Introduction I was a little nervous when I learned that I would be reviewing Marantz’s new VP-15S1 projector. I know this sounds a little odd, especially when you consider that the staff at AVRev.com and I have been overwhelmingly impressed with Marantz’s past front-projection video projectors. I even bought the last Marantz projector I reviewed, the VP-11S1, which retailed for $20,000. While I know that video gear is always getting better and cheaper, I was surprised to learn that, within a single year, Marantz’s VP-15S1 was being introduced at half the price ($9,999) with allegedly 90 percent of the performance. Could this be true? When I received the VP-15S1, I was not surprised to find that it physically looked very similar to the VP-11S1 and the VP-12 series before that. The biggest external difference I noted between the VP-15S1 and the VP-11S1 ...

Introduction 1080p resolution has finally come full circle for DLP displays, and all the DLP projector manufacturers now have 1080p models to market. Enter BenQ’s W10000 one-chip DLP projector with, of course, a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This little powerhouse delivers the video goods in spades, and was designed with a relatively large lamp, which means it can illuminate larger screen sizes than much of its competition. The W10000 is a capable performer in its category, and outperforms all of the competitively priced LCoS projectors that I have seen in recent months. But how does it stack up to the Sharp XV-Z20000, my current favorite 1080p one-chip DLP projector? That is the big question. Design While not exactly a sexy tour de force of industrial design, the W10000 is nonetheless a sleek and reasonably attractive-looking projector with a retail price of $6,000.00. It is a squarish unit, measuring 19.3 wide by seven-and-a-half inches high ...

Introduction Sharp has been at the forefront of LCD front-projection technology since the dawn of the technology. The company jumped into DLP once the first high-resolution 1280 x 720 pixel chips became available to manufacturers. Sharp’s first DLP projector, the XV-Z9000U, turned quite a few heads with its impressive picture quality back in 2001. The latest top of the line model, the XV-Z20000U, also a one-chip design, boasts the latest 1080p-resolution DLP chip, and promises again to be a head-turner. 1080p resolution came late to DLP display technology, as compared to the LCD category, which has had that vaunted high resolution for some time and consequently carries a fairly steep premium in price. At the moment, the least expensive 1080p one-chip DLP projectors start at around $10,000, whereas 1080p LCD and LCS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) projectors start at about $3,000 and go up from there. The Sharp XV-Z20000U definitely delivers the video goods with excellent ...

Introduction Without question, front-projection video is where it’s at if you truly want to recreate the theatrical experience at home. It’s all about cinematic impact, and you just don’t get this kind of experience with big box micro-displays or even the biggest plasma screens available today. A number of different technologies are vying for your hard-earned dollars in the front-projection arena: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display, which is transmissive) and its variant LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon, which is reflective technology), and DLP (Digital Light Processing, based on chips made with micromirrors from Texas Instruments’ also reflective technology). I am a fan of DLP, primarily because of its better black level performance, which yields better contrast ratios. Vidikron, a high-end display manufacturer, has both LCoS or what is known as D-ILA (Digital Image Light Amplifiers) and DLP projectors in their line of front-projection systems. Their new Vision Model 50 lies directly in the middle of their front ...

Introduction These are exciting days as the Marantz VP-11S1 is the first consumer 1920 x 1080 DLP front projector on the market. Retailing for $19,999, the VP-11S1 certainly isn’t inexpensive, but if it keeps pace with the precedent set by the VP-12 series, it should be worth it. We will see below how it fares in its attempts to fulfill the expectations set forth by its VP-12 predecessors. The VP-11 builds upon the VP-12 series, using its rigid, noise-deadening cast-aluminum chassis (which can use the same ceiling mount as the VP-12S4) and 200-watt DC super high pressure, 2,000-hour lamp. The processor is the 10-bit Gennum VXP 9351, the next generation of the VXP 9350 processor used in the VP-12S4. Like its predecessor, the VXP 9351 features Gennum’s TruMotion HD, FineEdge, RealityExpansion and FidelityEngine technologies, which were described in AVRev.com’s earlier review of the VP-12S4. The VXP 9351 is twice as efficient as the VXP 9350, which ...