Should I consider the Madvrenvy

[Barry]

I trust your judgment and your experience. My home theater dealer felt I had a good home theater and suggested that  the Madvtenvy Core, the least expensive model, would approve the video. https://madvrenvy.com/

I don’t know.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Would another model be more suitable?  I see that the company has several different models and many different price ranges, some seem to do much more.  You can suggest another company.


I just don’t know. I put up a list of my system, leading off is the jvc 4100.

[SRW1000]

Barry, you may want to consider the Lumagen video processors as well.  While the JVCs do some image enhancements, both the MadVR and Lumagen products are much more sophisticated.  

Does your dealer offer in home demos?  That might be the best way for you to decide if it's worth it for you.

[DLCPhoto]

What is the aspect ratio of your screen? If it's 2.35:1 or similar, at this point I consider an external video processor as almost a necessity for aspect ratio management, versus having to deal with all the limitations of lens zoom and shift. I dealt with that for several years before the Envy was available, and I'll never go back to it, for a variety of reasons.

If your screen is 16:9, this feature of a processor is less important. The Envy does provide the option for NLS for 16:9 content, to reduce or eliminate the black bars that occur with content having aspect ratio wider than 16:9. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Lumagen is as adept in dealing with NLS on 16:9 screens.

The other benefit a processor would provide is better DTM for HDR content. I have had a JVC NX7, NZ9 and now NZ900, and I have never been satisfied with the built-in DTM the JVC's provide. What they provide is better (in my opinion) than what other projector brands provide, but the Envy's DTM is better still. I don't have to worry about crushed shadows, clipped highlights, etc. I just sit back and enjoy the show.

If you have a 16:9 screen, don't mind the black bars, and don't see limitations or shortcomings with the JVC's DTM, then perhaps you don't need one.

But if any of these things are not the case, a processor could improve things. I chose the Envy for a variety of reasons. In the past, the main problem with Envy was the pricing, but the Core changed that significantly.

As far as different Envy models, it really comes down to the Core or the Extreme, again in my opinion. The Extreme adds Geometry Correction (useful with anamorphic lens use, or in challenging theater setups) and MotionAI. Motion handling and frame interpolation is another hot topic, but for those who want to reduce the 24 fps stuttering motion, MotionAI works quite well, and can be tweaked to accommodate personal preference.

The cost of the Extreme is more than double the Core, so those features do come at a price. But there are other benefits to the Extreme (paid upgrade path, 5 year warranty, the most future proofing, etc.) that appeals to many. But for the basic processor functions (AR management, Subtitle Management, Dynamic Tone Mapping, Upscaling, etc.) the Core works pretty much as well as the Extreme.

Both processor brands are good products, with good teams behind them. But discussions on this topic frequently produce more heat than light, so I really don't want to go into it here. Feel free to PM me if you'd like. As I tell people, I may not always be right, but I always try to be honest and objective, and to be as evidence-based as possible. 

[Barry]

Thank you so much. Your advice is invaluable! I will be contacting you.  Thanks

[Barry]

Barry, you may want to consider the Lumagen video processors as well.  While the JVCs do some image enhancements, both the MadVR and Lumagen products are much more sophisticated. 

Does your dealer offer in home demos?  That might be the best way for you to decide if it's worth it for you.

I will look into the Lumagen.  Thanks

[bmoney]

The positive of the lumagen is they are constantly updating and upgrading its features. They don’t make you buy a new unit. 

[DLCPhoto]

The positive of the lumagen is they are constantly updating and upgrading its features. They don’t make you buy a new unit.

I don't want to start an argument, but this is not true. madVR has been providing firmware updates to all units, regardless of when they were purchased, from the very beginning. As an example, the very first Envy Extreme units, available in the year 2020, had the 2080 GPU, with subsequent generations having the 3080 and 4080. Around 2-3 years later, the MotionAI feature was developed, and they were able to add this feature into those 2080 units, right along with the 3080 and 4080 models. No new purchase was needed. All of those 2080 units still in active use, receiving all of the same features that the newest Extreme MK2 has.

The same has occurred, and continues to occur, with a wide variety of other features additions and enhancements (improved DTM, IP control of other devices, the Profile system itself was not originally present, and the list goes on and on) - these are being added regularly to all units, regardless of age, free of cost.