The VPL-VW890ES in black.
In a win for home cinema buffs, Sony has cross-pollinated one of its key Sony Bravia TV technologies into its high-end 4K home cinema projectors, launching two new projectors in Australia that it said can “deliver real world detail and texture”.
The new models, the VPL-VW890ES and VPL-VW290ES can deliver 4096x2160 resolution with 8.8 million pixels for images four times better than Full HD. This is the same resolution as the models being replaced, the VPL-VW870ES and the VPL-VW270ES. However, Sony has made a number of performance updates to dynamic contrast and image detail that should make the new models’ image quality even better than before.
Integrating Bravia processor technology
The main improvements come courtesy of the addition of Sony’s powerful X1 processor, which is the same processor used in Sony’s range of Bravia TVs. This silicon performs frame-by-frame analysis and image improvements for each scene, only optimised for projectors in the new line-up.
Credit: Sony Australia Sony said the X1 processor improves the performance of the Dynamic HDR Enhancer technology that analyses and adjusts dynamic contrast. Darks should now be even darker and brights should now be even brighter when viewing any HDR content.
Credit: Sony Australia The X1 processor also improves another technology, Super Resolution Reality Creation, which up-scales images produced in lower resolution to close to 4K, adding extra detail and clarity of focus, said Sony.
Good news for gamers
Sony has added another new feature worth mentioning, this time especially for gamers: an input lag reduction mode to increase the performance of the display reaction speed, so that gamers get a faster, more realistic gaming experience.
The new models differ from each other by their light projection technology and lenses. The new flagship laser model, the 20200lm VPL-VW890ES, comes with a large aperture lens, the All-Range Crisp Focus (ARC-F), which Sony said optimises the convergence of the red, green and blue colours, meaning you should get a clear, vivid image even if you sit on the far left or right of the screen.
Credit: Sony Australia The VPL-VW290ES is the 1500lm lamp model and while it doesn’t come with the ARC-F lens like the VPL-VW890ES, it does come with another key feature of the VPL-VW890ES, the native 4K SXRD panel that Sony said “reproduces vibrant colours with more tones and textures than a standard projector system.” The VPL-VW290ES will be available in white as well as black and the VPL-VW890ES only in black.
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Credit: Sony Australia Availability and pricing
Like their predecessor models, neither units are easy on the wallet, with the VPL-VW890ES priced at AUD$38, 999 and VPL-VW290ES at AUD$8, 999. Both models will be available to purchase from May from selected retailers.
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