A quarter of a century ago JVC rewrote the projector rulebook when it developed a proprietary SXGA version of Liquid Crystal on Silicon technology that would go on to revolutionise the projector world. Called D-ILA, JVC’s LCoS variation had a ground-breaking impact on picture quality, especially when it came to black levels and contrast.
Its impact was so great, in fact, that JVC’s home cinema projectors retain a comfortable advantage in this key picture quality area even today, 16 years after the brand launched D-ILA technology’s first truly game-changing home cinema projector, the legendary DLA-HD1.
JVC is so proud of its D-ILA story that it’s decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its first D-ILA system by creating a limited edition release of its most extreme home cinema projector to date: The cunningly named DLA-25LTD.
The limited edition JVC DLA-25LTD projector is designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of JVC's ... [+] D-ILA technology.
Set to cost the small matter of £33,000 when it launches around the middle of December, the DLA-25LTD is hand assembled using carefully selected parts to deliver an unprecedented native contrast ratio of 150,000:1. Native meaning that it delivers its peerless contrast without needing any help from dynamic irises or any of the other potential causes of image instability and compromise that rival projector systems have to rely on.
If this doesn’t sound like justification enough for you to stump up £33,000, then the native 4K resolution can also, like JVC’s other premium laser-based projectors for 2022, handle 8K courtesy of JVC’s 8K eShift system, and support 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz. Each 25LTD will sport, too, a silver chrome-plated center plate engraved with an exclusive logo and serial number, as well as a ring around its all-glass lens that’s made from anodized silver. A 25th Anniversary logo will be displayed when the projector is turned on, and finally all 25LTD buyers will be presented separately with a 25th anniversary commemorative plaque containing an actual D-ILA element and engraved again with a serial number.
Before charging off to your nearest ATM or to sell a kidney, though, you should know that JVC is only making 20 - yes, that’s 20 - 25LTDs available in the US, and 20 more in Europe. So just because you want and can afford one won’t necessarily mean you’ll actually be able to secure one. If you want to give it a go, though, I do have a pre-order contact email address for Europe: sales@uk.jvckenwood.com.
Top down view of the DLA-25LTD showing the special 25th Anniversary inscription
Down in the much more affordable home cinema world where most of us mere mortals hang out, JVC has taken the opportunity of its 25LTD announcement to also unveil details of a substantial new firmware update it’s rolling out to its DLA-NZ9, DLA-NZ8, DLA-NZ7, DLA-NP5, DLA-RS4100, DLA-RS3100, DLA-RS2100 and DLA-RS1100 models from mid November.
This new firmware introduces three major new features and improvements, starting with additions to JVC’s excellent Frame Adapt HDR dynamic tone mapping system. First, a new ‘Auto (wide)’ HDR level mode has been added that places more emphasis on brightness. Second, two new picture modes have been added to the Frame Adapt HDR mode for HDR10 sources, giving you more flexibility when it comes to compensating for different room conditions.
The second big feature introduced by the new update is a new Laser Dynamic Control mode. Previously, control was based exclusively on the average luminance of the entire screen. In the new mode, though, picture adjustment is based on peak luminance, resulting in pictures with an increased dynamic range, punchier highlights and enhanced contrast in scenes with a low peak luminance. This new feature is not available on the DLA-NP5/DLA-RS1100 models, as these use lamps rather than lasers.
The third big feature of the new JVC projector update is the addition of the Filmmaker mode. Developed by the UHD Alliance, the Filmmaker Mode is designed to deliver the most ‘accurate’ (to mastering standards) picture quality any device that carries it can deliver. Which typically means turning off features such as frame interpolation and noise reduction, while setting the colour temperature to D65 (6500 Kelvins).
I suspect that once many users have experienced what JVC’s latest Fame Adapt HDR feature can do they might find the Filmmaker Mode a little flat. At the same time, though, having accurate modes available for those who want them is never a bad thing, and the Filmmaker Mode can usually be relied on to deliver impressive insight and subtleties that other manufacturer-generated profiles sometimes lose.
One final more minor new feature of the upcoming new firmware update sees JVC adding additional screen models to its Screen Adjustment Mode feature, where the projectors can tweak pictures to optimise them for different makes of screen.
The new firmware will be numbered V.2.XX, and will be free to owners of any of the affected projectors. Once it’s gone live, you’ll be able to install the new firmware by downloading the file from JVC’s support site.
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