One of the biggest dilemmas I’ve faced in the past two years is giving up my projector for a TV. What started out as a temporary thing before we got 4K TV has turned into the world’s biggest #FirstWorldProblems where I can’t see myself going down to a 75-inch TV after having a 120-inch screen projected on my wall. Alternatively, things are in 1080p which is unacceptable because of that hashtag I just mentioned. Luckily Sony has a solution for that, a 4K HDR projector, also known as the VPL-VW550ES.

From What HiFi:

 While the rest of the AV world is still readying their first native 4K projectors (though JVC has now launched its debut £35,000 model), Sony has supplied the market with a fair few over the last year or so – all high-end, all highly commendable.

As if the competition didn’t already have to play catch-up to keep up with the brand’s 4K projector output, it’s now also got to contend with its HDR inclusivity.

The VPL-VW550ES is more a replacement in the Sony projector line-up than an addition, with the VPL-VW520ES now being filtered out for this cheaper model – though it’s only really ‘cheaper’ when compared to its near-£9000 predecessor. 

Going forward, I’m certainly planning on buying a 4K HDR TV, likely the X940E because our setup makes a proper projector setup a nightmare but the VW550ES is certainly pause worthy for the simple fact that not only is it 4K, but it’s 4K HDR, something which I didn’t even think home projectors could do at that price which is around £6,000.

With such a price tag, of course something has to give but I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal.

 While the 550ES is still a great hulk of a projector, and sticks with its predecessor’s 1800 lumens of brightness and 6000 hour lamp life, it marginally ups contrast ratio to 350,000:1 and now both HDMI 2.0 inputs (which join LAN, PC and USB inputs) are compatible with HDCP 2.2 to allow passthrough of a 4K and HDR signal.

Delivering the 4096 x 2160 resolution is Sony’s SXRD projector technology, which has been a fixture in their models for over a decade. 

Ultimately though what matters is picture quality and the 550ES doesn’t disappoint.

 Sony is an irrefutable showboat, its colour palette is, to its credit, more focused on realism and accuracy than eye-catching saturation.

Ergo, muggy forests look natural, animal coats don’t look single-toned, and shades of green reveal themselves as the camera picks out moss clinging to trees.

That’s not to say it can’t pop with colour when the material is there for it to; the thick red and yellow face paint and elaborately colourful costumes of a Papua New Guinean tribe come through with reliable solidity and stunning richness. 

As for the showstopper, it’s HDR of course.

 Nature remains the theme of our testing as we move to the Life of Pi Ultra HD Blu-ray where, with the disc’s HDR and extra shrewdness added into the equation, the Sony grabs the opportunity to perform at the top of its game.

There’s an even more Dulux approach to the colour palette in its wide range and subtlety, from skin tones to snake skin. Eyes flit to places they perhaps wouldn’t normally: the shimmer of the sea, the shine off wet animals’ coats, and the glistening of fish scales.

The fact that varying intensities of sunlight reflects off shirts is discernible, as is even the subtlest wear and tear on the boat.

HDR isn’t just about more colour nuance, but widening the parameters for brightness and darkness too.

1800 lumens is by no means spellbindingly bright in projector terms, and blacks are of a good LCD TV level rather than OLED, however the Sony never feels lacking at either end of the spectrum.

The zebra’s black stripes are severe, and as night falls, jellyfish glow fervently through the water. 

After having been spoiled by a projector, I can’t stress how nice it is to have a screen size at home that with a TV would cost north of $50K and adding 4K HDR to that mix only sweetens the pot. So if you’re getting ready to redo your home theater area and haven’t considered a projector, the 550ES should be where you start.