JVC - DLA-RS1200 / DLA-NZ500

JVC first, Epson second, Sony 3rd. Kind of the way I would lean. You can get a native 4K JVC NZ500 projector with laser light source for that money. It's a decent upgrade on the 5040UB and makes a lot of sense in a good room. [https://www.jvc.com/usa/projectors/procision/dla-nz500/](https://www.jvc.com/usa/projectors/procision/dla-nz500/)

If you haven't, I would watch this video... [https://youtu.be/B4\_MhHsZvkU?si=p-knlak2qFaXRIo\_](https://youtu.be/B4_MhHsZvkU?si=p-knlak2qFaXRIo_) I would personally make strives to get the NZ500 from JVC over the other models. Black levels are extremely good and JVC continually comes out on top when compared head to head with Sony. Sony would absolutely be my second choice.

If you are just talking projector budget, and you have a proper surround sound system already, then I would go out of my way to figure out the JVC NZ500. It's a bit over budget, but it will serve you well for 10+ years as a killer projector. Otherwise, the LS12000 is a solid option there, but a long way from the JVC. The Sony XW5100ES is also close, and is a better choice than the Epson, but all of those models look quite good overall.

NZ500 first, Sony second, Epson LS12000 third. Then the BenQ models which will struggle with black levels. I'd likely get a Valerion over the JVC models at that price point. No question, I would always go for a JVC in a good theater.

The JVC nz500 is the best on your list for contrast and tone mapping. What size screen are you running? Do you have easy access to the HT for a BIG tv? I ask because we switched to a 98" miniLED tv, and we are very impressed. But not everyone can wrangle a big tv into their HT. Good luck.

I say JVC (as an ls12000 owner!) you will get better black levels - if that’s important to you. I think from owning both the colours are slightly better on Epson. If you’re a gamer then the Epson does 120hz and the latency is below 20ms - no low latency on the JVC. But only you can judge which in the end. I got a very good deal on the Epson (£2k off) so it was a no brainier. Had that not been on, I’d have got JVC in a heartbeat. [NZ500 review](https://www.projectorcentral.com/JVC-NZ500-Projector-Review.htm) [LS12000 review](https://www.projectorcentral.com/Epson-Pro-Cinema-LS12000-Laser-Projector-Review.htm)

Oh no! Not the JVC! Oh the humanity! ... it's a great unit and nicely priced especially compared to that insanity of charging $8k for the Epson QB1000. Just pair it with a good screen. A nice retroreflective perhaps, Screen Innovations Slate? But not cheap.

I just ceiling mounted my nz500. It's the first projector I've owned so I have nothing to compare it to. But I really love it. Feel good man.

Upgraded from a vivitek hk2288. I was pretty happy with the vivitek but was always wanting those deeper black levels. Man am I blown away with this jvc.

Jvc nz500 is what you want as the starting point. If you can spend more. Go nz700 or even nz800

Just my experience, I have the NZ500 with the Seymour AV glacial white screen. Any type of light in the room affects the picture. I think a good ALR screen is needed for this. The 500 is great for dedicated home theater. I don't think it'll be bright enough for a living room daytime projector.

JVC NZ500. Best picture for the price, nothing will come close.

I got the nz500 couple months ago. Picture is stunning. Super sharp, contrast is amazing. As more reviews are coming out there is nothing else in that range that competes. It's a top tier projector with a low price. Highly recommend. You can get deals well below the 6k price tag. Your only downfall is the 4k60 for gaming. But non competitive it shouldn't be an issue.

I have the nz500 and it's amazing. I wouldn't suggest anything else, especially in a light controlled room for movies and TV. Sports look good on it as well.

The LS12000 shows $6100 on their website, the NZ500 can be bought for about 5500 OTD, but well see if that increases as well. I have the nz500 in a dedicated pitch black theater and the picture is stunning. Any ambient light definitely reflects on the screen and instantly ruins the picture. The 500 is going to be the best projector in that price range. Maybe you need to look into an ALR screen to help with any extra light.

JVC NZ800 is your only answer, especially for a 150" screen. If your doing 120" screen you can save more than half by getting the new JVC NZ500 or the NZ700 which are equally comparable to the 800. The only difference is no 3D, and less lumens and 8k e shift. So if you don't need the lumens for the bigger screen, don't care about 3d and the 8k is pointless as no content is 8k, save yourself $$ and get one of the other 2. I have the 500 and the picture is unbelievable.

At this price point i'd probably go for the JVC NZ500. If you want the Epson go with the LS12000 instead, 90% of the performance for 60% of the price

The JVC will overall look better than the Sony for HDR and has motorized everything, the Sony is cheaper and maybe has better imaging processing, but not tone mapping. It kind of comes down a bit of brand preference - I’m 100% a Sony guy for TVs and own 4 of them, but for projectors it seems JVC is at the top of their game right now. As a new owner of a RS1200/NZ500 with a 147” acoustically transparent 1.90:1 screen, it’s plenty bright _in a light controlled room_, and I’m blown away by the picture quality, consistency, and sharpness. I do agree with the other fellow that I’d wait until the room is ready before you pick. Then mount the projector before you select screen size.

I just ordered the JVC RS1200 (NZ500). I was struggling between that and the LS12000 and XW5000. In the end I was going to settle on the LS12000 for cost reasons (I personally would get zero benefit out of the QB1000) but last minute I decided the JVC was worth it for deep blacks, true 4K, being years newer, and having the best HDR processing in that class of projector.

Remember with the NZ700 the improved contrast is only available when reducing light output, and the improved colors is only available when using the color filter, which reduces light output and can’t be used in conjunction with improved contrast, and without the color filter the NZ500 actually has better colors. I personally feel like the NZ700 is a weird product with forced compromises to all its benefits, especially considering how much more money it is. I’d suggest stepping up to the NZ800, or settling on the NZ500. I personally settled on the RS1200 (NZ500) with a 147” 1.90:1 AT screen, and am very pleased with the brightness and performance.

Sweet! Wish I could have swung a NZ800, settled on a NZ500 (RS1200) with a 147” 1.90:1 screen. Also a Cinema 30 like you! Running 7.2.6.

I just sprang for the NZ500 today. Had been totally set on the LS12000, but…

I have a JVC NZ500 (2k lumens) and it's plenty bright at 150 inches in my light-controlled room. For $10k budget I'd step up to the NZ700 (2.3k lumens) and call it a day Make sure you're getting a proper screen. SilverTicket at the minimum but you'd be better served dropping $4k on a Stewart. I got a neutral gain grey to enhance the blacks and couldn't be happier. Paint the ceiling and wall tricorn black. I *highly* recommend just reaching out to the guys at projectorscreen.com and picking their brains. They're great to work with. /r/projectors https://www.projectorscreen.com/projector-screen-calculators?srsltid=AfmBOopmX0oIkelYr_tiJu_mdkKoQT2UslWfonpHUfo0Yk8D1Kd4LDBT

https://www.projectorscreen.com/projector-screen-calculators?srsltid=AfmBOoqknYnwHYXTbA__wqQ5FqAiKDsrbaMEKp7WqttQzhEzIfWachTm Check out the FL calculator. I have an NZ500 in a blacked out room on 150” 16:9 and it’s plenty bright. I’ve actually tweaked brightness/laser power down. The NZ700 has better color and contrast but it’s not worth the price jump imo.

Order screen samples for your screen. Don’t go off of random advice. There is some subjectivity based off of your room, projector, and viewing distance. At your budget SilverTicket is the best option for screens. They’ll run about $500. You can get a pack of samples shipped for like $10. 133” is a weird choice. Just bump to 135” and you’ll have more screen options as that’s a standard size. 133” is not. At 135” THX recommended viewing angle is at 15.1 feet from the screen. If you’re going to be closer than that I’d play around with a viewing angle calculator and consider a 120”. If your budget is $6k, I’d stretch (or find a sale) for the JVC NZ500 which will outperform the Sony and Epson. If you’re strict at $6k, drop to the Epson only if you game a lot. Otherwise the Sony will be better. I’d also consider a Valerion in that range. The Max will be out soon and there are units available for cheap from Kickstarter backers who will sell for a profit but still less than retail. I’d honestly step up to a refurb x3800 from A4L ($1200). I’d buy 2 x RSL Speedwoofer 12s ($1600). That leaves you $3700 for speakers (and $6500 for pj/screen). I’d recommend Ascend Sierra-2EX V2s as L/R ($1698), 2EX V2 Center ($868) and Sierra-1 V2 as your surrounds ($998). If you save some money somewhere or decide to stretch budget get 4 overhead speakers. RSL CL-34 MKIIs are excellent and $150 each, so another $600 for all 4. You will be able to drive 5.2.4 with the x3800 Even in a pitch black room it’s worth painting the wall the screen is on and the ceiling black. I recommend Sherwin Williams Tricorn black (flat for the ceiling, matte for the wall).

I have owned projectors from all three brands at one time or another. Now that I've owned a JVC it would be pretty hard for me to settle on anything else. They are truly amazing.

If you're open to UST, the [awol vision pro](https://onlinehairguide.com/dp-B0CR13MB4F0) might be worth a look. It's not in every roundup, but it’s been getting attention for legit reasons. Triple laser (no color wheel), dolby vision and atmos support, plus it doubles as a center channel speaker, which is kind of wild. The built-in audio’s actually usable, especially if you don’t have a full surround setup yet. Picture quality holds up really well even in brighter rooms (paired with their ALR screen), and it’s also 3D-capable if you’re into that. One underrated thing: power usage is super low compared to traditional projectors, which helps if you’re planning to run it often. That said, if you’re sticking with long-throw and care more about black levels or want that JVC tone mapping magic, the nz500 still has a strong edge in dedicated dark rooms. Just depends on your space and whether you’re leaning cinematic or convenience.

What size is your room? It appears they priced this like a car dealership being told to price a sports car. It's a vague request without knowing what you may want or need. This isn't an insult in anyway. Just that you have to be a little specific. A lot of what is listed is overkill. 1. The projector, while nice, can probably be substituted by a nice, but cheaper JVC NZ500 or even Epson LS1200. There are others to mention here, but for half the price of the Sony listed you will get an excellent projector. 2. You need to find out what screen is being used. I really hope that's a Stewart or SI screen for that price. Screen type and material are debatable, so I will say that you could still probably save some money with the screen. 3. The HDMI cable is AudioQuest and it's overpriced. I have purchased fiber HDMI cables from Amazon for a 35ft run and they are flawless. Don't believe the snake oil that's out there about cables. It's a rabbit hole. 4. The remote and controller system is over the top. In reality, it's "nice", but not necessary. With smart apps, you can control lights, devices, etc. from your phone. You can even setup actions with Alexa or Google. 5. I would like to know the speaker brands. The cost and type of speaker can vary greatly. Just putting down generic names makes me think these guys are selling you bulk speakers for large profit margins. These are probably MSRP Klipsch speakers, and the SUB is probably an SVS PB1000PRO. I have more concerns about inwalls for your LCR, but that is deviating from the topic at hand. 6. Line item 15 is an overpriced cable. You can get a high-quality cable for half that. Refer to number 3. 7. Line item 16 is another overpriced cable. A horribly overpriced cable. Refer to number 3. 8. High quality projector mounts are needed for expensive projectors (weight, ability to micro adjust). However, you need to know what brand and model they use. These mounts can usually be found for half off on eBay. I bought a peerless mount for my HT 2 years ago used. It's a $150 plus dollar mount that I got for $40. 9. Lastly, that warranty is overpriced. The devices and speakers already have warranties. While this warranty is 5 years, Im wondering what it covers? The labor is subjective. I can't speak to your room dynamics when it comes to setting up, pulling cable, calibration etc. There is a lot of unnecessary money being spent in the items I listed.

I have the Sony but if I were buying right now I would get the JVC. The comparable JVC at the time was still bulb based. I love the Sony so no regrets really…

NZ500 is easily the best projector out there for movies and shows. Honestly, nothing can come close to touching it for the price. It easily beats 20k projectors from just a few years ago. If you need to game then it may not be the best but other than that it's fantastic

Absolutely love the JVC. Have had it for about 3 months now and I’m still in awe of how good it looks on my 143” screen. Bright, detailed, beautiful rich colors, and it has this picture clarity that’s hard to describe.

The only downside of the nz500 is that it will spoil your perception of home theater projector image quality and black levels and you will never be able to go with another brand in the future lol

If you're interested in closing all the shades and turning off the lights, get the JVC NZ500. Yes, I know it's never pitch dark in NYC, but this is close enough that I would say the JVC is worth it. BTW, buy your projector **ASAP**. Epson is **increasing their prices by 24%** very soon. The new pricing is already live on their website: https://epson.com/For-Home/Projectors/Pro-Cinema/Pro-Cinema-LS12000-4K-PRO-UHD-Laser-Projector/p/V11HA47020MB It is still $5K for now at Best Buy and other retailers, but that will be changing any day this week: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-pro-cinema-ls12000-laser-projector/6495340.p?skuId=6495340 JVC will probably follow suit soon. **The tariff pricing is coming for everything.** If you are on the fence about any purchase and you have the cash to spend, just buy it ***right now.*** You can always return it next week if you change your mind.

That 15% light output difference is not going to be enough to easily notice. You generally need a much more substantial lumen difference than that in order to translate to a human perceived difference. The NZ500 and NZ800 are the price-to-performance sweetspots in JVC's current line up. The JVC NZ700 also has the DCI Cinema Filter feature that produces slightly more accurate color when you enable it. The JVC NZ500 doesn't have that. But I don't know any JVC owners who actually use that filter option. You get very slightly more accurate color at the expense of a massive brightness hit.

I am buying my first projector, and was targeting the nz500... but the review for the Pro 2 (side by side comparisons) sold me (so i backed the Max). Sure it isn't going to be as good a picture as the jvc, but the higher refresh rate is better for games, and it's good to have the 3d option for the rare movie. Going from zero to this projector was worth the $3k CAD... but the gain in picture quality up to the nz500 for another $5k was not worth it.

If you're open to UST, the [awol vision pro](https://onlinehairguide.com/dp-B0CR13MB4F0) might be worth a look. It's not in every roundup, but it’s been getting attention for legit reasons. Triple laser (no color wheel), dolby vision and atmos support, plus it doubles as a center channel speaker, which is kind of wild. The built-in audio’s actually usable, especially if you don’t have a full surround setup yet. Picture quality holds up really well even in brighter rooms (paired with their ALR screen), and it’s also 3D-capable if you’re into that. One underrated thing: power usage is super low compared to traditional projectors, which helps if you’re planning to run it often. That said, if you’re sticking with long-throw and care more about black levels or want that JVC tone mapping magic, the nz500 still has a strong edge in dedicated dark rooms. Just depends on your space and whether you’re leaning cinematic or convenience.

The Sony is the only one that comes in a white case. Otherwise, JVC is the clear contrast winner and best all-in-one hdr dynamic tone mapper. If you want a hit on contrast for more brightness, Sony. If you want even more of a hit on contrast for a lot of brightness, go Epson.

If you're looking at. Projector in a light controlled room with that size budget, I'd say look at the Epson QB3000 or the JVC NZ500/700, both meet your throw and budget requirements if you're in the states. I've had Epson before and they are solid projectors. The JVC has great black levels and the Epson is brighter if you think you'll need it. I have found larger TVs to have some artifacts in their imagery and unless newer TV's have found a way round that I think a projector can still work. I have a 96inch screen and feel a projector was worth it. If my projector was to die today, the two mentioned projectors are where I'd personally be looking.

The NP5 / RS1100 is practically a steal at this price point. One thing not mentioned is that this unit has better native color coverage than its laser counterparts. I believe my unit hits near 95% P3 coverage without a filter, compared to roughly 85-87% on the laser units.

Here are some good options. The Sony and JVc goes on sale occasionally and can get down to $5k. https://www.projectorscreen.com/store/ProductCompare.aspx?itemids=148626,148615,145843,144660,148233 The JVC rs1100/np5 is bulb based but it’s great. The Sony is laser as is the JVC nz500 (new release model). Both are native 4k. The Epson uses pixel shifting but is regarded as a top performer in the price range. I’ve got them all in our showroom and happy to get into details about all of them if interested; just DM me.