This impressive native 4K projector delivers bright, vivid and detailed home cinema fun. There’s a long-life laser light source, great picture accuracy, superb image processing, and class-leading motion. The addition of dynamic tone mapping, HDMI 2.1 inputs, and support for 4K/120Hz are all welcome, and only the lack of HDR10+ and 3D disappoint when compared to the competition.
Excellent image processing
Impressive motion handling
Great choice for gamers
Contrast could be better
No HDR10+ support
No 3D support
Key Features
Trusted Reviews IconReview Price: £15999
Laser light sourceUses a Z-Phosphor laser diode with a claimed brightness of 2,700 lumens and 20,000-hour lifespan
XR for Projector processorBased on Sony’s TV technologies that use data processing for real-time optimisation of images
Gaming featuresThe HDMI 2.1 inputs support frame rates up to 4K/120Hz, which is ideal for the latest console and PC gaming
Introduction
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is the latest in the company’s line-up of native 4K projectors, all of which use a Z-Phosphor laser light source.
This beamer, along with the range-topping Projector 9 (VPL-XW8100ES), adds a number of key features that brings the brand’s higher end models in line with their main competitors – the JVC DLA-NZ800 and DLA-NZ900.
Sony has boosted the Projector 8’s brightness to 2,700 lumens, and added the XR for Projector processor, which is based on technology developed for its TVs. A key benefit of this processor is genuine dynamic tone mapping for a superior HDR experience. There are also HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 4K/120p and ALLM, which is sure to please any big screen next-gen gamers.
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The Projector 8 retains the same chassis, Advanced Crisp-Focus (ACF) lens, motorised lens controls and lens memories as the previous high-end VPL-XW7000ES, but unlike JVC’s mid-range NZ800 it doesn’t support HDR10+ or 3D. So has Sony done enough to wrestle the home cinema crown from JVC, or does the latter still make the best projectors money can buy? Let’s find out…
Availability
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is available now, and retails for £15,999 in the UK, $15,999 in the US, €15,999 in Europe, and AU$21,999 in Australia. All these prices are reasonable for a mid-range native 4K HDR projector with a laser light source and extensive set of features.
The Bravia Projector 8 is priced to compete directly with JVC’s DLA-NZ800, which also costs £15,999 in the UK and $15,999 in the US. However the NZ800 does have the edge due to its all-glass lens, deeper blacks, superior dynamic tone mapping, and support for both HDR10+ and 3D.
Design
Fully motorised lens controls
2 x HDMI 2.1 inputs
Backlit remote
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) looks identical to the earlier VPL-XW7000ES, with the same angled design, and centrally-mounted lens. There are air intake grilles at the front, exhaust vents at the rear, and some basic controls on the left hand side as you face the lens.
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Sony Bravia Projector 8 Controls
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The Projector 8 measures 460 x 210 x 517mm (WxHxD), and weighs in at 14kg. Sony offers a choice of matte black or matte white, and you can also choose between stand or ceiling mount. The build quality is good, although it feels less substantial when compared to the JVC NZ800.
The Advanced Crisp-Focus (ACF) 70mm lens was first introduced on the previous XW7000ES, and is designed to resolve more detail. The lens controls are all motorised, making setup easier, and there are lens memories to create different aspect ratios if you’re using a 2.35:1 ratio screen.
Sony Bravia Projector 8 Connections
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The connections are all located in a recess along the bottom left-hand-side as you face the projector. Here you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 inputs, which are a welcome addition, along with an Ethernet port and RS-232C connector, a 12V trigger, an IR input jack, and a USB port for power.
The provided remote is the same large and backlit zapper included with previous generations of Sony beamers. The buttons are laid out in a sensible fashion, it’s comfortable to hold and use with one hand, and includes all the controls you’ll need to setup and operate the Projector 8.
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Sony Bravia Projector 8 Remote
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Features
Dynamic laser light source
Enhanced frame interpolation
Dedicated low latency mode
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) uses the brand’s current 0.61-inch SXRD chip to deliver native 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) images. The projector has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and thanks to the addition of the two HDMI 2.1 inputs it can now support higher frame rates up to 4K.
The Projector 8 also uses a Z-Phosphor laser light source, with an increased claimed brightness of 2,700 lumens and claimed lifespan up to 20,000 hours. These numbers are exactly the same as the competing JVC NZ800, which uses the brand’s BLU-Escent laser light source instead.
Sony Bravia Projector 8 Lens
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The inclusion of wide dynamic range optics, and Sony’s XR Triluminos Pro technology promises deeper blacks, more saturated colours and improved contrast ratios. The XR for Projector processor ports over technologies first introduced on Sony’s Bravia TVs, promising to offer advanced image processing combined with realtime analysis and optimisation of the picture.
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Thanks to the addition of this new processor the Projector 8 has XR Clear Image processing for intelligent upscaling and noise reduction, along with improved HDR thanks to image cross-analysis, depth mapping and focal point recognition. There’s also XR Deep Black laser dimming and XR Dynamic Tone Mapping for optimised HDR10 based on analysis of the incoming signal.
Sony Bravia Projector 8 Menus
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There’s Motionflow frame interpolation for fast-paced sports action, and a low-latency mode for gaming. In addition to the support for 4K/120Hz high frame-rate gaming, the Projector 8 also has ALLM (auto low latency mode) that goes into the game mode when a games console is detected.
Performance
Bright, detailed and accurate images
Impressive HDR10 tone mapping
Extremely fluid motion handling
Very low input lag for gaming
The Sony Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is an impressive big screen performer, thanks to its native 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and Advanced Crisp-Focused (ACF) 70mm lens. This results in detailed and distortion-free images thanks to wider dynamic range optics – which basically means you’ll get pin-sharp resolution across the entire screen, regardless of the size of that screen.
If you’re rocking a particularly large screen this beamer has a Z-Phosphor laser light source that can reach an extremely bright 2,700 lumens. It also has a claimed lifespan of 20,000 hours, so you’ll never have to worry about changing a lamp, plus the laser itself delivers a consistent colour performance and doesn’t dim significantly over its long average lifespan – unlike with a lamp.
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Sony Bravia Projector 8 Left View
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The Reference picture mode proves very accurate out of the box, and the extensive calibration controls can be used to dial in a near-perfect picture. The black levels are not as good as the JVC NZ800, and I measured the Projector 8 at 12,000:1. Sony only quotes a dynamic contrast ratio of ∞:1, but this is achieved by turning the laser off, which doesn’t represent real world content.
The big selling point of a Sony projector is its image processing, and the new XR for Projector processor delivers the goods. High quality 1080p sources are upscaled with skill, making full use of the projector’s more than eight million pixels and producing images that are expertly rendered so they appear clean, detailed and free of unwanted scaling artefacts, digital noise or banding.
Sony’s Reality Creation detail enhancement applies sharpening to any resolution, including 4K, but is so sophisticated that it achieves this without introducing distracting artefacts. Motion handling is class-leading, appearing fluid and free of judder or other issues, even without engaging Motionflow. Although for fast sports the frame interpolation feature can be beneficial.
The Projector 8 supports HDR10 and HLG, but unlike the JVC NZ800 it can’t handle HDR10+. The new dynamic tone mapping performs frame-by-frame analysis of incoming HDR signals, and adjusts the tone mapping dynamically through pixel processing and the laser power. The results are impressive for a projector, bringing out details in the darkest and brightest parts of picture.
Sony Bravia Projector 8 Main View
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While I was generally impressed by the picture quality, I do feel that to get the most out of this beamer you need to use all the processing. The Reference mode, which bypasses most of this processing, often appears flat and lifeless, but switch to Film 1 or Film 2 and the Projector 8 is a different beamer. The images burst into life with detail, depth and colour that really adds pop.
La La Land on 4K Blu-ray revealed a detailed native 4K image with well rendered HDR and rich colours that retained plenty of depth despite the fact the Projector 8 can’t cover all of the DCI-P3 gamut. The same is true with the saturated primaries in The Greatest Showman which the Sony handles with skill, while the dynamic tone mapping gets the most out of the high dynamic range.
It was only when watching a darker film like The Crow that the weaker blacks of the Projector 8 are laid bare, but at least the shadows are free of crush and the peak highlights don’t suffer from loss of detail or clipping. In fact the rain-slicked streets of the numerous night scenes really jump off the screen, and the processing brings out all the detail in the image with exacting precision.
The Projector 8 is a great choice for gamers, and not just because of its bright, detailed images and peerless motion handling. The overall gaming experience is smooth and responsive thanks to a dedicated low latency mode that delivers an input lag of 18ms with 4K/60p, and just 10ms with 4K/120p. These latency measurements are incredibly low, making this projector ideal for gaming.
Sony Bravia Projector 8 Right View
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Should you buy it?
You want class-leading image processing
The XR Processor brings Sony’s peerless imaging to the Projector 8, ensuring superb upscaling, noise reduction, and dynamic HDR tone mapping for awesome big-screen images.
You want deep blacks and superior contrast
While Sony’s SXRD display technology offers better contrast than LCD or DLP, it still can’t reach the inky depths of JVC’s D-ILA, which remains the class leader in black levels.
Final Thoughts
The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) makes for an impressive native 4K projector, delivering vibrant, punchy and detailed big screen pictures. It’s long-life laser light source is bright, picture accuracy is excellent, image processing is superb, and motion handling class-leading. The dynamic tone mapping is a welcome addition, making HDR better with well defined highlights.
The design is the same as previous models, but the compact chassis remains well built, and the backlit remote control makes operation a pleasure. The connectivity has been upgraded and now includes two HDMI 2.1 inputs, which means the Projector 8 accepts signals with higher frame rates up to 4K/120Hz. This is great news for gamers, with the Projector 8 also supports ALLM.
It’s not perfect of course, there’s no HDR10+ or 3D support, the colour gamut could go wider, and the contrast ratios could be better, but overall this mid-range beamer delivers excellent big screen fun. In fact its smooth motion, superior processing, low input lag, and improved HDR are sure to please even the most demanding film-fan or competitive next-generation console or PC gamer.
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How we test
We test every projector we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use Portrait Displays Calman colour calibration software and industry standards in a dedicated reference home cinema to fully evaluate features and performance.
We’ll always tell you what we find, and we never, ever, accept money to review a product. Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested for more than a week
Tested with real world use
FAQs
Which HDR formats does the Sony Projector 8 support?
This projector supports HDR10 and HLG, but can’t handle the HDR10+ or Dolby Vision formats.
Does the Sony Projector 8 support 3D?
Sony has dropped 3D support completely with this generation, so if it’s important then buy the JVC DLA-NZ800.
Full Specs
|Sony Bravia Projector 8 Review|
|---|---|
|UK RRP|£15999|
|USA RRP|$15999|
|EU RRP|€15999|
|AUD RRP|AU$21999|
|Manufacturer|Sony|
|Size (Dimensions)|460 x 517 x 210 MM|
|Weight|14 KG|
|ASIN|B0DGRCB57X|
|Release Date|2024|
|Model Number|VPL-XW6100ES|
|Resolution|3840 x 2160|
|Projector Type|SXRD|
|Lamp Life|20,000|
|Contrast Ratio|Infinity:1|
|Max Image Size|300 inches|
|HDR|No|
|Types of HDR|HDR10, HLG|
|Refresh Rate|120 Hz|
|Ports|Two HDMI 2.1|
|Colours|Black, White|
|Throw Ratio|1.35 to 2.84|