9. Sony VPL HS51 And HS60

We won't go into detail about the Sony VPLHS51. Available for around $2,200 these days, this model is still a quality projector that has the distinction of being the first to have an automatic iris adjustment system. Of course it has a lot of heavy competition from the projectors we tested for this article, but those who want to stay loyal to Sony might still consider this model, which still offers very fine performance.

Spot The Differences

The HS51 and HS60 look as much alike as the proverbial two peas in a pod, and casual observers will have trouble even noticing the differences. To clarify the situation, we'll tell you that four changes were made to the HS51 to produce the HS60. First of all, the contrast ratio has jumped from 6,000:1 to 10,000:1, at least according to the manufacturer's specs. The increase in the contrast, which was already incredible on the HS51, is the result of some very interesting hardware changes.

Where the HS51 used a micro-lens set in front of the LCD panel and a wide view film behind it, the HS60 uses a High-Contrast Plate in front of the LCD. This exclusive Sony technology minimizes loss of light - which travels in all directions from LCD panels - and boosts the contrast ratio. Added to that is the Cinema Black Pro function, already available on the HS51; this uses measurement of the light coming from the lamp, combined with an automatic iris adjustment system, to optimize the contrast/brightness balance to suit conditions of use.

The brightness can vary from 500 lumens with a maximum contrast ratio of 10,000:1 to 1,200 lumens with a minimum contrast ratio of 1,700:1. This makes the HS60 a very versatile product that can adapt to all types of conditions with ease.

The second change in the HS60 is to the cooling system, which reduced the noise level down to 23 dB. To get this result, the blades of the fan were simply made larger while slowing down their speed, a trick also used on PCs. Our tests showed the HS60 to be one of the three quietest models we tested for this article, though admittedly all the models were very close in this area, and the best units all did very well in the noise department.

The third change is to the video signal converter. The HS51 had some problems with overscan in 720p via the HDMI connector. They weren't overwhelming, but real aficionados gave the earlier model a few black marks. In response, Sony has eliminated the problem, as it needed to do on a unit in this price range.

Finally, the last change - and certainly the most minor - is the color of the lens adjustment ring. The front panel is now uniformly black.