First of all this is my first post on this site. I have been reading and visiting this site for more than a few weeks and found most users very knowledgeable.

I am in the process of setting up a proper home movie studio. Up until a week ago I was determined to get the JVC-HD550 to go along with my 106" screen. In Canada this projectors goes for around $5000. I finally went to the store with my wallet to order my JVC, it was then that the owner of the store whom is a very knowledgeable guy told me about the new VW85. Until then I have never heard of the VW85, maybe because it was far from my price range (in Canada around $8500).
Long story short, this guy is one of the biggest Sony Authorized retailers in Canada and as the result he gets amazing deals from Sony. He said that Sony's first shipment has an introductory promotion price of $6800 :) for exclusive dealers, and since I have bought many items from him in the past he will pass the savings to me.

My problem is that my budget was set for the $5000 HD550, now I have an opportunity to go the next step up for half the price difference.

I have seen reviews between RS25 and VW85 which are more the less in the same league, however I have not come across a review between VW85 and HD550/RS15. Can you even compare them and if so is the $1800 price difference a bargain?

So, my question to fellow members, should I stretch my wallet and go for the VW85 without even seeing or reading proper reviews of this beast or stay true to my plan and get the amazing HD550.


Thanks,
Tom
Denon 4810 Reciever
PSB New Image T6 set
Image 6i sub
Sony Blue ray
Xbox
PS3
Sony SACD
Universal Remote RF system

to confuse you more - at that price you may want to look at an RS 25 or RS 35 from JVC. This may be a better price/performance comparison. I am not sure if AVS sells to Canada but if they do you may want to talk to them.

RS25 sells for over $8000 and RS35 over $9500 in Canada which is a lot more than what I am getting offered for the WV85. I can not afford the jump, I am having difficulties with the first jump if you know what I mean.

Based off USD MSRPs, these are the discounts you're seeing:

VW85 = ~19%
RS15 = ~13%
RS35 = <10%
RS25 = <4%

Dollar for dollar is the VW85 36% better than the RS15? I don't see that being unobtainable, but it's probably too early to tell. A measured CR of 45K:1 on the VW85 would match up with that, but it's only one perspective...

Who knows, maybe an RS20 is the best price/performance value for the price range you're targeting. What can those be had for in your area?

I was looking at purchasing the VW-85 and the RS25 or RS35. Over time, I also looked at the Panasonic AE4000, JVC RS15, and Sony HW-15. I spent a lot of time reading and deliberating. I found out that the JVC's have a problem when there is a lot of motion going on that the Sony's don't have. That alone steered me towards the Sony even though it hadn't been thoroughly reviewed yet. Ultimately, though I decided to get a Planar PD8150. It is around the price range you are looking for and is extremely sharp and has excellent out of the box color. It is a blind buy for me, so hopefully I won't be disappointed. I couldn't find anything majorly wrong with it based on the tons that I had read about it, although I found tons of great reviews. This page went a long way to steering me away from the other projectors I was looking at: http://www.videovantage.com/?p=11 Look at the difference between the Planar and the JVC RS20. The only thing I am concerned about is the screen door effect. I calculated based on the screenshot that I will have to sit at least one screen width away not to see the lines between the pixels. This is exactly how far I am planning to sit away so hopefully it will work out.

Hope this helps,
Mike

I have a Planar 8150 since December 2008 and the picture is fantastic...and I compared against a JVC RS20.

Sharpness, colour, image clarity is much better on Planar...and real contrast is about the same (really!...not much difference!).

Dont bother with screendoor effect...you dont see it if you stay at least 1m (I have a 110").

I was looking at purchasing the VW-85 and the RS25 or RS35. Over time, I also looked at the Panasonic AE4000, JVC RS15, and Sony HW-15. I spent a lot of time reading and deliberating. I found out that the JVC's have a problem when there is a lot of motion going on that the Sony's don't have. That alone steered me towards the Sony even though it hadn't been thoroughly reviewed yet. Ultimately, though I decided to get a Planar PD8150. It is around the price range you are looking for and is extremely sharp and has excellent out of the box color. It is a blind buy for me, so hopefully I won't be disappointed. I couldn't find anything majorly wrong with it based on the tons that I had read about it, although I found tons of great reviews. This page went a long way to steering me away from the other projectors I was looking at: http://www.videovantage.com/?p=11 Look at the difference between the Planar and the JVC RS20. The only thing I am concerned about is the screen door effect. I calculated based on the screenshot that I will have to sit at least one screen width away not to see the lines between the pixels. This is exactly how far I am planning to sit away so hopefully it will work out.

Hope this helps,
Mike

If you are unhappy with it for any reason, just let me know and we will take care of you. Beauty of buying from AVS. :)

Awesome, thanks guys! I feel much better now. :)

...This page went a long way to steering me away from the other projectors I was looking at: http://www.videovantage.com/?p=11 Look at the difference between the Planar and the JVC RS20...Before you get carried away with that photo ask yourself is the image a real representation of the differences between the pjs and what does the author own? :D

Obviously the photo is no substitute for seeing the pjs in person, but it helped me see the difference in sharpness, and although the color is similar, the planar looks much cleaner and I like the look of it. Like I said, I have done a lot of reading and that photo is just one piece of the puzzle.

The Planar is a great choice, so is the RS20. The sharpness differences between them on film/video material will subtle at best.

Post your impressions of the Planar when you get it!

Will do! It may take a little while because I have to build the theater first. And before that, I have to own the house. I should have the keys by Tuesday hopefully. :D

There is an ad on this site from e-cost showing a refurbished vw 200 for substantially less than the new vw85 you describe

Says its refurbed by Sony to original specs. I don't know if that means a new xenon lamp is installed.

I have owned a VW60 for two years and am happy with it, although the e-cost unit has me thinking. Brighter lamp, Zeiss lens, fits my mount.

Brightness and sharpness is a pretty big deal around here. Of course I don't know any better since I have only seen the picture from three projectors my whole life - an old lcd, an RS1 at the store , and my Sony. That said, I do trust what people say on this site and they do say the VW200 is a good step up from the VW60, and some also say it compares favorably with the best JVC products.

Since you have time to decide as you prepare to buy your house (congratulations) I would use the time to consider all options.

Thanks for the info! :-) I have been deliberating for quite awhile now, and the VW200 deal sounds good. I have already ordered the Planar though, and for now I am happy with my decision. Hopefully it will be great in person!

There is an ad on this site from e-cost showing a refurbished vw 200 for substantially less than the new vw85 you describe

Says its refurbed by Sony to original specs. I don't know if that means a new xenon lamp is installed.

I have owned a VW60 for two years and am happy with it, although the e-cost unit has me thinking. Brighter lamp, Zeiss lens, fits my mount.

Brightness and sharpness is a pretty big deal around here. Of course I don't know any better since I have only seen the picture from three projectors my whole life - an old lcd, an RS1 at the store , and my Sony. That said, I do trust what people say on this site and they do say the VW200 is a good step up from the VW60, and some also say it compares favorably with the best JVC products.

Since you have time to decide as you prepare to buy your house (congratulations) I would use the time to consider all options.

I'll interject that the VW200 is not brighter than the VW60. It is a higher wattage lamp, but Xenon...totally different beast. In actuality they are about the same to start, but the VW200 drops off WAY faster. Just wanted to make sure you knew that in case brightness was a big selling feature.

First of all this is my first post on this site. I have been reading and visiting this site for more than a few weeks and found most users very knowledgeable.

I am in the process of setting up a proper home movie studio. Up until a week ago I was determined to get the JVC-HD550 to go along with my 106" screen. In Canada this projectors goes for around $5000. I finally went to the store with my wallet to order my JVC, it was then that the owner of the store whom is a very knowledgeable guy told me about the new VW85. Until then I have never heard of the VW85, maybe because it was far from my price range (in Canada around $8500).
Long story short, this guy is one of the biggest Sony Authorized retailers in Canada and as the result he gets amazing deals from Sony. He said that Sony's first shipment has an introductory promotion price of $6800 :) for exclusive dealers, and since I have bought many items from him in the past he will pass the savings to me.

My problem is that my budget was set for the $5000 HD550, now I have an opportunity to go the next step up for half the price difference.

I have seen reviews between RS25 and VW85 which are more the less in the same league, however I have not come across a review between VW85 and HD550/RS15. Can you even compare them and if so is the $1800 price difference a bargain?

So, my question to fellow members, should I stretch my wallet and go for the VW85 without even seeing or reading proper reviews of this beast or stay true to my plan and get the amazing HD550.


Thanks,
Tom
Denon 4810 Reciever
PSB New Image T6 set
Image 6i sub
Sony Blue ray
Xbox
PS3
Sony SACD
Universal Remote RF system

You can get the RS25 for almost the exact same price in Canada as what the dealer has offered you on the Sony. I have not seen the Sony so I cannot comment on it versus the RS25. I bought the RS25 and now I am going to trade it or sell it because I have always owned DLP projectors and for me I still like the DLP image more.

You can get the RS25 for almost the exact same price in Canada as what the dealer has offered you on the Sony. I have not seen the Sony so I cannot comment on it versus the RS25. I bought the RS25 and now I am going to trade it or sell it because I have always owned DLP projectors and for me I still like the DLP image more.

I always warn my customers who have owned DLP's that switching may be an issue. This isn't surprising me. I would highly consider the Planar PD8150 as a replacement (it is less money than the RS25 but competes favorably).

I always warn my customers who have owned DLP's that switching may be an issue. This isn't surprising me. I would highly consider the Planar PD8150 as a replacement (it is less money than the RS25 but competes favorably).

That is a lesson learned by me the hard way. I should have done business with AV Science in the first place and then I would not have had this issue.

You can get the RS25 for almost the exact same price in Canada as what the dealer has offered you on the Sony. I have not seen the Sony so I cannot comment on it versus the RS25. I bought the RS25 and now I am going to trade it or sell it because I have always owned DLP projectors and for me I still like the DLP image more.

I have not come across any deals for RS25. Where did you get your RS25 price from?

That is a lesson learned by me the hard way. I should have done business with AV Science in the first place and then I would not have had this issue.

No worries. Importing stuff is a pain anyways and can definitely affect decisions. Still, check out the Planar (bests the others you and I talked about back a while ago).

...I have seen reviews between RS25 and VW85 which are more the less in the same league, however I have not come across a review between VW85 and HD550/RS15. Can you even compare them and if so is the $1800 price difference a bargain?...The reality is that very few members have seen either the VW85 or the RS15 much less compared them. Joerod is supposed to do a review and comparison shortly.

I have not come across any deals for RS25. Where did you get your RS25 price from?

PM sent to you.

Surprised nobody mentions it but the VW85 will have more accurate colors over the RS15. The RS25 has CMS so not an issue there, but since you are comparing VW85 to the RS15 that is a big difference.

Second thing to think of (at least if it was me) I would put some value on the relationship with a dealer. That he is passing on savings etc -- guess where you will have no problems if there is a problem with the PJ. Not saying it would make or break a decision, but part of the process

Before you get carried away with that photo ask yourself is the image a real representation of the differences between the pjs and what does the author own?
The author owns an RS-20 last that I heard.

The author owns an RS-20 last that I heard.I was not implying bias. I was suggesting that the differences did not cause Mark to replace his RS20 :D

I'll interject that the VW200 is not brighter than the VW60. It is a higher wattage lamp, but Xenon...totally different beast. In actuality they are about the same to start, but the VW200 drops off WAY faster. Just wanted to make sure you knew that in case brightness was a big selling feature.

Well that whole place seems a tad fishy. Or they have some seriously bad proof readers on their site. They are listing a refurbished VW100 at nearly twice the price of the VW200! :D

With the CAD almost at par with the US, those prices you are getting from your dealer are very poor. For the price of your RS15, you could almost buy an RS20. You could buy an RS25 and fly to Rochester to pick it up for the price your dealer will charge for the VW85...

I was not implying bias. I was suggesting that the differences did not cause Mark to replace his RS20
Ah...gotcha...:)

Well that whole place seems a tad fishy. Or they have some seriously bad proof readers on their site. They are listing a refurbished VW100 at nearly twice the price of the VW200! :D

Too funny...maybe it crossed over into the "Vintage" realm and they put a premium price tag on it. :D

RS25 sells for over $8000 and RS35 over $9500 in Canada which is a lot more than what I am getting offered for the WV85. I can not afford the jump, I am having difficulties with the first jump if you know what I mean.


For any Canadian it's probably cheaper to buy in the US, especially now with the extremely low US dollar and high Canadian. Go there and bring it back or buy online, save quite a bit. They never give Canadians a fair deal.


Tony

For any Canadian it's probably cheaper to buy in the US, especially now with the extremely low US dollar and high Canadian. Go there and bring it back or buy online, save quite a bit. They never give Canadians a fair deal.


Tony

I think most of it boils down to the high cost of doing business in Canada. I've spoken with dealers here and they can buy at the same price as US dealers in many cases. The problem is their overheard is much higher due to the onerous regulations and tax structure the various Canadian governments impose. It is much harder to make a buck here than in the US. Same thing with restaurants. What's strange is that no one here seems to complain about it. Everyone just thinks they are getting ripped off by either the retailer or the manufacturer without realizing it is the government that they vote for that causes them to pay so much more than Americans for the same goods.

I think most of it boils down to the high cost of doing business in Canada. I've spoken with dealers here and they can buy at the same price as US dealers in many cases. The problem is their overheard is much higher due to the onerous regulations and tax structure the various Canadian governments impose. It is much harder to make a buck here than in the US. Same thing with restaurants. What's strange is that no one here seems to complain about it. Everyone just thinks they are getting ripped off by either the retailer or the manufacturer without realizing it is the government that they vote for that causes them to pay so much more than Americans for the same goods.


No offense but I think that's a baloney story that vendors make up in order to keep the prices up. Look at car prices and how difficult it was for the car companies to reduce their prices to balanced levels when the dollar was on par last year. The car companies did everything they could in order to continue ripping off Canadians. It's the same with Technology clothes and anything else. Why give people a break if they're used to paying it?


Canadians did start complaining last year and starting going car shopping in the US. Dealers saw a decline of up to 50% thanks to smart Canadians shopping in the USA. Then all of a sudden they started issuing discounts and incentives in order get back the Canadian business.


If things don't need to change, why would they change them?


The only way to make a difference is to be a smart consumer and shop in the USA, especially now that's it's cheaper to shop there.


Tony

No offense but I think that's a baloney story that vendors make up in order to keep the prices up. Look at car prices and how difficult it was for the car companies to reduce their prices to balanced levels when the dollar was on par last year. The car companies did everything they could in order to continue ripping off Canadians. It's the same with Technology clothes and anything else. Why give people a break if they're used to paying it?


Canadians did start complaining last year and starting going car shopping in the US. Dealers saw a decline of up to 50% thanks to smart Canadians shopping in the USA. Then all of a sudden they started issuing discounts and incentives in order get back the Canadian business.


If things don't need to change, why would they change them?


The only way to make a difference is to be a smart consumer and shop in the USA, especially now that's it's cheaper to shop there.


Tony

I'm sure there are retailers that do take adavantage. However, as an American who has been living in Canada for the past year, I am acutely aware of just how badly the Canadian consumer is overcharged for not only electronics, but basic services. I have not purchased an automobile here but have examined many electronics purchases I have made over the past year. I have found that when you isolate the duties the Canadian government charges on items, equalize for foreign exchange, you are still left with a higher price. That higher price reflects the very high tax rates a business must pay as well as the high price businesses must pay for labor and other services (utilities, supplies, etc).

Another thing that may cause retailers, be it car dealers or others, to charge more in Canadian dollars than their US equivalent is that many dealers bought that inventory when the US dollar was stronger. If they bought a US$100 item when the exchange rate was $.80, they paid $125. Then you go to the store today and get mad that they aren't selling it for $105 as the current dollar is $.95. Not only that, but when the retailer bought it and imported it, he most likely paid an additional 5% duty, adding another $6.25 to his cost. Add in the high tax rates, labor costs, and all of the other costs of doing business in Canada and it is no wonder you pay more.

If you think it is not the government but greedy retailers, you should lobby your government to regulate the prices retailers charge. Perhaps enact a law saying retailers may not charge more than 15% more than the goods would cost at the current exchange rate from a US retailer. I have a feeling you would no longer have a retail space as no business would be able to turn a profit. There is certainly no shortage of Canadian support for Canadian regulation of other aspects of daily life.

Just in case... I work for a foreign investment bank in banking and financial services and have no ties to any retail establishment.

The Planar is a great choice, so is the RS20. The sharpness differences between them on film/video material will subtle at best.

Post your impressions of the Planar when you get it!

I got it, but I am only able to project it on the crapy grainy off-white wall at my rental home at this point. Even so, I am impressed! The picture quality seems great. The black levels seem great. The SDE is non-existent. The only minor issue is a bit of chromatic abberation in the corners, but it is very minor and only visible up close on the internal test pattern. I tried seeing rainbows and I can do it, but I give myself a headache trying. Just watching it normal gives no rainbows at this point. We will see once I get it up on the huge screen. It came with the long-throw lens and I ordered the short-throw lens, so the picture is pretty small right now compared to what it will be. Hopefully it will only get better with the right lens on the real screen. I can already say it is at least as good as my CRT was, but most likely a lot better.

What size screen are you using for your 8150?

I got it, but I am only able to project it on the crapy grainy off-white wall at my rental home at this point. Even so, I am impressed! The picture quality seems great. The black levels seem great. The SDE is non-existent. The only minor issue is a bit of chromatic abberation in the corners, but it is very minor and only visible up close on the internal test pattern. I tried seeing rainbows and I can do it, but I give myself a headache trying. Just watching it normal gives no rainbows at this point. We will see once I get it up on the huge screen. It came with the long-throw lens and I ordered the short-throw lens, so the picture is pretty small right now compared to what it will be. Hopefully it will only get better with the right lens on the real screen. I can already say it is at least as good as my CRT was, but most likely a lot better.

Thanks again Mike! I will send you tracking on the short throw lens today (they are expressing it since they made the boo-boo). :)

I have a Planar 8150 since December 2008 and the picture is fantastic...and I compared against a JVC RS20.

Sharpness, colour, image clarity is much better on Planar...and real contrast is about the same (really!...not much difference!).

Dont bother with screendoor effect...you dont see it if you stay at least 1m (I have a 110").

I compared a Planar 8150 with short throw optics to my HD750 last weekend, and overall I was disappointed.

The good:
Sharpness is better on the Planar thats for sure, but it is not perfect, at least with the short throw optics there was CA in the lower right and upper left corner.

Image depth was better, as it should be for a DLP with twice the ANSI and surely much better MTF, but I would not call it a night and day difference, ymmv.

For on/off I measured ~2700:1 without DB and ~12000:1 with DB enabled. That's less than half of what my HD750 does, but I could live with that due to the better sharpness and image depth.

Color looked pretty good out of the box on the Planar, but then I can't complain about my calibrated HD750 either.

The bad:
The iris showed some artifacts, sometimes you saw the iris "move" as if a shadow swept over the image (e.g in chapter 4 of "Golden compass" when the kids sit on the roof, it looked like as if a big bird or plane would pass over them), also grey test images e.g. IRE40 were not uniform in brightness and looked actually worse than on the HD750.

The ugly:
The Planar with 27h on the lamp had less light output than my HD750 with 700 hours! With high lamp mode and activated Brilliant color the Planar did 95 Lux on my 2,8m screen, the HD750 does 110 Lux (with new lamp around 180). I am not sure if it is the short throw optics that eats so much up, but that is just too low for my taste.

I also had high hopes for motion handling, but that was also a disappointment.
I tested some panning scenes from Casino Royale and Apocalypto that look like crap on the HD750. Sadly ,they still look like crap to me on the Planar, only slightly less so.

I'll keep my HD750 for now, until I find a DLP that really delivers what I need and is less than 7k Euro in price.

What size screen are you using for your 8150?

I am planning to use a Carada 142" 16:9 screen with the Brilliant White option. I will try it on the white wall before buying it to make sure it won't be too dim.

Thanks again Mike! I will send you tracking on the short throw lens today (they are expressing it since they made the boo-boo). :)

Thanks Jason!

Thanks for your review lozoppo. I will see if I have the same issues. Since I will be getting the short throw lens, I can try to compare the Chromatic Abberation and light output between the two lenses, although I don't have a way to measure the light output.

When I was projecting on my white wall, I did notice a faint ring of light around the projected image which I assume is at the edge of the lens. It is minor and when I get my black walls up, it should be a non-issue.

Thanks for your review lozoppo. I will see if I have the same issues. Since I will be getting the short throw lens, I can try to compare the Chromatic Abberation and light output between the two lenses, although I don't have a way to measure the light output.

When I was projecting on my white wall, I did notice a faint ring of light around the projected image which I assume is at the edge of the lens. It is minor and when I get my black walls up, it should be a non-issue.

It is not that I want to slam the Planar, it does project a very nice image.
It's just that after reading some very positive reviews I expected too much I guess.

Regarding the iris artifacts, a fellow user in a german forum had these too and got his machine exchanged for one that did not show this "flying shadow".

I had no issues with stray light or ring of light with my masked screen and black fabric around it, so this should indeed not be an issue.

Please do compare the two lenses and share your observations.

My Planar is the standard version (long throw), and yes the sharpness is perfect center screen and less than perfect on the corners, but even on the corners the sharpness is better than the center of the RS20 I tested.

I use high lamp mode and BC off on 110" matt white screen (0.95 gain) and side by side the brightness is more or less equal compared to RS20.

True, the on/off contrast is better on RS20 but at expense of some shadow detail...this is very evident on some scenes of 5th element (BluRay) one of the titles I use to test projectors.

The shadow detail of the Planar is much better and is easy to see on the screen...to reveal the same shadow detail, the blacks of the RS20 start to look a little grey.

With my Planar 300h of use I never saw iris artifacts.

The colors on the RS20 in more saturated and initially give some pop to image, but after this becomes a little unreal and technicolor...the colos of the Planar looks real and unprocessed.

And finaly the famous blur effect I see on JVC projectors is very distracting to me...I know this problem is only evident for some...I am a happy one that dont see any rainbows on DLP projectors for example but see the hold and steady effect on JVC projectors and this was the major problem in the RS20.

I compared the 2 projectors during 3 weeks!

NABCS,

I measured the brightness with my lux meter instead of just relying on my eyes, and the Planar had just no chance with the short throw optics against the HD750. It doesn't even reach 10 fL with my Cheaptrick AT screen with new lamp. It took the HD750 700+ hours to fall to this level, and it still is 15% brighter.
Maybe the long throw optics is much better?

I checked the shadow detail of the Planar first with the AVS HD disk low ire test image (IRE 1-24) and the combined high&low IRE test image and it looks more or less like my RS20, no massive difference there.
The low IRE image resolves level 18 and just barely 17 on both machines, in the mixed image both machines resolve only down to around level 21/20, I guess because of the stray light from the large white areas.
I used the Film gamma preset of the Planar. Using the video preset does brighten things up quite a bit but it is too much.

The colors of the HD750 can be dialed with the CMS to near perfection, so that's only a drawback if someone doesn't want to pay for a calibration or do it himself. A good dealer should deliver the JVC with calibrated CMS anyway.

As for the famous motion blur of the JVC. I see it and it does bother me. But the Planar is no cure for that, at least not for me! The pans are not smooth on that machine either.

Its too bad, I had high hopes for the Planar. If I would have liked what I saw I'd have kept it and sold the HD750.

If you liked the Planar better than the RS20, that's not a problem for me, everyone has a different scoreboard for what is important to him and what annoys him most.

The shadow detail of the Planar is much better and is easy to see on the screen...to reveal the same shadow detail, the blacks of the RS20 start to look a little grey.

Interesting. I am considering picking up a Planar and an struggling with some of the trade offs when compared to an RS20. Was your RS20 color and gamma calibrated? It may be something that can only be seen in direct comparison but I have always felt that the RS20 always did a fine job with shadow detail while preserving black levels.

I wish I didn't see RBE. It would be nice to have another technology to choose from each year when deciding which machine to throw my cash at. I think single chip LED machines will be the solution in the future when the technology begins to mature.

As for the VW85. I am really looking forward to Jason's review.

With the RS20 I tweaked the gamma...2.2 on low IRE, 2.3 Mid IRE and 2.4 on IRE 80, 90 and 100.

With this gamma the image depth was very good but not on the same level of the Planar.

But in very dark scenes the RS20 have some difficult with shadow detail, but not bad but compared with Planar is easy on the eye

With the Planar I dont have the flexibility to tweak the gamma and in the end I played with the standard 2.2 gamma.

I'll have my review up this weekend. Stay tuned.

I find shadow detail commentary curious as shadow detail should be due soley to gamma. The level of gamma down low will determine how quickly and far the rise out of black will be. I wonder what the Planar is doing with its dynamic gamma in low IRE scenes. I also wonder if it is making the gamma too low on low IRE's, making shadow detail that wasn't originally intended to be visible visible. Either way, comments that making shadow detail visible entail raising the black level worry me as it suggests the shadow detail is being adjusted by the brightness control when it should be adjusted by the gamma settings.

You guys will get better edge focus on the Planar if you don`t use lens shift. Certainly don`t use horizontal lens shift and minimize use of vertical. The DI like any DI does have artifacts. No DI can be artifact free. Not possible.Some are better thasn others based on speed and the algs used. The Planar is at the top of the list for DI performance. But if you don`t see artifacts at times, you don`t know what they are. Here innocence would be bliss.

There is an ad on this site from e-cost showing a refurbished vw 200 for substantially less than the new vw85 you describe

Says its refurbed by Sony to original specs. I don't know if that means a new xenon lamp is installed....



No brainer, for the money I would go with the SONY VPL-VW85. As for the VW200... I wouldn't do it; the lamps cost $1000 to replace :eek: Unless you have money to burn I would steer clear of the VW200 for that reason alone.

As for us, we have owned our VPL-VW60 (coupled with our STEWART Firehawk SST screen) for almost a year and a half. We use it for everything; it is our TV and movie projector. We love it, great picture, VERY reliable (as opposed to the VPL-VW50 we previously owned) and everyone who has seen it have commented on how fantastic the picture is.

Buy the SONY VPL-VW85... you will be very happy with it.

Go Jason!

I don't know why I am talking about my new Planar in this thread, lol. Anyway, I finally got a chance to try it out with the short throw lens on my white wall in my new house. Compared to the long throw lens from the same distance, I would say the picture was just as bright, only bigger. This was just from looking with my own eyes and not doing any measurements. I haven't done any extensive testing or anything yet, but I was able to make Ice Age a massive 137.25" x 75" (approx) in Economy lamp mode on my regular painted white wall and it was pretty impressive and plenty bright. After seeing it this big, I am rethinking my 142" Carada idea. Now I think I will just get some screen material and tack it up to the wall and build my own frame on top of it. This way I can go bigger, and probably cheaper. I am not sure which screen material to get, but I want to get something good. I am thinking the whole room will be covered with black felt so it should look pretty awesome.

Mike

I'll have my review up this weekend. Stay tuned.

Halloween slow down the process :D

Another review while we wait for Jason's :D
http://www.trustedreviews.com/tvs/review/2009/10/28/Sony-Bravia-VPL-VW85-SXRD-Projector/p1

In any case, one of the first thing that strikes me about the VW85's pictures as I finally settle down to watch it in action is how bright its pictures look versus the HW15 and even last year's VW80. The picture is really driven off the screen, bringing films and games to life with a strong, vibrant colour palette and some impressively pure whites and brights.

Even better, this attention-grabbing brightness doesn't compromise the VW85's black level response. In fact, the VW85's black levels are not only markedly deeper than those of the VW80, they also seem to my eyes - with the lamp running on its low mode, at least - to get mighty close to the class-leading black levels of JVC's D-ILA projectors.

...All this, and I haven't yet mentioned what became, by the time I'd finished with the VW85, my single favourite thing about its pictures: their phenomenal sharpness...
LikeTJN's HTM review, they also pointed to sharpness/resolution as a strong point

Too funny...maybe it crossed over into the "Vintage" realm and they put a premium price tag on it. :D

Could some one chime in via "PM" as I am looking to update my current projector VPL-VW50 and I am open to suggestions of course and good pricing.. :) Using a Dalite Screen, the Sony has been ISF tech calibrated.

Could some one chime in via "PM" as I am looking to update my current projector VPL-VW50 and I am open to suggestions of course and good pricing.. :) Using a Dalite Screen, the Sony has been ISF tech calibrated.

Which projector were you thinking of upgrading to?
The VW50 was great when current, but obviously there are quite a few that are improved since then.

Which projector were you thinking of upgrading to?
The VW50 was great when current, but obviously there are quite a few that are improved since then.

Well I don't have a expendable income of late, not with 3 little ones. So I basically go 3-4 years and then update the PJ, and I am going on about 3 now. So the VPL-VW85 is on that list along with the JVC models.

I also have the vpl-vw50 and want to upgrade to the vpl-vw85. I have the vw50 about 20' from the screen. Will this same set up work with the vw85. Where can you purchase the vw85? It's not even shown on Sony's site.

I also have the vpl-vw50 and want to upgrade to the vpl-vw85. I have the vw50 about 20' from the screen. Will this same set up work with the vw85. Where can you purchase the vw85? It's not even shown on Sony's site.

I am also looking at the VPL-VW15 as the picture quality I just saw on this projector at a local dealer was stunning. I just can't see paying another 5K for the VPL-VW85 and getting a slightly marginal increase in picture quality. But I won't make any decisions till I see the VPL-VW85 of course.

Well I don't have a expendable income of late, not with 3 little ones. So I basically go 3-4 years and then update the PJ, and I am going on about 3 now. So the VPL-VW85 is on that list along with the JVC models.

I hear ya on the little ones...got 3 myself. I think all of those options are viable. Each have their pros and cons, but since you are coming from a Sony, you might want to lean that way as it will have a more similar look.

I also have the vpl-vw50 and want to upgrade to the vpl-vw85.

I'm in the same boat... I'm just wondering if I'll notice enough of a difference to justify the price. I've been pretty happy with the vw50 (with the exception of the screen tearing bug on 1080/24p sources) and wish I could go back in time to when I was not aware the vw85 was out there.... :)

Brandon where are you located?

Orlando, FL.

I'm in the same boat... I'm just wondering if I'll notice enough of a difference to justify the price. I've been pretty happy with the vw50 (with the exception of the screen tearing bug on 1080/24p sources) and wish I could go back in time to when I was not aware the vw85 was out there.... :)

Well I saw a VLP-VW85 and it was enough for me to start looking a PJs again, the Epson and JVC models. I ended up getting the 85, which I ordered a week ago. My price I got it for is worth the wait, unless if it shows up after Christmas than I will try another local dealer who also had a great price. Can't wait to get this beast as I am calling dealer tomorrow, because he also has a buyer for my 50.

Orlando, FL.

Darn..my idea was out the window.

Darn..my idea was out the window.

I'll bet I can guess your IDEA ;)

Show him one running :p

I'll bet I can guess your IDEA ;)

Show him one running :p

I was thinking he was going to just give me one. Was that your idea, Jason? I'll fly up.

:)

Jason, have you had a chance to review the VW85?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1194980

Thanks!