LG 4K PROJECTOR RELEASE

          LG 4K PROJECTOR RELEASE 

So far, Sony has consistently kept its position as the overwhelmingly dominant industry leader in 4K home theater projectors to the point where the company’s models are some of the only offerings for true 4K projection on the market. Of course however, despite the lack of serious competition, Sony’s different projectors and particularly those in the VPL-Series of devices are truly superb products in most ways, with what is usually a native DCI cinematic resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels, excellent color reproduction, stunning contrast and some great luminance in their internal projection bulbs. On the other hand, while we’ve seen some price decreases in these Sony projectors in the last couple of years, they still remain quite expensive for all their quality technology. The current average price of the limited number of models on the market has in no way decreased at the same pace as drops in 4K TV offerings have.
The above is essentially the story for the fairly recently released Sony Sony-VPLVW350ES. It is one superb piece of 4K home entertainment projection technology and it is more affordable than previous projectors we’ve seen but it’s still a very pricey piece of technology, costing as much as some of the very largest and best 4K UHD TVs on sale today

PROS

When loaded to play the very best in native 4K content, the VPL-VW350ES performs admirably. Contrast looks superb and the color quality of native 4K video sources is quite stunning to behold. Furthermore, in a nod in the direction of Sony’s legacy of producing some of the world’s most widely used and popular professional cinematic 4K theater projectors, Sony has given the VPL-VW350ES a native resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. This results in a slightly wider aspect ratio for the projection and about 500,000 extra pixels, to which native 4K UHD content is scaled up to cover. In reality, the extra scaling and the extra pixels will be practically unnoticeable when viewed on the display surface of your choice.

Once again, the picture quality for said native 4K content on the VPL-VW350ES is this projector’s single biggest selling point. Sony has managed some amazing picture quality in the VPLVW350ES. Colors are vibrant and the projector also delivers some truly excellent inky deep contrast levels which further augment how well colorful scenes appear on the projection screen. What we also love about the 350ES is that despite being the “cheapest” of the Sony home theater projectors currently on sale, with no HDR capacity built into it like some of its peers, it still performs admirably across the board with native 4K content.

Finally, price-wise, this particular Sony projector is what you’d call your most reasonably priced native 4K projection option. There are cheaper upscaled (faux) 4K projectors being sold by JVCand even Epson but they do not offer native 4K projection capacity, instead delivering what amounts to a sort of Full HD upscaling projection from what are native Full HD sensors. For real native cinematic 4K video display, the VPL-VW350ES is so far at least as cheap as it gets and it performs very well against its somewhat brighter and more contrast-rich but pricier cousins from the same Sony line.

CONS

On the other hand, for all its ability to project native 4K UHD content in excellent quality, the VPL-VW350ES oddly delivers upscaled non-native 4K content sources such as HD video with less quality than we would have expected from it in comparison to the competition. In fact, for native Full HD video, rival models from JVC like the DLA-X700R not only perform slightly better but also deliver slightly better contrast overall. This is not to say that the VPL-VW350ES upscales non-4K content like HD Blu-ray disc media and DVD video poorly, because it doesn’t, at all! It’s just to say that the differences between its performance and the performance of a much cheaper rival like the JVD e-shift “4K” projector mentioned above is slightly notable and this is surprising given the specs present in the VPL-VW350ES.

Furthermore, as we’d already mentioned quickly, the Sony VPL-VW350ES does not offer specific HDR enhancements such as those we’ve seen in a few other higher priced Sony 4K projectors for the home user. This of course doesn’t mean its contrast looks bad, since just pointed out how rich and inky the black levels delivered by the 350ES can be for high quality native content in a well darkened room but the overall quantity of dynamic range stops is weaker in this model and contrast could have been better still for all its quality and the price you’re paying for this device.

Finally, speaking of that price, it’s still not cheap. While less expensive than counterparts we’ve seen sold by Sony, the VPL-VW350ES still comes priced at a level comparable to those of the very best and largest flagship 4K TVs sold on the 2016 TV market and these TVs on the whole offer a much richer range of display specs, smart TV features and connectivity options even if they offer smaller display spaces. This means that in a choice between spending $8,000 or more on the VPL-VW350ES or a truly top-shelf 4K TV, you’d probably get better value out of the TV, even if it offers less location flexibility.

CONCLUSION

Overall, Sony’s VPL-VW350ES is one superb piece of 4k home entertainment technology by almost any measure and if what you’re determined to buy is a real native 4K home theater projector, then this particular model offers some of the best value for your money spent on the current market, though we think a large flagship 4K TV would be an even better purchase for general home viewing. In the new 4K UHD projector, LG claims the brightness reaches up to at 2,500 lumens that makes it the brightest projector from the company until now. Apart from the 4K resolution, LG provides HDR video support with HDR10. LG says the HU80KA projector will work well regardless of where and how you put it in the room. The projector's portability and upright design have been attributed to the mirrorless L-shaped engine which allows the projector to be positioned on the floor, mounted to the wall, or hung from the ceiling.

The LG HU80KA projector can play media via a USB drive, that also enables users to connect an external keyboard and mouse. When it comes to sound, LG has placed two 7-watt speakers in the projector but it can be connected to external speakers or soundbars. Other audio output options include optical, HDMI, and Bluetooth.

The LG 4K UHD projector runs webOS which means that most of the big streaming apps will be integrated out of the box. LG has not revealed the price and availability details regarding the HU80KA projector as of now. LG will put the whole 2018 projector series on display at the Consumer Electronics Show to be held in Las Vegas. LG will also showcase the latest version of its portable MiniBeam Projector (model PF50K), featuring webOS 3.5 and Full HD resolution.

POSITIVES

• Excellent color delivery
• Superb visual performance for 4K and non-4K content
• Very low noise and heat levels
• Great projection brightness
• Well-designed remote and on-screen menus
• DCI 4K at 4096 x 2160 pixels

NEGATIVES

• Still very expensive
• No HDR
• Contrast could use improvement

SPECS

                

• Weight: 30.6 pounds
• Projection Size: 60” to 300” inches
• Resolution (native): 4K (4096 x 2160) x3 / 26,542,080 pixels
• Contrast Ratio: 200,000:1
• 3D: Yes
• Brightness: 350cd/m2
• Video Compatibility: NTSC, PAL, SECAM, SDTV (480i), EDTV (480p)
• Lamp Life: 2 to 3000 hours
• Lamp output: 1500 lm
• Resolution: 4096x2160 pixels UHD
• Connectivity Ports: HDMI (2 inputs, Digital RGB/Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr), IR IN (Mini Jack), LAN (RJ45, 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX), Remote (RS-232C), TRIGGER (Minijack, DC 12V Max. 100m A), USB (DC 5V. MAX. 500mA)
• Power Zoom/Focus: Yes
• Zoom lens ratio: 2.06:1
• Dimensions: 19.51 x 7.69 x 18.25 in
• 3D capability: Yes, with 3D emitter and optional TDG-BT500A 3D glasses