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JVC DLA-X95R Performance 1

Posted on June 21, 2013 By Art Feierman

On this page we take a look at the DLA-X95R projector’s brightness, sharpness, and image noise. We’ll discuss brightness in both 2D and 3D, as well. Also considered here are other issues including image noise, light leakage, and audible noise.

JVC rates the DLA-X95R projector as a 1200 lumen projector. As expected it isn’t as bright as JVC’s “entry level projector, the X35 (aka RS46, which is sitting here, already calibrated, and our next review. Mike’s highest measurement was 827 lumens, in Animation mode, with zoom at full wide angle. (757 lumens at mid-point).  Stage mode, which I used when I wanted the brightest good looking picture, was a tad better than Animation but only 9 lumens less bright. The next few screens will deal with pre-calibration information, including photos of how some of the modes look. Further down you’ll find the post calibration information including the measured brightness for D65 and “brightest” mode. First are the lumen measurements for each of the preset and user modes. Also included was the measured color temp for white, for each mode.

JVC DLA-X95R Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom):
Cinema 550 @ 6764 Essentially all the User modes, and several of the others, are the same, but for some variations in which color temp is selected.
Film 514 @ 5933
Natural 685 @ 6921
Stage 748 @ 8273
Animation 757 @ 8904
3D 748 @ 8300
THX 676 @ 6979
User 685 @ 6866

Note, Stage definitely looks a good bit brighter, (with color temp at 7000K , and more so at it’s default 7500K), which Mike’s measured numbers don’t seem to reflect, since he shows only about a 100 lumen difference.

Here are samples of the DLA-X95 projector in different modes: THX, then cali Brightest: Stage, and User 1 (calibrated).  These could have been a little less exposed, but it does give you a look into the differences in brightness, (and a bit of color too.)

 

Regarding Stage mode, the cooler color temp adds to the feeling of “whiter whites” due to more blue, and makes the overall image seem brighter.

Last year, and the year before we showed how JVC’s Detail Enhancement and dynamic sharpness performed.  Check out the JVC RS45 review if you are curious.  This year we’re focusing on e-shift2 instead.  (on the first page under Special Features, and image quality pages).

JVC X95R Effect of zoom on lumen output (Animation mode):
Zoom out: 827
Mid-zoom: 757
Zoom in: 633

Changing the position of your projector, relative to the screen, so that your zoom lens is at full wide angle (projector as close as it can get to the screen) buys you almost exactly 10% more brightness than at mid-point on the zoom (the projector about another 5 feet further back from a 100″ diagonal screen). Even going all the way from wide angle to maximum distance back – telephoto, results in a drop of only about 25%.

That is truly excellent for a 2:1 zoom. Many projectors with that much zoom range see a drop of up to 40% not 25%, and on the lower end of the home theater projector spectrum, the Panasonic PT-AR100U ($1199) drops just about 50%! That’s a real plus, if you want to mount in the back of your room, such as on a high shelf.

FYI:  JVC refers to full brightness as High, and their “eco-mode” as Normal brightess.

Color Temp over IRE Range, (Pre calibration): Cinema
30 IRE 6383
50 IRE 6618
80 IRE 6668
100 IRE 6764

That’s pretty good to start, although a tendency to more red in the lower brightness areas.

JVC DLA-X95R Brightness in eco-mode:

We measured 351lumens @ 7066 with Cinema mode, that compares to Cinema mode producing 550 lumens in High lamp.

That makes the projector about 37% less bright in Normal mode, or you could say that High lamp mode is almost 60% brighter.  Normal (“eco”) is dramatically quieter than Normal, but the question is, will you have enough lumens. the 658 calibrated lumens at full power would therefore be about 420 lumens.  Of course that’s still plenty for a 100″ or slightly larger screen for 2D viewing.

Effect of Lens Aperture setting on the JVC’s Brightness: Animation mode
0 (maximum opening) 757
-7  (half  open) 520
-15 (minimum opening) 219

If you don’t need all the brightness, please note that the more you close down the iris of this JVC, the better the contrast. Blacks will get even blacker, both by virtue of the smaller iris opening, and also because of the reduced overall brightness. Of course, the idea is not to starve yourself of brightness, for a very minor improvement in blacks.

JVC DLA-X95R Image Quality 2
JVC DLA-X95R Performance 2