Jordan O'BrienSony is officially bringing projectors back in fashion for the consumer market, with the company unveiling its latest flagship ultra-short throw home theatre line-up – the VPL-VZ1000ES – at CES 2017 in Las Vegas.
While CES is typically reserved for large screen TVs and elaborate refrigerators, at CES 2017 Sony’s VPL-VZ1000ES 4K HDR home theatre projector was revealed. The projector has been designed with consumer-friendliness in mind, with Sony claiming that users will be able to simply position the projector from as little as six inches away from the wall and then enjoy an image up to 100 inches (measured diagonally in 16:9).
“Up until now home cinema enthusiasts have needed a dedicated room for watching projected content; this isn’t always ideal, since not everyone has the luxury of extra space to accommodate an extra-large screen. The new VPL-VZ1000ES changes this dynamic completely, providing an enchanting home theatre experience up to 120in in your existing living space,” says Thomas Issa, Product Manager at Sony Professional Solutions Europe.
“Our revolutionary new generation of ultra-short throw projectors deliver incredible 4K HDR imagery just inches away from your wall, then fade into the existing room design once turned off.”
High-end projectors have often been favoured by die hard movie fans, but it hasn’t always been practical for some families without a dedicated home cinema room. That seems to be the exact market Sony is targeting with this new projector, although it hasn’t quite confirmed pricing.
The VPL-VZ1000ES is approximately 925 x 494 x 219mm in size and weighs about 35 kg. This is approximately 40% smaller than the currently available Sony LSPX-W1S 4K ultra short throw and Sony says it will have a significantly lower manufacturer’s retail price.
Despite its compact size and lower price, the VPL-VZ1000ES generates 2,500 lumens of colour light output, 25% brighter than the LSPX-W1S Life Space UX projector. In addition, Sony’s advanced SXRD panels, coupled with the Z-Phosphor laser light engine, promise to produce high dynamic contrast, enhancing the highlights and lowlights of HDR content. Sony says that the VPL-VZ1000ES projector’s Z-Phosphor laser light source hits peak brightness much quicker than conventional projector lamps. Brightness and color accuracy are also said to be maintained longer, reducing the inconvenience of lamp replacement.
While Sony have thus far been the only major manufacturer at CES 2017 to reveal a new consumer-centric home cinema projector, could this kickstart a new projection revolution?
The VPL-VZ1000ES ultra-short throw 4K HDR home theatre projector will be available from April 2017. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, although Sony suggests that it could fall between 15,000 and 20,000 euros.