Subj : I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7, and it has the deepest blac To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sat Sep 13 2025 12:15:08 I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7, and it has the deepest blacks Ive seen on a 4K projector Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Description: The Bravia Projector 7 is a high-end home theater projector with an astounding picture. The price is high, but it fares well against the competition. FULL STORY ======================================================================Sony Bravia Projector 7 : One minute review The Sony Bravia Projector 7 (VPL-XW5100ES) joins Sonys projector lineup following the Bravia Projector 9 and Bravia Projector 8 . Its the cheapest of the three but still comes in at a staggering $9,999 / 6,999 / AU$13,999. Compared to popular consumer projectors like the $2,999 Hisense C2 Ultra , that is a huge leap. But the Bravia Projector 7 is specialty hardware designed for die-hard cinema fans with plans for a robust home theater, and in that context, its fairly priced. Like other higher-end examples of the best projectors , the Bravia Projector 7 is somewhat simple its just a projector. Theres no Google TV or other streaming platform built in, and theres no sound system or even audio output ports. The few ports the Bravia Projector 7 does have are a pair of 4K 120Hz-capable HDMI 2.1 inputs plus a smattering of ports used for custom installation. Though its just a projector, its a truly excellent one. It has flexible optics with a wide zoom range as well as vertical and horizontal lens shift, making it easy to align the projection. The picture youll get on your screen is also stunning: bright, colorful, and with the deepest black levels I can recall seeing from a projector. While Id love to see a wider color gamut and support for more HDR formats, these never felt like more than minor shortcomings during my time with the Bravia Projector 7, which never failed to impress. If youre considering a projector for a dedicated, high-end home theater, it should be on your list. Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Price & release date The Bravia Projector 7 features manual focus and zoom adjustments on its lens (Image credit: Future) Release date: June 2025 Price: $9,999 / 6,999 / AU$13,999 The Bravia Projector 7 launch trailed behind the Projector 8 and 9, and though its price also trails behind those models, it is decidedly a luxury home theater product. The Bravia Projector 7 comes in at $9,999 / 6,999 / AU$13,999. Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Specs Screen sizes supported: 90-130 inches Brightness (specified): 2,200 Lumens HDR support: HDR10, HLG Optical technology: Laser SXRD (Silicon Crystal Reflective Display) Smart TV: N/A Connections: 2x HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, USB-A, RS-232C, D-Sub 9-pin, 3.5mm (12V trigger) Dimensions (H x W x D): 18.3 x 18.59 x 7.88 inches Weight: 15.4 pounds (7kg) Dials on the projector's top provide 71% vertical and 25% horizontal lens shift adjustments (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Design & features The projector's connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and ALLM support (Image credit: Future) Large footprint No audio capabilities or smart TV Flexible optics The Bravia Projector 7 is a sizable home theater projector on the scale of the Epson LS12000 and BenQ W5800 . This isnt one of those compact lifestyle projectors, and its even larger than some of the ultra short throw projectors Ive tested. The upside to this size is that the Bravia Projector 7 runs quietly, and it can still fit onto a (sizable) mantle or shelf at the back of a room, but it is better suited to ceiling mounting. Thankfully, the Bravia Projector 7 is flexible about placement. The lens has a 1.6x zoom range, letting it shift from a modest throw ratio of 1.38 to a longer 2.21. It also has vertical and horizontal lens shift, offering 71% shifting vertically and 25% horizontally in either direction. You manually adjust focus and zoom using rings around the lens, and lens shift with a set of dials hidden under a small panel on the projectors top. In addition to these optical adjustments, the Bravia Projector 7 supports digital keystone, though for a projector of this caliber, its worth just ensuring proper alignment. On one side, the Bravia Projector 7 includes several controls in case you misplace the remote control. There is also a series of ports, though most of these are for professional features, like networking and special triggers. Two HDMI 2.1 ports will accept a 4K 120Hz input, but these are for video input only. Neither offers eARC to pass on an audio signal. And with no other form of audio output, the projector doesnt play well with streaming sticks or even some home theater PCs if they lack a quality audio output of their own. The Bravia Projector 7 includes a large remote control with a fully backlit keypad. It includes buttons to access preset picture profiles, along with sharpness, brightness, and contrast. A large directional control is also built into the remote and includes a toggle to let the projector display a test pattern to help line up and focus the picture. Design & features score: 4/5 Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Picture quality Image 1 of 3 The Bravia Projector 7's picture is characterized by crisp 4K detail and deep blacks (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: Future) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: Future) Bright and sharp picture Deep blacks Support for 4K 120Hz Inside, the Bravia Projector 7 is built around a laser diode light source and features a native 4K SXRD optical system. While its still not quite on the level of triple-laser projectors for color gamut coverage, the picture is still simply stunning. As much as Id love to see that extra bit of color, the quality is otherwise the best I've ever seen. Blacks on the Bravia Projector 7 are simply exceptional. I cant recall another projector Ive seen that so thoroughly sank into darkness when displaying shadows. Letterbox bars presented by the Bravia Projector 7 looked so dim as to be indistinguishable from the surrounding walls, which were only illuminated by the light bouncing around the room from the projector itself during my evaluation. The Bravia Projector 7 has such good black levels that you will really want to invest in some light-absorbing materials or dark paint to reduce reflected room lights impact on the picture. The projector also gets bright enough for various uses in the daytime, even with daylight coming in through multiple windows. Cartoons, bright video games, and even web-browsing were all possible. You wont want to watch darker content in this environment, though. But given this is a projector intended for a specialized viewing setup, I dont think a few blackout curtains would be a tall order. Basic adjustments and menu nav controls are located on the side (Image credit: Future) The Projector 7 uses Sonys XR Processor for projector, and the resulting image is fantastically crisp, with the optics making even fine text appear clear from edge to edge. And that includes objects in motion. Panning shots looked fluid, avoiding stuttering and judder but also artifacts such as the soap opera effect that plagues many systems trying to smooth motion. The Bravia Projector 7 was also happy to game at 4K 120Hz, with smooth visuals and only faint ghosting, and its ALLM feature ensured any input lag was negligible. Even though the HDR support doesnt go beyond HDR10, the Projector 7s XR Dynamic Tone Mapping provides features to enhance the look of HDR content, including three selectable tone mapping modes. An XR Deep Black feature also contributes by ensuring blacks look deep and highlights get maximum brightness punch. For example, when the earth ships decelerate as they approach Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water , the picture looked simply stunning with the deep black of space contrasted with brilliant flames. Picture quality score: 4.5/5 Sony Bravia Projector 7 review: Value (Image credit: Future) High price tag Price is still competitive for category Performance equivalent to competition The Bravia Projector 7 is expensive, and you are only getting a display for the money with no speakers (or a way to output audio to speakers), and no smart platform for streaming. That may be a tough pill to swallow for some, but the Bravia Projector 7 isnt meant for someone who wants anything less than a masterful home theater setup. And the display that youre getting is a truly exceptional one. Theres no getting past this being a big investment, both for the projector and for all the other elements youll need to make the most of the Sony Bravia Projector 7. And there are plenty of projectors that wont look half bad next to the Bravia Projector 7 while being way less expensive. So while its tough to say the Bravia Projector 7 is a great value, that still cant undercut its greatness. And the truth is, the Bravia Projector 7 is still a bargain next to some, like the Epson QL7000 , and its a comparably priced and worthy rival to the JVC DLA-NZ700 . Value score: 3.5/5 Should I buy the Sony Bravia Projector 7? (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia Projector 7 Attributes Notes Rating Design and features Fairly huge, but it's smartly designed, and the adjustable optics allow for positioning flexibility 4/5 Picture quality The picture quality is absolutely brilliant, and I havent seen such a deep black from a projector before. Its ability to run at 4K 120Hz for gaming also adds to the experience 4.5/5 Value Its not cheap, but the picture is great and the price is comparable to some of the other dedicated home theater projector options out there 3.5/5 Buy it if... You want a truly gorgeous picture The Bravia Projector 7 can provide a sharp, clean image with powerful contrast, great color, and impressive motion handling. View Deal You have the rest of your home theater sorted This projector requires more elements to make a complete home theater. If youve already got the sound, the seating, the light mitigation, and video sources in place, this is a great drop-in solution, especially with its flexible optics. View Deal You know youre going big with the picture The value of a projector really soars as you move to bigger and bigger pictures. And the Bravia Projector 7 is happy to go even bigger than 100 inches while still maintaining a brilliant image. View Deal Don't buy it if... You just want to plunk it down in your living room Tapping this projectors full capabilities takes some effort. Just about any stray light or reflective surface in the room is going to degrade picture quality, and then you wont be getting all of what youve paid for. View Deal You like a simple setup The Bravia Projector 7 is meant for complete home theater setups with an A/V receiver routing video and audio signals, and cables and wires running all over the room. If that doesnt sound appealing, you would probably be better suited by a different projector. View Deal You dont like watching in a dark room This projectors extremely deep black levels are probably its greatest aspect, but you wont appreciate them unless you black out your room almost completely. If you prefer watching with some lights on, look instead for a brighter model designed to work in a range of lighting conditions. View Deal Also consider Comparison: projectors Sony Bravia Projector 7 Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 Hisense C2 Ultra JVC DLA-NZ700 Price: $9,999 $5,000 $2,999 $8.999 Screen sizes supported: 90 to 130 inches 50 to 130 inches 65-300 inches 30 to 150 inches Brightness (specified): 2,400 lumens 2,500 lumens 3,000 lumens 2,300 lumens HDR support HDR10, HLG HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Optical technology: Laser SXRD Laser 3LCD RGB Laser DLP Laser D-ILA Smart TV: n/a n/a Vidaa OS n/a Connections: 2x HDMI 2.1 2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC) 2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC) 2x HDMI 2.0 Epson LS12000 The Epson LS12000 falls into a similar category as the Bravia Projector 7. Its similarly large, but its significantly less expensive. It also supports eARC, potentially simplifying setup for users who wont opt for an A/V receiver. Its picture is also stunning, though less colorful. It also features similar optical adjustments, helping with setup simplicity. Read our Epson LS12000 review View Deal Hisense C2 Ultra If youre wondering what you can get for a fraction of the price, the Hisense C2 Ultra is the perfect example. Its incredibly bright, almost obscenely colorful (even more so than the Bravia), thanks to its triple-laser light source, and quite versatile. It supports a beautiful 4K image, but can also switch over to 1080p/240Hz visuals for gaming. And it has built-in speakers and Google TV for all-in-one capabilities. It may not be as pixel-perfect a projector as the Bravia Projector 7, but its a stunning projector nonetheless. Read our Hisense C2 Ultra review View Deal JVC DLA-NZ700 For $1,000 less, this projector gives you a very similar machine with excellent imagery, deep blacks, potent HDR capabilities, and a competitive color gamut. Youll miss out on 4K 120Hz capabilities, though, and getting this projectors 97% DCI-P3 color gamut requires enabling a filter that reduces brightness. Read our JVC DLA-NZ700 review View Deal How I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7 Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions Presented the display with a variety of media and formats I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade I tested the Sony Bravia Projector 7 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, and in-room lighting,. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen . It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay. My testing evaluates the projectors performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested. I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer. First reviewed: September 2025 Read TechRadar's review guarantee ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/projectors/i-tested-the-sony-bravia-proj ector-7-and-it-has-the-deepest-blacks-ive-seen-on-a-4k-projector --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .