Sony VPL VW665ES and the new VW675ES

[Don Landis]

Mike wanted me to start a thread on the projector I bought last winter, the Sony VPL VW665ES.  This was recently replaced by the 675ES with just one obvious minor improvement. 

The 675ES offers 2 HDMI inputs with HDCP2.2 while the 665ES only has HDCP2.2 on Input #2.   This would be important if you have two UHD sources you need to connect that are HDCP 2.2.  However, practically speaking, you really only need one with a legacy, non HDCP 2.2 compliant AVR connected to Input 1 and your UHD player connected to Input 2.  If you have upgraded your AVR to a compatible HDCP, you really only need to connect to input 2.   For the present, that is the way the equipment is designed to work.  The few UHD players out have two HDMI outputs and one is for routing your audio to your legacy AVR. 

[AVSCraig]

I'm still enjoying my older VW600ES projector ! 

[Don Landis]

I replaced my VW90ES with the 665ES.  It was still serving me fine but decided to move up to 4K.  I'm a big fan of 3D and the 665ES is so much brighter in 3D and overall all 2K content looks great.  That is due to the upscaling system called Reality Creation. 

I kept the 90ES and it is in storage as a backup if the 665ES goes down.  The good thing with these two is that the mount can be switched over with 4 screws.  If I chose another brand, for the 4K upgrade, I would have had to make a new mount. 

[Dylan Seeger]

I replaced my VW90ES with the 665ES.  It was still serving me fine but decided to move up to 4K.  I'm a big fan of 3D and the 665ES is so much brighter in 3D and overall all 2K content looks great.  That is due to the upscaling system called Reality Creation. 

I kept the 90ES and it is in storage as a backup if the 665ES goes down.  The good thing with these two is that the mount can be switched over with 4 screws.  If I chose another brand, for the 4K upgrade, I would have had to make a new mount.

It's interesting to note that you love 3D and create a lot of 3D content yourself. Is there a reason you haven't gone with a DLP projector, which would yield the best crosstalk performance? Even the current line up of JVC units is much better than the 665ES in this regard, are a little brighter and offer more contrast for an all around better 3D experience? I just sold a 665ES. I had it hear for nearly a month and did many comparisons to it against the RS500 I had stacked underneath it. 3D was no-contest better on the JVC as was all around 2D performance as well.

[jlanzy]

I see the Sony pjs, except maybe the 5000ES, are limited to 10Gbps vs 18 on the JVCs, and have 87% P3 vs 100% on JVCs.

Are the speed limitations relevant to UHD BR or UHD streaming?  I understand that games that play at 60fps need the higher speed, but beyond that are there other needs over the next 2-3 years for the higher speed?

Is the 13% less P3 on the Sony visibly noticed compared to same material on JVC, if so is it very noticeable or minimally noticeable?  In other words, having seen a BR UHD on the Sony, then the JVC RS500/600, say, holy cow, the colors are so much better because of that extra 13% P3 ?

[AVSMike]

I see the Sony pjs, except maybe the 5000ES, are limited to 10Gbps vs 18 on the JVCs, and have 87% P3 vs 100% on JVCs.

Are the speed limitations relevant to UHD BR or UHD streaming?  I understand that games that play at 60fps need the higher speed, but beyond that are there other needs over the next 2-3 years for the higher speed?

Is the 13% less P3 on the Sony visibly noticed compared to same material on JVC, if so is it very noticeable or minimally noticeable?  In other words, having seen a BR UHD on the Sony, then the JVC RS500/600, say, holy cow, the colors are so much better because of that extra 13% P3 ?

The JVC having the 18Gbps chips and able to have BT2020 mapped to DCI color space is more future proof, but you are probably safe for a couple years with the Sony. As for the color space, there is a difference, but unless you see them side by side, you are not going to be able to tell. Put it this way, commercial theaters have been using DCI color space for years. Did you ever go home right after seeing a movie that the commercial theater and say to yourself, wish my colors in my theater looked that good? Now you combine higher resolution, higher bit rate and wider color space and you have a nice jump in picture improvement.

[jlanzy]

The JVC having the 18Gbps chips and able to have BT2020 mapped to DCI color space is more future proof, but you are probably safe for a couple years with the Sony. As for the color space, there is a difference, but unless you see them side by side, you are not going to be able to tell. Put it this way, commercial theaters have been using DCI color space for years. Did you ever go home right after seeing a movie that the commercial theater and say to yourself, wish my colors in my theater looked that good? Now you combine higher resolution, higher bit rate and wider color space and you have a nice jump in picture improvement.

Thanks Mike, that is what I have surmised from the forum reports on these 2 projectors.  The remaining differences seem to be more personal choice than better technology in one or the other.

Do we know if the calibrated brightness or black levels are noticeably improved on the 675ES.  It seems the major change lies in a future proofing for HDR ?

[AVSMike]

Thanks Mike, that is what I have surmised from the forum reports on these 2 projectors.  The remaining differences seem to be more personal choice than better technology in one or the other.

Do we know if the calibrated brightness or black levels are noticeably improved on the 675ES.  It seems the major change lies in a future proofing for HDR ?

The black levels on the Sony are not as good as the black levels of the JVC, but then again, no other projector can compete against JVC for black level either. The 675 is a very slight update over the 665, so there is only a slight improvement in contrast and brightness.

[Ron Jones]

Mike wanted me to start a thread on the projector I bought last winter, the Sony VPL VW665ES.  This was recently replaced by the 675ES with just one obvious minor improvement. 

The 675ES offers 2 HDMI inputs with HDCP2.2 while the 665ES only has HDCP2.2 on Input #2.   This would be important if you have two UHD sources you need to connect that are HDCP 2.2.  However, practically speaking, you really only need one with a legacy, non HDCP 2.2 compliant AVR connected to Input 1 and your UHD player connected to Input 2.  If you have upgraded your AVR to a compatible HDCP, you really only need to connect to input 2.   For the present, that is the way the equipment is designed to work.  The few UHD players out have two HDMI outputs and one is for routing your audio to your legacy AVR.

If I recall correctly, I thought the Sony reps at CEDIA were also saying the 675ES had improvements related to HDR.

[bmoney]

any plans for sony to make a PJ for 4k that competes directly with the rs400/500/600?

[AVSMike]

any plans for sony to make a PJ for 4k that competes directly with the rs400/500/600?

I doubt it, since the JVC's are not 4K. I think it will require some 4K native competition to get Sony to lower their prices.

[AVSCraig]

The black levels on the Sony are not as good as the black levels of the JVC, but then again, no other projector can compete against JVC for black level either. The 675 is a very slight update over the 665, so there is only a slight improvement in contrast and brightness.

It's pretty easy to see the contrast difference between the VW600 I have and the RS600. No contest !

[AVSMike]

It's pretty easy to see the contrast difference between the VW600 I have and the RS600. No contest !

I was talking about a slight improvement in contrast going from VW665 to VW675. There is a big difference in contrast between any Sony and a JVC RS600.

[jkasanic]

I was talking about a slight improvement in contrast going from VW665 to VW675. There is a big difference in contrast between any Sony and a JVC RS600.

I'm only guessing but I'd think you don't have to go all the way to the RS600 to see an appreciable difference in contrast to the VW665.  Wouldn't the RS400 (and for sure the RS500) also be "noticeable" to a slightly lesser extent?

[AVSMike]

I'm only guessing but I'd think you don't have to go all the way to the RS600 to see an appreciable difference in contrast to the VW665.  Wouldn't the RS400 (and for sure the RS500) also be "noticeable" to a slightly lesser extent?

Since the VW675 has a dynamic iris, you might be harder pressed to see the difference with the 400, but you would be able to see it with the 500 or 600. Don't get me wrong, the 675 throws a great image and it has some attributes that I wish JVC had.