CEDIA 2013

JVC’s 2013 launch includes, as usual, two separate lines of projectors, the Reference line and the Procision line. As before, the two ranges are essentially identical in performance, with the biggest difference being that the Reference line is sold only through professional channels and the Procision line through consumer outlets. We will address only the Procision lineup here.

The new Procision lineup consists of three new models: the DLA-X900R at $12,000, the DLA-X700R at $8000, and the DLA-X500R at $5000. The DLA-X35 from last year remains in the line unchanged at $3500.

The signature feature of the new models is eShift 3. The new projectors will accept a true 4K input, but the imaging chips remain 2K. A 4K input is first converted into two 2K images, with each such image then output in a rapid, sequential, shifted fashion using an enhanced version of the eShift technology employed in JVC’s projectors over the past two years (see our recent JVC reviews for more in-depth detail on eShift).

One could easily argue that this is a kludge, and in no way true 4K. On the latter point you'd have a good case. But the images shown in JVC’s demos, many of them from 4K sources on a Red Ray server, were consistently stunning, and it might take a direct comparison with a true 4K projector to revel the visible differences, if any.

Less headline-grabbing but still worthy details on the new projectors include 6th generation imaging LCOS imaging chips, a selectable dynamic iris to further enhance the striking contrast that JVC projectors have traditionally offered (JVC call this iris, a first for them, the Intelligent Lens Aperture), a 40% reduction in the gap between the pixels, a Clear Black feature designed to limit bleed-over from a bright pixel to a darker one, a Smartphone App for control of the projector, and an Adobe RGB color space (on the top five models) for displaying photos. All three top models also include a full color management system.