NEWS: Sony unveils new flagship SXRD home cinema projector

Sony has taken the wraps off its new flagship home cinema projector, the £8500 VPL-VW200. It uses Sony's Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) panel technology to deliver 1080p high-definition resolution.

Other technical highlights include a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, Motionflow Dark Frame Insertion which doubles the frame rate to 100Hz, and digital signal processing using Sony's Bravia Engine Pro technology.

The latter applies algorithms exclusively developed by Sony to the video signal, digitally enhancing each frame in real time. Any noise in the image is removed, claims Sony, and colours become more vibrant.

Sony's SXRD technology was originally developed for cinema projection systems, and the new-generation high frame rate SXRD panels used in the VPL-VW200 can operate at 100 frames-per-second for improved handling of fast motion.

It is also designed to produce an image free from the 'screen door' pixel grid effect that can afflict other projection systems, and has a 2.5ms response time.

A claimed contrast ratio of 35,000:1, a 400W Xenon lamp and the ability to handle 1080p/24fps video make the VPL-VW200 ideal for use with Blu-ray players, says Sony. It will be on sale from early November.

Technorati Tags: 1080p, 24fps, Full HD, projector, Sony Bravia, SXRD

Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.