JVC makes some of the best projectors out there. I’ve reviewed several generations of them, and they all perform well beyond the competition. Here at the CEDIA expo, we all ogled at the new $12,000 RS60, but what was really impressive is what they’re doing for just $3,000.

The new DLA-HD250 and HD250Pro are 1080p D-ILA projectors. D-ILA, or Direct-Drive Image Light Amplification (don’t ask me where the extra letters went) is JVC’s version of LCOS, or Liquid Crystal on Silicon. This technology is based around liquid crystals, much like LCDs, but is typically capable of having pixels that are closer together.

What this means for you is a smoother, better looking image.

The other advantage with all the D-ILA projector’s I’ve reviewed is a simply amazing contrast ratio. In fact, JVC projectors have had the best contrast ratios of any technology I’ve tested.

Though still expensive at $3K, the HD250/250Pro offers something of a bargain. For the price of a high-end flat panel TV, you can get better performance and a MUCH bigger screen.

The 250/250Pro also has a motorized lens, is crazy quiet (at only 19 dB), and sports Silicon Optix’s HQV Reon-VX video processing so every source (even a Wii) looks as good as possible on 100+ inches of screen.

JVC claims a 25,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000 ANSI lumens of brightness. While this may not seem like much compared to some of the nonsense numbers flat panel TV manufacturers claim, JVC’s numbers are often pretty spot-on to how they perform.

If you’re feeling flush, theRS60 has a claimed 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,300 lumens. Or you could step down to the RS50 that has a claimed 70,000:1 contrast ratio for $8K or the RS40 with 50:000:1 for $5K.

All will be available in November.