JVC DLA-RS4910, RS49, X500R Projector Review Summary

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Art Feierman

DLA-RS4910, DLA-RS49, and DLA-X500R REVIEW SUMMARY: Picture, Brightness, Key Features, Value Proposition This is a brief summary. I'm posting this a few hours before leaving on a business trip to Japan (where I get to learn about some future projectors that I won't be allowed to tell you about for months (NDA). While I'm there, I'll put the finishing touches on this JVC projector review. Still missing as I publish is the Sharpness section on Performance Page 2, where I'll even compare photos from the RS4910 with e-shift3 against Sony's true 4K projector. Those will include comparing how they do on 1080p content, and on true 4K content. I will also expand what's written relating to picture quality and build out this Summary page and the usual Pros and Cons.

❮ ❯

The JVC DLA-RS4910 exceeded all my expectations. Oh, sure, some of the e-shift3 functionality seems to have a problem, and even more lumens in brightest mode would be a plus for viewing with ambient light, but this is a projector with one serious value proposition.

It is more impressive certainly, than the less expensive Sony HW55ES and Epson Pro Cinema 6030UB, even if the Epson has a good deal more lumens in brightest modes (and a lot less calibrated).

The picture pops. The image is extremely sharp seeming. I rarely even turned off the "4K E-shift3 dynamic detail enhancement feature. Details were very good. The JVC almost rivaled the $15,000 Sony 4K projector when bother were working with 1080p content, even if the Sony clearly produced the superior picture with 4K content (despite a good effort by JVC).

Warranty of three years comes with the RS4910, but the otherwise identical RS49 and X500R, only come with 2 years, which is not even average for the price range. JVC doesn't provide a replacement program, so the warranty of the RS4910 is good, not great, and the other models perhaps a bit below average for the price.

It's the black level performance that truly dazzles. After watching this JVC for 30 plus hours, I suspect black level performance rivals, or even exceeds that of JVC's two top of the line projectors last year. Last year's X55 and it's siblings were no match for their higher end projectors. This is a HUGE improvement in black levels. And it seems to be more due to the new panels, than the dynamic iris! Wow!

Dark shadow detail is very good but not quite all there even when I raised brightness to +6, one more than Mike the calibrator measured as best.

Would I take this $5200 projector over last year's JVC projector at almost $8000, if they were both the same price? I'd like to see one of those again, but I'd have to say at the moment, yes! I do believe this RS4910 can hold its own with last year's DLA-X75, RS56, etc.

If your budget is right around the $5000 price point for just the projector, you can pretty much stop looking. This JVC's going to be near impossible to beat for its cost.

Congratulations to JVC, for producing a major improvement this year, from what was already an excellent projector last year.

Does the DLA-RS4910 earn one of our Hot Product Awards? Yes, effortlessly. The real question is what higher award will it win in this year's Best Home Theater Projector Report?

We shall see! Remember, more pages and info added in the first week after publish date.

Go JVC!