Awards / Recommended Best Buys

AVForums Editor's Choice Award for Best Native 4K Projector 2020
JVC's DLA-N5

While the JVC DLA-N5 may well be the entry-level when it comes to native 4K, the performance on offer is excellent. It might not have the WCG filter of the N7 and NX9 but it still manages to produce some of the best HDR10 images we have seen from a projector at the price point.

The latest dynamic tone mapping update is a game-changer for JVC and elevates their machines above the competition for balanced, nuanced and effective HDR image quality. That alone is worth the entry price.

SDR as you would expect looks sublime with stunning image accuracy, detail and black levels. Yes, the black floor is ever so slightly raised compared to the outgoing X-series, but you would only notice this moving from one to the other, as we did. In all other respects, the JVC still has the best black levels of any currently available native 4K projector.

But it is with HDR where the frame adapt update and subsequent November 3.5 Firmware have really made this an absolutely spectacular entry level native 4K machine. HDR looks dynamic and bright with excellent highlight details and superb blacks with very good shadow detail retrieval. There is no question that the DLA-N5 gets our award for best Native projector of 2020.

► See the full specifications on our DLA-N5B projector.