Sony BRAVIA Projector 8

The BRAVIA Projector 8 sits directly below the Projector 9 and shares almost everything with it — the same Z-Phosphor laser light source rated to 20,000 hours, the same native 4K SXRD imaging, and the same XR Processor adapted from Sony's reference televisions. It produces 2,700 ANSI lumens against the Projector 9's 3,400.

Native contrast is strong, and because the laser light source can be modulated precisely rather than run at a fixed level, dynamic contrast approaches infinite. XR Deep Black is the feature doing that work, managing laser output scene by scene to improve black level without crushing shadow detail.

The two real differences from the model above are brightness and the Live Color Enhancer, which the Projector 8 does not have. Whether that gap matters depends entirely on screen size and how much light the room admits — on a moderate screen in a properly dark theatre the Projector 8 is often the more sensible specification.