Sony VPLHW15 Home Theater SXRD Projector (Black)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 16.1 x 7.1 inches ; 22 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 29 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B002PLLZKG
• Item model number: VPLHW15
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,193 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

The Sony VPL-HW15 BRAVIA SXRD 1080p Home Theater Projector delivers an immersive cinematic experience and Full HD 1080p resolution at a great value. Three SXRD micro-display panels work with a specially developed ARC-F (All Range Crisp Focus) lens and BRAVIA Engine 2 digital video processor to display stunning, life-like images on a scale no flat panel HDTV can match. A 200W lamp provides startling brightness for enhanced performance in rooms with ambient light from lamps or windows, and Advanced Iris 3 technology delivers high contrast of up to 60,000:11 by automatically optimizing picture brightness on a scene-by-scene basis.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful all around picture, March 30, 2010

By 

Paul E. Heroy "Paul Heroy" (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sony VPLHW15 Home Theater SXRD Projector (Black) (Electronics)

I've had a projection setup for several years now, and this is my 4th projector. So while I'm not a real video expert, I've gotten enough experience to have a pretty good take - and this Sony VPL-HW15 is a pretty sweet unit. I've long been a fan of LCOS technology (SXRD as Sony calls it), but until very recently it was out of my budget range. Past projectors have been DLP models, starting with a couple of NEC business presentation units (rainbow city!) and then an Optoma HD80, one of first affordable 1080p models. The HD80 ran into problems recently so I decided to upgrade. This time, I was actually able to compare units using the 3 major projection technologies in my home: LCD, DLP, and LCOS. The LCD unit was an Epson Home Cinema 8100 - not in the same price range, so not a fair comparison, and it did not fare well. The Benq W6000 was a much better unit overall, and very bright, but that brightness and a slower color wheel led to seeing a lot more color fringing, or rainbows, which I seem to be fairly sensitive to. So I tried the Sony, and found a winner. It just has what I find a very "relaxing" picture - it may not be the absolute best at any one thing but it's very close on everything, and just a very pleasing image to watch. Color out of the box is very good. Black levels may be a tiny bit off the best in class, but not far. It's bright enough on my 100" screen in Dynamic mode that sports are easily watchable with light in the room. One feature I really appreciate is the pixel alignment utility that allows the red & green panels to be converged in 1/10 pixel steps. Coming from a single chip DLP model that had no convergence problems by its nature, that is something I really like. The only minor weakness that I find (aside from lacking some features I don't need like anamorphic lens support, or motorized lens), is that it's just a hair less sharp looking than a single chip DLP model, but that also gives it a nice smooth, less "digital" look that some find preferable anyway. The build quality and aesthetics are pretty nice, too. The lens seems to be very good quality.

Strengths: VERY good color, very good blacks, enough brightness, good lens, pixel convergence feature, lens shift, quiet, nice build quality and design
Weaknesses: Not as feature packed as some like the Panasonic AE4000, a little higher cost, not quite as sharp as a single chip DLP

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If your new and not sure, January 3, 2010

By 

D. Mckinney (usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sony VPLHW15 Home Theater SXRD Projector (Black) (Electronics)

Wow. We bought a 104" screnn, and I had tried to get the Viewsonic 1080, but they have been discontinued, so I went with the next best- Sony. I am new as this is my first projector, but wow. Easy install from the ceiling. Instructions give you the proper location according to size of screen and distance from screen. Good instruction on menu controls. Not much adjusting on my part, and WOW- picture quality is extreemly good in my case. Enclosed room in basement with no windows. Only bad on my part- walls are white- the light off this thing makes the 24'x27' room light up. Going to have to darken it up. Projector keeps hours used so you know how much life is left on lamp. Extreemly happy with this projector!

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Picture on 120" Screen, November 8, 2009

By 

C. T. Shaw "dkdocterry" (Tobique Narrows,N.B. Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sony VPLHW15 Home Theater SXRD Projector (Black) (Electronics)

Installed projector in early Oct09 and was amazed with the quality of the picture. This is my 3rd Sony (1st was hs51 and then hs60). They were impressive in their day and wowed my friends with the size and quality of the images. Anyone watching the image this projector produces will have to be impressed. On close-ups you will see nose-hairs and all. Wonderfull for sports with the bright uniforms and color contrasts. We watch music videos occasionly and with my Onkyo sr806 pumping music to some serious (Thiels) speakers (5 plus a subwoofer) and the volume turned up the effect is like you are right there!! We are very, very happy with our projector!!