Video processing company madVR has announced today that it’s adding a new ‘Core’ model to its acclaimed Envy line of video processors that will make their advanced picture improving technology available to a whole new tier of home cinema fans.
The more AV fans invest in bigger and bigger screens and seek out ever higher quality home entertainment experiences, the more interest there is in ways of getting the best out of these new sources and displays. And once you start going down the rabbit hole of trying to optimize your home entertainment experience, the more likely you will be to stumble across the world of video processing. In particular, dedicated video processor products designed to improve the quality of the source signals being fed into your all-singing, all-dancing king-sized TVs or projectors.
Once you’ve noticed video processors, you’ll almost certainly quickly become aware of madVR’s Envy family, with their widely acclaimed ability to upgrade any video signals you feed into them with features such as advanced HDR dynamic tone mapping, upscaling to 8K, and superior motion interpolation with extremely fine control over the degree of ‘soap opera effect’ you see.
Awareness of madVR’s Envy video processors, though, has previously been accompanied for many end users by frustration at simply not being able to afford them. The Envy Pro processor goes for $9,495 (£11,499), while the flagship Envy Extreme Mk2 processor costs $15,995 (£18,995).
The new $5,995 Envy Core, however, instantly pretty much halves the cost of entry to madVR’s picture enhancing charms. What’s more, the Core is actually going to be available in the US until December 31 2024 at an introductory price of $4,995. Despite, according to madVR, it “still delivering the award-winning video processing the Envy is known for.”
Set to be unveiled in the flesh at the Audio Advice Live event in Raleigh N.C from August 2-4, and then again at this year’s CEDIA expo in Denver from September 5-7, the Envy Core measures just 17.25 x 13,5 x 3.5 inches and weighs just 20 pounds, making it a much flexible and easy to install item than its step up siblings. Despite its relatively diddy dimensions, though, the Envy Core still carries an Nvidia 4060 GPU and is claimed to be capable of delivering its premium picture enhancements without running hot or noisy.
As you might expect, the new Envy Core is targeted at owners of more modestly priced TVs and projectors (and wider home cinema or media room installations) than madVR’s previous Envy products. But it still uses the same intuitive interface and user-friendly menu system deployed on the Envy Pro and Extreme, and madVR confirms that an aftermarket Core Premium Package, which adds extra features and enhancements as well as doubling the warranty to four years, will be available to Envy Core buyers for an extra $995.
The Core Premium Package additionally provides lifetime technical coverage that’s actually transferable – along with any remaining warranty – to new owners if you decide to sell your Envy Core on for some reason.
As with madVR’s other Envy products, Envy Core users will receive regular firmware updates to keep adding improvements and new features, with Core Premium Package buyers being entitled to extra advanced features in the future.
The Envy Core will not, of course, deliver entirely the same level of performance that the Pro and Extreme versions do, and nor will it be able to receive some of the advanced future firmware updates that the two more expensive units get. More details on the differences between the newly expanded range of Envy products can be found on this link.
Like premium video download service Kaleidescape’s recently released Strato V portal and storage device, though, the Envy Core has been explicitly designed to serve the needs of a surging new wave of home AV enthusiasts keen to enjoy a truly premium AV experience in their homes but who don’t have a bottomless budget to work with. And that’s just fine by me.
The Envy Core video processor is currently scheduled to go on sale worldwide in the Fall through authorized madVR Envy dealers worldwide, with pre-orders placeable now.
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