Sony Pearl (VW50) Vs JVC HD1

[Gliese 581c]

Looking to upgrade my Sony projector and have shortlisted 2. Either the Sony VPL-VW50 (Pearl) or the JVC HD1

Anyone had experience of these and which one would be the best. ?

Thanks

 

[Avi]

Looking to upgrade my Sony projector and have shortlisted 2. Either the Sony VPL-VW50 (Pearl) or the JVC HD1

Anyone had experience of these and which one would be the best. ?

Thanks

I have owned both and consider the HD1 a better overall PJ in my HT. Both are good PJ's but after living with them for a while the differences (often small but cumalative) become even more apparent the more material I watched. PJ Hi Fi offer a side by side demo of both units and the best thing to do is go see them for yourself.

HD1 advantages IMO -

- Depth of image (more 3D effect)
- Better image punch/contrast
- Better video processing of HD DVD source material (via HDMI). Try the MI3 test
- Resolves greater detail and image is sharper whilst filmic
- Better convergence than of the Pearls I owned. This does vary by unit but the HD1 is user adjustable to a degree (no 3 chip is 100&#37
- Deep black and bight white at the same time - No DI to washout the image due to brightness compression
- Lumens at D65 calibration levels

Pearl advantages IMO-

- Quieter fan
- PC VGA input
- Screen trigger
- Greater range of possible PQ adjustments
- Cheaper
- Some may include Motorised zoom/focus but I found the it to be a pain to make small adjustments

BTW I watch mainly HD (HD DVD, BD, Sky HD) material via HDMI on the PJ's.

AVI

 

[Gliese 581c]

Thanks for that AVI, could you tell me out of the 2 which had the shortest throw distance, Id rather not zoom in to get a bigger size screen if i didnt have to.

As for size (dimentions), which one was bigger and heavier ?

 

[Avi]

Thanks for that AVI, could you tell me out of the 2 which had the shortest throw distance, Id rather not zoom in to get a bigger size screen if i didnt have to.

As for size (dimentions), which one was bigger and heavier ?

In throw the HD1 and Pearl are similar -

With minimum tele i.e. smallest image size from a given distance-

HD1 = 60" image from 1.79m, 80" from 2.4m, 100" from 3.01m.....

Pearl = 60" image from 1.84m, 80" from 2.47m, 100" from 3.1m.....

Both weigh about the same (12kg) and their footprint is similar but the HD1 is wider whilst the Pearl is deeper.

AVI

 

[jkharmer]

So does zooming affect the picture quality then? Whilst on the subject, if a projector has a vertical lense shift, does this also require keystone correction to make the image "square" again?

Thanks, James

 

[Chris Frost]

Wide angle is said to give a brighter image but lower contrast. Telephoto is less bright but with higher contrast. However, I wouldn't get too anal about it if it meant you had to suffer the projector in an inconvenient position.

re: Lens Shift. The whole idea is that you don't need to use keystone correction. As long as the projector is square to the screen and aligned correctly then the image should remain rectangular.

 

[Gliese 581c]

So does zooming affect the picture quality then? Whilst on the subject, if a projector has a vertical lense shift, does this also require keystone correction to make the image "square" again?

Thanks, James

I know that any digital zooming affects picture quality as the image doesnt stay constant. When it comes to a cameras zoom optical is always best. I'm not 100% how a projector is processing the zoom feature but if its like a TV its digital and it does affect quality. I never zoom anything, but thats just me trying to be a perfectionist.

 

[Avi]

I know that any digital zooming affects picture quality as the image doesnt stay constant. When it comes to a cameras zoom optical is always best. I'm not 100% how a projector is processing the zoom feature but if its like a TV its digital and it does affect quality. I never zoom anything, but thats just me trying to be a perfectionist.

The "Zoom" or "Tele" function is optical. With a good quality lens zoom has little impact on PQ unless at the extremes of the lens range and even then it's minimal.

AVI

 

[Gliese 581c]

The "Zoom" or "Tele" function is optical. With a good quality lens zoom has little impact on PQ unless at the extremes of the lens range and even then it's minimal.

AVI

I stand corrected

I know optical is fine, digital on the other hand good to hear the PJ's are optical.

 

[Gliese 581c]

Think I might plump for the Pearl, with the extra £ I could grab a nice screen. Anyone know what grain is best for the Pearl ?

 

[Avi]

Think I might plump for the Pearl, with the extra £ I could grab a nice screen. Anyone know what grain is best for the Pearl ?

The screen very much depends on your budget and viewing environment i.e. room decor colour, ambient light, PJ mounting position, image size etc....... Usually with increasing gain comes increasing side effects on the PQ. Often the Stewart ST130 is quoted as reference material but at £2500-£3000 for a 92" fixed screen it ain't cheap.

Personally I would never buy a PJ without a thorough demo with familiar test material. Also seeing two PJ's side by side can really highlight the PQ difference that is difficult to comprehend when viewed in isolation.

AVI

 

[UrbanT]

Think I might plump for the Pearl, with the extra £ I could grab a nice screen. Anyone know what grain is best for the Pearl ?

Make your choice carefully, as spending less could be a false economy. With the Pearl, you may just feel you have compromised, and its alot of money to have a nagging doubt. The HD1, you are far more likely to own for a longer period of time as it has very few compromises. This is (I think) my 6th projector in 2 years, but I can see me owning it for a very long time

 

[Avi]

Make your choice carefully, as spending less could be a false economy. With the Pearl, you may just feel you have compromised, and its alot of money to have a nagging doubt. The HD1, you are far more likely to own for a longer period of time as it has very few compromises. This is (I think) my 6th projector in 2 years, but I can see me owning it for a very long time

Sound advice.

Another forum member demoed a few PJ recently including the HD1 and Pearl. Here's his feedback

"Went to see the JVC at PJ HiFi in Guildford and as luck would have it i was also able to book a demo for the C3X at Sevenoaks. The JVC had a very good picture good on SD DVD and great ON Hi Def, but what struck me was the blacks, they were well black very black,the C3X looked not as black.The Sony peal was very poor compaired to the JVC, which was demoed under the JVC"

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=508537

AVI

 

[Gliese 581c]

Good advice, thanks guys.

Will make a trip to my local sevenoaks etc at the weekend and try and demo them.

 

[Gliese 581c]

Make your choice carefully, as spending less could be a false economy. With the Pearl, you may just feel you have compromised, and its alot of money to have a nagging doubt. The HD1, you are far more likely to own for a longer period of time as it has very few compromises. This is (I think) my 6th projector in 2 years, but I can see me owning it for a very long time

UT, I checked your homepage for screenshots of the HD1 in action, none seem to show unless you havent uploaded any yet ?

 

[Klippie]

aRCaM,

If you want to see a few Pearl 1080p screen shots see here - http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495343

I've not seen the JVC in action but it must be one hell of a PJ if its picture quality is a lot better than the Sony's.

 

[acave]

aRCam, If you can get your room dark I think you will be more than happy with the Pearl. The one thing which I really liked was the low noise level. I could run my system late at night and still hear it which is not the case when running my Barco 1209 (9" CRT).

It compared pretty well to my Barco as well.

I'm sure the JVC is better but for how long? Xmas no doubt.

I am thinking of buying a Pearl to run along side my Barco. For the money saved you could get a decent screen or a load of HD titles.

I hear a lot of people mentioning convergence issues with the pearl. I've seen three machines and all have had the odd problem but you cannot notice it unless you go right up close to the screen.

 

[Avi]

I hear a lot of people mentioning convergence issues with the pearl. I've seen three machines and all have had the odd problem but you cannot notice it unless you go right up close to the screen.

I've owned four and seen a few more. The problem is MC and chromatic aberration does affect PQ even from normal viewing distance more than you might think.

Some interesting stuff from Cine4home mentioned in the review of the Sony 4K PJ - http://www.cine4home.com/. It's the one dated 15/02/06. About three quarters of the way down the review it talks about MC including images of how it affect PQ.

My advice to the OP is to go see the PJ's in action first hand and side by side if possible. That way he can let his own eyes/ears decide rather than our opinions.

AVI

 

[Avi]

aRCaM,

If you want to see a few Pearl 1080p screen shots see here - http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=495343

I've not seen the JVC in action but it must be one hell of a PJ if its picture quality is a lot better than the Sony's.

That's why IMO is very important to go see any PJ first hand, side by side if poss as it's often difficult to comprehend the difference and see what you're missing in isolation.

The JVC isn't perfect by any means but it's one hell of a PJ for money no doubt.

AVI

 

[Avi]

UT, I checked your homepage for screenshots of the HD1 in action, none seem to show unless you havent uploaded any yet ?

Someone once told me that looking at screen shots was like auditioning HiFi speakers over the telephone. Anyway for fun these may be of interest as the reviewer takes more care than most with his screen shots techniques.

http://www.projectorreviews.com/jvc/DLA-RS1/index.asp

AVI

 

[Gliese 581c]

Thanks for all the updates guys

 

[Gliese 581c]

Someone once told me that looking at screen shots was like auditioning HiFi speakers over the telephone. Anyway for fun these may be of interest as the reviewer takes more care than most with his screen shots techniques.

http://www.projectorreviews.com/jvc/DLA-RS1/index.asp

AVI

I know what you mean AVI, and quite agree with you. I just wanted something to look at to get a rough idea of the quality, i.e Checking out magazines for the latest games and getting a rough idea from games screenshots. It was just something to look at until I can get my upgrading a$$ to a proper shop to demo the units.

 

[recruit]

The Pearl should certainly not be ignored and especially for the price, superb projector and tbh do not have any intention on changeing mine...make sure you get a good demo

 

[Gliese 581c]

The Pearl should certainly not be ignored and especially for the price, superb projector and tbh do not have any intention on changeing mine...make sure you get a good demo

What screen are you using with yours mate ?

 

[recruit]

I'm useing a Beamax screen which works very well with the Pearl, my room is fairly bright although i have just had some blackout blinds installed and it has certainly made a difference to which i am now considering upgradeing the screen.