JVC DLA-HD1 Projector review

[Phil Hinton]

Reviewed by Phil Hinton
I have no hesitation to say that at this price point the JVC is THE projector to beat. It offers everything you need for a truly epic cinematic performance...

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[Dave]

Nice review.

[recruit]

Another Excellent Review Phil

[Ethan2000]

Top review, anyone want to buy a kidney so I can buy one ?.....anyone ?

[acave]

I really need to demo one of these now. I was impressed with the Pearl so I'm sure I would be impressed with this unit. Personally I can't see the JVC touching the black level of my Barco 1209 and having owned a Barco 808s I know the difference between the units.

I also find a digital picture is harder on the eyes over my CRT which I can watch for hours without any eyestrain. I'm hoping to get my Barco 1209 modded soon so it should give a some new life in terms of details and bring it up to scratch with a DVI board.

Phil, does your barco have R/G colour filters fitted? Also if you need to test the black level of the JVC, try Planet of the Apes (2001) . . the opening scenes from memory normally look quite bad on non-CRT projectors . . very grey.

I think for 99% of users the new crop of digitals will be all they need . . till the next model comes out


I guess I'm lucky I have a pretty decent CRT. I do like the extra sharpness from the digital (though it can be overkill and un-natural).

[CAS FAN]

Great review Phil, as usual. Seems like an absolutely stunning projector and as you say, a real rival for CRT in terms of black levels & contrast. When you factor in things like size and ease of use & set up, it makes this a very attractive proposition.

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by acave

I really need to demo one of these now. I was impressed with the Pearl so I'm sure I would be impressed with this unit. Personally I can't see the JVC touching the black level of my Barco 1209 and having owned a Barco 808s I know the difference between the units.

I also find a digital picture is harder on the eyes over my CRT which I can watch for hours without any eyestrain. I'm hoping to get my Barco 1209 modded soon so it should give a some new life in terms of details and bring it up to scratch with a DVI board.

Phil, does your barco have R/G colour filters fitted? Also if you need to test the black level of the JVC, try Planet of the Apes (2001) . . the opening scenes from memory normally look quite bad on non-CRT projectors . . very grey.

I think for 99% of users the new crop of digitals will be all they need . . till the next model comes out


I guess I'm lucky I have a pretty decent CRT. I do like the extra sharpness from the digital (though it can be overkill and un-natural).

You do have a decent CRT, I have seen a few 1209's and I am always impressed with the image they produce.
I take onboard what you say about digitals and I don't want this thread to turn into a which is better debate, however the JVC really is impressive, not only with its very good black levels but with it's stunning contrast and detail, plus it has a very film like picture the same as CRT so easy on the eyes. There is no grey in the darker areas, it can do very convincing blacks that the competition struggle with, plus it has a lot of plus points that the main stream enthusiast will find appealing.
Go and see one!

[stevos]

Phil an interesting review.

Out of interest are you going to be reviewing the panasonic AE1000? It would be interesting to see how this compares with the mightly JVC.

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by stevos

Out of interest are you going to be reviewing the panasonic AE1000? .

The request has gone in, just waiting on confirmation.

[stevos]

Fantastic.

Now i have a ps3, 360 and skyhd, i am really tempted to get a 1080p projector and so i will be really interested to see what you make of the panasonic, especially bearing in mind that the pany can be picked up for over a grand less than the JVC.

[stevos]

25dB seems fairly loud (not sure what my current projector figure is though).

However obviously the pitch of the noise and how often it changes level/pitch (at which point you are more likely to notice it) are probably more important.

How would you rate it from a noise perspective (important question for any projector owner)?

It appears pretty close to the head of the middle chair, what is it like sitting right in front of the projector?

[Avi]

Phil

Thanks. A good balanced review.

AVi

[Smurfin]

Excellent review

Must admit thoughl, I'm quite happy with my Optoma HD73 for now....when I finally get a dedicated room, roll on a DILA

[BAN5HEE]

This review may just have cost me my bonus...

[timmorris]

I've been asked to replace the aging and huge lump of a Sony 6" CRT in my brother's house with something. While he has decent curtains and blinds the room is by no means blacked out. Would the Panny be a better contender in this instance. It isn't a heavily used device and the room isn't a dedicated home cinema. He watches a lot of rugby and perhaps one or two DVDs a month. I have a Lumagen HDQ which will be going in his direction.

Tim

[GaryG]

Phil

As a fellow BG808 owner, would you swap your BG808 for the HD1?

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by timmorris

I've been asked to replace the aging and huge lump of a Sony 6" CRT in my brother's house with something. While he has decent curtains and blinds the room is by no means blacked out. Would the Panny be a better contender in this instance. It isn't a heavily used device and the room isn't a dedicated home cinema. He watches a lot of rugby and perhaps one or two DVDs a month. I have a Lumagen HDQ which will be going in his direction.

Tim

Tim probably best to ask this in the projectors forum where you will get more answers to your query.

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by GaryG

Phil

As a fellow BG808 owner, would you swap your BG808 for the HD1?

Gary, personally I am looking at a few things for my next projector, one will be ease of use and picture quality. I will probably add the JVC to the system and finally retire the Barco, but I am doing this for a number of reasons but feel the PQ is certainly on a par for blacks and better for detail and HD use. I would always state that you should take a look at the JVC in a demo and make up your own mind. Hope that helps.

[Mad Mr H]

Each style of PJ has its place.

These days most are looking for a small unit out of sight and high on the WAF scale (wife acceptance factor).

CRTs score at the bottom of the WAF table.

Until recently most anti CRT comments were about size, weight and ease of setup - you never normally hear about poor picture quality.

Digitals have always been compared to CRTs and again until recently they have always been behind. The JVC takes a big step forward and about time too. (But I consider still not up with overall value / quality of CRT)

Ive seen this JVC unit, yes im impressed by it and have recommended it to several people looking for a new digital projector.

There were issues with the demo unit I saw, and sadly they related to picture quality issues.............

I think for the price its a great unit, inbuild scaler is the way forward - BUT with the "disposable digital" projector these days then maybe an external scaler is better long term value for money.

Where CRTs fall behind is the lack of DVI / HDMI direct connections - but again this is not really an issue as various boxes are available that convert the format of signal, OR better still a range of modification boards are available for CRTs that offer DVI inputs.

My personal choice is still a CRT projector and im fairly sure of that for a good few years to come, long term value for money the CRT has to win, they are all devalued already due to age, any new digital can only loose value quickly.

It is a case of each to his own, I do think from what I have seen that the JVC is very good, Im also a fan of the Sim2 D80 unit which for my money gave a better overall picture but is higher up the price range.

In fairness the demo I saw the JVC PJ was overbright, it hurt my eyes in places and so detracted from the viewing. As well as a few other picture related issues.


On a critial note the case of the JVC I saw was not well finished, Phil mentions the "cheap" remote as well, For the price there have to be cut backs..........the light spill from the PJ I think has been mentioned by a few owerns.

People are still buying CRTs , and many with 808 style units are upgrading to 1209 style , for non CRT guys the Barco 1209 , Marquee 9500 are considered the high end 9" projectors with the Barco 909 / Barco Cine9 I think fair to say considered Top Dog .

I would like to actually demo a JVC unit here, that might happen, although ive been to an offical JVC demo its always best to have units side by side and tested in your own time with things you are used to.

(I must remember to put the JVC on top of the CRT, not under it )

[craigizmo2k2]

Think my Z1 would beat it.



Things have certainly moved on in these few years Think I may have to get one of these to retire my old aging Z1!!

[timmorris]

Originally Posted by Phil Hinton

Tim probably best to ask this in the projectors forum where you will get more answers to your query.

I will do. I know Neil from the Calman forums (calibration software) so I'll send him a PM.

Tim

[rigman]

As a fellow BG808 owner, would you swap your BG808 for the HD1?

I did and I am very happy.

Great review Phil

[Live_Steam_Mad]

Hi,

I have 7 very important questions please about this HD1;-

1) The lack of user overscan controls (that I read in your review), I watch rather a lot of 4:3 aspect ratio, transport videos (Cars, Trams) that originate from analogue sources, that I have transferred from VHS to DVD, and that have been on analogue broadcast tapes that companies have put onto DVD. For example the Duke video DVD's such as the Story of the Ford Fiesta, etc.

These commercial and home made DVD's that I have, have frequently got "overscan issues", i.e. timecodes on the very top of the screen or head switching noise from analogue videocassette machines. They are HUGELY noticeable and distracting. You don't tend to see them on a TV but video projectors like my IN72 normally show much more of the frame out to the very edges, and these problems show up.

Normally to remove these issues I can press the overscan button and remove 5 per cent from the edges of the screen (crop, screen goes slightly smaller, OR slight zoom, screen remains same size). This works beautifully and I can then enjoy my videos perfectly. Even my cheap IN72 can do this.

Do I understand from your review that the HD1 cannot do this? And that as a result I would see lots of glitching around the top edge of the picture because I cannot alter the overscan?

If so this is a horrible dissappointment and would be a total deal breaker to me .

However if JVC could incorporate into their software an overscan adjustment with zero to 5 per cent range (or just the same one as InFocus uses) then I would be absolutely delighted and would be happy to buy a HD1 as it would then be a huge upgrade from my IN72 .

2) What is the video optimised ANSI brightness for this projector in the Economy brightness mode? I was hoping for around 360 Lumens which my IN72 gives on Eco mode...

3) What is the lamp life on Economy brightness mode ?

4) What is the ball park figure for a replacement lamp ? In GBP ?

5) Can I adjust the gamma of the projector? How many discrete steps can it be adjusted over? This is one of the single most important settings for me on ANY video display, it makes a HUGE difference to the picture. On my IN72 I can adjust it over quite a large range but only in 5 discrete steps...

6) Can I adjust the Sharpness of the projector i.e. boost it? For some of my ex-VHS home made DVD's and old LaserDiscs I would like to be able to up the sharpness by quite a lot, it makes a HUGE difference on the picture.

7) Can I adjust the Colour Temperature? What value range is the adjustment, and how many steps? On my IN72 you can choose 6500K, 7500K, and 9300K

Cheers,

Alistair G.

[Avi]

Originally Posted by Live_Steam_Mad

2) What is the video optimised ANSI brightness for this projector in the Economy brightness mode? I was hoping for around 360 Lumens which my IN72 gives on Eco mode...

3) What is the lamp life on Economy brightness mode ?

5) Can I adjust the gamma of the projector? How many discrete steps can it be adjusted over? This is one of the single most important settings for me on ANY video display, it makes a HUGE difference to the picture. On my IN72 I can adjust it over quite a large range but only in 5 discrete steps...

6) Can I adjust the Sharpness of the projector i.e. boost it? For some of my ex-VHS home made DVD's and old LaserDiscs I would like to be able to up the sharpness by quite a lot, it makes a HUGE difference on the picture.

7) Can I adjust the Colour Temperature? What value range is the adjustment, and how many steps? On my IN72 you can choose 6500K, 7500K, and 9300K

Very detailed measurements here -

www.cine4home.com

Originally Posted by Live_Steam_Mad

4) What is the ball park figure for a replacement lamp ? In GBP ?

About £250-300

AVI

[Live_Steam_Mad]

The 2 real deal breakers for me would be the lack of a gamma adjustment and the lack of colour temperature presets of the correct value.

What I mean is that even my cheap InFocus IN72 has 5 gamma settings, and the TWO THAT I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT are 1) VIDEO gamma for video (not film) based material, which is a higher gamma than the film gamma setting, this is what I use for watching SD video from Freeview (UK Digital Terrestrial Television), and I would need the same setting for watching the video based material on Sky or Sky HD, or cable TV (Virgin Media). There is a big difference between video gamma and film gamma.

Also even on my cheap IN72 the colour temperature is adjustable on 3 presets, and there is one that I CANNOT live without, this is the 9300K setting which is the correct colour temperature for video. Actually there is a third setting like I say which is 7500K which is good for warming up the video image a bit on the ECO lamp setting.

If the JVC added the video gamma setting and the 7500K and 9300K colour temperature presets then I would be a LOT more inclined to buy it. I know that it is currently the best performing video projector on the market at anywhere near the price, but 3,500 GBP is too much money for a pj that lacks such basic fundamental settings IMHO.

I am very much looking forwards to when JVC fixes these issues in a Firmware update...IMHO they should take a look at InFocus's menus and add the 'missing' features And before anyone starts, I am not JVC bashing... the JVC is awesome and I would love to own one.

Cheers,

Alistair G.

[timmorris]

I'm by no means ISF certified or an experienced calibrator, but none of what you've written makes sense to me. When calibrating a display device 2.2 is the gamma to shoot for regardless of the format to be displayed. Although the D65 point on the curve for colour temperature is actually different depending which colourspace you are calibrating to (PAL, NTSC or Rec 709 for HD) it is in general terms analogous to 6,500k for the white point.

Unless I'm very wrong you are either buying very cool bulbs, like your pictures overly warm, or the IN72's colour temp settings are all over the place. I'm open to correction though.

Tim

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

As per Tim's comments. Whether the material you watch is FILM source DVD, HD-DVD, BD or broadcast it is VIDEO. ie the format is a VIDEO format. The material has been transferred to that format with D65 and Gamma 2.2 as the target playback medium. It is true that some folk prefer to play back video material with a 2.5 gamma as they feel it has a more "film like" response but it's not correct. You need to understand that while the material you watch may have been recorded with film it is NOT film. It has been graded and coloured for our VIDEO systems.

It should also be noted that a PRESET in a display device is not going to give you the correct settings for your room/equipment combination. I have measured and calibrated 100's of displays. Only one ever measured very very close to D65 out of the box. It's gamma was shot though and once the crushed white detail was fixed and gamma was fixed it was no longer D65...and I then had to calibrate that aspect.


Hope this is a little use.

[timmorris]

It seems that I've at least learned something in the last year then. Isn't 2.5 referred to as video gamma as traditionally that was what the phosphors used on CRTs produced before the display device's colour decoder (if properly set up) electronically adjusted the guns to produce 2.2? I recently learned that in the age of the CRT virtually all phosphors were the same, but with plasma manufacturers trying harder to differentiate themselves and improve contrast ratio amongst other things they are each using phosphors with different responses. Note I mean glass manufacturers, not people who attach their electronics to others' displays.

Tim

[IronBear]

Originally Posted by timmorris

It seems that I've at least learned something in the last year then. Isn't 2.5 referred to as video gamma as traditionally that was what the phosphors used on CRTs produced before the display device's colour decoder (if properly set up) electronically adjusted the guns to produce 2.2?

Close. A CRT's phosphors will produce a 2.5 gamma curve "naturally" (though I have never seen a "natural" television; perhaps they grow them up in the Orkneys?). You have to use a "gamma circuit" to get to a 2.2 gamma, which is still pretty rare from my limited sample.

Oh, yeah, a pint's a pound the world around. D65 is the same for all standards. You are spot-on that the path to get there is changes from standard to standard. The differing primary locations for each standard require a different mix to get to D65.

Bill