When you need a projector for a conference room, classroom, house of worship, or other large-group presentation, the features you need are different than when you’re buying for a home theater. Sony’s VPL line of projectors are made with these professional uses in mind. In this Sony VPL-PHZ60 review, you’ll see why the projector is an ideal choice for presentations and educational contexts (>>> Check on Amazon).
Sony VPL-PHZ60 Review of Main Specs:
| Sony VPL-PHZ60 | |
|---|---|
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| Resolution | 1920x1200 |
| Brightness (Lumens) | 6,000 ANSI |
| Throw Distance | 5.7' - 26.8' |
| Screen size | 40" - 300" |
| Speakers | 16.0 Watts Mono |
| Today's Best Price | BHPhotoVideo.com |
Space Requirements
The lamp of the Sony VPL-PHZ60 is one of the brightest you’ll find on the consumer market. The Z-Phosphor laser light source produces a consistent 6,000 lumens, and even switching to Eco mode only drops that down to 4,500 lumens, still significantly brighter than the average home theater projector. That means you can even use it for daytime outdoor events, or in spaces where you can’t control the light level, without a concern.
Now, most professional and educational spaces are fairly large, and that’s the kind of space the Sony VPL-PHZ60 is made for. It has a long throw distance, even compared to other standard-throw projectors. There are ample features to fine-tune the image placement, however, with a 1.6x manual zoom and lens shift (+/-15% horizontal, +55%/-35% vertical), as well as keystone correction. It’s also flexible across mounted or table-top installations, expanding the options of where and how you can use it.
Connectivity
Here’s where you can really tell this is a professional projector. The Sony VPL-PHZ60 goes beyond the standard USB and dual HDMI inputs. It also adds RCA and VGA connections, as well as a variety of network input options and both in and out audio jacks. This gives it versatility to work with a wider range of devices, including computer monitors or recording equipment like camcorders, without the hassle of adapters.
Pros
- Super bright lamp works in any light environment
- Clear and accurate full HD image
- Flexible to install
- Accepts content up to 4K
- Low-maintenance with long lamp lifespan
Cons
- Can’t display 4K resolutions
- No built-in wireless capability
Image Quality
In a home theater projector, the full HD display resolution of the VPL-PHZ60 would be on low for the price. In professional contexts, though, you’re not necessarily looking for cinema-quality video. Contrast and sharpness are more important, especially when it comes to the legibility of text, graphics, and graphs. The Infinite Black contrast of the Sony VPL-PHZ60 provides that clarity.
The intelligent image adjustment of the Sony VPL-PHZ60 are also worth a mention. This includes Reality Creation, optimizing the image pixel by pixel to maximize the clarity and realism without adding visual noise. That means lifelike color for photos or video calls, optimized to your viewing environment. If you do want to watch videos, the VPL-PHZ60 can accept 4K content, though it will be downscaled to full HD resolution.
Use and Maintenance
The Sony VPL-PHZ60 has features to meet nearly any professional projector use. For traveling professionals like event planners, consultants, or lecturers, its slim 4-inch profile won’t add too much bulk to your gear, and it weighs about 15 pounds—not the lightest projector on the market, but certainly not heavy.
The VPL-PHZ60 also has the low-maintenance design you need in permanent installations. Its laser light source has a lifespan of up to 20,000 hours, and its intelligent cooling and laser output adjustment help to maximize its usable life.
Sony VPL-PHZ60 Review In Summary
The powerful lamp is the main thing that gives the Sony VPL-PHZ60 its $3,000+ price tag, so if you don’t need an ultra-bright projector, you can save yourself some money by going with a different model. For those who do need a projector that can work in any light level, though, there are few other options that can match the performance of the VPL-PHZ60. If you need a new big-screen display for your school, church, or business, the Sony VPL-PHZ60 could be just what you’re looking for (>>> Find on Bhphotovideo).
FAQ
It’s functional for most professional uses. The VPL-PHZ60’s 16-watt speaker is powerful enough to be heard throughout a medium- to large-sized conference room, although you’ll still likely need an external sound system for larger spaces like auditoriums. It’s also not capable of creating a surround sound effect, or even a basic two-channel stereo sound, so you won’t want to rely on it for music or movie soundtracks. That said, for things like commentary, conference calls, or training videos, the built-in speaker will get the job done.
It can, although it’s not the best choice from a value perspective. Even the brightest home theater space will only need about half the lumens this projector can produce, and you’ll get a higher resolution and video quality from other projectors at the same price or less. It’s also lacking features like built-in streaming, voice control, and lag reduction for gaming that you’ll find on home theater projectors at this price point.
The Sony VPL-PHZ60 uses a standard 3-screw mounting setup, and is well below the weight limit of typical ceiling mounts, so it will be compatible with the majority of universal mounts on the market.