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I have to begin this review with an admission and a disclaimer. First, the admission: I've been dragging my feet in writing this review for two reasons. The first is that I've been trying to get my new RCA DTC100 HDTV receiver and dish installed, so I can subscribe to DirecTV and watch some hi-res output on this projecter. The second reason is that the longer it takes me to write my observations, the longer I'll have to enjoy this projector -- I know that once this review hits the phosphor on your computer screen, I'm going to be all out of excuses and will have to pack up this magnificent beast and send it back to Dennis Shepherd at Medical Video Systems, who has been very kind and patient with me for the several weeks that I've had possession of this unit and the Quadscan scaler that I've been using with it.
I guess the jig is up.
They do say that possession is 9 points of the law, don't they?
Now, for my disclaimer: I don't pretend to be an authority or expert in the field of video, which has been a source of encouragement for our typical average readers and a source of contempt for those who are more technically adept than I. I'm not interested in mathematical equasions, theories or formulas. I'm not out to impress anyone with my command of technical jargon or terms that go over the head of the average Joe. For that, you can find plenty of reviewers who can go further than I can in explaining how all this stuff works and why you need at least four third-party add-ons to make something work better than it does out of the box.
What I am interested in doing is setting up an outstanding home theater system with a rudimentary understanding of what's going on and how to connect things. I'll also attempt to break down the techno-speak into layman's terms -- to try and relate what I see with my own two eyes when evaluating image quality. I don't have test equipment nor do I possess the knowledge to use it and furthermore, I'm not interested in learning how to become a certified, professional installer. While I definitely get off on the end results of a well set up system, all the technical stuff bores me to tears. Instead, I rely on a few trusted sources who are a lot smarter than I am to help me set things up if I run into a problem that a quick peek in the users' manual doesn't address. Okay, now the fun begins:
The G11U is a larger, heavier projector than I have handled up until now, but still quite maneuverable and easy enough to handle for any do-it-yourself enthusast. Certainly less cumbersome than a CRT projector and if you must tote your projector from place to place, JVC has installed a solid-feeling carrying handle that should do the trick nicely.
While the G11U employs LCD panels like many of the other LCD projectors we've had the pleasure of seeing, it uses micromirrors to reflect light off the LCDs, rather than try to pass the light through the LCDs. This results in greater light output and creates better black level than is possible with traditional LCD's.
The obvious comparisons are going to be made between this projector and the Sony VPL-VW10HT. Both projectors have a lot going for them, but in different respects. Both are fine machines and I would be pleased to own either one.
Oddly, (and for better or worse) the JVC G11U seems to have more in common with Sony's venerable VPL-W400Q (the projector that inspired the creation of this website) than any that I've seen thus far, including Sony's own successor to that model, the VPL-VW10HT.
Like the W400Q (unfortunately), there are no electronic keystone correction adjustments; the projector must be installed correctly and in relation to the screen the way the W400Q does (lens centered and parallel with top or bottom edge of the screen); the fan is distractingly loud (even louder than the W400Q, I think); and the long throw lens comes very close to matching the screen to projector placement ratios of the W400Q, but goes a step further with an advanced design that gives an even greater throw distance.
In other words, upgrading from a W400Q to the G11U should be a relative breeze. While this may not be important to those considering this as their first home theater projector, I should think that W400Q owners should sit up and take notice. I sure have. There's no question that an enclosure or behind-the-wall installation would be not only preferable, but almost mandatory with the G11U. The only difference besides the larger footprint that W400 owners should take into consideration is the fact that the fan vents out of the rear side of the projector, not the back.
Good ventilation is a must. Sitting alongside the G11U would not be a comfortable option if you're on the side receiving the exhuast. It's abundant and very warm. It would have to be, in order to keep the 420 watt (!) xenon lamp cool. An automatic fan runs a few moments after the power has been turned off to continue the cool-down, and a built-in circuit breaker temporarily disables the machine should the operating temperature exceed spec limits. In other words, JVC makes it difficult for you to accidentally wreck your projector by not giving it adequate ventilation -- very considerate of the designers. There is a minimal amount of light leakage out of the ventilation port, but not enough to complain about or spoil the show -- particularly if you ceiling mount or install this unit behind a wall.
The bulb produces 1000 ANSI lumens and appears easy to remove and replace. The bulb itself is rated for 1,000 hours and nothing more. Indeed, after clocking 1,000 hours, as a safety precaution the projector will not function at all unless the lamp timer is reset. The manual advises against resetting the timer halfway through the life of the lamp, otherwise "the replacement time may become unclear, degrade performance markedly or cause a lamp explosion." Whoa! When they say 1,000 hours, they mean 1000 hours.
The biggest drawback to this projector for many is the price tag on replacement bulbs. Keeping in mind that when the projector originally cost upwards of $18,000 -- a $1,000 ticket for a new bulb may not have seemed like a big deal for the deep-pocket dudes that could shell out that kind of bread for the latest and greatest technology (at least not without taking out a second mortgage). But for the average guy digging deep to make the stretch for the projector at its new lower price point of around eight grand -- another $1,000 every couple of years sounds like a mighty big investment. The good news is, the price of bulbs is reportedly on the way down as well, and I've heard reports that they are now available in the $700 range.
When you consider that this projector will deliver a much larger, brighter and in many respects superior picture to even a three gun CRT (remember, the larger the image size, the lower the life of CRT's), the cost of replacing the lamp every couple of years versus the cost of replacing and having the CRT's aligned still puts you way ahead of the game. Plus, the xenon lamp will not lose it's luminence properties during its useable lifespan. You get what you pay for. In this case, a very bright, predictable, consistent output. For me at least, that would be worth the extra $350 or so a year in maintenance costs (bi-annual lamp replacement). However, I would be more inclined to reserve the G11U for serious movie watching and use the 27" direct view television for the evening news and sitcoms.
This D-ILA projector has been referred to as having close to CRT black level performance and having seen both, I agree. The intensity of black level has always been the primary weakness of LCD-based projection systems, with some performing better than others. For a lot of folks, black level is very important. And understandably so. When watching a film that uses a lot of darkness in the frame, poor black level can be a particularly nagging distraction. This single issue has probably been more hotly debated than any other on all of The BIG Picture's projector forums.
Make no mistake, however, some ambient light still makes it to the screen as it will with any front projector, CRT or not. The JVC G11U is no exception in this regard. The "truest" black level can only be found on direct view CRT monitors, period.
Frequently, when darker black level on front or rear projected sources is attained by tweaking the contrast ratio, it is done so at the expense of shadow detail. The JVC G11U provides a very satisfying black level, even in the darkest passages, however some shadow detail is sacrificed as a result. Given the choice between a gray outerspace or seeing every detail in deeply shaded areas of the picture however, I'll choose the deeper black level every time. Here's my logic, as flawed as it might be. It's easy to dismiss something you cannot see, because you usually won't know you're missing it. However, it's impossible to disregard what you can see. We all know that the sky is black at night -- not charcoal gray or dark blue-gray.
So although the black level on the G11U is not what you would find on a direct view monitor, it's easy to forgive and forget, since the higher contrast ratio and resulting black level is close enough as to not cause distraction. Especially when it's combined with the most vivid colors and near-artifact free fine detail that I've ever seen on my home theater screen.
Though not as refined or user-friendly as the VPL-VW10HT; for pure picture performance, the JVC G11U D-ILA is exceptionally hard to beat when equipped with an external scaler such as the Quadscan Pro (currently about $1,700).
As with anything else, the quality of the source material is paramount, but the incredibly tight pixel array of the G11 renders an exceptional picture even at close viewing distances. Much closer than you could get away with while watching most LCD and lower resolution DLA projectors. But from around ten feet away and greater, the images are nothing short of jaw-dropping spectacular. I have never seen better colors than I have with this projector -- and I thought my W400Q was magnificent in this regard.
Light distribution across the screen is flawless insofar as I can see. There are no brighter spots and no discernable color shifting from edge to edge. Although the panels in this projector are 4:3, projecting onto a 16:9 screen poses no real problems. When you set up the projector initially, you do so for a 4:3 image. When viewing 16:9 material, there is no need to zoom in or re-adjust -- but there is some superfluous light spillage off either the top or bottom of the screen (depending on how the image is oriented -- this parameter is user adjustable). The effect of the "black" light seepage is minimal and the best way I can describe it is to say that the ambient light created resembles subtle moonlight on my floor. Hardly a concern, but worth noting.
I'm a huge proponent of widescreen viewing, and at first, I was a bit skeptical of the resolution, knowing that by masking pixels for widescreen, you're losing a fair number them. Not to worry, here. The output of 16:9 on the JVC G11 provides equal or greater density than any projector I've seen so far that employs 16:9 LCD panels. The end result is an incredibly detailed and smooth picture at ten feet with no grainy artifacts across wide expanses of bright images like a sky, for instance. I couldn't imagine the picture looking any better in my home than this.
I've put a good 40 hours on the lamp since I received this demo unit and have watched a wide variety of source material. On some non-enhanced DVDs, I've noticed a very subtle, almost non-discernable textural effect, no doubt from the pixel structure, that takes on the appearance of a fine art canvas -- primarily when viewing black and white material. But when viewing excellent source material, the resulting image is completely smooth, sharp and distortion free. The old "garbage in, garbage out" thing -- however, this projector/scaler combo has been more forgiving of even substandard DVDs than most that I've seen.
I have no way of measuring the contrast ratio, but I can tell you that gradient transitions are exceptionally smooth and free from flaring or other artifacts that can "wash out" detail in skin tones, among other critical areas of shading. I was able to watch the original STAR TREK episodes during the day with light flooding into the room through large open windows, and of course, the image was washed out, but still watchable. Like all front projectors, ambient lighting control is crucial and the very best results will be enjoyed in a totally darkened room.
I don't know how many other ways that I can say this projector has yielded the nicest picture that I've seen to date, except to say that it's going to be an exceptionally sad day around here when I have to ship it back.
Zoom and focus are motorized and can be achieved remotely with the infared unit that can have a total reflected range of about 32' to your screen and back to the projector. Adjusting the focus is a little tricky since there are no test patterns provided, but I was able to reach satisfactory results simply by focusing on the text in the menu. Picture adjustment controls are variable depending on the source -- standard NTSC video or RGB computer. There are enough inputs and outputs on this thing to satisfy the most finicky videophile and even a computer out that will feed the image to a separate RBG monitor, should you be so inclined. Nice touch. Phase, tracking, image position, color saturation, hue and contrast are all user-adjustable, as well as three standard white balance settings. There's a nice "auto adjust" feature for when using the computer inputs as well as component and standard NTSC video inputs as well.
You can run your sound system through the projector if you are so inclined (I would not be) and adjust the volume from the G11 remote control as well.
It's too bad that the remote isn't backlit, but if you're like most home theater buffs, you'll simply program the codes into your whiz-bang universal remote and shelve this one, anyway.
The G11U measures 16 3/4" wide, 10" high and 14 7/8" deep, including the lens assembly.
DTV signals from 4801, 480p, 720p and 10801 are all accepted, the latter boasting a total 2,220 lines of resolution and 1920 x 1080 pixel density.
The recommended screen size is 300", but the projector has a range from 42" to a whopping 521" measured diagonally using a 4:3 screen! Minimum projection distance is 8.2 feet. Maximum, 65.6'.
The 3D-ILA device consists of 3 panels totalling (count 'em) 4,193,280 pixels. You want HDTV? This is the real deal, folks. Expect about 1000 lines of horizontal resolution when watching through the standard video input.
When you first power up the unit, it generates some strange green garbage on the screen ever-so-briefly, but according to the manual, this is normal operation.
Although I would have preferred a quieter fan, longer lasting lamp and trapezoidial correction, the superb image rendering more than makes up for the deficiencies. Any effort expended in creating a suitable environment for this projector (code for "ventilated enclosure") will be more than rewarded with stunning picture quality that will make you the envy of every single person outside of your immdiate family who steps foot into your home theater.
The JVC DLA-G11U comes standard with a 3-year parts and labor warranty; 90 days or 600 hours (whichever comes first) on the lamp. I'm told that an extended warranty can be purchased through your dealer, giving you 5 years of protection.
If DVD output looks this spectacular -- I can only imagine what HDTV must look like. I intend to find out before shipping the G11U back to Medical Video Systems (if I can) and I'll ammend my comments in this review at that time. In the meantime, I'll just have to settle for looking out my window and hope that my review unit doesn't become "lost" in the meantime...