JVC D-ILA, DLA-RS2U User Manual
The Rogers Report
1080p D-ILA®Front Projector
Breaking Barriers Again
The new JVC®DLA-RS2U 1080p D-ILA®video projector shatters the industry-leading contrast standard set by its predecessor, the DLA-RS1U. The RS1 (as it is known to home theatre
enthusiasts) astonished everyone a year ago by achieving a
native full-field contrast ratio of 15,000:1. The contrast ratio
specification for the RS2 has been doubled to 30,000:1, and my
review unit met that stellar performance mark, while still producing excellent brightness.
The RS2 also adds other features and image-quality
improvements, including remote control of lens focus and zoom,
a vertical stretch mode for an external anamorphic lens, and
advanced gamma adjustments.
Technology
The RS2 incorporates upgraded 0.7-inch, 16:9 D-ILA (Directdrive Image Light Amplifier) panels with enhanced wire-grid
polarizers. D-ILA is a vertically aligned Liquid Crystal on Silicon
(LCoS) technology. The projector has three D-ILA panels, each
with the same 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution as 1080i and 1080p
high-definition video formats. The D-ILA devices are said to
have a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1.
The projector utilizes a 200-watt UHP (ultra high-pressure)
mercury projection lamp. The light from the projection lamp is
split into red, green, and blue beams that each reflects off one
of the D-ILA panels. The brightness of each pixel is controlled
by varying the polarization of the light as it passes through the
liquid crystal layer of the panels. The reflected red, green, and
blue light is directed through a single lens to create a full-color
image on the screen. The three-panel design eliminates the
need for a color wheel and the potential rainbow color separation artifacts of single-chip DLP projectors.
Appearance
The RS2 has the same attractive glossy piano-black case as
the RS1. The front bezel is flat black, and a matching accent
strip runs the length of
the projector in the center of
the top cover. The zoom lens is
centered in the middle of the front bezel,
which has a cool air inlet on one end of the bezel
and a hot air exhaust vent on the other. All video inputs are
on a recessed rear panel, with a power cord socket below them. The
lamp cover is located on the side of the projector, which makes it
easy to replace the lamp when required. There are small and unobtrusive Warning, Lamp, and Power indicators on the top cover, in
addition to several control and menu navigation buttons.
Set Up
The RS2 projection lens now has remotely controlled zoom and
focus adjustments, replacing the manual adjustments of the RS1.
With a 100-inch diagonal (87.2- x 49-inch) 16:9 (1.78:1) screen, the
2.0x zoom lens provides a throw distance between 9.88 and 19.95
feet. Optimum focus is essential to achieve the best performance
from this projector, and that is now easier to adjust while standing at
the screen, thanks to the remote-controlled lens. However, the focus
can only be adjusted while viewing a built-in green crosshatch test
pattern. It would be better if the user could view his or her own test
patterns and other images while focusing.
The projector can be adjusted for up to 80 percent vertical and
34 percent horizontal lens shift. That means the center of the lens
can be 30 percent of the screen height above or below the screen,
and 34 percent of the screen width to the right or left of screen center. The lens is manually shifted horizontally and vertically by two
adjustment knobs located on the bottom edge of the front bezel. The
all-mechanical system feels a bit imprecise, but with a little fiddling
the image can be positioned as desired. The maximum vertical and
horizontal shifts can’t be applied simultaneously. But since the lens
shifts slightly increase chromatic aberration, having both at maximum
wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. I recommend keeping the horizontal lens shift near the minimum and limiting the vertical lens shift to
the top or bottom of the screen when possible.
Connections
The rear-panel connections are rather limited. There are two HDMI
inputs, a YPbPr/RGsB component input (three RCA connectors), an
S-video input (four-pin mini-DIN), and a composite video input (RCA
connector). The analog RGsB input is compatible with three-wire
RGB signals that have sync-on-green, but there is no provision for
analog RGBHV signals. There is also an RS-232 port for control, but
there are no screen trigger outputs. The RS-232 syntax is included in
the user manual.
Greg Rogers
JVC® DLA-RS2U
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The YPbPr/RGsB analog input is compatible with 480i/p, 576i/p,
720p60/50, and 1080i60/50 video formats. Black-level setup (0 IRE or
7.5 IRE) can be selected for composite and S-video signals, but not
analog component signals. Color decoder selection (ITU Rec. 601 or
Rec. 709) for analog YPbPr signals is automatic only.
HDMI Compatibility
The HDMI inputs accept 480i/p, 576i/p, 720p60/50, 1080i60/50,
and 1080p60/50/24 video signals, and up to 1280 x 1024 (60 Hz) PC
signals. They accept digital RGB, YCbCr 4:4:4, or YCbCr 4:2:2 signals automatically from HDMI sources, or those signal types can be
manually selected in the on-screen menu. Manual selection of the
signal type is important so a user can override the automatic selection if there are problems with one type of source signal.
The YCbCr color decoding is automatically set to the ITU Rec.
601 decoding matrix for SD signals and the ITU Rec. 709 decoding
matrix for HD signals. I used an AccuPel HDG-4000 video-signal
generator to verify that the automatic selection worked correctly.
However, there have been numerous source products that produce
the wrong color encoding, so JVC should have also provided manual
selection of the color-decoding matrix.
Digital RGB-Video input levels (black at digital code 16 and reference white at 235) or digital RGB-PC input levels (black at 0 and reference white at 255) can be manually selected. They are called
Standard and Enhanced, respectively, in the menu. The menu selection correctly changes the black level (Brightness) and the gain
(Contrast), so the picture remains calibrated when switching between
RGB-video levels and RGB-PC levels.
Controls
The nearly ideal, 2-inch wide remote control from the earlier projector is retained. All buttons are illuminated and have easy-to-read
nomenclature on their surfaces. There are dedicated buttons for each
input and each Image Profile. There are rocker buttons for Contrast
and Brightness and buttons to increase and decrease Color and
Sharpness. The remote also has buttons to select Aspect Ratio,
Gamma, Color Temperature, and Test Patterns. There is also an Info
button, a button to blank the image, and buttons to navigate the onscreen menus.
The top of the projector includes menu-navigation buttons, an
Input selection button, a button to blank the image, and a
Standby/On button. There are also small, non-intrusive warning and
status indicators.
On-screen Menu
The on-screen menu window includes a horizontal title bar with
six submenus: Image, Setup, Source, Install, Function, and Info.
When submenu items with variable levels are selected, they temporarily collapse into a control bar near the bottom of the screen
while being adjusted.
The Image submenu includes Image Adjust (Contrast, Brightness,
Color, Tint, Sharpness, DNR), Color Temperature (Low, Middle, High,
Memory1, Memory2), Gamma (Normal, Theater1, Theater2, Dynamic,
Custom), Offset (Red, Green, Blue), and Pixel Adjust. The latter permits the red, green, and blue image colors to be horizontally and vertically shifted in one-pixel increments, to optimize convergence.
The Setup submenu provides a choice of six Image Profiles
(Cinema, Natural, Dynamic, User 1-3) and the ability to save, clear, or
reset the Profiles to factory settings. There are also submenu items to
select the HDMI input levels (Standard, Enhanced), adjust the horizontal and vertical image position, mask the edges of high-definition
images (0, 2.5, 5 percent), and to turn on or off 2.5 percent overscan
for standard-definition 4:3 signals.
The Sources submenu provides Component Video signal selection (YPbPr, RGB, SCART), HDMI signal selection (Auto, YCbCr 4:4:4,
YCbCr 4:2:2, RGB), Screen Aspect Ratio (4:3, 16:9, Zoom), V-Stretch
(On, Off), and Film Mode (Auto, Off). V-Stretch is a new feature for
use with an external anamorphic lens. There’s an additional Resize
function for PC signals.
The Sources submenu also includes items to configure the Black
Level setup (0 IRE, 7.5 IRE) for NTSC composite and S-video signals,
and select the color system (Auto, NTSC, NTSC4.43, PAL, PAL-M,
PAL-N, SECAM) for composite or S-video signals.
The Install submenu includes Menu Position (nine locations),
Menu Display (On, 15 seconds), Line (input) Display (Off, 5 seconds), Flip H, Flip V, High-Altitude Mode, Background Color, Sleep
Timer, D-ILA Startup Logo, Lamp Power (Normal, High), Test Pattern
(six patterns), and Language (22 choices). The Info submenu displays the current input, input source signal format, and total lamp
hours used.
Image Profiles
There are three predefined Image Profiles (Cinema, Natural,
Dynamic) and three User Profiles (User 1-3). Each Image Profile
stores Contrast, Brightness, Color, Sharpness, DNR, Color
Temperature, Gamma, and Offset settings. The Cinema Profile is factory set to the Low Color Temperature, the Natural and User Profiles
are set to the Middle Color Temperature, and Dynamic Profile is set to
the High Color Temperature. The settings for all profiles can be
changed, but changes to the User Image Profiles are not retained
unless they are explicitly saved. The User Profiles can also be
cleared, and the predefined Image Profiles can be reset to the factory defaults.
Aspect Ratios
There are only three Aspect Ratio modes—16:9, 4:3, and Zoom.
The Aspect Ratio is fixed at 16:9 for high-definition input signals. The
16:9 mode is also used for 16:9 DVDs. The 4:3 mode displays fullframe 4:3 pictures in the center of a 16:9 screen with black sidebars.
The Zoom mode displays 4:3 letterboxed frames by expanding the
General
Image Device: three-chip D-ILA®(0.7-inch diagonal)
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Screen Size (16:9): 60 to 200 inches diagonal
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9) x 3 chips;
Projection Lens: 2.0x zoom lens (1.4:1 – 2.8:1) with power
focus/zoom
Lens shift: (V) ±80 percent, (H) ±34 percent
Input Signals: (Analog) 480i/p, 576i/p, 720p 60/50, 1080i 60/50;
(Digital) 480i/p, 576i/p, 720p 60/50, 1080i 60/50,
1080 24p/60p/50p, VGA/60Hz, SVGA/60Hz, XGA/60Hz,
SXGA/60Hz
Lamp: 200 W UHP (BHL5009-S)
Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1 (without iris)
Input: Composite (1, RCA); S-video (1, Mini DIN);component
(1, RCA x 3); HDMI (2, 19-pin HDCP compliant)
Serial Control: RS-232C (1, D-sub 9-pin)
Power Requirement: 100 V – 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption: 280 W (Standby mode: 2.7 W)
Dimensions (WHD In Inches): 17.9 x 6.8 x 16.5
Weight (In Pounds): 25.5
Price: $7,995
Manufactured In Japan By:
JVC Professional Products Company
1700 Valley Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
Phone: 973 317 5000
pro.jvc.com
SPECIFICATIONS
JVC® DLA-RS2U 1080p D-ILA® Front Projector
THE ROGERS REPORT .
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image proportionally in the vertical and horizontal directions to fill the
width of the screen.
Unfortunately, there is no native (dot-by-dot, pixel-by-pixel) mode
to display video input signal formats with less than 1920 x 1080 pixels, which there is for PC signals. The Resize function for PC signals
provides three modes. It can fill the vertical height of the screen with
the PC aspect ratio, or fill the 16:9 screen aspect ratio, or display the
PC signal mapped 1:1 within the native 1920 x 1080 pixel screen.
The new V-Stretch mode allows an external anamorphic lens to be
used. It stretches 2.35:1 images to fill the screen, which are then
restored to the correct aspect ratio without letterbox bars by the
anamorphic lens.
Lamp Mode
The projector utilizes a 200-watt UHP (Ultra High-Pressure) projection lamp. The nominal useable lamp life is 2,000 hours. The lamp
is user replaceable and priced at $399.
The Normal lamp mode (170 watts) produces approximately 85
percent of the brightness of the High mode (200 watts). In the High
mode the fan noise measured 51 dB, C-weighted at 12 inches from
the exhaust port of the projector. In the Normal mode the noise level
dropped below the 50 dB sensitivity of my sound meter.
Gray Scale
An AccuPel HDG-4000 Calibration generator (www.accupel.com)
was used to generate test patterns for measuring light output, contrast ratio, gray scale, and color accuracy.
The factory default Color Temperature (High, Middle, Low) measured 7208 Kelvin, 6506K, and 6147K, respectively, at 70 IRE. The
Memory1 and Memory2 color-temperature modes are initially preset
the same as the High mode. The Middle Color Temperature deviation
from D65 (x = 0.3127, y = 0.329, dE = 0) was only 2 dE at 70 IRE,
and the gray scale tracking was within 4 dE from 10 to 100 IRE. That
is excellent out-of-the-box performance.
The Memory1 and Memory2 Color Temperature modes include a
set of Red, Green, and Blue adjustments that affect the entire gray
scale range, instead of the usual sets of RGB gain and RGB bias
controls. Hence, those controls don’t provide the ability to independently adjust the low end of the gray scale, but the gray scale tracking
was more constant than most projectors that have those controls. In
addition, you can use the RS2’s new Custom Gamma adjustments to
individually vary the RGB amplitudes over the entire gray scale range
to further optimize the gray scale tracking.
The Red, Green, and Blue Offset adjustments also affect color
temperature. Those adjustments again affect the entire gray scale
range, but they affect all of the Color Temperature modes (hence the
Offset terminology). It may appear confusing to have multiple sets of
controls, but the purpose of the Memory1 and Memory2 color temperature modes is to allow the user to have additional color temperatures for specific applications. The purpose of the Offset adjustments
is to recalibrate all five of the Color Temperature modes simultaneously, which is useful during initial setup and when the spectral output of the lamp shifts as it ages. Again, you can apply the Custom
Gamma adjustments to further optimize the gray scale tracking.
I readjusted the Middle Color Temperature using the Offset controls, but without using the Custom Gamma adjustments, to produce
exactly D65 at 70 IRE. That produced a gray scale deviation of only 3
dE from 10 to 100 IRE. That calibration is shown in the accompanying charts and was used for brightness and contrast measurements.
(I use 2 dE as the standard reference white deviation for making
brightness and contrast measurements to ensure that all projectors
are measured with comparable calibration.) With the Custom Gamma
JVC® DLA-RS2U 1080p D-ILA® Front Projector
ThE ROGERS REPORT
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GRAY SCALE
PERFORMANCE
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