Introduction Sony’s latest top-of-the-line front projector effectively replaces the company’s original flagship SXRD projector, the Qualia 004. The new VPL-VW200 is not only superior in performance to the original statement piece, but also half its price. It is amazing how quickly things change in the world of video. The VPL-VW200 is a three-panel LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)-based unit with a native resolution of 1080p. Probably the most impressive aspect of its performance, once you have it set up properly, is its color accuracy. In fact, it is the most color accurate front projector under $30,000 that I have tested. Nothing at or near its price ($15,000) can come close to the performance of the VPL-VW200 in terms of color. I am a big stickler when it comes to color accuracy, and my latest pet peeve has been inaccurate primary and secondary ...

Introduction I was a little nervous when I learned that I would be reviewing Marantz’s new VP-15S1 projector. I know this sounds a little odd, especially when you consider that the staff at AVRev.com and I have been overwhelmingly impressed with Marantz’s past front-projection video projectors. I even bought the last Marantz projector I reviewed, the VP-11S1, which retailed for $20,000. While I know that video gear is always getting better and cheaper, I was surprised to learn that, within a single year, Marantz’s VP-15S1 was being introduced at half the price ($9,999) with allegedly 90 percent of the performance. Could this be true? When I received the VP-15S1, I was not surprised to find that it physically looked very similar to the VP-11S1 and the VP-12 series before that. The biggest external difference I noted between the VP-15S1 and the VP-11S1 ...

Introduction There is no doubt that HDTVs in general are getting more affordable, meaning more accessible to the masses, while performance and features are improving to a degree. Front video projectors are no exception to this trend. Enter Sanyo’s latest 1080p 3LCD front projector, the PLV-Z2000, which is a perfect example of just such a projector. The PLV-Z2000 delivers reasonably good performance for the dollar, offers generous connectivity and has a solid feature package to boot. Set-up flexibility is quite good with some features that are usually found only on much more expensive projectors. Design The look of the projector is not attractive, to say the least. You may want to take pains to camouflage it on your ceiling. It is a squarish box with a relatively small footprint, measuring nearly six inches tall by 16 inches wide and 13-and-a-half inches ...

Introduction If you cruise the A/V forums, it seems that JVC’s latest DLA-RS1 D-ILA (LCoS) projector is the hottest 1080p front projector on the market at this time. At under $7,000 the RS1 competes neck and neck with the Sony VPL-VW100 also nicknamed the Ruby. The feature package on the RS1 is comprehensive, and there are some unique set-up features that will aid in the ease of set-up and optimization of the picture. Rated at a very conservative 700 ANSI lumens, the RS1’s 200-watt UHP lamp has enough light output to drive screen sizes up to about 100 inches wide, depending on the screen material used. Sleek and elegant-looking, the RS1 will easily integrate into family rooms, living rooms, and of course will easily disappear on the ceiling of a dedicated home theater. While not completely perfect, the RS1 does have much to recommend it in terms of picture quality. Design The RS1 is one ...

Introduction 1080p resolution has finally come full circle for DLP displays, and all the DLP projector manufacturers now have 1080p models to market. Enter BenQ’s W10000 one-chip DLP projector with, of course, a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This little powerhouse delivers the video goods in spades, and was designed with a relatively large lamp, which means it can illuminate larger screen sizes than much of its competition. The W10000 is a capable performer in its category, and outperforms all of the competitively priced LCoS projectors that I have seen in recent months. But how does it stack up to the Sharp XV-Z20000, my current favorite 1080p one-chip DLP projector? That is the big question. Design While not exactly a sexy tour de force of industrial design, the W10000 is nonetheless a sleek and reasonably attractive-looking projector with a retail price of $6,000.00. It is a squarish unit, measuring 19.3 wide by seven-and-a-half inches high ...