JVC DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 DLA-NX7/DLA-RS2000 and DLA-NX9/DLA-RS3000 Launch at CEDIA 2018

JVC projectors have long been excellent performers when it comes to black levels, besting even the almost-non-beatable Epson Home Cinema 5040UB, but lacking in one area – 4K. Sure, JVCs have been able to pixel shift for quite some time, using their e-Shift technology to create a 4K UHD image (such as is the case with the JVC DLA-RS440U 1080p pixel shifting projector that won an award in this year’s Best Home Theater Projectors Report), but these six new projectors mark the manufacturer’s entrance into true 4K territory.

These new projectors are broken up into two series. The first is the Precision Series, and consists of the DLA-NX5, DLA-NX7, and the DLA-NX9, which were announced at IFA 2018 in Berlin. The second is the Reference Series, which are the DLA-RS1000, the DLA-RS2000, and the DLA-RS3000. These projectors start at $5,999.95, and will be available in October 2018. Let’s take a deeper look at JVC’s new line of true 4K projectors!

The DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 are JVC’s entry-level true 4K projectors, and are available in black (white casing available in the UK). They contain the new 4K D-ILA chips – three of them – and claim 1,800 lumens, with a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 400,000:1. No dynamic iris on these, but JVCs are known for their top-notch black level performance, so I’m not particularly concerned about this revelation.

One rather interesting feature found on the JVC DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 is called Auto Tone Mapping. This feature affects HDR, using metadata from the image’s average and peak brightness to calculate the best way to project the image. HDR, on a lot of projectors, can be dull due to a lack of brightness, and this feature – in theory – eliminates this problem. We shall see!

The next projectors in the new true 4K line-up are the JVC DLA-NX7/DLA-RS2000. These are 1,900 lumen projectors with an 80,000:1 native contrast ratio and an 800,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. These projectors are an extra $2,000 up from the DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 – $7,999.95. JVC claims these models reach 100% of P3/BT.2020 color space. If so, I’m truly impressed. Hopefully, we get one of these in for the next Home Theater Projector’s Report!

Auto Tone Mapping is also found on these projectors, for brightening that HDR. Art will be getting video into me tonight from the JVC Booth, and I will update this article with that video when it goes live. I have seen press write about it from IFA 2018, and the consensus seems to be that the colors look richer and more intense without compromising brightness. I do hope that is true.

2018 Home Theater Projectors Report
JVC DLA-RS440U Home Theater Projector Review
FauxK vs 4K Projectors – A Look At True 4K, 4K UHD and 1080p Pixel Shifters