JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality2 Posted on January 26, 2009 By Art Feierman 1. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Review - DLA-RS20 Projector Highlights - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Overview2. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Special Features - THX Certification - Color Management System (CMS) - Motorized Lens System3. JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Tour - JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output - JVC DLA-RS20 Menus4. JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Tour2 - JVC DLA-RS20 Remote Control - DLA-RS20 Lens Throw - DLA-RS20 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens5. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality - DLA-RS20 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality2 - Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison7. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail and Black Levels Comparison 8. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality4 - Space Cowboys Comparison - Satellite Comparison9. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality5 - Shadow Detail and Dark Blacks Comparison10. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality6 - Projectors Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison11. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality7 - The Night Train Comparison12. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality8 - Overall Color & Picture Quality13. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality9 - JVC DLA-RS20U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports14. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance - JVC DLA-RS20 Brightness - DLA-RS20 Projector - Uncalibrated - Cinema 2: 722 lumens - The Effect of zoom lens positioning on brightness15. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance2 - Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison16. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance3 - Computer Monitor Comparsion - JVC DLA-RS20: Bottom Line Sharpness17. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance4 - Light Leakage - JVC DLA-RS20 Image Noise - DLA-RS20 Audible Noise18. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings - JVC DLA-RS20 Color Temperature - Cinema 2 mode - THX mode - Temperature Measurement19. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings2 - JVC DLA-RS20 Basic Settings20. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings3 - JVC DLA-RS20 Post Calibration Grayscale - Gamma settings - JVC DLA-RS20 RGB Settings - Color Temp settings - CMS Settings21. JVC DLA-RS20 – Projector Screens - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Screen Recommendations22. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors - DLA-RS20 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB, Pro 7500UB23. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors2 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. BenQ W2000024. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors3 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Optoma HD81-LV25. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors4 - DLA-RS20 vs. InFocus IN83 - Bright Areas Comparison26. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors5 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300027. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors6 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. JVC DLA-RS2, DLA-RS1028. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors7 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Sony VPL-HW1029. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Warranty30. JVC DLA-RS20 – Review Summary - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector - The Bottom Line - Brightness31. JVC DLA-RS20 – Review Summary2 - Audible noise - Fancy features - Bottom Line32. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Pros - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Cons - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Typical Capabilities33. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Specifications Black Levels & Shadow DetailBlack level performance and handling of dark shadow details are closely intertwined. A projector can have so-so black levels but very good shadow detail, and you end up with a dark scene that is very flat looking. Or, you can have great black levels and just “good” shadow detail, and you end up with the opposite, a dark picture with a lot of pop, but some areas may show a little less, or no detail in a particular area, whereas that the other projector does. I think most prefer the second example. The slight loss of shadow detail and great blacks is typified by the Epson Home Cinema 6500UB. The Mitsubishi HC5500 would be a good example of the first scenario. Ideally you want exceptional performance at both. That brings us to the RS20. Its black level abilities are unmatched. Richer and darker blacks than anything I’ve seen. The shadow detail, on the other hand, is simply typical of very good projectors out there. The combination of the two makes for the best looking dark scenes I think you can hope to find today. Black Levels ComparisonEpson Home Cinema 6500UBMitsubishi HC5500 Mitsubishi HC6500Panasonic PT-AE3000JVC RS2 PreviousNext First is a seriously overexposed shot of the starship in The Fifth Element. Note, that even with this ridiculous level of overexposure, the blacks in the image, and the letterbox are still not much brighter than pure black. Immediately below it, is a less overexposed version, for better comparing with the same image in older reviews. In this first image, I have left in part of the letterboxing, so you can see the basic black level more easily. Click to enlarge. so close. I also took side-by-side images with a fully black “image”. There are no larger versions to click on. The interesting thing about shooting fully black “scenes” is that different projectors, so equipped, will close down their dynamic irises to different degrees. Just because one projector looks blacker on a black scene, does not guaranty that that projector is still blacker on a dark, but not fully black scene. Click Image to EnlargeClick to enlarge. so close. In this case, though, the the comparison is between the JVC (on the right) and the InFocus IN83 on the left. Neither have a dynamic iris. So, what you see, is what you get. The IN83 sports a Darkchip4 processor, which is, I believe as good as DLP gets in terms of black levels (without adding a dynamic iris). There’s no comparison between the two projectors, the JVC blows the InFocus away (The photo was taken with a time exposure just long enough to bring up the background of the JVC so you can see it along side the InFocus): Click Image to EnlargeClick to enlarge. so close. Both are from The Dark Knight, the first is a production company logo at the very start (on a black background), and the second a night scene in Gotham. Both are a bit overexposed so you can better compare black levels (click to enlarge). Click Image to Enlarge 1. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Review - DLA-RS20 Projector Highlights - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Overview2. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Special Features - THX Certification - Color Management System (CMS) - Motorized Lens System3. JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Tour - JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output - JVC DLA-RS20 Menus4. JVC DLA-RS20 Physical Tour2 - JVC DLA-RS20 Remote Control - DLA-RS20 Lens Throw - DLA-RS20 Lens Shift - Anamorphic Lens5. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality - DLA-RS20 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones6. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality2 - Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Levels Comparison7. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality3 - Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail and Black Levels Comparison 8. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality4 - Space Cowboys Comparison - Satellite Comparison9. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality5 - Shadow Detail and Dark Blacks Comparison10. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality6 - Projectors Comparison - Thumbnail Comparison11. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality7 - The Night Train Comparison12. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality8 - Overall Color & Picture Quality13. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality9 - JVC DLA-RS20U Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports14. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance - JVC DLA-RS20 Brightness - DLA-RS20 Projector - Uncalibrated - Cinema 2: 722 lumens - The Effect of zoom lens positioning on brightness15. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance2 - Sharpness - Sharpness Comparison16. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance3 - Computer Monitor Comparsion - JVC DLA-RS20: Bottom Line Sharpness17. JVC DLA-RS20 – Performance4 - Light Leakage - JVC DLA-RS20 Image Noise - DLA-RS20 Audible Noise18. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings - JVC DLA-RS20 Color Temperature - Cinema 2 mode - THX mode - Temperature Measurement19. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings2 - JVC DLA-RS20 Basic Settings20. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Calibration and Settings3 - JVC DLA-RS20 Post Calibration Grayscale - Gamma settings - JVC DLA-RS20 RGB Settings - Color Temp settings - CMS Settings21. JVC DLA-RS20 – Projector Screens - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Screen Recommendations22. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors - DLA-RS20 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6500UB, Pro 7500UB23. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors2 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Mitsubishi HC7000 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. BenQ W2000024. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors3 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z3000 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Optoma HD81-LV25. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors4 - DLA-RS20 vs. InFocus IN83 - Bright Areas Comparison26. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors5 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Panasonic PT-AE300027. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors6 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. JVC DLA-RS2, DLA-RS1028. JVC DLA-RS20 – Competitors7 - JVC DLA-RS20 vs. Sony VPL-HW1029. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Warranty30. JVC DLA-RS20 – Review Summary - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector - The Bottom Line - Brightness31. JVC DLA-RS20 – Review Summary2 - Audible noise - Fancy features - Bottom Line32. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Pros - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Cons - JVC DLA-RS20 Projector: Typical Capabilities33. JVC DLA-RS20 Projector Specifications JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality3