JVC D-ILA DLA-G20U Review

JVC DLA-G20U D-ILA
A Powerful , High-Resolution Projector For Widescreen Home Theatre
B C
I L L U S H M A N
JVC's Fixed Panel
Imaging Device
The essential ingredient for creating a movie
theatre experience in the home is the visual
impact of a really large picture. Something
magical happens when the picture is taken out
of a box and transferred to a 7-foot or wider
screen that not only fills one's field of vision,
but seems to dominate the entire viewing room.
The ability to produce really large-screen
images is exclusively the domain of front pro-
jection systems. For years, CRT projectors were
the only products that delivered really high-qual-
ity front projection images, but the inherent light
output limitations of CRT technology restricts
viewing to totally dark rooms. Even then, image
brightness and color vividness fade rapidly when
movie enthusiasts try to push screen widths to
eight feet and beyond. The solution for bigger
and brighter pictures are fixed-panel front pro-
jectors that use high-output projection bulbs as
light sources. These projectors must also have
high-resolution (mega-pixel) imaging devices or
pictures will be bright, but otherwise poor quality.
The D-ILA Solution
The JVC DLA-G20U is a powerful, high reso-
lution, D-ILA ™ projector designed for the largest
home theatre screens. It uses three of the same
SXGA resolution (1365 x 1024 pixels) D-ILA
(Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier) devices that
are used in the popular JVC DLA-G11U and JVC
DLA-G15U projectors. To produce more light
output, it incorporates a brighter 550 watt Xenon
bulb in a high-efficiency optical system that pro-
duces a rated output of 2000 lumens and a
350:1 contrast ratio. That's about two times the
specified peak-light output of most CRT projec-
tors, and you will instantly be aware of the difference.
The D-ILA technology is a proprietary JVC
development; a reflective LCOS (liquid crystal
on silicon) chip that packs 1.4 million pixels on
a 0.9-inch diagonal, 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio
device. The pixels are spaced on a 13.5-micron
pitch with a minimum of space between them.
This produces the lowest light loss of any matrix
device and provides a smooth, silky projected
image without a pixieated screen-door effect.
This sleek stylish projector is about 20 inch-
es wide, 15 inches deep, 11 inches tall and
weighs only 38 pounds. Although larger than
its less powerful relatives, it is small and light
when compared to the smallest CRT projectors.
Its smooth off-white colored case will blend unob-
trusively into most surroundings. Facing the rear
of the projector, the AC power cable and two
cooling fans are located on the left side, and all
input connections are on the right. Six buttons
are located on the top panel to allow operation
of most projector functions. All projector functions
are easily accessible using the supplied remote
control, and an RS-232 input is provided for home
theatre controllers.
Inputs And Memories
The projector has five inputs: Video (compos-
Issue 43
ite), Y/C (S-video), YPbPr (component video),
Computer 1 and Computer 2. BNC jacks are
provided for all video inputs except for the usual
4-pin mini-DIN connectors for S-video, and a
standard HD-15 computer monitor connector for
the Computer 1 input. Computer 2 supports
NTSC and HDTV formats with YPbPr and RGB
inputs. Separate buttons toggle between the
three video inputs or the two computer inputs.
These controls are provided on both the top
panel and on the remote.
Each input and scan rate combination has a
unique memory that is automatically selected
when that input and scan rate is used. No user
selectable global memories are provided, but I
found the memory system to be fully adequate
and capable, and felt no need for additional
memories.
Virtually all world television standards and all
computer formats are supported. Selection can
be either automatic or manual. A 4:3 (1.33:1)
or 16:9 (1.78:1) display mode can be selected