Breaking Barriers Again
The new JVC® DLA-RS2U 1080p D-ILA®video projector shat- ters the industry-leading contrast standard set by its predeces- sor, the DLA-RS1U. The RS1 (as it is known to home theatre enthusiasts) astonished everyone a year ago by achieving a native full-field contrast ratio of 15,000:1. The contrast ratio specification for the RS2 has been doubled to 30,000:1, and my review unit met that stellar performance mark, while still produc- ing excellent brightness.
The RS2 also adds other features and image-quality improvements, including remote control of lens focus and zoom, a vertical stretch mode for an external anamorphic lens, and advanced gamma adjustments.
Technology
The RS2 incorporates upgraded 0.7-inch, 16:9 D-ILA (Direct- drive Image Light Amplifier) panels with enhanced wire-grid polarizers. D-ILA is a vertically aligned Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) technology. The projector has three D-ILA panels, each with the same 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution as 1080i and 1080p high-definition video formats. The D-ILA devices are said to have a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1.
The projector utilizes a 200-watt UHP (ultra high-pressure) mercury projection lamp. The light from the projection lamp is split into red, green, and blue beams that each reflects off one of the D-ILA panels. The brightness of each pixel is controlled by varying the polarization of the light as it passes through the liquid crystal layer of the panels. The reflected red, green, and blue light is directed through a single lens to create a full-color image on the screen. The three-panel design eliminates the need for a color wheel and the potential rainbow color separa- tion artifacts of single-chip DLP projectors.
Appearance
The RS2 has the same attractive glossy piano-black case as the RS1. The front bezel is flat black, and a matching accent
2Widescreen Review • Issue 129 • March 2008
strip runs the length of the projector in the center of
the top cover. The zoom lens is centered in the middle of the front bezel,
which has a cool air inlet on one end of the bezel and a hot air exhaust vent on the other. All video inputs are
on a recessed rear panel, with a power cord socket below them. The lamp cover is located on the side of the projector, which makes it easy to replace the lamp when required. There are small and unob- trusive Warning, Lamp, and Power indicators on the top cover, in addition to several control and menu navigation buttons.
Set Up
The RS2 projection lens now has remotely controlled zoom and focus adjustments, replacing the manual adjustments of the RS1. With a 100-inch diagonal (87.2- x 49-inch) 16:9 (1.78:1) screen, the 2.0x zoom lens provides a throw distance between 9.88 and 19.95 feet. Optimum focus is essential to achieve the best performance from this projector, and that is now easier to adjust while standing at the screen, thanks to the remote-controlled lens. However, the focus can only be adjusted while viewing a built-in green crosshatch test pattern. It would be better if the user could view his or her own test patterns and other images while focusing.
The projector can be adjusted for up to 80 percent vertical and
34 percent horizontal lens shift. That means the center of the lens can be 30 percent of the screen height above or below the screen, and 34 percent of the screen width to the right or left of screen cen- ter. The lens is manually shifted horizontally and vertically by two adjustment knobs located on the bottom edge of the front bezel. The all-mechanical system feels a bit imprecise, but with a little fiddling the image can be positioned as desired. The maximum vertical and horizontal shifts can’t be applied simultaneously. But since the lens shifts slightly increase chromatic aberration, having both at maximum wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. I recommend keeping the horizon- tal lens shift near the minimum and limiting the vertical lens shift to the top or bottom of the screen when possible.
Connections
The rear-panel connections are rather limited. There are two HDMI inputs, a YPbPr/RGsB component input (three RCA connectors), an S-video input (four-pin mini-DIN), and a composite video input (RCA connector). The analog RGsB input is compatible with three-wire RGB signals that have sync-on-green, but there is no provision for analog RGBHV signals. There is also an RS-232 port for control, but there are no screen trigger outputs. The RS-232 syntax is included in the user manual.
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