http://ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/506marantzvp11s1/Marantz VP-11S1 Single-chip DLP Projector
Shane C. Buettner, July, 2006
1080p display devices have been proliferating rapidly, and it's been bit of a surprise that DLP front projection, which has led the charge of digital displays for years, has been late to the party. Not anymore.
We saw static displays of single-chip 1080p DLPs at CES '06, and we've been expecting to see the first working native 1080p DLP front projectors at CEDIA. But Marantz blew all that away in May when it had their video guru Dan Miller contact me and ask if I'd
to receive the first review unit of their VP-11S1 1080p projector, which is available now at $20K ($23K with the optional long throw lens).
I responded to that question as any sane man would: "Dan, have you still got my shipping address handy?"
From a Long Line
Marantz has been a big fish in the digital front projection pond for years now. The VP-12S3 once won a Golden Eye award at The Perfect Vision based on my review, and at my enthusiastic urging. I recently reviewed the VP-12S4 for UAV and liked it so much I threw down all the scratch I earned writing the review (and then some) to buy the review sample. Fellow UAV scribe Robert Deutsch bought and has lived happily ever after with a VP-12S3. So, Marantz has major street cred in this corner of the world wide web.
In terms of looks, designs and features, the VP-11S1 has much in common with the VP-12S4, along with a few significant departures I'll enumerate. First, and most obvious, the 11S1 looks exactly
the S4 on the outside. The 11S1 will be available in the same black/charcoal finish that my S4 is decked out with, but this review sample was in a cream color that I can't say I
nearly as well. But the bottom line is that I can't tell the difference between the two projectors looking at them.
The 11S1 has two HD-compatible component video inputs, and more importantly, two HDMI inputs. Of course, now that HD DVD and Blu-ray are on the scene we need three HDMI inputs to cover both disc formats and our HD set-top boxes, right? In a really cool touch, a switch turns on a little light in the recessed bay at the projector's back panel so you can eyeball your physical connections in the dark. Smart! Telescopic feet on the front level the rig if it's used on a tabletop.
As with the S4 the top of the projector sports the (manual) vertical lens shift adjustment, plus buttons that allow the user access to all the projector's menus, features and functions, including the projector's built-in test patterns. Complete control. Zoom and focus are also manual, and adjusted on the barrel of the lens. The lens assembly is a high-end job from Konica/Minolta. This has been true of all previous Marantz projectors, and from the beginning right up to the VP-11S1 remains one of this projector line's great strengths.
If I'm a bit ambivalent about the new remote Marantz has designed for the VP-11S1 it's only because I liked the more compact one that came with its previous projectors a lot. But if this sounds
a nitpick it's because I can conjure up so few complaints of any kind for this rig. Nevertheless, the new remote is excellent in its own right, and if all remotes were this good I'd be a happy man and reviewer. It's taller and thinner than the old one, has more backlit buttons, and the backlighting is activated by a button on the side that's easy to find in the dark. It also offers direct access to (literally) all the important adjustments.
What Did They Build In There?
Perhaps one of the reasons Marantz got to the market so quickly with this projector is that in the VP-12S4 it basically built a 1080p projector in a 720p projector's clothes. Gennum VXP video processing is used in the VP-11S1 as it was in the S4, but there's now much more processing horsepower available from the newest Gennum chip, the GF9351. Key among its attributes is that it's a 10-bit solution from end to end that performs all processing of 1920x1080 signals at full resolution, with no cross-conversion or down-conversion of any kind. In the VP-12S4 1080i/p signals are converted to 720p only after all of the deinterlacing and processing is completed. With the VP-11S1 1080i and 1080p signals stay at full resolution straight to the DMD.
The VP-11S1 is a single-chip DLP engine with a 6x color wheel. In previous Marantz projectors the image was optically filtered to hit accurate color points, and Marantz's color palette has always struck me as one of the best and most natural I've seen from a digital display. They had a cool acronym for their filtering system too, which was ORCA, for Optically Reproducing Color Accurately." The ORCA filter has now been designed into new, customized filters in the color wheel itself, which according to Marantz further improves filter accuracy.
Marantz has also moderated the projector's light output, changing its f5 iris setting to a more aggressive f6 (the more open f3 setting is retained as well and subjectively seems to have a little more horsepower).
The balance of light output, blacks and contrast ratio, as you'll read, are right in line with Marantz's previous efforts, which is to say simply excellent. However, I should point out that I use an 80-inch wide screen. While this projector clearly has the pixel count to allow for bigger screens, the light output would make me hesitant to recommend them. This doesn't bother me, because even in my 24.5' x 17.5' room an 80-inch screen is a perfect combination of size and punch. But while there are many factors that go into making a great picture, light output is a very important one (within reasonthe light output in the best movie houses generally ranges between 12 and 16 foot-Lamberts). It is determined not only by the capability of the projector but also by the size and gain of the screen. All projector reviews are powerfully influenced by the characteristics of the screen, and you should never assume that the results described in a review would apply directly to a much larger one.
The VP-11S1 has the same broad set of memories and adjustments, as the VP-12S4 so I'll refer you to that review to run down the basic functions and features of this projector. The adjustment and memories offer more options than anyone is likely to ever need, and yet because the menus aren't jammed up with superfluous features billed as "enhancements" that actually degrade image quality, it's a simple pleasure in day-to-day usage. Some minor differences include much smaller increments and therefore finer adjustments on many of the controls, including contrast and brightness, which is a big plus.
Another small and welcome change is that the "Standard" gamma curve is actually 2.2, according to Marantz, which is as much of a standard as exists with gamma. This calmed down some of the higher key mid-scale brightness levels that I noticed with the gamma curve in the VP-12S4 and TJN verified in his measurements. I liked the gamma curve on this projector better and hope Marantz offers a firmware update that allows me to duplicate it on my VP-12S4.
One oddity, perhaps confined to this pre-production sample is that to see information encoded below black via HDMI I had to set the Black level menu setting to "Expand." This isn't the case with the VP-12S4. I can't say that I saw any effect either way.
I made the point earlier of calling this a native 1080p projector, and that's a reference to that fact that all of the 1080p rear projectors I'm aware of derive 1920x1080 on the screen by performing fast horizontal pixel shifting with a 960x1080 chip. This technique is often called "Wobulation," which is actually an HP trademark. Texas Instruments calls it Smooth Picture. We've certainly seen excellent results from such RPTVs, but there's no such sleight of hand here. The VP-11S1's Digital Micromirror Device has a full 1920x1080 pixel matrix.
Performance
I used the VP-11S1 mostly via HDMI with Toshiba's HD-XA1 HD DVD player and my DirecTV HD TiVo as sources, except where noted.
Although the unit I received was technically a pre-production sample, with two exceptions it seemed
someone simply slipped a VP-12S4 in my system that had more pixels and a few other updates. Operationally this projector was just a slick and glitch-free as my reference S4. I'll knock the exceptions out now and get back to the accolades.
One exception is that while I didn't measure the two, the fan in the VP-11S1 sounds louder than the S4, and well, it stinks. It's interesting to make this comment as a passing, non-judgmental observation instead of a criticism! But it's true. In addition to running hot, the VP-11S1 sample I reviewed has a faint burning smell that panicked me in the first days with the unit. It smelled
burning electronics, but the unit worked without hitch or glitch for two months and change here before I sent it to TJN for its final set of measurements.
With that out of the way, here comes the love. The VP-11S1 is simply one of the very best projectors I've had in my home,. It looks terrific with any source material, and especially dazzles with the best 1920x1080 HD feeds. The resolution is the most tack-sharp, crisp and dimensional I've seen from front projection, and whenever the program material is up to it this projector consistently lands in that "looking through a window" level of pop.
And really, the only projectors I've seen that compete are Faroudja's 1080p D-ILA and Sony's Qualia 004. While the Marantz isn't cheap at $20K, and is significantly more expensive than the nearly identical VP-12S4 (only a million pixels or so separate the two!), consider that the Faroudja and Sony rigs I describe above, which fall short of the VP-11S1's performance in some key respects, cost much more than the Marantz. The Qualia 004 was $30K when I reviewed it and the Faroudja rig costs over $40K.
Firing up the VP-11S1 the NBA playoffs were one of the first things I watched, on ABC in 720p. The picture was simply and purely amazing. Deep vision into the crowds, the mesh holes in the players' jerseys, the fine textures in Pat Riley's tailored suits, it was all there, in three dimensions with as much "you are there" as you can get without dropping a few thousand bucks a head to sit courtside. And while this seems
gearhead minutiae, it's not. The drama actually heightens when you can see few new beads of sweat pop out on Dwayne Wade's forehead as he prepares to ice another critical pair of free throws!
Although in theory the ABC broadcast's 720p resolution means that this image shouldn't look any better on the VP-11S1 than with the native 720p VP-12S4, my initial impression is that it certainly did. The picture looked a little brighter, and a little punchier, as though the blacks were a little deeper too. Two things are going on here. One, the Gennum processing is the real deal. There appears to be no loss of resolution whatsoever upconverting 720p to the VP-11S1's native 1080p, which means the processing is just superb and essentially lossless. While I'm mostly a movie watcher, even poorer standard-def feeds
Comedy Central from DirecTV look surprisingly watchable on this projector. It's still not great due to the inherent poor quality of the signal, but the VP-11S1's Gennum powered processing not only does no further damage, it makes lower quality feeds less painful than I've seen on other rigs.
The second thing is that the 2.2 Standard gamma curve is new (the VP-12S4's gamma is closer to 2.0) and I think this had a lot to do with my initial impression that the VP-11S1 has better blacks and contrast than the VP-12S4. Certainly, the 11S1 is right in there with the VP-12S4 subjectively, which is to say its blacks and contrast are among the best I've seen from any projector that's not a CRT. But the 11S1 unequivocally looks a bit punchier with virtually all material, and with movies looks yet another increment more film-like, and a little less
video than even the excellent VP-12S4. I'll be interested to what TJN's measurements say, if the actual contrast measures better than the S4 or if the new gamma curve is just making it seem so.
The CRT reference above is a little bit of a backhanded swipe, by the way. Projectors
the VP-11S1 are so good with blacks and contrast that the specter of the CRT needn't be raised at all. There wasn't a single scene I watched in any movie that had me wishing for deeper blacks and better contrast. Even sparsely lit films with lots of dark scenes on HD DVD, such as Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven (yeah, Clint likes natural lighting, which is to say he likes to shoot in the dark!) revealed just the right amount of information and obscured the right amount of information.
These excellent blacks and shadow detail are in fact what separate this projector in my estimation, from the Sony and Faroudja projectors referenced above. Even "TV shows" in HD
HBO's The Sopranos and have lots of dim, naturally lit scenes that depend as much on what you don't see as what you do. Neither of those projectors performs as well in such scenes as the VP-11S1, and compared to the Qualia the Marantz maintains better subjective contrast in scenes in which a mix of very light and very dark share the screen. The Faroudja looks awesome under most circumstances, but really doesn't have the blacks to compete on dark imagery.
While it's certainly a plus for the Faroudja and Sony projectors to be based on three-chip technology, with no color wheel, I can't honestly say the 11S1's color wheel ever intruded on the viewing experience. I've considered myself medium-sensitive to rainbow artifacts, but with this projector they just weren't there. Not that I could ever detect anyway. This projector is the single-chip champ in that regard.
Also, while the Faroudja rig does an excellent job of making standard def DVD look remarkably detailed and film-like converted up to 1080p, HD is much more prevalent now on satellite and, in my house, on disc with HD DVD. The Marantz more consistently provides jaw-dropping, razor-sharp imagery with 1080i HD.
In fact, this projector had me eating some words. At HE 2006 I told some well-meaning enthusiasts that the best 720p projectors are remarkably adept with 1080i material, and that the increased resolution of 1080p isn't as overwhelming in practice as the sheer numbers suggest.
Well, folks, I'm taking that one back. Not only did the remarkable detail and dimensionality of the best HD DVD transfers pop more on this 1080p projector, it was a much better tool for discerning the differences between the very good HD DVD transfers and the great HD DVD transfers. That "next level" in quality, the one that separates Apollo 13 or Serenity from The Perfect Storm or the The Fugitive is exactly where this projector takes you. And it is clearly another level up from 720p
In short, although HD is generally excellent, your HD needs to be at its very best to distinguish itself here. And that goes for the camera operators too! If you're a smidge out of focus the people who own this projector will see it quite clearly!
I've also been recording HD from DirecTV via TiVo and comparing those broadcasts to HD DVDs when possible. The VP-11S1 reveals any differences that exist with clinical precision. Compression artifacts, motion artifacts, or just plain differences in clarity and sharpness, the VP-11S1 captures them clearly. This is a powerful reference tool in evaluating the quality of HD sources comparatively to one another.
And this is not to say that the VP-11S1's performance is any less stellar with DVDs, either at 480p or upcoverted to 1080i by Toshiba's HD-XA1. It's just that DVD is a lot harder to watch now that HD DVD is on the scene, with new discs trickling out every week. Via HDMI the Marantz looks simply stunning with sources from 480p and up. If HD isn't yet a steady part of your viewing diet, don't be concerned that this projector won't offer benefits with your legacy video.
I watched mostly HDMI, and was rewarded with better picture quality. 480p, 720p and 1080i/p via HDMI were, as you can see in the Measurements section, all essentially perfect. All the resolution that goes in comes out. With component video at 1080i there's just a little drop in clarity and sharpness compared to HDMI, and 720p is noticeably softer in the top frequencies. 480i/p via component disappointed me though. 480i/p component were noticeably softer and noisier, and the measurements back up that impression. Hopefully this is a pre-production anomaly. 480i/p via component aren't the connection option of choice anymore, but I'd still
to see better performance from a projector in this price range.
Another thing worth mentioning is that while the Gennum video processing solution used here is 10-bit from end to end, the gamma processing that' part of TI's 1080p DMD is spec'd at 12-bit. Perhaps as a result, the 11S1 also has less dithering noise in dark scenes than any DLP I've seen, especially with HD DVD as a source. Whether it's the black vacuum of space in Apollo 13 and Serenity, or the dim, naturalistic lighting in the Gem saloon in HBO's Deadwood the Marantz not only extends well into black for great dynamic range, it's as clean and noise free as I've seen from digital projection.
How about the color fidelity of this projector, compared to Marantz projectors past? The VP-11S1 deftly avoids the nuclear greens that too many digital displays still exhibit, but the flesh tones look very slightly less natural to me. Maybe TJN and his Photo Research will pull my pants down on this one, but subjectively I have a slight preference for the colors I see from the VP-12S4, but to be certain I didn't see anything I'd trade a million pixels for.
Another thing worth mentioning in this ever-changing day and age is that this projector can and does accept a 1080p input. This I confirmed courtesy of Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-ray Disc player, which arrived jus a few days before I wrapped up this review, and outputs 1080p/60 from Blu-ray. Marantz specifies that the projector will also accept the 1080/24p output option expected on other upcoming Blu-ray players (the Samsung does not offer a 1080p/24 output), though they are converted to 1080/60p by the projector. According to Marantz's Dan Miller there is already a firmware update in the works that will allow the VP-11S1 to show 1080/24p sources at 48fps, which as a multiple of film's 24fps eliminate the temporal distortions that occur in converting to 60fps.
In the limited switching back and forth between 1080i and 1080p I was able to do with the Samsung didn't reveal any significant differences between the two. The Gennum chip set is capable of deinterlacing 1080i material and also performing inverse telecine with film source 1080i. In other words, at least at 60fps, 1080i on the Marantz looks every bit as good as the 1080p we've seen so far. I'll let you know what I see at 48fps when I see it.
The White Elephant
Obviously the vacuum in my experience is Sony's VPL-VW100 ($10K), better known simply as the "Ruby." I've not experienced this projector except at trade shows, and so
you I'm left to parse my experiences here with TJN's review and measurement of that projector.
On the surface of it, the Sony is a three-chip projector with no color wheel. While I didn't notice the VP-11S1's color wheel, there's no question that having it out of the equation entirely is best. And whatever performance differences might exist between the two, the Ruby leaves a lot of scratch on the table for you to put into your system somewhere else, or pay at least a part of a year of college for one of your kids!
To be fair to Marantz, $15-$20K seems to be setting up as the standard price range for single-chip 1080p DLPs. It's not overpriced in that sense. But one still has to acknowledge that there is a heralded competitor out there for substantially less.
Conclusion
While the price, at a full $9K more than the VP-12S4, gives me some hesitation (perhaps based on pure jealousy!), I have no reservations whatsoever about any aspect of the VP-11S1's performance. Its few flaws are utterly marginalized buy its top-flight performance in all respects.
It's nothing short of dazzling with the best sources, but it's also remarkably consistent across all formats, resolutions, and scenery, light and dark or a wicked mix of the two. I simply couldn't find a chink in this projector's armor without going all the way down to 480i/p via component video, which is now officially "legacy" video.
And that's an important note. There's more HD than ever available on all forms of broadcast, and now from not one but two disc formats. 1920x1080 is the most prevalent form of HD on all formats, and 1080p projectors
this are the only way to extract every ounce of video goodness from these sources. Sad but true, and coming from a man who just spent his own money on a 720p projector! It's still HD at 720p, but it's not the top of the food chain, and those extra pixels do matter.
Using this projector as I have for the last few months to compare HD programs to one another this projector consistently revealed all differences, big and small. This is what the term "reference quality" means, and that's why the VP-11S1 now has the kind of love letter review that so few components earn. Well done!
Highs
Dazzling, reference quality image with resolution to spare
Excellent blacks/contrast
Accepts 1080p sources
Killer ergonomics and remote, with straightforward menus and features
Lows
Runs loud and hot
Soft, noisy performance with 480i/p component
Expensive
Article Continues: Specifications
Marantz America
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1100 Maplewood Dr.
Itasca, IL 60143