VPL-HW45ES

Save a little bit more Look for a used Sony hw 20,30,55,40,45,65 I got a hw40 for 200eur! You can’t beat the performance with anything in this price range!

Got a Sony hw45 for 380! Will mount it in the bedroom next week!

I'm building a a new home and building a basement home theatre in the new house. I'd like to upgrade my current 7.1 setup includes the following: Sony VPL-HW45ES Projector EluneVision 125" screen Denon AVR-H4200X receiver SVS PB2000 Pro subwoofer KEF speakers (weakest link in my current system) - KEF Q700 front, Q200C centre, Q100 side and rear surround For the new home I wanted to make the following changes to build out a 7.2.4 system: Projector that has 4K (probably can't afford native 4K), ideally still have 3D capability (Have a huge collection of 3D blu-ray movies - some of which over the last few years i've purchased on Amazon from oversea dealers, since they 3D seems much harder to get in Canada/USA). Ideally a 150" screen, if possible for my room dimensions of 17 feet (screen wall to back wall x 14 feet wide x 8.7 feet high), otherwise go with a 135" screen. Replace current Denon Receiver with the Denon AVR-H4800X receiver for the 7.2.4 capability without requiring another amplifier. Purchase additional SVC PB2000 Pro Subwoofer for a two subwoofer setup Have four in-ceiling Polk RC80i speakers Have a dedicated 20A circuit for the home theatre There will be no windows in room and I will have charcoal grey walls and grey ceiling, so will have good light control. My original budget for the projector was to stay under $4000 CDN, but once i started my search, it didn't look like there are many that fit the bill. I knew that ultra-short throw projectors were very popular (have some relatives who have them, but they don't really have a serious dedicated theatre setup and have very cheap units and picture quality isn't really a big priority for them. Locally in Calgary the only big box retailer that sells projectors is Visions and they have limited choices and my other option is to get a projector shipped from a store like East Porters in Ontario (have option of amazon, but not sure what the after purchase support would be like). The following were their recommendations from Visions and the out of province retailer (most of these don't have 3D capability): JVC LX-NZ30 4K Laser HDR DLP Projector (3300 Lumen laser - 20,000 hr life) - $4000 Sony VPL-XW5000ES is a native 4K laser projector with 2,000 lumens (20,000 hrs life) - $7500 CDN JVC DLA-NZ500 Native 4k D-ILA front Projector (2000 Lumen, 20,00 hrs life) - $8000 CDN BenQ W5800 4K Laser Cinema Home Theatre Projector (2600 Lumens, 20,000 hr life)- $6500 CDN BenQ 4100i 4K home Projector (3200 Lumens) - $3700 CDN Epson Pro Cinema LS9000 with 4K Display (2200 Lumens) - $5000 CDN Epson Home Cinema LS11000 4K PRO-UHD1 Laser Project - $5800 CDN (open box available for $5000) Epson Q5100 4K Pro-UHD HDR (4500 Lumen 3LCD Ultra short through) - $6500 Not sure if this would be an inclining option, or just short through in sitting in front of screen Panasonic PT-VMZ62 6500-Lumen WUXGA Projector - $7500 CDN Not sure if this is only for presentations or a legit home theatre - would be special order and would be a final sale. Valerion VisonMaster Max 4K RGB Triple Laser projector (3500 Lumens, 25,000 hr life, has 3D) - $5500 Note, took out the Valerian Pro 2 from consideration since it does not have 3D My main considerations for making a decision on which projector to get: Screen size and room dimensions -as stated earlier would prefer 150" screen if doable, but would like at least 135" screen. Would like to ensure throw distance is under 13 feet from screen (room length maximum distance is 15 feet). Is there a difference in image quality on the lens zoom used to stay within my required throw distance (i.e. at either extreme)? Seating distance - will 10 feet, or under 12 feet work with these projectors with a 150" screen? Will have a single row seating, but want to leave a minimum of 2.5 to 3 feet behind theatre seats for my blu-ray/4K/DVD library rack and being able to walk behind seats. Entrance to theatre will also be on back of room. Plan to have AVR rack on back of room around 1.5 to 2 feet from back wall (opposite the door with all speaker terminals. Cinematic considerations - Main use is for movies (would like a projector that retains the 24 FPS for cinema and avoid the soap opera effect). I also watch a lot of old remastered to 4K black and white classics and would like good black and contrast to take advantage of seeing those remastered classics with good pictures. Price - Ideally stay under $6k CDN, unless I can get the wife to allow me to squeeze out an extra $1-2K (would be a VERY hard sell, but might be able to go for the JVC NZ500 at a reduced $7k price). Sports and action - Be able to watch hockey games - so don't want it to handle action well. Ease of installation and lens tilt feature - tto align more easily on screen with a screen wall (will require two inches for screen), to projector distance that allows the the projector depth and venting requirements to fit within mental 17 feet room length. (Read that should allow 8-12 inches away from wall for venting). 3D Blu-ray - This is a highly describable feature - I probably have around fifty to sixty 3D Blu-ray movies, but as it is harder to find content in north America, would be a deal breaker. But is an important consideration. I know Valerion lists this and a lot of the YouTube talk to the capability, but actual purchaser reviews I've read had reported that it's not very good for action movies and unclear pictures. If there is no viable option, I’ll have to do without the 3d). Reliability - last but not least is how long will this projector last me? I've had my current Sony VPL-HW45ES Projector since October 2016. I have changed the bulb 3 times and the filter 4 times. So during those 10 years, given the number of times I've changed the bulb (last one was in Oct 2025), I have used the projector for around 11,000 hours. Aside from bulb/filter changes, I have had zero issues (although it is a pain to attach on my current mount and then re-align to my screen). I was originally set on the Valerion VisonMaster Max based on reviews i read and advice from EastPorters. However, I have read reviews on Amazon and the web with the following issues; Reported issues of failures in HDMI input failures - read from one reviewer that this is a known issue. Overheating issue - unit shuts down after 7 hrs run-time (potential deal breaker for me - can't have a movie series marathon with the kids!!) Have read that there has been burnt pixel issues for some users While it has 3D, is very jittery and not good for action. Picture distortion issues on the edges - not an issue for wide screen movies, but is an issue for 16:9 content. Note sure if these issues are one offs and how responsive the manufacturer is I'd appreciate any advise I can get if the Valerion, and whether there are better options I should consider. I'd appreciate any advice on which projector would best meet my needs if i wanted one that has a throw distance of under 15 feet (to allow for room of depth of projector from lens to back, and 8-13 inches for venting) with a 150" 16x9 format screen and keep price under $7k (which is well above my original $4K budget - I paid $3500 for my Sony 10 years ago as a package deal with speakers and screen), but if it makes sense to go over this amount up to $8k, will try and convince the wife :)

I’m a big fan of Sony SXRD 1080p projectors like the VPL-HW45ES or HW65ES. Paired with a quality screen with a bit of a gray hue, these are outstanding performers. You can find them used in the $500 range. A new lamp assembly is under $200. I’ve had great luck with used purchases of both models.

I've been running a used sony hw45es for a little over a year and absolutely love it. I only use it for movies and shows (occasional story gaming, but my screen is too big for gaming). I see them used locally $250-$500 and at least mine has been spectacular. I personally have little to no interest in moving up to 4k as matching my quality I already have with my used Sony would take 2.5k or more and I have zero complaints after I've dialed all my settings in

My first projector was a Sony SXRD 1080P in 2007: $10,000 USD. Bulb replacements cost $900-1000. When it finally gave up the ghost in 2017, I purchased another Sony SXRD 1080P: $1800 USD with \~$100 bulb replacements. The picture is better. Cost for projectors has definitely gotten cheaper for more, but TVs are a true mass market item. As other posters have indicated, the market for projectors is tiny compared to the market for TVs. Companies will create products and compete if they can sell millions, but not as much if they are looking at tens of thousands.

So, I play ps5 on a Sony sxrd 1080p projector on a 100” screen. I’m moving off a projector. I’ll tell you why. At the time 100” anything tv wise was stupid expensive. But now you can get a 4K screen for $1.5K or 2.5K. You will get better gaming out of that. My projector has game mode etc. But a TV with vrr, hdr etc will look and play better and you can play with the lights on! So I was going to upgrade to 4K with a Valerion, benq x3100i etc. but as I priced that vs a huge back lit screen at 100” and less in size for me it will be a better deal. Now if you want over 100” PJ is the way to go. But mind you, now you need to add screen cost to that and depending on the lighting in your room that screen could be pretty expensive. I know we are all PJ people here. But there are other options. I’m waiting it out to Black Friday and see if I can get a 100” mini led screen for a good price. Hopefully 240Hz at 1080p and 120Hz at 4K with all the bells and whistles.

So I got the max. 10’ distance to the screen is 100”’ish. So yes it does lens shift and optical zoom but if you are more than 10’ you will have a bigger image. Projector central has a calculator. I see rainbows and will be returning it soon. I’ll keep my Sony 1080p for now. Less resolution but way more zoom and I need it like 13 feet back.

I have bought multiple projectors off shopgoodwill.com to get me started, a 1080p Sony projector is in our gazebo, in the basement I have two 1080p Epson projectors and one Christie that I didn’t pay over $40 each for. You can get decent deals when auction times end at off hours. I even got a perfectly working (remoteless) Denon X2600h for about $230 shipped from there. Check it out!