JVC DLA-X30BU Pro Reviews

The 2D picture from the JVC DLA-X30 is truly without peer among the immediate competitors we’ve seen. Its contrast and dynamic range continue to set the bar across all performance levels. The X30 was also the sharpest projector I’ve seen at this price, and was even better than most of the projectors I’ve seen at nearly twice the cost. But I was disappointed with the 3D performance. I admit I’m not a fan of the technology as a whole, as I feel it impedes the theatrical experience, but the X30 showed more artifacts in playback that further degraded the already gimmicky experience. If 3D is your primary motivator for a new projector, I would look to some other offerings on the market. But if 2D is what you find yourself watching the majority of the time (as I certainly do), this one would be hard to beat at or near this price point, and gets my highest recommendation.

Timing is everything. JVC timed the launch of its projectors perfectly in 2010, ensuring that its magnificent DLA-HD550 - thanks, of course, to a sky-high level of performance - was our 2010 Product of the Year. The company missed the boat in 2011, however, so it's only now that we're getting a look at the DLA-X30.

Well, whaddya know: with the X30 JVC has yet again set the bar for projection quality in the £3,000 projector class. It might almost be boring if the projector wasn’t so darn brilliant.

The JVC DLA-X30 is a stunning high-contrast projector that offers excellent 2D performance. When viewing high-definition film and video from a high-quality source, the X30 produces a bright, sparkling image with the best black level available this year, bar none. Color is accurate and life-like and detail is crisp and clear. There are some artifacts to be found in the frame interpolation system, but the core performance is there. If you're looking for a great 2D projector with strong black performance, the X30 is a great choice.

The DLA-X30 is definitely a case of evolution rather than revolution and is essentially a refined version of last year's DLA-X3. However this is certainly not a criticism, as the DLA-X3 was a fantastic projector and the DLA-X30 takes that excellent starting point and improves upon it. In order to hit a sub-£3,000 price point, JVC have removed a couple of largely cosmetic features such as the motorised lens cover and the gloss black finish, however neither of these impact on the performance and the build quality remains excellent. In return JVC have added some welcome new features including network control via a LAN socket and most importantly a lens memory function. Whilst the implementation is a little clunky, it is good to see JVC finally including this feature which allows owners to easily use their DLA-X30 in conjunction with a 2.35:1 screen.