The Future Looks Bright

GIVEN THE

current uncertain state of the world, I was truly surprised when JVC announced not one but three new projectors prior to the kickoff of CEDIA Expo 2021, an event that ended up being a pale shade of its regular self.

The new JVC trio largely replaces the company’s current projector lineup, offering a list of new features including a next-gen BLUEscent laser light engine, HDMI 2.1 connectivity with full 8K/60HZ and 4K/120HZ video input support, and HDR10+ high dynamic range.

Along with this uptick in features comes a substantial uptick in pricing, with the new projectors ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. Even so, the refreshed lineup sets a new price/performance bar for native 4K laser light engine-driven projectors. For this review, JVC sent me its top-dog DLA-NZ9 ($24,999.95), a direct replacement for the DLA-NX9 ($18,000) that I tested when it first launched (October/november 2019 issue), and a model that I’ve used as my reference projector ever since.

A WOLF IN FAMILIAR CLOTHING

At first glance, the DLA-NZ9 (also available with the model number DLA-RS4100) appears to be a clone of the earlier NX9. The chassis is nearly identical— until you peer around back and see the intake filters for the projector’s cooling system, which are substantially larger than those used for the NX9. It features the same 18-element 100mm glass lens and third-gen native 4K (4,096 x 2,160-pixel) D-ILA panel as its predecessor, but the similarities end there. The NZ9’S new BLUEscent laser diode light source is a more compact design compared with the one used for JVC’S flagship RS4500 ($30,000) but still delivers the same 3,000 lumens peak uncalibrated output, with a half-life rating of 20,000 hours in the High Laser mode.

The NZ9’S two HDMI inputs are version HDMI 2.1 (full 48Gbps) with HDCP 2.3 content protection. That means compatibility with 8K resolution video at up to 60 frames per second and 4K up to 120 frames per second—the latter format now supported by the new Playstation 5 and Xbox

Series X game consoles. Both the NZ9 and the new DLA-NZ8 feature 8K e-shiftx, an evolution of JVC’S 8K e-shift system and one that uses a four-direction shift which addresses individual pixels in 8K input signals with no scaling. (The NX9, in contrast, would not accept a native 8K signal and used a two-direction 8K e-shift feature that fell short of full-resolution 8K display.) Pixels with 8K e-shiftx are still slightly overlapped due to the use of an optical actuator but given the massive pixel density of an 8K image, I find it hard to believe there would be any visible difference between this system and a native 8K imaging chip, something that doesn’t exist yet.

JVC uses a new video processing board on the NZ9 to

support all these new features. Synch times with signal format changes are unbelievably fast, with most clocking in at 3 seconds. My only real speed gripe concerns lens memory changes, which take quite a bit of time to finish as background settings tied to the lens position (Theater Optimizer, anamorphic modes, etc.) are loaded. The projector’s anamorphic modes can process for both vertical compression and horizontal expansion, and it offers the ability to scale input sources to the full 4,096-pixel width of its imaging chip.

JVC’S new laser light engine operates in similar fashion to the one found in the flagship RS4500, offering three output modes (Low, Medium, High) and two dynamic modes (Mode 1 and 2). Back when I reviewed the RS4500, I had some issues with its light engine design. Mainly, the noise level in High output mode was loud enough that it was nearly unusable as an in-room projector. A later firmware update helped a bit, but still not enough to satisfy most users.

The NZ9 doesn’t have the same issue. I used an SPL meter to measure noise, placing it about a foot or so in front of the projector. Operating noise in the Low and Medium modes was identical and measured lower than my NX9 projector in Low mode, which was excellent. High mode measured a few db lower than my NX9 at the same setting and was dramatically lower than my experience with the RS4500 set to High. I was also impressed to find that activating the e-shiftx function had virtually no effect on operating noise.

SETUP

Setup of the NZ9 was straightforward for me as the menus are mostly identical to those found in JVC’S previous NX series. The most accurate out-of-box presentation for standard dynamic range viewing was in Natural picture mode with Mid Laser selected.

For high dynamic range, it was in Frame Adaptive mode with High Laser and the BT.2020 (Normal) color profile selected. Keep in mind, these outcomes will vary in installations depending on screen, zoom, and other settings.

The NZ9’S HDR picture modes offer a few tweaks compared with JVC’S previous NX models, the biggest one being HDR10+ support, a first for a projector. HDR10+ is a dynamic format that uses frame-based metadata to ensure the best HDR presentation and can be found on a limited number of Ultra HD discs— mostly from Warner Bros. and Universal— as well as on streamed titles from Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu, and other services. I only had a few HDR10+ discs on hand to test and the results didn’t look much different than watching the same titles with JVC’S already excellent frame adaptive tone mapping enabled. HDR10+ also limited some settings like color profile selection and automatic selection of HDR processing intensity. Ultimately, it’s nice to see support for the format in a projector, but I think most viewers would be better served by JVC’S own frame adaptive tone mapping, which can be manually selected at any time.

JVC states that it hasn’t really changed any of the HDR tone mapping algorithms for the new lineup, but there are a few changes in the Frame Adapt HDR mode.

The Theater Optimizer setup is now more refined, with new settings for screen aspect ratio (16x9, 17x9, or Cinema Scope) and diagonal size. The previous Low, Medium, and High HDR brightness options have also been replaced with Auto and variable (-2 through +2) settings. This, combined with the NZ9’S higher light output, yielded modestly improved

HDR performance, especially on images with a high average picture level.

The NZ9 offers the same automatic picture modes JVC introduced in its last projector firmware update. These include the ability to assign specific custom picture modes for 2D, 3D, HDR, and HLG input formats. I’d still like to see JVC add a custom setting for input signals that use the BT.2020 color space but are not HDR, though this use case is specifically for outboard video processors and ultimately not important for most viewers.

PERFORMANCE

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the NZ9 when I first fired it up. When JVC shared the details of its new projectors, I thought the new features sounded exciting, but also that many of them wouldn’t improve core video performance compared with my

NX9. The biggest change is the laser light engine, and I typically don’t see much image quality difference between these and standard bulb models, though I do love the convenience of being able to quickly turn the projector on and off without having to worry about bulb wear and tear. The biggest benefit to JVC’S new laser light engine is an increase in light output. JVC also included dual apertures in this design (a feature missing from the RS4500), so if you don’t need the full brightness level that the projector provides, you could use these to fine-tune light output in a manner that will increase native sequential contrast.

The NZ9’S uncalibrated light output met the company’s 3,000-lumen spec (I measured 3,069 lumens) and calibration lowered light output by about 20 percent, which is typical for JVC models I’ve tested in the past.

But a concern I had— one originating from my experience reviewing the Rs4500—was light loss related to the color filter (labelled BT2020 [Wide] in the Color Profile menu), which is used to achieve a wider color gamut. Enabling the RS4500’S color filter resulted in a loss of 40 percent or more total light output. With the NZ9, it was close to 30 percent in the High Laser setting, and 25 percent in Medium or Low. Given how long it has been since JVC released its first blue laser phosphor light engine, I was hoping they’d move to a design that used more than just blue diodes plus a filter to deliver wider color gamut coverage. We’re already seeing other manufacturers use dual-color laser light engines capable of hitting full DCI-P3 (a color space used for HDR programs on disc and streaming that is a limited subset of the full BT.2020 Ultra HDTV color gamut) without light loss, and even true Rgb-based designs offering near-bt.2020. I hope to see future JVC designs start to push this envelope.

Native color gamut coverage from the NZ9’S laser light engine was similar to what I’ve measured from other blue laser designs. Rec. 709 (the standard HDTV color gamut) was 100 percent as expected. With the color filter in place, I was able to achieve 98 percent of Dci-p3—similar coverage to the previous NX series. When I measured DCI-P3 coverage (within the BT.2020 container) the NZ9 came up a bit short in its non-filter mode (labelled as BT2020 [Normal] in the color profile menu) at 87 percent coverage. But given the higher light output of this new design compared with the NX series, there is a very appreciable increase in brightness, and it runs quieter in any given picture mode.

JVC lists the NZ9’S contrast ratio as 100,000:1 native (no laser dimming) and infinite with dimming (based on the laser turning off for a full black frame). I did full contrast testing and found that the native contrast at full output with no aperture closure was about 28,000:1 at minimum throw and closer to 50,000:1 at the longest throw (uncalibrated). Maximum native contrast with both apertures fully closed and the projector in its longest throw was about 123,000:1, but even at minimum throw the projector could still deliver close to 100,000:1.

With laser dimming engaged, contrast increased substantially with Mode 1 reaching close to 470,000:1 and Mode 2 hitting around 560,000:1. Mode 2 on the RS4500 would go to full black-out when displaying a full black field, but the NZ9 does not. (This may be addressed in future firmware, though I didn’t get confirmation of that from JVC.) Blackouts still looked very dark and anyone would be easily tricked into thinking the projector was displaying a full black. The NZ9’S laser dimming also didn’t display the RS4500’S aggressive tendency to black-out images that should be visible during very dark scenes. This was probably my biggest gripe with the RS4500’S laser dimming and it has definitely improved in this new implementation.

That’s not to say the JVC’S laser dimming is perfect. Any dynamic modulation system on a projector will always have issues with gamma modulation and clipping, and I found the NZ9 to be a bit too aggressive in dimming lowto mid-bright image highlights. The dimming would improve black levels at times, but there were also quite a few instances where highlights and brighter objects were affected though the black floor didn’t share the same benefit. This would result in slight changes to color balance, mild highlight clipping, and a muting of detail in bright objects, and it also decreased my subjective perception of contrast.

The good news here is that, with the NZ9’S already high native contrast, laser dimming isn’t needed for the most part. The feature did seem to work better with HDR images than SDR ones, which means it may benefit from the frame analysis that JVC uses for tone mapping. I could see most viewers happily using it, but I can be a bit too picky and was content to leave it off. Ultimately, what I would really like to see JVC implement is a third dimming mode offering the ability to turn the laser off with a full blackout. Seeing a dramatic full black was the only thing I really missed with laser dimming turned off, so it would be great to have a mode that only impacted that situation.

Another new feature JVC announced for both this model and the DLA-NZ8 is an optimized high contrast light engine designed to eliminate uniformity issues caused by reflections within the light path or optics. The new engine effectively addressed this during my testing: nearly all image streaking was reduced, with only a tiny amount visible when a bright object appeared on a full black background. It also dramatically improved the mixed contrast measurements (listed in the Test Bench section) compared with earlier JVC models.

Dlp-based projectors typically score well on such measurements, which reveal contrast as the average picture level of an image is increased, but not LCOS designs like the JVC. But in my testing the NZ9 more than doubled its contrast performance compared with the previous NX9, and it was more in line with what I see from higher-end DLP models.

JVC’S new features added up to a modest but welcome improvement in image quality compared with what I’m used to getting with my NX9. There was additional light to play with in High Laser mode, and I could also get a bit better light output in Mid Laser mode while benefitting from dramatically quieter operation. Of all the new features, the most controversial might be 8K eshiftx, a mode I was curious to test as I didn’t really note any visual improvement with the previous 8K eshift implementation in my NX9.

Given the current dearth of 8K content, I had no real way to test the new e-shiftx system, so I reached out to test equipment manufacturer Murideo to borrow an 8K signal generator. The company loaned me its SIX-G 8K generator so I could put e-shiftx to the test with full 8K-quality test patterns. The NZ9 breezed through the test patterns with crisp, clear representation and no discernable scaling or processing artifacts—a positive sign for the day when we might see consumer 8K content (likely a long time from now). But the real question remains: Does 8K offer any current benefit for home theater systems?

The answer is yes—and no. From a strict resolution standpoint, I find 4K to be more than enough for even the largest home theater screens (and to be honest, movie theater screens as well). Individual pixels in full 4K-resolution static test patterns are non-discernable at most seating distances. And when you add in the fact that the 4K movies and TV shows we watch on disc or via streaming fall short of the full resolution of a static 4K pattern due to losses from motion and video compression, it becomes clear that 8K doesn’t seem necessary.

Where I do see the benefit is when any type of image processing such as scaling and enhancement is being applied. With 8K, these extra processes extend over far more pixels and as a result lack the immediate artifacts you may see at lower resolutions, 4K included. Viewing in 8K also helped with motion resolution. The image took on a quality that reminded me of frame interpolation, but without any of the annoying “soap opera effect” on camera motion and pans. I also noted a subtle increase in apparent depth, dimension, and detail on lots of material I regularly use for testing. So, while I was quite the skeptic about viewing standard HD and 4K content on an 8K display going into this review, the more I watched the more I liked it.

To cite two examples, Eshiftx yielded an appreciable increase in image clarity on the Ultra HD Blu-ray of Blade Runner 2049 and the 4K/HDR image montage on the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark disc. Other scenes I’ve used repeatedly for demos and testing showed marked improvement. The difference wasn’t night and day, but it was visible.

I wanted to have an opportunity to test the NZ9’S 4K/120HZ input with a next-gen gaming console from Microsoft or Sony but was unable to obtain one. (These seem to be really hard to get at the moment.) I was also hoping to test latency with a 4K/120HZ signal (for gaming), but the Murideo generator doesn’t support latency testing at that resolution.

I spent a lot of time with the

NZ9, viewing a wide variety of HD and Ultra HD content from sources including my Oppo 4K Blu-ray player, Kaleidescape Strato system, and Apple TV 4K streamer. Overall performance was a definite uptick from my

NX9, though the difference wasn’t drastic. The laser light engine provided a lot more headroom for HDR than the previous NX9 and subtle improvements in the Theater Optimizer setup further benefited HDR performance.

JVC’S new Auto Frame Adapt HDR mode did a fantastic job balancing the settings to use for overall brightness across different HDR sources, making it a true set-andforget solution compared with the previous line.

When watching a variety of difficult test material I’ve collected for HDR testing, the JVC’S Auto mode always ended up using the amount of range I would have personally selected if I was making manual adjustments across the five available Frame Adapt HDR presets

(-1 thru +2). I am used to viewing 4K/HDR via an outboard video processor in my setup (Lumagen Radiance Pro). While the Radiance Pro had the upper hand during

"Does 8K offer any benefit for home theater? The answer is yes—and no."

some of my most extreme testing (very dark movies like Black Panther, or very bright ones like The Meg), the JVC did a better job handling some of the HDR tone mapping (specifically, some of the necessary desaturation) on the Spears & Munsil montage and even some scenes in The Meg. JVC remains miles ahead of its competition in the projector space when it comes to onboard HDR support, and this new model pushes the envelope even further. I can’t imagine most people having issues with its HDR presentation, and the new Auto mode makes things completely set and forget.

CONCLUSION

Wrapping up, the big question for me is: Are JVC’S new projectors a worthwhile upgrade if you already own one of the previous NX series models? The new DLA-NZ9 without a doubt delivers a betterlooking image than my DLA-NX9, and I already thought the NX9 was one of the best projectors at any price point. Again, the difference wasn’t night and day, but there were appreciable differences when it came to image definition, contrast, and depth. The NZ9 also offers higher light output, quieter operation, and support for true 8K (not to mention 4K/120HZ for gaming) should that ever become a consumer option. And I know that the projector’s laser light engine will outlast a bulb by a considerable amount, so as a long-term projector it easily makes the case for itself.

Ultimately, one must weigh modest improvements in image quality against a substantial increase in features. I don’t think anyone upgrading will regret the decision, and I’ve already decided to take the jump myself by replacing my own NX9 with the new NZ9. I can’t think of a better recommendation than that. If JVC’S NZ9 provides the light output you need for your screen size, I can’t think of a projector that offers better overall picture quality at anywhere near its $25K price point.