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Official JVC RS55/X70 owners thread.

325K views 4K replies 241 participants last post by  pepar 
#1 ·
Hey guys. Just mounted the projector and spent 3 hours watching a bunch of content to give some first impressions. My dealer told me I'm the first person in North America to get an X70
and a couple of dealers got a few demos in the UK.


Anyhow, if you wan't the quick review this is it. Damn, this thing is awesome! It improves upon the X7/RS50 in every way imaginable. I really can't wait until more people get this projector. It produces a picture that is better then any other projector I've seen/owned (I have not seen any 20+ K projectors and don't plan to.)


For now, I'll post 2D impressions only, as I've not had to time to test the 3D yet. I've been busy with the Sony HMD and I'll tell you what. The Sony HMD pretty much makes any other 3D device obsolete, that's another post though. The HMD for 2D doesn't compare to a good projector however.


1. Brightness. Definitely brighter then the RS50. It looks about as bright on low as my RS50 was on high lamp mode.


2. E-shift is for real. I was skeptical that it would produce a noticeable improvement but WOW!. I sit about a screen width away and I can't believe how smooth, sharp, and 3 dimensional the image looks. It brings out details that I've never seen from my test clips. Example, the opening of the Dark Knight. You can see every fiber, every tiny facial pore, every little nick in the clown masks. The pixel structure is completely INVISIBLE. I though it was already invisible with the X7, but until you see the 4K eshift image in person. You wont really be able to appreciate what I'm saying. Also, there is no way to enable or disable eshift in the menu. Have to find out how to get into the service menu to check it out.


3. Sharpness. Not sure how this is affected by e-shift, but the sharpness is outstanding. About as sharp as a good DLP. Just had the Infocus Sp8602 (had to sell because of mounting issues), and I would say sharpness is very close between the two.


4. Motion. Not sure again if it's the e-shift, but the 24p motion on this thing is DLP like. VERY GOOD, with almost no judder, and amazing levels of detail during motion. Better then the x7.


CMD has been improved. I was actually shocked to notice less artifacting around objects as I was led to believe that JVC didn't do anything to CMD, but they made some improvements. I would say it's gone from a poor rating to a good. Not as clean as the Sony VW90, but it's more aggresive and creates a better SOE. (if you like that sort of look)


I will run the FPD motion benchmarks ASAP, for a more detailed review of the motion.


5. Depth/Pop. The x70 has a more dynamic picture then the X7, and really looks more like a DLP. If I had been subject to a blind test I would have said that the X70 was a DLP (the lack of rainbows would have given it away, but you know what I mean). Really awesome, and I was surprised at the "pop". I even turned down to IRIS to try and match the X7, but is still had the depth and pop.


I can't wait until you guys get this projector. I would seriously consider the X70 over the X30 because the e-shift feature works, and produces an image that is VERY sharp, yet still feels analogue and not digital. It's kind of weird that you get a picture that is both sharper and smoother at the same time.


I'll post more impressions over the days. I've already found 1 issue which may be a defect, but I'm not sure and I'll post a picture of what I see. Also, there is some visible noise in the image, but it's barely ever noticeable, and I remember having some visible noise with the X7 that wen't away after the projector was broken in for a few hundred hours. Also it's still unclear how the lamp will hold up, as it's the same lamp as the X7 (I'm sure your all aware how many issues there were with them).


The one thing that I noticed that kinda bothers me is on a black background, something like a pause icon will have white streaks above and below it on the black background. Not sure what is causing it, and it may have something to do with e-shift, not sure. It's not really apparent on actual content, but it may be as I watch more stuff. I'll post a pic.


I haven't messed around with settings, or convergence (they have zone convergence now) just did most of my watching in THX mode. I used to have a friend who did my calibrations for me, but he moved
I may have to learn to do it myself now. So I can't really help with questions on greyscale, gamma, or CMS functionality. I'm just giving eyes on reports.


The remote now has extra 3D buttons (3D setting, and 3D format) and also a Lens memory button where the Lens aperature button was before(I miss that button already
)


You may call this over excitement, or the honeymoon period, but I can assure you that I've never seen a picture like this before! Of course there may be issues like the one I described above, or sudden lamp dimming, or 3D that's unusable after a few hundred hours, etc But I'll report that too. If you guys read any of my previous posts, you will realize that I'm not a JVC fanboy at all and the X7 gave me serious issues, and the X7 was my first JVC projector. As of now the picture is incredible, and I think this is the projector of the year (VW95 should be a contender too, but if it's about the same as the VW90, then the X70 has it beat for Film) I still haven't watched enough live action sports, or Docs to have a firm opinion as to how it stacks up to the VW90.


I'll be busy the next few days with more critical viewing, and motion tests will be forthcoming, and of course I'm still testing the Sony HMD (which of course I've found a few issue already which no ones has mentioned, lucky me!) Oh and some 3D testing too!


Just took a break from writing this post to quickly watch 20min of stuff. LOL. Again, WOW. If nothing crazy happens within the next while, I don't see my observations changing much



Ask questions but please be patient as I'm busy, and won't respond 24hours aday
I think you guys who preordered from AVS, or are going to preorder will be very happy with your decision. I really can't wait to hear what people think when they get these into their homes. I really wasn't expecting a big improvement from the X70 and was way more excited in getting my HMD then the projector, but the X70 makes the X7 look like a prototype. X70 is better in every way and has surpassed my expectations.
 
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#2,705 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coderguy /forum/post/21846836


Bottom line. The JVC appears a touch sharper, than the Epson 5010, which seems sharp for a 3LCD based projector. --- ART


---------------------------------------


I guess the RS-45 he originally had didn't have the best convergence, since now he agrees the JVC is sharper than the Epson...


imo, he missed the mark on e-shift using a small 96" screen. The e-shift advantages come alive on my 142" screen. The Trusted Reviews info on the X70 regarding e-shift was much more informative explaining how it works and the net results of using it.


The higher pixel density creates a perception of increased contrast and overall sharpness. The image appears more solid with added dimension to various textures - facial features become more obvious,etc. When I turn it off, IQ generally looks flat to me now compared to the W7000, HW30, 5010 and even the RS45 which is essentially what the 55 is with the e-shift turned off. I'm a big fan of this stepping stone tech, especially sitting 1.25 SW from a nice sized screen.


Cine4home measured 920 @ D65, I wonder if his review sample had some miles on it already. Art needs a big HP with the iris @ -13.
 
#2,706 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/21847176


imo, he missed the mark on e-shift using a small 96" screen. The e-shift advantages come alive on my 142" screen. The Trusted Reviews info on the X70 regarding e-shift was much more informative explaining how it works and the net results of using it.


The higher pixel density creates a perception of increased contrast and overall sharpness. The image appears more solid with added dimension to various textures - facial features become more obvious,etc. When I turn it off, IQ generally looks flat to me now compared to the W7000, HW30, 5010 and even the RS45 which is essentially what the 55 is with the e-shift turned off. I'm a big fan of this stepping stone tech, especially sitting 1.25 SW from a nice sized screen.


Cine4home measured 920 @ D65, I wonder if his review sample had some miles on it already. Art needs a big HP with the iris @ -13.

You make the upgrade very tempting Jason! I'm trying to hold off till fall and see if they make any more improvements. If not a may bump up to the RS55 around that time frame.
 
#2,707 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombie10k /forum/post/21847176


imo, he missed the mark on e-shift using a small 96" screen. The e-shift advantages come alive on my 142" screen. The Trusted Reviews info on the X70 regarding e-shift was much more informative explaining how it works and the net results of using it.


Cine4home measured 920 @ D65, I wonder if his review sample had some miles on it already. Art needs a big HP with the iris @ -13.

I sit really close to the screen right now, for some a bit too close, I am at like 1.1 times screen width, so I'm sure it would help. I used to sit much farther back, over time I scooted closer and closer.


I have never seen e-shift but I saw one of those $100,000 Sony projectors at the movie theater, and I had to sit in the front row, so I think I have seen the same general effect, and YES I do agree, it makes a difference. Even though the theater didn't have the contrast, it still had something special when it came to the analog look.
 
#2,708 ·
Just wanted to post something real quick, our demo X70 has 800 hours on the lamp and it officially crapped today. Same issue that we had with our X3 last year. The picture got noticeably darker this week and 10 minutes before I closed today it shut off and indicated a lamp problem. Our X3 went in for service 3 times. Hopefully the newer projectors don't have the same lamp issues as last year, it is pretty depressing.
 
#2,710 ·
Ugggggh!!! Come on JVC....get your bleep together with the companies you look at to produce these things. Unacceptable!! 2 freaking years running now.


Maybe I'm hammering them prematurely, but then again maybe Need4spdnb is just one of the first to hit that many hours and more still to come from the 2012 batch they chose to run with.
 
#2,711 ·
As I mentioned, I hadn't been able to watch much content since I had umr calibrate the projector. I'm finally getting some more quality time with my RS55. And I'm happy!



Last night after my wife had a movie-night with her friends at our place, I threw on the Taxi Driver Blu-Ray to check it out (which I've watched a number of times on my previous RS20 projector). I left the settings/gamma as umr calibrated them. I found myself being blown away, both by the effects of the calibration and by the prowess of the projector itself. In terms of calibration, I could not get over both how cinematic it appeared, and also how accurate skin tones looked - and there are so many skin tones in various lighting throughout that movie. In shots with several people, the variation in skin tones is so obvious from person to person, yet all realistic. Cybil Shepherd looked so natural...as if I needed anything more to increase my crush on her in that film! Generally, the increase in visibility of detail (shadow detail/shading) and the realistic yet richly saturated color, combined with the contrast, solidity and clarity of the RS55, was a revelation on this disc. It's the combination of all these things that puts so much varied and realistic visual information into every frame. It looked so freaking good I couldn't believe it, how beautifully shaded all the night photography was, how much detail was preserve, how much color and image detail there was, and the way the bright city lights cut through the dark areas with such aliveness. Absolutely killer. I ended up watching the whole thing because I couldn't tear my eyes away.


I also put on the black and white film Night Of The Hunter, a great criterion Blu-Ray restoration, and was captivated by the detail and depth and the correctness of the look of black and white.


Next up I threw on the Alien Blu-Ray and, again...jawdropping. There was a sensation of seeing layers of detail, shading, and color that had gone missing on previous viewings - an absolute cinematic smorgasbord. I just kept pinching myself at being able to view my favorite films at this level of picture quality. Again...I watched almost the whole thing. Same with the Stevie Wonder concert Blu-Ray, which was astoundingly clear and colorful.


It's still the case I can get a deeper looking black level and a higher sense of contrast by upping the gamma a bit (though apparently losing some calibration accuracy while doing so). But I can also appreciate the precision brought to the table by the 2.2 gamma as calibrated by umr. And of course a 2.2 gamma tends to be brighter looking than a higher gamma as well. I found I could blow up Alien quite large on my Stewart 1.3 gain screen while still keeping the lens aperture at -11, and it looked bright and vivid.


Ever since getting the RS55 I have felt I wasn't going to truly know how happy I was with it until it was well calibrated. Now I have the impression that is pretty much true - now it has that cinematic quality (vs video-like) that I was looking for, but also has the "wow" factor mixed in from the E-shift and high contrast. (As to motion issues I've mentioned, I was a bit aware of them while watching some of Midnight In Paris with my wife and her friends, but afterward it was mostly a non-issue on all the other content I watched. I get this sense my eyes have been latching on to the sample-and-hold effect and that after a while my brain adjusts and starts to forget it...or something).


When I think of watching Jaws in Blu-Ray (to be released this year) or, no doubt, Ridley Scott's Prometheus...the anticipation kills me. I still can't believe we consumers can have this in our homes!
 
#2,713 ·
Hi all,


Wonder if anyone can help me out.

I have found an issue with my new DLA-X70. There appears to be a very bright but small spot on the picture, near the centre.


This consistently appears regardless of what you are watching and what the input is (e.g.sky, Blu-ray, HiDef or dvd or from HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 (different makes of cable for each)). This spot is only visible when sitting straight on near the centre. If you move slightly to the left or right, you dont see it. But when you do see it, it is so bright that you are constantly drawn to it. Anyone have any idea what the issue is likely to be? Could it be a dead pixel? Do they exist on these type of projectors and if so will JVC replace the unit?


Would love to know what the issue is. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.
 
#2,715 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by R Harkness /forum/post/0


As I mentioned, I hadn't been able to watch much content since I had umr calibrate the projector. I'm finally getting some more quality time with my RS55. And I'm happy!


Last night after my wife had a movie-night with her friends at our place, I threw on the Taxi Driver Blu-Ray to check it out (which I've watched a number of times on my previous RS20 projector). I left the settings/gamma as umr calibrated them. I found myself being blown away, both by the effects of the calibration and by the prowess of the projector itself. In terms of calibration, I could not get over both how cinematic it appeared, and also how accurate skin tones looked - and there are so many skin tones in various lighting throughout that movie. In shots with several people, the variation in skin tones is so obvious from person to person, yet all realistic. Cybil Shepherd looked so natural...as if I needed anything more to increase my crush on her in that film! Generally, the increase in visibility of detail (shadow detail/shading) and the realistic yet richly saturated color, combined with the contrast, solidity and clarity of the RS55, was a revelation on this disc. It's the combination of all these things that puts so much varied and realistic visual information into every frame. It looked so freaking good I couldn't believe it, how beautifully shaded all the night photography was, how much detail was preserve, how much color and image detail there was, and the way the bright city lights cut through the dark areas with such aliveness. Absolutely killer. I ended up watching the whole thing because I couldn't tear my eyes away.


I also put on the black and white film Night Of The Hunter, a great criterion Blu-Ray restoration, and was captivated by the detail and depth and the correctness of the look of black and white.


Next up I threw on the Alien Blu-Ray and, again...jawdropping. There was a sensation of seeing layers of detail, shading, and color that had gone missing on previous viewings - an absolute cinematic smorgasbord. I just kept pinching myself at being able to view my favorite films at this level of picture quality. Again...I watched almost the whole thing. Same with the Stevie Wonder concert Blu-Ray, which was astoundingly clear and colorful.

me

It's still the case I can get a deeper looking black level and a higher sense of contrast by upping the gamma a bit (though apparently losing some calibration accuracy while doing so). But I can also appreciate the precision brought to the table by the 2.2 gamma as calibrated by umr. And of course a 2.2 gamma tends to be brighter looking than a higher gamma as well. I found I could blow up Alien quite large on my Stewart 1.3 gain screen while still keeping the lens aperture at -11, and it looked bright and vivid.


Ever since getting the RS55 I have felt I wasn't going to truly know how happy I was with it until it was well calibrated. Now I have the impression that is pretty much true - now it has that cinematic quality (vs video-like) that I was looking for, but also has the "wow" factor mixed in from the E-shift and high contrast. (As to motion issues I've mentioned, I was a bit aware of them while watching some of Midnight In Paris with my wife and her friends, but afterward it was mostly a non-issue on all the other content I watched. I get this sense my eyes have been latching on to the sample-and-hold effect and that after a while my brain adjusts and starts to forget it...or something).


When I think of watching Jaws in Blu-Ray (to be released this year) or, no doubt, Ridley Scott's Prometheus...the anticipation kills me. I still can't believe we consumers can have this in our homes!

Amen! well said. I went from 9 inch CRT to the RS2 to the RS55. This projector, for me, redefines the home theater experience!!
 
#2,716 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dangore /forum/post/0


Hi all,


Wonder if anyone can help me out.

I have found an issue with my new DLA-X70. There appears to be a very bright but small spot on the picture, near the centre.


This consistently appears regardless of what you are watching and what the input is (e.g.sky, Blu-ray, HiDef or dvd or from HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 (different makes of cable for each)). This spot is only visible when sitting straight on near the centre. If you move slightly to the left or right, you dont see it. But when you do see it, it is so bright that you are constantly drawn to it. Anyone have any idea what the issue is likely to be? Could it be a dead pixel? Do they exist on these type of projectors and if so will JVC replace the unit?


Would love to know what the issue is. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Since it varies with your position, I doubt it's the projector. I guess you're using a screen with gain? It's probably a bit of the gain material. My Firehawk had a similar issue.
 
#2,718 ·
I still can't believe how sharp and clear the image is on this thing. I was in an AV store today and I used to pine after the 65" Panasonic plasma. They had one on display, playing the standard Panasonic beauty-scenes demo, and it didn't seem as sharp and detailed as my RS55 - nor did any other flat panel. Which is amazing and counter-intuitive, especially given the difference in image sizes of the projected image.
 
#2,719 ·
thanks for the response "JustMike",


I hope you are right as its less hassle replacing a screen. I'm not sure what type of screen i have tbh as i bought in 2004 from D.R.H. Screens... looking at the website i think my screen is as follows


"Matt White - projection screen fabric


Standard material suited to multipurpose applications where the emphasis is on functionality. The reflective ratio is 1 (what your projector emits, you get back in the reflective image) and the field of view is excellent through 90 degrees either side of screen centre (See graph).


Matt white fabric is hard wearing, resilient to everyday knocks and contains preservatives to resist against more extreme environments such as high humidity.


A suitable reception surface for both LCD and DLP projectors.


Technical specifications:


Fabric: 100% fibreglass laminated with PVC

Thread count: 10 / cm2

Fire retardancy: Conforms to U.S Federal test method 191

Instron Breaking Strength: Warp 100 Filling 140"


The next time i notice the light spot on the screen, i'll lift up the screen to see if i can notice it against the wall. This way i'll be able to eliminate the screen as a cause. Many thanks for your help.


BTW, are there any hard or fast rules to what type of screen works best with the X70 in a fairly dark room (but not pitch black)?
 
#2,720 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by R Harkness /forum/post/21855585


I still can't believe how sharp and clear the image is on this thing. I was in an AV store today and I used to pine after the 65" Panasonic plasma. They had one on display, playing the standard Panasonic beauty-scenes demo, and it didn't seem as sharp and detailed as my RS55 - nor did any other flat panel. Which is amazing and counter-intuitive, especially given the difference in image sizes of the projected image.

The JVC's are ridiculously sharp.
 
#2,721 ·
We do have a new lamp coming in, it is sad because I almost don't trust them right now. This is the longest a lamp has lasted though, our X3 never made it past 200 hours. They are great looking projectors and I love the performance, but the lamp issues are a deterrent.
 
#2,722 ·
Heh Rich ..


Glad you are happy with it. I just got in a RS45 to demo and wow its gonna need a lot of work.


I may do comparitive article to the RS65 if time permits.


The convergence on the RS45 was pretty good but the setting out of the box YIKES>

Its definitely a different projector.


Any of you guys watch "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" ??


The beginning is a black bonanza... The beginning of the movie is great if you like great variations of black. Near the end her butt cheeks are good for checking out reds.
 
#2,723 ·
Question for the more electrically literate:


I need to place my projector as close to my back wall as possible. That was easy with my RS20 since all the connections were on the side. But now with the connections on the back of the RS55, cords are getting in the way. The worst offendor is the power cord at this point.


I'd like to replace the power cord with a right-angle power cord, to save room. Is there any technical problem in replacing the manufacturer's AC cable with a new one?


I'm looking at this cable here:

http://www.infinitecables.com/pop/pw-105r3.htm


Alternately, this cable from Tributaries:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...rd-12ft/1.html


But I'd prefer the first one if it would be ok, since it's a local pick up and cheaper.


Thanks!
 
#2,724 ·
I don't see any problem as long as the power cord is rated to carry the electrical load, but I suspect JVC will not support it. But why are you worried about letting the projector extend just a bit more forward and are you not concerned about ventilation?
 
#2,725 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sr /forum/post/21864255


I don't see any problem as long as the power cord is rated to carry the electrical load, but I suspect JVC will not support it. But why are you worried about letting the projector extend just a bit more forward and are you not concerned about ventilation?

I'm trying to achieve the largest available image size, and every inch back away from the screen counts.


Ventilation is no issue - it vents in/out from the front, and is not really obstructed in the back anyway.
 
#2,726 ·
One more question on replacing my projector's power cable...I hope someone can answer:


Asking a pal about what AWG and amp rating I would need, he said the standard coming from my wall is 14AWG/15 amp, so look for a cable with those specs.


However, that may make for a bulkier cable. The thinner and more flexible, the better for me.


I checked the actual AC power cable that came with my RS55 projector and it seemed quite thin and flexible. It had a tag attached saying "10A/125V" - which I presume means it's a 10 amp AC cable.


Therefore, is it safe to presume, since JVC is apparently supplying a 10 AMP cable, that I can replace it with a 10 AMP cable (instead of a thicker 15 amp cable)?


Thanks.
 
#2,727 ·
The RS55 comes with a 10A/125V cable probably just because it's a very standard simple power cord available dirt cheap (18 AWG universal power cord, type IEC320C13).


The RS55 only draws 330-360 watts which at 120V is only about 3 amps so even that 10A/125V cable is way overkill. (The manual mentions 3.2-3.5A max draw).


You'll be fine. The golden-eared audiophiles may disagree however and suggest 2-gauge gold coated single strand oxygen free wire sprinkled in fairy dust, but I digress...



My only warning would be to not defeat the ground wire in any way. Make sure the projector is grounded. That means all 3 wires. (This is not about performance but about safety).


Kal
 
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