Review: Sony VWPRO1 Projector is Worth the Extra $1,000

With so many good projectors on the market these days, do we really need another one?

Sony thinks there is a special place for the new VPL-VWPRO1 and I do too. The manufacturer packs a few extra goodies into the $3,499 home theater projector, available now exclusively through the specialty A/V dealers and custom integrators. (Sony is working to quash unauthorized Internet resellers that have offered the product for sale.)

It’s the extra goodness that sets this projector apart from Sony’s popular VPL-HW15, which looks just like the new projector but costs $1,000 less.

I suggest spending the extra grand for the VPL-VWPRO1, which gives you a much brighter picture (1,300 lumens vs. 1,000) and higher contrast ratio (85,000:1 vs. 65,000:1). It also offers a feast for home systems integrators, who can create logs, macros and alerts thanks to a number of useful feedback mechanisms.

An Eventful Unboxing

So what’s in the box? Normally there isn’t much to report, but in this case, you’ll find a nice surprise inside. As usual there was the projector, the remote, some batteries, a power cable, a manual I will never read … and another box.

I almost tossed the extra box, thinking it was a packaging spacer, only to find out there was an extra projector bulb inside.

After a phone call to Sony, I learned that the extra bulb was not shipped accidentally, but is included standard with the purchase of a VPL-VWPRO1.

The bulb life I am told is 2,000 hours at the HIGH lamp control setting and 3,000 hours at the LOW setting.

This means out of the box you get 4,000 to 6,000 hours of bulb life.

Great Picture

Let’s start with the most important feature of any video projector: the picture. I won’t bore you with a bunch of calibrator speak. Suffice it to say, Sony has included all of the options that professional calibration demands.

I tested this projector on a Screen Innovations Black Diamond, an Elite white screen, and a Screen Innovations Gamma Maestro perforated screen.

The 1080p cinema projection and its unique SXRD panel display system alone sets this projector apart from others in its price range.

What this display system accomplishes is a smooth image, awesome colors, a contrast ratio that is an eye popping 85,000:1, and over 6.2 million pixels – like the image you might see in much more expensive units.

Compared to Sony’s existing VPL-HW15, this projector boasts exceptional brightness even after hours and hours of testing. Sony says it increased the lamp brightness on the VPL-VWPRO1 by about 30 percent over the previous model, and I found the new one to be a big improvement in combating ambient light.

Sony’s Advanced Iris 3 technology (see sidebar) is great for users who like white screens, as it helps to increase the black and shaded levels without compromising brightness, which Sony says is 1,300 lumens.

This implementation in the new projector corrects an issue I had with Sony’s previous efforts in this projector range.

I, for one, like my blacks to be as true as possible, which is why I usually complain about white screens, especially when ambient light is involved.

One of the notable features that I initially overlooked in the projector is 24p True Cinema for outputting video at the true 1080p/24 frames per second at which it was shot.

Just watching a movie you might not notice the improvement without a side-by-side comparison; however, the 24 frames per second keeps the theater experience intact. This nice feature is lacking with some of the other popular projectors at this price point.

Perhaps the most under-heralded feature of the VPL-VWPRO1 is its 10-bit color delivery, which is barely mentioned in the projector specs.

In the Sony implementation, you don’t see those nasty lines between different shades of the same color – a problem I experience with several PS3 gaming titles. When trying these same troublesome titles with the VPL-VWPRO1, I noted nothing less than smooth transitions in color, similar to what I have seen on much more expensive projectors.

In fast-paced action sequences, the transitional color changes are almost unnoticeable. “Almost” unnoticeable at this price point is quite an accomplishment.

While the picture is stunning, it didn’t just happen for me out of the box. With the factory settings, the skin tones, even in the cinema mode, were a little on the yellow side, and the reds were slightly depressing. This was an easy fix with Sony’s on-board calibration tools.

Finally, the viewing experience of the VPL-VWPRO1 was never disrupted by typical projector noises. When installed on the ceiling, I couldn’t even tell the unit was on.

Projector Connectivity

The inputs on the VPL-VWPRO1 are almost identical to the HW15:

• 2 HDMI
• 1 PC
• 1 Composite
• 1 S-video
• 1 Component

This covers all bases for just about any application for source equipment without overloading the unit with warts.


As with the HW15, inputs on the Sony VPL-VWPRO are located on the side

I have an aesthetic issue with the inputs on this projector, just as I do with the HW15. All of the inputs (as well as the power) are located on the side of the unit -- the bottom right if the unit is shelf- or table-mounted, and the top left if ceiling-mounted.

The configuration makes it practically impossible to bend the power cord so that it cannot be seen sticking out the side of the projector. You can also forget about bending an HDMI cable without the use of a 90-degree adapter.

Oh well, at least the input panel isn't at the rear of the projector.

Functionality

The VPL-VWPRO1 adds a lot of functionality to the usual presets we see on most projectors. This unit offers:

• Gamma Correction: 7 levels
• Black Level Adjustment: 2 levels
• Advanced Iris: Besides the Auto1 and Auto2 there is a manual setting.
• Color Temp: Custom 1 through 4 and high, middle, and low
• Color Space: wide and normal
• Picture Mode: User 1, User2, User2, Dynamic, Standard, and Cinema

On the projector itself, there are hard buttons for manual lens shift -- up/down and left/right – just like the HW15.

There is also an adjustment for the size and focus of the lens.

Additionally, there are buttons for power toggle, input toggle and menu. To the side of that are joystick-type buttons for up/down/left/right.

I have always had an issue with this joystick button configuration. After a projector is installed just right, even a fraction of a movement can skew the picture. So pressing a button that is off-axis only increases the chance of moving the unit.

Most installers will never touch those buttons, but I would rather see the adjustments made by good old-fashioned press-buttons.

Integration

Regular CE Pro readers will know that I have a soft spot for Sony since it integrates so beautifully with Control4, my home control system of choice.

As with the STR-DA5600ES receiver I reviewed earlier, the VPL-VWPRO1 projector offers excellent third-party communications via RS-232 (sorry, no IP), delivering useful information that can be incorporated into macros and alerts.

Here are some real scenarios you can run with the projector and a third-party controller. Elsewhere, I provide some of the tricks for implementing them.

First, the VPL-VWPRO1 suffers from the same shortcoming as almost every projector: It uses a lamp.

Don’t you hate it when a lamp goes out without warning, and you have to go digging through the garage, closet, or attic to find a spare? With some very basic programming, I was able to send myself an email when the projector surpassed a certain number usage hours – 2,500 hours might be a good “check lamp” threshold.

In addition, the projector can report errors, as well as the power status of the device.

The discrete power reporting is no trivial matter. It allows integrators to create scenes based on the true status of the projector. We are all familiar with false starts and ghost starts, in which the theater is cranked up but some devices fails to start.

You won’t face that problem with this projector and some basic programming. Simply configure the system so that if media is queued and the projector does not TURN ON then resend the POWER ON command.

To take it a step further, you could program the control system to do this: After three failed attempts, email the service provider to remotely check the error logs.

Some of the fail-safe features alone make the VPL-VWPRO1 a great buy.

Discrete Functions

The following is a list of functions that I was able utilize in programming. The specifics for programming in a Control4 environment can be found on C4central.com. Since most of the functions are universal, the notes should also prove valuable for other control systems.

Lamp_Use_Time <<>> Lamp_Use_Time_Changed [NUMBER, (Running time of lamp by hours)]
Error_Status <<>> Error_Status_Changed [STRING, (See list below.)]
NO_ERROR
LAMP_ERROR
COVER_ERROR
TEMP_ERROR
D5V_ERROR
POWER_ERROR
NVM_ERROR
Error_Status2 <<>> Error_Status2_Changed [STRING, (See list below.)]
NO_ERROR
LENS_SHUTTER_ERROR
HIGHLAND_WARNING
Projector_Operating_Status <<>> Projector_Operating_Status_Changed [STRING, (See list below.)]
STANDBY
START UP
START UP LAMP
ON
COOLING1
COOLING2
SAVING COOLING1
SAVING COOLING2
SAVING STANDBY

DEVICE SPECIFIC COMMANDS
Picture Mode: Dynamic
Picture Mode: Standard
Picture Mode: Cinema
Picture Mode: User1
Picture Mode: User2
Picture Mode: User3

Color Temperature: High
Color Temperature: Middle
Color Temperature: Low
Color Temperature: Low2 --VW85 Only
Color Temperature: Custom1
Color Temperature: Custom2
Color Temperature: Custom3
Color Temperature: Custom4
Color Temperature: Custom5 --VW85 Only

Lamp Control: Low
Lamp Control: High

Black Level Adj: Off
Black Level Adj: Low
Black Level Adj: High

Advanced Iris: Off
Advanced Iris: Manual
Advanced Iris: Auto1
Advanced Iris: Auto2

RCP: Off
RCP: User1
RCP: User2
RCP: User3

Film Mode: Off
Film Mode: Auto1
Film Mode: Auto2

Wide Mode: Full
Wide Mode: Normal
Wide Mode: Wide Zoom
Wide Mode: Zoom
Wide Mode: Full1
Wide Mode: Full2
Wide Mode: Anamorphic Zoom --VW85 Only

Gamma Correction: Off
Gamma Correction: Gamma1
Gamma Correction: Gamma2
Gamma Correction: Gamma3

Over Scan: Off
Over Scan: On

Screen Area: Full
Screen Area: Through

NR: Off
NR: Low
NR: Middle
NR: High

Block NR: Off
Block NR: Low
Block NR: Middle
Block NR: High

Mosquito NR: Off
Mosquito NR: Low
Mosquito NR: Middle
Mosquito NR: High

Picture Muting: Off
Picture Muting: On

Color Space: Normal
Color Space: Wide
Color Space: Wide2 --VW85 Only
Color Space: Wide3 --VW85 Only

Advanced Iris Sensitivity: Recommended
Advanced Iris Sensitivity: Fast
Advanced Iris Sensitivity: Slow

Film Projection: Off
Film Projection: Mode1
Film Projection: Mode2
Film Projection: Mode3

Motion Enhancer: Off
Motion Enhancer: Low
Motion Enhancer: High

xvColor: On
xvColor: Off

Lens Shift Up
Lens Shift Down
Lens Focus Far
Lens Focus Near
Lens Zoom Large
Lens Zoom Small

V Keystone+
V Keystone-

Sony VPL-VWPRO1 General Features

• Acceptable Computer Signals : fH: 19 to 72kHz, fV : 48 to 92Hz, Maximum resolution 1920x1080 fV 60Hz
• Enhanced SXRD Panels : Minimizing the pixel gap from .25 µm to .20 µm, improves brightness and contrast while reducing screen door effect.
• Three SXRD 1920 x 1080p : Micro-display panels support Full HD 1080p resolution for an impressive combination of vivid color, film-like image quality, and high-definition brilliance. Enjoy cinematic-quality images.
• 200W Ultra-High-Pressure Lamp : A 200W Ultra-High-Pressure Lamp delivers natural color with a brightness of 1300 ANSI lumens2.
• BRAVIA Engine 2 : BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor uses a collection of unique Sony algorithms to significantly reduce noise, enhance overall image detail, and optimize contrast so every scene produces sharp, vibrant, life-like images.
• Advanced Iris 3 : The Advanced Iris 3 function provides up to a 85,000:1 contrast ratio1 by optimizing both dark and bright scenes to produce deep black levels with stunning details.
• 24p True Cinema : 24p True Cinema technology provides a direct connection to 24p video sources so you can avoid conversions and enjoy films at their intended 24 fps (frames per second).
• x.v.Color : x.v.Color technology3 takes HD color expression to new levels. When connected to x.v.Color capable video sources, such as select Sony camcorders, the VPL-VWPRO1 can display nearly twice as many (1.8x) viewable colors as the existing RGB color standard, resulting in more natural, life-like images.
• Deep Color : By combining a 10-bit processor with 10-bit SXRD™ panels, the VPL-VWPRO1 can create and display 64 times the level of color expression of 8-bit projectors, resulting in smoother color gradations and helping to avoid a “paint-by-numbers” look.
• ARC-F (All Range Crisp Focus) Lens : A specially developed ARC-F (All Range Crisp Focus) lens takes full advantage of the SXRD panels to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution with superior clarity and focus.
• Noise reduction functions : The VPL-VWPRO1 features noise reduction functions that analyze scenes in real time to identify various types of noise and reduce unwanted artifacts, such as mosquito noise and block noise, without compromising the video signal.
• Panel Alignment function : A Panel Alignment function enables pixel alignment to within 1/10th of a pixel5, making it possible to shift the entire picture to adjust for color gaps and produce a brighter, clearer, and more detailed picture.
• 1.6x Zoom Lens : A 1.6x zoom lens provides a short focus distance and takes full advantage of Sony® SXRDTM technology to provide superior resolution and focus.
• Adjustable Lens Shift : Adjustable Lens Shift provides vertical and horizontal adjustments of the picture position expanding the projector's placement and installation options without distorting image quality.
• Ultra Low Fan Noise 22dB : Exclusive Sony-designed fan delivers efficient cooling and whisper-quiet operation (22dB).
• HDMI Inputs x 2 :The VPL-VWPRO1 BRAVIA SXRD 1080p Home Cinema Projector offers two HDMI inputs (up to 1080/60p capable) that deliver uncompressed digital video over one cable (cable sold separately).
• Various Analog Inputs : The VPL-VWPRO1 features various analog inputs including YPbPr Component, S-Video, Composite video, and a PC input (D-sub 15-pin) for easy connection to a wide variety of video sources.
• RS-232C connectivity : RS-232C connectivity enables operation of the projector using a home theater automation controller.
• BRAVIA Sync : BRAVIA Sync gives you one-touch access and control functionality other over BRAVIA Sync compatible equipment using the projector’s remote and on-screen display5.
• RCP (Real Color Processing) function : RCP (Real Color Processing) function allows adjustment of specific colors on the picture without changing the overall image's color and hue.
• Functional Cosmetic Design for Home Theater : The VPL-VWPRO1 features a sophisticated yet functional design, with a dark exterior that coordinates well with home theater environments.

Sony VPL-VWPRO1 SXRD Projector Specs

Display
Display Resolution : 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Screen Size (measured diagonally) : 40" to 200" measured diagonally (projected)

Power
Power Consumption (in Operation) : 300W
Power Consumption (in Standby) : 8W; :0.5W (low mode)
Power Requirements : AC 100 to 240V, 3.0-1.3A, 50/60H z

Video
Brightness : 1,300 Lumens
Contrast Ratio : Up to 85,000:1

General
Lens : 1.6 times zoom lens (manual), f=18.5 to 29.6 mm / F2.50 to F3.40
Projection Picture Size : 40 to 300 inches (1,016mm to 7,620mm) (measured diagonally)
Television Type : HD Front Projectors

Video Features
Acceptable Video Signals : 15kHz RGB/component 50/60Hz, Progressive component 50/60Hz, 480/60i, 576/50i, 480/60p, 576/50p, 720/60p, 720/50p, 1080/60i, 1080/50i,1080/48i; 1080/60p (HDMI only), 1080/50p (HDMI only), 1080/24p(HDMI only); Composite video, Y/C video
Deep Color : Yes
Lens Shift Function : Yes
Micro Display Type : 0.61-inch (15.4mm) SXRD panel, 6,220,800 pixels (2,073,600 pixels x3)
Video Processing : Yes (BRAVIA Engine2)
Wide Mode : Wide Zoom, Normal, Full, Zoom, Full1, Full2
x.v.Color Technology : Yes

Weights and Measurements
Dimensions (Approx.) : 16 1/8 x 71/8 x 18 3/8 inches
Weight (Approx.) : 22 lbs

Service and Warranty Information
Limited Warranty Term : Product Warranty - 2 Years Parts and Labor except the lamp. Lamp Warranty - 90 Days from date of purchase.

Display Features
Display Technology : SXRD Technology

Operating Conditions
Operating Humidity : 35 to 85% (no condensation)
Operating Temperature : 41 to 95 F degrees (5 to 35 C degrees)

TV System
Color System : NTSC3.58 / PAL / SECAM / NTSC4.43 / PAL-M / PAL-N / PAL60

Convenience Features
BRAVIA Theatre Sync : Yes (One-Button Home Theater Control (HDMI-CEC))

Inputs and Outputs
Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Input(s) : Phono type / HD D-sub 15-pin
Component/Progressive : Phono type / HD D-sub 15-pin
Composite Video Input(s) : Phono Type
HDMI Connection(s) : 2
RS-232C Input(s) : D-sub 9-pin
S-Video Input(s) : Y/C mini DIN 4-pin type