Verdict

This capable big - screen beamer represents the entry - point for aboriginal 4 thousand laser projection , with a terms less than half its nearest competitor . Sony has hack a few corner to get there , but class - leading processing , fluid motion treatment , and a unanimous HDR performance makes it worth the trip .

Pros

Cons

Key Features

Introduction

While no - one is say six yard is cheap , if you want to avoid pel - shifting ‘ wobulation ’ or frame - flash DLP skulduggery , the Sony VPL - XW5000ES is one of the most low-cost way to get native 4 K projection .

The fact it also has a tenacious - life-time optical maser light reservoir , cutting - edge look-alike processing , and category - leading movement treat only makes the investing sluttish to rationalise .

The humble price detail is partly potential thanks to a new SXRD chipset , but to help keep costs down further , Sony uses a hybrid crystalline lens and a redesigned chassis , plus there ’s no 3D , HDMI 2.1or motorised genus Lens controls . So is the Sony VPL - XW5000ES any goodness , and how does it stack up against alternative option like the Epson EH - LS12000 andJVC DLA - NZ7 ?

Design

The Sony VPL - XW5000ES does n’t attend wildly dissimilar compared to old projectors from the brand , with a standardized angled design , a centrally - mounted lens housed within a grille that covers air intakes for cooling , and consume volcano at the rear .

The XW5000ES quantify 460 x 200 x 472 mm ( WxHxD ) , weigh in at 13 kilo , and come in choice of lusterlessness black or matte white . The build lineament is good but nothing special , which is to be expect given Sony is trying to reduce unnecessary costs .

One area where savings have been made is the lens , which is a glass and plastic loan-blend . The control for zoom , fault , and focal point are also manual , making precise frame-up tricky , and forestall lens memories for scope ratio ( 2.35:1 ) screens where different options are required for narrow aspect ratios .

The connections are located in a recessed area along the left deal side as you confront the projector , where you ’ll retrieve twoHDMI2.0 inputs , an Ethernet port and RS-232C connector , a 12V trigger , an IR input jack , and a USB port for might .

The want of HDMI 2.1 inputs is dissatisfactory , especially considering the tacky Epson LS12000 include them . It ’s not a big passel if you ’re only into movies , but any next - gen gamers wo n’t be capable to enjoy playing at 4 K 120Hz gamy - bod - rate .

The include remote is fairly large , with a handy backlight for habit in the dark . The clitoris are sanely put down out , it ’s comfortable to confine and use with one hand , and include all the controls you ’ll involve to setup and operate the VPL - XW5000 . There are also some canonical controls on the side of the projector , just above the connecter , which might come in handy if you ever lose the remote .

Features

The Sony VPL - XW5000ES uses three of the steel ’s new 0.61 - inch SXRD chips to deport aboriginal 4 K ( 3840 x 2160 ) images . The projector has a refresh rate of 120Hz , although due to HDMI limitations this only implement to resolutions up to 2 K ( 1920 x 1080 ) .

The XW5000 also include a optical maser phosphor Light Within source , with a lay claim eyeshade luminosity of 2,000 lumens and claimed life-time up to 20,000 hours . That basically means you could watch a film a Clarence Day for the next ten years without care about the image dip like a lamp .

The comprehension of wide dynamical range optics , and Sony ’s Triluminos Pro algorithm promises deeper blackamoor , more saturated colours and improved contrast ratios . Sony ’s latest X1 Ultimate processor also offers innovative figure processing and realtime optimisation of the image , which is an undeniable strength of the sword .

There ’s also object - base HDR remastering and active HDR enhancement , with support for HDR10 , HLG , and evenIMAX Enhancedcontent . Although I have no idea what the latter mean , give that IMAX enhance content use the same standards as any other 4K / HDR video content .

Finally , there ’s Motionflow frame interposition for fast - pace sports action , and a down in the mouth - latency game mode for a reduced stimulus lag . In the case of the latter , I measured the input lag at anywhere between 12ms and 28ms look on the shape rate , which is excellent for a projector .

So what ’s miss ? Well as I mention , there are no motored lens controls and thus no lens of the eye memories for across-the-board screens . There ’s also no financial backing for 3D , and the lack of HDMI 2.1 support not only means there ’s no 4K/120Hz , but also no support forHDR10+with active metadata .

Performance

The Sony VPL - XW5000ES rescue some truly impressive native 4 K pictures that contain mickle of detail , while the overall uniformness and geometry is equally good . The optical maser faint reference also encounter its part , generating sufficient smartness to hold its own on larger screen and in rooms with a lot of ambient luminousness .

The small SXRD chipset and intercrossed lens of the eye lead in an image that is n’t as knifelike as previous Sony projector , but Reality Creation detail sweetening utilize sharpening so sophisticated that it does n’t stick in undesirable artefacts , thus better the perceive resolution and limit details that might otherwise appear soft .

The X1 Ultimate processor is the perfect example of Sony ’s imaging prowess . If you ship the XW5000 a gamey quality source , you ’ll be rewarded with a picture show that realize full use of the projector ’s native 4 K panel , with upscaling that produces big - cover image that are detailed and free of any unwanted artefact .

Motion is another Sony strong point , and the XW5000 also proved to be very completed in this respect . Watching normal content the motion handling appeared fluid and free of judder or other artifact , even when Motionflow is n’t engaged , although for firm sports this frame interjection feature article can be beneficial . If you ’re a movie sports fan the True Theatre manner is your best bet , because it retains the 24 frames per a second that ’s crucial to the look of film .

The Reference mode is the most accurate out - of - the - box scene in term of the industry standards , although If you ’re looking for a bit more impact you could use the Bright Cinema picture mode . However , this setting is not as accurate as the Reference manner , resulting in bluer whites and more pure colours .

There are options to adjust the laser brightness , and the Dynamic Control manipulates contrast . This can improve some darker scenes at the expense of brightness , but this does tend to crush phantasma particular . If this projector has one weakness it ’s the pitch-black levels , and while certainly better than LCD and DLP projectors , the Sony shin to attain the ink-black black of the JVCs , appearing a dark Lady Jane Grey in comparison .

There ’s support for HDR10 and HLG , but not HDR10 + due to the lack of HDMI 2.1 inputs , place this projector at a disadvantage to the Epson and JVC beamers , which support the dynamic metadata formatting . Sony claims the wide dynamical cooking stove optic can reach 95 % of DCI - P3 , but the XW5000 only hit 83 % in my tests . However , the greyscale and colour accuracy are both good , and the timber function exactly tracks the industry target area .

Sony ’s Dynamic HDR Enhancer is its version of JVC ’s dynamic tone mapping , and uses frame - by - frame analysis of the incoming HDR signal to aline the whole step mapping dynamically through pixel processing and the business leader of the laser light source . The results can be good , but getting the best HDR images often requires a bit of tweaking .

The XW5000 looks great with brighter HDR content , where the combination of the laser light source and effective feeling mapping render punchy and elaborated pictures . The Dominicus - discolorize desert vistas in Dune looking at very elaborate , with no clipping in the highlight , while the snowy landscapes in The Revenant really pop as sunlight peek off the ice .

The XW5000 may have a limited gamut , but it plow the by choice hyperbolize colours of Pixar ’s Inside Out extremely well , and when combined with the bright high spot and precise spirit mapping the image really protrude . However , when it comes to darker scenes the Sony can struggle , and it sometimes failed to pick out all the shadow detail in The Batman ’s benighted and rain - soak picture taking .

This projector is certified for IMAX Enhanced showing , but when I put on the IMAX Enhanced 4 K record of Zombieland : Double Tap , it did n’t mechanically engage the IMAX Enhanced fashion and I had to select it manually . In direct comparison with the Reference musical mode , the two look identical , which makes sentience when you realise that all 4 kB message uses the same stage set of measure . File under marketing gimmick .

Finally , the Sony VPL - XW5000ES is an excellent projector for gamers , which makes the lack of 4 K 120Hz support all the more unsatisfying . Thanks to its burnished pictures , elaborated imaging , and excellent motion manipulation , this beamer delivers an pleasurable play experience . The functioning with both SDR and HDR is honorable , and in the dedicated secret plan mode the overall game play is buttery unruffled and highly responsive .

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Should you buy it?

: There is no other laser - power projector at this cost point that can display aboriginal 4 K content without fall back to double manipulation .

The want of HDMI 2.1 inputs have in mind that despite being able to digest higher skeleton , the XW5000 ca n’t exhibit games at 4K/120Hz .

Final Thoughts

The Sony VPL - XW5000ES not only pop the question a aboriginal 4 K solving , a optical maser light origin and some cutting - edge image processing , but also HDR that pop up with bright and saturated colours , nonpareil motility handling , and a low input slowdown to ensure fun and reactive gambling .

The problem is that while the crummy Epson EH - LS12000 might not be native 4 K , you probably wo n’t note the difference , and it also uses a optical maser light source . In addition , it includes motorise lens controls , lens memories , and HDMI 2.1 remark with support for HDR10 + and 4 K 120Hz .

On the other script , if you ’ve got your heart do on a native 4 kB laser beamer , the only alternative is the JVC DLA - NZ7 , which is over twice the toll . So if you ’re not using a wide of the mark screen , you ’re not bothered about three-D , and you ’re not a gamer , the XW5000ES get going to make a lot of sense .

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We quiz every projector we review good over an extensive time period of prison term . We usePortrait Displays Calman colour calibration softwareand industry standards to compare feature film in good order . We ’ll always severalise you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .

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FAQs

Both projectors bears similar technology under their cover , but the XW7000 feature a longer throw ratio , higher brightness in lumens and use more power when it is in operation . It ’s also more expensive than the XW5000 .

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