Editor's Choice Award

Our Editor's Choice award goes to products that dramatically exceed expectations for performance, value, or cutting-edge design.

Sony's newest SXRD projector, the VPL-XW8100ES reviewed here, has been aptly tagged as the Bravia Projector 9 to better align with Sony's consumer display naming conventions, which includes everything from Bravia soundbars to direct-view televisions like the Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV. Priced at $31,999, it is the successor to Sony's popular VPL-XW7000ES, and the step-down to the flagship VPL-GTZ380, which sells for $80,000 before the lens. The new projector lineup also includes the Bravia Projector 8, also known as the VPL-XW6100ES, which replaces the VPL-XW6000ES and is priced at $15,999.

While the Bravia Projector 9 and 8 share many of the attributes of their predecessors, several key improvements have been made under the hood to boost image quality and add features that longtime Sony fans have been asking for.

Features

The Bravia Projector 9 will look and feel familiar to those acquainted with the XW7000ES, as it shares the same cosmetic design and chassis, with dimensions of 18.13 x 8.28 x 20.34 inches (WHD) and weighing approximately 30 pounds. The Bravia Projector 9, as well as the 8, still utilizes the company's Z-Phosphor Laser Light Engine, LCoS-based SXRD imaging panels, and the Advanced Crisp Focus motorized lens introduced with the prior model. Light output for the Bravia 9 vs. the XW7000ES has been upgraded by a modest 200 lumens to 3,400 ANSI. Unique to the Bravia 9 is Live Color Enhancer, a featured carried over from the XW7000ES. The ACF Lens provides a very sharp and detailed image with precise focus. The uniformity seen on a full white screen is consistent with what I have experienced with previous Sony projectors that I have calibrated and seen in the field. Notably, the Bravia Projector 9 did not exhibit the slight speckle in blues and whites that was visible in the XW7000ES, which is a very welcome improvement.

The Bravia Projector 9 boasts several improvements that many users have been eagerly anticipating. The first and most important is the replacement of the fairly dated X1 Ultimate processor found in previous models with a version of the XR Processor, previously referred to as the Cognitive Processor XR, which has been available for a while in Sony's direct-view displays such as the A95L and Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV. The XR Processor for Projectors brings features such as XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR Triluminos Pro, XR Clear Image, and Enhanced Brightness. Each of these features addresses various aspects of performance and picture quality, culminating in what Sony has named Pro Cinematic HDR. The XR processor's ultimate goal is to analyze color, clarity, focal point, contrast, and motion to craft an image for the viewer's enjoyment. It uses its additional processing power to do so simultaneously, versus the sequential analyzing of these elements employed in its earlier processor.

Dynamic tone mapping is challenging for projectors due to their limited light output and inability to fully follow the PQ curve used for HDR on panel displays. XR Dynamic Tone Mapping addresses this deficiency by adjusting the tracking to more closely align with the PQ curve. During my time with the Bravia Projector 9, I tested various settings, including the newly added HDR Tone Mapping mode available in the Cinema Black Pro menu when viewing HDR10 content. If a user selects the HDR type "Reference" in the Expert Setting menu under the HDR submenu by choosing Auto > HDR Reference, or directly selecting HDR Reference, HDR Tone Mapping mode is not available.

The HDR Tone Mapping options are Mode 1, Mode 2, and Mode 3. These modes change where the compression or roll-off of the signal begins by adjusting how PQ is tracked. Testing showed that Mode 1 over-tracks PQ with a later roll-off, resulting in the least compression but tracking higher in the mid-range. Mode 2 applies more compression and still over-tracks PQ but lacks the mid-region bump that Mode 1 has. Mode 3 has the most compression, rolling off much earlier while tracking PQ more closely up to about 45% stimulus. Using this new setting in combination with Dynamic HDR Enhancer allows the Bravia Projector 9 to track PQ closely up to the roll-off determined by the selected HDR Tone Mapping mode. Since Dynamic HDR Enhancer influences PQ tracking—Low tracks relatively close, Middle slightly under-tracks, and High under-tracks more than Middle—HDR Tone Mapping can offset their performance. These features can be used together or separately, as desired.

XR Deep Black is another new feature in the latest generation from Sony. This feature is always active when utilizing laser dimming and cannot be enabled or disabled manually. Although it was difficult to determine the feature's functionality due to how closely the Bravia Projector 9 followed PQ at lower stimulus/brightness levels (where projectors generally have less problem tracking the prescribed PQ curve), the shadow detail was notably better than in previous Sony models.

XR Triluminos Pro is used for increased gamut coverage, which Sony states as 95% DCI-P3. Our measurements showed the Bravia Projector 9 reached 93% uv coverage and 90% xy coverage. While these results are impressive and are achieved without the use of a filter in the light path that would reduce light output, I would like to see 100% P3 coverage and meaningful gains in BT.2020 coverage in future projectors. However, the result here is that users will get good gamut coverage while maintaining their light output, which was also tested. As mentioned, Sony lists the Bravia Projector 9 at 3,400 ANSI Lumens, and our measurements came very close, at 3,372 ANSI Lumens—less than 1% below Sony's published specification. The Bravia Projector 9 also had a measured FOFO contrast ratio of approximately 15,000:1.

The final component of the XR Processor feature suite is XR Clear Image, which aims to enhance clarity and reduce random noise in low-bitrate content. This is particularly beneficial for lower-quality content found on various streaming services. Sony has consistently excelled in upscaling and playback of lower-quality content, improving both image quality and motion.

The next feature added to the Bravia Projector 9, and where I believe it truly shines, is its gaming performance. With the addition of HDMI 2.1 support, offering 12Gbps@4L for a full 48Gbps bandwidth—though without DSC (Display Stream Compression)—Sony's newest projector line can fully take advantage of current-generation consoles and high-end gaming PCs. It supports 4K at 120Hz and includes ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically activates input latency reduction without requiring the user to interact with the remote, except to change to the appropriate picture mode. The Bravia Projector 9 performed exceptionally well in gaming, positioning itself as the premium home cinema gaming projector among high-end projectors, fittingly since Sony also produces the PlayStation 5. The Bravia Projector 9 measured 19ms when running at 4K/60Hz and an impressive 9ms when receiving a 4K/120Hz signal. At the time of writing, I cannot think of any other projector in this class capable of such performance. ALLM also worked flawlessly; when a game was detected, the Input Latency Reduction menu option disappeared, yet the responsiveness of the controls made it clear that the feature was active. Additionally, other improvements include support for 4K/48Hz, which is useful when pairing the Bravia Projector 9 with a source device or video processor capable of sending 48Hz to the display.

The ACF lens carried over from the XW7000ES is a powered 2.1X zoom lens with a 1.35:1 to 2.84:1 throw. It's a very fine 13-element lens with a 70mm aspherical lens element in the front and uses extra-low dispersion glass throughout. It provides corner to corner sharpness with little to no distortion due in part to a floating focus system with two moving lens groups that adjust with zoom to minimize distortion. The image the Bravia Projector 9 produced was very sharp and crisp. The projector's rated throw distance is from 8.3 to 19.7 feet, with image sizes up to 200 inches diagonal. Lens shift is supported at ±85% vertical and ±36% horizontal. Sony has also increased the picture memory positions to five from the previous three, which is great for those using lens memory to accommodate the larger number of aspect ratios found in today's content. The blanking amount has also been increased with focus on 2.35:1 and 2.40:1 aspect ratio. To determine throw distance for your preferred screen size you can utilize the ProjectorCentral Sony VPL-XW8100 projection calculator.

Lastly, Sony said that they stepped up the out-of-box image accuracy of the Bravia Projector 9, in response to their survey of installers who said that 90% of their installations are not calibrated and use the out-of-box settings. However, with the pre-production unit I tested, I noticed no difference in out-of-the-box accuracy compared to previous Sony models I have worked on. Fortunately, extensive options remain for those who want to customize and calibrate the picture. As a calibrator myself, I always appreciate such features. The calibration tools are the same as before with one main difference: Gamma Correction is now a selectable option in HDR picture modes, which can be useful depending on one's approach, such as when uploading a custom gamma table.

Since the Bravia Projector 9 uses the same chassis as the XW7000ES, the I/O looks mostly identical. Users will have access to two HDMI inputs, updated here to version 2.1 (48 Gbps, HDCP 2.3), an RS232 control connection, a USB port for service (firmware), a 3.5mm mini-jack for DC 12V trigger, a 3.5mm IR port, and an RJ45 port for LAN connection. Sony did, however, remove the 3D Sync input found on the XW7000ES and XW6000ES, as these two new projectors do not support 3D even with an optional emitter.

The included remote is the same full-size, back-lit unit that has been used for quite some time. It provides ample room for buttons that give direct access to mostly all the needed functions and adjustments. Direct access to the Calibrated Preset picture modes is available with the exception of the IMAX Enhanced mode. Additional buttons include direct access to features such as Motionflow, Aspect, Color Temp, Reality Creation, and others. Additionally, dedicated buttons for Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness are present as well. These are useful, though I think the Sharpness button would serve better controlling Laser Output power. A couple of buttons on the remote, those for Advanced Iris and 3D, are carryovers that no longer have any function since the Bravia Projector 9 does not support these features. These, too, could possibly be repurposed to support other features, such as direct control for Smooth Gradation, HDR Tone Mapping, or Live Color. But ultimately, this is an excellent remote that does most everything a serious daily user would need.

Along with a few small alterations to the remote, I found after putting the Bravia Projector 9 through its paces that there were some other changes I would have liked to see. Notably, improvements are still needed for some picture quality issues that have appeared in the prior generation Sony models but are not concerns in some key competitor's projectors. One is a degree of posterization that appears in gradients with some types of content, even with Smooth Gradation enabled. Another is the projector's single-pixel contrast drop, which has been a known problem among all of Sony's SXRD models (except for the flagship GTZ380). When even a single pixel out of the full UHD 3840x2160 pixel array is lit on a black screen, a significant drop in contrast occurs. This could be noticeable in viewing if the content is transitioning from a full black screen to content which has only one or a few pixels lit, such as a dark space scene with just one or a few stars as highlights. Ultimately FOFO (full on-full off) contrast ratio and a single-pixel contrast ratio should be the same, and a single active pixel shouldn't impact the ability of a display to achieve its max contrast potential. But this is something Sony projector owners have lived with for a while now, so it's obviously not a deal breaker for most people.

Performance

Color Modes. The Bravia Projector 9 offers a wide range of calibration preset picture modes, with a total of 20 options: 10 for SDR and 10 for HDR. These modes include Cinema Film 1, Cinema Film 2, Reference, TV, Photo, Game, Bright Cinema, Bright TV, User, and IMAX Enhanced. While the names are shared between both dynamic ranges, each mode can have independent settings based on SDR or HDR.

All picture modes allow for full calibration and adjustment of color temperature, color space, and the ability to select the desired gamma. This ensures that all picture modes can be set up consistently and deliver the same level of performance. Users have access to controls for Contrast, Brightness, Color, Hue, and Sharpness. Additional features such as Reality Creation, Cinema Black Pro, Live Color, and Smooth Gradation are also available. However, the availability of the HDR Tone Mapping feature depends on the type of HDR being used.

The Bravia Projector 9 includes 2-point Gain and Bias controls for adjusting the white point, as well as a full CMS (Color Management System) for adjusting Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. It's important to note that the Color Temp adjustments are global across all picture modes and dynamic ranges. This means that if the D65 color temperature is adjusted for SDR, the same values will apply to HDR if the same color temperature is used. Users may need to utilize the Custom 1-5 color temps as needed for different viewing environments. Multiple gamma options are also available, ranging from 1.8 to 2.6, along with four additional options labeled Gamma 7 to Gamma 10. However, the gamma settings labeled 1.8 to 2.6 did not track as closely to their number as expected, which could be due to the unit being a pre-production model not running final production firmware. Additionally, Gamma Correction is now available within HDR picture modes, offering the same range of options.

Out of the box (OOTB), the Bravia Projector 9 was similar to previous Sony models like the XW7000, which I have worked on in the past. As such, it had too much blue in the image, which was visible in lower brightness test patterns, ultimately resulting in a blue bias. This is not uncommon, considering the white point used for Sony displays. Using a picture mode such as Cinema Film, Reference, or User will provide a good starting point, assuming proper adjustments are made for other options such as gamma and color space. However, the white point will ultimately need correction, generally by reducing the blue in the Gain controls.

I reviewed various content in the OOTB picture modes, and the main issue across most content was the white point, with that visible blue bias. This noticeably impacted everything else. It didn't look bad, just incorrect for a trained eye. For those who choose not to calibrate, I suggest selecting Reference or User mode, then selecting D65 for the Color Temp and 2.6 for Gamma correction. Depending on the screen, reduce the blue gain until a neutral white is achieved. It's challenging to make specific recommendations due to this being a pre-production unit, and I do not know what changes may occur before the final production firmware, but this should be a good start for most users. The same approach applies to HDR picture modes, except for using a different color temp such as Custom 3 and having Gamma Correction set to Off.

Ideally, someone who has a projector of this caliber would get it calibrated by a professional familiar with Sony projectors who truly understands how to get the most out of the unit. I still highly recommend using reference-level equipment, specifically a spectroradiometer with a precision of at least 4.5nm or less, to achieve the best results due to the laser light source utilized in the Bravia Projector 9.

I calibrated the Bravia Projector 9 with Calman Ultimate calibration software from Portrait Displays, a Colorimetry Research CR-250 Spectroradiometer, a Colorimetry Research CR-100 Colorimeter, and a Murideo 8K Seven Generator. During my time testing the Bravia Projector 9 I calibrated and tested the unit at various throw distances which included 10 feet 1 inch, 18 feet, and 20 feet 5 inches. The Bravia Projector 9 was calibrated to both a 100-inch diagonal screen size and a 135-inch diagonal 'Scope screen size on a Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130 G4 projection screen. I ran my normal measurements to confirm what I saw in OOTB viewing prior to calibration.

The Bravia Projector 9 pre-calibration measurements had high errors due to the OOTB white point which influences hue, shifting everything off axis from the target white point. In the SDR Reference mode, the grayscale while using 6500K color temp had a 4.6dE avg and 7.2dE max. The only other thing that stood out was the oversaturation of red which is not uncommon and I expected to see for the 90 to 100% saturation points. The overall averages were pretty good though, coming in with the color gamut/color points at 2.4dE average. A large 150+ patch color checker was 4.2dE average. The 5% saturation sweeps averaged 3.4dE, while 10% luminance sweeps showed a 3.2dE average. HDR tracked well, and the projector also mapped Rec.709 and P3 in a BT.2020 envelope well. Ultimately the Sony mapping would have been correct with low errors if the OOTB white point was D65 or closer to it. Gamut coverage measured 93% uv, and 90% xy for P3 which does ultimately come up a little short from their published specification, but isn't far off the mark. [DeltaE (dE) is the metric used to determine visible errors. It has been determined that anything over a dE of 3 is visible, anything over 2.3 is a just noticeable difference for trained eyes and anything below 2.3 should ideally not be seen to the eye.]

I opted to calibrate Reference and Cinema Film 1 for both SDR and HDR so I could quickly compare various settings and features. I targeted the production industry standard D65 neutral gray white point and adjusted the Gain controls. This corrected the main issue and then I utilized the CMS controls to verify they functioned properly—which they did, allowing me to gain a bit more accuracy. This same approach was utilized in HDR as well.

Post calibration DeltaE errors improved for SDR bringing the grayscale average to 2.2dE with a max of 3.1dE, the latter being due to gamma not tracking exactly and still being slightly elevated in the 30% to 50% stimuli region. Color Gamut came in at 2.0dE average with a max of 4.0dE due to red oversaturation at 100% saturation. All other measurements came in between an average of 2.4 to 1.1. Post calibration for HDR fared similarly since the white point was the main issue. Once this was corrected, the mapping was generally correct, only with the usual large errors due to luminance that is expected due to projectors lacking enough brightness to properly track a PQ curve designed with TVs in mind.

The devices I used for reviewing content post calibration were an R_Volution Player One 8K media player, Oppo UDP-203 UHD Blu-ray player, Apple TV 4K, Kaleidescape Terra Prime movie server, and Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X game consoles.

4K/HDR10 Viewing. The first content I watched was Moana in 4K HDR via R_Volution Player One 8K. The image produced by the Bravia Projector 9 was very sharp and detailed, even without using Reality Creation. The colors were bright and vibrant during the "How Far I'll Go" chapter, where Moana first attempts to leave the island. The highlights that bounced off the water from the sun were bright and detailed, and I didn't feel like I was missing anything in the content because of the display. As the movie progressed and Moana finds the hidden ships, the contrast and shadow detail in the cave were good, with good blacks and nice highlights when the torches lit up. In the scene transition where she sees the path of her ancestors, the Bravia Projector 9 transitioned flawlessly back to bright and vibrant scenes.

The next movie I opted to watch in 4K/HDR10 was 1917 in 4K HDR via Kaleidescape. The scene I always check for evaluation is when Schofield wakes up at the bottom of the stairs, as this scene changes significantly across different displays.

The Bravia Projector 9 performed well and resolved the scene better than many projectors, though it was slightly off. Some areas were very obscured and appeared just black, while other parts showed the scene as I would expect with acceptable shadow detail. The most focal portions of the scene, such as his face, parts of his jacket, and some of the blood on the ground, were resolved. Using the various controls for Dynamic HDR Enhancer either lifted the scene or darkened it somewhat, but none of them got it quite right. I opted to keep the Dynamic HDR Enhancer on Middle and HDR Tone Mapping on Mode 3 because it tracks closer to EOTF.

It's important to stress that the scene was ultimately fully visible, which is the most crucial aspect, and the Bravia Projector 9 performed quite well in such a challenging scene. Once the scene progressed, it played out normally with good highlights and sharp, detailed backgrounds and environments.

I next decided to watch another dark scene in The Rings of Power, Season 1 Ep.6 in 4K HDR from the Apple TV 4K. The Bravia Projector 9 did very well in what is another very challenging scene. Everything was visible and I didn't see anything being too lifted or obscured. When Arondir was atop the house acting as lookout, just before the first torch appears in the distance, every part of the scene was visible with good shadow detail. Additionally, the fire you see when the fighting first ensues held its color really well. Everything was detailed and sharp as I expected it would be.

The last film that I watched in 4K/HDR10 was The Mule on 4K HDR via the R_Volution Player One 8K. The film was presented very well, with accurate color and skin tones throughout, from the first run when he is making his drop to attending the wedding. Motion was exceptionally good while using the True Cinema setting during the long panning shots as the camera focused on his truck. The various locales he drove through looked natural, with nothing appearing incorrect. The overall reproduction of the movie ultimately looked fantastic.

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Before moving on to gaming I decided to watch the Spears and Munsil HDR Benchmark, focusing on various HDR10 scenes within the disc's test clip montage as well as checking single-pixel contrast measurements, starfields, and other test patterns. In the montage, various scenes exhibited posterization with certain types of content, which was visible with and without the Smooth Gradation feature enabled. This was seen mainly in skies, with gradients that were either highly saturated or primarily low luminance, such as the fade-in at the beginning of the montage. This is not something that is new as it has existed within Sony projectors for years. I ultimately wanted to confirm if it was still present, which unfortunately it is. This is also the case for single pixel contrast which results in a significant contrast loss when a single pixel white pixel is displayed on a black field.

On other scenes, such as the challenging shot of horses against a white-out snow storm, the Bravia Projector 9 did well, though there was a decent amount of clipping unless contrast was lowered a few clicks. None of the Dynamic HDR Enhancer or HDR Tone Mapping Combinations really prevented the clipping, though the detail was much better resolved compared to previous implementations of tone mapping on the prior series of projectors.

SDR Viewing. I viewed various SDR content ranging from Book of Eli, Vikings, to Skyfall, and the Bravia Projector 9 handled all exceptionally well. Skin tones were accurate and properly saturated, which was expected. The image produced had good depth and sharpness, giving it an almost 4K appearance. Shadow detail was good as well. Those who consume a lot of SDR content will be pleased as the upscaling was very well done, while providing reference level image quality.

Gaming. I decided to play a variety of games to test the Bravia Projector 9's overall performance as well as verify that ALLM functions as expected, with automatic recognition of game consoles. I'm glad to say it did. I started my gaming sessions on the Sony PlayStation 5 and immediately upon boot up and selecting my profile, I was greeted with the HDR setup screens. After a quick setup I selected to play the following games at the following frame rates: Tekken 8 (4K/60Hz), Guilty Gear Strive (4K/60Hz), and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (4K/120Hz). All games performed great and the latency was excellent. In Tekken and Guilty Gear I had no issue performing any of the normal combos I would do and responsiveness was good. This also applied to Prince of Persia with the traversal, and combat. The image produced was sharp and vibrant, with great detail and nice highlights and in the games that had them, such as Tekken 8 with its spark effects and arenas. I then quickly switched over to the Xbox and tested Mortal Kombat 1 which also looked great and played just as I expected. The Bravia Projector 9 may really have found its spot being the premium home cinema projector for gamers.

Conclusion

The Sony Bravia Projector 9 is an impressive device, and it's easy to see why so many users love their Sony projectors. This new model represents a nice evolution from the VPL-XW7000ES, and truly feels like what the XW7000 should have been. The Bravia Projector 9 enhances the strengths of its predecessor while introducing new features that many users have been eagerly awaiting, along with some features that they might not have realized they wanted.

To begin, this projector occupies an intriguing niche, potentially establishing itself as the premium home cinema gaming projector. While it's not uncommon for projectors to achieve 19ms of input latency or even 11, 10, or 9ms of latency, this is typically found in purpose-built gaming projectors at 1080p—it is rare for a home cinema projector of this caliber to achieve such performance at 4K resolution. The inclusion of ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) is also likely to attract considerable interest. And this advantage extends even to the Bravia Projector 8 (XW6100), the step-down model.

Additionally, the inclusion of 4K/48Hz support is unusual and noteworthy, as it caters to users who prefer this refresh rate from their source devices or external video processors that can accommodate.

Sony has also refined its tone mapping in this new model, though I do feel it still falls behind some competitors' offerings. While it performs well, users might need to make adjustments based on specific content. Furthermore, some longstanding issues present in past Sony projectors still persist. These include posterization in some types of challenging content, and single-pixel contrast drops. These are things that some viewers might notice while others may not. They are not egregious, but they remain noticeable once identified. I had hoped these problems would be resolved in this new generation of Sony projectors, but unfortunately that was not the case.

Nonetheless, Sony has delivered an excellent projector. It well surpasses the XW7000ES in terms of features, making it a worthy successor. With new processing capabilities via the XR Processor for Projectors, improved tone mapping, HDMI 2.1 support with excellent input latency, and a compact, lightweight design compared to offerings from competitors, the Bravia Projector 9 meets many of the criteria users have been waiting for.

Measurements

Brightness. The Bravia Projector 9 is rated for 3,400 ANSI lumens. The brightest picture mode available is Bright Cinema. Our measurements came in at 3,372 ANSI lumens which is less than 1% off Sony's listed specification of 3,400 ANSI lumens and within the margin of error for casual lumen measurements.

The Laser Light control can be used to increase or decrease light output in increments of 1%.

Sony Bravia Projector 9/VPL-XW8100 ANSI Lumens

SDR/HDR	Laser Output Max
Cinema Film 1	3,110
Cinema Film 2	3,062
Reference	3,090
TV	3,013
Photo	2,767
Game	3,048
Bright Cinema	3,372
Bright TV	2,976
User	2,830
IMAX Enhanced	3,115

Zoom Lens Light Loss. The Bravia Projector 9's light loss when shifting from the widest zoom position to its longest telephoto position was 16.2%.

Brightness Uniformity. The Bravia Projector 9 projecting a 100-inch diagonal image resulted in measured brightness uniformity of 87% in both wide-angle zoom, and telephoto zoom. The brightest portion of the screen was the middle center, with the dimmest the top left. The difference in brightness on a full white screen was not noticeable.

Fan Noise. The full specifications for the Bravia Projector 9 were not available at the time of review, though based on my testing it is audibly comparable to XW7000, which was rated at 26dB for acoustic noise by Sony using the industry-standard multipoint measurement. Using Room EQ Wizard software and a Umik-1 microphone, in my theater room with an ambient noise floor of 33.3 dBA, the Bravia Projector 9 measured at the following dB in the Max laser power setting. Measurements were taken at a distance of 3 feet.

Laser Power: MAX
Rear: 36.3 dBA
Left: 35.7 dBA
Front: 35.8 dBA
Right: 36.2 dBA
Top: 35.9 dbA

Input Lag. Input lag measurements were done using the Game picture mode with Input Lag Reduction set to On, with both HDR Tone Mapping and Dynamic HDR Enhancer both On and Off which produced the same results. 240Hz content is not supported.

1080p/60Hz = 24ms
1080p/120Hz = 9ms
4K/60Hz = 19ms
4K/120Hz = 9ms

Connections

• HDMI 2.1 (x2; HDCP 2.3; 48Gbps FRL: 12G@4L)
• RJ45 LAN 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX
• RS-232C
• Mini Jack (3.5mm DC12v trigger)
• IR in port (3.5mm)
• USB 2.0 Type A (service/firmware updates, no media playback)

Calibrated Settings

Calibrated image settings from any third-party do not account for the significant potential for sample-to-sample variation, nor the different screen sizes and materials, lighting, lamp usage, or other environmental factors that can affect image quality. Projectors should always be calibrated in the user's own space and tuned for the expected viewing conditions. However, the settings provided here may be a helpful starting point for some. Always record your current settings before making adjustments so you can return to them as desired. Refer to the Performance section for some context for each calibration.

SDR

Calib. Preset: Reference

Reality Creation: Off

Cinema Black Pro
Laser Light Setting
Dynamic Control: Limited
Output: 46

Dynamic HDR Enhancer: Off
Motionflow: True Cinema
Contrast: 90
Brightness: 50
Color: 50
Hue: 50

Color Temp: D65
R Gain: -2
G Gain: 0
B Gain: -10
R Bias: 0
G Bias: 0
B Bias: 0

Sharpness: 50

Expert Setting
NR: Off
Smooth Gradation: Low
Gamma Correction: 2.6
Color Correction: On

Color	Hue	Saturation	Brightness
Red	3	3	-1
Yellow	-4	7	-4
Green	-3	3	-4
Cyan	0	4	-5
Blue	1	3	-4
Magenta	10	4	-4

Live Color Enhancer: Off
HDR: Auto
Input Lag Reduction: On

HDR

Calib. Preset: Cinema Film 1

Reality Creation: Off

Cinema Black Pro
Laser Light Setting
Dynamic Control: Limited
Output: Max

Dynamic HDR Enhancer: Middle
HDR Tone Mapping: Mode 3

Motionflow: True Cinema
Contrast: Max
Brightness: 50
Color: 50
Hue: 50

Color Temp: Custom 3
R Gain: -6
G Gain: 0
B Gain: -13
R Bias: 0
G Bias: 0
B Bias: 0

Sharpness: 50

Expert Setting
NR: Off
Smooth Gradation: Low
Gamma Correction: Off
Color Correction: On

Color	Hue	Saturation	Brightness
Red	5	9	0
Yellow	-2	16	0
Green	0	0	0
Cyan	-24	4	0
Blue	-2	-3	0
Magenta	22	5	0

Live Color Enhancer: Off
HDR: Auto > HDR10/HLG
Input Lag Reduction: On

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Sony VPL-XW8100ES projector page.

To buy this projector, use Where to Buy online, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.

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