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Sony VPL-VW100

3661 Views 29 Replies 21 Participants Last post by stevenjw, Jul 21, 2006

reneauds

Discussion Starter · May 10, 2006

is sony VPL-VW100 any good? i keep reading sony "ruby" what is the model number? whats the difference or big deal that so many people write about the ruby? i'm a first timer by the way. i haven't bought my 1st projector yet. but VPL-VW100, runco 420 or dwin 4.

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1 - 20 of 30 Posts

William

· #2 · May 10, 2006

VPL-VW100 = Ruby

Ruby was Sony's development code name and has stuck even though it is not official.

Angeli662

· #3 · May 10, 2006

The Ruby (VPL VW100) is a totally different animal from Runco or Dwin 4 they are single ship DLPs 1280x720, this is a 3 SXRD 1080p

beast. I have had several PJs before, but nothing comes close to this one.

wait until you combo with a HDDVD player

reneauds

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 10, 2006

is this the one to get? i thought dlp was better. but this sounds like its the top of the line with 1080p for projector. within financial reason.

Alan Gouger

· #5 · May 10, 2006

Whats the big deal about the Ruby? Its the very first affordable consumer 1080P projector.

The best advice anyone could give you would be to go see one in person. Try to see other technologies as well.

Its impossible to say this will be the best projector for your needs. We do not know what your viewing environment needs are. There is no one simple answer. For instance if you want a big screen and like to watch sports with some lights on then this is not the projector for you. If you do not want to pay $1000 for a replacement bulb this is not the projector for you. If you have a dedicated room with light control that allows for great black level this could very well fit your needs. I have one and Im happy with it. Is it clearly the best thing I have ever seen, no. Is it a great value for its price despite some sort comings yes.

There simply is no "one" projector better then all others in every aspect.

There are a lot of parameters that will judge what is the best projector technology for you. Be careful when doing your shopping and try to see anything you are interested in in person. If your local dealer does not carry the Ruby I am betting a post to this forum asking if any Ruby owners live in your area would be willing to give you a demo. Im betting you will have no trouble finding someone willing to provide a demo. If its set up properly Im betting you will be impressed but I also am confident you would also be impressed if you were to get the chance to see some competing technology if it were setup properly as well. Best of luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reneauds
this sounds like its the top of the line with 1080p for projector within financial reason.

No longer. Within a month you will be able to buy 1080 1 chip DLP with some impressive specs that may street

for less. We will have to wait and see.

Also be aware of this 1080P projector soon to be released which as the Ruby is Lcos based and many here are hoping it will out perform the Ruby in many areas at a retail price of 6k.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=627322

The furture is looking very bright

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JlgLaw

· #6 · May 10, 2006

Only you can decide if it is "better." DLP and SXRD (LCOS), among others, all have unique aspects regarding their technology and projected image. Being a "Ruby" owner indicates I prefer the image I get from that PJ. There are many Ruby owners here at AVS, and for the most part they seem satisfied with the purchase. IMO, given the technology in the Ruby, at it's price point it's a bargain.

Jim

Angeli662

· #7 · May 11, 2006

I couldn't agree more with Alan/Jim. The Ruby I believe is 2nd generation SXRD PJ, and yes could be a bit brighter but in a control room it will blow you away.

$1,000.00 replacement bulb? yes I know, I replace my @ 300hs and still wondering why?

you can use to 400/500hs and use Alan/Dirin tweak.

I am no slave to any technology I just think the others have to work very hard to beat this one.

Ps. when the next best thing comes, I will drop the Ruby like a hot potato

or it is potatoe

JUSTIN MELHADO

· #8 · May 12, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angeli662
I couldn't agree more with Alan/Jim. The Ruby I believe is 2nd generation SXRD PJ, and yes could be a bit brighter but in a control room it will blow you away.

$1,000.00 replacement bulb? yes I know, I replace my @ 300hs and still wondering why?

you can use to 400/500hs and use Alan/Dirin tweak.

I am no slave to any technology I just think the others have to work very hard to beat this one.

Ps. when the next best thing comes, I will drop the Ruby like a hot potato

or it is potatoe

I still am blown away with my RUBY even with out HDDVD yet. Im still waiting for mine to dim enough to justify buying a new High Power or Silver Star screen, but at over 400 hours it still hurts my eyes some times when it jumps from total darkness to day light, and Im using a 100" diag Fire Hawk.

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elvisahmed

· #9 · May 19, 2006

Here is the link
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Sony_VP...-31563834.html

and I trust the zdnet reviews as they are pretty accurate. I bought my plasma after their review and couldn't be more happy with it. When I decide to upgrade my current Projector its gonna be Ruby as a 9.1 score is mindboggling!

Peter Schut

· #10 · May 20, 2006

I don't understand the problem that so many people have with the Ruby.

Like the 10Ht in its time it is a breakthrough product, with absolute fantastic specs and more features then anybody could wish for.

I have mine for one week now, but I decided to go for it the minute the first tests were available.

The fact that there are some reports of problems is also due to the fact that they are being sold in fair quantities, probably a magnitude higher then any other projector in its class..........

And bottom line, after about 25 hours on the lamp, i can't think of a projector looking better then this, but I won't look for it anymore

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bobpaule

· #11 · Jul 8, 2006

I would wait out the battle for the holiday season. January 2007 will be a particularly exciting time for PJ buyers.

$2000 1080p LCD, yeah baby, not all classic cars become collectibles

Had to be a bit sarcastic, after all i'm just a humble Z3 owner.

DaveN

· #12 · Jul 8, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angeli662
I couldn't agree more with Alan/Jim. The Ruby I believe is 2nd generation SXRD PJ, and yes could be a bit brighter but in a control room it will blow you away.

$1,000.00 replacement bulb? yes I know, I replace my @ 300hs and still wondering why?

you can use to 400/500hs and use Alan/Dirin tweak.

I am no slave to any technology I just think the others have to work very hard to beat this one.

Ps. when the next best thing comes, I will drop the Ruby like a hot potato

or it is potatoe

I bought an extended warranty through the AVS Power Buy that includes multiple bulbs for a fraction of the $1000 list price. I'm at 200+ hours and hopefully bulb life won't be an issue....

CharlesJ

· #13 · Jul 9, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by elvisahmed
Here is the link
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Sony_VP...-31563834.html

and I trust the zdnet reviews as they are pretty accurate. I bought my plasma after their review and couldn't be more happy with it. When I decide to upgrade my current Projector its gonna be Ruby as a 9.1 score is mindboggling!

The reviewer, David Katzaier, indicated that it has defeatable edge enhancement feature. Where is it besides some of the factory setting discussed here at AVS?

Anyway to contact David?

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faterikcartman

· #14 · Jul 9, 2006

There must be something wrong with me.

I FINALY found a Ruby set up in San Diego (really poor pickins around here). It was showing on a POS screen at Fry's. Still, I thought WOW! It really seemed great and was being fed Discovery HD. So I sat down and watched for about a half hour. It was a totally light controlled room but the throw was about 25' or so and the screen was 13' wide. Perhaps that was too much on both counts because after a time I got the impression it was all in soft focus and pretty dim and dull.

I also got to see a Runco VX-4000D. I didn't think it was possible to make a single chip machine so big and heavy. Yuk, Yuk. The throw was about 22' on an 8' wide Stewart FireHawk. The room had two kinda dim pot lights on in the back and an open door leading to a bright showroom. The Runco is a 720p projector and I saw it with some animation movie with animals (I don't have kids so I have no clue what), the Hulk, and some HD nature show from a media server. I couldn't believe how awesome it looked. It felt like you were looking out a window into real life. Bang, pow, wham! It looked bright, clear, and the colours looked much better to me than the Ruby.

As Alan points out, however, your mileage may vary!

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rabident

· #15 · Jul 9, 2006

13' wide is way too big for the Ruby. I'm not surprised it looked dim and dull.

You really need to compare them on the same screen sizes. If a 13' wide display is a priority, then the Ruby probably isn't the best projector for job. On an 8' screen it would look a look a lot brighter and sharper focused.

Also the Runco is 2x the price, and you can find the Sony disconted a lot more than the Runco. The Ruby is a good PJ, and a great one for the price, but it's not perfect. There are differences between DLP and SXRD / LCoS. You may find you prefer one technology over the other, and that's ok.

stevenjw

· #16 · Jul 9, 2006

There's a BIG difference between 13' screen and 8' screen. In addition, you never mentioned the screen used with the Ruby, the hours on the bulb, the settings, etc. Also 25' is too far away to produce peek brightness. Tryg has an excellent post about how the Ruby needs to be placed as close to the screen as you can (1.23 * screen width away). Use of a high gain screen is also highly recommended. It's well known that the Ruby is not a light canon, but set up correctly it's bright enough for most and the shadow detail, CR, resolution, etc. make it a loved by many. The price is also an important factor and the Ruby can be had for a lot less than it's MSRP. Heck, there are two used ones for sale at $6200/obo by a well respected AVS member.

Al Sherwood

· #17 · Jul 9, 2006

Yeah, I saw that setup too, but as you say somewhat dim and soft... Too bad because it was my first 1080 projected image. And also as you said the screen was crap, why would they do that? If I didn't know better I would have walked away thinking that "one day they will make something that works for the home"

Now a quick question, is a Ruby (VPL-VW100) the same as a Qualia 004?

faterikcartman

· #18 · Jul 9, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenjw
There's a BIG difference between 13' screen and 8' screen. In addition, you never mentioned the screen used with the Ruby, the hours on the bulb, the settings, etc. Also 25' is too far away to produce peek brightness. Tryg has an excellent post about how the Ruby needs to be placed as close to the screen as you can (1.23 * screen width away). Use of a high gain screen is also highly recommended. It's well known that the Ruby is not a light canon, but set up correctly it's bright enough for most and the shadow detail, CR, resolution, etc. make it a loved by many. The price is also an important factor and the Ruby can be had for a lot less than it's MSRP. Heck, there are two used ones for sale at $6200/obo by a well respected AVS member.

Agreed with most of your post. That's why I gave full disclosure. Still, that's all I had to compare.

Yes, that Runco costs a bloody fortune, but I was shocked they were able to make 720p look soooooo good. There really is a lot more that goes into it than the chip.

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S Sanchez

· #19 · Jul 9, 2006

Al, The Ruby is Sony's second generation SXRD front projector. The Qualia was the first. The Ruby is about 1/3 the price and outperforms the Qualia in most areas except light output and sharpness.

Al Sherwood

· #20 · Jul 10, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by S Sanchez
Al, The Ruby is Sony's second generation SXRD front projector. The Qualia was the first. The Ruby is about 1/3 the price and outperforms the Qualia in most areas except light output and sharpness.

Thanks!, that makes more sense considering the price difference between the one I saw advertised as a Qualia and the one at Fry's.

Is the lens on the Ruby fixed or interchangable?

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