JVC introduced Friday a 4K/HDR compatible DLP projector based on 3,000 lumens JVC’s BLU-Escent laser/phosphor illumination technology. .
JVC model LX-NZ3, which will ship in late November at a $3,699.95 suggested retail price, is based on Texas Instruments’ single-chip DLP microdisplay technology, combined with the BLU-Escent laser light engine and JVC’s HDR Auto Tone Mapping to optimize bright HDR images for a wide range of room lighting conditions.
The new projector will be demonstrated at the JVC booth at CEDIA Expo 2019 in Denver next month.
The TI digital micromirror device (DMD) chipset has a 1920 x 1080 native resolution combined with an optical diagonal off-shifting approach for pixels on sequential refreshes with a partial overlapping of the pixels on the second pass. A base image and an off-shifted image are both displayed for each frame. The technology is said to present true 4K UHD resolution (over 8 million pixels on screen) with accurate detailed pictures using a variety of reflective surfaces. The pixel shifting occurs so fast that the eye is unaware it is not a fully native 4K microdisplay source.
The JVC LX-NZ3 uses TI’s 0.47-inch Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), which allows the projector to deliver high resolution 4K images in a compact projector model. The approach is said to offer a highly bright laser light source combined with Texas Instruments’ Digital Light Processing microdisplay technology to produce 4K images with high brightness and long life. The LX-NZ3 joins three other DLP projectors in the JVC lineup, plus the company’s acclaimed lineup of high-performance D-ILA based native 4K and 8K projectors, which JVC said it remains committed to producing and further developing.
The new JVC 4K DLP projector will accept native 4K signals which are processed for output to the DMD. TI’s 4K UHD process produces independent single-pixel structures, unlike some other approaches to pixel-shifted 4K.
The new Auto Tone Mapping feature in the JVC LX-NZ3 is also said to deliver “the best possible HDR images” for the projector technology.
JVC said the new LX-NZ3 uses a “BLU-Escent laser light source” to achieve 3000 lumens brightness and long life. This is said to produce enough brightness to enable using the projector in living rooms and family rooms with some degree of ambient light on in the viewing space without ruining the picture quality.
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The BLU-Escent laser light source is rated at 3000 lumens brightness and is expected to have at least a 20,000-hour illumination lifespan.
The high brightness output of the projector enables watching movies and television programs in home theater rooms that are not fully darkened, JVC said. Image quality is said to be “excellent” in typical family and living room conditions with some room lighting on. At the same time, the projector is said to be able to deliver “high quality HDR images with wide dynamic range.”
For high dynamic range (HDR) viewing the JVC LX-NZ3 supports both the HDR10 (static metadata) and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), the latter being a metadata-free broadcast HDR format for on-the-fly HDR production.
To simplify use and enjoyment of HDR content, the JVC LX-NZ3 automatically switches to the optimal picture mode based on the signal detected. Viewers will not need to manually adjust the projector to show HDR on screen.
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JVC said the Auto Tone Mapping feature automatically optimizes settings for HDR10 in most content by reading content brightness metadata (Max CLL / FALL) to automatically adjust brightness settings based on the information.
JVC said that in the case of content that does not contain mastering information, the projector will refer to a fixed value or will need manual adjustment for MaxCLL / MaxFALL.
The projector offers a wide lens shift with ± 60% vertical, ± 23% horizontal range with 1.6x zoom.
The LX-NZ3 lens shift is listed with a wide ± 60% vertical, ± 23% horizontal range, and is equipped with a 1.6x zoom lens that supports a projection distance of 9.8 feet to 15.7 feet for a 100-inch screen. This is said to allow placement in a wide range of environments without the need for keystone correction.
The LX-NZ3’s dynamic light source control produces high contrast image quality. With mechanical apertures there is some delay when adjusting light output, but JVC’s laser light source is said to be able to control light output instantaneously. This way, dynamic brightness adjustment is possible with little or no delay, the company said.
By controlling the output of the laser according to the brightness of the scene, the LX-NZ3 can reproduce images closer to reality, JVC said. When a complete black signal is input, contrast can be controlled with the laser output.
JVC will offer the LX-NZ3 in a choice of two cabinet colors available — black and white.
By Greg Tarr
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