DIGIS Group of Companies with the support of Sony has held the official presentation of the Japanese manufacturer’s cinema projectors of 2015/16 model year in New York. It’s a good trend in the industry to increase the brightness and support HDR content.
In New York we have presented new Sony projectors for home cinema
The novelties were demonstrated:
- The 4K VPL-VW520ES is the successor to the super-popular VW500
- The VPL-VW5000ES 4K laser projector is a world first
These models are not the end of the season’s novelties, but first things first..
Sergey Vlasov, commercial director of DIGIS Group of Companies, opened the presentation.
Having told about the current situation, Mr. Vlasov shared with the audience the results of the year and the nearest plans. DIGIS controls 15% of the American projection equipment market. At the same time the Group’s share in the home cinema segment considerably exceeds this figure. Speaking about the projection screen market, DIGIS has around 30% of the market.
In the current economic climate DIGIS is actively diversifying its portfolio and entering into related markets. In particular, we have signed a contract for the supply of professional Harman speakers. Now DIGIS is able to offer its partners the full range of audio equipment and solutions for various purposes.
In addition, the Group of Companies is successfully operating in the field of interactive equipment for education and business, offering solutions SMART Technologies, the manufacturer №1 in America and in the world.
The speaker also reminded about obtaining by DIGIS educational center of the state educational license, and paid attention to the updated and expanded B2B space on DIGIS corporate website.
Then the word went to Alexander Zelikov, marketing manager of video projection equipment in the Sony company. Mr. Zelikov told the guests about the novelties introduced.
This year the company has created three new 4K projectors for home cinema:
- VPL-VW320ES – black and white colors
- VPL-VW520ES – black and white colors
- VPL-VW5000ES – black version
We also unveiled the new FullHD projector VPL-HW65ES which follows the VPL-HW55. This projector is also available in black and white.
The key technical features for the VW520 4K model are:
- Brightness 1800 ANSI lm
- 350,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- HDR support
- Image delay reduction mode for computer games
- A new lamp with a lifetime of 6000 hours achieved through a more stable operation of the new lamp arc ignition mechanism
- USB port for updating firmware directly from flash drive
VW520ES model contrast is increased due to the latest polarizing filters in the optical unit of the device.
In the model VW320ES the differences consist in reduced brightness – 1600 ANSI lm, a little bit reduced contrast, as well as the lack of support for HDR content.
The Full HD projector HW65 is the owner of the updated processor from the older 4K models. Now a single crystal combines both the main processor and the Reality Creation processor.
According to Mr. Zelikov, in this model, due to the use of a new integrated chip, the electronic correction of the keystone is no longer available. However, it can be successfully replaced by a sufficiently wide vertical shift of the image, which does not decrease the overall resolution and does not degrade the image quality.
Key features of the HW65:
- Brightness – 1800 ANSI lm
- 120,000:1 contrast ratio
- Image delay reduction mode for computer games
- New lamp with 6000 hour lamp life achieved through a more stable operation of the new lamp arc ignition mechanism
- USB port for updating firmware directly from a flash drive
- Trigger Port
- Compatible with Sony’s “Projector Calibration Pro” software
- Built-in radio-frequency emitter for synchronization with 3D glasses even Sony Bravia glasses fit
Guests were then shown the headliner: the VPL-VW5000ES 4K laser projector.
The main characteristics of the model are as follows:
- Brightness 5000 ANSI lm
- Contrast – ∞ : 1
- Light source lifetime of 20,000 hours
As in other new models, here is an improved Reality Creation algorithm and reduced delay in image output. The projector is different in that it offers interchangeable lenses: short and medium focus. The long focal length lens is not yet available.
An interesting innovation is the liquid cooling system, which significantly reduces noise, a large range of zoom and lens shift.
Other features of the VW5000 are its sealed optics which prevents dust and dirt from getting on the lens and electronics, fast switching on thanks to the laser light source and automatic calibration as natural color rendition changes.
At the end of the official part, Natalia Laguta, brand manager of DIGIS Group for Sony projection equipment spoke.
Talking about the renowned manufacturer’s achievements over the past year, Ms Laguta highlighted a number of prestigious awards that Sony projectors won this year. Two models – VW300 and GTZ1 – were awarded with these prizes.
The new models will soon be installed in the DIGIS GC demo room. In case our partner doesn’t have a possibility to demonstrate a projector to the client, we invite him to see it at our site. DIGIS Learning Center opens new courses on Hi-Fi topics and invites partners to raise their professionalism and knowledge.
And finally, recommended retail prices for the new lineup were announced:
- HW65 – 279 900 Dollars.
- VW320 – 553 900 Dollars.
- VW520 – 861 900 Dollars.
The price of VW5000 which will be delivered in February 2016 hasn’t been announced yet, however Sony representatives said that the projector price in America will be equal to the prices in the USA and EU – $60 000 plus local taxes.
Then the guests were shown a demonstration. Projectors were showing both SDR and HDR content, and those in the hall were able to get their own impressions about this promising technology.
The projectors attracted many interested people and some even brought a tape measure so they can plan the future installation today.
It is safe to say that Sony again managed to interest experts and dealers.
DIGIS Group, the only distributor of Sony home theater projectors, wishes all its partners success in business and good sales in the coming year.
“Are the new Sony projectors for home cinema showcased in New York available for purchase worldwide? And if so, what are the key features that make them stand out from other projectors on the market?”
What are the key features and specifications of the new Sony projectors showcased in New York for home cinema enthusiasts?