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For over three years, the Sony VPL-W400Q has been the only 16:9 widescreen LCD panel projector in the marketplace. Originally targeted to the presentation market with nifty features like a built-in carrying handle and a secret bay to stash the marginally useable remote control, the W400Q sought to deliver high quality video images.
The good news is that the W400Q does indeed provide incredible video performance. The bad news was, the staggered pixel array did not display computer text as well as required by the presentation market and its generously rated 400 ANSI lumens were not quite bright enough for most modestly lit meeting rooms. While considerably brighter than most CRT displays, the W400Q didn't quite cut it in the competitive presentation market. Neither did its sister projector with 4:3 LCD panels straight rows of pixels. That was called the VPL-V500Q and didn't last much longer than a year.
Shortly after the W400Q was introduced in November of 1996, DVD was introduced in March, 1997. Suddenly, the full potential of this native 16:9 LCD projector was realized. It might have bombed in the board room with those nifty color pie charts and bar graphs, but the performance of the W400Q as a home video display device was unquestionably attractive -- and markedly superior to any other LCD display device.
My enthusiasm for this projector in fact, launched this very website. That's how impressed I was with it.
I was astonished at how little attention this outstanding, affordable CRT alternative was receiving in the mainstream press, and I was determined to spread the good word that yes -- you too can afford a nice home theater without having to take out a second mortgage.
Finally, long after TheBIGPictureDVD.com started to promote this projector in our dedicated forum for it about a year ago, Sony finally began seriously marketing the projector as a home theater display about a year ago.
As good as the VPL-W400Q was, there were some definite limitations and pitfalls that Sony needed to address. A visit to The BIG Picture's Sony VPL-W400Q Forum reveals all of them: a puny 5v trigger switch that's useless for activating most electric projection screen relays; manufacturing problems with prism block assemblies that frequently (but not always) produced undesirable color shifts, usually described as "green fog"; grease contamination of some lenses during manufacturing which produced hazy output; dust on the LCD panels causing blotches; an expensive bulb that while user-replaceable, dims over time, etc. But nothing drew more criticism than the fan! While no noisier than our microwave oven, the fan noise was enough to prevent many from buying this projector and sending the rest of us towards sound barriers and enclosures to stifle the whoosh of that thing.
Yet despite this mountain of well documented quality control problems and user annoyances, Sony continued to sell these projectors by the truckloads.
Why?
Two reasons: A commitment to customer service that included an outstanding 3-year warranty -- and a price point that allowed more folks into a game typically reserved for the well-heeled: Quality home theater. For the price of a decent used car, you could assemble a home theater that dazzled your neighbors and friends, thanks solely to the brilliant design and execution of the clunky, unnatractive VPL-W400Q.
However, three years is an awfully long time for a single electronics component to stay in production and by the end of 1999, the production of the venerable VPL-W400Q had officially come to an end, usurped by a bigger, sexier, brighter successor, the VPL-VW10HT.
It's readily apparent that Sony has clearly been busy over these last few years and has paid attention to all of the complaints and wishlist items that have been posted on our forum, among other venues.
But has Sony truly developed a worthy successor to the W400Q -- or should we W400Q owners cool our jets and wait for the next generation to arrive? After hearing horror stories of the not-yet-ready-for-primetime demo of the VW10HT at CEDIA late last year, I was having my doubts about this interloper.
If our review unit is any indication, I would have to say without qualification that the VPL-VW10HT is a significant improvement over its predecessor in many important respects.
This projector was clearly intended for the burgeoning home theater market. Everything from the electronic keystone correction to the quieter fan design to the 12 volt trigger jack, brighter output, better bulb technology, higher resolution, completely sealed, built like a tank (yet contemporary) case and RGB inputs all converge to scream HOME THEATER!
Let me make one thing perfectly clear from the get-go: If you crave true black level, then you are apt to be disappointed with the VPL-VW10HT, just as you would any LCD video projector. It will not render the same kind of black black that you would see from a film projector or a CRT projector (however sometimes I think this area deserves less scrutiny than it receives). Because of the phenomenally increased brightness, the darkest blacks that I could attain were bright enough to prove distracting on occasion -- especially during dark scenes. They almost took on a blue-ish tone. I don't perceive the black level to be any improvement over the W400Q and in fact, in my opinion, black level on the W400Q might be marginally better. The unpublished contrast ratio of the VW10HT may be part of the problem here. Generally, if a manufacturer doesn't publish their contrast ratio numbers, there is probably a good reason...
When the review unit arrived, I had trouble rendering colors that are as pleasing as my trusty W400Q. However, it's not fair to condemn the newcomer considering that my image quality of my W400Q has been attained by some judicious tweaking in the service mode.
You should also keep in mind while reading this review that after spending an hour or so with the projector, I entered the service mode and reset the white balance which offered vast improvements over the "out of the box" image quality. I also left the projector in the "cinema black" mode, which is supposed to enhance black level and extend the bulb life by decreasing the light output of the bulb itself. It also quiets the already quiet fan by another notch -- an added bonus!
I also found that I preferred to leave the Dynamic Picture setting to "on" to further enhance the contrast ratio a bit. In my view, there is no reason to ever watch movies at home in anything but cinema black mode. This projector is plenty bright even at the reduced bulb output. Besides, considering the price tag on replacement bulbs (one of my biggest complaints with Sony), the more life you can squeeze out of it the better.
Here are the things that current and former W400Q projector owners are going to like about this projector:
Increased brightness. Forget about the ANSI lumens ratings. All manufacturers push their displays to limits that would render any image all but unwatchable to strive for the highest numbers. Like the "open gate" method of gauging cinema projector footlamberts (no film in the projector), any numbers that are thrown out to consumers are relative. Just as the W400Q doesn't really produce 400 ANSI lumens during normal viewing, the VW10HT doesn't produce 1,000 either. That being said, the increased brightness over the W400Q is nonetheless quite startling.
On the VW10HT, previously obscured details jump out of the shadows. Ambient room lighting is also no longer an issue. While the projected image is still not as bright as a direct view monitor, it comes a lot closer than the W400 is able to. To give you an example of just how much brighter the VW10HT is than its predecessor, I've provided a few simulated examples, below.
This is a recreation of an experiment I performed with both projectors running simultaneously, projecting the same size image on the same screen. Covering the lens of the VW10HT left me with the W400Q display only and vice-versa. With the lens cap on the VW10HT, the image of the W400Q seemed painfully dark. When I removed the lens cap from the VW10HT, it completely obliterated the projected image from the W400Q! In other words, even the relatively bright "ambient" projection of the venerable W400Q was no match for the increased output of the VW10HT!
The above photos are simulations of the differences in perceived brightness and detail enhancement between a tired bulb on the W400Q (left) and the cinema black mode of the VW10HT (right).
Granted, the outcome would have been less dramatic had my bulb in the W400Q been fresh, but the experience left my jaw hanging agape. I simply could not believe the tremendous difference. Note: Sony's settings were artificially bright and too blue to my liking, washing out detail. Once I adjusted the output to my liking, the VW10HT image did not completely overtake the projected W400Q image, but it remained noticeably brighter and detailed.
Even during the day with a sliding glass door letting light into the back portion of the room, the display on the screen was very enjoyable and impressive. While the W400Q performs best in a totally darkened environment, the VW10HT handles even healthy doses of ambient light with aplomb.
It pains me to have to say this, but after watching the VPL-VW10HT, there is no going back to the W400Q. At least, not without investing in new bulb for my older projector. It pains me further that Sony is going to want this review unit back. It hasn't got a single dead pixel.
Which brings up another bone of contention.
In the users manual, Sony tries to claim in their own inimitable way that a few dead pixels are par for the course with this technology. I say that's hogwash. When I buy a new car, I don't consider a few drops of oil on my driveway or a few small chips in the paint as "part of the specifications". I would complain as vociferously to Sony about dead pixels as I would to my car dealer about leaking oil or chips in the paint. In the case of my car dealer, they repainted the whole hood to repair three or four chips along the edge that no one would ever notice -- but me. If I spend six grand on a projector, I want all the pixels to work right out of the box. I don't think that's expecting too much from a Japanese company with the reputation for quality and innovation that Sony enjoys.
The switch from Metal Halide to UHP bulbs for this projector was a good move. While Metal Halide bulbs provide a very even, clean source for light transmission, they tend to fade over time. A Metal Halide bulb that has 1,000 hours on it is going to be less than half as bright as a new bulb. The UHP bulbs on the other hand, sustain their brightness levels at a much higher output until they simply quit.
Sony has retained the fly-eye light integrators for the VPL-VW10HT, providing excellent edge to edge brightness characteristics, but have probably tightened them up in relation to the increased pixel density on the new machine.
One of the true marvels of the W400Q was the staggered pixel array which eliminated the dreaded "screen door effect" inherent in other LCD video projectors that lined the pixels up in evenly spaced rows and columns. One of my greatest apprehensions about the VW10HT was the fact that Sony gave up the staggered pixel design for this model. I needn't have worried. The sheer volume of the pixels (over twice that of the W400Q) create a dense enough field to do the job -- without creating the screen door. I viewed the images from about 15' back from our 119" screen and really couldn't detect pixel structure at all. The image was very smooth for the most part.
One of the biggest complaints about the W400Q was that the image was "soft" -- a notion I have always disputed. Put a well-authored anamorphic DVD or 1080i HDTV feed into the W400Q and you're rewarded with razor sharp clarity. The VW10HT is a bit more forgiving of most programming, thanks to the 3D Comb filter being employed along with the increased resolution. The increased sharpness and brightness of the image is somewhat of a double edged sword, however. Artifacts that previously weren't noticeable on some DVD's stand out now -- and I don't consider that a good thing, necessarily. I doubt that this would be an issue when watching HDTV source programming. In fairness, I need to further experiment with the line quadrupling feature.
For example, on DANCES WITH WOLVES, during the scene in which Kevin Costner emerges in the darkness and fog to see the buffalo herd stampede past him, some of the swirling fog (which appeared smooth on the W400Q) turns into gradient bands of gray on the VW10HT. Additionally, instances of over-sharpening by the studios on some discs jump out at you with jittering edges between the horizontal lines -- even on anamorphic discs. On the plus side, daytime scenes sparkle with a realism and clarity I've not experienced before. Older DVD's that suffered from brightness levels that were less than optimum gain new life as well.
To put the VPL-VW10HT through its paces, I hit it with the heaviest artillery TheBIGPictureDVD.com has in its DVD review library. To check for color and motion artifacts, I watched portions of BLADE, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, TOMORROW NEVER DIES: SE and DANCES WITH WOLVES:SE, among other five globe titles we've been dazzled by. There is one scene within IN THE LINE OF FIRE that revealed the horizontal scan lines of the W400Q like nothing else. When John Malcovich blows up a toy boat in a pond, the explosion of white water made the scan lines on the W400Q stick out like a sore thumb. With the VW10HT, they were barely discernable and would not have been noticed at all during normal viewing. I watched the scene over and over and was very impressed with the outcome of this experiment.
I also watched part of A HARD DAY'S NIGHT to check for color shifting across the grayscale field. The image was incredibly stable with no trace of color shift at all.
With no signal at all being supplied to the projector and viewing a black screen (which I've already pointed out is never, ever black, I noticed a slightly higher concentration of light toward the center of my screen and no traces of the dreaded "green fog" (or any other discoloration) whatsoever. Bear in mind that the increased center brightness on a blank screen is never perceived when watching normal programming. Edge to edge brightness and clarity are both outstanding. Sony has replaced the strange "H" focus pattern from the W400Q with red, green and blue square grids, which make focusing a breeze. Like the W400Q, focus and zoom on the VW10HT are manual, which makes perfect sense. If that comment puzzles you, do a word search on the VPL-W400Q forum and it will be explained in detail.
Other useful features are a new 12 volt trigger switch (which might actually operate a screen relay!), electronic keystone correction (which worked very nicely) and a bulb timer accessible from the main menu screen, right where it should be. The onscreen menus obscure less of the viewing area and are less austere than their W400Q counterparts. In other words, they're smaller, in color and a little more contemporary looking -- not that it really makes a bit of difference.
The fan exhaust port has been relocated to the front and the shorter throw distance of this projector leads me to the conclusion that the VPL-VW10HT is positioned as a CRT replacement as much as it is the successor to the VPL-W400Q. Unfortunately, owners of the W400Q who are excited and wish to upgrade to the new player are going to have to reconfigure their home theater setups, unless they happened to ceiling mount or table mount their projector in the middle of the room. I preferred the stealth approach and don't consider a video projector an object d' art -- no matter how curvaceous the ABS plastic case is.
No optional lenses are available, which means the smart (and lucky) guys like me who were able to install their W400Q's behind the back wall of the room will be out of luck. Not only is the ventilation scheme problematic for rear wall installations, but the projector will likely be unable to match the throw distance you needed for your screen when installing the W400Q.
Getting to the lens assembly is an easy affair -- the front plastic piece is removable. Hopefully, some enterprising lens manufacturing company out there will step in to save the day. It would have been better (and more thoughtful) of Sony to make the upgrade path easier for their devoted followers -- especially given all the QC headaches that many of them experienced with the W400Q. Oh well. Nobody bats 1000 -- not even Sony.
In summary, the VPL-VW10HT exceeded my expectations given the lukewarm response of those that saw it at CEDIA in September. Clearly, the demo unit was not quite ready for prime time at the show. Let me assure you, this one was quite ready. Now that I've made some white balance corrections thanks to the recommendation of a video guru I know and trust -- this projector will be even more ready for the next reviewer.
I noted a just hint of burning plastic in the air while using this unit, but I'm assuming this is part of the "new" projector parts breaking in. Let's hope so.
For the technically inclined, I reviewed this projector using a 25' S-Video cable to a Sony DVP-S7000 video player, with its video adjustments set to neutral. While I would have enjoyed reviewing this player with component cables, mine are attached to my VPL-W400Q, which I wanted to leave in place for A/B comparitive purposes. I'm told that the S-Video connection of the VPL-VW10HT actually has a wider bandwidth than the W400Q, meaning that more color information using S-Video is preserved than on the W400Q. Believe me, if the results were this impressive using S-Video, using component or progressive connections can only make things better. HDTV would be positively incredible.
Regretfully, I do not have any HDTV source programming available at present for testing. However, another A/V reviewer whom I know and trust has connected the VPL-VW10HT to HDTV. He says that the resolution is so sharp, clear, colorful and stunning that it's difficult to tell that you're not simply looking out through an open window -- and I believe him.
So long as Sony can keep the quality control problems that plagued the W400Q contained, it looks like they might have a tremendous hit on their hands with the VPL-VW10HT.
Unless I can scrape up the cash to buy a VPL-VW10HT, it looks as though I'd better buy a new bulb for my W400,at least. It's the only way I know to lesson the pains of withdrawal when my VW10HT demo unit goes back to Sony.
The VPL-VW10-HT has drawn some criticism on our user forum because of the use of RCA connectors instead of BNC fittings on the projector end. While this criticism is fully justified for W400Q owners wishing to make the upgrade (they've already purchased their cables), remember that the VPL-VW10HT, unlike its predecessor, is aimed squarely at the consumer market from the get-go. The average Joe knows nothing about the rather esoteric (but admittedly superior) BNC connectors, but the difference in quality is so marginal that it's hardly worth quibbling about. So let's not.
While it would have been nice for Sony to include a standard computer interface input for the RGB side of things, there are more than enough connection options to keep most users very happy. Dot phase is adjustable in RGB mode and there are a host of user options that will keep the most finicky videophile in techno-nirvana till kingdom come. This projector has 43 kinds of preset data for input signals and will automatically detect the input type coming from the source. This also is an improvement over the W400Q, in which the correct aspect ratio in component mode must be selected manually.
I tested the VPL-VW10HT using various anamorphic and non-anamorphic discs. I was pleasantly surprised how good this projector makes even non-enhanced DVDs look. No comparison to their anamorphic counterparts, but still, very watchable. I could only see occasional instances of shimmer between the horizontal lines and in these moments, I wished that Sony had retained the staggered pixel array. However, if punching up the clarity and brightness necessitated the move -- then so be it
Pixel composition is only discernable during very bright scenes and can be mistaken for film grain, but at normal viewing distances of roughly 3 screen heights back from the image, you'll be hard pressed to spot them at all. I watched anamorphic discs, standard letterbox, 4:3 and black and white material. All looked outstanding, except for the black level, which is only a nagging distraction (but only during darkly lit scenes). Experiencing films on this projector featuring low key lighting like SEVEN and DARK CITY might be a somewhat excruciating event. It's a good thing WAIT UNTIL DARK isn't out on DVD yet, or I'd be griping about that one, too.
Conversely, watching the anamorphic A BUG'S LIFE was almost a religious experience. Personally, I would gladly trade some black level for brightness and detail.
The VPL-VW10HT could very well prove to be a CRT slayer.
The backlit remote that comes with the VPL-VW10HT is a vast improvement over the one that came with the VPL-W400Q, but still no great shakes. Home theater owners will want to opt for their whiz-bang universal remotes with all those cool backlit keypads and macro features. However, if you don't already own one of those whiz-bang remotes, you'll be glad to know that Sony has illuminated all of the buttons on the remote for you.
Another thing that VPL-W400 owners will immediately like -- Sony has retained the service menu codes. so getting into the serviceman mode to properly adjust white balance is a snap for the adventurous among us. All the IR signals are the same as the W400Q, so entering the menus with your current remote control settings is a breeze. My biggest problem was that my Marantz RC 2000 remote kept turning both my W400Q and VPL-VW10HT projectors on and accessed both menus while I was fiddling around.
One feature I really like (but haven't had the chance to experiment with yet) is the 6 video memory settings on the remote. Presets can be built-in by the user for each video memory setting that will save optimum contrast, brightness, color, hue, sharpness, RGB enhancement, dynamic picture, color temperature, color system aspect ratio, DRC MF and more. DRC MF is the built in line quadrupler that can either double the number of video signal scanning lines and the number of horizontal pixels resulting in quadrupled image quality or display a clear line or characters without flicker when in the progressive mode. These six remote settings would be a welcome relief to my family. I don't think we've all sat down for a movie yet on the W400Q where I haven't wanted to adjust something!
Sony has in fact, developed a very worthy successor to the VPL-W400Q. Even though somewhat dubious black level and limited mounting options are a bit disappointing, sitting in a darkened (or even fairly well lit) room for several hours with this amazing projector seems to melt those quibbles away. Three and a half years ago, I cut a hole in my rear wall for the W400Q.
It looks like I might have to cut another one in my ceiling for the VPL-VW10HT.
I could ramble on for another five or six thousand words about the many features and discoveries of this projector, but Sony isn't going to let me keep it long enough to experiment with all the features that I'd like to -- unless they forget that I have it or something... (hint, hint).
If you've been waiting for the official green light from TheBIGPictureDVD.com to invest your hard-earned dinero in this projector -- then gentlemen, start your engines. Sony has done it again. The VPL-VW10HT is the real deal that should provide many years of outstanding service. The 3-year U.S. parts and labor warranty on this unit should provide added peace of mind in your home theater investment.
For more information about purchasing the VPL-VW10HT, give Medical Video Systems a call. They've been a longtime supporter of this website and have carved out an enviable reputation with our readers by providing friendly advice, outstanding customer service and competitive prices.