About The Sony VPL-XW5000ES 4K Laser Projector
Blending effortlessly into today's living spaces, the beautifully styled VPL-XW5000ES is the world's most compact native 4K HDR laser projector. The long-lasting laser light source delivers a brightness of 2,000 lumens – plenty for vibrant, punchy pictures even in brightly lit living rooms, home cinemas and media rooms. The advanced 4K SXRD panel is teamed with new wide dynamic range optics and Sony's power packed X1 Ultimate for projector processor. It all adds up to vibrant true 4K HDR images bursting with rich colours, awe-inspiring contrast and expanded dynamic range that honour the original content creator's intentions. The VPL-XW5000ES integrates seamlessly into today's connected environments, with support for a wide range of home AV management standards. A stunning addition to any living space, it's also kinder on the planet with a mercury-free laser light source and reduced energy consumption per lumen compared with previous models.
Discover Brighter, Bolder Entertainment: Savour the action with up to 2,000 lumens of high brightness generated by the long-lasting laser light source for vibrant images, even on large screens.
All-New Native 4K SXRD™ Panel: Immerse yourself in an incredibly lifelike picture with native 4K resolution of 8.3 million pixels (3,840 x 2,160). Thanks to the all-new 0.61-inch SXRD panel, you'll enjoy high brightness, inky blacks, rich colours, tones and textures, plus clear cinematic motion and image smoothness.
All-New Wide Dynamic Range Optics: Sony's new Wide Dynamic Range Optics contribute to the projector's compact design, with improved light control by maximising the potential of the laser light source. The resulting higher colour volume assures naturally colourful images and stunning contrast, even at high brightness levels.
Flagship-Level X1™ Ultimate For Projector Processor: Sony's X1™ Ultimate for projector processor draws on their acclaimed BRAVIA TV video technologies, harnessing advanced data processing for real-time optimisation of individual on-screen objects. You'll be rewarded with stunning HDR images with textures, colours, contrast and realism unattainable with previous home cinema projectors.
Object-Based HDR Remaster: Object-based HDR Remaster analyses the colour of individual objects on screen and adjusts the contrast, resulting in more realistic pictures with greater depth and texture.
Dynamic HDR Enhancer: Dynamic HDR Enhancer processes HDR content scene by scene and enhances the contrast in combination with laser output control - bringing you bright 4K HDR images.
Object-Based Super Resolution: Object-based Super Resolution technology detects individual objects in a picture and enhances each one for exceptional accuracy and detail.
Dual Database Processing: Two powerful image improvement databases work together to improve picture quality in real time. One database helps reduce on-screen noise, while the other is used to upscale the resolution.
Digital Focus Optimiser: By analysing every pixel and detecting possible degradation in advance, the Digital Focus Optimiser corrects the image quality so that the focus is better than ever, even in the corners.
Even More True-To-Life Colours: Sony's unique TRILUMINOS PRO algorithm ensures reproduction of natural shades in every detail. You'll see the difference with colours that are closer to those experienced in the real world.
No Colour Off Limits: The VPL-XW5000ES effortlessly reproduces an exceptionally wide colour gamut, covering a huge 95% of the cinema-standard DCI-P3 colour space.
Ultimate Big-Screen Cinematic Experience: The VPL-XW5000ES is compatible with IMAX Enhanced content, letting you enjoy breathtaking IMAX visuals with compatible content. Take advantage of the size of your projector screen with movies that become even more immersive with IMAX Enhanced.
World's Most Compact Native 4K HDR Laser Projector*: Blending effortlessly into today's living spaces, the beautifully styled VPL-XW5000ES is the world's most compact native 4K HDR laser projector. Sony have designed the VPL-XW5000ES to be even smaller and lighter than its predecessors by developing an all-new native 4K SXRD panel and compact Wide Dynamic Range Optics. The projector is about 30% smaller in volume and about 35% lighter than the VPL-VW790ES while delivering the same high brightness.
*As of April 2022, according to research by Sony Corporation in the native 4K projectors market.
The Smarter Home Cinema Partner: The VPL-XW5000ES integrates seamlessly with today's home automation systems. Support for Control4, Crestron, Savant and AMX lets you enjoy a smarter, more convenient entertainment experience.
Enduring Brightness: With the VPL-XW5000ES you'll never have to worry about changing projector lamps. The ultra-pure laser light source requires virtually no maintenance, letting you enjoy perfectly clear 4K pictures at optimal brightness for up to 20,000 uninterrupted hours.
Sustainable Performance: The VPL-XW5000ES doesn't just perform brilliantly. It's also kinder on the planet, with a mercury-free laser light source and reduced energy consumption per lumen compared with previous models. Sony reduced the amount of virgin plastic used for the main body by more than 25% and the packaging materials by more than 15% compared to the VPL-VW790ES.
About Sony
In 1946, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, The predecessor of Sony Group Corporation) started as a small company with capital of just 190,000 yen and approximately 20 employees. Founder Masaru Ibuka said the purpose of setting up the company was to establish an ideal factory that stresses a spirit of freedom and open mindedness that will, through technology, contribute to Japanese culture. Symbolizing Sony's spirit of challenge to do what has never been done before, the company has continued to release countless "Japan's first" and "world's first" products.
Sony has released many ground-breaking and significant products throughout its history which include Japan's first transistor radio in 1955 followed 2 years later by the first pocket sized portable transistor radio. The Cassette Walkman in 1979, the world's first direct-view portable transistor TV in 1960, followed by the first Trinitron TV in 1968. The first Beta VCR in 1975, Japan's first audio reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1950 and Sony's first cassette tape recorder in 1966. World's first compact disc player in 1982, the first Super Audio CD (SACD) player in 1999. First stereo headphones in 1964, the first in-ear headphones in 1982 and the world's first digital noise cancelling headphones in 2008. Sony's original PlayStation launched in Japan in 1994 and the latest PlayStation 5 was released worldwide in late 2020.
This very short list merely scratches the surface of what Sony has achieved over the last 75 years. This multi-national corporation continues to innovate and produce cutting edge products in almost every audio visual category for you to enjoy in your home.
Sony VPL-XW5000ES First Impressions
"As big fans of the lamp-based VW290ES, we actually had a few qualms about the XW5000ES when Sony first told us that it had turned to laser lighting and increased its maximum light level output to 2000 lumens. The thing is, experience suggests that fitting relatively affordable projectors with bright laser systems can have a pretty unfortunate effect on black level response.
Sony's XW5000ES demonstrations suggest our fears are unfounded, though. In fact, its contrast performance actually seems substantially improved over that of the VW290ES, rather than taking any sort of backwards step.
So while bright parts of the demo material – predominantly clips from a Sony 4K HDR showreel of dramatic scenery and colourful villagers, plus clips from Spider-Man: Far From Home – clearly enjoy significantly more brightness, especially in peak areas, than they ever have on an entry level 4K SXRD projector before, the XW5000ES also serves up actually better black levels alongside them. It seemingly does this, moreover, without compromising or crushing any shadow details in the darkest corners of the picture.
This reinforces the feeling we've obtained from our tests of previous SXRD projectors that Sony's Dynamic HDR Enhancer technology (which uses image processing to boost the brightness of light parts of a picture while manipulating the laser output to simultaneously deepen black levels) was really designed with laser rather than lamp projection in mind. In fact, the overall HDR 'impact' of the XW5000ES appears in Sony's demos to be in a new class to anything else we've seen in this price bracket.
This combination of extra brightness and contrast together with, presumably, the new Triluminos Pro engine also results in a significant lift to the XW5000ES's colours. They appear brighter, richer and more expressive than those of the previous VW290. Especially with the Dynamic HDR Enhancer in play, which sensibly increases the image's colour volume as well as expanding the light range.
To be clear on this point, the seemingly enhanced colour volume the XW5000ES produces helps HDR pictures look more natural, rather than overcooked or forced.
The most unexpected improvement we notice to the XW5000ES's pictures is how much crisper and more three dimensional they look. This is most likely down to the efforts of the new X1 Ultimate processor, which introduces object-based image analysis to Sony's mainstream projectors for the first time. Sony projectors have never struggled to show off the benefits of their once unique native 4K resolution, but the clarity, texture and detail in the XW5000ES's rendition of Sony's demo footage, especially the 'travelogue' stuff, looks beyond anything we've seen before without stepping up to the much higher echelons of Sony's projector offering.
All these impressive strengths appear to be delivered with seemingly no downsides. The Dynamic HDR Enhancer seems not to introduce any obvious brightness instability and doesn't overcook things, provided you avoid its most potent setting, while the sharpness/depth enhancement feels natural rather than forced or bitty." What Hi-Fi?
Our Take On The Sony VPL-XW5000ES 4K Laser Projector
We can't quite believe Sony have been able to do it – releaser a 4K Laser Projector at under $10K. This thing is going to take over the market, no doubt about it. So, naturally it's 4K, but there are a few other major advantages that set it apart from the pack. Firstly, it doesn't have a lamp. Instead, it has a laser light source which has the wonderful advantage of giving you years of trouble free viewing without ever having to change a lamp. Secondly, the VPL-XW5000ES uses Sony's flagship-level X1™ Ultimate For Projector processor. The incredible power of this video engine enables advanced data processing, with real-time enhancement of each on-screen object. The result is high dynamic range imagery with texture, colour, contrast and realism only available from Sony's top level home cinema projectors. And just in case these weren't enough reasons to choose this outstanding projector there is also the small matter of the VPL-XW5000ES emitting 2,000 lumens of light, the same brightness as the previous top of the range VPL-VW790ES 4K Laser Projector. So, it's pretty clear, if want the very best in projection under $10K the Sony VPL-XW5000ES 4K Laser Projector should be the only model on your list. It's a complete no brainer.
Calibration, Screen & Installation: We can install and calibrate the VPL-XW5000ES anywhere in Australia to ISF standards (with help from our friend Tony O'Brien at Clarity Audio Visual - fees apply). With a projector at this standard we recommend Stewart Screens. For more information please contact one of our dedicated Projector specialists - Simon Lee, Andrew Coles or Simon Finch - to discuss your options.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Premium Quality 4K Laser Projector
- Display System: 4K SXRD panel, projection system
- Size Of Effective Display Area: 0.61" x 3
- Number of Pixels: 24,883,200 (3840 x 2160 x 3) pixels
- Focus: Manual
- Zoom: Manual (Approx. x1.6)
- Lens Shift: Manual, Vertical +/- 71 %, Horizontal +/- 25 %
- Throw Ratio: 1.38:1 to 2.21:1
- Light Source: Laser Phosphor
- Light Output: 2,000 lm
- Colour Light Output: 2,000 lm
- Contrast Ratio: ∞:1 (dynamic contrast)
- Accepted Digital Signals: 720 x 576/50p, 720 x 480/60p, 1280 x 720/50p, 1280 x 720/60p, 1920 x 1080/50i, 1920 x 1080/60i, 1920 x 1080/24p, 1920 x 1080/50p, 1920 x 1080/60p, 1920 x 1080/120p, 3840 x 2160/24p, 3840 x 2160/25p, 3840 x 2160/30p, 3840 x 2160/50p, 3840 x 2160/60p, 4096 x 2160/24p, 4096 x 2160/25p, 4096 x 2160/30p, 4096 x 2160/50p, 4096 x 2160/60p
- Connections
- HDMI: 2 inputs (HDCP 2.3), Digital (RGB/Y Pb/CbPr/Cr)
- Trigger: Mini jack, DC 12V Max.100 mA
- Remote: RS-232C, D-sub 9-pin (male)
- LAN: RJ45, 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX
- IR In: Mini jack
- USB: Type A, DC 5 V, Max. 500 mA
- Picture Processor: X1 Ultimate for Projector
- OSD (On Screen Display) Languages: 18-languages (English, Dutch, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai, Arabic, Polish)
- Acoustic Noise: 24 dB
- Operating Temperature / Operating Humidity: 5℃ to 35℃ (41°F to 95°F)/20% to 80% (no condensation)
- Storage Temperature / Storage Humidity: -10℃ to +60℃ (14°F to 140°F)/20% to 80% (no condensation)
- Power Requirements: AC 100 V to 240 V, 50/60 Hz
- Power Consumption: 420 W
- Standby: 0.3 W (When "Remote Start" is set to "Off")
- Networked Standby: 0.5 W (LAN) (When "Remote Start" is set to "On"). When a LAN terminal is not connected, it becomes a low power consumption mode (0.5 W).
- Standby Mode / Networked Standby Mode Activated: After about 10 Minutes
- Supplied Accessories: Remote Control (RM-PJ28), 2 x Size AA Batteries, AC Power Cable, Lens Cap, Setup Guide
- Finish: Black
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 460 x 200 x 472mm
- Weight: 13kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 3 Years Parts & Labour. Service is back to base and not done in the home.
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE