If you are lucky enough to have a budget of $10,000 or more, projectors at this price point is where you get to see the best of the best for those who demand performance, reliability, and outstanding picture quality. We understand that these home theater projectors would be considered luxury items by most people, but, if you can afford one, you certainly can’t beat their performance.
The XW7000ES new 0.61-inch native 4K UHD (3840×2160) SXRD panels delivered a sharp picture. Due to its X1 Ultimate video processor, the XW7000ES did an excellent job upscaling HD content. In addition, the projector-optimized X1 Ultimate processor combines signal HDR analysis and precise modulation of its 3200-lumen laser source to produce a stunning HDR picture.
The XW7000ES produced close to its rated brightness of 3200 ANSI lumens even in its most accurate picture modes. Many projectors deliver significantly less than their rated brightness when placed in their most accurate picture mode and it is not uncommon to see the brightness cut in half.
Price
$27,999
Technology
SXRD
Native Resolution
3840x2160
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3200
Contrast
∞:1
Zoom Lens Ratio
2.14:1
Lens Shift
Yes
Lamp Life
20,000 Hours
Weight
31 Pounds
Warranty
3 years
When it comes to native contrast and black levels, very few home theater projectors except for JVC DILA projectors can match/beat the XW7000ES. I have not come across a single-chip DLP home theater projector that can even come close.
Lastly, the XW7000ES, like most Sony SXRD projectors, includes several “installer-friendly” features including a motorized lens with tons of zoom and lens shift, including position memories. Picture position memories are great for customers with masking screens or anyone who want to maximize the image size of 16:9 and widescreen on a 2.35:1 screen.
In addition, the XW7000ES has a large amount of zoom and horizontal/vertical lens shift capability, which makes installation a breeze, especially when trying to replace an older, previously mounted unit.
With a retail price of $27,999, the XW7000ES does command a premium price over most 4K home theater projectors, its outstanding SDR and HDR picture quality and feature set make it worth every penny. The XW7000ES would be a great addition to any premium home cinema and it is highly recommended.
At a retail price of $25,999, the JVC DLA-NZ9 / RS4100 is at the top end of the JVC 4K projector lineup. The JVC DLA-NZ9 is an HDR home theater projector that delivers true 4K resolution (4096 x 2160).
It uses the 18 Element, 16 Group, All-Glass 100mm Diameter Zoom Lens to ensure that all of the resolution provided by its native 4K imagers reach the screen.
The unit’s BLU-Escent laser light source technology can produce brightness up to 3,000lm for 20,000 hours of nearly maintenance-free operation.
The NZ9’s high native contrast ratio of 100,000:1 (1,000,000:1 Dynamic) combined with 4K resolution and JVC’s industry-leading black levels result in exceptional picture quality.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Price
$25,999
Technology
DILA 3Chip
Native Resolution
4,096 x 2,160
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3000
Contrast
100,000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio
2.00:1
Lens Shift
Yes
Lamp Life
20,000 Hours
Weight
56 Pounds
Warranty
3 years
To maximize the HDR performance of the NZ9, it includes a couple of JVC proprietary technologies. First is Frame Adapt HDR which is dynamic scene-by-scene and frame-by-frame HDR tone mapping of HDR10 content. Next is Theater Optimizer which combines information provided by the user with the unit’s current status to provide a more accurate baseline on which to apply their dynamic tone mapping.
In addition, to supporting the HDR10 format used in UHD Blu-ray and streaming, along with the HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) format used in broadcasting, the NZ9 also supports HDR10+.
JVC offers two different series of D-ILA Home Theater Projectors which differ mainly in their cosmetic appearance. Both series are designed for home theater customers and production facilities but sell through different sales channels. For example, NZ (Procision) Series projectors are sold through retailers like BestBuy and Crutchfield, while the RS (Reference) Series models are available through the custom installation dealer network.
JVC is one of the premium manufacturers of Home Theater Projectors. Over the years, due to their high contrast, great black level, and native 4K resolution, their projectors have won numerous awards.
The NX9/RS3000 is one of only 2 projectors getting our “Premium Home Theater Award” because it utilizes JVC’s 3rd generation 0.69-inch 4K D-ILA devices to offer not only 4K resolution but higher native contrast than most projectors on the market.
The JVC DLA-RS3000 is an HDR projector with a native resolution of 4K (4096 x 2160). JVC’s proprietary 8K e-shift technology shifts pixels diagonally 0.5 pixels, quadrupling the picture perceived resolution to 8192 x 4320. While the RS3000 cannot accept an 8K signal and is not equipped with HDMI 2.1(HDCP 2.3) inputs, the unit can upscale 4K content to 8K before it is displayed.
It delivers rich, vibrant colors and is equipped with a 100 mm diameter lens which adopts an all-glass design with 18 elements in 16 groups to deliver a high-resolution image with sharp focus across the entire screen.
To improve its HDR performance, the RS3000 is equipped with Frame Adapt HDR which is scene-by scene and frame-by frame HDR analysis and dynamic tone mapping. JVC added this functionality to most of their native 4K and 8K e-shift Home Theater models in the fall of 2019. JVC recently introduced their new Theater Optimizer, which combines information provided by the user with the unit’s current status to provide a more accurate baseline on which to apply their dynamic tone mapping
JVC offers two different series of 4K D-ILA Projectors, which differ mainly in their cosmetic appearance. Both series are designed for home theater customers and production facilities but sell through different sales channels. We reviewed the JVC DLA-RS3000, which is nearly identical to the DLA-NX9.
Compared to the competition, I have yet to find a single-chip consumer 4K DLP projector that could come anywhere close to the color fidelity, contrast, and black level of a JVC LCoS projector like a DLA-RS3000. If you have the budget to step up from a 4K DLP projector to a 4K JVC D-ILA, you should absolutely do it.
