Video Processing

The 11S1 uses the same video processing solution as the 12S4, which is the Gennum VXP chip. This is the same chip used in my Anthem Statement D2 video processor as well as some other high-end video processors. The Gennum VXP is a very capable video processing chip that does true inverse telecine de-interlacing of 1080i material with both 3-2 and 2-2 based material. It also offers full motion adaptive de-interlacing and diagonal line processing of 1080i video sources.

While I don't think Marantz has taken full advantage of the VXP chip, it does satisfy all the requirements I think most consumers would have regardless of the sources they are using. The end user could simply connect a video switcher and feed the projector whatever source they wanted, and let the Gennum do the work. It does an extremely good job with both SD and HD sources.

Another benefit of the Gennum processor is its support for constant height setups. The 11S1 is fully capable of supporting an anamorphic lens right out of the box without the need for a stand-alone video processing solution. Marantz even offers an anamorphic lens with a motorized sled to put it in line with the lens at a touch of a button when needed. They've chosen an Isco 3 lens, and the retail price for this assembly is around $12,000. That's steep, but if you've want a good 2.35 constant height setup, it's an attractive option.

In Use

Now that we've got past the tech talk, let's discuss the projector in use from the subjective side. The Marantz is one of those rare projectors that does more right than wrong. Using my extensive set of HD test patterns, the 11S1 consistently outperformed any 1080p display Secrets has looked at to date.

In the last year we've seen quite a few attractively priced 1080p projectors hit the market, namely in the LCoS and SXRD market, and while they offer a lot of bang for the buck to the general consumer, they are no where near the level of reference video playback demanded by the elite enthusiasts. And let's be frank, at this price point, that's exactly who Marantz is going after.

We've yet to see a non-DLP 1080p design that can fully resolve the Nyquist resolution of 1080p with a luma burst for both horizontal and vertical resolution. As 1-to-1 pixel mapping isn't everything, there are more elements in play, including optics, gamma (an area where LCoS and SXRD need a lot of improvement), and uniformity.

The Marantz VP-11S1 displayed perfect uniformity across the entire image, regardless of what kind of window pattern I put up. Since it is a single chip design, convergence issues are not an issue, and I only saw a minimal amount of chromatic aberration near the edges of the image (about a quarter pixel worth).

All of these things add up in the long run, and what you end up with is an extremely sharp image capable of resolving the entire 1080p signal with no roll-off in fine detail. For someone like me who needs to ensure that the display is not tainting the image, there can be nothing less.

Another big part of the overall experience when using a projector is noise. I've seen some projectors that throw an exceptional image, but their fan or color wheel put out far too much noise for my taste. The 11S1 is definitely not the quietest projector I've used, but it is not distracting. However, the early unit I received had some noticeable noise from its color wheel. There was a high pitch whine that made it even louder than its predecessor, the VP-12S4. The fan was quieter though. I talked with Marantz about this and concluded that I had a defective unit. Later down the line I had the chance to demo another unit and the noise was significantly reduced. While still not as quiet as some of the LCD and D-ILA projectors I've been around, it was acceptable.

During my time with the 11S1, I viewed a large variety of source material. This included DVD, digital cable, D-Theater, Blu-ray, and HD DVD. As we move more and more to high definition material becoming the standard playback medium in this hobby, it becomes even more important that your display is capable of showing all of the detail available.

HD Done Right

There is no doubt that my time with Blu-ray and HD DVD content was the most satisfying with this projector. Simply put, I was watching the best HD images I had ever seen from any display device at any price. Sure, the Sony G90 (an older three-CRT projector) and several other designs delivered blacks that were a bit more satisfying with some of the darker material out there, but they paled in comparison to intra-scene contrast and depth of image the 11S1 displayed. The high ANSI contrast (we measured it in the mid 600:1 area) proved to be something you have to see to believe. Since most content out there tends to be mixed contrast with nice highlights to accent the blacks, you get a very refined contrasty look that has a three dimensional quality that few projectors can offer.

We measured On/Off contrast in the low to mid 3,000:1 range (about 3300:1 when accurately calibrated), and while not a benchmark in this category, it provided satisfactory blacks when needed. Shadow detail was consistently excellent, and dithering was never an issue. I would still like to see Marantz move to a dual iris system similar to the Sharp projectors on the market, and from what we've been told at the recent CEDIA convention, that is exactly what we'll get with the follow- up Marantz projector, the 11S2.

King Kong is an excellent example of how all of the elements that the Marantz does well come together. About halfway through the film, there is a scene when Kong is having a snack, and our heroine is pretending to be asleep. This scene is excellent for depth, detail, dimension, and shadow detail.

The Marantz did an uncanny job at resolving the fine detail on and around Kong, including the dust and dander floating around his body. Comparing that same scene on the 12S4, I could see some of the floating particles, but I couldn't make out what they were or the sheer number of them like I could with the 11S1.

The end of the film provided even more eye candy as the bi-planes swept in on the ape. The depth of image the 11S1 provided with the New York City backdrop was incredible and better than any display device I'd watched this scene on before.

Conclusions

The Marantz VP-11S1 represents the best 1080p display that I've seen to date. Sure there is room for improvement - I can say that about any product on the market today - but it nails down the most important elements of an image. Of course, there is no projector that gets all parts of an image perfect, but this one comes really close. There are only a small handful of projectors I would refer to as a reference design, and this is definitely one of them.
 

- Kris Deering -