JVC DLA-NZ700 review: premium performance without the price

Anyone shopping for one of the best projectors will know the struggle of finding a bargain. The JVC DLA-NZ700 is a new 4K HDR model that could fit the bill in 2025, though.

The DLA-NZ700 is smaller and lighter than the pricier NZ800 and NZ900 models, but it still uses the latest D-ILA native 4K chipset, laser light source, and filter for a wider colour gamut. However, JVC has reduced the cost by dropping the HDMI 2.1 inputs, which means the NZ700 doesn’t support 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz. There’s also no dedicated low-latency mode or 3D support.

Otherwise, the NZ700 is a well-specified and featured-packed beamer at an affordable price for what you get, as you'll see from my detailed thoughts below.

JVC DLA-NZ700: PRICE AND COMPETITION

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is the mid-model in the brand’s revised line-up of 4K laser-powered projectors and is available now for £9,499 / $8,999.95 / AU$14,999. The NZ700 replaces the outgoing DLA-NZ7 and sits between the new DLA-NZ500 and the higher-range DLA-NZ800.

The NZ700 has no direct competitor, and while it’s more expensive than the NZ500, Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Epson EH-QB1000 it offers a significant step-up in terms of performance. It also holds its own against the more expensive models like the NZ800 and Sony VPL-XW6100ES.

JVC DLA-NZ700 REVIEW: DESIGN, CONNECTIONS AND CONTROL

The JVC DLA-NZ700 sports a completely new design based around a more compact chassis that JVC claims makes it (and the NZ500) the world’s smallest native 4K projectors. The NZ700 is noticeably smaller and lighter than its predecessor, especially when they’re placed side by side. Despite the reduced dimensions, it still uses the same laser light source and third-generation D-ILA 4K chipset – but reduces size and weight by utilising a new optical unit and 80mm hybrid lens.

The NZ700 is still finished in matte black, making it ideal for dedicated home theatre installations, and while the build quality remains excellent it measures 450 x 180 x 479mm so weighs in at a more sensible 15.2kg. That will definitely make ceiling mounting this projector a lot easier.

At the rear are a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs that support bandwidths up to 32Gbps and are limited to 4K/60Hz (which isn’t great news for console or PC gamers). The HDMI ports can also handle HDCP 2.3, and high dynamic range (HDR) – specifically HDR10, HDR10+ and hybrid log-gamma (HLG).

The provided remote is the same slightly tweaked version included with the NZ800 and NZ900, with its more luminescent light button, and small bumps on the on/off and enter buttons – all of which makes this well-designed controller very easy to use in a fully blacked-out home cinema.

JVC DLA-NZ700 REVIEW: FEATURES

The JVC DLA-NZ700 uses the third-generation D-ILA native 4K chipset, which delivers brighter images, deeper blacks, and improved uniformity. It also has the same laser light source as earlier models, with a claimed peak brightness of 2,300 lumens and a native contrast ratio of 80,000:1. That means it can go into a room that isn't pitch-black, to put it lightly.

The beamer has the new Deep Black function with its revised algorithm that enhances contrast without crushing shadows, along with the new balanced dynamic laser control setting that delivers pictures with greater impact without introducing any annoying brightness fluctuations.

The laser power control has an improved sliding scale setting that allows you to gradually boost brightness without a sudden increase in the project's fan noise. There’s also the new Vivid mode that JVC has added for watching sports or gaming in rooms with a degree of ambient light.

The NZ700 has a BLU-Escent laser diode light source with a claimed minimum 20,000-hour lifespan, along with motorised focus, zoom and shift controls, and lens memories for different aspect ratio screens. There’s also a Filmmaker Mode, along with ISF-certified calibration controls.

The projector doesn’t include the Theatre Optimiser feature, but still utilises Gen3 Frame Adapt HDR. This is the latest version of the brand’s class-leading dynamic tone mapping, which analyses HDR10 on a frame-by-frame basis to optimise the image nicely.

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JVC has a revised menu system compared to the NZ800 and NZ900, with a new main Setting Menu Select page. Here you choose between Picture Settings, HDMI Settings and Installation Settings. Once you’ve selected the Settings you want to adjust you’ll find all the related sub-menus for those particular settings available and you can move between them.

JVC DLA-NZ700 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

The JVC DLA-NZ700 is stunning in terms of its performance and is comparable to the DLA-NZ8 that I previously used as my reference projector. The newer model may be missing features compared to its more expensive predecessor, but JVC hasn’t skimped in terms of picture quality.

I hadn’t anticipated the new lens would produce such a sharp image, given it now includes a plastic element at the front rather than being all-glass. Nor did I expect the black levels to be quite so impressive, but in testing the NZ700 delivered a contrast ratio measurement of nearly 50,000:1.

The laser brightness is also very good, approaching the claimed 2,300 lumens in brightness – although you need to move laser power to its highest setting, fully open the lens aperture and select the Vivid mode to hit these peaks. In the more accurate Filmmaker mode, it’s closer to about 1,700 lumens, which is still plenty for a dim room.

The out-of-the-box accuracy is excellent with the NZ700 getting close to the industry standards for standard dynamic range (SDR) content, although this can be improved through calibration. This accuracy also extends to HDR, with the NZ700 covering 97% of DCI-P3 with its colour filter in place. Better still, this filter only reduces the brightness by about 15%.

The inclusion of JVC’s class-leading HDR tone mapping is a great boon, while dynamic tone mapping gets the most out of HDR content by using all the available metadata and combining it with real-time analysis of the incoming HDR signal. The NZ700 can dazzle with a spectacular delivery that retains all the fine details in native 4K images like Top Gun: Maverick. This beamer also handles the dynamic metadata of HDR10+. As a result, 1917 looks incredible, whether it’s during the scenes in open fields or the nighttime village sequence lit only by bright falling flares.

The new Deep Black feature brings slightly more detail out of shadows while keeping the blacks suitably inky, and the Balanced dynamic laser control adds value by keeping those blacks dark at one end and boosting the brightness at the other without creating any ‘pumping’ in the image itself.

The NZ700 is impressive with motion handling, producing smooth pictures that are free of blurring and unwanted artefacts. The projector may be limited to 60Hz but the motion with games remains excellent, although due to the lack of a low latency mode (ALLM) the input lag measures in at a middling 51ms. More positively, upscaling is also excellent, with JVC’s image processing using all the extra pixels in the native 4K projector to create sharply rendered pictures.

JVC DLA-NZ700 REVIEW: VERDICT

The JVC DLA-NZ700 combines a more compact body with an extensive set of features to deliver superior performance at a more affordable price. The new lens produces crisply detailed images, and the picture accuracy is superb, with HDR really impressing thanks to JVC's class-leading dynamic tone mapping.

The NZ700 manages to produce levels of luminance and contrast that match its earlier and more expensive predecessors, plus the colour filter covers the DCI-P3 colour space without adversely affecting the brightness. The Deep Black function and balanced dynamic laser mode are also a success, while the established remote, redesigned menu systems, and flexible installation are all effective.

JVC has dropped some features to get the cost down, and while most probably won’t be bothered by the NZ700’s inability to handle 8K or 3D, gamers will find the lack of 4K/120Hz support frustrating, along with the higher input lag. However, in all other respects, this capable and affordable beamer represents the sweet spot in JVC’s 4K line-up and has no direct competitor.

Also consider

If you're in the market for a new projector, it's key to pay attention to new releases, which tend to have the most recent features and specs (like HDR10+ capabilities). Along those lines, Sony's new Projector 8 is a superb option, which costs a lot more than this JVC, but outperforms it proportionally.

Alternatively, Epson recently launched the EH-QB1000, which is a lot closer to JVC's projector in price, and has a few more features up its sleeve, as you might guess from our stellar 5-star review.