Hi guys,
i need your help...by tomorrow i need to choose between the 2 projectors...can someone help me to take a decision
I found both around the same price and i only saw the Planar...amazing...now i have a big opportunity to take Marantz...
Which is the best...8150 or 15S1

Please response only from people who have tested or seen both VPRs

Thanks,
Davide

Both are excellent...the Marantz has a better lens, and is sharper. The Planar has better contrast and colors (Marantz is a bit oversaturated). For the same price it is a toss up from a performance standpoint. But usually the Marantz is more expensive as well.

I ve seen both and bought the Planar...the contrast and brightness is better than the 15S1 and I really dont see any difference in sharpness.

And very important for me is the vertical and horizontal lens shift...the Marantz only have vertical lens shift.

Hi Jason,
what do you mean with "For the same price it is a toss up from a performance standpoint". Sorry i'am italian and i'am not able to get the meaning of it.

Moreover, what do you think of the dynamic iris of the planar...looking to this picture it seems that planar fails in managing some black scenes:

projectorreviews.com/images-projectors-q4-08/PD8150_spacecowboys_re-entry_over_large.jpg

projectorreviews.com/images-projectors-Q2-07/xzv20000_SpaceCowboys_re-entryLg.jpg

Sharp manages better this scene (no dynamic iris as Marantz, so i'am expecting the same behavior on the Marantz).

Thanks!

Hi bagarospo,

Which city are you from? I'm about to move to Palermo from Sweden and it would be nice to know a fellow AVS:er. :) Especially since I reckon projectors aren't that big in Italy... :(

Ciao Drexler,
i live in Milan, so far away from Palermo (about 1500km)

Ciao from Italy!

ok guys..i go to sleep (i live in Italy)...please let me found many comments/opinions tomorrow morning :D

Please dont compare projectors with web pictures.

The implementation od Dynamic Iris in the Planar is fantastic...is almost 100% transparent...I really dont have seen any scene shows the Dynamic Iris working.

I demoed the Planar vs Marantz in my dealer showroom and in my house I had 3 projectors:

Planar 8150
JVC HD100
Sim2 C3X (2nd hand with only 500h)

And in the end I choose the Planar...the sharpest of all, contrast very close to the JVC and IMO the most natural colors.

Please dont compare projectors with web pictures.

The implementation od Dynamic Iris in the Planar is fantastic...is almost 100% transparent...I really dont have seen any scene shows the Dynamic Iris working.

I demoed the Planar vs Marantz in my dealer showroom and in my house I had 3 projectors:

Planar 8150
JVC HD100
Sim2 C3X (2nd hand with only 500h)

And in the end I choose the Planar...the sharpest of all, contrast very close to the JVC and IMO the most natural colors.

The C3X is an older 720p 3-chip. The 8150 is a 1080p single chip. To be fair to SIM2, you should be comparing the 8150 to a D80E or HT380E. These are newer generation1080p single chip projectors in the same price range.

Hi Jason,
what do you mean with "For the same price it is a toss up from a performance standpoint". Sorry i'am italian and i'am not able to get the meaning of it.

Moreover, what do you think of the dynamic iris of the planar...looking to this picture it seems that planar fails in managing some black scenes:

projectorreviews.com/images-projectors-q4-08/PD8150_spacecowboys_re-entry_over_large.jpg

projectorreviews.com/images-projectors-Q2-07/xzv20000_SpaceCowboys_re-entryLg.jpg

Sharp manages better this scene (no dynamic iris as Marantz, so i'am expecting the same behavior on the Marantz).

Thanks!

It means for the same basic price range, they are both very good. Some would prefer one, others would prefer, well, the other.