We tested a lot of high definition material on this projector and even quite a bit of standard definition. What we really looked for was a lot of color and motion, and also dark scenes with lots of black level detail. If a projector can portray these real-world images with clarity, lack of rainbow effect and accurate color - then you've got a successful product. The level of almost "perfectionism" exhibited by this projector made it seem more like a 3-chip system than the single-chip DLPs we've seen in the past. Following are a sequence of representative images showing off some of the more impressive pictures we viewed while reviewing the VP-15S1. All HD DVD movies were played on a Toshiba HD-XA2 (outputting 1080p) and standard definition content was viewed on a Denon DVD-3930CI (outputting 480i).

HD DVD: The Bourne Ultimatum
This movie had it all, form dark scenes whose details would get lost in a lesser projector, to bright, detailed establishing shots that pushed the system's ability to render accurate detail and jaggie reduction.

While none of these images pictures Matt Damon, they do capture the rich black detail and exceptional clarity the VP-15S1 puts out during the playback of HD DVD movies.

DVD: Live Free and Die Hard
This was another very dark movie and it gave the Marantz DLP projector a chance to extend itself to the deepest blacks and show that it could still reveal textures and patterns in brick and concrete. I especially loved the bricks which revealed themselves cleanly behind Matt Farrell as he converses with Bruce Willis in an alley-based scene. I have seen a lot of projectors, DLP and LCD alike, which crush blacks, leaving no detail in dark scenes. Watch a Horror or Sci-fi movie and it's like watching a bunch of people move in and out of black splotches. Not so with the VP-15S1 which seemed almost uncanny at producing even the lowest levels of black. Turn up the lights and you see that the Marantz does equally well at higher light levels. Explosions, like the one where Bruce launches a police car into a helicopter, didn't just fill the screen with bright flashes - flames had detail and clouds took on definition.

HD DVD: Transformers
Who doesn't love a movie about robots from outer space that takes a childhood memory and smashes it to little tiny pieces? While Transformers was more about watching an impossible-to-believe adolescent love story than a saga about a robot war, it did provide some great sound and video moments and remains a pretty decent test disc. We captured some rich color, vivid detail and almost three-dimensional textures which seemed to strengths of this film in terms of its video quality.

Yep, just look at that skin detail...

As seen above, there were some very colorful aspects to Transformers that really allowed the depth of the projector to show through. I also felt that the subtle details provided in the 3D characters, like the dirt on Optimus Prime's windshield and the gritty nature of most of the surfaces favored by the filmmaker and his penchant for driving sequences. When cars exploded on the highway chase scene, you really saw the layers within the flames. Concurrently, while the action was fast-paced the scenes still showed off incredible edge detail and motion blur wasn't applied so liberally as to destroy the on-screen focus.

DVD: Shrek 3
This movie looked good, even if the Shrek series should probably have stopped after the first sequel. Colors really pop. If you want to get a good feel for the capability of your projector to reproduce colors, one of DreamWorks Animation's films is a solid choice. What was nice about Shrek 3 was that it provided a complete pure palette of color and depth to examine the capabilities of this projector. When you view animation, you get no film grain, no dust, no transfer errors - just pure digital picture. In the scene where the King (frog) dies... again and again... I noticed that the Marantz did an uncanny job of showing the lily pad bedsheets and area around the bed. At the same time you witnessed a superb skin texture on the frog, and the color and highlights provided on the screen were vivid and realistic. Close-ups of Fiona displayed incredibly textured hair that looked truly lifelike - and this is animation!

Conclusion

This projector is pricey, but the added cost includes a tremendous amount of quality and performance. Video processing is superb, as is the color and clarity of the picture. The Konica-Minolta system used for the Zoom lens is amazing and ensures a very crisp, accurate picture. I also loved the little features and customizations you can do with this projector. Small details like the menu remembering where you were last, and the ease of which you can calibrate the projector and save a myriad of User settings makes it very easy to use and configure. For a custom installer, this projector offers nearly the quality of a three-chip DLP system, but at a price more users can afford. Blacks are black and rich, colors are vibrant and the system comes very well calibrated out of the box. If you pick up the VP-15S1 you're going to basically have the equivalent of a Cinema DLP projector in your home - or very close to it. If you're looking for a top-quality projector that doesn't cost as much as your car, this is the unit for you. I highly recommend it with very few reservations.

Marantz VP-15S1
MSRP $8999

Marantz of America
100 Corporate Drive
Mahwah, NJ 07430-2041
http://us.marantz.com

About Marantz of America
Marantz America is committed to upholding the tradition of technological superiority initiated by founder Saul Marantz. In keeping with this emphasis on quality, Marantz audio and video components are carried only by the nation's premier independent audio/video specialty retailers. Additional information is available at www.marantz.com. Marantz America is a wholly owned subsidiary of D&M Holdings Inc.