JVC Autocal Software V12 calibration for 2019 RS1000/RS2000/RS3000/NX5/NX7/NX9

[TCramer]

I’ve always seen yellowing and clipping with the iris on every NX5/7 RS1000/2000 that I’ve used/seen (which has been 5 samples) both in SDR and HDR.

Only the NX9/RS3000 is immune.

Well boo, that's too bad.  I wonder if a fix is in the pipeline?

I guess I'll just leave the ones I'm setting up to manual.

[SirMaster]

Well boo, that's too bad.  I wonder if a fix is in the pipeline?

I guess I'll just leave the ones I'm setting up to manual.

Well these projectors have been out for over a year with a few updates already.  But there havent been updates in awhile.

Based on what I have seen when testing them vs. the NX9 I don't see how a software fix is really possible.  Maybe it is, but I wouldn't count on another update.

[Manni]

Are the iris issues confirmed only with HDR content?  I did not have the same yellowing issue with SDR.  Just wondering if it would be ok to keep it on for SDR and just off for HDR.

The iris issues with the RS1000/2000 are confirmed with all content, but the impact is worse the more the manual iris is open.

So as most people will have the manual iris fully open for HDR, it shows up a lot more in HDR.

If you can close the manual iris significantly, the artifacts are significantly reduced.

I did some tests and the hightlights become less clipped from around -5. At -10 and below, it becomes marginal and fully usable, but of course the dynamic contrast is significantly reduced.

For example, in SDR, I have the manual iris set to -12 to get 60nits peak white, and I have no problem using the DI, though of course at that setting the impact of the DI is fairly minimal. So I disable it for picture stability as enabling it has little impact on black floor and contrast, due to the very conservative dynamic iris settings in the new models.

So depending on what you need to set the manual iris to in SDR, you might bet both an acceptable amount of artifacts and a significant improvement in black floor / dynamic contrast to keep it on.

I'd say from around -12 to around -7 would the range where I would consider using the DI.

You can also, if fan noise / heat / power use / bulb life is not an issue, use high lamp and close the iris further, both in HDR and SDR, if that helps the manual iris to get into that range where you get enough benefit from the DI to justify the amount of artifacts.

Frankly, the native contrast is good enough on these to disable the DI entirely, even in HDR. I moaned about it initially, but now that I'm used to having no DI, I don't really mind. It only makes a (small) difference on longer fade to black, but nothing as significant as with the previous models, because JVC has decided to limit pumping during credits at the expense of absolute black levels during fade to black.

If the DI was better with fade to black (as it was with the previous models), I'd miss the DI more.

Right now, I really enjoy the picture stability you get with the DI disabled, and the complete lack of artifacts, both in SDR and HDR.

[TCramer]

The iris issues with the RS1000/2000 are confirmed with all content, but the impact is worse the more the manual iris is open.

So as most people will have the manual iris fully open for HDR, it shows up a lot more in HDR.

If you can close the manual iris significantly, the artifacts are significantly reduced.

I did some tests and the hightlights become less clipped from around -5. At -10 and below, it becomes marginal and fully usable, but of course the dynamic contrast is significantly reduced.

For example, in SDR, I have the manual iris set to -12 to get 60nits peak white, and I have no problem using the DI, though of course at that setting the impact of the DI is fairly minimal. So I disable it for picture stability as enabling it has little impact on black floor and contrast, due to the very conservative dynamic iris settings in the new models.

So depending on what you need to set the manual iris to in SDR, you might bet both an acceptable amount of artifacts and a significant improvement in black floor / dynamic contrast to keep it on.

I'd say from around -12 to around -7 would the range where I would consider using the DI.

You can also, if fan noise / heat / power use / bulb life is not an issue, use high lamp and close the iris further, both in HDR and SDR, if that helps the manual iris to get into that range where you get enough benefit from the DI to justify the amount of artifacts.

Frankly, the native contrast is good enough on these to disable the DI entirely, even in HDR. I moaned about it initially, but now that I'm used to having no DI, I don't really mind. It only makes a (small) difference on longer fade to black, but nothing as significant as with the previous models, because JVC has decided to limit pumping during credits at the expense of absolute black levels during fade to black.

If the DI was better with fade to black (as it was with the previous models), I'd miss the DI more.

Right now, I really enjoy the picture stability you get with the DI disabled, and the complete lack of artifacts, both in SDR and HDR.

Thanks Manni, greatly appreciate the feedback.  The manual iris in low bulb will be around -5 for these setups so I'll just plan to leave it disabled.

[SirMaster]

I'd say from around -12 to around -7 would the range where I would consider using the DI.

Maybe the NX5 is worse because of only 1 iris, but I tried running my iris at -10 last night and turned on the DI and still could notice the color shift and loss of highlight detail in many dark scenes.

So even at -10 I have to keep it off for me I guess.

I was seeing tons of DI issues watching this FWIW.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5732482/

But the black levels and contrast look pretty fantastic in it otherwise.

[Manni]

Maybe the NX5 is worse because of only 1 iris, but I tried running my iris at -10 last night and turned on the DI and still could notice the color shift and loss of highlight detail in many dark scenes.

So even at -10 I have to keep it off for me I guess.

I was seeing tons of DI issues watching this FWIW.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5732482/

But the black levels and contrast look pretty fantastic in it otherwise.

I didn't say anything different. I have it switched off at -12, because there is so little gain in dynamic contrast / black floor that it's not worth the instability, even if there is little highlights clipping.

The range I suggested for considering using the DI (-12 to -7) isn't the range without artifacts, it's the range where the trade-off might be worth it, depending on how much you notice the artifacts vs how much benefit you get from the DI. It's a personal choice. My tolerance for clipping artifacts is very low.

Below -10, you might as well keep it switched off IMHO, there is very little to gain from the DI on the new models at that setting. The DI remains fairly open even in fully closed position and the iris is so slow that you only benefit with very long fade to black. Otherwise, you get some instability, still some clipping and very little noticeable benefits.

Or maybe having the DI switched off grew on me, and I simply prefer the picture that way now: stable, predictable, without artifacts and accurate all the time.

[SirMaster]

Yeah, I’ve never been able to use any DI on any projector I’ve ever owned through the years so this certainly isn’t new for me. 

There’s always some noticeable picture issue for me heh. 

I’m hoping that in the future laser dimming is something that I might be able to enjoy. 

[Dylan Seeger]

Yeah, I’ve never been able to use any DI on any projector I’ve ever owned through the years so this certainly isn’t new for me.

There’s always some noticeable picture issue for me heh.

I’m hoping that in the future laser dimming is something that I might be able to enjoy.

Laser dimming will result in similar artifacting. A dynamic iris and laser dimming are effectively doing the exact same thing, which means similar gamma manipulation will occur. Your only hope is for a less aggressive mode available to avoid the issues.

[SirMaster]

Laser dimming will result in similar artifacting. A dynamic iris and laser dimming are effectively doing the exact same thing, which means similar gamma manipulation will occur. Your only hope is for a less aggressive mode available to avoid the issues.

Dang, it seems like many people like the RS4500 laser dimming but I have not had a chance to experience it myself.

Although with the testing I have conducted with an NX9 I think that DI was actually looking fine to me which would similarly mean that the laser dimming on the RS4500 was probably fine in the same way as well.

It seems to have to do with the lens difference in the NX9 (as to why it seemed different vs the NX5/7) which the RS4500 shares.

[Dylan Seeger]

I'm not saying the RS4500 has the same exact issues, just that in principle a dynamic iris and dynamic laser dimming work in the same way, therefore the software changes to the image will essentially be the same if they are both programmed to adjust light in the same way. You'll still have gamma shifts with the possibility of clipping depending on how aggressive the contrast multiplier is.

[AVSCraig]

Dang, it seems like many people like the RS4500 laser dimming but I have not had a chance to experience it myself.

Although with the testing I have conducted with an NX9 I think that DI was actually looking fine to me which would similarly mean that the laser dimming on the RS4500 was probably fine in the same way as well.

It seems to have to do with the lens difference in the NX9 (as to why it seemed different vs the NX5/7) which the RS4500 shares.

While it's true any dynamic iris system can have artifacts, the laser dimming on my RS4500 over the last 3 years has worked better than any other projector I've owned. I only use the less aggressive Mode 1 setting. 

[SirMaster]

While it's true any dynamic iris system can have artifacts, the laser dimming on my RS4500 over the last 3 years has worked better than any other projector I've owned. I only use the less aggressive Mode 1 setting.

Yeah, though I am guessing it's due to the large lens same as the NX9.

The NX9 iris is usable for me so I would imagine the 4500 iris and laser dimming are as well since they use the same optical lens part as the NX9.

All of the other JVC with iris since the RS4910 through the RS640 and NX5 and 7 have iris that are no good for me.

Problem is that I don't think I will ever own a JVC with the 100mm lens like the NX9 and RS4500 have.  I am not sure they will ever have an iris or laser dimming in a lower end model that doesn't artifact so much.

[Dylan Seeger]

Some people are a lot more sensitive to the image changes a dynamic contrast system brings. There are extremely few dynamic contrast systems in projectors that I would say are good enough to be left on at all times. Sony and JVC's are some of the best, and in the DLP world, I'd say Runco and Sim2 are pretty good as well, but DLP in the high end space is all but dead. That is, unless we see the technology found in the Christie Eclipse trickle down in a few years. Then we wouldn't need dynamic contrast implementations at all.

If you don't care for JVCs implementation, I don't there are any out there that you'll like. Sony's dynamic contrast systems offer less in the way of clipping and color changes due to gamma shifts, but I notice the iris pump more often. The JVCs don't pump at all really with the exception being full fade to black which forces it to, but you see color changes and clipping more often. It's a pick your poison type of situation.

[SirMaster]

If you don't care for JVCs implementation, I don't there are any out there that you'll like. 

Well once again, it's not just "JVCs" implementation that I don't like.  The NX9's implementation is prefect.  This is zero clipping and zero visible color shift.

The NX5/7 on the other hand have a high amount of clipping and a high amount of yellow color shift.

The RS400-640 series have a very mild amount of yellowing color shift and a medium amount of clipping.

But once again, the NX9 has none of either even in my artificial extreme test pattern tests.

So JVC can obviously do it right, but so far that has only been in 1 model or very likely also the RS4500 as well.

[Dylan Seeger]

Which test patterns are you using? My NX9 does exhibit clipping with certain content. Yellowing doesn't seem to be as bad though, but I haven't done any sort of objective testing for that.