Sony's Bravia 7 Projector Promises More Brightness, Better Contrast

Sony has announced the Bravia Projector 7, also known as the VPL-XW5100ES, and which joins the Projector 8 and 9 in their current lineup. The new projector replaces the VPL-XW5000ES and uses SXRD, Sony's LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) variant, which promises better contrast ratios than the more common DLP and LCD chips. The most recent Sony projector we reviewed, the VPL-VW325ES, had the best contrast ratio we've measured in years. It's a fairly safe assumption this new PJ will be even better. The new Projector 7 has 2,200 claimed lumens and has a laser light source for potentially even better color. Additionally, the laser light source will quickly dim with dark scenes, potentially offering even more impressive black levels. Not that black levels have been an issue with SXRD projectors in the past. Combining the strong native contrast ratio of SXRD with a fast-acting dynamic contrast thanks to the ramping laser the 7 should look great in dark rooms. Brightness was, historically, ... Read full article.