Sony has announced a couple of new laser projectors in the mid-market segment it says have dozens of potential applications, including educational environments, art exhibitions, corporate meeting rooms, simulators and, of course, living rooms.
The Sony VPL-FHZ85 (in black) and the Sony VPL-FHZ80 (white) are marketed as “professional, mid-range” projectors capable of delivering extremely bright and vivid pictures.
Indeed, Sony claims the two models are the smallest 8,000 lumen projectors currently available on the market. There’s a small caveat to that though, as the 8,000 lumens rating refers to the light output measure at the centre of the screen in Standard mode. In truth, the more affordable VPL-FHZ80 is rated at a still very impressive 6,000 lumens, while the VPL-FHZ85 comes in a fair bit higher at 7,300 lumens. In any case, both models are extremely bright and should surely perform well in even the most demanding light conditions.
The projectors can throw up an image of anything from 40-inches to 600-inches in size, Sony sai, and they support 4K@60Hz output, which ensures compatibility with 4K resolution video sources. Technology-wise, the two models employ Sony’s reality Creation real-time signal processing, mapping and analysis engine that uses a database of images to compare the incoming video signal against. That helps the project to display more accurate pictures, Sony said. There’s also a handy Reality Text feature that might entice companies looking for a projector for their meeting rooms. Sony said this helps to improve text-based presentation materials such as PowerPoints, to ensure all of the letters are nice and sharp.
Other useful capabilities include the Advanced Intelligent Settings that allow the picture to be optimised based on the environment. For example the Bright View function will ensure colours can maintain their contrast and vivacity no matter if the room is bright or dark. Meanwhile the Ambiance feature uses a sensor to measure the ambient brightness and further calibrate the image, colour grain and Reality Creation settings to ensure the images are just right. There’s also an automated filter cleaning system, plus an efficient cooling system to ensure the hardware stays reliable over the long-term.
Sony said the two models can accommodate a variety of different lenses and provide widest-in-class vertical lens shift at 70%. They’re extremely versatile in terms of installation too, thanks to the USB power supply option, auto power on capabilities and auto input selection. Users can also save a copy of the projector’s settings onto a USB drive via the data cloning feature so they can easily set up additional projectors.
Sony Professional Solutions Europe’s European Product Manager Robert Meakin said the Sony VPL-FHZ85 and Sony VPL-FHZ80 projectors are designed to cater to customers who need both high brightness and exceptional image quality.
“With the VPL-FHZ85’s 8,000 lumens centre, we’ve done just that, while building on Sony’s legacy in developing feature-rich laser projectors that are easy to install, operate and maintain, all while presenting an optimal, authentic picture,” he said.
Sony said the new projectors will launch in the U.K. in January 2022, but it hasn’t yet revealed how much they will cost.
