Just as CFL gave way to LED as the light source of choice for LCD flat panel displays, LED technology will soon become the light source for most front projection displays as well. Having taken a good look at the new Digital Projection M-Vision Cine LED this afternoon, I can report that that day can not come too soon.
The Good:
This projector wasn't perfect, but it definitely had some strong points, and dramatically demonstrates why you can't put too much stock in certain specifications when evaluating home theater gear. To wit, the brightness figure given for the Cine LED is but 600 ANSI lumens. In a day when any home theater projector worth it's salt claims at least 800 lumens, with many hitting two or three times that, you could be forgiven for thinking the Cine-M LED would be nigh on unwatchable. If you were to make that decision based on the numbers from the spec sheet alone, you'd be depriving yourself of a very satisfying viewing experience.
In a conversation with Joe Kane last summer he indicated that I shouldn't be too quick to judge his latest masterpiece based upon the relatively low light level. He claimed the image quality and perceived brightness would belie the notion that the picture would not be bright enough.
He was right on the money then, and it is much the same with this new unit from DPI. It was definitely plenty bright enough on the 45 x 80in, matte white screen I was watching on. I did have the luxury of a totally light controlled environment, but even when some overhead lights were turned up to about 30%, the picture was still watchable for casual viewing.
Based upon my (alll too) brief, un-instrumented viewing session, I would have to say that the DPI's new baby gives one of the most broad and accurate color palettes I've seen from an DLP projector at any price point. The color rendition was simply fantastic.
I have always been a big fan of 3-chip DLP projectors, but their high price has kept them out of the theaters of all but the most well-heeled enthusiasts. With this new piece, you can get that rainbow free, deep, film-like image for about ½ the price you'd pay for a 3-chip, 1080p projector. I watched for about half an hour and saw nary a hint of any sort of rainbow, as I typically would with even the best color wheel single chip projectors. There were no other appreciable artifacts either, based upon the program material I was watching. I did not, however, que up any torture test material, such as the Silicon Optix test disc for a more thorough evaluation.
From an economic standpoint this projector is about $15,000, although that number is a bit misleading. You see, with most projectors, there is the slight matter of a bulb replacement every 2,000 hours or so, with some stretching that figure to 3,000. When bulb replacement time comes, get ready for a $500 - $700 bill if your friendly custom installer has to come out for a visit. The LED light engine in this unit lasts for around 60,000 hours. If you'd ever even use your projector for 60,000, you'd save approximately the cost of the projector in bulb replacements, not to mention the embarrassment of having the bulb warning message come on the screen at the start of your Superbowl party.
The Not Quite as Good:
I couldn't go so far as to call this the bad, but I did see a hint of video noise in the picture at times, notably in one scene from Harry Potter, before the cake falls on the woman's head, but wasn't sure if that was from the BluRay or some other artifact that would be there in any other projector. When I get one of the reference projectors back up, I'll be sure to take note of the scene to see if it returns. Check back for an update.
One area projectors have made tremendous strides in the past few years is noise. Just a few years ago, it was completely normal to be able to pick out the noise of even the quietest projectors during soft passages of a show. Now that offending behavior has been almost completely banished, and it's great to be rid of it. The Cine-M LED though, still has a hint of noise emanating from it's charcoal gray hull. It's not overly noticeable, even when directly below it, but neither is it almost nonexistent, as with the latest projectors from the likes of JVC, Planar, Optima, and Runco.
Call it a Wrap:
Overall I was immensely satisfied with the new M-Vision Cine-LED from DPI. It is the best single chip I've seen since Joe Kane's Samsung, and although I was smitten with that projector, I could still detect a hint of the dreaded rainbow color wheel effect. Not so here. The DPI unit has the film like grace of a 3-chip, great looking color, and excellent black levels, although I would like to compare the black level against the latest offering from JVC. The gray scale, and low level detail looked superb as well.
All in all this one of my new favorite projectors, and if it is a hint of what's to come from LED, there will be happy days in home theater land ahead.
