CEDIA 2022

The highlight of my visit to Sony’s booth at CEDIA 2022 consisted of a high-powered demo session in a blacked-out theater, featuring the 10,000-lumen VPL-GTZ380 4K projector featuring Sony’s own SXRD three-chip projection technology as well as the X1 Ultimate for Projector processor.

The GTZ380 is not a new projector, it was released in 2020. But because of COVID, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to demo one at a show. It is a projection powerhouse able to fill the 220” screen with sharp, vivid, high-contrast imagery (16,000:1 native contrast) complemented by a Wisdom Audio speaker system along with StormAudio processing and power. Stewart Filmscreen provided the giant screen. Meanwhile, the Sony ARC-F lens used on this unit provided edge-to-edge sharpness and brightness uniformity that makes the most of high-quality 4K content.

The demo included the Top Gun: Maverick test run scene where Maverick/Tom Cruise proves he can pull off the mission by flying the canyon run and hitting the target by pushing the limits of his aircraft. The GTX-380 served up a reference-quality viewing experience, delivering a reference-quality visual experience. Unlike most of the demos at the show, it achieved the prerequisite for declaring any serious demo awesome: I got goosebumps.

The takeaway from the demo is that Sony’s newest projectors for home theater, the VPL-XW5000 ($5998), VPL-XW6000 ($11,998), and VPL-XW7000 ($27,999) leverage the same technologies found in the VPL-GTZ380. We have reviews of Sony's latest projectors in the works, but it's informative to see the flagship from which the tech trickles down. The Sony and its abundance of lumens provided a truly awe-inspiring viewing experience that was a highlight of the show.

Sony's VPL-GTZ380 may be incredible but it does not come cheap. Then again, Sony classifies it as a pro product, although consumers are certainly welcome to buy one. the MSRP on this bad boy is $80,000, without the lens.