There are few luxuries as exciting as having your own personal home theater. Today’s home theater projectors are being sold at lower prices than ever before while offering never-before-seen picture and sound quality, allowing you to enjoy the full cinematic experience from the comfort of your own home.
But projectors allow you to do more than just enjoy great movies. There are several creative ways to use projectors to make your home environment more fun for the whole family, from making bedtime extra special to creating at-home art galleries.
If you’re interested in buying a home projector, these five Sony theater projectors are a great place to start shopping.
Top 5 Current Models of Sony Projectors
Sony currently has 10 different models of home theater projectors, but we’ll be looking at the top five. Here’s what you need to know about each projector’s unique features so that you can choose the best projector for your home.
Sony VPL-BW120S 2600 Lumens Home Theater Projector
$678 (at time of publishing)
Sony VPL-BW120S Front
- The LED brightness of 2,600 lumens makes the projector very usable in the daytime.
- Short throw technology allows you to place the projector closer to the wall. You can place 42″ away for an 80″ screen or 53″ away for a 100″ screen.
- A contrast ratio of up to 4,000:12 and 12-bit gamma correction sharpens the color gradients and improves the viewing experience.
- A variety of picture modes lets you optimize the projector for different viewing experiences.
- Its one-cable connection makes it easy to set the projector up for business events or conferences.
- Some users report that the fan is whisper-quiet. However, others say it is louder than they would like.
- Some users report that the projector is not especially suited to ceiling mounting because the projected screen winds up too close to the floor.
Sony VPL-VW325ES 4K HDR Home Theater Projector
$5,499.99 (at time of publishing)
Sony VPL-VW325ES Front
- With a brightness of 1,500 lumens, this projector works best in a dark theater environment rather than a well-lit room.
- The projector’s weight of 31 lbs. means that it’s not especially portable. This makes it best for home entertainment.
- Motionflow technology ensures smooth motion for both 4K and HD viewing.
- Advanced Reality Creation technology sharpens and upscales images without creating extra image noise.
- The projector’s X1 processor creates high-precision frame analysis, giving good color and clarity.
- Input lag reduction creates a faster refresh rate, allowing gamers to use this projector in lieu of a traditional TV.
Sony VPL-HW65ES 1080P Home Theater Projector
$3,999 (at time of publishing)
Sony VPL-HW65ES Front
- While this projector has a brightness of only 1,800 lumens, the contrast ratio of 120,000:1 ensures that the projector looks great in well-lit rooms as well as dark theater environments.
- Full HD resolution and reality creation technology sharpen and upscale images without adding extra image noise.
- RF 3D compatibility creates an enhanced 3D viewing experience to make your home theater environment more immersive.
- USB firmware updates mean you’ll always have the newest features.
- The front-facing fan improves the throw ratio, allowing for bigger screen sizes.
Sony VPL-VW715ES 4K HDR Home Theater Projector
$9,999.99 (at time of publishing)
Sony VPL-VW715ES Front
- This projector’s brightness of 1,800 lumens and a contrast ratio of 350,000:1 creates a top viewing experience in well-lit rooms as well as dark theater environments.
- It can be placed on a table or mounted to a ceiling, but requires a distance of 10 to 30 feet from the viewing surface for the best picture.
- Motionflow technology creates a smooth image in both HD and 4K resolutions.
- Reality creation technology sharpens and upscales image quality without adding distracting image noise.
- Input lag reduction creates a faster response time for gamers.
- Picture position memory stores your settings so you only have to set up your projector once.
Sony VPL-VW5000ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector
$60,000 (at time of publishing)
Sony VPL-VW5000ES Front
- A brightness of 5,000 lumens and a Z-Phosphor laser light brings the required brightness to your screen, ensuring that the picture looks great in both light and dark rooms.
- The combination of panel and laser light sources brings the full spectrum of colors to your home theater experience.
- Advanced reality creation software sharpens and upscales HD and SD sources without creating extra image noise.
- Native 4K resolution creates the most lifelike images, and the ARC-F lens brings corner-to-corner sharpness to your screen.
- 4K Motionflow technology and IMAX-enhanced content deliver bigger, more breathtaking home theater experiences.
- This projector offers nine carefully calibrated picture modes for a versatile viewing experience.
- Picture position memory stores your settings so you only have to set up your home theater projector once.
Sony Projectors: How Do Their Projection Technologies Stand Out?
Sony is often touted as one of the go-to brands for electronics. Their success comes from their ability to innovate and keep up with the times — a foundation that started back during World War II.
Today, Sony’s home theater projectors bring clear, 4K HDR images to even well-lit rooms. This means that regardless of what your home theater space looks like, Sony’s projectors should work well for you.
What Features Should You Look For in Theater Projectors?
There are several factors to consider when choosing the right projector for your personal home theater, including:
- Cost of the projector
- Size of the projected image in relation to your room
- Image quality
- Overall viewing experience
- The way that the projector integrates with other technologies you own
Which Projector Will Provide the Best Cinematic Viewing Experience?
Without a doubt, the most realistic cinematic viewing experience comes from the Sony VPL-VW5000ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector. There’s a reason it comes with such a high price tag.
It has IMAX capabilities, replicating the most immersive cinematic experience within the comfort of your own home. The bright 5,000-lumen lens delivers an amazing experience whether you’re watching a movie in a well-lit or darkened room. Corner-to-corner sharpness allows you to enjoy every inch of your projected screen. Reviewers have unanimously agreed that the VPL-VW500ES 4K SXRD provides a top-notch cinematic experience.
If you don’t have $60,000 to shell out for a new home projector, the next best cinematic viewing experience comes from the Sony VPL-HW65ES 1080P Home Theater Projector. At just under $4,000, the Sony VPL-HW65ES provides quality images and even allows for 3D image projection, so you can enjoy 3D movies from the comfort of your home.
Which One Is Best in Regards to Picture Quality?
Once again, when it comes to picture quality, the Sony VPL-VW5000ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector blows the other Sony projectors out of the water. A 5,000-lumen projector, corner-to-corner sharpness, and nine carefully-calibrated screen settings are the cornerstones of what makes this projector’s picture quality so stunning.
To top it off, 4K resolution and Motionflow technology ensure that the picture looks beautiful even when your content is moving at high speeds. Nine calibrated viewing experiences allow you to transition from movies to TV shows to sports programming and enjoy the best possible picture for each.
Second to the Sony VPL-VW5000ES is the Sony VPL-VW715ES 4K HDR Home Theater Projector. At just under $10,000, this projector boasts a bright 1,800 lumens, offering great picture quality regardless of the amount of light in your room.
The high contrast ratio on the Sony VPL-VW715ES creates vibrant color contrasts, showing the whitest whites and the blackest blacks. Its input lag reduction means that your picture will look great even if you’re playing video games, making this projector a great home TV replacement.
Which Has the Best Throw Ratio?
The best throw ratio comes from the affordable Sony VPL-BW120S 2600 Lumens Home Theater Projector at just $678. Short throw technology allows you to place this projector relatively close to the wall and still experience a big-screen result, making this the best home theater projector for smaller rooms.
The next best throw ratio comes from the Sony VPL-HW65ES 1080P Home Theater Projector, which also features a whisper-quiet front-facing fan.
Purchase Your Digital Cinema Projector Today
The best digital cinema projector for your home will depend on your budget, the dimensions of your room, and your ideal viewing experience.
While you can’t go wrong with any of these five Sony projectors, we recommend the Sony VPL-VW5000ES 4K SXRD if you’re looking to recreate a luxury cinematic experience at home. Compared with the other Sony projectors, the Sony VPL-VW5000ES has the best image quality and immersive experience of all the Sony projectors on the market.
If you’re just getting started and trying to determine whether a home projector is a good idea, the Sony VPL-BW120S 2600 Lumens Home Theater Projector is a strong budget-friendly alternative to the costlier Sony projectors. It still offers a great viewing experience, and its short throw technology makes it perfect for testing out in smaller home theaters.
For in-between budgets, the Sony VPL-HW65ES 1080P Home Theater Projector is a great mid-range projector for light and dark image viewing.