JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality8 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 Overall Color & Picture Quality The RS20 out of the box, as noted, leaves much to be desired in color accuracy and saturation, except in THX mode. THX is very impressive, but to my taste, it’s a little lacking in wow factor – a little flat. Don’t get me wrong, the RS20 really does look excellent in THX, it’s just that it can do better. THX mode also doesn’t quite have as dark a black level performance, as we achieved after calibrating. The thing is, to best calibrate the DLA-RS20 requires the color management system, and is tricky. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, if you are spending “the big bucks” for an RS20, plan to spend the additional few hundred for a really good calibration, if you want to get the best out of this projector. After much work here, and help with the CMS from some of the very serious enthusiasts on the forums, we obtained an excellent calibration. (For more about it, see the calibration page.) While the colors are not as dead on as my favorite (for color accuracy), the InFocus IN83, which seems to look about perfect, in terms of colors and skin tones, no matter what you throw at it, the JVC RS20, is close behind. I’ve got some side by side images, and you can see differences, in some of them, but others look so close you might mistake them for being the same projector. Skin tones still have the tiniest amount of extra red when the faces, etc., are not well lit. Much better (extremely good) in bright scenes. These are minor things, there’s no doubt far more variation in skin tones, from one movie to the next, than the overall amount of shift in the JVC RS20. The RS20 looks really great in terms of color accuracy- until, you put it side by side with the InFocus. Put it next to an Epson 6500UB, Panasonic PT-AE3000, and it’s better overall, as is also true with the Sony HW10, and BenQ W20000. You should get the idea. Let’s finish this off by saying, properly calibrated, the overall picture quality, including shadow details and color balance are excellent, but not the best. But, when you factor in the incredible black level performance of the RS20, then there’s no other projector under $10,000, that I’ve worked with, that I’d rather own. Even the slightly softer sharpness/crispness of the RS20 compared to the absolute sharpest of the 1080p projectors is, by my taste, a very minor thing, in the overall quest for the getting the best possible image on the screen. 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 Quality7 JVC DLA-RS20 Projector – Image Quality9