JVC Projector Theater Optimizer Function
AT THE LAST CEDIA Expo in September 2019, JVC announced a firmware update for its native 4K D-ILA projectors that delivered true frame adaptive HDR tone mapping to the lineup. For CEDIA Expo Virtual 2020, the company’s key announcement was an improved version of that Frame Adapt HDR feature called Theater Optimizer. The firmware also includes a few other tweaks and new features and was made available as a free firmware update in November 2020 for the following models: DLA-NX5, DLA-NX7, DLA-NX9, DLA-RS1000, DLA-RS2000, and DLA-RS3000.
I did an in-depth review of JVC’s Frame Adapt HDR feature in the February/March 2020 issue of Sound & Vision. This latest update not only refines the HDR tone mapping on the company’s projector line but adds interface improvements to increase ease of use and customization. JVC sent me an RS3000/NX9 projector loaded with a test version of the upcoming firmware so that I could compare it directly to my own reference RS3000 running the previous firmware. According to the company, this beta firmware is likely to be identical to the official release that will be offered in November.
A MENU REFRESH
Before we get to the meat of the firmware update—Frame Adapt HDR and Theater Optimizer—I’ll first discuss some of the interface improvements it brings. The first thing I noticed when using the projector with the
