Panasonic UB9000 & JVC DLA-NX9 Demo

JVC DLA-NX9

Panasonic DP-UB9000

On March the 15th JVC announced that they were collaborating with Panasonic to use the HDR metadata contained in 4K UHD discs and available over the HDMI connection in order to optimize the display of HDR material.

One of the key features in Panasonic’s DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player is the HDR Optimizer, which tone maps HDR10 content based on this metadata to match the capabilities of a display. To achieve optimum HDR image quality when the player is connected to a compatible JVC projector, the user selects one of two dedicated color profiles developed specifically for the Panasonic 4K Ultra HD player. These profiles work in conjunction with the player’s HDR Optimizer to deliver the best possible HDR images.

This process uses the HDR 10 metadata that is contained in many 4K UHD discs. For those titles that do not contain the HDR 10 metadata (MaxCLL (maximum content light level) and MaxFALL (maximum frame average light level)) the projectors’ dedicated color profile works with the Panasonic HDR Optimizer to deliver optimum HDR image quality.

JVC will now include two custom color profiles that support the Panasonic HDR tone mapping control with the release of firmware version 2.01. The user chooses either the “Pana_PQ_HL” (High Luminance Projector) or the “Pana_PQ_BL” (Basic Luminance Projector) setting based on the corresponding HDR Display Type setting in the DP-UB9000. Which setting to choose depends on the user’s preference – the High Luminance Projector setting prioritizes image brightness; the Basic Luminance Projector setting prioritizes widest color gamut reproduction.

This interactive data exchange results in the reproduction of more realistic HDR images with more accurate gradation compared to what is achieved using Auto Tone Mapping or HDR Optimizer alone.

I am not a big fan of having two devices doing tone mapping at the same time. As I understand it, the Panasonic will tone map the bright highlights above 350/500 nits depending on projector type selected, and the JVC sees HDR with 350/500 nit metadata and completes the tone mapping. MaxDML (Display Master Level) value will be 350/500, and MaxCLL will be a value less than or equal to 350/500 depending on the original MaxCLL value.

See the full JVC press release here.

So How Well Did It Work?….Read On

On 3/23/2019 I visited Value Electronics, Scarsdale, NY who hosted a demonstration of the Panasonic DP-UB9000 and the JVC DLA-NX9 using the HDR metadata to optimize the JVC to perform over its optimum HDR range. This arrangement is a set it and forget it configuration, removing the need to adjust the projector and/or player in order to get optimum performance for each 4K disc.

In order to ensure the demonstration squeezed the absolute best performance out of each piece of equipment the well-respected top professional calibrator, Kris Deering, who owns DeepDive AV was flown in from Seattle, Washington to professionally calibrate the JVC DLA-NX9 projector.

Value Electronics, a medium sized AV shop, owned and run by Robert and Wendy Zohn for 23 years and may be best be known for the annual TV Shootout that it has been running since 2004.

Image Credit – Value Electronics.  TV Shootout – Group Photo

The demonstration was well attended and provided a catered menu with both alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. The demonstration was run by Kris Deering  in the home theater at the rear of the shop that held about eight attendees at a time.  The Da-Lite screen was 16:9, approximately 133″ diagonal, had a 1.1 gain and there was no anamorphic lens in use. Two short video clips were used to display the systems 4K performance in high lamp mode. The first clip, Peru 8K, was shots of animals, forests and hillside communities and the second Lucy. The projector was also demonstrated at 8K using its image pixel doubling technique with the first clip but I saw little to no difference. The image may have been just a little smoother and no artifacts or softening could be seen from the 8K scaling and pixel shifting process. Kris answered numerous questions and provided good, clear and honest responses. All of which which very much in praise of these two products and the tone mapping results. JVC also had their General Manger, Fred Zecha, on hand to answer any questions.

However you look at it, the demonstration was impressive with an image that was truly superb and the closest I have ever seen to ‘looking through a window’. It was bright, had good contrast, well saturated colors, terrific detail, very sharp and a uniform and perfect focus form top to bottom and side to side. Compared to my ISF calibrated JVC DLA-RS640 there was a clear improvement in resolution, focus/sharpness and brightness but the blacks did not seem quite as deep. This was more than compensated for by the overall image performance that was the best 4K image I have ever seen. (NOTE: Comparing images of different brightness on radically different screen sizes in different environments is always a challenge). The 4K images were at all times pristine with absolutely no types of visible artifacts from the double tone mapping.

Value Electronics has an exclusive deal with Panasonic for the distribution of the UB9000 starting early April 2019 for several weeks. So call them now and order yours.

JVC also mentioned that they will have caught up with most NX/RS series projector backorders in a few weeks.

See my first look at the Panasonic UB9000 here.

See my first look at the JVC native 4K DLA-NX projectors here here.