4K Laser for Less

Long Live Home Theater! That's the first thought that came to mind after I set up Sony's latest and most affordable native 4K projector.

- By Mark Henninger

When compared to its predecessor, the VPL-VW325ES, this new projector's main feature upgrades are better video processing, higher brightness, and a much longer light source lifespan. The projector's laser light source has a 20,000 hour rating, which is a significant improvement over traditional bulb-based projectors-the 325ES bulb was rated at 6,000 hours.

The XW5000ES is an interesting animal. Sony clearly had to make some concessions in order to hit the $6,000 price point, including a downgrade to the lens design from motorized to manual, and with less zoom. But as long as the its throw ratio works for your setup, the new model more than makes up for the lens with brightness now rated at 2,000 ANSI lumens, 500 more lumens than the VW325ES.

As I examine the features and specifications of this projector, I am surprised by how much technology it has in common with Sony's considerably more expensive 6000ES and 7000ES models. Although the 6000ES and 7000ES models have a motorized lens that produces sharper images, if you don't need these features the savings on the 5000ES model is substantial. The 5000ES model has the same 3-chip SXRD LCoS imagers and X1 Ultimate for Projector processor as the more expensive models, but is less than half the cost of the 2,500-lumen 6000ES ($12,000) and about one fifth the cost of the 3,200-lumen 7000ES ($28,000).

FEATURES AND SETUP