Sony VPL-AW15 BRAVIAŽ 720p high-definition LCD projector
HDTV-ready projector (digital TV reception requires a separate HDTV tuner) * widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio (can also display 4:3 material) * 3 LCD panels (1280 x 720 pixels each) * 12,000:1 max. contrast ratio (with dynamic iris) * light output: 1100 ANSI lumens *
Sony VPL-AW15 BRAVIAŽ 720p high-definition LCD projector Accessories
 Atdec TH-WH-PJ-FM Telehook Universal Projector Flush Mount
HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet)
25ft HDMI to HDMI Cable Premium Gold Series HDMI Certified
Vantage Point CGUPM12-S Universal Front Projector Mount
PlayStation 3 40GB
Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Sony STRDG720 7.1 Audio Video Receiver - Black
Vantage Point CGUPM06-S Universal Front Projector Mount
Cables Unlimited 6-Foot HDMI Male to Male Cable (PCM-2295-06)
Sony VPL-AW15 BRAVIAŽ 720p high-definition LCD projector Reviews
The picture is very crisp. Its great for watching Blu- rays. This projector is excellent. Its not one of the newest models out there but it has great quality for the price.
The Sony interpolation algorithms are second to none. Also, this projector doesn't get enough credit for doing a great job at upconverting 480p DVD video. I didn't really consider how important this would be, but it is. I have the projector in a room with full light control (no windows), and in this application brightness doesn't matter as much as contrast, and this projector has great contrast. This is my first projector, so my only comparison is to an older Panasonic projector at a friends house, and a Mits HC1500 that I compared at a store. Also, as a difference compared to the Sony AWL 10 model, the AWL 15 has more color adjustments, and a more advanced auto iris feature. Projectors really need to be seen in person before buying, I went into this process thinking I would buy a DLP projector, but after seeing in person, LCD projectors just seem to have a more "solid" image.
Other nice things to consider about this projector, the lens shift capability, and the wide range of zoom settings gives a lot of flexibility for placement. I think this something related to DLP rainbows. Although I don't consciously see flicker in DLP, I perceive a difference in image stability. Let me bring up a couple of things.
- colors are less saturated. - HDMI input on the rear has a bezel around it that will make it impossible for some of the cables with thicker ends to fit in. + can throw larger image from shorter distance. - Much larger than the mitsubishi. - noisy (the spinning wheel makes a high pitched whine which is louder and more annoying than the fan). When they tilt, they send light to the screen, when they don't tilt, the light stays in the projector. Neither tv will perform great in a bright room, so both of these are really best suited for rooms where you can control the light. - If you have a small room, you may not be able to fill a large projector screen with an image because this projector cannot throw a large image from as short a distance as the sony.
Yes the image is more soft, but this looks more like a projected image in a movie theater, and this is the effect I'm going for when watching movies on my projector, so it works great. - more screen door effect. I went with the SONY. + colors are more saturated. - potential for rainbow effect. + no rainbow effect. So that's the background, here are the results of my side by side tests (accompanied by the media manager for a major lecture hall at an Ivy League university) who is a specialist in these kinds of things (I myself teach video production, so have some expertise here as well). + about half the physical size of the SONY.
In terms of the saturation, if you're watching DVD movies, then I think you'll prefer the LCD since it creates more natural colors. + Image is brighter. It's very pronounced when there are credit rolls at the end of movies, or any other times there are high contrast black/white (or light/dark) areas. I originally purchased the Mitsubishi HC1500 DLP projector, but had some problems with it.
Advantages. It's not perfect, and in some areas underperforms the DLP. The LCD projectors also need more space between the pixels than DLP, and this ends up giving you a more visible "screen door"effect where you can actually see the faint black lines of the pixel grid if you sit close enough to the screen (as if you were looking through a door or window with an insect screen on it, hence the term "screen door". I had to change cables to get this to work.
Three chip LCD screens actually have 3 panels (red green and blue) so they don't need the spinning color wheel, they just project the light through the panels, and the colors line up on the screen if calibrated properly. This ends up creating wonderfully bright and brilliant images. I actually liked the HC1500 a lot, but ended up keeping tue SONY VLPAW10 for a number of reasons.
NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE SONY VPL-AW10 (NOT 15) BUT IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME MODEL (THIS 15 MODEL HAS SOME EXTRA FEATURES NOT MENTIONED BELOW). The SONY VLPAW-10 (3 chip LCD). Single chip DLP projectors create images by having a "chip" filled with thousands of tiny mirrors (1 per pixel on the screen) that can tilt up and down. + no need for air filter. This isn't a review so much as a comparison between 3 Chip LCD and SINGLE CHIP DLP (which tend to be in the same price range).
Disadvantages. It's not perfect, but for my needs it beats the Mitsubishi. In a certain percentage of cases, the rainbow effect causes headaches and eyestrain It did so for me. + less screen door effect. - has an air filter than needs to be changed periodically.
I know there are a lot of die hard fans of the HC1500 and I'm sorry - but this is a fair assessment of my needs. IN ANY CASE, ALL THE COMPARISONS BELOW ARE STILL VALID. The problem is that the colors are therefore being created via an optical illusion, which for some people creates a "rainbow" effect where they see color rainbows in the white areas of the image. (google "DLP rainbow effect" if you don't believe me. There are such things as 3 chip DLP projectors that don't need the color wheels and don't create this effect, but they aren't even close to being in the sub $1000 price range (they start at SEVERAL thousand dollars). + quieter. In terms of the "screen door" effect, I find this is minimized by defocusing the image just a hair.
The DLP is better for watching HDTV shows where the colors really pop (like CSI Miami). CONCLUSION. They are not as bright and brilliant as the DLP images because the light is going through the panels, and not being reflected by mirrors which create more direct light. Advantages.
The only problem with this setup is that there's no color (just the white light is being directed) so the color needs to be introduced by spinning a color wheel in front of the chip. (in this case it's a 7 segment red-green-blue-white-red-green-blue wheel. I use it mostly to watch movies, so don't mind the less saturated and brilliant colors. - Bulb not as bright, need darker room. Here's the comparison. Disadvantages.
Some ways to mitigate the SONY's disadvantages:. The Mitsubishi HC-1500 (1 chip DLP). Ordered this one from amazon and put them side by side. It does not work as well to watch sports or news or other material that has lots of CG text up on the screen.
Contrast is impossible to be good with lights on in the room but it is doing pretty well. It needs a lot of tweeking with the picture controls though to get good contrast, brightness, & natural color sbut it can be done. For 200" screen it may need High lamp setting, though not necessary I guess. Actually contrast improves with less brightness. lights on at night, or daylight during day. with 100" screen it can operate at Low lamp with. actually it' s very bright.
Warranty:: Do you need the additional in store warranty. Few more notes here which may save you some time & money. Mounts::: I mounted my Sony to the ceiling using the Vantage Point Universal Projector Mount, part number CGUPM06-S (available for Amazon Prime). This is the 1st thing projector central will tell you. This was my first projector purchase. I'm not one to spend this amount of money without a lot of thought, and so far, no regrets. The projector comes with a 2 year warranty (you pay for shipping to the repair center in Laredo Texas), and a 90 day bulb warranty. Screens::: After days and days of researching, measuring, and reading, I finally settled on the Elite M100UWH.
I can't detect any signal loss and the pictures are awesome. Beware of the beginner sales people. I'm currently running the Wii, PS3, and HD Tivo through the Cables To Go (part number 40324 & available for Amazon Prime)3-Play Component Video Digital Audio Selector. In short, what the in store warranties such as Best Buy buy you is convenience. The cost to me was $30 for shipping and 2.5 weeks without my projecter. Best priced system with a powered sub I found. It was a piece of cake to get mounted and I had no trouble adjusting the angles. Keep in mind, this projector is only 720P, so there's no need for the HDMI, unless it's convenient for you.
They had 3 projectors hanging; Sony [this one], Mitsubishi HD1500, and an Optoma. To summarize, this projector has the best features for the money I have found. So far, have not been disappointed. Regarding the bulb, keep in mind that if you purchase with a Visa or Mastercard, both will double the manufactures warranty. See it before you buy::: My local Best Buy had this projector in stock and in the demo room. I originally was seeking one of the grey matte screens, but after speaking with several manufactures, I learned the grey screens are recommended for projetors with low contrast ratio.
So here's my opinion. If this was my main TV, I would have wanted the in store warranty for the quick convenience. I had to return my projector to Sony after 2 months for what turned out to be a bad bulb. The reviews state that the screen is difficult to go up and down, but I'll leave my down almost year round.
From the switcher I'm running the Cables To Go (part number 27084 & available for Amazon Prime) 25ft Velocity Component Video Cable. If this is your main TV and not just in your game room, the store warranty may be worth the money for the convenience. The sales person claimed that the Mitsubishi had the best picture until I asked about the contrast ratio, and then had him pause the show and switch back and forth. PURCHASE PROJECTORS BASED ON CONTRAST, NOT LUMENS. If you have long distances to travel, HDMI cables would require an in line amplifier, etc., quickly running up the cost. The Sony wasn't the brightest, but it did have the best picture.
(quick update. It literally took me around 45 minutes to get this setup, and I'm in no way a carpenter. It's too risky to try and do everything yourself. Finally purchased sound system, Onkyo HT-SR700. Who knows how they had the settings fixed. BE SURE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO HELP MOUNT THE PROJECTOR.
Cables, etc::: After realizing that I needed to place my PS3, Wii, and Tivo on the other side of the room, I decided to run Component cables rather than HDMI. The receiver is now my component video switcher)
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