Ready or not, here comes 4K. . . sort of. Having maxed out HD resolution years ago and flogged the 3D horse ’til everyone got bored and went back to their coffee, TV manufacturers are now going above and beyond. Above and beyond the ATSC HD maximum resolution spec, that is, to 4K.
When used in reference to digital cinema projection, a 4K image is 4,096 pixels wide by somewhere around 2,160 vertical. The vertical resolution varies depending on the aspect ratio and specific digital format. That variation means there’s no “true” 4K, which is how JVC can get away with using the label for its 3,840 x 2,160-resolution projector
Except the DLA-X90R actually isn’t 4K. The D-ILA chips inside the projector have a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. Through a technology that JVC calls e-Shift, the 1080p image is first upconverted internally, with each pixel in the display then — for lack of a funnier-sounding word — wobbled slightly, a process that increases onscreen resolution to 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, or four times that of standard full HD. Native 4K content isn’t yet available (not that the X90R could accept it), but even so, it’s at least theoretically possible that this Faux4 (TM GM, 2012) process could increase visible resolution.
The DLA-X90R shares its overall chassis with the past few JVC front projectors, so there are no visual surprises. It’s a glossy black box, with a few cut angles for “flair.” Art Deco meets KITT from Knight Rider. Like other JVC projectors past and present, the X90R offers significant horizontal and vertical lens shift to ease installation. All aspects of the lens are motorized, so you can stand at the screen and get everything exactly lined up. New for this year are lens memories so that if, like me, you have a 2.35:1 screen, you can set both a 16x9 mode and a zoomed-out 21x9 mode and rapidly switch between them for TV or movie viewing.
Setting focus led to my first stumble with the DLAX90R. There are no pixels! At least that’s what I first thought. If you’ve ever set up a projector, you know that the best way to set focus is to look for the edges of the pixels onscreen to verify sharpness. Not seeing any pixels, even up close, led me to believe that with Faux4, the higher resolution made the pixels too small to be useful. Further testing revealed two other factors to be the problem. The first was that the motorized focus has extremely coarse steps — it was nearly impossible to get it precisely focused using that method.
The other issue was surprisingly poor panel alignment. With any 3-chip projector, tiny shifts in the red, green, and blue panels can lead to onscreen convergence errors, which limit resolution. JVC offers both pixel and sub-pixel panel-alignment adjustments, but I still couldn’t get it perfect. (These adjustments are probably fine with 1080p, but inadequate with e-Shift.) While the situation was frustrating, I ultimately don’t think it had an impact on performance.
To great many of us JVC is a non company. If you live in a state like michigan,try to see a Jvc projector. I no that JVC want to stay Hi end,and with no system to be able to see or sell them in a large part of the USA they will. The last e-mail I had from Jvc they said I can try to call the east coast manger,to see if he could help. Please deal with Projectors we can see and buy. Phil
I stop reading anytime someone brings up the myth of "not being able to resolve 1080p from 10 feet". I used to actually believe that. When I went to go buy my first high-def flat panel about three years ago, I thought the 1080p crowd was a bunch of sheeple and I was going to get a dirt-cheap 720p tv and laugh at their stupidity all the way to the bank. However, I went to the store and looked at my 50" 720 golden calf high on the wall (at least 10 feet away), next to a variety of 1080p TVs (all displaying the same in-store loop), and could easily make out the jagged stair-structure of objects on the 720p TV. The 1080p's on the other hand displayed smooth, jaggy-free edges. It was a no-brainer. Hell, on my current 59" 1080p TV, I can still occasionally see the pixel structure, not enough to be bothersome, but enough to make me think that even at 59" 4K would be a noticeable improvement--and in the front-projector 90-140" range? I think the difference would be night and day. Mind you, I'm talking about real 4K not this JVC wobulation crap. Don't know why they waste their time with it, frankly. It didn't work out last time and it's not going to work out this time.
However, I, for one, am eagerly awaiting 4K as the new standard.
You REALLY need to re-visit this projector! Out of the box, the 3 panels are NOT perfectly aligned. You will see a red edge on white text or possibly a blue edge. There are several settings in the "Installation" menu for pixel alignment. One mode gives you a 32 Zone (I think, I never actually counted) convergence setting with VERY fine adjustment available for fine tuning the alignment in all areas of the picture. You will notice an INCREDIBLE improvement in resolution if you adjust the projector properly! Once you have the alignment, lens shift, zoom and focus adjustments dialed in, this projector is simply mindblowing! There should really be NO CONTEST between this and the 1080p Samsung projector! With your nose right on the screen you will not be able to identify individual pixels. This projector will give you the most film like experience you will ever find in a projector in this price range. So, go adjust, then come back and tell me what you think!
P.S. I HIGHLY recommend a 4K rated screen! If you are using an off brand, or cheap screen, you are NOT seeing all that this projector has to offer!