Sony VPL-VW600 ES 4K Projector: Hardware Tour

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Art Feierman

SONY VPL-VW600ES 4K PROJECTOR HARDWARE TOUR: Overview, Control Panel, Inputs and Connectors, Menus

Hardware Overview: Sony VPL-VW600ES Projector

The VW600ES is a fairly large projector. The 2.06:1 motorized zoom lens offers tremendous placement range. This 4K projector's lens is center mounted and recessed. The lens itself has a very healthy amount of vertical and horizontal lens shift, and offers lens memory, for working with Cinemascope shaped wide screens (typically 2.35:1 or 2.40:1).

The finish is a dark gray matte, with a coarse texture. On the right side (if looking at the front of the projector), the control panel starts at the bottom by the front, and will be covered in depth, later on this page.

On the opposite side, recessed are all the inputs and connectors, starting by the back and working their way more than half way to the front.

Exhaust venting is found on the front to the left of the lens. There are infra-red sensors both front and back for the backlit remote control. The top (bottom when mounted) is blank, and curved, unadorned but for a Sony label.

It is one physically impressive looking projector. That recessed lens with the gold trim and the solid look to the projector just screams out "I'm one serious projector."

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VPL-VW600ES Control Panel

Well camouflaged, the control panel is barely noticeable. More so would ruin the "sleek, unadorned" look of the VPL-VW600ES projector. From the front of the Sony, moving toward the back are the power switch (once for on, twice for off), followed by the input button. Hitting it once brings up the input menu. Each additional press toggles you through the choices. Next comes the Menu button, and then another one of those Sony "micro" joystick/buttons, that Sony puts on all of it's LCoS (SXRD) projectors.

The square "button" rocks in up/down/left/right direction to allow full menu navigation. Press the button straight in for the enter function.

Finally, the last button is the Lens button which, ultimately gives you control of focus, zoom and lens shift (in conjunction with the navigation joystick). Note that you can go into the menus and turn off Lens Control, so that no one accidentally changes the setting.

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Inputs and Connectors - VPL-VW600 ES Projector

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Let's run through all those inputs, starting toward the back. For an expensive projector there are relatively few.

First up is the LAN connector, as the VW600ES has some standard networking capabilities. Right next to it is a USB port, followed by HDMI 1 and HDMI 2.

Then comes an RS232 serial port with a DB9 connector, for command and control. It's labeled Remote.

Speaking of remotes, the next jack over a small mini-jack allows for a hard wiring of the remote control. That can be handy for setups where the projector is placed where it's awkward to reach with the remote (including rear screen setups).

Finally there are a pair of 12 volt triggers, who's function can be set from the menus. For example you might use one to control a screen, and the other for an anamorphic lens. (Not that we feel you need an anamorphic lens for this projector, we favor using the Sony's built in Lens Memory).

That's it, pretty straightforward, no surprises. The fact than connectors are recessed should help in having a clean looking install, as far as cabling goes.