11/02/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/projectors/0,39037571,42455981p,00.htm

Audiophiles will probably remember Marantz closer to heart for its fine hi-fi components, though its recent foray into home entertainment projectors is no less remarkable. Its pilot offering back in 2006, the VP11S1, was widely acclaimed for its stunning performance and picture qualities. Like most products from boutique brand names, the 11S1 was also in its league of its own in pricing. We are talking about a steep S$24,888 which is well out of reach for many but the most discerning and well-heeled. If you have always been drooling over the Marantzs but have a limited budget to work with, perhaps the "streamlined" VP15S1 would be a more viable alternative.

Upside: Is the new full-HD Marantz worth its weight in gold? Perhaps. Interestingly, there're few compromises in build and quality despite the newfound affordability. For S$13,999, you will get a die-cast aluminum chassis which houses the light cannon's sensitive optics and electronics. To go with the armored shell, there is also a customized all-glass optical lens from Konica-Minolta. Rounding it up is a quieter 5x speed color wheel. This employs a fluid dynamic bearing motor designed to minimize audible noise, particularly distracting during quiet passages in movies.

Like the BenQ W20000, there is a handy vertical lens shift function to facilitate easy installation without seriously compromising picture quality. This lacks motorized control of the former but offers wider +165 and -85 percent adjustments, measured as an offset from the image's vertical center. That said, what really make this Marantz truly unique among the DLPs is its high-powered 1.45x optical zoom. Ideal for confined living quarters in Asia, this shortens the dreaded mid-to-long throw distance of a typical DLP down to a more manageable 3.2m for a 100-inch screen.
While you would probably own an HDMI-switching A/V receiver if you can afford a Marantz, it's reassuring to know that this little puppy supports up to five 1080p inputs. That's a pair of digital HDMI, dual analog component-video and a PC terminal. Taking it one step further, these are all 24 frames-per-second format-compatible, which promises smooth judder-free motion reproduction with any film-based content. Just in case you are wondering, the HDMIs are version 1.3-ready, future-proofed with the Deep Color feature to harness the richer hues of potential "upcoming" movies.

Downside: What good is a preview without touching on the specs? Other than its 1,920 x 1,080-pixel native resolution, there is hardly anything inspiring when it comes to the VP15S1's modest 10,000:1 dynamic contrast and 1,000 ANSI lumens brightness. These actually pale against equivalent ratings from the 20,000:1 BenQ W20000 and 1,500 lumens InFocus Play Big IN82. Taking everything into consideration, these are still rough guides best put aside for onsite auditions. In fact, we are more concerned about the rainbow effect anomaly for the Marantz--patterns of streaking colors that commonly show up for slower color wheels.

Outlook: So you have it. Beyond the handpicked Texas Instrument DarkChip 4 optical engine, Konica-Minolta lens and a 6x color wheel, there are actually few differences between the refined VP11S1 and the "supposedly" stripped-down VP15S1. At S$13,999, the 15S1 is still a notch pricier than most 1080p in the market, but judging from its pot of technological fanfare and quality build, this may just be a shining star in the making. One that's tailored in terms of price and features for our Asian markets, too.