Projector Reviews

My contrast measurements of the VW995ES were done a bit differently than in the past. We are seeing more laser and LED projectors hit the market now with dynamic systems that allow them to shut off the light source completely to achieve “infinite” contrast ratio specifications. And while “infinite” may be the case when the light source is completely blacked out, once a single pixel gets illuminated, the situation is far different. I asked Stacey Spears (co-creator of the Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark video test disc) to work with me on a testing solution for such projectors and he created a pattern that was full black with only a single white pixel located at the upper right of the image. When displaying the pattern, the projector under test should be prevented from fully turning off its laser while delivering the best black floor possible to evaluate contrast performance. I've also added contrast ratio measurements for different average display levels that represent the luminance levels of most real-world content. I plan on using these new contrast ratio measurement techniques for all projector reviews going forward regardless of the design.—KRD