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Owners thread Sony Hw55ES

297K views 3K replies 406 participants last post by  beekermartin 
#1 ·
My first short impressions(coming from a epson tw9000).





The good:



A razor sharp picture does this unit throw at your screen..


Amazing contrast(a step up from my epson).


Very very good blacks.


No more screendoor(i sit very upclose and i saw that on my epson.).


Reality creation gives 3d more clarity..


3d is sharper and it has far more details then my old epson..


FI works good in 3d


More then enough light for my 100 inch screen in 2d.



The bad:



Still ghosting in 3d(sometimes more then my old epson tw9000)


The ir transmitter inside the sony unit is not that strong( i have it on the same place sitting where my epson was but now i loose sync


i can see some flicker through the glasses that was better(less) with the epson..


And mine didnt come with a spare lamp??




But its a great projector with great pop and depth in the image and razor sharp!


So this is just my opinion and not a professional review..


Best regards:)


Ps by the way sorry for my bad english...wink.gif
 
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#2,280 ·
A local dealer told me the HW55ES was discontinued, and they only sold the HW40ES, until such time as the HW65ES comes out...

Is that really true? I'm assuming I can get HW55ES units until the HW65ES comes out (which could be anytime) - anyone know for sure?
 
#2,281 ·
Yes HW55 is discontinued, but we have not had any problems getting them. Sony still shows 138 units available here in the US.
 
#2,282 ·
Hey guys, any tips on mitigating pincushioning? Its on the bottom, and I can't really get a good picture of it and due to my new account I can't post illustrations. Top (and sides) are bullet straight, but theres a clear bend on the bottom which causes a gap between the screen bottom and projected image bottom right in the middle.

My screen size is big enough for this to actually become noticeable. Zooming out over the screen is of course one way to battle it, but for example the XBMC play menus are in bottom corners so it sucks for various stuff like that.

I've had the HW55 for almost two years, but I feel like its gotten worse lately. The projector is (and has been) ceiling mounted, projecting to a 126" screen from ~4meters. The zoom is not maxed in in, but its also probably closer to max than middle. I've tried playing with focus/shifts to kinda see if I can "reset" it somehow, but no to no avail.

Wonder if I can get better unit from warranty or should I just live with it? Anyone else experiencing stuff like this?
 
#2,285 ·
hi there,
I just messed up my gamma setting in HW55ES using ImageDirector 3 and a cross RS-232 cable. I read, edit and overwritter original settings... yes I know...
Can someone help me and send to me *.ldt files with original settings for gamma 1.8 (gamma setting 1) and 2.2 (gamma setting 4)
thx
 
#2,288 ·
Measurements of light output HW65ES made on dutch forum :

Cinema 1 high lamp 36 Ftlmb = 1152 lumen on 2m30 screen
Bright Cinema high lamp 43 Ftlm = 1376 Lumen on 2m30 screen
Reference high lamp 42 Ftlmb = 1344 lumen on 2m30 screen
Reference low lamp 25 ftlmb = 800 Lumen on 2m30 screen

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed, it seems to me the HW65ES hass less light output then the HW40ES, which for me is important ( I watch mainly in a less the ideal room ).
Or is there something that I'm missing ?
 
#2,289 ·
The 40 is very bright, because it does not have a dynamic iris in the light path. Makes it a great option for sports, but the dynamic iris in the 55 and 65 are a big plus for movie watchers. 40's and 55's still in stock.
 
#2,302 ·
No trick, but propably you've got straight RS-232 (or USB to RS232) cable, instead of crossed one (null modem type).
I've got straight cable too, but modded it using null modem pin layout as reference - it's easy - just need to switch two pairs of pins.

One thing - first thing to do if you succesfully connect with the projector - download every gamma mode (need to change the mode in ID3, and click receive from projector, then save to disk), because if you change anything with imagedirector and send it to the projector, theres no way getting those original settings back :\

I would gladly help you with this if this can get me those original settings ;)
 
#2,304 ·
What are the options for affordable 3D glasses?

Back when I got the Sony I got a couple of Xpand 105 IR glasses at around $25 each. For some reason they are $71 now on Amazon.

So I need something more in the $20-$25 range.
 
#2,328 ·
I have this style plate for my chief mount. It's solid as a rock vs. the little adjustable arms. Any movement would be because the entire ceiling would have to shake. I have 4 18s in my room, image is solid as a rock.

Very nice! And that plate works/fits the 55? (I assume yes, since we're discussing this in the 55 thread...just being sure). I like that approach better than the "legs". Very similar to the plate on my old mount. Did you need to order the plate separately from the Chief or was it included?
 
#2,330 ·
New 55es showed up last night need to get it set up before thanksgiving. I'm getting kind of excited
 
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#2,331 ·
I'll post some pics tonight with the projector up and the new mount.
 

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#2,334 ·
Hi,

I'm thinking of ordering this projector tonight.
It seems pretty good but this thread is really long....78 pages.
Its hard to sift though all this.

What is the failure rate so far?
Is the RF receiver still hard to find?

Would you recommend another model before I take the plunge?
My current model is a Panasonic PTAE700, and the optical block is going....still on my first bulb though!
So probably anything would be better right?

My room is in the basement and I can control the light very well.
There is a tiny bit of light leakage during the morning AM, but I tend to watch movies in the evening.
I'm also a huge gamer, and will use this for gaming. The lag is very low around 30-35ms.

Please advise if I'm making a good decision.
btanoue
 
#2,335 ·
Hi,

I'm thinking of ordering this projector tonight.
It seems pretty good but this thread is really long....78 pages.
Its hard to sift though all this.

What is the failure rate so far?
Is the RF receiver still hard to find?

Would you recommend another model before I take the plunge?
My current model is a Panasonic PTAE700, and the optical block is going....still on my first bulb though!
So probably anything would be better right?

My room is in the basement and I can control the light very well.
There is a tiny bit of light leakage during the morning AM, but I tend to watch movies in the evening.
I'm also a huge gamer, and will use this for gaming. The lag is very low around 30-35ms.

Please advise if I'm making a good decision.
btanoue
 
#2,336 ·
I got it about 2 months ago for primarily gaming in my completely dark basement.

I still haven't messed with the settings at all bc out of the box it is drop dead gorgeous!

Destiny and Fallout 4 look awesome. Costume Quest 2 was vibrant.
No lag at all!

Just marathoned Ep 4-6 of Star Wars today. Looked fantastic.

I'm a very happy owner! The contrast is similar to my old Samsung tv -very dark blacks! When the screen is only showing black I can't see my hand in front of my face... :)
 
#2,339 ·
Any color banding on this PJ?

I just got this projector last month. At first I didn't notice any issues but now that Ive used it a lot I see color banding sometimes but mainly in dark scenes with some noise as well. I first noticed my windows desktop had very subtle banding from light blue to dark blue. Its really only noticeable if I point it out to someone. On dark scences with smoke or clouds it is very blotchy looking. I have done a few things to isolate this. Different HDMI cables, Blue Ray, Xbox and PC sources, bypassed receiver. Ive messed with every setting I can think of in the menu and even checked the panel alignment and made adjustments. I get the same banding in all situations. I see it mostly in games and some TV on my PC but have also noticed it on the Sony Blu Ray player in movies.

Anyone see banding at all on their PJs? My wife thinks Im being picky but I really dont think a projector like this should have anything like this. I've seen extreme cases of banding and this is not that. However, my previous BenQ W7000 didnt have much of this at all to my recollection.
 
#2,340 ·
Anyone see banding at all on their PJs? My wife thinks Im being picky but I really dont think a projector like this should have anything like this. I've seen extreme cases of banding and this is not that. However, my previous BenQ W7000 didnt have much of this at all to my recollection.
Are you able to take any pictures of the issue? I'm having a hard time imagining what it looks like... maybe I don't know what banding is? But I assume it can take on several forms/severities?
 
#2,341 ·
I purchased a Sony HW55ES this last month from local dealer.

Really liking it. Hung it today with a Chief RPA mount (the big one...) and that sucker is beefy.

Projecting only on blackout cloth right now (evaluating materials/screens still) but it looks great to me.

Watched Aladdin today on it - I didn't expect that to be inaugural movie, but the people with me wanted to see it when they saw it, so there you go!

I did panel alignment, then later noticed it was off again. And zone based alignment is not a fast process! Should I wait a certain about of time after turning it on before doing panel alignment?

No other real questions right now. Haven't noticed it accentuating grain like some say - but haven't watched a grainy movie yet. Did watch part of an Andy Griffith's episode in HD from Netflix, and the film was dirty and that was noticeable, but only because the projector is good and the film was truly dirty!

I have an Oppo BDP-103D with Darbee set to 30% in HiDef, and RC is turned off. MotionFlow is also turned off. RCP (whatever that is - haven't looked in manual yet) is also off.
 
#2,346 · (Edited)
I purchased a Sony HW55ES this last month from local dealer.

Really liking it. Hung it today with a Chief RPA mount (the big one...) and that sucker is beefy.

Projecting only on blackout cloth right now (evaluating materials/screens still) but it looks great to me.

Watched Aladdin today on it - I didn't expect that to be inaugural movie, but the people with me wanted to see it when they saw it, so there you go!

I did panel alignment, then later noticed it was off again. And zone based alignment is not a fast process! Should I wait a certain about of time after turning it on before doing panel alignment?

No other real questions right now. Haven't noticed it accentuating grain like some say - but haven't watched a grainy movie yet. Did watch part of an Andy Griffith's episode in HD from Netflix, and the film was dirty and that was noticeable, but only because the projector is good and the film was truly dirty!

I have an Oppo BDP-103D with Darbee set to 30% in HiDef, and RC is turned off. MotionFlow is also turned off. RCP (whatever that is - haven't looked in manual yet) is also off.
My HW-50ES seems to take almost an hour for the focus and alignment to fully settle in. While yours may be different, I would think that waiting an hour before aligning would be a safe bet.
 
#2,347 ·
A little off topic: anybody else seen choppy navigation on the "Inside Out" Blue Ray or am I just lucky?

Screen goes through flashes, black screen and other colorful surprises while the disk is loading or between selections from the main menu.

Since I got my AV7702 and new projector (Sony HW55ES) a couple of months ago, every movie has loaded and played perfectly...just wondering if there's something hinky with this specific movie. No biggie, just wondering.

Signal path: Oppo Blue Ray (93) -> Marantz AV7702 -> Darbee Darblet -> Sony HW55ES projector.
 
#2,348 ·
I would think that the most likely culprit is the BluRay Player. I assume you have the latest firmware? I know the Oppos, if connected to the network, like to update automatically...

I don't have the BluRay - though I am wanting to get it. Fun movie.
 
#2,351 ·
Anybody know how to redeem the free lamp offer since the store closed?
 
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