JVC X30 (DLA-X30) DILA 3D Projector Review

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<img src="http://reviews.images.static-avforums.com/reviews/249/thumb.jpg" align="right">Reviewed by Stephen Withers, 10th December 2011.
The JVC DLA-X30 is an excellent entry level projector that remains the best in its class when it comes to 2D performance. Once you include the improved 3D performance, new features and competitive pricing and the result is an impressive combination that is hard to resist. Highly Recommended
Read the full review...
 
Thanks for the excellent review as always, had a demo of the X30 last week, loved it, had no choice I had to have one, ordered it there and then, can't wait for it to arrive..:thumbsup:
 
thanks for such a great review, this is the review i look forward the most av forums does it better than anywhere else.

one question does the x30 have the new 4k feature as the x70 and x90 and how would you compare 2d picture quality to the jvc hd750 this answer is very important to as i have a hd750
 
one question does the x30 have the new 4k feature as the x70 and x90 and how would you compare 2d picture quality to the jvc hd750 this answer is very important to as i have a hd750

No the e-shift 4K scaling is only on the X70 and the X90, Phil is reviewing the X70 at the moment so it will be interesting to see what he thinks of it.

I would expect the 2D performance of the X30 to be similar to that of the HD750 but obviously unlike the HD750, the X30 doesn't have a colour management system.
 
As a recent owner JVC X30 owner I can only concur that this a fantastic projector regarding its 2D performance.

I do have some serious concerns with this review regarding the comments over 3D performance. Comments such as artefact-free are misleading to potential buyers. I have watched 6 3D movies now and not one is free from some cross-talk. In some cases like Christmas Carol it's hardly noticable. In others, such as 'Despicable Me' there are significant levels of cross-talk on 60% of scenes to the point that it is distracting.

I am enjoying 3D on my new X30 projector, but cross-talk and artefact free, it is not.

Edit: unless I and several others who have reported their 3D experiences on the 'owners thread' have a different X30 to you?

MS
 
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As a recent owner JVC X30 owner I can only concur that this a fantastic projector regarding its 2D performance.

I do have some serious concerns with this review regarding the comments over 3D performance. Comments such as artefact-free are misleading to potential buyers. I have watched 6 3D movies now and not one is free from some cross-talk. In some cases like Christmas Carol it's hardly noticable. In others, such as 'Despicable Me' there are significant levels of cross-talk on 60% of scenes to the point that it is distracting.

I am enjoying 3D on my new X30 projector, but cross-talk and artefact free, it is not.

Edit: unless I and several others who have reported their 3D experiences on the 'owners thread' have a different X30 to you?

MS

I echo your 3d comments. I put 540 hours on my RS40 over the course of 11 months before getting my RS45 last week and so far ghosting looks the exact same to my eyes. Discs that the 40 struggled with as far as crosstalk such as Giants of Patagonia, Megamind, Despicable Me look to be ghosting in the exact same spots. At the same time, discs that the 40 did not have ghosting issues with seem to be fine on the 45 as well such as Avatar and Under the Sea. I dont know how much 3d viewing the reviewer actually did or what the comparison to the 40 consisted of, but the 45 is not anywhere close to ghost free and there certainly is no improvement over the 40 to my eyes and from all the various user reports so far on here and AVS.

The crazy thing is some posters arw actually seeing more ghosting and/or more noticeable ghosting vs their previous gen JVC.
 
Did not mean to post that previous post yet as I had more to say so here it goes:p

Anyway, as I was saying above some people are actually seeing worse ghosting with the new JVCs vs the last gen machines. Read post #869 in this thread.......

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21320652#post21320652

JonStatt who post here and on AVS also mentions the ghosting being worse.

Damnsam77 who posts on AVS and who I was talking with last night on the phone is also seeing more ghosting vs what he saw with his RS40. He went as far to say that trying to watch TS3 last night the ghosting was so "horrendous" that it was flat out unwatchable. You can read his posts starting at #1047

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1375094&page=35

There has been reports of unit to unit variation so if the reviewer is seeing less ghosting with his 45, I am guessing that is the reason why. To put out a blanket statement though that ghosting has been improved is very misleading though in light of all the other reports flowing in and if anything, it is worse:(

Flicker is also at least as bad as the RS40 to my eyes, maybe worse. It seems more noticeable to me now, but that probably has more to do with the new bulb/brighter image than anything.

Any way you cut it, especially when compared against DLP, this is far from "reference" 3d!
 
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It's highly doubtful that this projector has "reference" 3D playback that is artefact/crosstalk free based upon recent user feedback on this forum as well as AVS forums. I guess I will find out when my RS45 arrives next week; hopefully this review proves me wrong...but, I doubt it.
 
1. You have a error in the report regarding the pixel adjustment. It says that you can adjust the panels with 1 pixel resolution. Of course it should be 1/16 pixels resolution (otherwise it wouldnt be any adjustment between the panels would it :p).

2. The 3-D experience you describe sounds fantastic. Allthough when I compared the JVC 120Hz ONLY towards the Sony HW-30 in 120 Hz the 3-D picture of the Sony was A LOT calmer.
On the sony I could move up close to the screen and let me be surrounde and still bare the 3-D in fast paced scenes. On the X30 i felt that even in the rear "cinema position" the picture in 3-D was not ver relaxing. I can not pinpoint what the problem was but it felt as though it missed frames or showed 2 frames out of synch or soemthing. An example is the scene in Avatar where they ride the "dragons" in a fast pace out from the cliff. When there are fast close ups and the dragons flap their wings it just gets very troublesome for the eyes.
In slow scenes though the 3-D was OK, but not as good as I get the feeling from the review. The Sony HW-30 was certainly better even in 120Hz mode. And from what I have read the Panasonic should be class leader in "calm deep 3-D" and soon the Mitsu HC7800 arrives with its new ferro-electric panel glasses which should give 3-D an all new meaning..also its 2D to 3D conversion should be more than state of the art compared to all other modelas availabele today. As I read, it should be the new 3-D reference :)
Alltough I think that preview sounds allmost as exagerated as yours on the x30 on 3-D, I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival being a 3D fan :D
Read more here
http://cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/Mitsubishi_HC7800/HC7800 Preview.htm

3. I concurr with your feelings of the 2-D picure. It sure is class leading especially when it comes to contrast. It has some graininess in grainy source material though. At least on the PJ I saw which was brand new, but I understand that the grain phenomena dissapears by time as the panels "burn in"...at least it did on the X3.

Thank you for an interesting review.
I am having a very hard time deciding what to buy but the X30 is certainly in the list of candidates :)

Regards
Boogieman
 
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Well I actually own an X3 so all I can say is the X30 I had certainly appeared better when it came to crosstalk generally and, as I mention in the review, Despicable Me in particular. I also had no problems with crosstalk on POTC, Avatar and Rio but realistically I can't be expected to watch every 3D movie on a review sample. If you don't believe me then my advice, as always, is to take your problem 3D Blu-rays along to your nearest dealer and demo an X30 for yourself.
 
Well I actually own an X3 so all I can say is the X30 I had certainly appeared better when it came to crosstalk generally and, as I mention in the review, Despicable Me in particular. I also had no problems with crosstalk on POTC, Avatar and Rio but realistically I can't be expected to watch every 3D movie on a review sample. If you don't believe me then my advice, as always, is to take your problem 3D Blu-rays along to your nearest dealer and demo an X30 for yourself.

Hi Steve,

How many hours are on your X3 now? Myself and many others have reported increased ghosting as the bulb ages on the first gen JVCs which could be playing a part in why you noticed less ghosting on the X30. Combine that with unit to unit variance which has also been reported by those who have done side by sides and this could very well explain what you are seeing. In light of that and all the reports so far, I dont see any evidence pointing to improvement as far as ghosting is concerned though and if anything the opposite might be true.

Good advice though as far as people taking there ghost heavy problem discs and demoing for yourself.
 
I think there's about 350+ hours on my X3 and whilst it did seem to me that the 3D performance on the X30 was better than the X3, I did caveat that by also admitting that a new and brighter bulb will inherently make 3D look better. Although I wasn't in a position to directly compare the Sony and Panasonic projectors with the X30, I have seen them both in action and from memory I didn't find the 3D on them any better than the X30; I did however find the 2D performance to be far better on the X30.

I don't know about you but it seems to me that some discs are definitely more problematic with crosstalk than others, Despicable Me and Monsters vs Aliens spring to mind. I have had problems with those discs on just about every projector I've reviewed, with the exception of Sim2's ÂŁ30,000 Lumis 3D-S but that uses Triple Flash. I'm in the middle of reviewing the Sim2 Nero, which is a single chip DLP, and so far the 3D has looked really good - nice and bright with very little crosstalk. Tonight I watched TT3D: Closer to the Edge and tomorrow I will try a few 'problematic' 3D Blu-rays and see how it performs.
 
I think there's about 350+ hours on my X3 and whilst it did seem to me that the 3D performance on the X30 was better than the X3, I did caveat that by also admitting that a new and brighter bulb will inherently make 3D look better. Although I wasn't in a position to directly compare the Sony and Panasonic projectors with the X30, I have seen them both in action and from memory I didn't find the 3D on them any better than the X30; I did however find the 2D performance to be far better on the X30.

I don't know about you but it seems to me that some discs are definitely more problematic with crosstalk than others, Despicable Me and Monsters vs Aliens spring to mind. I have had problems with those discs on just about every projector I've reviewed, with the exception of Sim2's ÂŁ30,000 Lumis 3D-S but that uses Triple Flash. I'm in the middle of reviewing the Sim2 Nero, which is a single chip DLP, and so far the 3D has looked really good - nice and bright with very little crosstalk. Tonight I watched TT3D: Closer to the Edge and tomorrow I will try a few 'problematic' 3D Blu-rays and see how it performs.

Thanks for the info. With 350 hours on your X3, it makes sense that you would see quite a difference with the X30. The ghosting on my RS40 started getting noticeably worse sometime between 300-400 hours roughly. When the 40 had a new bulb though, the ghosting was the same as this 45 I have here going off memory.

I agree that some discs definitely challenge the projector(s) more than others. Any non DLP display from my experience will ghost to some degree, but I have yet to see any ghosting on the little Acer 5360 single chip DLP which a good friend of mine owns with any type of content (movies, games, etc.....). DLP seems to have significant advantage in this area, especially with side by side and top/bottom material. As annoying as some of the ghosting is on the RS40/45 for movies, 120hz material is even worse:(

So you are seeing some ghosting on that single chip DLP Sim2 Nero? Surprised to hear that since DLP seems to be known for the complete lack of crosstalk which has been my experience as well with the Acer. Interesting.

I agree with you about 2d on the JVCs. That was my motivation for sticking with JVC and going with the 45 after my 40. I sat there yesterday just amazed as I was putting in disc after disc of some of my favorite 2d blu rays!
 
1. You have a error in the report regarding the pixel adjustment. It says that you can adjust the panels with 1 pixel resolution. Of course it should be 1/16 pixels resolution (otherwise it wouldnt be any adjustment between the panels would it :p).

Only the X70 and X90 have inter-pixel adjustment. The X30 can only adjust convergence with whole pixel movements.
 
Thanks for the review Steve.


Are you testing in a "bat cave" environment? I would like to know who well the X30 fares in a normal living room with white ceiling and walls, when it comes to black levels.
 
Hi Steve.

Greate review, again!

I'm at X3 owner. Love it! Reading the X30 review I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading from my X3. Maybe sometimes you could compare to the old model, and look at what you get when upgrading, and if it's worth the price. I think others might like to know what you guys think about that too. Just a thought.

Regards,
Jens.
 
Are you testing in a "bat cave" environment? I would like to know who well the X30 fares in a normal living room with white ceiling and walls, when it comes to black levels.

Yes I was testing in a 'bat cave' but if you're thinking of using it in a room with white walls and ceiling then I would go for something else. White walls and ceiling will just wash the blacks out, thus negating one of the biggest benefits of the X30. If you need something for a room with white walls, then you would be better off looking at a brighter projector like the Optoma because weaker blacks won't be such an issue in an environment like that.

I'll add a comment about that in the review because that is a good point.
 
I'm at X3 owner. Love it! Reading the X30 review I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading from my X3. Maybe sometimes you could compare to the old model, and look at what you get when upgrading, and if it's worth the price. I think others might like to know what you guys think about that too. Just a thought.

I'm an X3 owner as well and I did compare the two projectors directly and address all the differences between the two in my review. However to summarise, the two are very similar with the 3D being slightly better on the X30 in my opinion (although it would seem that others disagree). The price of the X30 is competitive and the addition of the lens memory is useful if you use a 2.35:1 screen but otherwise you might just be better off buying a new bulb.
 
Thank you for the reply.
I know you compare in the review, but as you wrote, a short summary about upgrading would be nice when reviewing a new model in the same product line. Like you just did :)
BTW: I have 1600 hours on my bulb. It says 3000 hours max., but do you (or anyone) know when one should get a new one. I'm beginning to detect less light, I think.
 
I agree with you about 2d on the JVCs. That was my motivation for sticking with JVC and going with the 45 after my 40. I sat there yesterday just amazed as I was putting in disc after disc of some of my favorite 2d blu rays!

Even though I'm a big fan of 3D and have about 50 3D Blu-rays, I have hundreds of 2D Blu-rays and thousands of DVDs, so the amazing 2D performance of the X30 (and X3) is far more important in my opinion.

At our recent Sony 4K event we asked those attending if they would prefer 3D or 4K and almost everyone said 4K. That's from enthusiasts, if you look at the mass market there is very little interest in 3D, the sales have been well below industry expectations and even cinema attendance for 3D is falling, so I'm not sure if 3D will ever be anything more than a niche within a niche.
 
I have 1600 hours on my bulb. It says 3000 hours max., but do you (or anyone) know when one should get a new one. I'm beginning to detect less light, I think.

Blimey, how have you managed to put 1,600 hours on your X3 in less than a year? I watch a lot of movies and I'm nowhere near that! In answer to your question, I would definitely get a new bulb after that many hours. Personally I would always look to upgrade the bulb between 1,500 and 2,000 but possibly earlier if the bulb has noticeably dimmed. Some people have reported significant dimming on their X3 bulbs after only 300-400 hours but at the moment, mine still looks pretty good at around 350 hours.
 
Thanks again. I'm getting a new bulb :)

1600 hours is easy ... just let it run for a good two months, and you're there ;-)

No, I use it for tv, watch a lot of movies, and my son, and friends, play A LOT on the XBOX 360. Whole weekends often. It all adds up :)
 
I agree that some discs definitely challenge the projector(s) more than others. Any non DLP display from my experience will ghost to some degree, but I have yet to see any ghosting on the little Acer 5360 single chip DLP which a good friend of mine owns with any type of content (movies, games, etc.....). DLP seems to have significant advantage in this area, especially with side by side and top/bottom material. As annoying as some of the ghosting is on the RS40/45 for movies, 120hz material is even worse:(

So you are seeing some ghosting on that single chip DLP Sim2 Nero? Surprised to hear that since DLP seems to be known for the complete lack of crosstalk which has been my experience as well with the Acer. Interesting.

I definitely agree that DLP looks the best with 3D, even the ÂŁ1,350 Optoma HD33 looked amazing with 3D. Of course the 2D performance of most of these DLP projectors isn't a patch on the X30, even the Sim2 Nero doesn't have blacks like the X30. The other issue of course is that if you're prone to rainbows then that can rule out single chip DLPs and three chip DLPs are incredibly expensive.

The thing about crosstalk is that it can be caused by so many factors - the film itself (dark objects against a bright background can be problematic), the transfer, the projector, the settings used, the glasses, the player, the viewing environment and the individual themselves. What I really need are some standardised 3D tests on my signal generator and I'm working on that at the moment.
 
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Blimey, how have you managed to put 1,600 hours on your X3 in less than a year? I watch a lot of movies and I'm nowhere near that! In answer to your question, I would definitely get a new bulb after that many hours. Personally I would always look to upgrade the bulb between 1,500 and 2,000 but possibly earlier if the bulb has noticeably dimmed. Some people have reported significant dimming on their X3 bulbs after only 300-400 hours but at the moment, mine still looks pretty good at around 350 hours.

Yes indeed, not all bulbs have suffered premature dimming, thats for sure. Unfortunately a few regular forum posters have had that issue. There are various theories as to why a dimming bulb causes more visible crosstalk, from less heat to the panels, to just the simple fact its dimmer. As fussy as I am, I know for sure that my X7 has not detoriated one iota in ghosting since I bought it...with 520 hours on the bulb, it still achieves over 1000 lumens (max conditions), showing that it is held up well. But I think a few forum posters would say my X7/lamp was a golden sample. This is why I was a bit surprised that my X70 had slightly more crosstalk from new. I still find most things watchable, but due to the increased 3D contrast (I dont know if you noticed that in any side by side comparisons), and what looks like additional edge enhancement, the ghosting can appear more "hard edged" than it did before.

By the way, how many hours were on your X30 when you did all your measurements?
 

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