SCI FI PI

The VPLVW85 is the top of the home theatre line for Sony projectors, and we thought it necessary and prudent that we have a look at it personally so that you, dear reader, could find out just what it's like for normal people to use it, as opposed to the hard bitten video gadget reviewers who know about things like 'grayscale' and 'gamma'.

If you're with it enough to know all about that stuff, this review won't be too much use, except of course, for a laugh.

Okay, so, first thing we do is open it out of it's box. It's a big box, but doesn't weigh much. The projector comes in at 12 kilos. But there does seem to be a lot of padding…



The BRAVIA VPLVW85 SXRD™ Full HD projector.


No there isn't. It is a bit bigger than you'd think by looking at it on the internet. Sure, it's the top of the line model, sure it's practically the best picture that normal people can afford, but it's not something that you can stick on a Billy shelf.

If you are going to get a VPLVW85, you're going to have to be dedicated.

The official dimensions of 470 x 179.2 x 482.4mm, mean that it's actually just under half a meter wide by half a metre deep. It's bigger than the biggest salad bowl you own by a long way. It feels like a decent-sized futuristic turtle when you're picking it up. If you're going into projectors in less than totally committed way, then this won't be the unit for you. You're far better off getting something cheaper (and smaller) like the VPLBW7 that comes in at $1,795.

However, if you're still interested, here are the good bits.

First up - it's quiet. The bright lamp that powers this sucker has to be cooled by a fan - and that's (hopefully) the source of any projector noise. Rated at 20db, it's literally whisper quiet. The sound from a laptop hard drive seems almost deafening by comparison.

Secondly, it's easy to operate. Once you've hooked up the projector to your BD player (that's where I started) you can literally just press play on the projector remote and everything (including attached theatre sound system) starts up and the movie starts like magic. Sweet. Turning it off, and everything shuts down.

A nice touch is the turtle-like protector for the lens - the little doors open and shut when the unit is in use, keeping it dust-free when it's not.

On screen controls are a snap, and there's plenty of adjustments that can be made, including snap presets that make it easy for dunderheads to fix the picture according to what is screening.


The VPLVW85 is a full HD projector. Yours for 9K.

The picture, as you'd expect, is mind-blowing. The SXRD system uses reflective LCD crystals that give you over 6 million pixels, which seems like a lot. It's obviously 1900x1200, full HD.

Whatever the gadgetry behind it, the results are impressive. Up against the latest HD LCD TV, the '85' is streets ahead. You've just got to make sure you have enough 'throw room' - the distance between your projector and the surface that it's projecting against - to make it worthwhile, and a decent sound system. The projector is just that - it does nothing else but show pretty pictures. Very pretty pictures. Plenty of connections (including two HDMI) means you can hook up a PS3 and play Avatar on the big screen and watch Terminator Salvation.

On the test, we tried Terminator Salvation, and the hyperkinetic opening sequence (filled with grain, blacks, sepia tones, nuclear explosions, fast movement and a screaming Christian Bale) created the same emotional response as it did on the big screen. In fact, the effect is amplified; as you're closer to the screen, you feel like you're enveloped in the action. It's the perfect home theatre system for someone who really loves their movies.

That said, you have to love your movies. The current RRP of $8,999 may come down, but it's still going to be a hefty chunk of cheese for your HDTV pleasure.

On a personal note - if we had the money - we would invest. If you're wondering, Sony does make an even more expensive model, the '200' which will set you back $16,999. Ouchy