Sony VPL-VW60 1080p projectors Review

Sony SXRD basic entry level before the projector, the VPL-VW60, is the successor of last year, the price-busting VPL-VW50. Also as a 1080p  projectors with the same list price of $ 4999, which is facing more competition these days with 1080p projectors available for lower prices. Based on the results of the company flagship VPL-VW200, I had high hopes that the VPL-VW60 which have the same type of improvement, to a large extent the accuracy of color. I mistakenly assumed, however, as the primary and secondary colors, unfortunately, remain obscure. The good news is that Sony has improved its black level significantly the performance and adds some features that help improve the overall quality of the images on the previous model. Despite some performance issues, it is difficult to argue against the Sony VPL-VW60 is still higher than most of their price range.

Design
I found the VPL-VW60 stylish and elegant, especially for the price, with an elegant and sexy. Its rounded corners and curves indicate the shape of an eye, an eye for the first time with the $ 30,000 Sony Qualia 004, several years ago. Finished in gloss Gunmetal gray, the VPL-VW60 is more interesting than any of its competitors. It has a compact design and lightweight, measuring 15.5 cm wide by 6.8 inches high by 18.6 inches deep and weighing 24.3 kg. All connections, as well as the menu, the power of the lens, and four-way rocker key is located on one side of the frame.

Sony remote control is simple, easy to use design. E 'fully illuminated by the light by pressing the button at the top left of the device. E 'thin and fits well in hand, and the menu, rocker and Enter buttons are all well within range of an inch. The internal menu system is identical to last year, the VPL-VW50, and I found it pleasant and easy to navigate.

Features
The VPL-VW60 is a great number of functions, most of which were designed to help improve the image. Zoom, shift and the characteristics of the recipients are all electronic, which is a pleasant surprise given the price of the projector - do not know of another projector in this price range that has the electronic parameters. However, I was a little 'more variety in the vertical displacement.

Cinema Black Pro menu contains the settings for the Iris: Auto 1, Auto 2, Manual, and beyond. I still do not recommend using one of the ways, such as changing from black at the top and bottom, because the content of the images is brighter or darker. I used the manual mode and the value was reduced to 45 for the blacks a little 'darker. Adjustments fell below the lighting power is too low in my 80-inch wide Stewart Grayhawk RS screen.

As expected, Sony includes the usual mode of image and color temperature presets. Modes include Dynamic, Standard, Cinema, User 1, User 2 and User 3. Color temperature selections: high, medium, low, Custom 1, Custom 2 and Custom 3. I used 3 custom because it is closest to the broadcast standard color temperature of 6500 K.

A couple of new features include Anamorphic wide aspect ratio, which was added for systems that integrate an outboard anamorphic objective constant height 2.35:1 (Cinemascope) aspect ratio screens, and the Panel Adjust feature, which allows the convergence center of the screen, if there is a group of problems of alignment. The latter is restricted to the center of the screen, the convergence of controls static in the old CRT televisions. It is much broader group of settings in more expensive VPL-VW200, which gives you the possibility to change the signs in all areas on the screen.

Experienced in the setup menu, both black and range of adjustment of the level of correction should be turned off, and true color processing, while the color space must be set to normal. I tried to correct the false colors with the function of RCP, and found that basically does not work yet. Do not change the color, but affects the color decoding, making it unusable.

Connectivity on the VPL-VW60 is decent, with two HDMI inputs head the list. There is also a component video input, S-Video, composite video and one of the old analog VHS video sources. A 15-pin VGA, RS-232 control port, and a 12-volt trigger for electric drop-down screens serial connections on the projector.

Performance
In general, the VPL-VW60 is a solid performer. I was disappointed to see him offer more accurate primary colors, especially since the Sony is much cheaper A3000 series SXRD rear projection sets and flat screen LCD, the KDL-46XBR4, highly accurate red, green, and blue states, so as secondary colors. I believe that Sony would be applicable in all sectors, for all TVs and projectors.

The color decoding, as we expect from Sony, is dead accurate data on the color saturation is excellent. Black-level performance is a notch above last year's VPL-VW50, giving the best contrast ratio of 60 snappier, more three-dimensional images. Sony 200-watt UHP lamp driving large screens, but for screen sizes up to about 84 cm in width, that will do an excellent job.

The video processing of the VPL-VW60 leaves something to be desired. One example is a slight reduction in video resolution and film-based HD sources to HDMI, which is clearly visible in the HD DVD of excellent Silicon Optix HQV test disc. This problem is less visible in the program, as usual.

Blu-ray is very good, in most small Sony VPL-VW60. Black level to discuss the results, I saw scenes from Pearl Harbor and the excellent transfer of Live Free or Die Hard. Chapter 15 offers some good Pearl Harbor, in contrast with the intensity of the scenes of light and dark areas nearby, and the VPL-VW60 ido very well with this type of equipment. At first, the last scene in the movie Die Hard, where Bruce Willis is at the end of the night, black and looks really solid shadow detail. Chapter 4 of the Italian Job on 60 showed high-contrast high snap and pop, and excellent color saturation.