The Right Angle: Sony LSPX-W1S Ultra Short Throw 4K Projector

What’s not to like about a video projection system that throws a dazzling 147-inch 4K image on the wall from only a few inches away? No need to run wires and hang a bulky box from the ceiling or build an alcove in the back of the room to hide it away. And no distracting shadows when Uncle Ted stands up in the middle of the movie to stretch…again. Even better, the Sony LSPX-W1S is 21 inches deep and stands only 10.5 inches off the floor. Its decorative aluminum grille lends an air of elegance, concealing the projector in what could easily be mistaken for a high-end baseboard heating unit.

As senior consumer experience producer Yasushi Matsumoto explains it, the unique projector is Sony’s attempt at “creating a world where people can enjoy new ways of experiencing entertainment freely, without the restrictions of location, traditional screens, or physical devices. The idea is to reshape our personal media landscape and transform our living spaces into evolving, dynamic environments.”

If you look closely, you’ll notice that the minimalist 9-foot-wide structure is made up of five tightly integrated modules: a central projection unit flanked by speaker modules with an invisible cabinet at either end; hinged panels fold down to reveal two spacious storage compartments. Each speaker is a classic bass-reflex design with a 5-inch woofer and 0.75-inch tweeter powered by a 40-watt amplifier equipped with four HDMI inputs and a set of speaker terminals, presumably for connecting an outboard subwoofer. If you’re looking for surround sound facilities, sorry, there are none. What you do get is a system made to order and handcrafted to exacting standards.

When you grab the remote and turn on the LSPX-W1S, a hinged panel in the middle of the enclosure slowly opens, allowing the lens to see the wall. The projector draws on blue laser diodes and three LCOS-based SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) chips to create a true 4096 x 2160 4K image—the resolution used for digital cinema. Sony chose a laser light source over a traditional lamp because it reaches peak brightness more quickly and lasts up to 10 times longer. A Picture Position control lets you zoom in and out to create an image between 5 and 10 feet wide, while automatic optimization technology adjusts black and white levels on the fly to produce a “bright image with high contrast.”

Of course, the undisputed star of this show is the sophisticated optical assembly that makes it possible to beam a 10-foot-wide image on a wall only 7 inches away, a feat that requires scrupulous calibration with micron-level accuracy.

Come to think of it, there is one thing about the LSPX-W1S you might not like: It costs 50 grand and is currently available only at ddc’s home furnishings showroom in New York City.

Sony • (866) 294-7669 • sony.com

COMMENTS
trashmanssd7's picture

Nice to see the innovation. Its neat tech that would allow putting a projector in rooms once thought to be impossible. But it will be a while (probably long while) till we see this tech trickle down to more affordable protectors (2K-5K retail $$).

mikem's picture

By the time it takes to pull my bank gang together for one last heist to pay for this the price will have dropped significantly - I would hope. What is more important to me right now is the technical ability of short throw and its future. If Sony plays their cards right on this it could be a game changer for them.

dommyluc's picture

Didn't LG develop a short-throw projection system not that long ago? Never saw any reviews, but I think it also used lasers, but I'm not absolutely sure. This is one technology, though, that really needs to go down in price and trickle down to the unwashed masses.

utopianemo's picture

I agree that short throw is the wave of the future. Why more companies aren't developing these is beyond me.

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