JVC DLA-X95R Home Theater Projector - Review Summary 3

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Art Feierman

JVC DLA-X95R Projector: Pros

❮ ❯

There sure are a lot of Pros!

Excellent color post calibration
Best black level performance and dynamic range - no iris, none needed
Good CFI - while some CFI modes have some issues, plenty to choose from (3,4)
Optics seem particularly good, there's a bit of extra "clarity", or so it seems
Above average brightness in "best" movie mode (658 lumens) for movie viewing
Very good dark shadow detail, expecially considering the dark blacks
2D->3D available - try it with some of your 2D videos from your camcorder, at least the kids should like
Lens Memory - allows movie fans to go with a widescreen - such as 2.35:1 cinemascope (10 savable modes - a bit of overkill)
Zoom, Focus, Lens shift, are all motorized
Supports anamorphic lens
An iOS app is now available to control the DLA-X95R from your iPhone or iPad!
Wide variety of color presets
Extensive gamma and custom gamma controls
Very good menu layout
Excellent remote control
Reasonably good documentation
Excellent placement flexibility
Reasonably quiet projector - fairly quiet at full power, essentially silent at low power
Physically fairly large, but atttractive (if the "wife" let's you hang a projector, this one should be OK)
Excellent warranty - 3 years parts and labor (1 year or 1000 hours on lamp)

JVC DLA-X95R Projector: Cons

Documentation, though not bad, needs better feature explanations
Below average in "brightest mode" (less than 800 lumens measured at mid-point on the zoom)
Needs to be a good deal brighter for 3D - stick to smaller screens or high gain ones
2D-3D conversion needs work.
A 3rd HDMI input would be nice (always)
On the expensive side - $11,999 MSRP

But for 3D viewing, which I really enjoy, I could easily live with JVC's DLA-X95R or its DLA-RS66U twin. Fortunately I've got really good lighting control in my theater, otherwise, though I'd probably complain a bit more about "brightest mode" brightness, so I can watch HDTV and sports with others in a more social environment. While there's no questioin about the DLA-X95R's roots, (the similarities to my old RS20 are obvious), JVC has certainly upped its game over the last few years. A first class choice for the right person, right viewing preferences, right room.