don't have to worry about letting the kids sit down to watch Paw Patrol for an afternoon. If you watched the GTZ380 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, the laser light engine would last about a decade.

Summary

You can get a business class, large venue projector for 10,000 lumens, it's the ability to deliver this level of brightness at this quality that makes the difference. The high brightness combined with a theater-quality image really elevates the GTZ380 to the top of the projector pack – it's bright and it still offers stunning color and great black levels.

If you search for a 3-chip, native 4K, laser, 10,000 lumen HDR compatible projectors for a home theater, you will see that the GTZ380 has very few direct competitors. Native 4K resolution and ultra-high brightness combined with great optics mean that the GTZ380 can fill even the most gigantic home theater screens with a crisp, vibrant HDR picture.

The new VPL-GTZ380 projector is intended for applications where the highest image quality is critical. It may be the right application for film festivals, private screenings, breathtaking retail displays, and anywhere there is a need to wow an audience with absolutely stunning imagery.

The VPL-GTZ380 is designed to entertain large audiences, produce realistic training simulations, and facilitate important design decisions. The unit is also available for consumers looking for the ultimate HDR home theater projector. 

There are pros and cons to every type of display device, whether you choose a flat panel TV, LED wall, or projector. If you are keeping up with large industry innovations, you may think that projection is going the way of the dinosaur. But as you can see, projectors like the Sony GTZ380 continue to keep projection relevant for those looking for the biggest, immersive experience. If you want a gigantic screen, you’re going to be looking at high-quality projectors for years to come.

Projectors are often installed in environments/homes that require several flat-panel TVs. Sony has a unique position in the market to offer a complete solution or package. If you are an integrator looking for a receiver to go with your projector or want to install a flat panel TV in the lobby and a projector in the board room, Sony has everything you need in one place.

Since install jobs can get quite complex, Sony also offers dedicated technical support to help installers with any issues while installing their products. Sony provides certified custom integrators access to a dealer support hotline staffed by CEDIA Certified product and integration experts in their San Diego headquarters. Should an installer run into a problem on-site or at their workshop, they know that help is just a phone call away.

Regardless of your display choice, you should always consider a Sony solution. Sony offers a unique proposition in the marketplace because their displays offer a high-quality picture, install flexibility, robust selection, and CI-level support.

To learn more about Sony's display options, check out their Sony Premium Home website.