Sony took official ownership of CEDIA 2006 on Day 1 when it officially announced the VPL-VW50 SXRD front projector. Sony had previously lit the world on fire with the VPL-VW100<A HREF="http://ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/1205sony/">"Ruby"</A>, a fully outfitted three-chip 1080p SXRD projector with a retail of $10K, which was significantly less money than the premium single-chip 720p DLPs that ruled the day when it was released in Fall 2005 (not to mention that is a full two-thirds cheaper than Sony's first SXRD front pro, the <A HREF="http://ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/504sony/">Qualia 004</A>).
Sure, 1080p is getting all the buzz, but even the cheapest 1080p displays are still really pricey. For example, the lowest-priced 1080p projector is 4.5 times the price of this little Optoma. The HD70, while "only" 720p, has a distinction all its own that makes it one of the coolest products to come out in months: It's the lowest-priced HD projector ever.
With all the hullabaloo about the new 1080p projectors, some of them at prices lower than any of us dreamed possible only a few months ago, is there any point in reviewing a mid-priced 720p design?
Key Connections: Dual HDMI inputs, two component inputs, one RGB on 15-pin DSUB, one Ethernet
Features We Like: Full 1080p that not only accepts 1080p/24 signals, but displays it at frame rate that direct multiples of 24 for smoother motion, dynamic iris for deep blacks, uses less expensive lamp than previous SXRD PJs, and did we mention the price?