I have been struggling between getting the MadVR Envy Pro Video Processor and the Lumagen Radiance Pro series to get the best 4K HDR PQ. Finally, I have made up my mind and went for the Lumagen Radiance Pro…yes, it cost me another limb. Lumagen Radiance Pro Video Processor is a bespoke video processor meant for projector owners. Ever since I got the HD Fury Vertex 2 to do LLDV…the image quality has been good for most HDR10 content. But I believe it could be better for my $21K Sony VW995ES 4K laser projector if paired with the legendary Lumagen Radiance Pro VP which does dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) by analyzing each frame/scene on-the-fly.
I will put up a review on the image quality after calibration and hope to be awed by Lumagen’s proprietary dynamic tone mapping for 4K HDR content.
Key features of the Radiance Pro 4242+:
Up to 4 x 4k60 UHD inputs
Up to four processed 4k60 UltraHD video outputs at 9Ghz (or two at 18Ghz)
Inputs and outputs support HDMI 1.x and HDMI 2.0, with HDCP 1.x or HDCP 2.2, at up to 4k60
9Ghz output pairs are independently programmable for video, audio, or both
18Ghz output pairs have 1 video+audio out and 1 audio-only output
Modular I/O allows upgrading to new HDMI technology as it becomes available
Proprietary Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) for HDR content
Proprietary Lumagen NoRing™ scaling
DARBEE Digital Visual Presence (DVP) enhancement technology for up to 2K sources
Vertical keystone correction
Supports complete processing of 2D or 3D sources
10-bit front-end, with 12+ bits in calibration pipeline
Per-pixel SD/HD video deinterlacing
3D LUT with up to 4913 points (17x17x17) CMS
Rec2020 colorspace and HDR supported
21-point Parametric Grayscale calibration
Anamorphic screen support for up to 4k sources with and without an anamorphic lens
Supports complete processing of 2D and 3D sources
High-reliability external power supply rated at 34 years MTBF by manufacturer
The learning curve for this Lumagen Radiance Pro VP is rather steep, not to mention the steps are rather convoluted at times. Have to consult the creator/founder Jim Peterson for guidance. I really can’t understand for a $6K+ VP, the GUI is so archaic. Some may even argue the GUI doesn’t commensurate the top-notch hardware in today’s AV market. I can’t oppose to that…even coming from me who is fine with all-text GUI, but this Lumagen Radiance Pro VP is another whole new level. Compared to my previous VP - a DVDO iScan Duo, this is far more superior with tons of adjustments for both SDR/HDR content. Definitely not for the faint of heart if you are not into video calibration…
On a side note, there have been conflicting views between the creator (Jim) and Tom Huffman, creator of Chromapure…it seems like both have adopted a different approach and stance towards HDR calibration. This is something that I’ll need to grapple and play both sides to see which suits me better. There is no right or wrong but I am inclined to use Jim’s advice for he is the one who knows his hardware better than a third-party video calibrator like Tom. But Tom’s advice on Chromapure still valued.
Some screencaps taken from my 4K HDR movie collection…The pics were taken using my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Images compressed for ease of uploading, hence the images depicted here are not at its best quality - i.e. softer and less sharp. And yes, these are really the real image quality you get from a Projector! This is astounding. I have also watched a couple of SDR movies and equally amazing to say the least. But I bought this because of Lumagen’s proprietary dynamic tone mapping feature which it coined as “HDR Intensity Tone Mapping”.
The sunset scene in Black Panther movie showcased Radiance Pro proprietary DTM at work. On the left is with DTM turned “on” while the left is without DTM.
A little info panel showing the various DTM features to play with to get the best PQ out of your 4K HDR content. The DTM is not aggressive as it is dynamic in nature when there is enough light in the scene, ust like the JVC HDR Optimizer but better, it will analyze the image using scene-by-scene. There are still subtle details which you can spot from the above image showing Hailee’s face. Look at the amount of details and the skin tones. The one without “DTM” has more of a “palette” shade making the skin of “powdery-like”…like as though there is some foundation apply while the other one with DTM turned on, the natural skin tones and the slight “shimmering” at the tip of her nose is now more clearly defined. There are more details to it.
I am extremely pleased with the results. For the first time, the potential of my Sony VW870ES 4K laser projector has been unlocked and now the we are talking. I will be testing more 4K content from my huge list of library and talked about some of the challenges faced when I am doing the calibration. As mentioned in my previous posts; there has been some conflcting views and recommended methods and settings in performing the calibration. Tom Huffman from Chromapure has a different take towards HDR calibration while the founder/CEO of Lumegen Jim Petersen’s approach is unconventional. I am inclined towards Jim’s approach simply because Lumagen Radiance Pro was built from the ground up by him and his team of engineers. To take advantage of Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) feature of this Radiance Pro, I now have a different set of beliefs on how HDR should be calibrated. I will share with everyone my experience and the key takeaways when calibrating HDR on a projector very soon. And no, I will not be focusing on the technical stuff and various settings on my Radiance Pro as it will either bore you to death or you will be clueless about what I am talking about. So the discourse will be focused on why this Radiance Pro DTM is a different league when it comes to 4K HDR DTM and why every Projector owner should probably own one no matter the kind of projector you owned…If you are a JVC or Sony projector owner, the Radiance Pro will truly bring out the very best of your Projector’s innate prowess.
Another nifty feature of this Radiance Pro is the ability to “auto-cycle and adjust” 16:9 AR and 2.35:1 AR via sensing of the images/HDMI input. No longer do I need to fiddle with my Projector 2.35:1 and 16:9 AR. This saves me a lot of hassle. A must-have feature for all Video Processor imo.
Non-Linear Stretch and its “sticky” feature
Besides the auto-sensing AR feature, it also comes with Non-linear stretch (NLS) for 16:9 AR content to fit into a 2.35:1 AR screen. This is by no means a new technology since some companies also do that…What a NLS feature does is to stretch a 16:9 image using a specific set of algorithm by analyzing the centre spread and side cropping of the image to fit into a 2.35:1. Movies such as The Avenger and Avatar will benefit from it…In the sam vein, Lumagen also implemented what we called “Sticky NLS”…this is especially useful for 2.35:1 AR screen user like myself. What it does is to prevent the cycle between a 16:9 AR and 2.35:1 AR movie content…Case in point, Nolan’s The Dark Knight series and Tom Cruise Mission Impossible: Fallout to name a few.
, 4913 points 
