JVC HD-56ZR7, The D-ILA "challenge"

• Although the results are decent, in a short time it has fallen a step behind.

• Price: €3,499

• Specialists' rating: 4

• Text: Ramon Sendra

In the last issue I had the opportunity to test Sony's SXRD rear-projection TV, which allowed me (as I expected) to see a new and promising future for this type of unit. Apart from the fact that they are still the best option in terms of price per inch, it is true that both Sony and JVC have to contend with the poor reputation created by a whole host of low-quality LCD or DLP rear-projection TVs, albeit at unbeatable prices. But the offerings from Sony and, as we will now see, from JVC are a different world, of much higher quality and performance: units designed for people like us, home theater enthusiasts who appreciate good video quality.

Now it is the turn of the JVC model, specifically the "small" 56" (142 cm) version, which bases its imaging system on the brand's exclusive D-ILA panels. And what does that mean? Given that it uses three panels, it means a total absence of the rainbow effect, a response time of just 2.5 ms and a brightness of 900 cd/m2, among other things. But I warn you now that, compared with its most direct rival (the Sony), it falls behind. We can see this, for example, from its connection panel. It is not that it is insufficient, but it offers only a single HDMI input, three SCART inputs and a PC input. There is no digital audio output (only analog), probably because it has no digital TV tuner either, a rather negative point. You know why. Incidentally, I haven't mentioned it, but this is a Full HD rear-projection TV, that is, its resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. For the tests I used the Pioneer recorder, which I also test in this issue, connected via HDMI with a Supra cable. With DVE, I found that the video processing "clips", for example, everything below 0 IRE. I was also unable to achieve good progression between 0 and 15 IRE, and it was difficult to obtain a good gray scale. Not so in the whites, where I could always see the scale progress gradually. I also detected a certain panel misalignment that often caused a bluish shadow to appear next to a black line. This also means that in any gray gradient (such as those provided by DVE), I always noticed color blotches, though not worrying ones.



TESTED



The adjustments this JVC offers are quite basic, such as the only option of choosing between a cool or a neutral color temperature. With the former, the whole picture was too blue, while with the neutral option the white was not as pure as one would expect. On the other hand, the color palette, although a step away from perfect saturation, is quite good, although the lack of edge definition and sharpness prevents better three-dimensionality from being achieved. While I noticed these characteristics with Narnia, when watching Batman Begins I noticed the lack of image dynamics. The blacks are deep, but they lack some resolution in the near-black grays. Since a perfect adjustment cannot be achieved, either we opt for a somewhat brighter picture, with a less convincing black but an improved gray gradient, or we keep the more accurate setting, which turns the darkest grays into plain black. It seems as if the D-ILA used in this rear-projection TV were tasked with achieving a deep black, even at the cost of crushing those dark grays so abundant in film productions. And what can I say about when we tried to watch something like Sin City?

There are also two notable defects. On the one hand, brightness uniformity is not very good, which makes evident, especially in

bright scenes, a circle that gradually loses brightness. On the other, in scenes with horizontal motion, a "vertical grille" effect is very noticeable, which is somewhat annoying in wide shots.

On the other hand, our guest's sound is really good, not only for its good dynamics (bass included) but also for the good implementation of the 3D virtual sound system, which provides a certain sense of envelopment without having to resort to any additional speakers.

I am probably being very demanding with this JVC, all the more so given that it is the pioneer of this type of quality rear-projection TV. Without doubt, it is much better than many single-panel LCD or DLP rear-projection TVs, and that is precisely the nature of this product. But I cannot ignore one of its most direct competitors, the Sony SXRD, which I reviewed in the previous issue. In a direct comparison, the Sony has already left the JVC a step behind.

JVC HD-56ZR7, The D-ILA "challenge"

Specifications

Panels: 3 D-ILA LCoS with a resolution of

1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Response time: 2.5 ms. Connectivity: 3 SCART, 1 HDMI, VGA, composite video, S-Video. Tuner: Analog. Technologies: Dynapix, Digital Comb filter, digital noise reduction, PAP, PIP. Brightness:

900 cd/m2. Dimensions: 1,318 x 968 x 439 mm.

Distributor: JVC (902393929).

Price: €3,499