108 Drum: TECH
Gadgets
Marantz VP-12S4 DLP High Definition Projector £8500
After the continuing evolution and success of the VP-12 series, people were asking,
“how much better can it possibly get?” Upon witnessing the VP-12S4, you will wonder
how that could even be asked.
The VP-12S4 will make your jaw drop with the
smoothest, most seamless and lifelike image ever
delivered from a single chip solid state video projector.
But reading about it here won’t do it nearly as much
justice as experiencing it for yourself at your nearest
authorised dealer.
As in the previous generation, it also utilises the
seven segment color wheel which also aids in the
reduction of temporal dithering. Marantz have added
a new lens to the already legendary and award winning
line up of optics from Konica-Minolta.
Tips on what to look for in a Projector
Resolution: The resolution is the first thing to
check but it’s only a basic indicator: appropriate input
sockets (will you be linking up to your PC or playing
games?) are also important.
To improve flexibility, Marantz have increased the
amount of vertical lens shift for all three lenses to
allow mounting as much as fifty percent of the screen
height above the top of the viewable area. But the
crowning achievement is the most powerful video
processor ever included in a video display device—
consumer or professional.
Progressive scan: The best quality pictures come
via prog scan. Some DVD players have it built in, but
if your projector has it, you’ll get that progressive
scan quality from other video sources as well, such
as off-air TV and games consoles. The best projectors
have prog scan built in.
There is over 1 billion colors displayed and a new
level of flexibility for the installer including sizing and
blanking controls. This level of smoothness and film
like realism has been previously reserved for
professional 3-chip type devices and of course, film.
Aspect ratio: Eye up your potential projector’s widescreen ratio. You can watch a widescreen DVD on a
projector with a 4:3 digital chipset but it will render
a less effective picture than a unit which has full 16:9
picture formatting built in.