JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: class-leading performance plus 8K and 3D

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector: one-minute review

The JVC DLA-NZ800 is the latest high-end projector from the brand, combining its existing BLU-Escent laser light source with a redesigned D-ILA 4K chipset that delivers deeper blacks, brighter images, and improved uniformity. As a result, this excellent beamer builds on JVC’s established strengths, maintaining the company’s position as a preeminent maker of the best 4K projectors .

The JVC DLA-NZ800's native 4K images are crisply detailed, while the upgraded 8K/e-shiftX processing makes great content look even better. The overall picture accuracy is superb, the SDR images impressive, and the HDR performance state-of-the-art thanks to JVC's proprietary dynamic tone mapping and Theatre Optimiser features, along with support for HDR10, hybrid log-gamma and HDR10+.

Key improvements for this newly evolved model include an increased claimed brightness of 2,700 lumens and native contrast ratio of up to 100,000:1. The 8K/e-shiftX upscaling is now more sophisticated, and quieter, while the laser power setting offers greater control. The new features include a Deep Black function, a Balanced dynamic laser mode, and a Vivid picture setting.

The NZ800 supports 3D, with pictures that are bright, punchy and free of any crosstalk, and it has two HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 8K/60p and 4K/120p. There’s an effective remote, intuitive menu system, and flexible installation – although whether stand or ceiling mounting, bear in mind that this beamer is very big and heavy.

The NZ800 is also rather expensive, although the pricing remains unchanged from the previous generation. As with the earlier NZ8 it also has no direct competitor, so if you want exceptional cinematic performance, peerless HDR tone mapping, comprehensive features and a high degree of future-proofing, this remarkable high-end projector is in a literal class of its own.

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: price and release date

• MSRP: $15,999 / £15,999 / AU$24,999
• Release date: May 2024
  

The JVC DLA-NZ800 (DLA-RS3200) is the mid-range model in the brand’s 4K laser-powered line-up.  It’s available now and retails for £15,999  /$15,999 / AU$24,999. The NZ800 replaces the outgoing DLA-NZ8 (DLA-RS3100) and sits below the flagship DLA-NZ900 (DLA-RS4200), which has also been given an upgrade and replaces the discontinued DLA-NZ9 (DLA-RS4100). The entry point remains the DLA-NZ7 (DLA-RS2100), which is retained from the previous generation.

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: Specs

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: design and features

• Gen3 0.69in 4K D-ILA device
• Gen2 8K/e-shiftX
• Gen2 Frame Adapt HDR

The JVC DLA-NZ800’s big new feature is the third generation of the brand’s proprietary D-ILA 4K chipset, which has been redesigned to be more efficient. These refinements allow for brighter images, deeper blacks, and improved uniformity. It’s also the reason why the NZ800 has an increased claimed brightness of 2,700 lumens and an improved contrast ratio of up to 100,000:1.

The NZ800 includes JVC’s second generation 8K/e-shiftX device, which physically shifts each pixel by half a pixel in four directions (up, down, left and right), thus allowing the projector to deliver a full 8K (8,192 x 4,320 resolution) image. This updated version of the proprietary feature uses sophisticated 8K upscaling for improved sharpness and detail across a wide range of content.

In addition to the improved black levels offered by the upgraded D-ILA chipset, JVC has added a new Deep Black function that employs a revised algorithm to further enhance the contrast without crushing shadows. In addition, the dynamic laser control adds a new Balanced setting for even punchier pictures without introducing the annoying brightness fluctuations seen on earlier models.

Speaking of brightness, JVC has improved the sliding scale setting on the laser power control, and while it still goes from 1 to 100 it’s now more granular, which means you can gradually boost the brightness without a sudden increase in fan noise, thus making it more useful. JVC has also added a “Vivid” mode for watching SDR sports or gaming in a room with some ambient light.

The NZ800 retains JVC's BLU-Escent laser diode light source with its claimed 20,000-hour lifespan and greater consistency. Other features include motorised focus, zoom and shift controls to simplify installation, plus lens memories for different screen aspect ratios. There’s also a Filmmaker Mode, along with extensive ISF-certified calibration controls.

JVC’s tone mapping is state-of-the-art, with the latest proprietary Gen3 Frame Adapt HDR dynamically analysing HDR10 content on a frame-by-frame basis to optimise the image, while 18-bit gamma processing results in smoother and finer gradations. JVC also includes the Theatre Optimiser which enhances tone mapping by taking into account the size, shape and gain of your projection screen.

In addition to the existing analysis of an incoming HDR signal, the NZ800 now reads the Display Mastering Luminance (DML) metadata. This tells the projector’s tone mapping function the peak brightness of the display on which the content was originally mastered and is useful because the more metadata the tone mapping has to work with, the better the results in terms of the displayed HDR images.

• Design and features score: 5/5

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: picture quality

• Detailed and cinematic 4K delivery
• Bright and punchy HDR images
• Exceptional image processing

The JVC DLA-NZ800 impresses right out of the gate, with the redesigned D-ILA chipset delivering images that are sharp, well defined and free of any uniformity issues. On the review sample I was testing there were also no signs of the dreaded ‘bright corners’ that have been apparent on some JVC projectors in the past, even when staring at a black screen in my dedicated home cinema.

The perceived black levels also appear slightly better when compared to my NZ8, the NZ800’s predecessor, and this was borne out by actual testing, with the NZ800 delivering contrast measurements of up to 100,000:1. The peak brightness approaches the claimed 2,700 lumens, although this was in the Vivid mode, and in the Filmmaker mode or calibrated Natural mode this is closer to around 2,000 lumens.

Out-of-the-box SDR accuracy is excellent with the white point close to the industry standard of D65, an even greyscale, and colours hitting close to their saturation targets for BT.709. This can be improved through calibration, and I was able to get a reference level accuracy, so if you’re spending this kind of money you really should get your NZ800 professionally calibrated.

This accuracy also extends to HDR, and the NZ800 covers 100% of DCI-P3 with its colour filter in place. This filter reduces the brightness by about 20% – so those extra lumens come in handy – but if you’d rather not use the filter (and with HDR10+ you don’t have a choice) then the brightness increases but the gamut coverage drops to around 90% of DCI-P3 instead.

Where JVC projectors are streets ahead of the competition is in terms of HDR tone mapping with the NZ800 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 new Deep Black feature certainly adds value, teasing a touch more detail out of shadows while keeping the blacks suitably inky. A Balanced dynamic laser setting also helps, creating more depth at the lower end while also boosting the brightness at the other without any ‘pumping’ in the image itself. The NZ800’s superior tone mapping ensures the highlights are also free of clipping.

Processing is also superb, taking lower resolution content and flawlessly upscaling it to the 4K panel, while the 2nd generation 8K/e-shiftX device is a revelation, shifting pixels to create images with the perceived resolution and detail of 8K. While I like the effect of e-shift I don’t use it on my NZ8 because I can hear it in operation, so I was delighted to discover it’s nearly silent on the NZ800. In addition, the 65mm all-glass lens delivers all these pixels with perfect geometry.

The NZ800 is equally impressive with motion handling, producing smooth pictures that are free of blurring and unwanted artefacts. An ability to handle frame rates up 120p adds to the beamer’s motion prowess, and its 36ms input lag – low for a projector that’s not specifically designed for gaming – and longer-life laser light source make the JVC a great choice for the well-heeled big screen gamer.

JVC’s NZ800 is a cracking performer with SDR content, producing detailed and natural images that enjoy added depth thanks to the awesome contrast ratios. Watching Gravity on Blu-ray revealed a remarkable image, where the whites of the space suits are juxtaposed against the black backgrounds, and every pixel of the computer-generated effects is rendered with precision.

Moving on to HDR, the NZ800 proves to be a stellar performer, delivering all the specular highlights of the sun-bleached desert landscapes of Dune Part Two , pulling out every detail in shadows during the nighttime action of The Crow , and reproducing the rich and saturated colours of La La Land , helping to replicate the Technicolor musicals to which it pays homage.

The projector’s dynamic tone mapping is very adept at optimising the performance of the NZ800, 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 bright flares in the nighttime scenes of 1917 are precisely rendered against the dark sky.

Finally, the 3D performance is excellent with plenty of depth and pictures that are bright, accurate, and free of any ghosting. You’ll need to purchase the optional RF transmitter and glasses, but if you’re a fan of 3D you’ll be rewarded with wonderfully layered images such as when you’re down in the streets of Iron City in Alita: Battle Angel , or floating inside the ISS in Gravity .

• Picture quality score: 5/5

JVC DLA-NZ800 projector review: value

• It’s a significant investment
• There’s no direct competitor

The JVC DLA-NZ800 represents significant value for money, which might sound like a mad statement to make when you consider its price, but I’ll explain. The range-topper in JVC’s range is the DLA-NZ900, which costs $25,999 / £25,999, but in terms of features and performance, the NZ800 is very similar with the only real difference being the NZ900’s larger 100mm lens.

The NZ800 also doesn’t have a direct competitor, and the closest is the Sony VPL-XW7000ES in the UK (£12,999) or VPL-XW6000ES in the US ($11,999). While the XW7000ES is rated at 3,200 lumens, the XW6000ES only hits 2,500 lumens, and neither has support for 8K, 4K/120p or HDR10+, nor do they have HDMI 2.1 inputs. In addition, the NZ800 has better black levels and superior HDR tone mapping, making it the ideal choice for any discerning film fan.

• Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the JVC DLA-NZ800 projector?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

BenQ X3100i
The BenQ X3100i is a gaming projector that also does an excellent job displaying movies. It lacks the long throw capability of the JVC and isn't as adept with handling HDR, but it's a significantly less expensive and more flexible projector option.

Here's our full BenQ X3100i review

How I tested the JVC DLA-NZ800 projector

• Reviewed in a dedicated home cinema
• Used Calman calibration software for measurements
• Evaluated using SDR, HDR and 3D content

As with all my TV and projector reviews I use a combination of subjective viewing and objective measurements against the industry standards. For projectors, I also do all my testing in a dedicated home cinema with a completely blacked-out environment and high-quality screen.

The subjective testing is based on watching a variety of familiar scenes, primarily sourced from 4K, 3D and 1080p Blu-rays, plus the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K disc. These scenes have been specifically chosen to evaluate a display’s black levels, contrast performance, colour accuracy, upscaling, image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone mapping.

For the objective testing, I measured the NZ800’s brightness, greyscale and colour gamut in SDR, before doing the same in HDR. I also evaluated the accuracy of the HDR tone mapping, along with the colour gamut coverage for DCI-P3 and BT.2020. To do this I used a pattern generator and colour meter combined with Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software .

I measured the NZ800’s input lag in milliseconds using a Leo Bodnar tester with the low latency mode switch on.

Finally, because I currently use the JVC DLA-NZ8 as my reference projector, I was able to directly compare the NZ800 to its predecessor.

First reviewed: July 2024