JVC DLA-RS6710U Projector Review – Special Features

4K Content Handling by the JVC RS6710U

JVC was the first company to release projectors that are inherently 1080p projectors, but that could accept some true 4K content.  This is one of them.

The qualifier is “some content”.  Keep in mind this projector was launched in the fall of 2013.  a 4K version of Blu-ray was a topic of future interest.  And when it comes to cable / satellite, those guys are way behind Blu-ray when it comes to such things.

As a result of lack of standards, and that this projector and its siblings that are a year older than some competition, lack some of the basic ingredients to be a serious player in “4K space.”  Notably, Blu-ray UHD (4K) is requiring two standards:

HDMI 2.0 (currently most projectors run HDMI 1.4a. The 1.4a version was needed to support Blu-ray 3D).

Of course, keep in mind, we’re only talking compatibility with 4K content.  This is not a true 4K projector.  The LCoS panels are 1080p resolution, meaning that each panel has only 1/4 the number of pixels as a true 4K panel would have (i.e. Sony’s competition – the VW350ES at $9999 and the VW600ES at $14999), and these JVC pixels would be 4X the size as well.

That’s where JVC’s pixel shifting comes in.  But we’ll discuss that next.  Let’s just say that while various sharpening techniques and features like pixel shifting can enhance one’s perception of sharpness, ultimately it’s still not true 4K, even if you might be fooled from time to time.   When there are fine lines or very small text, a true 4K projector will show off its real advantages and just be sharper, and there will be no getting around that.

e-Shift3 - Pixel Shifting

By interpolating the data, this allows for smoothing of the image, and in some cases improved perceived sharpness. With 4K content, it definitely can be a huge help in making 4K content seem a lot sharper than 1080p, despite the panels being only 1080p.

Basically there are two companies currently using pixel shifting – these JVCs and also Epson’s LS10000.  For that reason, in the player above I’ve got a couple of comparison images showing the same content on both.  There are 1080p images using pixel shifting and 4K.

There will be a follow-up comparison of the two projectors since I’m lucky enough to have them both here at the same time.

Bottom line:  JVC’s e-shift3 does enhance the image.  I find that this JVC has a good balance between “enhanced perceived sharpness” and a smooth look to the image.  By comparison, the Epson LS10000 to me, seems better at that “enhanced perceived sharpness” with its pixel shifting engaged, but the Epson has a slightly harder look to its pixel shifted imagery.   Ah, there are always trade-offs!

3D Performance

Just plug in the provided 3D emitter (RS6710U only – I believe the emitter and 2 pair of active JVC glasses are optional on the RS67U and X900R (but then those are slightly less expensive.)

For a company that produces stunning standard 1080p content, JVC seems to have struggled with 3D since inception.  Their first gen 3D projectors definitely had more issues with artifacts than the competition.  The 3D on this JVC is much improved since then, but it still has to be considered a bit weaker than any competition, in all areas but one.

First of all, crosstalk is an issue for all but DLP projectors.   This JVC sports some.  Not too bad, but could be better.

Click Image to Enlarge

I love 3D, but consider it a luxury item – that is, I can forgive some things with 3D that I wouldn’t think of tolerating in 2D. One such thing is color accuracy.  Because 3D is a brightness killer (figure you are lucky if a 3D projector is more than 1/3 as bright in 3D than 2D), you really don’t get to typically choose a lower brightness “best” mode to use for viewing. Oh, you can choose it, but the brightness is likely to be just plain unsatisfactory unless your screen size is pretty small, or your screen gain unusually high.

So when I’m watching 3D on any projector, I’m willing to live without highly accurate color.  That said,  the JVC does pretty good in terms of 3D color in its near brightest mode, at least better than that Epson LS10000 in its brightest 3D mode, and probably at least comparable in color accuracy as the 4K Sony projectors.  On the other hand, it’s not as bright as the Epsons or Sonys in their brighter modes.

Last evening I watched some 3D from several movies, including the last Harry Potter, and MIB III.  At 100″ diagonal, I found the brightness in 3D to be barely acceptable to me – I am not a fan at all, of dim!  I tried to get up to filling my full 124″ diagonal, but the horsepower just wasn’t there.  I gave up at about 110″ diagonal in a fully dark room on a 1.3 gain Stewart Studiotek 130, as the largest I could tolerate and favored returning to the smaller image so I didn’t do much viewing at 110″ size.

So, as good as, or better color in 3D than the competition, but less brightness to go around.  Mind you the competition isn’t hugely brighter, but have enough extra for an extra 10 to 20 inches diagonal with comparable brightness.

Bottom line on 3D on this JVC:  You’ve got it, enjoy it, but if you are really a 3D fanatic, you would almost certainly favor someone elses projector for your 3D viewing.   Hey, the kids will love it, they won’t quibble about crosstalk or brightness.

Lens Memory