JVC has just announced a batch of very expensive, high-end 8K laser projectors with its new D-ILA range. The new JVC DLA-NZ7, NZ8 and NZ9 models all come with a new laser light source technology, support for dynamic HDR and next-generation HDMI 2.1 gaming features.
The company says the new models are the first projectors in the world with 48Gbps 8K HDMI 2.1 ports, capable of handling up to 60 frames per second at 8K resolution or 120 frames per second in 4K. They also support features such as variable refresh rate and auto low-latency mode too.
For movie purists, perhaps the best feature will be the addition of HDR10+ support, ensuring industry-standard dynamic HDR that produces extremely sharp images on a frame-by-frame basis. Meanwhile, the JVC Frame Adapt HDR system will deliver similar quality with non-HDR10+ material, the company said.
What’s really cool though is what’s under the hood. JVC says its new BLU-Escent laser light source is capable of delivering a stunning 3,000 lumens of brightness with a life span that it promises will stretch beyond 20,000 hours. JVC said the laser diode offers much greater precision and dynamic range too by enabling control of the output at the source, rather than using a mechanical iris as most projectors do. This, combined with its all-glass Ultra-High Contrast Optics, will deliver super high contrast and better brightness than ever seen, JVC claimed.
While the projector panels are said to be 0.69 inches and 4K native, JVC has added its 8K e-shiftX pixel-shifting technology to boost the on-screen pixel density and create an 8K resolution image. JVC said this is possible because its new 4-way, 240Hz driver moves the panel diagonally, while its new processor is capable of processing images at much faster speeds.
At the upper end we have the JVC DLA-NZ9, which comes with a 16-group, 18-element all-glass lens with a 100 millimetre diameter. Features include two-times optical zoom, and the ability to shift 100% vertically in either direction, as well as 43% horizontally. It has a native contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and can throw up a picture of 60-inches to 300-inches at the max.
The NZ8 and NZ7 models come with a 65mm all-glass lens with 17 elements arranged in 15 groups. They both offer two-times zoom, and a very flexible lens shift of 80% vertically and 34% horizontally. Both models can throw up an image of between 60-inches and 200-inches, JVC said.
As far as the differences between those models go, the main ones regard light output and native contrast. JVC said the NZ8 is rated at 80,000:1 and has 2,500 lumens of brightnss, while the NZ7 gets 2,200 lumens and 40,000:1 contrast. The NZ7 has a 2-way 8k e-shift system as opposed to the 4-way version on the others, so 8K performance may not be quite as impressive.
JVC said all three models will go on sale in the U.K. in October. U.K pricing has not yet been announced, but the U.S. price tags give us a clear idea of what to expect. The JVC DLA-NZ9 is on sale for a mind-blowing $25,000 in the U.S., with the NZ8 priced at $15,000 and the NZ7 available for $10,000.
