I finally went ALL-IN on 4K!!! (1 Viewer)

[Reed Grele]

Finally took the 4K plunge a few months back with a 65" LG C9 OLED. But after having been bitten by the 4K bug in a BIG way, I just had to up the ante by getting me a 4K projector! And when I say "BIG", I mean near top of the line BIG! So last week I welcomed into my home theater, a full 4K, (4096 x 2160) no pixel shifting going on here, SONY VPL-VW885ES with a 20,000 hour rated laser life! This, without a doubt, is the largest sum of money that I've ever laid out for a home theater device at one time. However, I've spent way more that that over the last 40 years on this hobby!

I've been into projection over 10 years now, and although my 65" LG C9 OLED has perfect inky blacks and eye popping colors, it lacks the immersion factor of a 120" diagonal screen (not to mention my 143" diagonal Ultra Panavision screen).

This may sound like sacrilege, but I've never had a professional calibration done on any of my TV's or projectors. But I'm going to make an exception this time. Any recommendations out there for someone who has tackled one of these beasts before? I'm in CT.

 

[DaveF]

That's great! The 885 is, by all accounts, a *tremendous* projector! How do you enjoy it so far?

 

[Reed Grele]

That's great! The 885 is, by all accounts, a *tremendous* projector! How do you enjoy it so far?

My first observation (aside from the gorgeous, full 4K resolution) was how bright it is. I've played around with most of the picture mode presets, but have settled in with "Cinema 1" for now (I DO plan on having it professionally calibrated soon). I especially like that when a scene fades to black in this mode, the laser turns completely off and the entire room is enveloped in darkness. While the blacks are much better than any other projector that I've ever owned, they obviously can't compare to my LG C9 OLED. But I never expected them to, so I'm not disappointed at all in that regard.

I can honestly say that the same 4K UHD source material that I've played on my 65" OLED (other than extremely dark scenes), looks, to my eyes, almost identical when projected on my 120" screen. In a completely dark room, you'd swear that you were watching a giant OLED TV! If it's that good out of the box, I can't imagine what it will look like when properly calibrated.

An unexpected plus with the 885ES is how good the 3D is. My go to projector for 3D is my Sharp DLP model # XV-Z30000 which has an extremely bright, crosstalk free 3D image. So I am very happy to report that this Sony model produces a very pleasing, bright 3D image that almost equals the Sharp. I sampled a few of the most demanding scenes of my 3D Blu-rays (House of Wax and Despicable Me) and was amazed that a non DLP projector was able to produce almost imperceptible crosstalk, with just the tiniest amount of perceptible flicker. If I hadn't already seen how good DLP handles 3D, I'd be hard pressed to find fault with this Sony.

If I'm still alive and kicking when this projector accumulates 20,000 hours.... I'll probably have already upgraded to whatever the next big breakthrough in home theater display technology is. Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying the heck out of this one to the max!

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I'll put this on my want list. My next display will be a projector if those keep supporting 3D and regular TVs don't. My 75-inch is looking a bit small now anyways, might as well put up the biggest screen that will fit.

 

[Mark McSherry]

Gregg Loewen comments on HTF and is president of Lion Audio/Video Consultants. Not sure about 4K projector calibration with Lion.

 

[TonyD]

How much did you spend on the projector?

 

[John Dirk]

I just had to up the ante by getting me a 4K projector! And when I say "BIG", I mean near top of the line BIG! So last week I welcomed into my home theater, a full 4K, (4096 x 2160) no pixel shifting going on here, SONY VPL-VW885ES with a 20,000 hour rated laser life!

Congrats!!!

My wife would kill me if I even showed her this post!.

 

[Reed Grele]

How much did you spend on the projector?

A fellow home theater enthusiast was moving to a smaller house that doesn't have enough room for it. It only had 192 hours on it, and was in mint condition. Even so, I was able to negotiate a really good deal.... 11k.

 

[TonyD]

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Party at Reed’s!

 

[Reed Grele]

Anytime.

 

[DaveF]

A fellow home theater enthusiast was moving to a smaller house that doesn't have enough room for it. It only had 192 hours on it, and was in mint condition. Even so, I was able to negotiate a really good deal.... 11k.

You couldn’t afford not to buy at that price!

I’m jealous (in a good way). That’s a great projector and you got it practically new for almost half price. I’d be in a moral quandary if that were offered to me: too much to spend, too good a deal to pass up!

I need a line on a like-new N7 at half off!

 

[titch]

A fellow home theater enthusiast was moving to a smaller house that doesn't have enough room for it. It only had 192 hours on it, and was in mint condition. Even so, I was able to negotiate a really good deal.... 11k.

The drawback to the first Sony laser projectors a few years ago, in addition to a retail price exceeding $50 000, was the size and the loud fans to cool the lasers. This meant that they were only really suitable for those who had a separate projector room. What is the noise level from the fans like on your model? Is it possible to have the projector directly overhead and not hear the fans?

 

[Reed Grele]

The drawback to the first Sony laser projectors a few years ago, in addition to a retail price exceeding $50 000, was the size and the loud fans to cool the lasers. This meant that they were only really suitable for those who had a separate projector room. What is the noise level from the fans like on your model? Is it possible to have the projector directly overhead and not hear the fans?

Believe it or not, It's almost silent! The fans make less noise than any of my other projectors. Which is strange considering its size. Looking at it, you'd expect it would sound like a vacuum cleaner. The gears that move the motorized lens shift feature are louder than the fans.

Maybe I'll post some pix later of my setup.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Ok, nevermind the party... just adopt me!!

 

[titch]

Believe it or not, It's almost silent! The fans make less noise than any of my other projectors. Which is strange considering its size. Looking at it, you'd expect it would sound like a vacuum cleaner. The gears that move the motorized lens shift feature are louder than the fans.

Maybe I'll post some pix later of my setup.

Thanks for replying! Yes - please do post a picture of your set-up. The size is also a limiting factor for my living room, since I don't have a high ceiling. But newer models, such as the SONY VPL-VW760ES laser projector are more compact.

 

[Reed Grele]

Some pix as requested.


The new 4k Sony 885ES laser projector is on the rear rack underneath the rear surrounds.
Under that is the Sharp DLP 3D projector.


The new 65" LG C9 OLED (movable, on wheels) is in front of the "Ultra Panavision" 143" diagonal screen.
The 120" diagonal 16x9 screen folds up against the ceiling.
Left, center, and right speakers aren't visible.
The front half of the theater has black drapes on either side, and a black ceiling. So there's no stray light bouncing back onto the screen. This helps the contrast tremendously.


The back right half. Atmos speakers overhead. Sub is under the lamp. Right surround speaker in far corner.


The back left half. Left surround speaker in far corner.
All the electronics, wiring, cables etc. are on the shelf and desk.
I keep all the components on the shelf sideways. That way I can easily access the hookups on back of the receiver and players.
As you can see, I'm not too concerned about aesthetics. When the lights go out, all I can see is what's in the front. (A few sample images from the new 4K Sony 885ES below.)


A 4K HDR nature posting (Costa Rica) that I found on YouTube


My favorite film.

 

[bobpaule]

You bxxxxxx, I envy you so much for that projector!

I can sympathize as I too have a laser machine and the instant startup, little noise, and minimal heat, along with the 20k light engine life are worth it. Unlike you I will have to stick to my pixel shifter for at least another five years.

We also have the smallest LG C9 in our guest room and it is an awesome display.

Like the other guy said, I will not talk to my wife about this

 

[Mike Frezon]

Congrats, Reed! Looks like a terrific room (and pj).

And thanks for the pix! The only thing missing from them are the doggos!

 

[JediFonger]

congrats! btw you going to hire isf tech to come and calibrate it all? at those prices.. it almost makes sense imho.