Sony HCS-W80 ChromaVue Screen

Tired of watching your front projector in total darkness? Here’s a screen that lets (some of) the sunshine in.

I also compared the HS51/ ChromaVue’s image with that of an adjacent 34" Sampo direct-view CRT set, confirming that black areas were truly black in both display systems. The HS51/ChromaVue pair did a fine job on Hitch, both on dark interior scenes such as those staged on Ellis Island, where image quality was superb with very high contrast, and on brightly illuminated outdoor scenes.

Conclusion

The big question, especially for HS51 owners, is whether it is better to stick with a traditional white or gray screen, or to try the ChromaVue. Let me tackle that question by offering some basic observations. As I see it, traditional screens offer two or perhaps three advantages over the ChromaVue. First, they will give you higher light output with a given output setting. Second, they will show no noticeable color shift if you watch off-axis. (The ChromaVue will show an off-axis color shift.) Third, they may do a better job of matching with the projector’s standard gamma settings. But these benefits come at price; if you try to use traditional screens in anything but a fully darkened room, all bets are off and all benefits melt away.

In contrast (pun intended), the ChromaVue—while not a “magic bullet”— performs better in the presence of subdued lighting than any other projection screen I have used. Its contrast in the presence of moderate levels of ambient light is simply amazing. While you can’t read a book by this amount of light (or at least you shouldn’t), you certainly can see everyone and everything going on around you. If you want (or need) a front-projection system you can enjoy in the dark or with some room lights, and if you have a suitably bright projector, Sony’s ChromaVue screen could be perfect for you.