JVC unveils its latest pair of D-ILA 4K laser projectors with upgrades to brightness, contrast and gaming performance

JVC has announced two new projectors as part of its D-ILA 4K Laser projection series, with the DLA-NZ900 and DLA-NZ800 joining a stacked lineup of five-star beamers.

These 8K capable home cinema projectors feature JVC's latest proprietary projection tech, including a new third-generation 4K D-ILA chipset that's claimed to achieve 1.5 times higher native contrast compared to a traditional projector. In fact, JVC claims that the DLA-NZ900 (known as the DLA-RS4200 in the US and professional market) has a contrast ratio of 150,000:1 compared to the five-star DLA-NZ9's 100,000:1. The DLA-NZ800 (or the DLA-RS3200 in the US and professional market) features a slightly lower 100,000:1 contrast ratio, which is the same as the aforementioned DLA-NZ9.

JVC is also equipping these units with its BLU-Escent Laser light engine which is set to deliver enhanced luminosity and brightness. This system uses a blue laser diode as a light source which will deliver a claimed 3300 lumens on the DLA-NZ900 or 2700 lumens on the DLA-NZ800, with a reported lifespan of 20,000 hours of use for both models. JVC says that these are also more energy-efficient in comparison to its first-generation laser projector. To be exact, JVC says that these projectors' brightness per effective wattage has improved 1.9 times; meaning they won't need to draw as much power to deliver a bright image.

The combination of the latest generation D-ILA chipset and BLU-Escent laser light system are paired with a dynamic light control system which JVC says will deliver "images that are closer to human perception". With an infinite dynamic contrast ratio and a system that shuts off the light source for pitch-black elements, these JVC beamers function somewhat similarly to OLED TVs.

While 4K content will be these projectors' bread and butter, JVC is also keen on 8K with an enhanced second-generation 8K/e-shiftX tech on board to reproduce 8K resolution at 60Hz via pixel shifting. While that isn't wildly exciting to us as 8K content is still extremely sparse, it does mean that these projectors are now capable of receiving 4K/120Hz signals at the full bandwidth of 48GB, presumably over HDMI 2.1. JVC will also include a low-latency mode for high frame rate gaming on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and compatible gaming PCs.

Another key aspect of the improved projection system is all-glass lens modules for both models. The DLA-NZ900 features an 18-element, 16-group 100mm all-glass lens and aluminium lens barrel, with wide shift ranges of 100 per cent vertically and 43 per cent horizontally. The DLA-NZ800, on the other hand, has a smaller 17-element, 15-group 65mm all-glass lens.

JVC is also upgrading its Frame Adapt HDR system with a new second-generation version. According to JVC, it will analyse the maximum brightness of HDR10 content per frame using a proprietary algorithm that will measure and adjust the dynamic range in real-time to achieve "the optimum range for video projection". On the subject of HDR, both projectors support HDR10+.

Prefer a purist approach with less processing? Filmmaker Mode is also on board for an "as the director intended" approach. This mode will disable frame interpolation and noise reduction in order to produce a "picture quality that is authentic to the filmmaker’s vision". At the other end of the spectrum, the new Vivid picture mode reproduces SDR content with a rich, vibrant and crisp picture quality that JVC says is best suited to animated content.

Colour also gets a boost via JVC's cinematic colour filters, which will reportedly deliver a wider colour gamut that's equivalent to DCI-P3 colour and BT.709, which is useful for recreating HDR content with the expanded colour gamut found on 4K Blu-ray discs. Motion too gets a boost with an updated version of JVC's Clear Motion Drive system. This upgraded system sets out to reduce afterimages and offer smoother reproduction of 4K and 8K images.

Both new JVC models are expected to launch in June, with pricing information expected soon. The existing DLA-NZ7 and DLA-NP5 will remain as part of the current lineup, while it appears that these models will replace the DLA-NZ9 and DLA-NZ8.

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