Sony VPL-VW270ES Review & Comments

Phil Hinton

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Genuinely not trying to be a troll or looking to get crisped...

But now that BIG screen OLED's are available at sensible money and really big ones on the way, which are night and day better than any projector image ( ok that bit might get me in trouble..) then why would you, for home use, go for a hugely expensive projector?

I guess if you are over a 100" screen size then maybe.. but with the huge 8K stuff coming down the line which, when prices settle, will be about the same price as a top of the range projector then I don't get it. but...

I must be missing something.
 
Genuinely not trying to be a troll or looking to get crisped...

But now that BIG screen OLED's are available at sensible money and really big ones on the way, which are night and day better than any projector image ( ok that bit might get me in trouble..) then why would you, for home use, go for a hugely expensive projector?

I guess if you are over a 100" screen size then maybe.. but with the huge 8K stuff coming down the line which, when prices settle, will be about the same price as a top of the range projector then I don't get it. but...

I must be missing something.

Several reasons...

1. Price
2. Speakers can't be located perfectly with a TV
3. Far bigger picture options
4. The experience
5. You can hide a projector install, you can't hide a 100" TV
6. Some people move their projectors to other rooms or outside for sporting events, you couldn't just pickup a 100" TV and take it outside.
 
Thanks Phil. I know someone who has this projector in his dedicated cinema room and as you say, the sharpness is really good. He's not had it calibrated though and I'm going to remind him, once he's put some hours on the bulb, to consider professional calibration.

The 420 nits peak caught my attention. I immediately thought that seemed bright but then you explained about the measurement on a 10% window, which makes sense. Looks like its bigger brother's roll off at 150 nits would appeal to those who enjoy HDR content.

Genuinely not trying to be a troll or looking to get crisped...

But now that BIG screen OLED's are available at sensible money and really big ones on the way, which are night and day better than any projector image ( ok that bit might get me in trouble..) then why would you, for home use, go for a hugely expensive projector?

I guess if you are over a 100" screen size then maybe.. but with the huge 8K stuff coming down the line which, when prices settle, will be about the same price as a top of the range projector then I don't get it. but...

I must be missing something.

This is a fair question. I have both an OLED and Projector, and whilst I love the TV for native 4K HDR content, I much prefer the Projector as my daily use. A professionally calibrated projected image (and decent source) brings attributes that are different (and in my opinion, preferable) to that of 4K TVs.

For example, if you were to compare my 113" (diagonal) screen with an 88" OLED (which I'd argue isn't available at "sensible money" as you put it), this results in an approximate 65% increase in viewing area.

Compare my 113" screen with my 65" OLED, then this increase is 200%!

And I have a modest 113" screen, because it maxes out my wall. Some of the users here may be reaching 200" and beyond. (Edit: woops I meant 120").

I love both technologies for different reasons. Part of a home cinema enthusiasts is to replicate that cinematic image on a big scale - far bigger than what can be commercially achieved on a TV.
 
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I have this projector with about 60hrs on the lamp, Mostly watching std Blu-rays and 4k hdr Blu-rays, my room is a dedicated cinema room that is very dark. And totally agree with the review even down to the lens cover that is a pain to replace as this projector sits on a ceiling shelf (not inverted). Std Blu-rays look brilliant but 4k hdr Blu-rays are for me underwhelming to the point I prefer the std version over the 4k, having said that the last mission impossible fallout movie in 4k the Imax scenes with the helicopter were amazing, if only all 4k Blu-ray looked as good as these scenes. Prometheus was another great looking 4k Blu-ray but others just seem a bit of a mixed bag. I've tried different settings even the GERMAN GAMMA CURVES but always revert back to factory settings, people on other forums say that to get the best out of this projector is to team it up with one of the new Panasonic Ultra HD Blu-ray Players like DP-UB450EB
and let that sort out the hdr dynamic metadata, if it was possible to buy a 115" 4k oled tv
for £4999 I would have been at the front of queue ...
 
The for replies. Guess I didn't realise the size people have screens at! On the oled front I guess i was more really thinking about the new rollable screens from LG when they hit about £10 - 15k.. Out of my range but people spend serious dosh on projectors and screens!
Anyway dragged this thread off topic enough. Ciao :)
 
Yet to see any TV no matter how big that can give the cinema experience offered by a projector.
 
But now that BIG screen OLED's are available at sensible money and really big ones on the way, which are night and day better than any projector image ( ok that bit might get me in trouble..) then why would you, for home use, go for a hugely expensive projector?

I must be missing something.

I don't think that you can get 3D TVs anymore, even with the biggest TVs currently available and 3D on anything small enough that you can easily see outside of screen makes 3D pointless as it spoils the immersive feeling you get when you can only really see the content on the screen.
 
Genuinely not trying to be a troll or looking to get crisped...

But now that BIG screen OLED's are available at sensible money and really big ones on the way, which are night and day better than any projector image ( ok that bit might get me in trouble..) then why would you, for home use, go for a hugely expensive projector?

I guess if you are over a 100" screen size then maybe.. but with the huge 8K stuff coming down the line which, when prices settle, will be about the same price as a top of the range projector then I don't get it. but...

I must be missing something.


Your thoughts very much echo mine at the moment. The biggest screen I could fit is 100", but looking at the OLEDs coming this year with VRR, and knowing that I will be using my setup for gaming, I am not sure I see the value in going the projector route... especially given how much you're giving up in respect to black levels. Yes that extra immersion isn't to be sniffed at, but unless you are constructing a proper home cinema (with the budget to do it justice, proper speakers et al), I don't know that a projector makes the most sense at 100" or less, particularly if you're gaming and will therefore benefit massively from VRR functionality.

Breaking it down, given a 65" 2019 OLED with VRR should be under the £3K mark, you aren't getting anywhere near that picture quality on a projector of similar value... and this Sony VW270ES is nearly double that by the time you factor in screen cost.
 
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Around 90 nits per £1000. Maybe this will make a great 3D and SDR PJ. Wondering how this compares against non-native upscaling PJ at similar price point.
 
Your thoughts very much echo mine at the moment. The biggest screen I could fit is 100", but looking at the OLEDs coming this year with VRR, and knowing that I will be using my setup for gaming, I am not sure I see the value in going the projector route... especially given how much you're giving up in respect to black levels. Yes that extra immersion isn't to be sniffed at, but unless you are constructing a proper home cinema (with the budget to do it justice, proper speakers et al), I don't know that a projector makes the most sense at 100" or less, particularly if you're gaming and will therefore benefit massively from VRR functionality.

Breaking it down, given a 65" 2019 OLED with VRR should be under the £3K mark, you aren't getting anywhere near that picture quality on a projector of similar value... and this Sony VW270ES is nearly double that by the time you factor in screen cost.

I think you’re right about that. If you’re not doing a dedicated, large format, scope screen with speakers behind the screen, I’d seriously wonder whether a projector is the right route to take.

In a dedicated space, blacked out, with proper sound and a good 4K projector like this one... it’s a completely different experience to what a TV can deliver. More immersive, cinematic and, yes, even emotional than even the best TV. There’s just something about a reflected image that ‘feels’ right. I can’t watch films on my 50” TV in the family room any more.
 
Your thoughts very much echo mine at the moment. The biggest screen I could fit is 100", but looking at the OLEDs coming this year with VRR, and knowing that I will be using my setup for gaming, I am not sure I see the value in going the projector route... especially given how much you're giving up in respect to black levels. Yes that extra immersion isn't to be sniffed at, but unless you are constructing a proper home cinema (with the budget to do it justice, proper speakers et al), I don't know that a projector makes the most sense at 100" or less, particularly if you're gaming and will therefore benefit massively from VRR functionality.

Breaking it down, given a 65" 2019 OLED with VRR should be under the £3K mark, you aren't getting anywhere near that picture quality on a projector of similar value... and this Sony VW270ES is nearly double that by the time you factor in screen cost.

Yeah but if you have a 4K projector with a 130 inch screen in a dedicated room you have an image 4 times the size of the 65 inch. Ok the tv may have a nicer quality image but if it is a quarter of the size it doesn’t have the same impact. Horses for courses.
 
So I have the projector in a dedicated room with a Dolby Atmos 7.4.2 speaker set up with screen size of 115" the room is totally dark, black carpet, black ceiling, black velvet projection wall, with all walls soon to be covered in the same black velvet, the screen is 1.1 gain material.

Watch the Blue Planet ll on a screen size this big and it will blow you away, flying over the snow capped mountains at this scale is epic. No big telly could achieve this believe me not at todays sizes anyway... This is the difference in sizes

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Yeah but if you have a 4K projector with a 130 inch screen in a dedicated room you have an image 4 times the size of the 65 inch. Ok the tv may have a nicer quality image but if it is a quarter of the size it doesn’t have the same impact. Horses for courses.

Indeed, which is why I said 100" or less lol! And even then, I was speaking to use case, and if doing a lot of gaming the benefits of VRR would make for a much smoother experience. That is until we have projectors with VRR... I believe this isn't far away.

At 130" there's no contest. :)
 
the cheapest 77" OLED is the LG C8 at £5995

that is the biggest OLED size currently available

the new range will have an 88" 8K OLED at a pretty expensive price

the 65" rollable OLED will be massively expensive and the size of the case looks quite big to me

we are several years away from a 100" 8K OLED that rolls away at any kind of affordable price

so for AV enthusiasts who want native 4K at 100+" now a PJ remains the only viable tech and that's why I have a new JVC on order
 
I see where you're coming from re large OLED v PJ, and I think it really depends on your use case. I always loved my old PJ's but without a dedicated room light control was always a PITA. Ideally I'd have both :thumbsup: but for now and for the foreseeable future I'm back with large OLED's as I'm in love with HDR, and I've yet to see a PJ that does this as effectively as a big TV, or can get anywhere near the black levels, then there's the fan noise. 98" Sony 8k hopefully incoming later this year.
 
and what do you think that will cost? at present the 77" C8 OLED is more than twice the price of the 65" model so how much will the 88" one be ...so what will a 98" sony cost

if it is LED it will not get my money

I strongly suspect that 100" TV's that will be good enough for enthusiasts will be out and affordable in the mid term but not in the next 3 years at least

I can get 106" now for the same price as the 77" OLED and that is a massive difference

I accept your comment re HDR but in a good room it still pops and the colours are magical not to mention that 4K actually maks sense at that scale and there is something about a projected image that is so "right"
 
"I can get 106" now for the same price as the 77" OLED and that is a massive difference"

But you can't though. You are sacrificing black levels and HDR for the screen size. The cost of a projector that matches the best OLEDs for PQ is tens of thousands.

If all goes to plan my dedicated room will be built by the end of next year and I'll 100% buy a PJ again, but it needs to be something which is in the same ballpark as the best OLED, or at the rate the tech is improving, an 8K QLED, without OLED screen burn issues.
 
I have 2 b7 oleds so I know what the difference is between a good TV and a PJ

black levels are not that far off in a decent room/screen combo - I have seen the new JVC this week so what it looks like is pretty firmly in my mind (if not in my bank account) - HDR yes a bit but again not totally and WCG is probably better than a lot of TV's

size does matter for movies and sport for certain

I agree that a PJ set up is challenging but done half right is still the best solution for me as a "home cinema"
 
What about VRR in projectors when it comes to gaming? HDMI 2.1 and VRR functionality is a big deal with OLEDs now if you're looking at a setup which will be heavily utilised for gaming.
 
don't game so no issue for me
 
whoa hang on what about 34 foot Samsung Cinema Screen 4K (4,096 x 2,160) resolution.

Samsung Electronics Premieres the Theater of the Future with New Cinema Screen Technology

Now I would love to see that in action. just loads of TVs stuck together I think is the technical term :clap:

Imagine the carnage on here....The panel lottery would be a nightmare with people swapping blocks....I'll trade you one with bad grey down the left for yours with banding down the right. I can just imagine certain members heads exploding and being on first name terms with the delivery/collection guys:rotfl::rotfl:
 
i hope any of us will be around long enough to see the "perfect" display that none of us have any issues with - but I doubt it

like now choosing the display that best meets your needs will be a case of "picking your poison"

for me a 110" 8K OLED with no banding issues or screen burn potential would be perfect but at maybe £8K max price or maybe micro LED - but those aint happening anytime soon so my chosen "poison" for now (as that is when I want my displays in place) is a combo of a 65" OLED and 108" screen with my (hopefully) soon to arrive JVC N5 - neither are perfect but are pretty darned good for my room/requirements
 

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