JVC DLA-NZ700

Introduction

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is a new model that uses a lighter and more compact chassis compared to the current DLA-NZ800, but still includes the brand’s third-generation D-ILA native 4K chipset, BLU-Escent laser light source, DCI-P3 gamut coverage, and Frame Adapt HDR tone mapping.

The NZ700 is also cheaper but to reach this lower price point JVC has dropped 3D support and the HDMI 2.1 inputs, which means it can’t support 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz. While the latter might disappoint gamers, the NZ700 has the potential to be an ideal choice for discerning film fans.

Price

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is available now, and retails for £9,499 in the UK, $8,999 in the US, €8,999 in Europe, and AU$14,999 in Australia. These prices are excellent for a native 4K HDR projector with a laser light source, 80mm lens, wide colour gamut, superior blacks, and dynamic tone mapping.

The NZ700 has no direct competitor and although it’s more expensive than the JVC DLA-NZ500, Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Epson EH-QB1000, as long as you don’t need HDMI 2.1 inputs for gaming at 4K/120Hz or support for 3D then it could be the sweet spot in JVC’s expanded line-up.

Design

• New 80mm hybrid lens
• Backlit remote control

The JVC DLA-NZ700 has been completely redesigned, resulting in a more compact chassis that JVC claims is the world’s smallest for a native 4K projector. Thankfully the build quality remains excellent, and it’s still finished in black, which is ideal for dedicated home cinema installations.

The NZ700 uses the same laser light source and third generation D-ILA chipset as the DLA-NZ800, but reduces its size and weight by utilising a new optical unit and 80mm hybrid lens. The fan system is also reversed, now pulling in air at the front and blowing it out of vents at the rear.

At the rear you’ll also find two HDMI 2.0 inputs that support bandwidths up to 32Gbps and as such are limited to 4K/60Hz (which isn’t great news for gamers). The HDMI ports can also handle HDCP 2.3, and high dynamic range – specifically HDR10, hybrid log-gamma (HLG), and HDR10+.

The provided remote is the same slightly tweaked version introduced on the NZ800 and NZ900, with its more luminescent light button, and small bumps on the on/off and enter buttons – all of which makes this well-designed controller very easy to use in a fully blacked-out home cinema.

Features

• More granular control of laser power
• Balanced laser dimming setting
• New Deep Black function
• Vivid picture mode

The JVC DLA-NZ700 uses the brand’s third generation D-ILA 4K chipset, which delivers brighter images, deeper blacks, and improved uniformity. The new chip’s improved efficiency also means  this mid-range beamer has a claimed brightness of 2,300 lumens and native contrast of 80,000:1.

In addition JVC has added a new Deep Black function that uses a revised algorithm to further enhance contrast without crushing shadows. The dynamic laser control also has a new Balanced setting that gives images more punch without introducing any annoying brightness fluctuations.

The laser power control has an improved sliding scale that allows for increased granularity as you adjust the brightness, thus avoiding sudden increases in fan noise. There’s also a new “Vivid” picture mode for watching SDR sports or gaming in a room with a degree of ambient light.

The NZ700 retains the BLU-Escent laser diode light source first introduced on JVC’s previous generation of projectors, and this has a claimed minimum lifespan of 20,000-hours, plus it offers greater consistency. There’s also a Filmmaker mode, along with ISF-certified calibration controls.

The new 80mm 15-element, 11-group lens uses a hybrid design to reduce costs but still deliver sharper images. Other features include motorised focus, zoom and shift controls, which makes installation easier, plus there are lens memories for different aspect ratios on a 2.35:1 screen.

The Gen2 Frame Adapt HDR feature dynamically analyses HDR10 content on a frame-by-frame basis to optimise the image, although to save money JVC has dropped the Theatre Optimiser which is designed to enhance HDR tone mapping based on your screen’s size, shape and gain.

However the NZ700 does read the Display Mastering Luminance (DML) metadata, which is the peak brightness of the display originally used to master the content. This is useful because the more metadata the tone mapping has, the better the results in terms of displayed HDR images.

Performance

• Dynamic and cinematic delivery
• Vivid and saturated colours
• Superb image accuracy

The JVC DLA-NZ700 may be cheaper than the brand’s higher-end models, but you wouldn’t think it based on the performance. The use of similar components such as the D-ILA chipset and laser light source ensure continuity, but I marvelled at the quality of the new hybrid lens. It produces incredibly sharp images, and in my opinion is superior to the lens Sony uses on its 4K beamers.

My initially positive impressions were confirmed by testing, with the NZ700 delivering a contrast ratio of nearly 50,000:1, which is better than the earlier and more expensive DLA-NZ8. The laser brightness approaches the claimed 2,300 lumens, although you only hit these peaks in the Vivid mode, and in the preferable Filmmaker or Natural modes it’s closer to around 1,700 lumens.

The out-of-the-box SDR accuracy is excellent with the white point close to the industry standard of D65 thanks to an even greyscale, while colours are close to their saturation targets for BT.709. This can be improved through calibration, and I was able to get reference accuracy using the built-in controls, and anyone spending nearly ten grand should get their new NZ700 optimised.

This accuracy also extends to HDR, with the NZ700 covering 97% of DCI-P3 with its colour filter in place. What’s even better is the filter only reduces the brightness by about 15%, although if you’d rather not use the filter (and with HDR10+ you don’t have a choice) then the brightness obviously increases but the gamut coverage now drops to around 83% of DCI-P3 instead.

The NZ700 may be more affordable, but it still includes JVC’s class-leading HDR tone mapping with the beamer not only accurately tracking the PQ curve standard, but also using dynamic tone mapping to get the best out of content based on the available metadata and real-time analysis of the HDR signal. The ability to read the Display Mastering Luminance also helps in this regard.

The Deep Black feature remains a useful addition, bringing slightly more detail out of shadows while keeping the blacks suitably inky. The Balanced dynamic laser setting is also better, adding greater depth at the low end while also boosting the brightness at the other without any ‘pumping’ in the image itself. The superior tone mapping ensures the highlights are also free of clipping.

This NZ700 is equally impressive with motion handling, producing smooth pictures that are free of blurring and unwanted artefacts. The projector may be limited to 60Hz but the motion with games remains excellent, although the responsiveness suffers due to the lack of a low latency mode. As a result this projector’s input lag measures 51ms, which is probably too high for serious gamers.

Watching SDR content on the NZ700 is a hugely enjoyable experience, with the effective processing upscaling regular Blu-rays to produce detailed and natural images that enjoy added depth thanks to the impressive contrast ratios. Any concerns I had about the new 80mm lens using a combination of plastic and glass were dispelled by the finely rendered images on display.

Moving on to HDR and the NZ700 continues to dazzle with a spectacular delivery that retains all the fine details in a 4K movie like Passengers. Colours have depth and nuance, while the bright highlights are rendered with skill, ensuring there’s no clipping. The space sequences are equally impressive, with inky blacks peppered by stars producing images that are often breathtaking.

The dynamic tone mapping is very adept at optimising the performance of the NZ700, and the resulting HDR is often comparable to high-end video processors that cost more than the projector itself. When able to use the dynamic metadata of HDR10+ the results are equally impressive, and the notorious nighttime scenes in 1917 look fantastic as the falling flares puncture the darkness.

Should you buy it?

FAQs