Surprise!! madVR’s Envy Core Video Processor Introduces New, Lower Price Point

(July 31, 2024) The video experts at madVR Labs have added a new member to their small but powerful family of high-test video processors, giving installers and enthusiasts access to key components of madVR performance at a significantly lower price. Offering a chassis that’s half the size and weight of the company’s mid-tier Envy Pro MK2, the new Envy Core also sheds cost, landing at a limited introductory price of $4,995.

First, let’s look at physical specs because the Envy Core is certainly more space-friendly than the decidedly bulky Pro MK2 and Extreme MK2 models. Measuring 17.25” W x 13.5” D x 3.5” T and weighing 20 pounds, the Envy Core can easily slot in a media center or smaller home theater rack. As noted by madVR, it can even mount behind a TV, though it’s not quite small enough to comfortably hide in a box between studs.

The Envy Core’s styling is eye-catching and different from anything we’ve seen from madVR. Early images appear to show a front faceplate that allows for airflow, complimented by a porous top plate and a well-ventilated rear panel. Speaking of the rear, it isn’t busy, providing easy-to-identify access to LAN, IR, and RF inputs, along with a range of HDMI inputs and outputs. Identifying where to plug in cables won’t be an issue, as ports are clearly labeled and color-coded.

madVR says the Envy Core offers owners access to the same intuitive interface and menu system as the more expensive Pro MK2 and Extreme Mk2 models, but given a significantly lighter price point, there are some sacrifices on the performance front. As the name indicates, core video processing capabilities are offered across the board. That means the Envy Core can perform frame-by-frame 4K HDR tone mapping and associated processes, along with basic motion handling, aspect ratio, and artifact reduction capabilities.

The Envy Core can also execute upscaling, madVR’s in-house non-linear stretch for cinemascope and 16:9 screens, subtitle management, convergence correction, and image enhancement processes. It does so using an Nvidia 4060 GPU that flexes modest processing power as compared to the more powerful Pro MK2 and Envy MK2 models. What’s missing are some of madVR’s more advanced features, such as MotionAI (the company’s proprietary motion interpolation solution), AI-based upscaling up to 8K 60Hz resolutions, geometry correction for lens barrel distortion, curved screens and off-axis projector installations, and AI-based grain and noise reduction processes among others. However, for an additional $995, Envy Core owners can purchase a Premium Pack that unlocks many of those features, save for MotionAI and several processes that installers might find useful in larger home theater installations.

Envy Core owners can enjoy free access to madVR’s Envy Academy Online, which currently has 50 lessons. They’ll also benefit from a two-year warranty (parts and labor) that increases to four years with a Premium Pack purchase.

Look for the Envy Core to make its debut at Audio Advice Live in Raleigh, N.C. (August 2-4) and the forthcoming CEDIA 2024 trade show in Denver. Pre-orders can be placed now at the introductory price of $4,995. That price will increase to $5,995 after December 31, 2024. Shipping is currently slated to begin in the coming months.

Click here to compare feature sets across all madVR models. Otherwise, visit www.madVR.com for complete details on its video processing and educational offerings or to find a dealer.


Related Reading:

• Learn How to Configure and Optimize madVR Envy Processors with New Online Course
• madVR and Ascend AV Collaborate to Open an "Experience Center" in the Midwest
• Artificial Intelligence Enters the Home Theater with madVR's Envy Extreme MK2 at CEDIA 2023!
• CEDIA 2023: Lumagen Announces Update That Delivers Improvements to Dynamic HDR Tone Mapping

 

[tjcinnamon]

Is this useful if you don’t own a projector? Seems that the market segment is projector owners with rescaling and tonemapping.

Seems the SoC upscalers in premium TVs are good enough to not warrant the device? Am I wrong there?

 

[Sonnie Parker]

That's almost as much as my TV cost me.

 

[Michael Boeker]

Is this useful if you don’t own a projector? Seems that the market segment is projector owners with rescaling and tonemapping.

Seems the SoC upscalers in premium TVs are good enough to not warrant the device? Am I wrong there?

The Envy Core is specifically aimed at those that don't have a projector. It doesn't support geometry correction, SDR diffuse white setting, and other features helpful for a projector.

 

[Mike Schramm]

Would this make a “Black Friday” TV something impressive?

 

[Todd Anderson]

Is this useful if you don’t own a projector? Seems that the market segment is projector owners with rescaling and tonemapping.

Seems the SoC upscalers in premium TVs are good enough to not warrant the device? Am I wrong there?

Premium TVs are amazing these days... but these madVR devices can begin to manipulate down to the pixel level, where TV processing is typically relegated to zones. In other words, the processing power of a madVR is vastly more capable.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Would this make a “Black Friday” TV something impressive?

Depends what kind of Black Friday TV you're talking about. And edge lit LCD? No. A mid-level OLED...? It will likely give you a noticeable difference.

 

[Mike Schramm]

Depends what kind of Black Friday TV you're talking about. And edge lit LCD? No. A mid-level OLED...? It will likely give you a noticeable difference.

Gotcha. I was thinking this would definitely be worth the splurge if you have a permanent piece that will make every subsequent TV purchase, even cheap ones, awesome.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Mike, grab one and another 98" display, have them shipped here, and we'll set up an AB comparison and report to the forum. Then you can take it all home with you.

 

[tjcinnamon]

how does the audio latency work? I wouldn’t mind running Netflix streams through this if it would improve blocking and banding.

I doubt it would help the near black flashing (I have an 83” LG C2)

I used this on PC. I suppose I can test it with my rtx4080 and some medium bitrate (streaming) content through MPC-HC

Does anyone else have experience cleaning up “4K” but bitrate starved content?

 

[tjcinnamon]

Depends what kind of Black Friday TV you're talking about. And edge lit LCD? No. A mid-level OLED...? It will likely give you a noticeable difference.

Mid level oled isn’t going to give you brightness/color volume.

That’s where if this could help a miniLED still would need to be mid level. This wouldn’t help with brightness for mid level oled nor blooming with LED….

I think this would help with content and motion but is limited to physical limitations of the panels.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

how does the audio latency work? I wouldn’t mind running Netflix streams through this if it would improve blocking and banding.

I doubt it would help the near black flashing (I have an 83” LG C2)

I used this on PC. I suppose I can test it with my rtx4080 and some medium bitrate (streaming) content through MPC-HC

Does anyone else have experience cleaning up “4K” but bitrate starved content?

The only way to improve blocking and banding is either with a better source, and if the source is already better, a faster connection.

If you're using a product that's eliminating blocking and/or banding, you're basically blurring the image to hide it.

 

[austinblackboxspace]

View attachment 72675
(July 31, 2024) The video experts at madVR Labs have added a new member to their small but powerful family of high-test video processors, giving installers and enthusiasts access to key components of madVR performance at a significantly lower price. Offering a chassis that’s half the size and weight of the company’s mid-tier Envy Pro MK2, the new Envy Core also sheds cost, landing at a limited introductory price of $4,995.

First, let’s look at physical specs because the Envy Core is certainly more space-friendly than the decidedly bulky Pro MK2 and Extreme MK2 models. Measuring 17.25” W x 13.5” D x 3.5” T and weighing 20 pounds, the Envy Core can easily slot in a media center or smaller home theater rack. As noted by madVR, it can even mount behind a TV, though it’s not quite small enough to comfortably hide in a box between studs.

The Envy Core’s styling is eye-catching and different from anything we’ve seen from madVR. Early images appear to show a front faceplate that allows for airflow, complimented by a porous top plate and a well-ventilated rear panel. Speaking of the rear, it isn’t busy, providing easy-to-identify access to LAN, IR, and RF inputs, along with a range of HDMI inputs and outputs. Identifying where to plug in cables won’t be an issue, as ports are clearly labeled and color-coded.

madVR says the Envy Core offers owners access to the same intuitive interface and menu system as the more expensive Pro MK2 and Extreme Mk2 models, but given a significantly lighter price point, there are some sacrifices on the performance front. As the name indicates, core video processing capabilities are offered across the board. That means the Envy Core can perform frame-by-frame 4K HDR tone mapping and associated processes, along with basic motion handling, aspect ratio, and artifact reduction capabilities.

The Envy Core can also execute upscaling, madVR’s in-house non-linear stretch for cinemascope and 16:9 screens, subtitle management, convergence correction, and image enhancement processes. It does so using an Nvidia 4060 GPU that flexes modest processing power as compared to the more powerful Pro MK2 and Envy MK2 models. What’s missing are some of madVR’s more advanced features, such as MotionAI (the company’s proprietary motion interpolation solution), AI-based upscaling up to 8K 60Hz resolutions, geometry correction for lens barrel distortion, curved screens and off-axis projector installations, and AI-based grain and noise reduction processes among others. However, for an additional $995, Envy Core owners can purchase a Premium Pack that unlocks many of those features, save for MotionAI and several processes that installers might find useful in larger home theater installations.

Envy Core owners can enjoy free access to madVR’s Envy Academy Online, which currently has 50 lessons. They’ll also benefit from a two-year warranty (parts and labor) that increases to four years with a Premium Pack purchase.

Look for the Envy Core to make its debut at Audio Advice Live in Raleigh, N.C. (August 2-4) and the forthcoming CEDIA 2024 trade show in Denver. Pre-orders can be placed now at the introductory price of $4,995. That price will increase to $5,995 after December 31, 2024. Shipping is currently slated to begin in the coming months.

Click here to compare feature sets across all madVR models. Otherwise, visit www.madVR.com for complete details on its video processing and educational offerings or to find a dealer.


Related Reading:

• Learn How to Configure and Optimize madVR Envy Processors with New Online Course
• madVR and Ascend AV Collaborate to Open an "Experience Center" in the Midwest
• Artificial Intelligence Enters the Home Theater with madVR's Envy Extreme MK2 at CEDIA 2023!
• CEDIA 2023: Lumagen Announces Update That Delivers Improvements to Dynamic HDR Tone Mapping

really eager to see real-world comparisons of this new device vs the flagship model and Lumagen. i have yet to see any test that shows Lumagen outperforms any Madvr product.

 

[Mike Schramm]

really eager to see real-world comparisons of this new device vs the flagship model and Lumagen. i have yet to see any test that shows Lumagen outperforms any Madvr product.

I have no experience with either product, but aren’t they basically Coke and Pepsi?

 

[austinblackboxspace]

i had no idea coke was that much more expensive than pepsi! anywho,the testing would finally answer all the questions.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I have no experience with either product, but aren’t they basically Coke and Pepsi?

A lot more differences in the architecture of how they’re built and designed, but essentially a very similar feature set.

Personally I’m a Lumagen guy but it’s preference and two road maps to the same place.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Mid level oled isn’t going to give you brightness/color volume.

That’s where if this could help a miniLED still would need to be mid level. This wouldn’t help with brightness for mid level oled nor blooming with LED….

I think this would help with content and motion but is limited to physical limitations of the panels.

Sure it can… we’re talking image processing. No different than Sony and LG taking the exact same OLED panel and getting different results.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I have no experience with either product, but aren’t they basically Coke and Pepsi?

Yes and no. MadVR has a few more tricks in its bag. But, if you’re not interested in those tricks (things like linear stretch, etc), then yes, they’re basically the same

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Yes and no. MadVR has a few more tricks in its bag. But, if you’re not interested in those tricks (things like linear stretch, etc), then yes, they’re basically the same

Lumagen has had non-linear stretching for years, they just don’t promote it because it’s not advised.

The big features MadVR has over Lumagen is their smoothing (which I have no interest in) and a barrel distortion correction feature for those who use anamorphic lenses (which I don’t).

 

[JStewart]

Do you need a professional calibrator to get the benefit from this device or the Lumagen?

 

[Todd Anderson]

Lumagen has had non-linear stretching for years, they just don’t promote it because it’s not advised.

The big features MadVR has over Lumagen is their smoothing (which I have no interest in) and a barrel distortion correction feature for those who use anamorphic lenses (which I don’t).

Ah…. ! Indeed it does! I’d completely forgotten about that.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Do you need a professional calibrator to get the benefit from this device or the Lumagen?

Not necessarily, no. When my Lumagen first arrived I was able to set it up and almost instantly take advantage of auto-aspect, dynamic tone mapping and the built-in Darbee processing for HD and SD material, though Kris Deering was able to configure it more thoroughly and squeeze more out of the tone mapping by adjusting the settings to correspond more closely with the actual capabilities of my projector.

 

[tjcinnamon]

The only way to improve blocking and banding is either with a better source, and if the source is already better, a faster connection.

If you're using a product that's eliminating blocking and/or banding, you're basically blurring the image to hide it.

I’ll take what I can get. Netflix and all streaming services except appleTV originals and Bravia core don’t have adequate bitrate for an 83” set.

 

[tjcinnamon]

Has anyone seen how MadVR works on TVs? Is there a noticeable difference for broadcast streaming content: typical Netflix, ESPN+, Amazon Prime video?

My next TV is an LG G4 or G5? Perhaps premium TV it won’t be worth it

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Has anyone seen how MadVR works on TVs? Is there a noticeable difference for broadcast streaming content: typical Netflix, ESPN+, Amazon Prime video?

My next TV is an LG G4 or G5? Perhaps premium TV it won’t be worth it

I'd be interested in learning more myself since I have a 98" Sony Full Array LED, not the OLED.

Joey from MadVR did say it was best to have a pro calibrator set it up, so that's another expense, too. I don't really want to go to school and learn more about video technology.