CEDIA Expo 2018: Sony Spotlights ES Projectors, Crystal LED Display System

Sony Electronics embellished its “Built for Custom Installation” product presence on opening day of CEDIA 2018 with the introduction of a trio of ES series projectors led by the premium model, the flagship 4K HDR laser light projector, Model VPL-VW995ES ($34,999.99; November availability), which includes a 2,200 lumens Z-Phosphor laser source. It offers what Sony said is a wide contrast range for over 20,000 hours of viewing time, and uses Sony’s ARC-F (All-Range Crisp Focus) lens and a new Digital Focus Optimizer.

The VPL-VW995ES projector

Sony also threw a spotlight on its Crystal LED (Light Emitting Diode) Display System, originally introduced at the NAB convention for commercial applications in areas such as museums and corporate boardrooms, but which Sony Electronics N.A. President and COO Mike Fasulo said “could potentially be used for custom installation.” The display on the show floor measured 260 inches diagonally, but its modular nature means that size limitations are flexible. Specs for the system include over 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 180-degree off-axis viewing angle, and a 99 percent black surface area using what is described on Sony’s web site as a “microscopically small chip” at just 0.003 square millimeters.

Fasulo also said that Sony is fielding models in both its flat-panel TV and projector lines that are the first in the industry to be IMAX Enhanced-certified. The IMAX Enhanced certification and licensing program was developed by IMAX and DTS and requires products carrying the certification to meet a proscribed set of performance criteria for 4K and HDR image reproduction and also for immersive audio reproduction. Presently, Sony products meeting these standards include VPL-VW ES series projectors, the MASTER series A9F OLED and Z9F LED TVs, just unveiled this summer, the A8F OLED and A1E OLED TVs, the X900F series TVs, and the new ES projector series.