Where can I demo a Sony VPL-HW50ES projector??

[FoxJA]

Can anyone here help. I want to view the Sony VPL-HW50ES projector to help decide between that or the JVC, but can't seem to find anywhere that has it available to try.

I live in Hornchurch and work in London, so am looking for somewhere in London or Essex. Have tried Audio T and some shops in Tottenham Court Road but they do not have them available for demo. Sevenoaks, Richer Sounds and Rayleigh Hi Fi don't sell Sony projectors for some reason.

I'm looking at spending around 8k in total in the store for the projector, amp and speakers so was hoping somewhere would be willing to let me view it. Does anyone know any other shops in this area that will be able to give me a demo?

Thanks

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

You really need to find someone who stocks both as the differences in set up ( within the demo room) will make it all but impossible to get an accurate comparison. Have you contacted Sony?

We had both on demo in the same room and had them ISF calibrated so I believe we had a fair chance at comparison . There is not much between the two and it would depend on what you are coming from and intend to do as to which is the best. To my mind the HW50 is the one to beat and in most cases it would be winner.

 

[FoxJA]

Thanks Nick,

I have seen both the JVC X35 and X55 but in two different display rooms. I was impressed with the JVC X35 but noticed some minor juddering, I wanted to see if the X55 was worth the extra £1600. The only problem I have with my room is that although quite large, the ceiling is only 2m high, and therefore the projector will be quite close to the seating position. The X35 I thought was very quiet, but the X55 made a fair bit of noise. I don't know if this is because the 4k upscaling causes the fan to work harder or if it is just the different set ups. But that is why I wanted to see the Sony as well, firstly to see the picture quality and secondly to hear how loud it is. Do you have any views on this? Is the Sony quiet and is there any signs of problems with motion? How does the picture compare to the JVC's?

Thanks,

 

[bigboss]

If you can travel to Coventry, David @ Frank Harvey Hi Fi should be able to help you. They have the HW50 on demo, and should be able to hook up a JVC for comparison.

 

[Frank Harvey]

But that is why I wanted to see the Sony as well, firstly to see the picture quality and secondly to hear how loud it is. Do you have any views on this? Is the Sony quiet and is there any signs of problems with motion? How does the picture compare to the JVC's?

Thanks,

The Sony certainly is quieter from memory, and while the JVC may edge things in the contrast/black level department, the Sony does tend to be the overall winner regarding image quality.

There will always be issues with motion in one way or another. I don't see much at home on my older Mitsubishi, but every now and again you just get that left/right pan that moves at the perfect speed to make itself known! With films being shot at 24 frames per second, you won't completely escape it. But, these PJ's do have 'motion smoothing' which each manufacturer dubs with their own fancy words, this will remove judder, but as it is working 'on the fly', will throw up one or two picture issues here and there sometimes. Personally, I'd rather endure a bit of judder, as these motion smoothing features tend to make film look like video - making The French Connection look like it has been shot in a studio isn't a good look! But get a demo, ask about the feature, and see how you get on with it. My projector doesn't have this feature, and it is something I'd never use anyway.

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

All of the current crop of projectors are very quiet and you need to be very close with no other sound in the room to really hear them. This is vastly different from a few years ago. In normall viewing ( not 3D ) then there is very little between the JVC and Sony for noise.

As for motion I second what David said. The motionflow that Sony use to smooth out the picture can work in a very low setting if you want to give that a try . The native motion is good but the motionflow doesnt impact on the image too much so you may prefer that.

 

[FoxJA]

Thanks for the comments, I have one more decision to make regarding the projector, Ceiling mount or on a stand?

I only have 2m ceiling height (5m x 5.2m room), so even if I ceiling mount it I could not use the space below because of the headroom. Is there any reason these should be ceiling mounted? Would it be best to align it with the centre of the projected image?

Thanks

 

[chris hollands]

I have my JVC DLA HD350 on a bookcase, and it has fantastic lens adjustment so it can be quite a way of centre and you can get the image spot on withoutt having to use keystone correction.

It is also right next to the seating position , however it is very , very quiet ( 19db ), the newer models from JVC , and Sony are about 22db and in 3D about 28db .

The picture quality from the JVC is superb, but if i changed i would certainly consider the Sony.

Good luc with the demos.