It was at the tail end of 2003 when we evaluated the first commercial projector to use JVC's D-ILA (Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier) technology. A souped up version of LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology, the DLA-SX21E showed major promise with its amazing clarity, even though it struggled with natural colours and black levels. Now, at last, we're in a position to discover if this early promise has been realised with the arrival of the first 'next-gen' D-ILA projector, the DLA-HX2E.

Aesthetically, this new model is all about business. Its resolutely matt black exterior and unimaginative lines look like something that's escaped from a boardroom. Yet the specification definitely sets the three-chip HX2E's stall out as a home cinema machine...

For starters, the quoted contrast ratio is up from the uninspiring 800:1 of the SX21E to a much more cinematic 1500:1. The projector's colour palette has also been calibrated to the 'D65' reference standard for white (ideal daylight is rated at 6,500 kelvin).

Then there's the widescreen ratio of the projector's D-ILA chipsets, which boast a high definition friendly native resolution of 1400 x 788 pixels.

Connections are cinephile-friendly, too. The DVI jack is compatible with HDCP protocols, and so can be used for watching HDCP-protected video sources like Sky's upcoming high definition service. There are also BNC-type component video jacks for analogue HD and progressive scan video.

Degree in flexibility

Setting up is surprisingly straightforward. Simple zoom/focus rings give a good degree of flexibility in getting a decent-sized image even if your room isn't that big; there's horizontal as well as vertical keystone adjustment so that you can set the projector to one side of your screen as well as above or below it; the onscreen menus are no-brainers; and the remote control, although not backlit, is a doddle to handle.

Making life even easier is the lack of features to navigate through. Actually, the only thing interesting enough to mention is JVC's Digital Image Scaling Technology (DIST). Originally developed for JVC's TVs, DIST improves scaling and adds pixels of extra detail to lower resolution sources.

Set to work on an assortment of DVDs, HD tapes and Sky broadcasts, it's immediately apparent that the HX2E marks a quantum leap forward over, the SX21E. The single biggest and most gratifying stride has been made in the critical area of black level response. Dark areas of a movie picture now actually look reasonably dark, adding depth and scale to the image, making the contrast range seem more expansive, and generally just much more cinematic.

Just as dazzling as on the previous D-ILA model, meanwhile, is the HX2E's fine detail response. The awesome native resolution of the D-ILA mechanism perfectly elucidates every single pixel of a high definition source, while DIST does a great job - better than with JVC's TVs, in fact - of upping the resolution of standard definition sources without generating artefact side effects.

Arguably the HX2E's greatest appeal is the astonishing cleanliness of its pictures. D-ILA suffers none of the troubles seen with LCD and DLP technology, such as the rainbow effect, fizzing over motion, or smearing, while digital feeds show none of the MPEG blocking seen on some projectors and screens. I would wager if you're a cinephile who just can't see past LCD and DLP's inherent flaws, you could just be blown away by this JVC.