Recently, Sony launched a new generation of home laser projector products XW series of native 4K light valves, VPL-XW5000ES, VPL-XW6000E, SVPL-XW7000ES, brightness of 2000, 2500 and 3200 lumens respectively. The new generation of products with a new series serial number "XW" also represents the maturity of the new generation of "core engine". Among them, the native 4K SXRD light valve with only 0.61 inches has also become the "smallest native 4K" light valve in the projection product industry.
Sony's new product "core change" is happy
Through the observation of Sony's three products, the industry found that the biggest change was the "appearance" and "shrinkage": the VPL-XW7000ES and VPL-XW6000ES were 20% smaller and 30% lighter than the previous generation VPL-VW915ES; the VPL-XW5000ES was 30% smaller than the VPL-VW915ES and 35% lighter.
There are two main reasons for this change: the first is the use of a new smaller light valve - a change of 0.73 inches to 0.61 inches, so that in the core optical path, the "diameter" of each lens can be a little smaller, which can save more internal space and reduce the "self-weight" of the optical engine. Although the volume change in this regard cannot be proportional to the change in the area of the light valve chip, it will also be "very significant".
Second, the more important aspect is the application of a new generation of laser light source systems, especially the efficient performance of the latest generation of laser semiconductor chips, which greatly compresses the volume of the laser light source engine, reduces the weight, and reduces the need for heat dissipation at the same brightness through higher laser emission efficiency - the volume and weight of the heat pipe heat dissipation system are also optimized. In fact, the new generation of laser projectors in 2022 has the characteristics of "smaller and lighter", because this year is the first year of "a new generation of laser chips and engines".
At the same time, the reduction of heat dissipation requirements also means that the product is quieter and quieter. The need for heat dissipation and dust removal will also be reduced.
For Sony's professional high-end home theater projectors, the large size and weight have always been "poor" in the look and feel. Although some consumers understand this as the thickness of "professionalism", in practical applications, lightweight products tend to be more flexible. Sony's new products rely on the double upgrade of optical engine and light source engine to achieve great progress in "light and small", which is also a stimulant for the industry market.
The smallest native 4K light valve for more imagination
In the face of the 0.61-inch 4K SXRD light valve, there are industry comments that the same LCOS camp, Sony finally "pressure JVC" a head:
In 2022, JVC's new home projector N7X series still uses a 0.69-inch native 4K D-ILA light valve chip. In terms of chip size, it is significantly larger than 0.61 inches of Sony's new product. However, careful consumers have also noticed that Sony's 0.61-inch 4K is the native resolution of 3840×2160, and JVC's 0.69-inch 4K is 4096*2160 - the 4K standards used by the two are different, and there are also differences in the total number of pixels.
However, on the basis of the fact that the area of the Sony light valve is 20% smaller than that of JVC, its pixel volume is less than 7%, which is enough to show that the pixel particle scale of Sony's new light valve is smaller. This represents Sony's higher achievement in LCOS technology. Of course, at present, it is not known that the difference between the two products in terms of opening rate and the specific pixel drive performance cannot be further judged.
And from a consumer point of view, if the terminal model price is acceptable, it is obviously more pleasing to the 4096*2160 resolution: because the native 4K content of the movie blockbuster has different standards of 4096*2160 (DCi 4k format) and 3840×2160 (streaming) resolution. The display device using 4096* 2160 resolution can be better compatible with the content of 3840×2160 resolution, and can also restore the content of the 4096* 2160 standard point by point, rather than compressing some pixels. However, on the other hand, for consumers to match a suitable screen, most screens sold on the market use a 16:9 ratio, which is more suitable for 3840×2160 resolution light valve products.
For the development of projection 4K light valves, especially LCOS technology, it is worth mentioning the latest progress of our local light valve innovators: Huixinchen LCOS 4K chip has completed the circuit design and layout design, and entered the "engineering tape-out" stage. If all goes well, in the second half of 2022, the market is expected to see the advent of the first native 4K lcos light valve product in mainland China. However, considering the technical difficulties of the first attempt by local companies, this local native 4K LCOS light valve should not reach the pixel particle size of Sony and JVC, and relevant people expect its 3840×2160 resolution light valve size to be about 0.78 inches.
However, the use of LCOS technology is still the "ideal" technical route of the "small chip" native 4K light valve in the industry. This technology is also an ideal technical route for micro projection and embedded projection to achieve native 2K light valve display. It is also selected by the local projection industry chain as a feasible technical path to "solve the problem of light valve card neck". From these aspects, Sony's progress is of certain industrial significance, and also provides more imagination space for the application of LCOS in different scenarios and products from XR to projection.
Consumer Gospel: LCOS projections may diffuse
For Sony's new home projection products, adhering to Sony's consistent "high up, high" strategy, its price is still not cheap. The cheapest of the three new products, the VPL-XW5000ES, also costs about 40,000 yuan ($6,000). This is "almost sky-high" for today's home projection market with an average price of more than 2,000 yuan, or a laser TV market with an average price of more than 10,000 yuan.
Of course, high prices also have absolute "benefits". For example, even the lowest-priced VPL-XW5000ES has a high brightness of 2000 lumens - the visual effect and color performance of the laser 2000 lumens are almost equivalent to the effect of mercury lamp models with more than 2500 lumens. And the product is still equipped with an X1 Ultimate processor, dynamic HDR enhanced drive combined with a wide dynamic range native 4K panel, for rich ink black and clear cinematic motion and image smoothness. At the same time, the lens of the VPL-XW5000ES is also equipped with a 10-lens (9 glass + 1 resin) lens including a 54 mm aspherical front lens.
However, if consumers just prefer a three-chip LCOS projection imaging system, there are also "more cost-effective" options in the market. At the beginning of the market, Xiaomi launched a new RGB three-color laser source laser TV, using a 1080P resolution 3LCOS imaging system, priced at 6999 yuan. Compared with Sony's high-end cinema models, Xiaomi product resolution is 1080P standard, but it has a full-color laser engine (projection brightness of 1400 lumens) and an ultra-short throw projection system (projection ratio of 0.25:1), and it is still a smart projector.
Xiaomi's light valve is a 0.37-inch LCOS product, which also has the advantages of LCOS display technology three-piece system, high light efficiency performance, and high opening rate. At the same time, the ultra-short throw is more compatible with the optical anti-light curtain, and the intelligent system is more convenient to obtain network content. ——It can be said that this is a product that is completely different from Sony's new products, but it is also the crystallization of a technology tree of "core technology homology".
Xiaomi's full-color laser cinema projection has not announced the source of its LCOS light valve procurement. However, according to rumors, it comes from a Japanese manufacturer and points to Sony. If the rumors are true, it also indicates that Sony intends to "get a piece of the pie" through upstream core technology in the context of its brand not getting involved in the mainstream demand market for entry-level home consoles: just like the commercial benefits that TI currently realizes in DLP technology. Especially in the case that local LCOS companies have made some progress and obtained some product mass production technology, Japanese upstream projection light valve companies should also think about their future "where to go".
In summary, the advent of Sony's new home theater projection products has brought great "shock" to the industry. Just like netizens said, "Your uncle is still your uncle" - Sony's technical foundation and research and development background can not be underestimated, but the price of Sony products is still high. After the smallest native 4K light valve and the new laser engine, Sony did not "translate technological advances into more price concessions". The latter may "leave a possibility" for more third-party LCOS projection products. Therefore, although Sony has made some progress in technology, it is not necessarily able to reverse its declining situation year by year in the market situation. On the contrary, Sony's positioning of going against the mainstream of the market is likely to exacerbate the decline in its market share under the competition of more competitors and differentiated innovative products - of course, Sony's core light valve technology, if it is willing to take out light valves, can become another TI, and eventually become an upstream supplier in the industry. The latter in the Sony projection domestic market proportion continues to decline today, is a "strong point to avoid weaknesses" choice.