Seeing as this was my first personal experience with an LCOS display, I wanted to view several different movie types that would really push the envelop of detail and allow me to see the difference between this format and LCD. With 1400 x 1050 pixels I thought that a nice mixture of animation, live action and HDTV would do the trick.

DVD: Lord of the Rings - Return of the King
Playing some scenes from the third and final installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy really enabled me to see the film-like quality of this projector. The three LCOS panels presented an incredibly seamless, smooth, realistic picture. The depth of the scenes drew me further into the movie than ever before. It felt as if you were no longer watching it on a screen - the screen disappeared, leaving only the images and story. In the scene where Frodo attempts to escape from Shelob the amount of detail and depth is amazing. Take a look at the rock detail and the expansive but visible depths that can still be seen in the darkness of the cave areas. The spider is part CGI, part prop, however in both cases the armor detail is absolutely meticulously detailed.

I had a better appreciation for the set designers when I started seeing more and more of the set design as revealed by the MAXX LCOS 1400. Other things to look out for are roofing materials, foliage and the details of the costumes which adorn the main characters as well as the armor and faces of orcs and goblins. In the second half of the movie, when King Theo den is killed by the Lord of the Nazgul take a look at the winged creature as well as the surrounding landscape. The color and depth of field in the scene was really brought to life by the high resolution LCOS display.

HDTV: 24 Season Four
I'll admit it - I'm hooked and have been since Season 1. But that doesn't stop me from using this show, broadcast in High Definition 720p by Fox, to test the limits of fast-paced action combined with compression artifacts and the generally average HD-quality associated with high-definition cable. I was actually quite surprised at the results. Close-ups of the 24: Season Four main characters came through with excellent detail and any compression artifacts that showed up during broadcast were actually more tolerable since they weren't compounded with any screen door effects or poor contrast issues. I felt that the latest episode, which contained a scene inside a well-lit hospital and some action-packed outdoor action involving a speeding car, simply looked stunning on the LCOS 1400. HDTV came across clean, clear and well-saturated. This is how HDTV should be seen.

DVD: Hero
I'm not a real Quentin Terantino fan, but I felt like he kept his hands off of Hero enough for it to be a very good movie, lacking many of Quentin's more overdone and tasteless signatures. M y favorite scene in terms of beauty and artistic design has got to be the fight scene that takes place in the golden autumn forest between M oon and Snow. The colors were particularly vibrant and the scene made perfect use of the extra resolution afforded by the LCOS panels.

Conclusion

The MAXX LCOS 1400 is a phenomenal projector in terms of performance, resolution and color reproduction. It is just about calibrated out of the box, giving you a "free" ISF calibration in every box. It also allows amazingly close viewing distances without fear of getting a screen door effect or suffering from rainbow effect. The downsides include a general lack of helpful features such as lens shift, electronics focus and zoom, and user presets. While high-end, this projector comes at a premium price while offering a dearth of advanced functionality. Still, if you are an installer, this is actually a plus for you as there is less chance your client will accidentally misadjust the focus or zoom. As the projector will likely be ceiling mounted, it has all the features it needs for smooth operation and accurate imaging.

MAXX LCOS 1400

MSRP: $10,995

About MAXX Products
MAXX Products is redefining the home theater experience offering cutting edge technology for Plasma TV displays, LCD TV displays, LCOS & DLP Projectors, Video Processors, DVD Players and a series of high end cables. Our mission is to provide next generation video products without the high-end cost, helping our customers build real-world, high-end home theaters today. M AXX products are backed by 25 years of manufacturing and distribution experience as a division of VPW, LLC.