The Bravia Projector 7/XW5100ES is the latest addition to Sony's Bravia Projector lineup, further strengthening its range of premium home cinema projectors. Featuring a more refined set of features and improved performance, the Bravia Projector 7 is priced at $9,999.99 MSRP. It sits just below the Bravia Projector 8 and above the entry-level XW5000, giving potential buyers more options to suit their needs.

Insights into Our Reviewer's Process

Check out this video podcast interview with Sammie Prescott discussing his review of the Sony Bravia Projector 7 projector.

Features

The Bravia Projector 7, released in July 2025 and priced at a MSRP of $9,999.99, is the latest addition to Sony's line of Bravia projectors. Sharing similarities with Sony's XW5000, the Bravia Projector 7 retains a nearly identical chassis design while delivering more refined performance.

The Bravia Projector 7 features Sony's Z-Phosphor Laser Light Engine paired with LCoS-based SXRD imaging panels, producing native 4K 3840x2160 resolution with 2,200 ANSI lumens and offering up to 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. This makes it 10% brighter than the entry-level XW5000, providing a notable improvement in overall light output despite the similar design. In our testing, the Bravia Projector 7 measured at 2,108 ANSI lumens—about 4.1% below Sony's listed specification. Its measured full-on/full off (FOFO) contrast ratio reached approximately 14,056:1, though the issue of single-pixel contrast drop unfortunately remains.

The Bravia Projector 7 does not include the Advanced Crisp Focus lens found in the Bravia Projector 8 and 9 models. The image it produces, however, is still extremely crisp and sharp. It also retains the manual lens controls from the XW5000, including manual focus, 1.6x zoom, vertical lens shift with a ±71% adjustment range, and horizontal lens shift with a ±25% range. While focus and zoom adjustments were tight and smooth, the vertical and horizontal lens shifts felt coarse, making large jumps rather than fine adjustments. Although the lens shift functions adequately, more refinement would have been welcome, as smoother, more precise controls would improve usability. Ideally, at the Bravia Projector 7's price point, motorized lens controls should be standard.

While the Bravia Projector 7 does have manual controls, Sony has thankfully included a new feature currently exclusive to this model: aspect ratio scaling. This feature allows a 16:9 image to be scaled down so it fits properly within a cinemascope screen.

Normally, users with a cinemascope screen who lack an anamorphic lens or video processor must zoom the projector to fill the screen's width. This ensures that scope films are framed correctly. However, when switching back to 16:9 content, the image spills over the top and bottom of the screen. To correct this, users would typically rely on lens memory settings—something not available to a projector that only has manual controls.

This is where Aspect Ratio Scaling becomes valuable. With a single press of the Aspect button on the remote, users can switch from Normal to Aspect Ratio Scaling, instantly fitting a 16:9 image within a 2.35:1 cinemascope screen. While the feature is not automatic and works best on a 2.35:1 screen with 16:9 content, it's still an excellent addition—and one that really should be standard across all projectors.

Those familiar with the series will recognize its compact form factor, measuring 18.13 x 7.88 x 18.59 inches (WHD) and weighing approximately 28 pounds, making it both lightweight and versatile for installation. The Bravia Projector 7 offers a throw ratio of 1.38:1 to 2.21:1 and includes corner keystone correction to assist with fine-tuning the setup. However, to maintain optimal image integrity, it is generally recommended to avoid relying on such features. To determine throw distance for your preferred screen size you can use the ProjectorCentral Sony VPL-XW5100ES projection calculator.

Similar to the Bravia Projector 9 which Projector Central reviewed in September of 2024 the Bravia Projector 7 employs Sony's new XR Processor for projectors, making it a substantial upgrade over the XW5000, which relies on the older X1 Ultimate processor. This advancement gives the Bravia Projector 7 a more refined feature set and improved performance.

With the XR Processor, the Bravia Projector 7 supports advanced features such as XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR Triluminos Pro, XR Clear Image, and Enhanced Brightness. The processor analyzes color, clarity, focal point, contrast, and motion, integrating them seamlessly to deliver greater image depth and clarity.

In previous Sony projector models, tone mapping was inconsistent and often required users to manually adjust settings to achieve the best results—sometimes still struggling to resolve fine details. By contrast, XR Dynamic Tone Mapping handles difficult content exceptionally well. The Bravia Projector 7 functions in the same way as the Bravia Projector 9: when HDR Reference is selected in the HDR submenu, the HDR Tone Mapping option is disabled in the Cinema Black Pro menu.

The HDR Tone Mapping settings include Mode 1, Mode 2, and Mode 3. Each mode adjusts how Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) is tracked by altering where signal compression or roll-off begins:

• Mode 1: Tracks higher in the mid-range with minimal compression, offering the latest roll-off.
• Mode 2: Adds more compression than Mode 1, still over-tracks PQ, but lacks the mid-range bump.
• Mode 3: Applies the most compression, rolling off much earlier while more closely tracking PQ.

Users will likely pair these modes with Dynamic HDR Enhancer to fine-tune the image to their preferences.

XR Deep Black is always active when laser dimming is engaged and cannot be toggled manually. This feature significantly reduces brightness in darker areas while preserving brightness in highlights, creating a highly dynamic image with bright specular highlights and deep blacks.

Triluminos Pro, adopted from Sony's Bravia TV line, is used to remap colors for improved saturation and brightness while providing wide color gamut coverage. Sony claims 95% DCI-P3 coverage. Although our measurements showed the Bravia Projector 7 fell slightly short of that mark, it still achieved impressive results with 92.31% uv coverage and 90.82% xy coverage.

XR Clear further enhances clarity by reducing random noise in low-bitrate content, which is especially beneficial for lower-quality streams found on many services. This has always been one of Sony's strongest areas of performance, and the Bravia Projector 7 continues that tradition.

The Bravia Projector 7 also features HDMI 2.1 support with full-bandwidth 12Gbps@4L (48Gbps) HDMI ports—though without DSC (Display Stream Compression). This ensures compatibility with current-generation consoles such as Sony's PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as Xbox, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, and high-end gaming PCs. With support for 4K at 120Hz and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), the Bravia Projector 7 is an excellent choice for gaming. Input lag measured at 20ms for 4K/60Hz and an impressive 11ms for 4K/120Hz in Game picture mode with Input Latency Reduction enabled. Switching to other picture presets, such as Reference with Input Latency Reduction, increased latency by only 1-2ms.

Additionally, the projector supports 4K/48Hz, which is useful when paired with compatible source devices or video processors capable of outputting 48Hz signals.

For connectivity, the Bravia Projector 7 offers two HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps, HDCP 2.3) inputs, an RS232 control port, a USB service port for firmware updates, a 3.5mm mini-jack for a 12V trigger, a 3.5mm IR input, and an RJ45 LAN port. Notably, the Bravia Projector 7 does not support 3D.

The included remote is the same design carried over from the previous projector generation, though it does not include lens control buttons. It still provides direct access to most key functions and features backlighting with a soft amber glow when the Light button is pressed. Users have quick access to most Calibrated Preset picture modes, except for IMAX Enhanced. Additional dedicated buttons allow direct access to features such as Motionflow, Aspect Ratio, Color Temperature, Reality Creation, and more. While the 3D button remains, it would be better repurposed for a feature like HDR Tone Mapping. Likewise, the Brightness button could ideally be reassigned to control Laser Output, since brightness is typically set once and rarely adjusted afterward.

Performance

Color Modes. The Bravia Projector 7 offers a wide selection of picture presets for both SDR and HDR. These include Cinema Film 1, Cinema Film 2, Reference, TV, Photo, Game, Bright Cinema, Bright TV, User, and IMAX Enhanced—totaling 20 presets. While the preset names are shared across SDR and HDR, each mode can be adjusted independently depending on dynamic range.

Sony has prioritized out-of-the-box (OOTB) image accuracy with the Bravia Projector 7, just as they did with the Bravia Projector 8 and 9. This approach stems from their research showing that 90% of installations are not calibrated and rely on factory settings. Sony also employs using a different CMF (color matching function) to align with their BVM-310 reference monitors, which they have been doing for quite some time. That said, the Bravia Projector 7, like other Sony projectors, still benefits from calibration—particularly to fine-tune white balance and correct the excess blue that tends to appear in the midrange of the grayscale.

The projector provides a full suite of adjustment tools, including basic controls for Contrast, Brightness, Color, Hue, and Sharpness. It also offers 2-point Gain and Bias controls for white point adjustment, along with a complete CMS (Color Management System) for Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. For advanced users, Sony's Projector Calibration Pro software is also supported. Color Temperature settings apply globally across all picture modes and dynamic ranges, meaning that changes made to D65 in SDR will carry over to HDR if the same color temperature is selected.

Multiple gamma options are available, ranging from 1.8 to 2.6, along with four additional presets labeled Gamma 7 through Gamma 10. However, measured gamma levels tended to deviate slightly from their predefined values. Gamma correction has also been made available within HDR picture modes as well.

The Bravia Projector 7 measured OOTB similarly to other Sony projectors I've worked with in the past, which often exhibit excessive blue from around 15% to 85% stimulus, regardless of the CMF used. Picture presets such as Cinema Film, Reference, or User provide the best starting points for achieving a more accurate image. That said, while OOTB performance was generally good, the image still showed a noticeable excess of blue.

I calibrated the Bravia Projector 7 with Calman Ultimate calibration software from Portrait Displays, a Colorimetry Research CR-300 Spectroradiometer, a Colorimetry Research CR-100 Colorimeter and a Murideo 8K Seven Generator. The Bravia Projector 7 was calibrated to both a 100-inch diagonal screen size and a 135-inch diagonal cinemascope screen size on a Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130 G4 projection screen. I ran my normal measurements to confirm what I saw in OOTB viewing prior to calibration.

The Bravia Projector 7's pre-calibration measurements in Reference picture mode, using D65 color temperature and a 2.4 gamma, showed that the OOTB white point was off, leaning too heavily toward blue. This introduced hue inaccuracies and slight oversaturation. Despite this, the overall DeltaE averages ranged between 2.7dE and 3.6dE across a 21-point grayscale sweep, an extended 150+ color checker, and saturation sweeps. HDR performance tracked well but exhibited the same excess blue, again impacting color hue. Gamut coverage measured 92.31% (uv) and 90.82% (xy) for P3, which is excellent overall.

For users planning to calibrate the Bravia Projector 7, I strongly recommend using reference-level equipment—specifically, a spectroradiometer with a precision of 4.5nm or better—to achieve the most accurate results with the laser light source.

I targeted the industry-standard D65 neutral gray white point and used Projector Calibrator Pro to adjust multipoint white balance, gamma, and CMS. These adjustments corrected the excess blue and improved slightly misaligned gamma tracking.

Post calibration DeltaE errors improved for SDR bringing the grayscale average to 0.9dE, 150+ Color Checker average was 1.4dE, and saturation sweeps were an average of 1dE. Post calibration for HDR faired similarly though with slightly higher errors near 100% saturated red and green since the Bravia Projector 7 is unable to reproduce that range due to not covering full P3.

The devices I used for reviewing content post calibration were Apple TV 4K, Kaleidescape Terra Prime movie server, and high-end gaming PC equipped with a 9950X3D CPU and RTX-5090 GPU.

1080p/SDR. I began my viewing with SDR content, selecting The Last Kingdom Season 1, Episode 2 on Apple TV 4K. Overall, the show looked excellent. The image was sharp and crisp, with strong shadow detail and natural skin tones. Darker scenes were handled well, showing good contrast—such as the moment when Uhtred's sword is forged, with the dark background illuminated by the forge's glow. Colors were reproduced nicely, particularly during the sequence where Uhtred and Brida run through town to escape their pursuers; subtle pops of green from the limited foliage stood out against the setting. Overall, the image quality was impressive.

4K/HDR10. I began my HDR viewing with Wednesday Season 2, Episode 3 on Apple TV 4K. I had just recently finished watching these episodes on the A95L QD-OLED, so the details were still fresh in my mind. I chose Episode 3 specifically because of its variation in locales.

The Bravia Projector 7 performed very well with this show from start to finish. The image was sharp and detailed, with accurate color reproduction. This was evident in the opening scene when Morticia caught Wednesday upstairs—the deep reds of the bedding stood out beautifully. Later, the greens of the forest at Camp Jericho were rendered with equal precision. In the scene where Pugsley unloads the coffin and speaks with Wednesday, the Bravia Projector 7 handled the clouds in the sky with excellent distinction, revealing subtle variations between white and soft blue.

Additionally, characters with more natural skin tones were reproduced with impressive accuracy, further showcasing the projector's strengths.

4K/HDR10. Next, I watched Black Panther and Zero Dark Thirty via Kaleidescape. Both movies were presented well and clearly demonstrated Sony's improvement in tone mapping compared to their previous series, performing on par with the Bravia Projector 9 that I previously reviewed.

For Black Panther, I focused on the convoy attack during the intro. This sequence is very dark yet dynamic, with bright flashes of gunfire. The Bravia Projector 7 was able to resolve fine details in the shadows without crushing blacks or washing out the image.

I then viewed the canyon flight scene in Zero Dark Thirty. This is another extremely dark sequence where Sony's earlier models often struggled. Thankfully, the Bravia Projector 7 held up, delivering a detailed image that preserved the textures of the canyon walls during the flight. It also handled transitions from the darker exterior to the brighter interiors of the command center and helicopters smoothly, without pumping or noticeable dimming effects.

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Gaming 4K/120. Lastly, I decided to try two different games that I have been playing recently. The first was Wu Chang: Fallen Feathers on PC using a 9950X3D and RTX 5090. I played it in SDR at 4K/120Hz. The game both looked great with sharp detail and felt responsive. Initially, it was a little difficult to adjust to dodging since I had been playing on an OLED with extremely low latency. However, thanks to the Bravia Projector 7's low latency at 4K/120Hz it was easy to acclimate to the slight increase in latency.

Next, I played Assassin's Creed Shadows in HDR at 4K/120Hz. Once again, the Bravia Projector 7 performed very well. With the game's more forgiving timing for parrying and dodging, the shift from OLED to the Projector 7 felt smooth and provided an overall excellent experience. That said, I did notice that some highlights in HDR seemed slightly off particularly such as sunrises compared to how they appeared on a high nit OLED that supports HGIG, though the image still looked very good.

Conclusion

The Sony Bravia Projector 7 delivers an impressive image and strong performance, thanks in part to its improved tone mapping, gaming capabilities, and thoughtful features such as Aspect Ratio Scaling—a function more projectors should offer, including Sony's own Bravia Projector 8 and 9.

While the Bravia Projector 7 performs well, it occupies a challenging position in the market due to its price point. When weighing price-to-performance in this lumen range, competition is fierce. Several models in the same price bracket deliver either slightly or significantly higher brightness while also offering features like dynamic tone mapping, HDR10+ support, and fully motorized controls—sometimes at the same or even lower price. This makes the choice more difficult for potential buyers.

That said, the Bravia Projector 7 has unique strengths that will appeal to both new owners and longtime fans. It offers the lowest input latency in its class at just 11ms when running 4K at 120Hz, along with support for ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Its wide color gamut coverage, Aspect Ratio Scaling which is crucial for scope screens due to its manual controls, and 48Hz support further add to its appeal. On top of that, Sony's XR Processor brings the brand's well-regarded image processing to the experience—something many users greatly value.

Positioned as a step up from the XW5000, the Bravia Projector 7 provides added performance without requiring the leap to the Bravia Projector 8, making it a solid middle-ground choice for Sony enthusiasts who want higher performance without breaking into the next tier.

There is still room for improvement. If manual controls remain in future iterations, the lens shift could benefit from smoother, more precise adjustments. However, at this price point, fully motorized controls would be a more appropriate expectation as well as maintain some feature parity with other offerings.

Ultimately, the Bravia Projector 7 is an excellent projector that refines and improves upon the XW5000, offering a balanced middle ground option within Sony's premium home cinema lineup. That said, prospective buyers will want to carefully consider competing models in this tier, as price-to-performance value is especially competitive.

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Sony VPL-XW5100ES-W projector page.

To buy this projector, use Where to Buy online, or get a price quote by email direct from Projector Central authorized dealers using our E-Z Quote tool.

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