JVC has teased its next-generation laser projector that will feature an 8K resolution and HDR support. The projector will use D-ILA instead of DLP (basically a three-part Liquid Crystal on Silicon system instead of a rapidly rotating color wheel) that JVC has been developing for the last decade or so.
The unnamed D-ILA JVC projector doesn’t have a release date or price, but it does have a swanky trailer teasing its functionality and aesthetic design.
According to TechRadar’s sister site, What Hi-Fi?, it’s been awhile since JVC has released a proper D-ILA system and, for that reason, What Hi-Fi? thinks JVC might be planning a whole line of 8K projectors rather than a single model.
As JVC doesn’t provide a date that we’ll learn more about the projector, it’s hard to say when we’ll have more information - but it’s certainly something we’ll be watching closely as more 8K content comes online.
Analysis: Should you buy an 8K TV or save up for an 8K projector?
While 4K is only now beginning to take its place as the de facto resolution for streaming video and slowly rolling out to broadcasters, any talk around buying an 8K system can feel a bit… well, preemptive.
However, recently there have been some changes to the TV landscape that are starting to make 8K TV sets not only more appealing, but certainly more practical, too. Those changes include the advancement of 8K upscaling techniques by companies like Sony, Samsung and LG, and the release of cheaper 8K TVs like the new Roku 6-Series R648 8K TV that doesn’t cost much more than a standard 65-inch flagship 4K TV set.
An 8K projector, mind you, would see even more of a benefit from an 8K resolution than a TV would, considering how much larger the screens are for projectors. Having four times the amount of pixels in, say, a 100-inch projector screen would offer a greater return on investment than cramming that many pixels into something like a 55-inch TV.
The only bad news? Usually cutting-edge picture technology is prohibitively expensive and never as future proof as we’d like. Take, for example, the first OLED screens that didn’t offer technologies like HDR that came about just a few years after their release - or 120Hz 4K TVs that came just before the advent of HDMI 2.1 that allows game consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5 to play games at their fastest frame rates.
The moral of the story is that, yes, we’re almost certainly going to be wowed by JVC’s new 8K projector whenever it makes its debut - but you might want to wait awhile before buying one for your own home until it has proven itself to be worth the investment.
- Not interested in 8K right now? Check out our guide to the best 4K projectors instead
