Sony VPL-XW7000ES

Verdict

This high-end beamer delivers extremely vivid and pin-sharp 4K photos that may gentle up the largest projection screens. Correct HDR tone mapping, class-leading picture processing, and silky clean movement additionally impress, making this a fantastic selection for the well-heeled cinephile.

Introduction

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES is on of the newest additions to the corporate’s line-up of native 4K projectors, all of which now use a phosphor laser gentle supply, the X1 Final for Projector processor, Dynamic HDR Enhancements, and Motionflow body interpolation expertise.

For the reason that XW7000ES is the high-end mannequin, it additionally has a claimed brightness that reaches a retina-burning 3,200 lumens, plus motorised lens controls and reminiscences, Sony’s Superior Crisp Focus (ACF) lens, and help for 3D. Sadly there aren’t any HDMI 2.1 inputs.

In case your price range is extra constrained you might additionally check out the VPL-XW5000ES, though this mannequin drops a variety of key options, however how does the XW7000 evaluate to its cheaper sibling, to not point out its direct opponents the JVC DLA-NZ7 and DLA-NZ8?

Design

• Superior Crisp Focus lens
• Motorised lens controls
• Alternative of black or white
• Backlit distant management

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES seems to be an identical to the XW5000ES, with the identical angled design, and centrally-mounted lens. There are air consumption grilles throughout the complete entrance, exhaust vents on the rear, and a few fundamental controls on the left hand facet as you face the lens.

The XW7000ES is barely bigger at 460 x 210 x 517mm (WxHxD), and weighs extra at 14kg, however gives the identical selection of matte black or matte white. The construct high quality can also be comparable, which is disappointing contemplating it’s greater than twice the value of the XW5000.

One space the place the 2 differ is the lens meeting, with the XW7000 utilizing an Superior Crisp Focus (ACF) lens, which resolves extra element. The lens controls are additionally motorised, making setup simpler, and there are lens reminiscences to create completely different settings for narrower side ratios – useful when you’ve got a 2.35:1 display.

The connections are positioned in a recess under the facet controls, and similar to the XW5000ES you’ll discover two HDMI 2.0b inputs, an Ethernet port and RS-232C connector, a 12V set off, an IR enter jack, and a USB port for energy. Not like the cheaper mannequin, there’s additionally a 3.5mm 3D Sync Out jack for connecting an exterior 3D emitter.

Whereas the shortage of HDMI 2.1 inputs could also be comprehensible on the extra reasonably priced XW5000, it’s very disappointing on the upper finish mannequin, and their absence means the XW7000ES can’t deal with 4K 120Hz or HDR10+. The JVC projectors not solely have HDMI 2.1 inputs, but additionally help each options.

The distant is identical giant and backlit zapper included with the XW5000, however with a few additional controls associated lens reminiscence and 3D. As soon as once more the buttons are specified by a wise trend, the distant is snug to carry and use with one hand, and consists of all of the controls you’ll have to setup and function the XW7000.

Options

• Phosphor laser gentle supply
• 4K (3840 x 2160) SXRD chipset
• X1 Final processor
• Dynamic HDR Enhancer
• IMAX Enhanced

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES makes use of precisely the identical 0.61-inch SXRD chipset because the XW5000ES, which delivers native 4K (3840 x 2160) photographs. The projector additionally has a refresh price of 120Hz, though due to the shortage of HDMI 2.1 inputs this greater body price solely applies to resolutions as much as 2K (1920 x 1080).

The height luminance of the laser phosphor gentle supply hits a whopping 3,200 lumens, making it’s significantly brighter than its cheaper sibling. An output this blinding means the XW7000 can gentle up significantly giant screens with out a noticeable drop in efficiency, in addition to ship HDR with higher highlights and picture brightness.

It additionally makes this beamer splendid for less-than-ideal rooms with white partitions or massive home windows, though the darker you can also make the setting the higher your expertise can be. The claimed lifespan is as much as 20,000 hours, which primarily means you’ll be able to take pleasure in a decade of movie watching with out having to fret about altering a lamp.

The vast dynamic vary optics and Triluminos Professional algorithm promise deeper blacks, extra saturated colors and improved distinction ratios. As well as, Sony’s X1 Final processor has been optimised for projectors, bringing its superior upscaling and peerless picture processing to this beamer’s massive display photos.

There’s additionally object-based HDR remastering and dynamic HDR enhancement, with help for HDR10, HLG, and even IMAX Enhanced content material. Though as already talked about, the shortage of any HDMI 2.1 inputs precludes help for HDR10+ and the advantages of its dynamic metadata.

There’s Motionflow body interpolation for fast-paced sports activities motion, and a low-latency recreation mode for a decreased enter lag. Within the case of the latter, I measured lag at 2K/60 at 28ms, however this drops to 20ms with 4K/60, and goes as little as 12ms with 2K/120. Though no matter supply, these response instances are extremely quick for a projector.

Not like the XW5000, the Sony VPL-XW7000ES helps 3D however there’s no built-in emitter, so that you’ll want to purchase a appropriate third-party emitter and join it to the three.5mm 3D Sync Out jack. The excellent news is that after you’ve received an emitter and glasses, the unimaginable brightness delivers implausible 3D with no crosstalk.

Efficiency

• Tremendous-bright massive display photos
• Finest-in-class picture processing
• Wonderful HDR tone mapping
• Extremely fluid movement dealing with
• Very low enter lag

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES is vivid, actually vivid. The claimed peak luminance of three,200 lumens is not any idle boast, and never solely means this projector can light-up actually massive screens, but additionally means it may possibly ship very punchy HDR highlights. In fact, the brighter a projector, the tougher it’s to retain actually deep blacks, and so it proves right here.

Sony claims the XW7000 has a distinction ratio of infinity to at least one, however this measurement can solely be achieved by turning the laser gentle off, so except you spend all of your time a black display it doesn’t characterize precise viewing materials. In actuality, the distinction ratio is nearer to 30,000:1, which is healthier than the XW5000ES, however lower than half that of the JVC NZ8. The black ranges definitely don’t attain the inky depths of the latter both.

The mixture of the native 4K (3840 x 2160) chipset and Sony’s Superior Crisp-Targeted (ACF) lens ends in splendidly detailed and distortion-free photographs, together with wider dynamic vary optics that assist increase the HDR efficiency. When you add in Sony’s peerless processing wizardry, you get distinctive ranges of definition that may have you ever satisfied that an upscaled prime quality 1080p supply seems to be extra like 4K.

I discovered the Reference image mode proves very correct out of the field, and the intensive calibration controls can be utilized to dial in a near-perfect image. If you happen to really feel you want a bit extra punch you might use the Vivid Cinema image mode, however it’s not as correct, leading to bluer whites and over-saturated colors. It’s pleasing to see that in each SDR and HDR, the Reference mode lives as much as its identify by matching the trade requirements for each codecs.

You may change the laser brightness to fit your display, however except it’s a whopper, or your room has white partitions, you’ll in all probability have to dial it down a tad. This will even assist with the perceived black ranges and distinction ratio, though the Dynamic Management can be used to regulate the distinction efficiency, however on the expense of some shadow element.

Sony’s Actuality Creation element enhancement applies sharpening to any decision, together with 4K, however is so subtle that it achieves this with out introducing distracting artefacts. Movement dealing with is class-leading, showing fluid and freed from judder or different points, even with out partaking Motionflow. Though for quick sports activities the body interpolation characteristic will be useful.

All these expertise are delivered to bear when watching Avatar on Blu-ray, and the Sony does a implausible job of upscaling the picture and squeezing each pixel of element out of the CGI landscapes. The scene the place Jake and Neytiri fly collectively is rendered with silky clean motion as they soar by the sky, and the True Cinema setting is particularly efficient at doubling the 24p body price to remove judder with out introducing artefacts.

In the case of HDR, and particularly tone mapping, Sony’s Dynamic HDR Enhancer is designed to alter the distinction and laser brightness relying on the general content material. Nonetheless, this isn’t dynamically adjusting the tone mapping on a frame-by-frame foundation just like the JVC projectors, and because of this the latter supply a extra refined and nuanced HDR expertise, with crisper highlights and expanded shadow element.

You may attempt to tweak the XW7000ES’s HDR efficiency by altering the Dynamic HDR Improve setting, in addition to decrease the laser brightness to enhance the black ranges. Nonetheless, doing the latter means the Sony loses its brightness benefit over the two,500 Lumens produced by JVC NZ8. The dynamic laser setting may also assist, however just like the JVC you’ll sometimes see this dimming characteristic at work.

Watching High Gun: Maverick in HDR completely demonstrates the strengths of the Sony, with scorching desert sands, and daylight glinting off the plane canopies. The photographs virtually leap off the display, and the visceral sense of realism is overwhelming. On the different finish of scale, the shift to nighttime in 1917 begins with an virtually black scene earlier than being illuminated by falling flares. The Sony VPL-XW7000ES actually offers these flares a luminance burst, however struggles to render all of the shadow particulars hidden within the darkness.

It’s a disgrace there’s no help 4K 120 high-frame-rate gaming, as a result of in all different respects this a superb (if costly) projector for avid gamers. Due to its vivid and detailed photographs, in addition to its peerless movement dealing with, the efficiency with SDR is excellent, whereas HDR gaming is usually distinctive as a result of laser gentle supply and HDR enhancements. The general gaming expertise is clean and responsive within the devoted recreation mode, and the lengthy laser life means you by no means have to fret in regards to the picture dimming attributable to marathon gaming periods.

In the end, when you’ve got enough funds the XW7000ES delivers vital enhancements over the cheaper XW5000ES, serving to to justify the value premium. The picture is sharper due to a superior lens, and considerably brighter, which leads to a punchier HDR expertise. The processing and movement dealing with stay state-of-the-art, whereas the addition of 3D help, motorised lens controls and film place reminiscences are all welcome.

Nonetheless, for slightly additional you should buy the JVC NZ8, which bests the XW7000ES in sure key areas. The Sony is clearly brighter, upscales 1080p with higher precision, and handles movement higher, however the NZ8 has superior blacks, a wider color gamut, HDR10+ help, and dynamic tone mapping that’s greatest at school. The inclusion of HDMI 2.1 can also be essential, not essentially for 8K, though that’s good to have, however as a result of it permits for 4K 120p next-gen gaming. You would even avoid wasting cash, and go for the cheaper JVC NZ7, which retains a lot of the options discovered on its costlier stablemate.

Whereas the JVCs could have the sting when it comes to general efficiency and options, if you happen to’re planning on a display so massive it’s going to rival the Odeon in Leicester Sq., or your inside designer insists on white partitions and bay home windows, the Sony VPL-XW7000ES might be the higher wager.

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