Help! JVC x35 image quality - terrible!?

deem

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So, I’ve recently ‘upgraded’ from an EPSON TW6700 to a JVC x35 as I was unhappy with the blacks in my light controlled dark room. The blacks are indeed an improvement, but almost every other aspect is a huge downgrade - especially image quality and brightness. Terrible is possibly an exaggeration due to my disappointment, but am I missing something? The x35 seems to have pretty good reviews everywhere, and although I was expecting the obvious downgrade in brightness, the sharpness and image detail is shockingly inferior. Half of the time it feels like it’s running 720p compared to the TW6700…

Has anyone else used both or would be able to give me any ideas of what might be causing the issue? Or alternatively, advise on my best option for a PJ with the image quality and brightness in eco mode of the TW6700, coupled with the black levels of the x35?

Many thanks
 
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Are both lamps original jvc?
Do you have a light meter?
Is your room painted black?
What's your screen size and gain?

Brightness is easy for bat cave

Set to 14ftL

If your happy with the screen size you can achieve with x35 everything else will come from calibration.

After 2hr warm up Set focus by displaying white and bring the pixels into focus, I see pixels for 12 clicks of focus so I stop at 6 clicks

Set convergence if you have it.

Let's see some photos of all your projector and player settings.
 
Are both lamps original jvc?
Do you have a light meter?
Is your room painted black?
What's your screen size and gain?

Brightness is easy for bat cave

Set to 14ftL

If your happy with the screen size you can achieve with x35 everything else will come from calibration.

After 2hr warm up Set focus by displaying white and bring the pixels into focus, I see pixels for 12 clicks of focus so I stop at 6 clicks

Set convergence if you have it.

Let's see some photos of all your projector and player settings.
Thanks for the reply!

Bulb is original and on 1500 hours. No branding on the spare bulb so I’m guessing it may not be a JVC.

I don’t have a light meter, all I have to compare it to is my EPSON which was almost too bright on the lowest Eco setting.

Walls and ceiling aren’t black but are very dark 2% sheen level.

100” fixed screen with 1.0 gain.

At the moment I’m using a PS4 with a Sony DG910 inbetween. I also tried a fire stick with the same results, (both produce a great image with the TW6700 in the same room).

I’ve definitely got it in focus physically, and have aligned the RGB.

Sometimes the images look good, but never as good as the 6700. It’s almost like they’re compressed. And although the tonal detail is there, it’s almost like viewing through an ND filter - the punch is seriously lacking. High power lamp mode helps a bit - but the fan noise is unbearable.

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I like the room.
Screen need temporary down to 85"
You may have an issue with the lamp(s)

Your x35 has the same lamp as my x700.
Notice how original jvc says USHIO CHINA not ushio made in China.

20220508_093515.jpg



A light meter is essential.

Amazon product ASIN B006QHOX0Y
Measure FC at screen facing projector.

FC X screen gain = 14ftL

From which you can calculate if you need a new lamp.

Not good news (as you know) for brightness from here


This suggests a good lamp will max out for 85" screen.


An x500/x700 would be a better fit for a 100" screen, which you can use the same lamp from x35.


Here's some temporary masking.

Amazon product ASIN B004JRM99K
 
The jvc menus look clear and sharp.
I have to agree the screen shots don't look good.
Have you set amazon etc. And ps4 to 1080p sdr.

I would judge picture quality from a reference blu ray.
 
I like the room.
Screen need temporary down to 85"
You may have an issue with the lamp(s)

Your x35 has the same lamp as my x700.
Notice how original jvc says USHIO CHINA not ushio made in China.


A light meter is essential.


Measure FC at screen facing projector.

FC X screen gain = 14ftL

From which you can calculate if you need a new lamp.

This suggests a good lamp will max out for 85" screen.

An x500/x700 would be a better fit for a 100" screen, which you can use the same lamp from x35.

The jvc menus look clear and sharp.
I have to agree the screen shots don't look good.
Have you set amazon etc. And ps4 to 1080p sdr.

I would judge picture quality from a reference blu ray.

Thanks 3rdignis!

I will open the PJ and check to see if my bulb matches yours!

Everything is set to 1080p, and when I swap over to my 6700 using the same set up and settings its all good.

I ordered a light meter yesterday which should arrive today, along with a Blu-ray disk to get more conclusive results!

Thanks for your time!

D
 
What are your settings in the advanced section?
Sharpness? NR? Lens Aperture?
Personally I wouldn't have contrast cranked up to 16., around 0 is a more normal starting point.
With 1500 hours on the original bulb it will have dropped output, but your screen isn't overly large so I wouldn't expect it to be very dim, although these things can vary.

Where abouts are you?
Just wondering if you are close enough that I might help.
 
The plot thickens. I removed the bulb earlier and it bares no resemblance to the bulb shown by 3rdignis.

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B0015290-F946-4792-A868-95F4055014CF.jpeg


However, the spare bulb that I assumed was a non original bulb looks like this:

BE05F894-3CF0-4AFB-9B2A-CA46D0984D9F.jpeg

So, I swapped them over. There is an instant improvement. Not only in brightness, but in overall quality and for some reason the fan noise seems improved in high mode!?

With regards to the sharpness and image quality, I’m wondering if a certain amount of it is me being used to the style of image on the EPSON. It seems to handle streamed content very differently, and the Epson Super-resolution and Detail enhancement is far more forgiving than the JVC Detail Enhance - which seems to highlight compression and artefacts.

Thanks for the kind offer Paul - it seems I’m a long way away though - I’m in the midlands!

All in all I’m getting to grips with the settings and that coupled with the bulb change has resulted in far better results that I’m much happier with.

Are there any threads anywhere with the base settings for a dark room and a 1.0 gain screen that I could base my calibration on? I definitely need help with Gamma etc - and I have no idea what setting I should be using for “screen correction”.

Many thanks all.
 

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I've used this a million times.


Don't use any enhancement including screen correction.

Have you adjusted the iris open for brighter?

I use high lamp for brightness and close iris for more contrast.

If your confident your lamp is new I would put 50hrs on it and get a professional calibration.

 
I would use film

Screenshot_20220509-171443_Samsung Internet.jpg


Gamma drift may be worth trying to correct
Choose a starting point that looks best, say 2.4, then adjust line linearly to achieve a 3D looking image.
Leave the 0% where it is and as you approach 100% make greater adjustments.

Screenshot_20220509-171924_Samsung Internet.jpg


You really are just messing about, better to get a professional calibration £200-£300
 
Make a factory reset, get a new original lamp in, and they only come with housing in original JVC boxes, check out how dirty the projector is inside, look into the rear vents with a light.

When thats all checked out and ok, its time to make sure all your levels are set right, get a calibration disc, and check black and white clipping, the contrast set to 16 will clip white a lot with the right level settings, feed it 16-235, set the projector to video level.

Dont expect it to perform properly in low lamp mode, its not a very bright projector but should do well with your screen in high lamp, and close down the iris to around 14.16fl on screen.

Now you need a meter, the projector have a serious gamma drop, the only way to correct it is with a meter, and the multipoint gamma adjustment in the projector, its likely looking tracking like the example below.
Sadly it's likely not possible to find a calibrator who will want to spend the time it takes to do it right.
JVC X7 drop.jpeg
 

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