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Last month Sony announced the launch of a new model in their home theater projector series; the VPL-HW45ES. Replacing the current (and one of our favorite models) VPL-HW40ES.

Following on from the success of the VPL-HW65ES, the new compact VPL-HW45ES projector incorporates Sony’s advanced Reality Creation technology and acclaimed SXRD panel. These technologies offer users a clearer and more detailed picture, with better brightness, contrast and resolution as well as less background picture noise than the VPL-HW45ES’s predecessor, the VPL-HW40ES. Ideal for those taking their first step into the home cinema market, this cost effective projector fits neatly into any home theatre or living room, with quiet fan noise that won't disturb the show and a front-facing exhaust port for extra installation flexibility. The projector's long-lasting lamp has an extra-generous operation time of up to 6,000 hours, for fewer interruptions and reduced maintenance costs.

The demand for high image quality from projectors has been growing within the entertainment industry for many years, leading to Sony home cinema projectors seeing incredible advances for the living room. The VPL-HW45ES has the same design chassis as the VPL-HW40ES, but the internal technology has been completely upgraded. This new projector delivers crisp pictures and reproduces colors that are often lost in the packaging process, bringing you closer to the 1080p original with 1,800 ANSI lumens brightness. SXRD panels, along with Reality Creation and Motionflow features, give users the opportunity to project films in high cinematic quality in 3D and 2D, straight into their living rooms.

The compact size of the VPL-HW45ES enables flexible setup, with the front exhaust covering a wide range of installation opportunities. The projector is available in black or, following popular demand from customers, white. These neutral colors ensure the projector can deliver spectacular pictures whilst blending into a wide range of surroundings, minimizing distractions. The VPL-HW45ES also benefits from a long-lasting lamp of up to 6,000 hours, a built in RF 3D transmitter and a USB update function to keep the device’s firmware up-to-date with the latest software releases.

“Following the success of the VPL-HW65ES and the exceptional feedback we received from our customers, we’ve included its technological prowess and ground breaking features into the new VPL-HW45ES, making a great cinematic experience better and more cost effective than ever,” said Thomas Issa, Product manager for Home Cinema projectors at Sony Europe.

The new VPL-HW45ES projector is expected to be available in May 2016.

Taking great entertainment to the next level doesn't have to cost a fortune. If you like movies, you'll love the VPL-HW45ES Home Cinema projector – offering even more great features than its predecessor, the VPL-HW40ES.

Get comfortable and enjoy the show with picture power that's in a class of its own. From action-packed thrillers to absorbing documentaries, the VPL-HW45ES enriches all your viewing with fabulous color, detail and contrast.

Expand your horizons beyond the TV screen - and create a spectacular cinematic experience in your own home. Available in a choice of black or white finishes to flatter any interior, the value-packed VPL-HW45ES Home Cinema projector lets you enjoy your favorite entertainment at its best in 2D or 3D.

Made for movie lovers, it's packed with technology developed for our professional Digital Cinema projectors, including SXRD panels and our own Advanced Reality Creation upscaling technology for fabulously detailed Full HD images. Generous 1,800 lumens brightness ensures that films and TV shows look clear and sharp, even in daylit living rooms.

Compact and easy to set up, the VPL-HW45ES fits neatly into any home theater or living room, with quiet fan noise that won't disturb the show and a front-facing exhaust port for extra installation flexibility. The projector's long-lasting lamp is rated for an extra-generous 6,000 hours operation, for fewer interruptions and reduced maintenance costs.

Detail and depth you've always dreamed of

The VPL-HW45ES uses the same advanced SXRD panel technology you'll find in Sony's top-flight professional and cinema projectors. You'll experience immersive, crisply-detailed Full HD pictures that bring all your viewing to life.

Brighter, better pictures

The uprated optical engine of the VPL-HW45ES is brighter than standard Home Cinema projectors. With a powerful 1800 lumen color brightness, it delivers clear, high-impact images – even if you're watching in well-lit rooms.

Take a new look at reality

Advanced Reality Creation reproduces colors and textures that get lost when movies are transferred to disc. You'll see the difference with crisp pictures that bring you closer to the original master.

Deeper blacks and brighter highlights

It's all about light and shade. Contrast Enhancer analyses scenes in real time, optimizing dynamic range in each part of the image for rich, deep blacks and sparkling highlights.

Go with the flow

See every detail, even with fast-moving sports and action scenes. Motionflow technology inserts extra images between the original frames for smoother, more fluid on-screen motion with less blur.

Get in the game

Great for gamers, a new Low Latency mode gives you the fastest-ever reaction time between your controller and what's happening on screen. You'll be rewarded with more responsive, lifelike gaming action.

Flexible positioning

With an extra-wide lens shift range, there are more options for positioning the projector where it suits you. Even if it's ceiling mounted or off-center, you'll always get true, accurately proportioned pictures.

Color you've always dreamed of

Tweak your image to perfection with Professional Calibration. Fine adjustment over hue, saturation and brightness levels for each individual color lets you sculpt perfect pictures every time.

Experience the third dimension

Enjoy smooth, natural-looking 3D pictures with impressive brightness and contrast. The VPL-HW45ES automatically recognizes 2D or 3D signals, with a choice of picture modes to suit whatever you're watching.

Silence is golden

Don't let projector noise disturb the show. At a whisper-quiet 22dB, you'll hardly know the VPL-HW45ES is there. Clever noise-shaping reduces fan sounds – all you'll hear is what's on screen.

Longer lasting lamp

There's no need to interrupt everyone's enjoyment of the show. Advanced technology boosts rated lamp lifetime to 6,000 hours (in Low mode, dependent on operating conditions) – more than ordinary projectors

Spectacular Full HD pictures with Reality Creation

Advanced SXRD panel technology is teamed with Reality Creation - Sony's Super Resolution processing technology that refines subtle details, colors and textures. You'll see the difference with crisp, sharp Full HD pictures that take you closer than ever to the original 1080p source.

High brightness with faithful color reproduction

With an impressive 1,800 lumens brightness, the VPL-HW45ES produces clearer images and faithful colors, even in well-lit rooms.

Choice of white or black color finish

The VPL-HW45ES is available in a choice of sleek white or black finishes: take your pick to suit any contemporary or traditional decor.

Smooth, fluid on-screen action

Coupled with the panel's super-fast response rate, Motionflow technology means you'll see every detail with minimal blur - no matter how fast the action.

Long-lasting lamp

Up to 6,000 hour rated lamp operating life (in Low mode) means simpler maintenance, with fewer lamp swaps and reduced running costs.

Flexible home installation with wide zoom and shift lens

The manual zoom lens with a 1.6x zoom ratio and wide lens shift range gives greater installation flexibility in any room size, even with high ceilings.

Front-facing fan

With the fan exhaust positioned at the front of the projector, you don't need to worry about wall clearance and room for air intake/exhaust when installing. This helps maximize throw distance, for the biggest possible projected images.

Home automation with IP control

The VPL-HW45ES is compatible with a wide range of home automation systems via RS-232C/D-sub 9-pin and IR IN interfaces.

Industry standard RF 3D compatible

The projector's built-in RF transmitter synchronizes with any RF 3D glasses for wider coverage and greater stability, so there's no need for an external transmitter.