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SubscribeJVC has announced a major revamp of its home theater projector line, including three new laser models and the first home theater projectors to support pixel-for-pixel display of 8K video.
The projectors all use the new third generation of JVC's BLU-Escent laser phosphor light engine technology, with a light source life of up to 20,000 hours. Previously the tech was only available on the flagship model DLA-RS4500. The light engine uses blue laser diodes with a yellow phosphor to provide a brightness of up to 3,000 lumens from the DLA-NZ9, 2,500 lumens for the DLA-NZ8, and 2,200 lumens for the DLA-NZ7. Rated native contrast is 100,000:1 for the DLA-NZ9, 80,000:1 for the DLA-NZ8, and 40,000:1 for the DLA-NZ7.
Ultra-high contrast optics in the DLA-NZ9 and DLA-NZ8 help improve brightness thanks to an efficient green component polarization method and a new optical device that keeps unwanted light scatter from reaching the projection screen. A cinema filter gives the two projectors a 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space.
The flagship DLA-NZ9 has a 100 mm, 18 element, 16 group all-glass lens with an aluminum barrel. It has a wide shift range of ±100 degrees vertical and ±43 degrees horizontal. The DLA-NZ8 and DLA-NZ7 lens is also all glass, but 65 mm with a vertical shift of ±80 degrees and ±34 degrees horizontal. The lenses on all have motorized focus and 2x optical zoom.
The new JVC laser D-ILA models are also among the first home theater projectors to comply with the HDR10+ specifications. So they will be capable of using dynamic metadata in compatible HDR content. They also carry over JVC's well-regarded Frame Adapt HDR that adds dynamic scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame tone mapping to HDR10 content, and the Theater Optimizer tech introduced last year that fine tunes the projector's HDR performance by taking into account installation characteristics, projector settings and light source life. 3D is supported on all projectors.
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Connections on the new Procision/Reference Series projectors include two HDMI 2.1 with a throughput of 48Gbps and HDCP 2.3 (although no CEC support), trigger out, 3D synchro out, RS-232C, Ethernet, and a USB for service.
Among laser home theater projectors, the new models are all very competitively priced with the DLA-NZ9/DLA-RS4100 MSRP set at $24,999, the DLA-NZ8/DLA-RS3100 at $14,999, and the DLA-NZ7/DLA-RS2100 at $9,999. They will be available for purchase in October. The lamp-based DLA-NX5, a ProjectorCentral Editor's Choice, is still available to fill the $5,999 price point.
I would be far more willing to spend $20-$30k on a projector - and allow it to be used for 8-10 hours a day by everyone in the household if I didn't haven't to throw the projector away after 5 years.
Even if the new laser diode cost $1k - it would be a much more reasonable value proposition than throwing away the whole thing.
I don't see myself ever needing a more capable projector than a 3000 lumen : 4K native : 100,000 to 1 projector.
AJ
But native 4k, laser, pretty much the holy grail in projector technology.
The upsides are too much for me to ignore at present. No lamp to replace, no picture to slowly degrade and need recalibrated over time, full bandwidth HDMI ports (though not licensed to call themselves "HDMI 2.1"), and notably higher light output are all reasons why I'd choose to wait for the NZ7. That's not to mention the 8K upscaling which I've seen on the NX9 - this just sounds like a winner.
Plus, I've not read any reviews that gave the NX-5 bad marks for its contrast - including from this website. I'm totally willing to make these trade-offs.
Robin, What if I don’t have a preamp that can handle 8k? I would route from the source directly to the projector then use eARC to send the sound back to the pre-amp using something like the SHARC eARC audio adapter to strip off the audio and send it in a format my preamp can use.
When will you be posting your impressions on your NZ7 review sample? More specifically how it compares from an image perspective to the NX7? Also any figures you have so far measured?
It seems projectors no longer compete with regular TVs. They have become rare birds like the Do-Do bird or possibly they have become a rare unicorn. Too rare (and too high priced) for me.
I'll stick with my just fine 1080P lens memory Epson I paid $3k for 10 years ago. The new models look better but I still have a great picture with lens memory and it handles most of what is available and makes it look great.
Screw this industry. The prices have gone mad.
Re timing, they originally told us late October so not surprised to hear that November is now the (current) realistic launch.
