SONY VPL-VW885ES 4K REVIEW
JoeRod
12-16-2017
06-12-2018
So after having the Sony 5000ES laser projector hung up for the past 18 months or so the new VW885 laser model has a lot to live up to. The good news is I was able to hang it by myself. The even better news is the crisp sharp image is pretty close to the 5000. Motion also is spot on. Sure the brightness is definitely a lot more apparent with the 5000 but so is the price. Early reports from experts have the 885 coming in around 1830 lumens after calibration. Not bad at all! The great news is you get the Sony color which is vibrant and rich. Sports are still next level! HDR movies come to life on your screen. So let's take a look at what makes the new Sony VPL-VW885ES so special.
Taking a look at the amazing image on the left from War of the Planet of the Apes in 4K HDR. Detail and overall sharpness is very crisp. Comparing the image to the other two laser models on the market would be hard to tell the difference. I was using the Oppo 203 UHD 4K player (Review here) when I took this pic. In the past I would always use Cinema 2 but for some reason with the 885 I am liking Cinema 1. The Motion Flow for movies I really like their True Cinema. Panning and action scenes look very good. Motion has always been a huge strength of Sony. The 885 does not disappoint. Contrast (HDR) is going to vary depending on your screen size and material. I am using a Stewart Studiotek 100 (Review here near the bottom of my 5000ES Review) so I need my laser and Contrast settings higher. Other settings like Gamma are also personal taste but for the record I am enjoying the extra pop from Gamma 7. Contrast Enhancer either Middle or High. Clear White on Low. I am a bigger fan of Sony's Reality Creation (RC) which I like at 40. For everything! Just make sure you movie the Noise Reduction under RC down to 5. So How did other movies look on the 885? The Apes movie has amazing forest scenery while close- ups of their faces all show every detail. In Spider-Man Homecoming his outfit fibers were
very visible. Night scenes revealed excellent shadow detail. The Hitman's Bodyguard has a lot of action and comedy. No matter how fast the action was the 885 made it very fluid like. KONG was perfect all around. Night scenes, day scenes the villagers faces. Samuel Jackson, Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston all looked terrific with their close-ups. KONG was scary even though we were on his side! Tom Cruise's MUMMY had alarming great details! So how does regular 1080p/24 Blu-ray look? Our twin 1 year old Daughters absolutely love the Moana. It is on a couple times per day. It usually is played on our 75" 940E in our family room (which has turned into a playroom) so the 885 has some tough competition. Still it passed with flying colors as the vivid colors filled the screen. You could see each individual grain of sand! The 885 did it terrific job. If you have never seen this one you need to check it out. Great songs and nice story. Can't wait for part 2. Maybe this will be the very first movie we take the girls to see...
So then it was Sunday which meant time to test DirecTV and some football! I included some action pics
and still shots. The motion was next level and matched what I am accustomed to seeing on my 5000ES. After some tweaking which is what eye candy extremists like myself do we were able to get the vivid colors popping. The player's helmets and uniforms were crystal clear. Numbers and logos as well as the grass (or turf) were razor sharp. In one of my action shots you can make out the people's faces in the crowd and their reactions. Also in the action pic directly below on the left notice how we can see the laces on the ball mid spiral! Also notice the snow game in Buffalo and how we can still see detail in the uniforms perfectly against the white snow field. The 885 has proven it can handle all conditions...
I then started checking out normal
channel programming. Of course
no surprise there everything was
a first rate presentation. From TV
shows to movie channels with
previews it looked like we were watching a Blu-ray movie. One of our favorite movies 'No Escape" playing on The Movie Channel had a terrific image. Check out the pic below. I included a few other images from other movies as well.
Let's recap settings. For Sports I use Bright Cinema. Color Temp D75 or D65, Color 60, Motion Flow Smooth Low, Reality Creation on 40 with Noise Reduction at 5, Clear White Low, Color Space 2, Smooth-
Gradation Low and all others at Default. Of course again many of these are preferences based on your screen choice. Definitely tweak them to your own personal taste. For movie channels I am still in the process of experimenting between Cinema 2, Bright Cinema and Reference. I then tweak from there...
I was able to do limited testing so far on 3D and all I will say is it's phenomenal. Our 3D glasses of choice are ValueView. Amazon has them here. They make you forget you are wearing glasses. Great image-great value!
Below are a couple pics of patterns I used to help align the 885 in my screen. I will say its flexible Zoom and Shifting made it super easy. They are perfectly straight in person. Please excuse my aiming of my iPhone X camera which makes them look a little crooked. These patterns come from my old trusty iScan Duo Video Processor by Simply Labs. I have had it for a very long time and it does everything I ask (besides 4K) and it is very useful with DirecTV and test patterns...
These four pics are from AVS Forum members. Morgan Freeman's movie pic was taken by SOULOFUNIVERSE and the other three super impressive came from ARROW AV. Thx guys!
The remote is just like the past ones from Sony. All the preset picture modes are near the top. It lights up a nice light blue. It is nice having direct buttons for Motion Flow, Gamma, Contrast Enhancer, Reality Creation and also others. It fits in your hand nicely and is just simple to get used to. I have always been a fan of their remotes...
Sony VPL-VW885ES, DATASAT RS20i, DATASAT RA7300 x 2, DirecTV 4K, Oppo UDP-203, Panasonic DMP-UB900 4K Ultra Blu-ray, McIntosh MX160, Darblet DVP 5000S, Samsung UBD-K8500 4K Ultra Blu-ray player, AVProconnect AC-MX44- AUHD HDMI distribution Matrix/Switcher/Splitter, Monster Power HTS 5100, Value View 3D glasses, Antec Component Coolers, Stewart Studiotek ST100 Screen, Speakers: MARTIN LOGAN ILLUSION, IMPRESSIONS (Left and Right), VANQUISH (HEIGHTS & ATMOS & Top), AXIS (Backs), Subwoofers- Martin Logan BalancedForce 212 X 2, Dayton APA150 Sub AMP x 2, 8 Aura Pro Bass Shakers, 8 Black Seatcraft Venetian Home Theater Chairs (with Raffel Integrated Lighted Cup Holders), Remote: Harmony 1100, iPad Mini. Cables: Monster Black Platinum HDMI cables top to bottom. And two 35 foot Monster Black Platinum HDMI cables... Also Samsung 43' 4K HDR curved (restroom) and Sony 55" 4K HDR (bar) displays...
Equipment used for all or part of this Review:
So to some things up I will just finish by saying the Sony VPL-VW885ES is the hit surprise of the year! Sure many will say with its higher MSRP it should be "that good" but they also say the same about its bigger brother the 5000ES which has a MSRP of $60,000! The Sony 885 with its 4K laser brings movies to life and sports into your room. And to think an image this exquisite just last year cost over twice as much. As Sony puts it the VPL-VW885ES 4K Home Cinema Projector puts you in control of the ultimate entertainment experience.
Click here to go back to:
JOERODHOMETHEATER
To see a cool four minute video on the 885 click below. You also can view their informative brochure and read other specs.
For questions about the SONY VPL-VW885 or anything else please call NOAH at (630)
607-0054. He and his team have many years between them in experience. They are great 'go to" guys for all your electronic needs!
If you are by Oakbrook stop in and see their theater demo rooms. You can also have a nice lunch at Mike Ditka's.
I would like to thank my beautiful Wife and our fun twin girls for allowing me to spend time working on this Review. I am so excited to spend more and more time with them watching movies in the near future. It is true you can see the world through their eyes and having the magic of movies makes you feel like a kid again!
Watch brightness for longer with a Z-Phosphor™ laser light
The VPL-VW885ES's ultra-pure, reliable, Sony-developed Z-Phosphor™ laser light source lets you enjoy perfectly clear 4K pictures with the right brightness level for a very long time. You can also get up to 20,000 hours of uninterrupted operation, with no lamp replacement and virtually zero maintenance.
Motorized zoom lens and wide lens shift
Installing this projector in your room is easy with a 2.06 times motorized zoom with a wide lens shift range. Adjust the position of the projector up to 85% vertically and 31% horizontally to get just the right angle for your movies without creating image distortion or resolution loss.
Infinite dynamic contrast for stunning realism
A dynamic contrast of ∞:1 makes every scene spring to life with fine detail and realism. By adjusting the laser light output dynamically depending on the brightness of content scenes, both deep, inky blacks and vibrant color are achieved.
Native 4K SXRD panel
The advanced SXRD panel technology featured in our digital theater projectors delivers native 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution images, with more than four times the detail of Full HD. Fine details are wonderfully clear and natural, without jagged edges or visible pixels.
4K Motionflow™
The powerful video processor in the VPL-VW885ES offers Motionflow™ for smooth and clear motion, even when viewing 4K content. Motionflow™ adds frames to reduce blur, while maintaining brightness, in fast-moving scenes. Cinema purists can choose True Theater mode to retain the original 24fps.
The super-resolution Reality Creation
Sony's exclusive Reality Creation technology analyzes images right down to the pixel level. It then employs pattern-matching algorithms developed over years of movie production to enhance crispness even without increasing digital picture noise. It also upscales existing Full HD Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD movies to near 4K quality.
HDR compatibility: every image comes to life
Get the most from your projector when viewing new UHD Blu-ray and streaming services with High Dynamic Range (HDR). HDR video offers a vastly expanded brightness range to deliver far more realistic, high-contrast images and brilliant colors. Compatible with both HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) formats. Sony's home projectors reproduce color and contrast faithfully to creators' intentions.
Native 4K resolution for lifelike pictures
With more than four times the resolution of Full HD, native 4K offers 8.8 million pixels (4096 x 2160) for a picture that is incredibly lifelike, which is why it is the resolution defined by the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) for theater distribution. See corner-to-corner clarity and watch movies from much closer than you would in Full HD.
Some key specs which help make the SONY VPL-VW885ES an easy choice!
More DirecTV screen shots!
Food pics are from DirecTV commercials. --------->
