Sony has introduced a new line of bulb and laser projectors for 2020, including a flagship model with a brightness of 10,000 lumens. We typically expect 3000 lumens from higher-end models, making this an ultra-bright entry into today's projector market. Christopher Mullins, Sony's director of home theater and digital products, called the VPL-GTZ380, tells us that the model will "change the way projection is viewed." "It's a true HDR projector," says Mullins, "with twice the brightness of our previous flagship." With 100% of the DCI-P3 color space also exposed, for greater color accuracy, instead of the 97% we usually see on flagship models, it's clear that Sony wants to maximize the specifications of this new projector. (At 50kg, it's also quite a heavy projector, so we don't recommend installing it on the ceiling without professional help.) 10,000 lumens is definitely bright and equates to around 600-700 nits on a TV screen, which means you get "the same brightness you'd get on an OLED panel, but on a 4-5 meter screen." . We're told to expect "tonal blacks in deep shadows," with an emphasis on contrast and resolution alongside high-brightness stats. “There are projectors that offer high lumens but no contrast performance,” Mullins tells us. "SXRD is 8 times the contrast of a DLP sign".
Ultimate Champion
But brightness isn't the only trick up Sony's sleeve, either. The remarkable X1 Ultimate processor used in Sony's high-end Bravia OLED TVs was implemented here, with a modified plug-and-play projector chip to elevate displayed images. “It's a chipset optimized for projectors, but we've also used a lot of the technologies used in our TVs,” says Mullins. The X1 Ultimate, at least in Sony's line of TVs, is known for best-in-class upscaling and excellent motion handling, and we hope/hope that translates to this new line of projectors. .
![El proyector VPL-GTZ380 de Sony alcanza los 10.000 lúmenes]()
Sony's VPL-GTZ380 projector tops out at 10,000 lumens (Image credit: Sony) Only the flagship model gets this chip, with the other two models using a more standard projector X1 chip. Other models include the VPL-VW790ES, which replaces the VPL-VW760ES. At €12,000, it's cheaper than the flagship and only produces 2,000 lumens, but still with a native laser and 4K projection system. There's also the VPL-VW590ES, which is a lamp projector, so it won't have as fast a power on/off function or the same lifespan as its laser brethren (since the lamps degrade more quickly). This latest model, however, is the first lamp projector from Sony to benefit from a Digital Focus Optimizer feature, to “compensate for optical lens blur”. All three new models use a dynamic HDR amplifier for "HDR-optimized frame-by-frame enhancement" to ensure blacks stay black and bright objects can stand out in the background, without increasing video noise.
![Obtenga un proyector HDR para un verdadero cine en casa]()
Get a HDR projector for a true home theater (Image credit: Sony)
Project your legacy
Mullins is quick to tell us that Sony made the first native 4K projector, back in 2011, to position the brand's home theater arm as being at the forefront of innovation. However, it's an increasingly crowded market, especially after the wave of projector announcements during IFA 2020. Samsung, for its part, grabbed the headlines with the world's first HDR10+ projector, the Premiere, which combines 4K projection. HDR with dynamic scene-by-scene metadata, Samsung's brilliant Tizen operating system, and powerful audio capabilities. The new LG CineBeam HU810P projector also features a 300-inch projection, with the ability to adjust the image size to just 40 inches.