Perhaps I am biased, but I've had the madVR Envy in my theater for 2 years now, and completely agree with everything that is said here. It has taken my home theater experience to a new level, both in terms of picture quality, as well as ease of use, just as was reported here. The MK2 looks to take an already awesome device to the next level. Thanks for the review.
With all of the money that you ultra rich guys are putting into your home theaters you will someday have to list your place for sale as: "Residential Movie Theater with attached living quarters".
The expense has to be taken in context. Sometimes half the cost of a MadVR system can be recovered by it eliminating the need to jump to the next higher tier in projectors. For example you may choose to drop down to Sony 5000ES projector and mate it with a MadVR system rather than stretch to get the 6000ES projector at $6k more. I think next level video processing is something you should build your cinema around knowing that you can always upgrade your projector when the time comes and still reap the rewards of something like a MadVR
Great point. I see that Audio Advice has both versions of the Certified Pre-owned which are both under $10k--so on a budget these would be great options with a less expensive projector.
I have 260 inch screen and I'm planning to renovate the whole theatre can I use bose lifestyle 650 as surround speaker and definitive tech speakers as lcr with denon a1 h av receiver? it would give a better result?
I use a Benq LK970 4K projector with an Anamorphic lens attached to it. in such a scenario how would Madvr envy use the Aspect Ratio mode, and what would be the settings i need to change in the projector to get the best experience with the madvr. please help!!!!
Check out this video starting around 7 minutes: th-cam.com/video/_5Gr9Wgj2Ro/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VhnIYw8i_eVR09AA If you have further questions, call or chat with our experts at audioadvice.com
I wonder if we already have really nice pc's if there is a software version of this. It is so insane that it has a 4080 in it. I have a 4090 and 16 core cpu
But this is also a PC, though with an advanced media player. Pretty sure you could DIY and get the same results, albeit you'd have a hard time finding software that does it all.
I've started saying this since the early 90s about PCs: " In the box is your nice new PC and also in the box is a note that says - Thank you for buying our quality product although it is now obsolete". I do hope that you get to enjoy your MK1 without suffering FOMO syndrome. I'm lucky to be flat a$$ broke, so I can't even think about buying things like this. All the best to you and yours.
@@Its_Pookieman The larger your screen size and the better the quality is of our panel will determine how much improvement you see. Frankly, almost all of these have gone into front projection systems.
We are having no troubles accessing it. You can always view all the info on our website which is the first one in the description. Or here: www.audioadvice.com/madvr-envy-extreme-video-processor-mk2
Great product, massively over priced. Also seems like they made a media push, lots of reviewers suddenly have them to push product. Makes it hard to judge - seems like the perfect high margin product for custom builders to spec into projects.
It actually will work if you just connect it, but yes, having a dealer who can help you through it is key to getting the best result. Thanks for watching
Great video. You all seem to be really good at taking something complex and making it really easy to understand. The ability to automatically scale all aspect ratios is super cool.
I hope JVC develops a new algorithm that almost completely negates the need for this system. The price is just absurd for some simple lighting and colour tone mapping. 20.000€ for the top version is almost the complete budget for most people their entire home theater and even then we are talking allready more high end price for 99% of people. And yes I know it is not only the price of the hardware and some licences but also the knowledge of the 1 guy who developed the Madvr software ( Madvr is on a htpc , self build computer , and hook up to your system to achieve the same as the Envy box but you need to do all the tweaking ). But because they are the only ones doing it properly , lumagen is not up there , they can ask these insane ludacris prices. Shame it's not accesible for more people who do not want to sell an organ to be able to have the picture quality you actually deserve when buying a 5000-10.000€ projector, or even a 25K NZ9 jvc you need this for the right HDR picture. Just insane.
@@AudioAdvice yes our AV industry is expensive if you want some higher end equipment , always has been. And as much as I hate to admit it, madvr ( envy ) is in itself a great product but only for the really rich or people who spend all that they have on a home theater. I myself am just shy of 45K€ on my home theater and have seen the envy with the jvc nz9 with paladin lens wich is amazing. But i can't justify buying it because the projectors itself can't do what is expected of it.
@@Saleen5000 NZ9 , NZ8 , NZ7 or the NP5 or any other projector manufactor for the matter is not capable to output perfect HDR on it's own without the need from an external device to tonemap the picture realtime. But when you buy a 25k$ projector you shouldn't have a problem of spending another 20k$ on an Envy probably.
So it's just a PC with an RTX 4080? You're paying for the software, I'd much rather build my own PC or reuse the graphics card of a PC when I upgrade gpu and make this, rather than fork over 1000% profit margins for MadVR
Well, not exactly. Yes, you can buy a PC capable of running the software for a cost of maybe $1500-$2000. This will have some of the functionality of the Envy, but by no means all: no Geometry Correction, NLS, Subtitle Management, the new MotionAI, profiles, etc. It basically handles HDR, upscaling, and aspect ratio. The biggest problem is that you're entirely on your own doing this, and there is a fairly steep learning curve with the HTPC version of madVR. There is no tech support, so you've got to maintain the HTPC yourself, deal with windows and driver updates yourself, etc. And then figure out how to get optimal picture quality, wading through a myriad of settings. And if you want to use it for anything other than files you've ripped from your discs, for example any streaming content, you've got to add hardware to circumvent Digital Rights Management, getting into a grey area legally. So yes, you can build your own HTPC and use madVR software, but this is a very different scenario than using the Envy. The Envy was built on the platform of the HTPC version, but enhanced in terms of features, ease of use, etc. So it's really apples and oranges. For someone with a lot of time, a high level of technical expertise, and with more limited funds, this might be a viable option. But for most people the Envy is an amazing choice.
@@AudioAdvice i agree with you that it's a bit simpler to buy their box, but there is still technical stuff setting it up and adjusting it. And all the things you list are software stuff. MadVR could offer a license for the OS/software and allow users to make the hardware. Imo using a 4080 for this stuff is a huge waste. The only thing where it used properly is the AI motion interpolation, everything else I'm willing to bet it doesn't even reach 10% usage. The 4080 is also not a good value gpu at 1200 dollars alone, but you can probably achieve much of the same with older or cheaper gpus. Video decode, upscaling and HDR are fairly trivial tasks for modern gpus, who get their main workout from real time graphics rendering in games or workstation/ai workloads. Personally it's better financially and for the enviroment to reuse an older gpu from a gaming pc and you can most likely also get a smaller and more sleek case than the mad VR which is quite bulky. But the Envy could be cool if you could add a lot of hard drives to it or even a Blu ray drive and have it be an all in one NAS, player and upscaler. That would be a killer product, but as you say, the DRM is a big issue.
So all the images on the left side are just badly calibrated. Also, taking the black bars from different ratios from the top and bottom to the left and right is not more appealing.
Actually not, the very first time we tested an Envy when it came out was against a fully calibrated rig with a top of the line Lumagen on the 60K Sony laser projector, their top at the time. It was truly an incredible difference. You really have to experience it in person to appreciate it. Thanks for watching.
Nice tech but the real question is how can someone justify paying 10k-16k to watch modern garbage called movies with highest possible quality! The tool is great but there's no justifiable use case for it.
When he says "not cheap" he means "costs as much as a 3 year old used car". Whenever I feel like I'm making decent money, I compare my budget home theater to the big boys and start feeling like Oliver Twist 😆Maybe I'll be able to afford a used one of these in 10 years so I'm still excited about the features madVR is rolling out.
Does the madVR Envry mean i can buy a cheap AV receiver, more as an HDMI switch / 4k passthorugh, specificallly if i go with Theory Auido which requires their own amplifier?
Great question...MadVR started by developing open source software. However, they have now moved their resources to building out the best Envy’s possible. The open source software was a subset of what is available on Envy and the Envy continues to accelerate its software upgrades and capabilities.
Hey I'm new to home cinema stuff, but why are projectors still used when they have such low brightness and worse contrast than modern OLED/microLED TV's? I know you can get a bigger image size for cheaper with a projector, but 150 nits of brightness is CRT levels of bad.
@@AudioAdvice yea I get that, but Imo the past couple years the cinema experince has been kinda bad, the digital projectors they use today are blurry and lack brightness. They weren't perfect in the past either, but our standards have risen so much as technology has leapfrogged the projectors.
This is the first I've heard of any box that can do all of this. I'm going to come to Audio Advice Live in August and come see it in person. Super cool!
MadVR makes projectors borderline usable. This is exactly why I don’t like projectors…I’m never satisfied with try picture quality…I’m saving up for a microLED screen. As soon as it’s below $50K, will purchase. It’s 3x the cost now.
Perhaps I am biased, but I've had the madVR Envy in my theater for 2 years now, and completely agree with everything that is said here. It has taken my home theater experience to a new level, both in terms of picture quality, as well as ease of use, just as was reported here. The MK2 looks to take an already awesome device to the next level. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for sharing! We completely agree with you
With all of the money that you ultra rich guys are putting into your home theaters you will someday have to list your place for sale as: "Residential Movie Theater with attached living quarters".
Haha! That would be a fun Zillow post to view :)
Would love to try this in my theater! Looks like a great upgrade.
You should! It will be a big upgrade
Excellent review! This looks like a state of the art processor
It was the best out there before this update, this takes things to a level the industry has never seen! Thanks for watching
Gracias audio advine por estos reportages
How does this do better than Jriver JRVR since they both use the same open source library?
The expense has to be taken in context. Sometimes half the cost of a MadVR system can be recovered by it eliminating the need to jump to the next higher tier in projectors. For example you may choose to drop down to Sony 5000ES projector and mate it with a MadVR system rather than stretch to get the 6000ES projector at $6k more. I think next level video processing is something you should build your cinema around knowing that you can always upgrade your projector when the time comes and still reap the rewards of something like a MadVR
Exactly, thanks for sharing
The MadVR Envy Extreme costs 20K though.
At least where I live. Which is quite ridiculous for a system that costs 3K if you build it yourself.
I fully agreed. I stepped down to from the 7000ES to 6000ES to couple with this unit for upcoming theater install.
Great point. I see that Audio Advice has both versions of the Certified Pre-owned which are both under $10k--so on a budget these would be great options with a less expensive projector.
I have 260 inch screen and I'm planning to renovate the whole theatre can I use bose lifestyle 650 as surround speaker and definitive tech speakers as lcr with denon a1 h av receiver? it would give a better result?
Reach out to our team of experts at audioadvice.com and they can help you out with that!
I absolutely love it, I’ll probably hate the price though!😂😂😂
Thanks very much!
I use a Benq LK970 4K projector with an Anamorphic lens attached to it. in such a scenario how would Madvr envy use the Aspect Ratio mode, and what would be the settings i need to change in the projector to get the best experience with the madvr. please help!!!!
Check out this video starting around 7 minutes: th-cam.com/video/_5Gr9Wgj2Ro/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VhnIYw8i_eVR09AA
If you have further questions, call or chat with our experts at audioadvice.com
I wonder if we already have really nice pc's if there is a software version of this. It is so insane that it has a 4080 in it. I have a 4090 and 16 core cpu
But this is also a PC, though with an advanced media player. Pretty sure you could DIY and get the same results, albeit you'd have a hard time finding software that does it all.
@Kenneth Rosenstroem right. That's what I was wondering..if there is a software version for people who have such hardware
@@KennethRosenstroem software available on their own website
@@boterhammetpindakaashagelslag Didn't know, thanks
I haven't even taken my MK1 out of the box yet, already outdated. :(
If you bought it from Audio Advice, please reach out to our team to see how we can help.
I've started saying this since the early 90s about PCs: " In the box is your nice new PC and also in the box is a note that says - Thank you for buying our quality product although it is now obsolete".
I do hope that you get to enjoy your MK1 without suffering FOMO syndrome.
I'm lucky to be flat a$$ broke, so I can't even think about buying things like this.
All the best to you and yours.
MadVR comes with K-Lite Codec Pack. For free.
Thanks for sharing!
Have you hooked this up to an Epson LS12000 yet?
We have not. Thanks for watching
Do you make a fanless version of this?
No, but the new MK2 is very quiet
@@AudioAdvice Thanks
Is this 8k hdmi
yes. thanks for watching
Does this work with an ultra short throw projector?
Yes, it will work with any projector or flat panel TV. Thanks for watching
@@AudioAdvice how much of a difference will mad vr be compared to built-in picture settings of an oled?
@@Its_Pookieman The larger your screen size and the better the quality is of our panel will determine how much improvement you see. Frankly, almost all of these have gone into front projection systems.
16k $ no thanks ...... I just use a very good PC running JRIVER that has MADVR software included ..... about 2500
You can get a lot of it that way, if you are technical enough to make it work. Although some features are missing. Thanks for watching
At a whopping $15,995 (USD) price tag, this is Definitely NOT for your average Joe!! :(
Very true, its for the best home theaters and media rooms
The MADVR site is blocking me from going to that site.
We are having no troubles accessing it. You can always view all the info on our website which is the first one in the description. Or here: www.audioadvice.com/madvr-envy-extreme-video-processor-mk2
Great product, massively over priced. Also seems like they made a media push, lots of reviewers suddenly have them to push product. Makes it hard to judge - seems like the perfect high margin product for custom builders to spec into projects.
It is a great product and all of our users love it. Thanks for watching
those lines on the field looked like S’ 🤦🏻♂️
Not sure what you mean. In person it is incredible
Dealer support is key here...
This is NOT PLUG AND PLAY. Don't be fooled.
It actually will work if you just connect it, but yes, having a dealer who can help you through it is key to getting the best result. Thanks for watching
Sleazy salesman
if you buy this product youre absolutely getting scammed for 19k lmao
Great video. You all seem to be really good at taking something complex and making it really easy to understand. The ability to automatically scale all aspect ratios is super cool.
Much appreciated!
I hope JVC develops a new algorithm that almost completely negates the need for this system.
The price is just absurd for some simple lighting and colour tone mapping.
20.000€ for the top version is almost the complete budget for most people their entire home theater and even then we are talking allready more high end price for 99% of people.
And yes I know it is not only the price of the hardware and some licences but also the knowledge of the 1 guy who developed the Madvr software ( Madvr is on a htpc , self build computer , and hook up to your system to achieve the same as the Envy box but you need to do all the tweaking ).
But because they are the only ones doing it properly , lumagen is not up there , they can ask these insane ludacris prices.
Shame it's not accesible for more people who do not want to sell an organ to be able to have the picture quality you actually deserve when buying a 5000-10.000€ projector, or even a 25K NZ9 jvc you need this for the right HDR picture. Just insane.
It is expensive but that is common for most things in this industry that are cuttting edge technology.
@@AudioAdvice yes our AV industry is expensive if you want some higher end equipment , always has been.
And as much as I hate to admit it, madvr ( envy ) is in itself a great product but only for the really rich or people who spend all that they have on a home theater.
I myself am just shy of 45K€ on my home theater and have seen the envy with the jvc nz9 with paladin lens wich is amazing.
But i can't justify buying it because the projectors itself can't do what is expected of it.
@@bigv1306what's wrong with the nz9???
@@Saleen5000 NZ9 , NZ8 , NZ7 or the NP5 or any other projector manufactor for the matter is not capable to output perfect HDR on it's own without the need from an external device to tonemap the picture realtime.
But when you buy a 25k$ projector you shouldn't have a problem of spending another 20k$ on an Envy probably.
Amazing product. To think of it's roots being an enthusiast piece of software. I remember the HTPC geeks talking about madVR decades ago 😂
Yes, it certainly is. Thanks for sharing your memory with us!
So it's just a PC with an RTX 4080? You're paying for the software, I'd much rather build my own PC or reuse the graphics card of a PC when I upgrade gpu and make this, rather than fork over 1000% profit margins for MadVR
Well, not exactly. Yes, you can buy a PC capable of running the software for a cost of maybe $1500-$2000. This will have some of the functionality of the Envy, but by no means all: no Geometry Correction, NLS, Subtitle Management, the new MotionAI, profiles, etc. It basically handles HDR, upscaling, and aspect ratio. The biggest problem is that you're entirely on your own doing this, and there is a fairly steep learning curve with the HTPC version of madVR. There is no tech support, so you've got to maintain the HTPC yourself, deal with windows and driver updates yourself, etc. And then figure out how to get optimal picture quality, wading through a myriad of settings.
And if you want to use it for anything other than files you've ripped from your discs, for example any streaming content, you've got to add hardware to circumvent Digital Rights Management, getting into a grey area legally.
So yes, you can build your own HTPC and use madVR software, but this is a very different scenario than using the Envy. The Envy was built on the platform of the HTPC version, but enhanced in terms of features, ease of use, etc. So it's really apples and oranges. For someone with a lot of time, a high level of technical expertise, and with more limited funds, this might be a viable option. But for most people the Envy is an amazing choice.
@@AudioAdvice i agree with you that it's a bit simpler to buy their box, but there is still technical stuff setting it up and adjusting it. And all the things you list are software stuff. MadVR could offer a license for the OS/software and allow users to make the hardware.
Imo using a 4080 for this stuff is a huge waste. The only thing where it used properly is the AI motion interpolation, everything else I'm willing to bet it doesn't even reach 10% usage.
The 4080 is also not a good value gpu at 1200 dollars alone, but you can probably achieve much of the same with older or cheaper gpus. Video decode, upscaling and HDR are fairly trivial tasks for modern gpus, who get their main workout from real time graphics rendering in games or workstation/ai workloads.
Personally it's better financially and for the enviroment to reuse an older gpu from a gaming pc and you can most likely also get a smaller and more sleek case than the mad VR which is quite bulky. But the Envy could be cool if you could add a lot of hard drives to it or even a Blu ray drive and have it be an all in one NAS, player and upscaler. That would be a killer product, but as you say, the DRM is a big issue.
If only new releases would deserve this expense.
HaHa, there is a lot of great content out there and thousands of older movies worth watching.
I would LOVE to see that Aspect Ratio Management find it's way as a stand alone feature in a more affordable piece.
Yes, that would be cool.
Would people with UST Projector benefit from the MadVR? For example the Samsung LSP7T
Yes, you would get a lot of the benefits. Thanks for watching
This would be better for a dedicated theater right? Compared to a living room set up?
Yes, most of these have gone into dedicated widescreen theaters. Thanks for watching
The lightning isn’t striking Harry’s hand! Lol just kidding. Amazing.
Ha ha, thanks for watching
Me gusta el producto
So all the images on the left side are just badly calibrated. Also, taking the black bars from different ratios from the top and bottom to the left and right is not more appealing.
Actually not, the very first time we tested an Envy when it came out was against a fully calibrated rig with a top of the line Lumagen on the 60K Sony laser projector, their top at the time. It was truly an incredible difference. You really have to experience it in person to appreciate it. Thanks for watching.
Nice tech but the real question is how can someone justify paying 10k-16k to watch modern garbage called movies with highest possible quality! The tool is great but there's no justifiable use case for it.
There are still hundreds of thousands of great movies from older times out there if you do not like the current productions.
Damn, very impressive piece of hardware for HT, just too much for me, simply out of my reach.
Thanks, glad you liked it
20k .....to make something you never noticed noticeable, meaning I can't afford it..
It actually does far more than that, but yes, the best in any category does come at a price.
Why pay 20K though, for a product you can build yourself for 3K?
ugh the IMAX sequence is throwing me off, that's the biggest sin in FILM history ever. sorry madVR, but you ain't it!
You can turn that feature off.
Why doesnt anyone show the inside of the unit? Its probably just a pc with some frontend software running.
Thanks for the feedback, we did not get the chance to open it up for this review.
Awesome review!
Thank you! Cheers!
When he says "not cheap" he means "costs as much as a 3 year old used car". Whenever I feel like I'm making decent money, I compare my budget home theater to the big boys and start feeling like Oliver Twist 😆Maybe I'll be able to afford a used one of these in 10 years so I'm still excited about the features madVR is rolling out.
Haha, yes it is not inexpensive!
Does the madVR Envry mean i can buy a cheap AV receiver, more as an HDMI switch / 4k passthorugh, specificallly if i go with Theory Auido which requires their own amplifier?
Chat with our team of experts at audioadvice.com to find the best combo of products. We'd be happy to help.
You used a Barco Freya in some of those shots👍
A lot of people hear suggesting that you can just build a MadVR PC. Is the software going to be the same on the custom PC builds however?
Great question...MadVR started by developing open source software. However, they have now moved their resources to building out the best Envy’s possible. The open source software was a subset of what is available on Envy and the Envy continues to accelerate its software upgrades and capabilities.
Epson LS12000B and this Mad VR or lets say a JVC DLA-NZ7?
Good question. Probably the NZ7. Reach out to our team of experts at audioadvice.com to see which one would be better for you.
Hey I'm new to home cinema stuff, but why are projectors still used when they have such low brightness and worse contrast than modern OLED/microLED TV's? I know you can get a bigger image size for cheaper with a projector, but 150 nits of brightness is CRT levels of bad.
ITs all about trying to recreate the experience in a movie theater.
@@AudioAdvice yea I get that, but Imo the past couple years the cinema experince has been kinda bad, the digital projectors they use today are blurry and lack brightness. They weren't perfect in the past either, but our standards have risen so much as technology has leapfrogged the projectors.
I am drooling right now! A very fine piece of electronic device.
Yes it is! Glad you liked it
Between $10k and $16k depending on the model
That is the range right now, yes. Thanks for watching
Can’t wait to see this at Audio Advice Live!
Yes, it will be there along with many other great pieces of gear
This is the first I've heard of any box that can do all of this. I'm going to come to Audio Advice Live in August and come see it in person. Super cool!
Thanks, we are sure you will be impressed and look forward to seeing you at Audio Advice Live.
Very impressive.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed our video
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Just buy a 4k Panasonic player for 1k and you have the same video quality or better.
We would disagree as several of us own that exact player and have Envy's in our systems. Thanks for watching
MadVR makes projectors borderline usable. This is exactly why I don’t like projectors…I’m never satisfied with try picture quality…I’m saving up for a microLED screen. As soon as it’s below $50K, will purchase. It’s 3x the cost now.
Thanks for sharing. We will keep our fingers crossed on microLED getting to that price :)
Yawwnn