Sony’s new 4K laser projectors have the processing brains of its Bravia OLED TVs
Sony has pulled the covers off its two latest high-end 4K laser projectors, but you may recognize their names from the company’s premium TV lineup — and for good reason. The Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) and Bravia Projector 9 (VPL-XW8100ES) are the first Sony projectors to incorporate the company’s advanced XR Processing technology found in its Bravia OLED TVs, including the Bravia 9 that is one of our picks for the best TVs of the year.
Announced today, the Sony Bravia 8 and Bravia 9 projectors will be available to order this month and will retail for $16,000 and $32,000, respectively. However, both standard-throw projectors share several of the same features.
For starters, they boast native 4K resolution and share Sony’s aforementioned “XR Processor for Projector,” a modified version of the Bravia TV processor that offers a whole range of features, including Sony’s XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR Triluminos Pro, and XR Clear Image tech, to deliver what Sony says is “a professional-grade cinematic experience.
Sony’s XR Tone Mapping feature takes advantage of the XR processor by analyzing the peak brightness levels in video content frame by frame to “deliver optimal tone mapping, showcasing images with rich gradation, high brightness, and authentic colors,” Sony says. Deep Black controls the dimming in dark scenes for inky blacks, even in bright rooms (a major challenge for the best projectors, in general), XR Triluminos Pro takes care of color accuracy and vibrancy, and Clear Image is in charge of upscaling everything to 4K quality. Both projectors also support HDR10 and HLG formats.
Gamers looking to up their home theater gaming setups will go nuts for these new projectors, should they have the means. Both the Bravia 8 and Bravia 9 projectors have support for 4K/120 frames per second (fps), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), and a 12ms input lag time for speedy, lag-free gaming. There are also two HDMI 2.1 inputs, making connecting a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or PC a piece of cake.
If you’ve got a phobia of high-end projectors because of their often difficult setup, you may be put at ease by the Bravia 8 and 9’s setup features, including auto keystone correction and lens shift that make fitting the image to your screen a lot easier, especially if you’re ceiling mounting.
Where things start to diverge with the Bravia 8 and Bravia 9 projectors is their brightness ratings. The least expensive Bravia 8 boasts a still-blistering 2,700 lumens, while the Bravia 9 pushes things to 3,400 lumens. The Bravia 9 is the only projector of the pair to get Sony’s Live Color Enhancer, which is better suited for those with brighter rooms — the feature keeps colors intact, vivid, and accurate, “without compromising on saturation,” Sony says.
“We are thrilled to bring these two new Bravia Projectors to the market, as these new offerings showcase the depth of Sony’s experience of more than 50 years of bringing cinema home to our customers,” said Christopher Mullins, home cinema product manager for Professional Displays and Solutions, Sony Electronics. “With the technology of our Sony Bravia XR Processor now powering our projectors, these enhanced new products demonstrate our continued mission to ensure customers can enjoy the excitement and immersion of a professional-grade cinematic viewing experience from their very own home.”
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) retails for $16,000, with the Bravia Projector 9 (VPL-XW8100ES) going for $32,000. They can be ordered now from Sony Electronics and online retailers.
