Shadow Detail Performance Posted on October 1, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Review - H9080FD Projector Highlights - Vivitek H9080FD Projector Overview2. H9080FD Projector – Special Features - LED Light source - Color Management System (CMS)3. Vivitek H9080FD Physical Tour - Vivitek H9080FD Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output4. Vivitek H9080FD Menus - Vivitek H9080FD Menus - Vivitek H9080FD Remote Control - H9080FD Lens Throw - H9080FD Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens5. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality - H9080FD Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. Black Levels & Shadow Detail7. Shadow Detail Performance - H9080FD8. Shadow Detail Performance 19. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-210. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-311. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-412. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Vivitek H9080FDU Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports13. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-614. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance - Vivitek H9080FD Brightness15. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-2 - Sharpness16. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-317. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-5 - Vivitek H9080FD Image Noise - H9080FD Audible Noise18. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Calibration and Settings - Vivitek H9080FD Color Temperature - Vivitek H9080FD Basic Settings19. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Vivitek H9080FD Post Calibration Grayscale - Vivitek H9080FD RGB Settings20. Vivitek H9080FD – Projector Screens - Vivitek H9080FD Projector Screen Recommendations21. Vivitek H9080FD – Competitors22. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Warranty23. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary - Vivitek H9080FD Projector - The Bottom Line24. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary-2 - Vivitek H9080FD Projector - Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities:25. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary-3 - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Pros - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Cons - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Typical Capabilities26. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Specifications Lets start with a couple more comparsion images with the Vivitek and InFocus: The first is the night office scene at the beginning of Casino Royale. Due to the color shift discussed earlier, and since here we are interested in blacks and shadow detail, not color, I’ve removed all color to limit the distraction. While the gammas are a bit different, the overall dark shadow detail is very comparable: Adaptive ContrastCasino RoyalePreviousNext Overall, the Vivitek’s shadow detail performance is very good post calibration. Pre-calibration, however, due to the default brightness being too low, the projector crushes a fair amount of near black detail. (That was very evident when I first looked at the uncalibrated H9080FD.) I should note that the Adaptive Contrast feature adds a lot of wow factor to most images, but is usually over the top, crushing blacks and near whites as well, when engaged. It will be a helpful feature if you have some ambient light, to add more punch to the image, but can severely limit the dark shadow detail in particular. Consider these two images, from Casino Royale. The first has Adaptive Contrast turned off, the second, the same exposure but with it turned on. Note the areas to the left and right of the window the sillouetted men are standing behind. With Adaptive Contrast turned on, parts of what is probably the frame of the window vanish, whereas they are very visible in the first image. You can also see the near whites get crushed in the lower image with it on. The fluorescent light is fairly well defined in the first image, while the whites have spread significantly, in the second one (and bright detail lost). As I said, more punch, but Adaptive contrast is very destructive to near blacks and near whites. General images relating to shadow detail are next. From Lord of the Rings: Top left: H9080FD, Middle: Sony VPL-VW70, Right: JVC RS10 H9080FDSony VPL-VW70JVC RS10PreviousNext H9080FDJVC DLA-RS20InFocus IN83Mitsubishi HC7000Sony VW70Panasonic PT-AE3000Epson Home Cinema 6500UBPreviousNext 1. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Review - H9080FD Projector Highlights - Vivitek H9080FD Projector Overview2. H9080FD Projector – Special Features - LED Light source - Color Management System (CMS)3. Vivitek H9080FD Physical Tour - Vivitek H9080FD Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output4. Vivitek H9080FD Menus - Vivitek H9080FD Menus - Vivitek H9080FD Remote Control - H9080FD Lens Throw - H9080FD Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens5. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality - H9080FD Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. Black Levels & Shadow Detail7. Shadow Detail Performance - H9080FD8. Shadow Detail Performance 19. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-210. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-311. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-412. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-5 - Overall Color & Picture Quality - Vivitek H9080FDU Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports13. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Image Quality-614. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance - Vivitek H9080FD Brightness15. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-2 - Sharpness16. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-317. Vivitek H9080FD – Performance-5 - Vivitek H9080FD Image Noise - H9080FD Audible Noise18. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Calibration and Settings - Vivitek H9080FD Color Temperature - Vivitek H9080FD Basic Settings19. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Calibration and Settings-2 - Vivitek H9080FD Post Calibration Grayscale - Vivitek H9080FD RGB Settings20. Vivitek H9080FD – Projector Screens - Vivitek H9080FD Projector Screen Recommendations21. Vivitek H9080FD – Competitors22. Vivitek H9080FD Projector – Warranty23. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary - Vivitek H9080FD Projector - The Bottom Line24. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary-2 - Vivitek H9080FD Projector - Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities:25. Vivitek H9080FD – Review Summary-3 - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Pros - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Cons - Vivitek H9080FD Projector: Typical Capabilities26. Vivitek H9080FD Projector Specifications Black Levels & Shadow Detail Shadow Detail Performance 1