Dolby vision and HDR What do you need to experience it?

[Tony V.]

So I must admit Im a little lost as to how Dolby vision and HDR work and What do you need to experience it?

My receiver supports both but do I need a new BluRay player and projector to also see this?
My BluRay player is a Panasonic BDT 220 and my Projector is a Panasonic AE 8000u

 

[JStewart]

Hi Tony. Yes you'll need both a capable blu-ray and a projector to upgrade to 4k or faux k with HDR. I don't know of any projectors capable of dolby vision. Projectors have limited light output as you know so a good hdr experience may take some effort for light control and in the case of a JVC a custom gamma curve for hdr helped me a lot. I find the HDR picture to be better than 1080p, slightly sharper and with more color and pop, and I do enjoy it, but for the $4k spent to make it happen if I had it to do over again I'd probably look for something different to bring me closer to AV NIRVANA. (One person's opinion of course.)
Another thing to consider which may or may not apply to you, because of the light output needed the projector may have to run in high lamp mode. I had a AE800u so I can tell you the noise level on high lamp for it is pretty similar to the JVC I'm using now. I get away with low lamp sitting 8.5ft from a 92" diagonal screen. If you have some other questions I could try to answer them.
Pretty sure @Sonnie and @toddanderson have JVC projectors too so perhaps they'll chime in too.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I had one of the JVC's but now have an Epson 4040... a lot less money, but looks just as good in my opinion.

But yeah... you need 4K equipment... and superb HDMI cables... anything over 20ft and you'll need fiber optic.

 

[Tony V.]

Ok, that clears that up. Thanks.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Tony - You won't be able to experience Dolby Vision with a projector... as of now projectors only offer support of HDR10 (possibly HLG). And to be quite honest, the benefits of HDR on any projector under $20K aren't as spectacular as the benefits of HDR on a solid 4K HDR capable TV. That's not to say that 4K HDR on a PJ isn't good (you do see added detail, etc... AND you also get access to wide color gamut)... but a good television is capable of exponentially greater levels of brightness which lend to significantly better HDR.

So, in order to experience 4K HDR, you need the source... all of your equipment must be able to pass-through a 4K HDR signal... and then you need an HDR capable display. If you're missing something in that chain, it's a no-go.

As Sonnie mentioned, any HDMI 2.0 runs over 20 feet or so need Fiber optic, or a good 18 gbps booster or repeater (your cheapest option will be just to get the cable).

as @JStewart mentions, the JVC's 4K HDR performance looks terrible out of the box. For some reason, they don't ship the projector preset with the proper gamma setting out of the box. That fact drove me nuts for several weeks - I even had a few calls to JVC tech support and they didn't think to mention setting the proper gamma mode (the name of it escapes me). Once got it all worked out, it was like lifting a veil and seeing the light! ;-)

 

[Matthew J Poes]

I second Todd's comment. I have been able to see projector HDR images and not come away all that impressed. The dedicated laser based multi-projector systems that Dolby co-developed for theaters are pretty impressive (in a theater), but anything I've seen in a home hasn't wowed me. Looks much better on a good display.

 

[Tony V.]

Great info as usual guys, seems the only real option is to not do anything at the moment LOL Maybe my wife will let me buy 6 thin bezel OLED monitors and run them in a matrix for the display in our theater room

 

[Todd Anderson]

It really depends... personally, I've been more than happy with my JVC RS-520. As I mentioned, my initial impressions were very middling when it came to its 4K HDR performance. But, the tweaks to settings (getting it into the proper gamma mode and shutting off frame interpolation... perhaps a few different changes to contrast and brightness) and it really puts on quite a show. JVC is still a leader in the sub-$9K category because of its black levels. When dialed in, they are simply spectacular!

I still find it confusing that JVC ships without the best settings locked-in. But, it is what it is.

The absolute differences between 1080p and 4K HDR aren't as readily apparent in the projector world as they are in the TV world. BUT, if you have a demo disc that switches between various shots and presentations, the amount of added detail AND color as seen on a PJ setup become noticeable.

If you're looking to dip your toes into true jaw dropping 4K HDR, then go fetch an OLED ;-). That's where the amazing eye candy can be found.

 

[JStewart]

I still find it confusing that JVC ships without the best settings locked-in. But, it is what it is.

I think this is part of the issue with HDR on a projector. With owners having different ambient light levels, distance to the screen, screen gain, and screen size, there is no universal number for available nits and so there can't be a universal HDR gamma curve for projector manufacturer's to ship with a projector. With displays the light output is a known quantity.

 

[mechman]

I've only seen HDR on my LG OLED. The big advantage to it is the wider color gamut. brighter image and better contrast. The problem with most every projector out there is that they don't do black all that well. So even if you had a brighter image, the blacks will probably be washed out. I haven't had any exposure to HDR projectors yet. But I expect to soon!