[Phil Hinton]

On Wednesday the 12th of September AVForums attended JVC House to have an introduction and hands-on session with the new D-ILA projectors from JVC.

Usually we see three models for the UK market, an entry level, high end and top of the range product. However, it is all change for 2013 as we are introduced to a new mid-range version assigned the model number DLA-X55 which promises to mix the entry level and high-end features into a projector that will sit at the £5,000 price-point. That is still quite a lot of money but it is also the first time that JVC have tried to plug a gap in the market for such a model. So, what can we expect in this year’s line-up?

The starting point is the DLA-X35 which will be priced at £2899. It will offer a native contrast ratio of 50,000:1 (we tend to believe JVC more than other manufacturers as when we measure them they get close to the suggested marketing figures) and 1,300 lumens of brightness. Last year’s X30 proved to be an absolute bargain with performance levels that blew away most, if not all, competition in its market position. The only niggling issue were the various reports of visible crosstalk from some owners on the forums and this year JVC have stated that the 3D performance of all its models will be a major step up in quality. There is also a change of eyewear and emitter as the 2013 models move away from IR and switch to RF transmission. The new emitter also plugs into the rear of the projector chassis, meaning it can be hidden away, as no direct line of sight is required. The new eyewear is also quite comfortable to wear and still manages to allow a good level of brightness when watching 3D content. More on that later. The X35 will retail at £2899.

Next we move on to the new model in the range, the DLA-X55R. In basic terms this is a mid-range projector which shares the 50,000:1 contrast and 1,300 lumens specifications of the entry model, but also adds in the new e-shift2 4K scaling device, improved 3D playback (includes RF emitter and glasses) and a full suite of calibration controls including the same Colour Management System (CMS) as the higher end models. Certainly enthusiasts have been asking for the higher end features to appear lower down the range and this is why the DLA-X55 makes its debut. Priced at £4999 it is the first time that e-Shift has appeared at this price point and will no doubt interest those who couldn’t quite stretch to the X70 last year or the X75 this time around. In fact, when comparing the X55 to the X75 there is not that great a deal of difference at first glance between the two in the spec sheets, just a higher native contrast figure and THX/ISF certification on the higher model.

With the introduction of the DLA-X55R you could be forgiven for thinking ‘why bother’ moving up to the DLA-X75R. It is certainly the first question that popped into my head. The 75 is THX and ISFccc Certified and ups the contrast ratio to 90,000:1 natively. It also now includes the automatic calibration feature only available on the X90 last year. It is certified under the THX3D program which promises to present 3D content with improved colour balance performance. The X75 is certainly the all-round enthusiasts model which will absolutely suit the dedicated bat cave cinema room where its full contrast and dynamic range can be shown off. We also suspect that this model and the high-end X95 will also be suitably specified for many a custom installation where its full calibration and automation can be utilised. The X75 will retail at £6,999.

Which brings us to the hand assembled, with hand-picked parts, DLA-X95R. This high-end monster will boast a contrast ratio claimed to be 130,000:1 native with 1,200 lumens brightness. It has all the features of the X75 and also sports the same industry certification from THX and ISF. Where the X95 is different is the fact it uses only the best components from the production line that are hand tested before being hand assembled in the chassis. It will retail for £9,999

So, just how did these new projectors perform during our introduction?

We were shown pre-production examples of the DLA-X55R and DLA-X95R in JVC’s newly refurbished home cinema demo room. This is a dark coloured room, with dark walls and a black screen wall which sports a Screen Excellence enlighter 4K masking screen. As with any launch using examples of the product which are not finished retail stock, it is difficult to give any detailed opinions on performance and we will always state that you should wait for our in-depth reviews, where we have full control over the product. Also in the demonstration where Andy and Amane who are the product engineers from JVC Japan and on hand to answer any questions we had during our session.

As you would expect the pictures produced by both models were superb with excellent blacks, shadow detail and dynamic range which brings content to life on screen. The images on the X55R are truly excellent and with the e-shift2 set accordingly, it produced pictures that will worry the competition, no end, in its price bracket. This model will make an impact this year if the retail version manages to reproduce or better the performance we saw here. We were given the remote control to mess around with the settings and to also check which picture mode and gamma setting we were watching. There have been some changes made to some of the picture modes and the Standard colour space has, I am told, been widened so it is more in line with the Rec709 standards than last year, where it was slightly undersaturated. Certainly with what I saw on-screen with scenes I have imprinted in my head through constant assessment use, (chapter 48 King kong) the X55 produced a fantastic image in 2D that is sharp, detailed and yet still keeps that analogue film like look that many fans of the JVC models adore. In 2D the X95R was a step up thanks to the viewing environment and its much higher native contrast. It is in conditions like this where you can see subtle differences in the same scenes where there is just that little bit more depth and detail on screen. Obviously, the room has to be right to get the full benefits out of the X95R’s dynamic range but the sharpness was also much higher thanks to the better glass being used.

We were not in a position to fully test the e-shift2 device or the new profile settings and the sliders for low, mid and high frequencies. I had to bring a camera box and tripod with me on the plane down, so had no room for calibration gear and Mr Withers is currently sunning his head in Spain; so couldn’t bring any gear along for us to fully test out what the results are. However, there is a neat feature seen in the video where you can see the effects of the process in coloured areas, which I am told might make it into the finished product as a demo mode.

Moving to 3D and to my eyes there was a definite improvement in the 3D performance of both the X55R and X95R. I have been using an X90R, on and off, for a couple of months so I am used to the performance in 3D. Steve Carter, product specialist for JVC UK confirmed that there was a new 3D chip inside the unit and that the engineers had been working hard to make sure there was a noticeable jump in quality, especially with crosstalk performance. We would agree with that assessment on the showing here where crosstalk was almost non-existent and only seen in those most-difficult-of-scenes we all know, when we went looking for it. Even then when it was seen it was mild and on the same level as some of the better competition out there.

Again, it must be stressed that these are pre-production models and we will not be making any official comment on performance until we get the review samples through. But it is also important to give you a general feel from what we saw during our introduction.

So, overall, on what we have seen with these samples it is a general step up the ladder in terms of performance and features, with the DLA-X55R likely to create its own little enthusiasts niche based on the new price point for the higher end technology. We think this will be the most popular of the new range and can’t wait to get them all in for review soon.

In the video below, Steve Carter takes us through the range in a little more detail…

JVC launch the DLA-X35, X55, X75 and X95 D-ila 3D Projectors with Eshift2 4K upscaling - YouTube

[eiren]

I love the picture the JVCs produce.

I've got the previous generation (X90) and usually skip a generation of projector before upgrading again, but these sound like they've got some nice additions. Might have to go demo one.

[minder]

I'm interested in the new jvc x55 pj, but worried at the same time, that after spending nearly 7 grand on it, how soon will jvc come out with a real 4k pj.
Also in the real world how soon do you think we will be purchasing 4k discs to watch our movies on at home? Over blu-ray.
When I spend 5 grand or more on a piece of equipment I want to get at least 5 years out of it, before it gets replaced by newer tech.
I've had my Optoma theme scene hd 81 pj from new around 6 years now and felt that I'm ready for a jvc 3d pj, and now theres talk of 4k.
Should I wait because 4k will take over or should I just go ahead and buy a new jvc x55 pj?
I guess the real question here is how soon will 4k replace blu-ray 1080p?

[kbfern]

I can't see 4k replacing BR 1080p in under 5yrs, we may see some 4k blurays in 12-18 months and by next year a few 4k native pj's for under £10k.I think lamp-less projectors led/laser hyrid illumination will be all the rage as well next year for £1k+.

There is already the pro9000 projector from Viewsonic about to hit the streets for £1700 so more models will come at either cheaper prices or a bit more for higher specs.

The X55 looks like being a pretty good pj but £5k is overpriced especially with Sony's new HW50 which will give it a good run for it's money and that will cost a fair bit less at around £2800.

[minder]

Hi does the Jvc x55 pj upscale blu-ray 3d as well as 2d to 4K,also does it upscale your standard DVDs to 4K?
I'm assuming you can use your existing blu-ray and DVD players with this x55,and all the up scaling to 4K is done by the Jvc x55?

[kbfern]

e-shift does not work in 3D mode.