JVC DLA-RS1000 (DLA-NX5) 4K UHD Projector Review (1 Viewer)

[Dave Upton]

The DLA-RS1000 (also known as the DLA-NX5 when sold to consumer customers) is JVC’s most affordable native 4K projector with a 4096×2160 native resolution. This price point is significant since the DLA-NX5 does not rely on e-Shift technology to achieve its resolution, and includes many elements from more costly siblings like the DLA-RS2000 including a 0.69 inch D-ILA panel and an all glass 65mm lens.
Since 4K projectors hit the market I’ve been eager to get a JVC unit into my theater for review, but held off due to the lack of native 4K resolution. While JVC’s e-Shift technology allows a 1080p panel to produce a 4K image (affectionately termed Faux K) and is well liked by most customers, I had a hard time justifying this over Sony’s established native 4K lineup.
With their most recent revision of their projector lineup, JVC has brought native 4K to their entry level model in the...

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[john a hunter]

You're making my mouth water Dave.
Any chance you will get to compare the JVC with the new Sony which is getting rave reviews here?

 

[Dave Upton]

Are you referring to the VPL-VW295ES? If so, time will tell.

I can tell you based on my previous history with Sony that JVC seems to have absolutely trounced them in the lens department outside the 995ES.

 

[DavidJ]

Oh, I am intrigued.

 

[DaveF]

@Dave Upton Thanks for the review. Here's my six thousand dollar question: Is this JVC's update for 2020 - 2021?


Right now, Fall / Winter, is when projector makers including JVC typically announce new models. I was hoping for an iteration and/or price drop on the JVC NX5/7/9 line to buy in 2020 or early 2021. But, here you are with a November 2020 review of the NX5 with a firmware update. Suggesting no new JVC hardware or pricing until maybe Fall 2021.

What's your read? If I'm starting the 4K upgrade, is now the time to buy a projector? Or is there reason to wait a month or three (or even twelve) for something major coming up?

The JVC NX5 and NX7 are my primary contenders. But it feels weird to me to go with a two year old projector, when I thought there would the new hotness coming out now.

 

[Dave Upton]

@Dave Upton Thanks for the review. Here's my six thousand dollar question: Is this JVC's update for 2020 - 2021?


Right now, Fall / Winter, is when projector makers including JVC typically announce new models. I was hoping for an iteration and/or price drop on the JVC NX5/7/9 line to buy in 2020 or early 2021. But, here you are with a November 2020 review of the NX5 with a firmware update. Suggesting no new JVC hardware or pricing until maybe Fall 2021.

What's your read? If I'm starting the 4K upgrade, is now the time to buy a projector? Or is there reason to wait a month or three (or even twelve) for something major coming up?

The JVC NX5 and NX7 are my primary contenders. But it feels weird to me to go with a two year old projector, when I thought there would the new hotness coming out now.

Dave,

I have no information from JVC here, but my gut tells me that if they rev their hardware it will likely be in late 2021 or early 2022, since their current crop can handle all current content. All manufacturers will need to be adding HDMI 2.1 support in 2021 or 22, so that is what will likely drive the next round of hardware changes from Sony, JVC and Epson.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks. That’s what I’ve read elsewhere: no new hardware. The new firmware is the JVC 2020 upgrade.

 

[Sam Posten]

Thanks for the review Dave. I know you are intent on pushing forward with projection but I’m finding it very hard to get excited about any PJs in 2020.

HDR deficiency is just so deflating. Add up the weight and cost to the current generation and they are so far off PQ wise from OLED and I’m seriously considering going to an 80inch class panel instead of my current 120” screen.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Thanks for the review Dave. I know you are intent on pushing forward with projection but I’m finding it very hard to get excited about any PJs in 2020.

HDR deficiency is just so deflating. Add up the weight and cost to the current generation and they are so far off PQ wise from OLED and I’m seriously considering going to an 80inch class panel instead of my current 120” screen.

I wonder though about this HDR craze at least for content originally intended for theatrical release.

I don't feel like my Epson 5050UB, let alone the JVC models, is necessarily missing anything significant that should actually be there -- maybe a little bit of blown highlights or crushed dark areas here or there plus not easily recognized loss of color fidelity, but...

(Extra) HDR eye candy doesn't necessarily equal or yield fidelity to the original intent.

Sure, that may be true for some (mostly newer) theatrical content, but...

I can't get too excited about HDR eye candy just for the sake of HDR eye candy.

_Man_

 

[Dave Upton]

Thanks for the review Dave. I know you are intent on pushing forward with projection but I’m finding it very hard to get excited about any PJs in 2020.

HDR deficiency is just so deflating. Add up the weight and cost to the current generation and they are so far off PQ wise from OLED and I’m seriously considering going to an 80inch class panel instead of my current 120” screen.

Projection requires a great deal more effort to get right. For one, if you aren't covering the walls/ceiling in black velvet and totally eliminating all non-PJ light, you're dramatically impacting your contrast ratio. In a room that is properly set up with a laser light source, the Sony VPL-VW995ES is as close to OLED as you can get. Now, it's certainly true that OLED remains better - but that's physics at work.

I would still rather have a 120" slightly compromised picture than an 80" OLED picture, because that frankly feels tiny to me these days.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Projection requires a great deal more effort to get right. For one, if you aren't covering the walls/ceiling in black velvet and totally eliminating all non-PJ light, you're dramatically impacting your contrast ratio. In a room that is properly set up with a laser light source, the Sony VPL-VW995ES is as close to OLED as you can get. Now, it's certainly true that OLED remains better - but that's physics at work.

I would still rather have a 120" slightly compromised picture than an 80" OLED picture, because that frankly feels tiny to me these days.

Yeah, 80" just feels too small now. That plus you can vary the size to suit the content w/ FP instead of being stuck w/ an even smaller image for those content that really could use the extra size.

I'm actually thinking to go w/ a 135" 16x9 screen that I'll use full width for anything that needs the extra size and then go smaller for those that don't (ala windowbox maybe w/ appropriate matting applied). I'd want epic movies to look clearly bigger than say your avg rom-com or intimate drama meant for smaller (typically 1.66-1.85:1 AR) views -- and IMAX format content should get the largest view. I also want some variance/distinction for more and more stuff in ARs like 2:1.

Can't do any of that w/ a fixed size panel.

_Man_

 

[DaveF]

Projection requires a great deal more effort to get right. For one, if you aren't covering the walls/ceiling in black velvet and totally eliminating all non-PJ light, you're dramatically impacting your contrast ratio. In a room that is properly set up with a laser light source, the Sony VPL-VW995ES is as close to OLED as you can get. Now, it's certainly true that OLED remains better - but that's physics at work.

I would still rather have a 120" slightly compromised picture than an 80" OLED picture, because that frankly feels tiny to me these days.

Unforunately a pure, black-velvet room is unrealistic for most people. I've got a nice media room. And it's done in dark tones, but for aesthetic reasons, I can't have a velvet garment factory, so it has a mix of hard and soft surfaces.

Thanks for the review Dave. I know you are intent on pushing forward with projection but I’m finding it very hard to get excited about any PJs in 2020.

HDR deficiency is just so deflating. Add up the weight and cost to the current generation and they are so far off PQ wise from OLED and I’m seriously considering going to an 80inch class panel instead of my current 120” screen.

I should have a 4K 65" set in the living room in a few weeks. I'll get my first taste of HDR and be comparing 65" UHD to 120" HD. So, will see how that affects my projector upgrade. Realistically, it's probably moot. I don't see downgrading from 120" to 80" in my room, regardless. But even if I wanted to, I'm not sure I could get an 80" direct view display into my basement due to the stairs. And certainly not a 100" TV which is the minimum I want to replace a projector screen. So I will be choosing whether to stay at HD projector or doing the upgrade accepting the size vs HDR tradeoffs for the media room.

I wish for tileable micro-LED displays to give the best of all worlds: projector size with OLED quality and breaks down to easily convey into any space.

 

[Dave Upton]

Unforunately a pure, black-velvet room is unrealistic for most people. I've got a nice media room. And it's done in dark tones, but for aesthetic reasons, I can't have a velvet garment factory, so it has a mix of hard and soft surfaces.


I should have a 4K 65" set in the living room in a few weeks. I'll get my first taste of HDR and be comparing 65" UHD to 120" HD. So, will see how that affects my projector upgrade. Realistically, it's probably moot. I don't see downgrading from 120" to 80" in my room, regardless. But even if I wanted to, I'm not sure I could get an 80" direct view display into my basement due to the stairs. And certainly not a 100" TV which is the minimum I want to replace a projector screen. So I will be choosing whether to stay at HD projector or doing the upgrade accepting the size vs HDR tradeoffs for the media room.

I wish for tileable micro-LED displays to give the best of all worlds: projector size with OLED quality and breaks down to easily convey into any space.

I don't have velvet on my ceiling at the moment, but I have tested it, and it makes a notable improvement in CR.

I also own two OLEDs, and I enjoy them a great deal. There's just no way I could see myself being able to enjoy the home theater experience with a TV sized display - now that I've had a large projection set up for so long.

Samsung makes "The Wall" which is exactly what you're describing, but unfortunately the price is obscene.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Since I should be able to do just about whatever I want w/in budgetary limits for my new dedicated HT room, I might go for the black velvet treatment or similar at least for that side of the room... probably upto a few feet from the 135" (10ft wide) screen inclusive of where all the A/V gear would be, including the Thiel CS 5i main speakers, which will probably be roughly 3ft into the room from all 3 sides).

My wife isn't going for black flooring (or walls all-around) though, haha, so need to figure out what would work best for the floor. She wanted me to pick from one of these wood-style/looking vinyl tiles from Home Depot, but not too crazy about them -- they don't seem as dark or color neutral as I'd want. Maybe I'll just end up covering the floor on that side of the room w/ some matte black material as well. I'm also considering using full wall curtains around the room so all walls won't need to be painted extremely dark and neutral plus would likely help w/ the acoustics -- walls will probably need to be completely redone anyway to make sure we don't have a mold problem, but could be painted something in a mid-tone she likes instead... and could maybe still be nice for other occasional uses of the space where we might pull back the wall curtains perhaps...

Dark wall curtains would probably also add to the feel of being in a real theater... especially when used for side-matting the screen me thinks. I might try dropping same material from top for the top portion that needs matting as well. Not sure offhand how all that would work w/ black velvet material for max contrast...

Probably also gonna want a big, thick area rug anyway in large part for acoustic reason, and that's not gonna be black. Maybe something roughly 10x8 for the area from the main speakers to the main seats.

Anyhoo...

_Man_

 

[DavidJ]

Suprinsgly, my wife is all for us getting a projector like the NX5. Although, the Sony VPL-VW995ES is still off the table.

I haven't figured out how well it will work in the room we have (and how well the room will work in general). Projectors are not the strongest area for me.

It also seems this projector and the NX7 are hard to come by at the moment. They seem to be out of stock or back-ordered in lots of places. I still need to find a dealer in my area besides Magnolia at Best Buy.

Are there any other projectors in the same class as the NX5/NX7 that I should consider?

 

[DaveF]

JVC and Sony in this price range and quality. You can have a look at the roundup for lower cost options.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/top-10-home-theater-projectors-fall-2020/

 

[Dave Upton]

Suprinsgly, my wife is all for us getting a projector like the NX5. Although, the Sony VPL-VW995ES is still off the table.

I haven't figured out how well it will work in the room we have (and how well the room will work in general). Projectors are not the strongest area for me.

It also seems this projector and the NX7 are hard to come by at the moment. They seem to be out of stock or back-ordered in lots of places. I still need to find a dealer in my area besides Magnolia at Best Buy.

Are there any other projectors in the same class as the NX5/NX7 that I should consider?

For all your needs, I would recommend you contact @Robert_Zohn or visit his website at https://www.valueelectronics.com/. He will likely have stock for you or at the least some idea of when it should be available.

 

[DavidJ]

I’ll have to do that. I bought my Sony display and Oppo 203 from Robert.

 

[DaveF]

Sticking with projectors for the time being

This 98-inch Samsung TV is $50,000 off for Black Friday and yes that’s a comma not a period

Good luck coming up with the rest

www.theverge.com

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Sticking with projectors for the time being

This 98-inch Samsung TV is $50,000 off for Black Friday and yes that’s a comma not a period

Good luck coming up with the rest

www.theverge.com

For that $$$, you might get close to 1/2 way to a 4K PJ that can truly compete for HDR.

_Man_