JVC is well-known for its D-ILA (Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier) projectors, which are based on the company's implementation of LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) imaging technology. Today, the JVC unveiled the LX-UH1, adding a DLP-based model to the JVC stable.
Both types of JVC projectors are touted as having 4K/UHD resolution, and both use lower-resolution imagers and "pixel shifting" to achieve it—sort of. All the D-ILA models (except the flagship DLA-RS4500) have 1080p imagers, and each pixel is quickly shifted back and forth between two positions to display two pixels on the screen. JVC calls this e-Shift, and it doubles the number of pixels on the screen from 2 million to 4 million. (Epson does the same thing with some of its LCD projectors, calling the technique "4K Enhancement.") However, that's still half the number of pixels in a true UHD image.
The JVC LX-UH1 uses the same technique with its new 0.47" DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) imaging chip, which also has a native resolution of 1080p. But instead of shifting the pixels back and forth between two positions, it shifts them back and forth between four positions, displaying a total of 8 million pixels on the screen. Texas Instruments, the developer of DLP technology, calls this technique TRP (tilt-roll pixels).
Other important specs include a peak luminance of 2000 lumens with a purported dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1. An RGBRGB color-filter wheel yields a color gamut encompassing 100% of BT.709, and the unit can accept a BT.2020 signal. In addition, the LX-UH1 is compatible with HDR10 and HLG high-dynamic-range content. One of the two HDMI inputs operates at full 2.0 bandwidth—18 Gbps—allowing it to accept 4K/60p HDR signals.
Focus, zoom, and lens shift are all manual. I'm happy to see horizontal and vertical lens shift, which have a wide range (±60% vertical, ±23% horizontal). The zoom range is fairly wide as well (1.36-2.18:1).
And the price? $2500! The least-expensive D-ILA model is $4000, which makes the LX-UH1 seem like a real bargain. However, there are even less-expensive DLP-based UHD HDR projectors on the market, such as the Optoma UHD60 ($2000) and BenQ HT2550 ($1500), both of which claim higher peak brightness than the JVC. In addition, the UHD60 uses a larger DMD chip with a native resolution of 2716x1528 and 2x pixel shifting. The HT2550 uses the smaller 1080p DMD with 4x pixel shifting.
Overall, I have not been all that impressed with the low-cost DLP-based 4K/UHD projectors I've seen, especially their poor black levels. By contrast, the JVC D-ILA models have exceptional black levels, making them among the most popular projectors for videophiles. I look forward to seeing if the JVC LX-UH1 improves upon the other projectors in its class.
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Both types of JVC projectors are touted as having 4K/UHD resolution, and both use lower-resolution imagers and "pixel shifting" to achieve it—sort of. All the D-ILA models (except the flagship DLA-RS4500) have 1080p imagers, and each pixel is quickly shifted back and forth between two positions to display two pixels on the screen. JVC calls this e-Shift, and it doubles the number of pixels on the screen from 2 million to 4 million. (Epson does the same thing with some of its LCD projectors, calling the technique "4K Enhancement.") However, that's still half the number of pixels in a true UHD image.
The JVC LX-UH1 uses the same technique with its new 0.47" DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) imaging chip, which also has a native resolution of 1080p. But instead of shifting the pixels back and forth between two positions, it shifts them back and forth between four positions, displaying a total of 8 million pixels on the screen. Texas Instruments, the developer of DLP technology, calls this technique TRP (tilt-roll pixels).
Other important specs include a peak luminance of 2000 lumens with a purported dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1. An RGBRGB color-filter wheel yields a color gamut encompassing 100% of BT.709, and the unit can accept a BT.2020 signal. In addition, the LX-UH1 is compatible with HDR10 and HLG high-dynamic-range content. One of the two HDMI inputs operates at full 2.0 bandwidth—18 Gbps—allowing it to accept 4K/60p HDR signals.
Focus, zoom, and lens shift are all manual. I'm happy to see horizontal and vertical lens shift, which have a wide range (±60% vertical, ±23% horizontal). The zoom range is fairly wide as well (1.36-2.18:1).
And the price? $2500! The least-expensive D-ILA model is $4000, which makes the LX-UH1 seem like a real bargain. However, there are even less-expensive DLP-based UHD HDR projectors on the market, such as the Optoma UHD60 ($2000) and BenQ HT2550 ($1500), both of which claim higher peak brightness than the JVC. In addition, the UHD60 uses a larger DMD chip with a native resolution of 2716x1528 and 2x pixel shifting. The HT2550 uses the smaller 1080p DMD with 4x pixel shifting.
Overall, I have not been all that impressed with the low-cost DLP-based 4K/UHD projectors I've seen, especially their poor black levels. By contrast, the JVC D-ILA models have exceptional black levels, making them among the most popular projectors for videophiles. I look forward to seeing if the JVC LX-UH1 improves upon the other projectors in its class.
We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works here .
