Dolby Vision on 4k Projector

[Quint van der Vaart]

It would cost me a cool 15.000 euro's but I want to project onto a big screen and I want 4k picture so I expected it to cost a lot

[samlop10]

Originally Posted by Quint van der Vaart

It would cost me a cool 15.000 euro's but I want to project onto a big screen and I want 4k picture so I expected it to cost a lot

So there are definitely options but since I'm not sure what priorities and tastes you have for displays, I will say this:

The new format, named 4K or UHD, shows greater visible improvement in dynamic range (contrast from content, basically), in color (since it can reproduce a wider color gamut with better saturation across brighter levels), and lastly and least importantly, in resolution thanks to the extra pixels. The name they decided go with (4K) is almost ironic given how human eyes work, since most people notice HDR and better color on the new format more than they do the extra pixels. That is why I always recommend that people do not get too hung up on pixel count and focus more on the HDR and color performance of a display, especially when buying a new one since that is likely what they'll notice more.

Having said all that, most 4K projectors use pixel shifting to increment the visible resolution (which falls at a level that is certainly higher than 1080p but below actual 4K), and the most expensive ones do show the full amount of pixels. However, I've kept up with different posts over at AVS Forum and when testing and trying new projectors, the great majority of people cannot differentiate between actual 4K and pixel-shifting 4K at regular seating distances with regular content (basically, how you'd watch movies with a projector). So again, another reason not too get hung up on that aspect and focus more on HDR and WCG (Wider Color Gamut).

So, with all that in mind, I would recommend either the higher end JVC projector of their pro series (which goes for about $9,000 here in the US), the Sony you were considering, and the Epson 1500.

Now for the pros and cons which should help you decide which one to go with.

JVC

Pros:

• Currently, hands down the best native contrast that you will find in a projector, even better than both the Sony and Epson mentioned above. This is important as again, HDR for 4K content is more effective with better contrast.
• Same for dynamic contrast (with the iris). It has the best one of probably all consumer projectors.
• After calibration, it still ends up with a high brightness output, very comparable to the Sony's, even with the lower price point.
• It switches to HDR mode automatically with its own settings, completely separate than the SDR mode.
• It accepts the full 18GBps bandwidth of HDMI, so you can watch 4K60fps content with HDR/WCG gamut (important if you play HDR videogames or have an HDR media player like Chromecast that is locked to 60fps).
• Significantly cheaper than the Sony.

Cons:

• Image processing is good but not quite as good as Sony's.
• It uses a color filter to cover the whole WCG that 4K movies have. This makes it take a slight hit on brightness, but as long as the screen isn't insanely big, it should be fine.
• It is not laser and thus it uses a lamp. Meaning you'll probably have to re-adjust the calibration a bit about every 6months or so depending on how much you use it; and you'll need to replace the lamp about every 1.5yrs to be able to properly watch HDR content (about $300 per lamp).

Epson

Pros:

• It uses a laser for its light source.
• Laser dimming is better than on the Sony's (meaning better dynamic range).
• It has good HDR and WCG.
• Significantly cheaper than the Sony.
• Excellent customer service and excellent warranty from Epson (I've dealt with them back when I had an Epson and they have probably the best customer service within projector companies).
• The projector comes in a package that includes a mount, and in case you use 3D, it comes with two pairs of glasses.

Cons:

• Even though it uses laser, it is dimmer than both the JVC and the Sony. However, that brightness will stay pretty constant for years, and you'll probably only need to recalibrate about every 2 years (again, depending on usage).
• Does not have the great contrast of the JVC. It's good but JVC is the clear winner here.
• Black levels are not as deep and inky as the JVC. Important if you like watching pure black on stuff like sci-fi films or scary ones.
• Image processing is good but not quite as good as Sony's.
• Is limited to a lower HDMI bandwidth, meaning that any 4K/HDR/WCG content at 60fps will get reduced to 8bits and that will cause digital artifacts in gradients like color banding.
• You need to manually change from SDR to HDR mode and viceversa depending on whatever you're playing. The projector won't change modes automatically (so if you forget to change it when needed, you might be watching it in the wrong mode and the picture quality will be negatively affected).

Sony

Pros:

• Laser technology for its light source.
• Native 4K resolution.
• Excellent image processing.
• Very good out-of-the-box settings (meaning that if you wish not to calibrate, the SDR mode will be pretty good already; although probably not so much for HDR).
• Does not need a color filter to achieve a good WCG.

Cons:

• Most expesive out of the three, about 40% more so.
• Black levels are not as good as the JVC's. They're good but the JVC beats it hands down.
• Although the projector changes to an HDR mode automatically, a few of the settings, like brightness, cannot be saved differently between modes, so in those cases, they have to share the same settings across all modes; meaning you'll be compromising on either SDR or HDR mode unless you plan to manually change those settings every time the projector switches modes.
• Is limited to a lower HDMI bandwidth, meaning that any 4K/HDR/WCG content at 60fps will get reduced to 8bits and that will cause digital artifacts in gradients like color banding.
• Laser does not have good dimming, meaning that overall dynamic contrast is not as good (weird given the price point).
• It seems Sony has been giving minimal firmware updates, with some owners complaining that it is not supporting it as well considering its price.

Given all that, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them for SDR and HDR content. Personally, if I currently had the space and budget, I would go with the JVC since it has the best contrast overall and great WCG as well. It'd be a bit of a pain to slightly adjust it twice a year and change the lamp every 1.5yrs, but I think it's totally worth it. Also, I like that you don't have to manually change modes and that the projector will automatically do it for you depending on the source it detects. That way you won't find yourself with a bad image due to forgetting to switch modes. Also, it has the full bandwidth of HDMI for 4K/HDR/WCG content at 60fps.

If you want a more "set it and forget it" approach I would go with the Sony. You can't replace the laser but it lasts so long that you'll probably end up buying a newer projector before the picture gets too dim. However, the contrast and black levels are not as good, and since some settings do not change automatically you'll need to compromise a bit between SDR and HDR to not have to manually change those settings. Also, it won't properly render 4K/HDR/WCG content at 60fps. Not important unless again, you plan to play HDR videogames or have an HDR media player like Chromecast that is locked to 60fps.

I included the Epson given it gives you laser and HDR capabilities at a cheaper price, however the brightness is lower.

So overall, there is no perfect projector. You have to compromise one way or another. For me, I'd go with the JVC. It requires slight adjusting about twice a year and replacement of the lamp after a long while, but it's also cheaper (meaning money saved for the extra lamps), gives the best image IMO, with its great contrast and deep and inky blacks, plus automatic mode switching with optimized settings. And since I play HDR video games (Xbox One X), I wouldn't have to lower the quality of the image for them. This compromise is the one worth it to me.

Of course the compromise that is worth it to you might be different, but at least with this info I hope you'll feel better informed and more confident on the decision. Whatever that might end up being.

Not sure if you can sample them at a store with good ambient light control (meaning in a very dark or pitch-black room), but if you can, I would definitely recommend doing that. Just make sure you switch the modes to "Cinema" or something similar since most stores will have them on "Vivid" (or similar) which is a highly inaccurate mode in all displays, not just projectors. It looks more shiny but it is nothing close that will render the picture as intended by filmmakers and creators of other content.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Hope that helps .