Sections
- Page 1 Sony VPL-HW65ES Review
- Page 2 Picture Quality Review
- Page 3 3D and Conclusions Review
Sony VPL-HW65ES – 3D Picture Quality
3D images generally look strong. The HW65ES’s brightness helps to combat the dimming effect of the active shutter 3D glasses, while the rich colours, strong contrast and extreme sharpness help it to delineate 3D environments with an impeccable sense of space and depth.
Motionflow continues to impress too, enabling you to tackle the extra judder you often get with 3D images without the picture suffering serious artefacts. 
The one problem, as usual with Sony projectors, is that there’s a bit of crosstalk ghosting noise around, which reduces the clarity and can make long-term viewing a little fatiguing.
Other things to consider
Gamers rejoice: I measured input lag on the HW65ES when using its Gaming preset to be around 20ms. This is exceptionally low by the standards of any video device, and shouldn’t have a serious impact on your gaming performance.
The HW65ES also deserves major kudos for how quietly it runs. In Low lamp mode its cooling fans are to all intents and purposes silent, but they remain unusually quiet even with the lamp running at its brightest.
The sample I was testing suffered with a slightly shrill buzz that occasionally made its presence felt during quiet scenes – though to be fair, I did spend most of my testing time sat closer to the projector than you probably would in a normal cinema room environment.
Should I buy a Sony VPL-HW65ES?
The HW65ES is the best sub-£3k full HD projector on the market and if you can’t afford a 4K unit, you should absolutely check it out.
If your budget can stretch another grand or so then it might be worth trying to get a head to head demo with the JVC DLA-X5000 (which I’ll be reviewing in the next few weeks).
Another option if you want a crosstalk-free 3D performance and an LED optical system that means you won’t need to buy any new lamps is the Optoma HD91+. But that model will set you back between £500 and £700 more than the HW65ES.
Verdict
The HW65ES keeps Sony’s current projector roll going in emphatic style – and proves there’s plenty of life left in HD yet.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Value 9
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2D Image Quality 9
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Features 9
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3D Image Quality 7
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Design 9
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
