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There´s a revolution taking place in the home cinema projection world. The dominance of LCD and DLP technology is being challenged by two new kids on the block, both derivations of the old Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology: SXRD from Sony, and now DILA from JVC.
The DLA-HD1 is the first DILA model built from the ground up for domestic use, a fact that´s reflected in its living room-friendly high-gloss finish and approachable £4,500 price tag.
Connections are good too, with two (1080p-capable) HDMIs, a component video input, plus S-video and composite video options. The only oddity is there´s no D-Sub PC input.
Let there be drums
The DLA-HD1´s specifications contain two real humdingers: a full hi-def, 1920 x 1080 native resolution, and a claimed contrast ratio of - drum roll, please - 15,000:1. And incredibly, this ratio is achieved without any auto-iris system, where the light emitted is reduced during dark scenes. In other words, the DLA-HD1´s 15,000:1 contrast claims are obtained without any accompanying brightness reduction. Simply amazing.
To make this possible, JVC has reinvented its optical system using new smoothing technology to reduce light-spilling irregularities in the DILA device. There´s also a Wire Grid Optical Engine that replaces the traditional prism/multilayer interface with a more efficient reflective polarising plate covered with aluminium ribs.
The DLA-HD1 sports plenty of other features, but one we´ve chosen to focus on is its high-spec Gennum GF9351 video processor.
Let loose on Fantastic Four shown in HD by Sky, the DLA-HD1´s performance is a revelation. For starters, the night-time city shots as The Thing first visits his fiancée enjoy black levels of a depth and naturalism unprecedented at anything like the DLA-HD1´s price point. Really, they´re that good.
Also mesmerising is how sharp the picture is, with every leaf of every tree in the woodland surrounding the recuperation centre being rendered with immaculate accuracy and detail.
Just as amazing is the pristine nature of all this fine detail, as the DLA-HD1 suffers not a single trace of video noise - including anything that might be laid at the door of DILA technology.
Four to the floor
The final element that completes the HD1´s awe-inspiring turn is its colour handling. As the Fantastic Four rescue a fire engine, the DLA-HD1´s rendition of the red of the truck is sublime, achieving an intensity considerably beyond that of the Sony Pearl SXRD model with which the HD1 arguably has the most in common. But crucially its effortless contrast performance helps it deliver fundamentally natural tones, too.
There is simply nothing bad to say about the DLA-HD1. It´s not only the finest projector we´ve seen for under £5,000, it´s also one of the best projectors we´ve seen at any price. One of the easiest five star ratings we´ve awarded.
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