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JVC DLA-NP5 Review

Nikshep Myle Avatar
Updated Feb 7, 2024 5:07 PM

True Score

93
95
2

Experts

97
15

Consumers

Product Awards

Top 5

GR Certified

Expert Rankings

The JVC DLA-NP5 is a reliable home projector capable of 4K picture quality for watching movies and gaming at home. However, it is quite large and lacks VRR support.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The JVC DLA-NP5 is a high-end projector first announced in mid-2020. The projector is equipped with a 17-element, 65 mm all-glass lens that allows it to deliver stunning 4K picture quality, and thanks to a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1, blacks are deep. The projector also has full support for HDR content, and like most top-rated projectors, the NP5 also features dual HDMI 2.1 inputs for modern console gaming at 120Hz refresh rates, and its 1900-lumen brightness rating is great for indoor viewing.

The projector allows for vertical digital keystone correction and has a motorized lens shift, which allows for 80% vertical and 34% horizontal adjustments. It can project a maximum screen size of up to 200” and has a throw distance of up to 20.7”. There are also no rainbow artifacts courtesy of its use of D-ILA technology.

Best For

  • 4K

  • Best Overall

  • Gaming

Consensus

our Verdict

The JVC DLA-NP5 is a reliable home theater projector that delivers a sharp 4K image courtesy of its 4K120p input. It can store different installation modes for when the owner wants to switch between a set of different settings all at once, but its 4500-hour lamp life (in Low Mode) is pretty low compared to how long modern projectors can last, and this is because of the use of a lamp instead of a laser as its light source.

Nonetheless, the long-throw projector (check out what we think the best long-throw projectors are) still offers full support for HDR content and has two HDMI inputs for hassle-free connectivity to modern consoles. It also has a 40,000:1 contrast ratio that allows it to deliver great shadow detail and boasts high color accuracy, courtesy of its 88.5% DCI P3 color gamut coverage. The projector also supports 3D content, and with a 24dB noise output (in Low Mode), it stays pretty quiet.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Good brightness rating
    • The JVC DLA-NP5 home theater projector has a brightness rating of 1,460 lumens, which is bright enough for comfortably watching movies in your home theater, or gaming.

    • This brightness rating places it among the top 50% of projectors in its category.

  • High image quality
    • The NP5 projector produces sharp 4K resolution images, and its 88.5% and 131.8% coverage of the DCI P3 uv and Rec. 709 color scales places it among the top 30% of projectors in this regard.

    • The projector also has a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, which allows for deep, dark blacks.

  • Low input lag
    • The projector has a super low input lag of only 19.5ms, which is great for responsiveness. This low input lag places it among the top 15% of tested projectors.

Reason to Avoid

  • Large in size
    • The bulky nature and weight of the NP5 projector might make it slightly easier to install.

JVC DLA-NP5 Specs

3D Ready3D ReadyYes
Aspect RatioAspect Ratio17:9
BrightnessBrightness1900 Lumens
Contrast RatioContrast Ratio400,000:1
DepthDepth19.5"
Digital KeystoneDigital KeystoneYes
Display TechnologyDisplay TechnologyD-ILA
HDRHDRHDR10, HDR10+, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
HeightHeight9.2"
Integrated SpeakersIntegrated SpeakersNo
Light SourceLight SourceLamp
Light Source LifeLight Source Life3,500 hrs
Max DistanceMax Distance510"
Max Screen SizeMax Screen Size200"
Min DistanceMin Distance74.4"
Min Screen SizeMin Screen Size60"
Noise LevelNoise Level24 dB
PortablePortableNo
Refresh Rate240 Hz
ResolutionResolution4096 x 2160
Smart FunctionalitySmart FunctionalityNo
Sync TechnologySync Technologyn/a
TV TunerTV TunerNo
ThrowTypeThrowType1.40:1 – 2.80:1
WeightWeight42.3 lbs
WidthWidth19.6"
Yes

All Specs

Test Results

SDR Brightness (nits)0
HDR Brightness (nits)0
SDR Brightness (Lumens)1,465
HDR Brightness (Lumens)1,460
SDR Color Temperature (K)0
HDR Color Temperature (K)0
Contrast Ratio (x:y)0
Color Gamut % (DCI P3 uv)88.5
Color Gamut % (Rec. 709)131.8
Color Gamut % (Rec. 2020)0
Color Gamut % (BT.2020)59.8
Color Gamut % (BT. 709)0
Input Lag (ms)19.5

All Tests

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Product Comparison

JVC DLA-NP5 Review

True Score

93
87
86
NR

Ranking

#

2

/

28

#

7

/

28

#

8

/

28

#

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Market Context

The JVC DLA-NP5 is a high-end projector first announced in mid-2020. The projector is equipped with a 17-element, 65 mm all-glass lens that allows it…

The JVC DLA-NP5 is a high-end projector first announced in mid-2020. The projector is equipped with a 17-element, 65 mm all-glass lens that allows it to deliver stunning 4K picture quality, and thanks to a native contrast ratio of 40,000:1, blacks are deep. The projector also has full support for HDR content, and like most top-rated projectors, the NP5 also features dual HDMI 2.1 inputs for modern console gaming at 120Hz refresh rates, and its 1900-lumen brightness rating is great for indoor viewing.

The projector allows for vertical digital keystone correction and has a motorized lens shift, which allows for 80% vertical and 34% horizontal adjustments. It can project a maximum screen size of up to 200” and has a throw distance of up to 20.7”. There are also no rainbow artifacts courtesy of its use of D-ILA technology.

The JVC DLA-NP5 is capable of rendering HLG content, which the JVC DLA-NZ7 cannot. However, the NP5 has a brightness rating of 1,460 lumens for…

The JVC DLA-NP5 is capable of rendering HLG content, which the JVC DLA-NZ7 cannot. However, the NP5 has a brightness rating of 1,460 lumens for HDR content, which is lower than the JVC DLA-NZ7, rated at 2200 lumens. Also different is that the NZ7 has a VGA connector that is missing on the NP5. Another projector that is pretty similar to the NP5 is the JVC DLA-RS1100. We’ve covered it in our JVC DLA-RS1100 review if you want to learn more about it.

While the JVC DLA-NP5 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 400,000:1, the Hisense PX1 PRO has a much higher dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1, as well…

While the JVC DLA-NP5 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 400,000:1, the Hisense PX1 PRO has a much higher dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1, as well as a higher brightness rating of 2200 lumens compared to the NP5’s 1,460 lumens. The Hisense projector also boasts a higher 25,000-hour lamp life than the NP5, which has a 20,000-hour lamp life.

The JVC DLA-NP5 has a 400000:1 contrast ratio, which is much higher than that of the JVC DLA-NZ9, which has a 10000:1 contrast ratio. The…

The JVC DLA-NP5 has a 400000:1 contrast ratio, which is much higher than that of the JVC DLA-NZ9, which has a 10000:1 contrast ratio. The two also have different brightness ratings, as the NP5 is rated at 1,460 lumens for HDR, while the NZ9 is rated at 3000 lumens, which makes it the superior alternative. This difference is because the NP5 uses a lamp as its light source while the NZ9 uses a laser.

3D Ready

Yes

Yes

No

Aspect Ratio

17:9

17:9

16:9

Brightness

1900 Lumens

2200 Lumens

2200 Lumens

Contrast Ratio

400,000:1

400,000:1

2,000,000:1

Depth

19.5"

20"

12.8"

Digital Keystone

Yes

Yes

Yes

Display Technology

D-ILA

D-ILA

DLP

HDR

HDR10, HDR10+, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)

HDR10, HDR10+, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)

Dolby Vision, HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)

Dig Deeper

JVC DLA-NZ7 Review →

Hisense PX1-PRO Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

95

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

97

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

93

Expert Scores

  • Projector Central
    61.35

    Category Trust Rating

    92
    In a home theater world that’s beginning to be dominated by solid state projectors, the… Read More

    By:

    John Higgins
  • What Hifi
    36.05

    Category Trust Rating

    100
    If you can’t afford one of JVC’s new laser projectors, this lamp model is a… Read More

    By:

    N/A

Customer Scores