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Marantz VP-12S4 High-Definition DLP Projector
Reviewed by Brian Kahn, Audio Video Revolution
December 2005
Is the Marantz VP-12S4 the best single-chip DLP projector on
the market? It is a question that has been asked many times
before in many showrooms and many online home theater
forums. The VP-12S4 at $14,499 is the latest and most
expensive in Marantz’s line of VP-12 DLP projectors. The S4
builds upon the proven platform that has utilized the Texas
Instruments HD2+ DLP chipset. The S4 uses the latest
iteration, the DarkChip 3, which increases the fill factor by
reducing the space between pixels. This chipset also features improved contrast and faster operating
speed over the prior chipset (the DC2). Other major changes between the S3 and the S4 include the
addition of a new lens option and a change from Faroudja to Gennum video processing.
The VP-12S4 is a full-featured projector. In addition to the above described features, the S4 has three
Konica-Minolta lens options to fit nearly every possible throw range, vertical lens shift of up to 80 percent
of screen height above the screen, O.R.C.A. (Optically Reproducing Color Accurately) filter, 4500:1
contrast ratio, 700 ANSI lumens, 200-watt SHP lamp, seven-segment color wheel, adjustable iris, sealed
optical path, double-sealed cabinet to prevent light leakage and insure low noise, vertical keystone
correction, auto color temperature calibration system, black level selection and more.
The cabinet is a pearlescent off-white, with a dark gray bezel that surrounds
the large lens assembly which is offset just to the left of center. The overall
design is quite stylish and, for those who do not want an off-white projector,
Marantz now offers black cabinets as an option. The cabinet top features the
lens shift, status lights and other flush-mounted controls and the back panel
has a lit input/output panel that features two HDMI terminals, two multi-scan
component video terminals, two DV trigger outputs, IEC power cord, D-Bus
3.5mm connection, composite video, S-Video, RGB/HD (via D-Sub 15 pin),
and lastly an RS-232C port. The entire cabinet measures approximately 16
inches wide, 18.5 inches deep and just over five inches tall without the
adjustable leveling feet. The S4 weighs in at 28.6 pounds, a lot more than
many other similarly-sized projectors. My guess is most of the additional
weight is due to the high-quality lens system.
The projector’s physical light engine is only half of the package. Without good video processing, even a
topnotch light engine can be rendered nearly unwatchable. The new S4 Marantz comes with the Gennum
GF9350 processor. According to Marantz’s video product guru Dan Miller, this was the only processor
available that would provide both the level of performance and flexibility that Marantz demanded. The
Gennum processor has many features, such as true 10-bit processing, 4:4:4 processing, true motion
adaptive deinterlacing of all non-progressive sources, noise reduction, image enhancement, adaptive
edge correction and more. The Gennum chip also provides flexibility to allow many user adjustments and,
of particular note, user upgrades.
Set-up
I placed the projector on a high stand between my two couches that brought it to the level of the screen
bottom, slightly behind and between the viewing positions. The projector has no noticeable light spill and,
while not the quietest projector on the market, it is pretty close. Even with the projector in the brighter of
the two lamp modes, the noise was not objectionable and, on the dimmer setting, barely noticeable.
The S4 sample that I reviewed featured the new medium throw lens, which meant that in my relatively
small room (approximately 10.5 feet of throw from lens to screen), the largest picture I could obtain was
84 inches; with the short throw lens, I would have been able to obtain a 100-inch image at the same
distance.
