Sony VPL-VW85 Projector Review

The Sony VPL-VW85 is the middle projector in Sony’s SXRD (LCoS) home theater projector lineup. There’s a much more expensive VPL-VW200, and the much less expensive VPL-HW15 (which we’ve reviewed).The Sony VPL-VW85 has a dynamic iris to achieve its best black levels. It seems though, this year, Sony has improved the light engine so that black level performance is noticeably improved. This Sony seems less dependent on its iris thanks to better native blacks. Or rather, the end result, is much improved black level performance.One would certainly expect the Sony name to assure you of at least very good color. The VW85 delivers – post calibration, while not perfect, its still one of the best. There is a very slight emphasis on reds in skin tones that remained after Mike’s calibration, but a second attempt might well reduce that shift. Even so, “look’n good!”