14 DAY TRIAL // It's rather difficult to tell what Sony's product launch strategy is exactly, because sometimes they make the weirdest possible choices. At IFA 2008 they've launched the VPL-HW10 SXRD projector, which was then also showcased at CEDIA 2008, alongside the BRAVIA VPL-VW70. But no, Sony's not going to stop here, as the company's European division has just introduced yet another device of this type, namely the BRAVIA VPL-VW80, which is extremely closely related to the VW70.
The device is built around a High Frame Rate triple SXRD panel array, which can operate at 100 fps and delivers a full 1920 x 1080 resolution. The projector uses Motionflow Dark Frame Insertion to deliver on the potential offered by the High Frame rate SXRD panels. Motionflow creates intermediate frames from the original video source and inserts them to double the number of images displayed every second. Dark Frame Insertion enhances the effect of Motionflow by inserting darkened frames into the video stream, which heightens the contrast and eliminates any judder.
Additionally, the device comes equipped with Sony’s Advanced Iris 2, which allows it to generate contrast ratios of up to 60,000:1. The projector also packs the BRAVIA ENGINE 2 processing unit, while the supplementary Real Colour Processing (RCP) allows precision adjustments for optimum quality.
It's also quite interesting to mention that the VPL-VW80 is equipped with the All Range Crisp Focus (ARC-F) lens, which offers a 1.6x motorised zoom and both vertical and horizontal adjustment, thus allowing users to install it pretty much anywhere they might want.
The connectivity area is dominated, as expected, by the HDMI technology (with support for x.v.Colour and Deep Colour), which allows users to connect various high-definition signal sources to it. Moreover, the HDMI CEC technology also allows control of multiple devices from a single remote (BRAVIA Theatre Sync.), something that it's becoming pretty much a must for all home entertainment systems out there.
Unfortunately, no pricing details regarding the BRAVIA VPL-VW80 are available for the time being, but since the VPL-VW70 had a $3,500 price tag, the new model should cost a little above it, when it arrives in stores in October.
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