JVC DLA-RS15 Remote Control

Posted on October 10, 2013 By Art Feierman

JVC has a new remote control for this year’s models. Outstanding! Not that it’s new (but Outstanding!), in that I really disliked the one that came with my RS-20. Layout was fine. Buttons were decent (not the very best “feel” but fine), but the range was abysmal. I could rarely get a bounce off of my screen with the remote. Even turning around and pointing to the projector up on its rear shelf about 12 feet away wasn’t bulletproof. By comparison this RS15 remote control has tons of range. I had just set the RS15 up on the table in my large theater (with my own RS20 up on a shelf), and I grabbed the remote, and pointed toward the front screen, barely paying attention, and bingo. Both projectors fired up. So I grabbed the old remote, and decided I’d see what it took to turn the two projectors off from the same spot, with the old remote. 10 minutes later, they were both on. So I picked up the new remote, pressed Off twice, and they both shut down. Outstanding – great range. The layout is just fine, although it is re-arranged from last year’s remote control. The backlight does a nice job – not too bright, not too dark. JVC’s decision to replace the old remote may be the biggest single improvement that everyone can appreciate.

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DLA-RS15 Lens Throw

The JVC RS15’s 2:1 aspect ratio zoom lens provides plenty of placement flexibility to either ceiling or shelf mount. To fill a 100 inch diagonal, 16:9 aspect ratio screen, the front of the projector can be as close as 9 feet, 11 inches, or as far back as 20 feet, 2 inches. Using these measurements for 100 inches, you can figure out the range for any other screen size. These are the same as with last year’s JVC projectors.

DLA-RS15 Lens Shift

The RS15 has lots of lens shift too, and it’s motorized. For that same 100 inch screen, the projector can be placed anywhere between 15 inches above the top of your screen surface, to 15 inches below the bottom of the screen surface. Those are approximates, JVC doesn’t have exact numbers in its manual, but likely it’s 14 inches and change above and below.

There are some projectors with a bit more lens shift, but that’s pretty good flexibility. The horizontal lens shift allows a maximum of about 30 inches to the left or right of the center point.

Remember, that the two “work together” the more vertical you use, the less horizontal is available, and vice versa. If you have maximum vertical, there is no horizontal lens shift, and so on.

Anamorphic Lens

JVC offers an anamorphic lens and motorized sled for the JVC DLA-RS15, and HD550. JVC uses a Panamorph lens, and sled. If you buy it from JVC, instead of Panamorph (through your dealer, either way), you’ll get a custom mounting plate for the sled, instead of a “universal” one with lots of different holes to support many projectors. It’s your call. It’s possible you can save money using the generic. If you are going through a local dealer, you’ll spend less money on the mounting, with the JVC custom version, which might offset the higher cost. If you are doing it yourself, well, a custom plate is easier, obviously, but if you have talent with such things, I’m sure the generic plate will serve you just as well, even if it takes a bit longer.