Tag Archives: Video and HDTV Reviews

I’ve always talked about setting up an outdoor projector for movie nights during the warmer months, but the complexity of projectors has always scared me away. And I imagine I’m not alone in that. The good news is that BenQ has made the difficulties of setting up a portable backyard cinema disappear. The company’s new GS2 wireless portable projector was made for people exactly like me.

The $599 projector is rated to deliver 500 ANSI lumens output, and although projected resolution is limited to 720p (1280 x 720 pixels, 16:9), it will accept a 1080p signal via HDMI. Its internal battery will last for about the length of an average movie – with power saving features enabled it is likely to reach 3 hours.

In a nutshell, the BenQ GS2 projector is not only portable but truly lives up to the promise of “hassle-free wireless setup.” Going into it skeptically, I went from unboxing the GS2 to streaming video through it via my iPhone literally within minutes, much to my surprise. 

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For testing purposes, I relied on both a home-made plywood outdoor screen and my living room wall (textured paint). In both cases the image was crisp and sharp from edge to edge with vivid accurate colors. There was no vignetting and viewing angles were great.

Aside from the easy setup, there’s a lot to like about the cube-shaped portable projector, which measures in at 5.4 by 5.6 by 5.4inches and weights just 3.5 pounds. Very often, products are described as portable when they really aren’t. The GS2, though, earns that adjective not only due to its size, but also its nice, soft canvas carrying case, which holds everything you need for an impromptu exhibition, including the projector’s power adapter along with a few accessories. 

Like most people, I rarely read electronics instruction manuals. But in this case the quick start guide was right there, so I took a look.

The process it details will almost take you more time to read than it actually takes to do. First, you connect the included magnetic power adapter, which is great for instantly disconnecting in the event someone trips over the cord. Then install the wireless dongle.

The bottom of the BenQ GS2 has a standard 1/4”-20, which instantly brought to mind thoughts of my Gitzo tripod. The projector attached securely to the tripod and now can be placed anywhere, not just where I have a flat surface. Relying on the level built into the tripod head, it was quick and easy to get the projector positioned and oriented in no time at all. I also attached a small sand bag to keep it in place.

For the most part, any flat surface will work, just make sure it’s sturdy. The BenQ GS2 has a built-in keystone adjustment of 1D, Vertical ± 40 degrees, making it easy to get a level image.

Once the BenQ GS2 is powered up, focused, and centered on the screen, choose the Wi-Fi network and your device (iOS, MacOS, or Android), and connect them. It was seamless connecting an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro, although the content you can stream varies by device.

Via my iPhone, I was able to get directly onto specific TV apps for local stations and CNN, for example. When I went to play Netflix, though, I got an on-screen message: “The app is not compatible with your device. You can download a compatible version from the Netflix website.” Except I couldn’t.

As stated on the BenQ website, “Please be informed that watching online streaming media content, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+, from mobile devices with a BenQ projector is not a viable option at this moment. This is due to their subscription-based business model with license and copyright concern.”

Hopefully someday soon the copyright gods give our iPhones streaming permission with Netflix and other streaming services to all devices. But not to be defeated, I took out my MacBook Pro and, with Firefox as my browser, I had my Netflix and YouTube accounts working perfectly with the BenQ GS2.

All in all, downloading apps directly to the BenQ GS2 was kind of confusing, but after a few tries I had them playing. Part of the confusion was due to the wireless remote, which did drove me crazy. It not very responsive and it seemed like I had to have it pointing directly at the sensor and be within a short distance. I put in a new battery and it wasn’t much better.

The BenQ GS2 is built with durable construction, though, including a unibody structure and soft rubber exterior, enabling it to withstand a 1.6-foot drop, which doesn’t seem like much, but it’s something. The projector is also IPX2 splash resistant, meaning it can withstand dripping water when it’s tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees. Even knowing, play it safe. Don’t drop it and don’t set it up next to your pool. 

Some features of the BenQ include built in Bluetooth 4.0 to send the audio to your own speaker if you don’t want to rely on the pair of internal two-watt speakers. Built in Wi-Fi works with 2.4 and 5GHz and the interface ports include HDMI (1.4a with HDCP 1.4), USB-C, USB 2.0 (type A), 3.5 mm audio out, and a light sensor.

High Points

• The BenQ GS2 is just as advertised, a portable projector that is easy to use.
• Thanks to its built-in battery and speakers, the GS2 is a complete package for a quick, easy family movie night under the stars.
• The image it delivers is crisp and sharp from edge to edge, with vivid and accurate colors
• At only $599, you’re getting a lot of projector for your money, assuming you don’t expect 4K imagery or HDR support.

Low Points

• Not all streaming services are available, but hopefully that will change in time.
• The wireless remote needs to be close to the GS2 and isn’t always responsive.
• Battery life could be improved.
• The internal speakers are there, but the sound isn’t going to be the life of a party, adding your own speakers makes it come to life.

The Cosmos Max 4K Home Projector ($1,799) is at the top of the line for Nebula – a brand that may not be as well-known as Epson, JVC, or Sony, but as a division of Anker Innovations, there is serious backing behind the name. The Cosmos Max is more than a simple video projector, in that it has built-in speakers and Android TV 9.0, making it an all-in-one entertainment system.

The Cosmos Max 4K is a “Faux-K” projector in that it utilizes a 1920×1080 DLP panel and uses pixel shifting to create a 3840 x 2160 image. Nebula obtains 1500 ANSI lumens with an RGB LED light source. In addition to Android TV streaming capabilities via Wi-Fi, the Cosmos Max 4K can also receive signals via Chromecast, as well as its HDMI and USB inputs. The HDMI input will accept signals up to 4K at 60 frames per secondm with support for HDR10 and HLG. Its static contrast ratio is rated at 1000:1, witha claimed dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1. The fixed 1.2 zoom means you will need to place the projector between 31 and 157 inches from the screen to get an image between 30 and 150 inches. The instructions suggest placing the projector so it squarely faces a flat, white wall. The Cosmos Max has a built in autofocus system that worked to quickly focus the projector, resulting in a sharp picture. I tried the keystone correction and it worked fairly well, but resulted in some visible artifacts that were easily eliminated by squaring the projector up to the wall.

The Cosmos Max has a socket in the bottom for mounting to an optional ceiling pole mount or tripod. I used a tripod I already had on hand and placed it approximately nine feet from the wall, which provided an image measuring just over 7.5 feet wide. The image was bright enough to be watchable during the day in a room with windows, so long as the sun was not directly hitting the viewing surface. Contrast was fairly good in a dark room, but the image appeared washed out in a room lit well enough to read. While the Cosmos Max’s brightness is reported as 1,500 lumens, it appeared a bit dimmer than other similarly spec’d projectors.

During my time with the projector, most of my viewing was through the built-in streaming apps, including my son’s favorite, YouTube. Netflix had to be “side loaded” with the firmware I had, but that may change with future versions. I also did a little bit of viewing via my Oppo UDP-203 using the Cosmos Max’s HDMI input. The Cosmos Max had no problem accepting signals ranging from 480p to 4K and did a decent job with upscaling lower-resolution signals, but with a few more jagged edges than when I set my Oppo to do the scaling.

In addition to trying a white wall as a screen, I also used my Stewart StudioTek100 screen, which made a noticeable improvement on sharpness and color uniformity. I should note that those of you without a screen or white wall are not entirely out of luck, as the settings menu has presets for other wall colors. I tried them on other walls of different colors and it was a decent start, but the farther you get away from white, the harder it will be to get reasonably accurate colors.

The speakers on the Cosmos Max sounded decent for their size, but don’t expect the equivalent of a dedicated audio system.  If you are used to a full-blown speaker setup like I am, you may find the same quirk as I did.  If the projector is close to the wall, the sound will come from an imaging point that makes sense, but if you hang the projector from the ceiling or set it on a table, voices will be strangely oriented from the projector rather than where you see the projector. Connecting the Cosmos Max to an external audio system will of course fix this.

High Points

• The Cosmos Max is incredibly easy to setup and use, making it much more likely to be used more often.  
• The built-in speaker sounds surprisingly good, with intelligible dialogue, reasonable dynamics at moderate volumes, and even a respectable soundstage.
• The video quality of the Cosmos Max, with its out of the box settings and autofocus, was not entirely accurate on the color spectrum, but quite watchable without further tweaking.

Low Points

• The Cosmos Max’s power cable has a large brick in a few feet away from the projector. This is not a problem if you are setting it on a tabletop or tripod, but can be a problem if you are doing a ceiling mount.
• There is a slight green tint to the right of white text that is visible when sitting close to the screen.
• The picture is a bit dimmer than what I would expect to see given the rated light output.

How Does the Nebula Cosmos Max Compare to the Competition?

The BenQ HT3550 ($1,699) is also a DLP pixel-shifting projector, but has ISF Certification settings and a large color gamut. The speakers do not appear to be as good as those built into the Cosmos Max, but the 2000 lumens of brightness may make up for it depending on your needs. If you need even more brightness, the BenQ TK850 has less color accuracy but is brighter at 3,000 lumens.

Optoma’s UHD52ALV ($1,799) 3, projector appears to employ the same DLP chip and has an optional wireless dongle for streaming. It also has Alexa and Google controls.

Lastly, the Epson EF12 ($899) is a small laser-based 1080p, LCD, 1,000-lumen unit with built in streaming.

For a more projector related information please be sure to check out HomeTheaterReview.com’s projector page.

Final Thoughts

The Cosmos Max surprised me, in a pleasant way. I am used to high-performance projectors and audio gear in a dedicated theater room, which doesn’t exactly make me a prime candidate for reviewing an all-in-one unit. Then again, although the Cosmos Max cannot match the performance of any of the better 4K projectors or any decent audio system, it doesn’t really need to. The projector puts out a perfectly watchable image so long as the room is relatively dark, and while the sound may not shake the room, it is enough to be engaging. In my many years of reviewing audio gear, this is one of only a handful of products that has caught the attention of my “non-techie” friends.

My friends were impressed by the same thing I found to be the real beauty of the Cosmos Max: it’s a highly portable entertainment system that you can set it up just about anywhere in just a couple of minutes and start watching whatever you want to stream. If you want even more performance, you can use the menu to adjust the picture and audio output to connect to a full audio system. The flexibility of the Cosmos Max to be either a portable, all-in-one entertainment system or a projector in a dedicated theater system makes it attractive. At $1,800, it’s a good start for a home projector from a relatively new brand, but I think it would be more attractive in the $1,400 to $1,600 price point.  If the price tag is a little too steep for your wallet, there is a 1080p version called the Cosmos (sans the “Max”), available for $799.

After posting my initial First Look article for Sony’s new VPL-VW915ES, the company was kind enough to let me hang on to it so I could get a more in-depth feel for the projector. As I previously wrote, Sony has added in some new hardware and software features over the previous model, which help improve the overall experience and improve picture quality, too. While I don’t think it’s fair to say these improvements constitute a revolutionary jump in overall performance, the improvements over the VPL-VW885ES the 915ES replaces are the types of gains in performance that were needed most. And, most importantly, Sony has dropped the price by twenty percent, bringing the MSRP down to $19,999.

The first of these improvements is an updated dynamic contrast system, which Sony calls Dual Contrast Control. At launch, the 885ES was only using its laser light source to dynamically boost contrast performance. With DCC on the 915ES, Sony has enabled the iris found within the lens to help further enhance contrast. With two ways to boost contrast, Sony can not only more efficiently adapt the projected image, it can also do it with fewer visible dynamic contrast-related artifacts. In fact, with the exception to full-fades-to-black, the 915ES has one of the most well-programmed dynamic contrast systems found in any home theater projector available today. With normal, everyday video content, I witnessed no issues with pumping, flickering, or gamma shifts like you see on most other projectors using dynamic contrast.

The second notable improvement is an updated video processing solution, which Sony claims can analyze more parameters of the video than ever before, down to the individual pixel level. The new ‘X1 for projector’ video processing solution found inside the 915ES also allows Sony to include a new HDR processing mode called Dynamic HDR Enhancer. As I mentioned in my First Look article, however, this new software feature is not a dynamic tonemapping solution that many were hoping for. Instead, this appears to be no more than an updated and tweaked version of the Contrast Enhance software feature of the 885ES. While this new software definitely provides a boost in subjective image quality when viewing HDR10 video, it still falls a bit behind some of the more advanced tonemapping techniques currently employed by other brands in the premium projector market. More on this later.

As I mentioned before, pretty much everything else with this projector remains the same compared to the previous model. The 915ES still uses Sony’s latest 0.74-inch native 4K SXRD panels, a long-lasting Z-Phosphor (blue laser and phosphor) light source providing owners with up to 2,000 lumens of light output, a fully motorized lens with lens memories, Sony’s Reality Creation upscaling and image refinement engine, Digital Focus Optimizer to help offset lens focus non-uniformity, MotionFlow creative frame interpolation with video sources up to 4K60p, as well as support for HLG, HDR10 (with REC2020 compatibility), and 3D.

Setting Up the Sony VPL-VW915ES

The 915ES comes in an attractive matte black chassis that looks nearly indistinguishable from the 995ES I reviewed last year. This is a fairly large and bulky projector, weighing in at a hefty 44 pounds. Take note of this if you plan on ceiling-mounting the projector. You’re going to need an extra set of hands if you want to do this safely.

The main thing that sets the 915ES apart from the 995ES in looks is a slightly less impressive lens to help justify the reduction in price. Sony specifies the throw ratio for this lens as a wide 1.38:1 to 2.83:1, with up to ±85 percent vertical and ±31 percent horizontal lens shift. This gives owners a ton of flexibility in where the projector can be placed in relation to the screen. And with the lens being centrally mounted and fully motorized, it makes the initial setup quick and painless. Owners can simply walk up to their screen and dial in zoom, shift, and focus with the remote control. If you notice some issues with convergence during setup, the 915ES features a digital convergence correction feature in the menu system to better align the projector’s three primary color images. I highly suggest you take advantage of this software for the sharpest-looking image possible.

Connection options are pretty typical for a home theater projector in this price segment. Owners will find a pair of full-bandwidth HDMI 2.0b ports; a pair of 12-volt triggers; dedicated IR, IP, and RS-232 system control options; and a type-A USB port for system updates. If you happen to misplace your remote, Sony has also included physical buttons on the chassis to control the projector. The included remote is one of the best in the business. It’s large, backlit, and gives you direct access to nearly every picture control option you’d want to have in the palm of your hand.

The menu system is intuitively laid out, with a whole host of options available within to alter the image and control the projector. As well as basic calibration controls, the 915ES offers a full color management system, two-point white balance controls, user-selectable gamma settings, and laser power settings to control the peak white image brightness of the projector. Other useful settings found within the menu system are the Reality Creation smart sharpening and noise reduction options, MotionFlow smooth motion options, Cinema Black Pro dynamic contrast options, manual HDR video processing options, and manual color space control options. 

The projector also comes with several preset picture options to choose from, each ideal for a different setup scenario. Unless you’re placing the 915ES in a less-than-ideal space with poor light control, you’ll want to stick to the projector’s Reference picture mode, as it offers the best out-of-the-box image performance, but the least amount of light output. If you’re struggling with image brightness, you have the option of choosing a different image mode to gain some light output, but at the expense of image accuracy.

If you plan on gaming with the 915ES, you’ll find a dedicated low-lag video processing mode that dramatically reduces the time it takes for the signal to be received and ultimately displayed on screen. With my Leo Bodnar input lag tester, I measured an excellent 21 milliseconds of lag, which is about as good as it gets for a projector in this price range and a low enough figure for most non-competitive gamers.

If you plan on using an anamorphic lens with the 915ES, you’ll be happy to hear that the projector not only includes an anamorphic scaling mode for traditional 1.33x anamorphic lenses, but also those manufactured by Panamorph, which allows owners to use the entire 4096 by 2160 pixel count of the projector for increased image brightness on screen. If you zoom to fill your anamorphic aspect ratio screen, you can set lens settings to memory to be recalled later. Owners have five dedicated memory slots that can be used for specific aspect ratios.

While all major 3D formats are supported, glasses are not included in the box. The 3D emitter is built into the projector, with no dedicated port on the back for use with a third-party emitter. So if you plan on watching 3D, be sure to pick up some glasses when you order the projector.

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How Does the Sony VPL-VW915ES Perform?

At the 915ES’s premium $19,999 price point, I was expecting nothing short of class leading performance across the board. And, other than with some issues in the way this projector handles HDR10 video (which we’ll discuss more in the next section), the 915ES provides one of the best projected images available today.

Sony has designed a projector that offers top-tier performance in nearly every facet of its image. This projector offers a rare combination of high contrast, high brightness, strong color saturation, native 4K resolution, and high-quality video processing that few other projectors currently have. With SDR video in particular, you’d be hard pressed to find another projector available today that looks as good as the 915ES does overall. And if we look at the measured performance, it’s easy to see why.

Out of the box, choosing the projector’s aptly named Reference picture mode, the 915ES offers just that. In fact, once I calibrated out the small white balance shift my screen introduced into the image with the included two-point white balance controls, the 915ES offered the best out-of-the-box image performance I’ve seen from any projector to date. No other changes within the menu system were needed to achieve an accurate calibration. And, compared to the lamps typically used in home theater projectors, this projector’s laser light source is far less prone (though not immune) to changes in the quality of light entering the optical engine, so owners should expect this level of performance to remain for quite some time.

As you can see, grayscale performance tracked nicely across all IREs, with the projector accurately covering the entire REC709 color gamut required for most SDR video. And with the gamma correction setting option enabled within the menu system, opting for the 2.2 preset, I measured flat performance across all IREs as well, with delta errors across the board well below 3.0, which is the threshold for visible errors.

For HDR10 video sources, the 915ES offers a REC2020 compatibility mode. After calibration, I measured the projector to cover nearly 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut within the REC2020 triangle. While this level of color performance is technically a step below a few other projectors near or below the 915ES in price, in practice, I found this level of color saturation beyond REC709 still subjectively satisfying enough and definitely noticeable with content that makes good use of it.

I often use Inside Out on Ultra HD Blu-ray to test out color saturation performance because it has some of the deepest and most vibrant shades of color found in any video material available today. And while a few other projectors may have a small yet noticeable lead in color rendition, I was still more than satisfied by the performance offered by the 915ES. Colors appeared well-saturated and natural in tone.

Light output offered by the 915ES is class competitive. After an SDR calibration, with the projector’s lens set to maximum zoom and the laser light source set to maximum output, I measured peak light output at 1,750 lumens, which is bright enough to fill a fairly large sized projection screen in a dedicated, light-controlled space. If you prefer less light to hit your screen, you have the option to adjust the laser light source output, in one percent increments, down to your desired level.

Contrast performance is also very good overall. I measured a maximum native contrast ratio of 14,300:1, after calibration. And with regular video content playing on screen, you can expect just under 30,000:1 dynamic contrast with Sony’s new Dual Contrast Control system enabled. Additionally, with the dynamic contrast system setting set to Full, the lasers shut off when an all-black image is detected, effectively giving the 915ES an infinite level of contrast. However, throw just a few pixels of non-black picture information into frame and you jump back up to the same black level that 30,000:1 in on/off contrast provides.

Other than what’s provided by current JVC projectors, the 915ES is about as good as it gets for contrast performance from any home theater projector available today. Despite being used to the level of contrast my reference JVC DLA-NX9 provides, there were only a few instances throughout my time with this projector where I felt the level of contrast provided was at a disadvantage. 

It took some pretty challenging video, such as the opening sequence of Avengers: Infinity War, to show the difference. I like to use this sequence to test contrast and black level performance because it not only shows the blackness of space, but also some pretty tough low-lit interior shots where mixed dark and bright elements appear on screen at the same time. While this sequence through the 915ES didn’t have quite the same dynamic range or black floor provided by my NX9, the performance was still extremely impressive, dwarfing all of the other projectors that I’ve reviewed recently in terms of raw dynamic range within the image. So, unless you plan on watching a lot of extremely dark video content, like you’d find on the later Harry Potter films or Game of Thrones, the 915ES should satisfy all but the pickiest of videophiles.

Keen-eyed readers may have noticed that a lot of these measurements are nearly identical to those I measured from Sony’s far more expensive VPL-VW995ES projector, which helps cement the idea I’ve had ever since the 915ES arrived – you’re getting nearly the same overall level of performance and image quality, but for dramatically less money. The crucial bit that I think makes this a reality is a much-improved lens compared to older 4K SXRD projectors that use, supposedly, the same lens. I’m assuming that Sony is hand-picking the best lenses for this model, which would explain what I’m seeing. The 915ES focused down on pixels a bit tighter and focus uniformity across the entire image has improved over previous models that share this same lens. It’s to the point where, from a normal seating distance, I don’t know how much an improvement in image sharpness the 995ES’s ARC-F lens would add.

The only areas of measured performance I’d like Sony to try and improve upon would be to increase native on/off contrast performance closer to what JVC is currently offering near this price point, and provide additional color saturation performance to cover, at minimum, the full DCI-P3 color gamut within REC2020.

The Downside

The only major drawback to the 915ES is with its software handling of HDR video material. Let me be clear – if you want to get the most from this projector when playing back HDR10 video material, like you’ll find on Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and HDR video from most streaming services available today, you’ll want to steer clear of the built-in HDR video processing solution. It’s not that what’s included is bad, per say, it’s just that the way it processes and displays HDR is outdated by today’s standards. It’s the kind of HDR rendering performance I’d expect to see in the sub-$5,000 price segment, not something worthy of a projector costing four times more. So if you want to leverage all that this projector has to offer in terms of dynamic range and color fidelity, you’ll want to purchase something like a Lumagen Radiance Pro or madVR Envy to dynamically tonemap HDR video content instead.

The problem is that Sony is still adhering to either a reference PQ curve or an optional static tonemapping solution (enabled by default), which can be further augmented by Sony’s new Dynamic HDR Enhancer software tool. You can think of a static tonemap as a way to compress the huge amount of dynamic range encoded into an HDR10 image down into a fixed range set by the software that’s easier for low-light displays to handle. 

The problem with this method is that the amount of dynamic range encoded into the video signal fluctuates as it moves from scene to scene and frame to frame, so this single set of instructions on how to compress an ever-changing amount of dynamic range found in the video is rarely ideal for all portions of the video being played back. What you’re often left with are clipping artifacts and an image that can appear overly dark, colors that appear oversaturated, and, ironically, subjectively lacking in dynamic range. Sony uses their Dynamic HDR Enhancer tool to try and fix some of these inherent flaws to a static tonemap approach. This software is what’s known as a digital contrast enhancement tool, not dynamic tonemapping. 

In a nutshell, with this software, Sony shifts certain brighter pixels rendered within the static tonemapped image brighter, and makes certain darker pixels darker, in an effort to give the appearance there is more dynamic range within the image. Additionally, the software applies some desaturation of color to help mitigate any obvious oversaturated color issues. The processing works on a frame-by-frame basis. But compared to more advanced ways to tonemap HDR10 video material, even Sony’s Dynamic HDR Enhancer software leaves a lot to be desired. You still end up with an image that can appear overly dark and lacking in apparent dynamic range and, with particularly high-nit HDR10 video content, pixel information that’s supposed to be visible can be lost to clipping.

These inherent problems are why others in the industry, such as JVC and LG, have switched to a dynamic tonemapping (DTM) solution instead. Properly implemented DTM removes all of these issues because it can change the tonemap settings for each individual frame, providing viewers with not only all of the pixel information a static tonemap approach loses to clipping, but an image that appears far brighter overall, with more natural looking colors, and a better sense of dynamic range. When implemented correctly, DTM affords low-light output displays, like most home theater projectors, a new lease on life when it comes to presenting HDR. This is why JVC and LG include such software with their projectors and I’d like to see Sony make the same move on any subsequent 4K SXRD models. JVC and LG currently offer this type of HDR processing on models costing nearly a quarter the price of the 915ES, so Sony has no excuse not to include it as well. It really does make that much of a difference.

I fully realize that adding one of these outboard video processing solutions dramatically increases the cost of owning this projector. If you find yourself struggling to justify the additional cost, I’d recommend using one of Panasonic’s Ultra HD Blu-ray players to handle HDR10 video material instead. All models, including Panasonic’s $249 DP-UB420, feature the company’s excellent smart static tonemapping software, which not only gives you more control over how the HDR image is processed and rendered; HDR image quality is a step above what Sony’s built-in processing provides, too.

How Does the Sony VPL-VW915ES Compare to the Competition?

JVC’s DLA-NX9 (aka DLA-RS3000 in certain markets) is the 915ES’s direct competitor. These projectors have a lot in common and also a few key differences. Both are native 4K, offer a similar level of light output, similar build quality, and feature many of the same video processing and software features. 

One of the main differentiating features between the two is that the NX9 is lamp-based, while the 915ES uses a laser-based light source, which is where I think Sony justifies asking $2,000 more for their projector. But the NX9 offers far greater native and dynamic contrast ratios, more color saturation, a slightly nicer lens, and a far more robust HDR video processing solution (the real-time dynamic tonemapping mentioned above), which elevates stock HDR performance well above what the 915ES currently offers.

At the end of the day, if you’re the kind of person who plans on watching a lot of HDR video, the NX9 is simply a better projector for this type of video content. That is, unless you want to spend extra money on an outboard video processing solution to bridge the gap with the 915ES. If HDR isn’t your cup of tea, however, as I noted throughout my review, SDR video performance is extremely impressive, with image quality that truly reflects Sony’s asking price.

Final Thoughts

Sony’s VPL-VW915ES offers the kind of measured performance and image accuracy that most home theater projectors only wish they could have. With that said, I feel that Sony has dropped the ball a bit with its software handling of HDR10 video material compared to others in the premium home theater projector space. And with HDR video quickly becoming ubiquitous across all platforms, this puts the 915ES a step behind some of its direct competitors.

If you’re spending nearly twenty grand on a projector, I think it goes without saying that you’re looking for a complete solution that allows you to maximize picture quality, no matter the type of video content being played back. The 915ES has the ability to look excellent with HDR video material relative to what others in the premium home theater projector market space are currently offering. Remember, it has the raw image performance necessary to do this. It’s just that it needs some help to get there. Namely from a Lumagen Radiance Pro or from madVR. I had the opportunity to use both of these video processors with the 915ES while it was here and can attest that HDR did indeed look excellent. So if you plan on buying this projector, know that adding an outboard video processing solution is a prerequisite If you want to take advantage of all that the 915ES has to offer.

While Epson might be marketing its new Home Cinema 3800 as an evolutionary jump in performance over the HC3700 it replaces, this new projector simply feels like so much more. That’s because Epson has given the HC3800 several really important performance and functionality upgrades that I think make it an incredible value for its $1,699 asking price.

One of the most important new features is the company’s proprietary 4K PRO-UHD pixel shifting technology. 4K PRO-UHD supplements the projector’s native 1080p image to increase perceived resolution to near-4K. The HC3700 was limited to native 1080p, and while pixel-shifting can’t quite match the single pixel performance of true native 4K panels, in my experience, it gets you most of the way there.

The other huge upgrade the HC3800 gets is compatibility with Ultra HD video sources with support for both HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range. To make this happen, Epson has overhauled the electronics and video processing of the projector. In fact, as far as I can tell, you’re now getting essentially the same video processing solution found in the 5050UB (reviewed here). And, as you’d expect from any 4K HDR-compliant display, Epson has upgraded the HDMI ports to be 18Gbps HDMI 2.0 compliant.

Like the previous model, Epson is still specifying 3,000 lumens of light output. However, it appears there have been some changes made to the projector’s light engine. Epson now claims up to 100,000:1 dynamic contrast, which is a more than 40 percent increase over the previous generation.

Most of the other specifications remain the same. Notable features include continued support for all major 3D formats, an all-glass lens with both horizontal and vertical lens shift, a stereo pair of 10-watt speakers, aptX Bluetooth connectivity, a 250-watt UHP lamp rated for up to 5,000 hours of use, and a two-year limited warranty.

If you’re considering this projector, you might also be considering a single-chip DLP projector. Both technologies have their pros and cons, but I think the pros are what makes the HC3800 such a great value. The first strength is its 3LCD light engine, which makes the projector immune to visible color breakup artifacts (more commonly referred to as rainbows) from which most single-chip DLP projectors suffer. This artifact presents itself as fleeting flashes of color in your peripheral vision when mixed bright and dark elements appear on screen at the same time. They can be a bit distracting when you’re trying to watch a movie, so the Epson’s lack thereof is a big deal for people especially susceptible to this artifact.

What’s worse, visible color breakup artifacts are even more problematic for single-chip DLP projectors in the era of HDR. As manufacturers continue to increase light output to better display this high-brightness format, the color breakup artifacts associated with sequential-color DLP projectors become exponentially easier to see. So if you’re even the slightest bit sensitive to rainbows (most people are), going with a single-chip DLP projector that’s as bright as the HC3800 is probably not the best idea. Choosing a projector that uses a 3-chip light engine is a much safer choice in this regard.

Another huge advantage of this projector is its color performance, especially in comparison to many of the brighter single-chip DLP projector options in this price class. In order for brighter DLP projectors to put out a competitive level of light, they often sacrifice color saturation performance to get there, with many not even able to fully cover the REC709 color gamut (1080p Blu-ray color reproduction), let alone color saturation past this to better handle the deeper gamut encoded into most of the 4K HDR10 video content available today. The HC3800 has a picture mode that allows for both high brightness and relatively strong color saturation performance that’s important to more faithfully render Hollywood films and shows.

The HC3800 also has a significant edge in on/off contrast performance. Most Hollywood films and shows these days are fairly dark overall, so choosing a projector with an inherent strength in contrast performance should be near the top of your list of things to consider when shopping for a home theater projector, especially if movies dominate your viewing habits. Unfortunately for DLP, the technology has actually gone backwards in potential contrast performance over the last ten years, with Texas Instruments now focusing more on how much resolution hits your screen over some of these other, more important, aspects of image quality.

Setting Up the Epson HC3800

The HC3800 is a relatively small and light projector, which made installation and setup quite easy compared to most of the other home theater projectors that have come through here recently. I chose to shelf-mount the projector in the back of my theater, but the HC3800 can just as easily accommodate a ceiling mount installation. For those shelf mounting, Epson includes a pair of adjustable feet to help achieve proper image geometry on screen.

Unlike most projectors at or around its price, the HC3800 offers a wide throw range of 1.32 to 2.15 and a generous amount of lens shift, specified as ±60 percent vertical and ±24 percent horizontal. This gives you a ton of flexibility as to where the projector can be placed in relation to the screen. For trickier setup scenarios, the projector includes keystone correction software that allows for ±30 degrees in both vertical and horizontal planes. If you can avoid it, though, I highly suggest setting the projector up in a location that does not require the use of this software, as keystone correction reduces image resolution and apparent sharpness.

All lens controls are manual, as one would expect from a projector at this price. But other than dialing in the focus adjustment, this doesn’t really pose any major issues during the setup process. With that said, I’d recommend taking your time dialing in the focus on this particular projector. On my review sample, I found the focus sweet-spot to be quite small. Like a fussy shower faucet, dialing it even just a hair off of that spot resulted in obviously soft focus (though, thankfully, I was never frozen or scalded in my experimentation)

Lens quality is decent for a projector at this price, with no obvious signs of onscreen chromatic aberrations. Panel convergence was also spot on with my review sample. Should your HC3800 need some help in this area, you can take advantage of the convergence correction software found in the menu.

For connections, the HC3800 comes equipped with the aforementioned pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, but also a pair of USB ports to power connected devices, a 3.5mm analog audio output to feed external speakers, a single 12-volt trigger port, an RS-232 port for system control, and a Kensington lock for installations where extra security is needed.

While the HC3800 supports 3D, be aware that the projector doesn’t have a 3-pin DIN port to allow use of 3rd party emitters and glasses. Instead, the 3D emitter is built into the projector, with Epson specifying the company’s V12H548006 3D glasses as the only ones compatible with the projector. Glasses aren’t included in the box, so you may want to order some with the projector if you plan on watching 3D.

If you’ve used an Epson home theater projector in the past decade or so, you should feel right at home inside the menu system of the HC3800. You’ll will find four preset picture modes to choose from, although if you care about image accuracy, you’ll want to select Cinema mode. It’s the only picture mode that fully covers the REC709 color gamut (and then some). However, this mode offers the least amount of light output. So if you’re installing the projector in a setting where you need to fight some ambient light, like in a living room or office, you may want to consider using Natural mode instead. It won’t offer reference image performance, but it’s still reasonably accurate and provides an additional 25 percent in light output over Cinema mode.

The picture controls and optional video processing features on the HC3800 are essentially identical to Epson’s more expensive home theater models. If you’re the kind of person who likes to dial in the image or have a full calibration done, the projector offers extensive white balance, gamma, and color control options that make achieving a reference image easy. In fact, for its price, the amount of control you have over the image is class-leading. In particular, the gamma control options are better than some of projectors costing tens of thousands of dollars more.

Other useful settings in the menu system include three separate lamp modes to dial in your desired image brightness, two contrast-boosting dynamic iris modes, manual color space and dynamic range controls, dedicated scaling modes for use with an anamorphic lens, IP system control options via WiFi, 12-volt trigger modes, and settings to enable the projector’s smooth motion frame interpolation software. The latter is only available when a 1080p resolution image (or lower) is sent to the projector, though.

Just like the 5050UB I reviewed last year, the HC3800 also includes a suite of image enhancing software options meant to complement its 4K PRO-UHD technology. Most of these settings are designed to remove artifacts or help extract more detail out of the high-resolution video being sent to the projector. Epson includes five preset modes with increasing strength that can be further customized and saved to memory. I’d advise going light on these settings, though. When set too high, they often have a net-negative impact on image quality, resulting in a hard, overly processed picture.

How Does the Epson Home Cinema 3800 Look?

For all of the reasons detailed above, I selected the Cinema picture mode as a starting point for calibration. Prior to calibration, the projector’s white balance had too much blue. Using the projector’s 2-point white balance controls fixed the excess in blue, with delta errors averaging 2.9 after calibration, which is just below the detectable threshold for visible errors.

For color performance, I measured Cinema mode to cover 114 percent of the REC709 color gamut. This can be toned down if you find colors a bit too saturated. There was a bit of shift with shades of orange that I wasn’t able to calibrate out, as you can see in this color checker test found within Chromapure. Despite this, delta errors still averaged 2.7 after calibration, with the projector nailing most of the other color points. 

For light output, Cinema mode offered a maximum of 1,615 lumens in High lamp mode, 1,422 lumens in Medium, and 1,196 lumens in Eco after calibration. For any reasonably sized projection screen in a light controlled environment, Eco mode should offer enough light to fill a screen for SDR video content. The added benefit of using Eco mode is that fan noise from the projector is drastically reduced to a near-whisper level. Most similarly priced projectors I’ve tested recently are considerably louder when calibrated to output this much light. So, if your seats are close to where your projector is placed inside your room and you’re looking for a really quiet projector, the HC3800 is a great option based solely on this aspect.

For HDR10 video content, the HC3800 offers a REC2020 compatibility mode where the projector’s color performance past REC709 can be used to good effect. I measured it to cover 84 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut within the REC2020 triangle. It doesn’t quite reach full DCI-P3 color performance like some DLP projectors near its price, but the color performance is still more than acceptable.

Contrast performance from the HC3800 is class-leading. After calibration, I measured a maximum native on/off contrast ratio of 2,004:1. If you choose to enable the projector’s dynamic iris, it substantially boosts on/off contrast performance. You can choose between Fast and Normal modes, each of which alters how quickly the iris moves when it detects a change in the average picture level of the video. Both modes increased contrast performance the same, to 31,259:1. If this sounds too good to be true, you’re absolutely right. This high level of contrast is only achievable when the projector detects an all-black image. After I introduced a single, non-black pixel into the image, the amount of dynamic contrast dropped down to about 6,000:1, which is the peak amount of contrast you can expect when actual picture information is on screen. Despite the drop, this is still very good performance for a projector at this price.

For gamers, the HC3800 offers owners a low-lag video processing mode to cut down on the time it takes the projector to process and display an image. With my Leo-Bodnar input lag tester, I measured just under 21 milliseconds of input lag. This is a better-than-average measurement relative to other home theater projectors on the market, making the HC3800 a great choice for non-competitive gamers. Just be aware that certain video processing options within the menu system are unavailable when using this mode, as outlined in the user manual.

Testing the Epson Home Cinema 3800 with My Favorite Demo Material

So, what do all these numbers mean in terms of picture quality with actual video content? In most of my recent projector reviews, I’ve been using the first twenty minutes or so of Frozen II on Ultra HD Blu-ray for initial subjective impressions. The beginning of this movie has pretty much everything needed to test out a display’s performance. Scenes transition between extreme darkness and startling brightness several times. There are also plenty of shots with a kt of fine detail, fast camera movement, long sweeping pans, and vibrant colors that are meant to pop. To display this type of content convincingly, the projected image needs to have solid contrast performance, a decent level of image brightness, and provide deep, saturated colors. And, as we already know, the HC3800 excels in all three of these areas.

Despite this, I was still a little worried about some of the darker scenes, especially coming from my (much pricier) reference JVC DLA-NX9, with its far more impressive contrast performance. But those worries were soon put to rest. Even in the really dark sequences, like you see as King Agnarr begins to recount his tale, the HC3800 held its own. Coming from my JVC projector, yes, I could tell the level of black was raised in some of these darker scenes, but not in the obnoxious way you see with many projectors near this price. I found it took some fairly challenging video content to make the difference in contrast performance obvious. You’d be hard pressed to find another projector close to the HC3800’s price point with more apparent dynamic range in the image.

Motion and color performance also looked excellent. After the title sequence, there’s a long panning shot over water that ends on a close up of Elsa staring out from a balcony. The pan was smooth, with excellent motion resolution. Skin tones on Elsa’s face looked convincing as well, while the red and green accent colors painted on the balcony looked satisfyingly saturated.

When the movie transitions to one of its brighter sequences, like where we meet up with Olaf and Anna, subjective performance moves from good to great. The image in this sequence has excellent apparent dynamic range and looks positively three-dimensional. This is one of those image-quality traits you get when you have strong brightness and contrast performance at the same time. 

In particular, ANSI contrast performance is important for brighter video content like this. I didn’t get a chance to measure for this, unfortunately, but when I pulled up the test pattern, it was obvious that this projector excels in this area as well. This is a performance trait normally reserved for DLP projectors. Because of this, the image had an impressive looking-through-the-window quality that’s very rare for a projector at this price. As an example of what I mean, as Olaf turns his head to talk to Anna, you’re almost tricked into thinking his carrot nose protrudes from the screen into your room. Some shots also felt as if I was literally peering into the scene on screen. With imagery this three-dimensional, who needs 3D glasses?

Frozen II was not the exception to the rule. I had similar experiences watching titles like Star Wars: Episode IX, Midsommar, and Mortal Engines on Ultra HD Blu-ray. All looked remarkably good for a projector anywhere near this price.

The Downside

With all that said, there is a bit of a caveat to all of this. I suspect many of you plan on watching a lot of HDR10 video material through the HC3800. To get the most from the projector, I’d actually advise you to steer clear of the built-in HDR static tonemapping solution. Very few home theater projectors offer excellent tonemapping performance, and the ones that do are considerably more expensive. For those unfamiliar, tonemapping is how a display reduces the huge amount of dynamic range encoded into the HDR video to a range that relatively low-brightness displays (like home theater projectors) can actually display on screen. Having a solid tonemapping solution is pivotal if you want to achieve good HDR image quality through a projector.

What I’d recommend instead would be to use Panasonic’s $249 DP-UB420 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. It has the same excellent HDR Optimizer smart tonemapping solution found on the flagship UB9000 (reviewed here). Epson’s tonemapping isn’t bad at all for a projector at this price, but Panasonic’s tonemapping looks much better overall. The image is brighter, colors pop more, and there’s more apparent dynamic range. Consider this a must-have purchase if you plan on watching a lot of Ultra HD Blu-ray content through the HC3800. Play around with some of the tonemap settings on the player until you find a combination that looks best to you.

For a brief period of time, I also tested out the 10-watt stereo speakers built into the projector. As you can imagine, sound quality is lacking. To be fair, these speakers weren’t designed to replace a set of full-range speakers, so keep your expectations in check. Dialogue, however, was nice and clear and they can get pretty loud without obvious signs of distortion. Predictably, though, bass performance was lacking. With that said, I’m sure many will find the speakers handy in a pinch for an impromptu outdoor movie night or something similar. 

A more significant caveat is that Epson needs to work on the programming for their dynamic iris. Even with Fast mode selected, I don’t think it reacts quickly or smoothly enough when needed. This is especially evident when there are quick fades to black. The iris simply takes too long to close down and, as such, you can see a bit of pumping when it closes down and again when it opens back up as picture information returns. Thankfully, the iris isn’t programmed too aggressively when normal picture information is on screen, so it doesn’t intrude in on the experience of watching a movie very often, at least not to the degree I’ve seen from many of the DLP projectors at this level. Though, to be fair, those need more aggressive dynamic contrast solutions to help with their limited native contrast. Either way, the iris can be a bit clunky in its operation and I’d like to see Epson program it to work a bit smarter, if possible.

The only other thing I wish the projector included is a color filter to boost color saturation. I’d like to see at least full coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Most Hollywood films in HDR10 are color graded to offer deeper shades of color that reach out to DCI-P3 saturation within the REC2020 gamut the content is mastered for.

How Does the Epson Home Cinema 3800 Compare with the Competition?

If you’re looking to stick to 3LCD, I’d take a look at Epson’s very own Home Cinema 3200. This is considered the step-down model to the HC3800 and shares the vast majority of hardware and software employs in the HC3800. The main differences between the two are in contrast and light output. The HC3200 is rated for half as much contrast and a little less light output. This may remove the strong contrast advantage the HC3800 offers over most of the DLP projectors near its price, but if you’re planning on using a projector in an environment without adequate light control, you might not benefit from the extra contrast the HC3800 offers anyways, so the HC3200 may be the more logical choice. If you’re viewing in a more light-controlled environment, I’d say the increase in contrast offered is well worth the extra money if you can afford it.

If you’re also considering a single-chip DLP projector, I’d look into the Optoma UHD60. Yes, I know it’s three years old, but this model is still selling quite well and for good reason. At its $1,799 asking price, it’s one of only a few DLP options that seriously competes with the HC3800 in overall image quality and features. The fact is, most of the newer DLP projectors using the .45-inch XPR DMD are severely limited in contrast performance, which I think is extremely important for any projector claiming to be designed for home theater use. With the UHD60’s larger .67-inch DMD and its more optimized light engine, it’s going to offer owners a lot more native and dynamic contrast compared to most of the newer DLP competition.

Final Thoughts

I think it’s pretty obvious that Epson’s Home Cinema 3800 impressed me. In particular, the balance this projector strikes between contrast, light output, on-screen resolution, and color performance give it a substantial leg up on most of its competitors. I’m actually a little jealous of the people looking to get into the home theater hobby this year. It’s the kind of projector I wish were available 15 years ago when I first got into this hobby. If the HC3800 fits into your budget, place it on your short list of projectors to consider. I think you’ll be impressed with what you see.