The singing Marantz. (or: a short appraisal of the 4100OSE DVD). I prefer the former... (Marantz DV 4100)

Member Name: Soberion

Product:	Marantz DV 4100
Date:	31/07/02 (1254 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks, DVD performance, CD performance

Disadvantages: Angle Icon, Layer change, Price has dropped since i bought it

I’ve been living with my 4100 OSE for around 6 months now and I’ve learnt 2 things. One is that this is a wonderful item of home entertainment and that perfection is so narrowly avoided by silly problems.

But to start, why did I buy an OSE when I already had a DVD player, a Wharfedale 750 to be precise. Well, call me shallow, but the 750 was an ugly bit of kit. Plus, reds always seemed to appear blocky on screen. Finally, and possibly most importantly, I wanted to rid myself of the poor Technics CD player I was using for music and replace it with a single box solution.
So, having trawled through the magazines, clicked on the websites and been to the showrooms, I took the plunge and ordered a nice multi-region modified 4100 from HomeCinemaHeaven.

A few days later a nice brown cardboard box arrived containing my new toy. First impressions on taking out of the box were impressive. A real solid feel and nice weight. This DVD oozed quality from the off. The simple limes of Marantz styling suited the player just fine.

Now it’s time to get it connected.

Thanks to the fact that this player has 2 Scart sockets, both RGB enabled, was a godsend. It allowed me to connect the player to the RGB input of my TV and the Sky Digibox to the RGB enabled input on the DVD. Trust me, the RGB quality makes a world of difference and anyone who say’s otherwise has obviously never seen a properly setup system.
So that’s the picture sorted, now the sound. You have a choice of a stereo signal via standard phono connectors and then digital output using either an optical cable or co-axial. I opted for the co-ax option, purely because I feel optical is too susceptible to breakage. I also connected the phono outputs to my stereo amp for CD replay duties.

The first test I carried out was to play my region 1 version of “The fast and The Furious”. There are many scenes in here that tested my
Wharfedale beyond it’s limits, such as the bright red vehicles and the fast action night racing scenes. Happily, all trace of red blocking was gone. The entire picture was noticeably more vibrant and detailed. Even my girlfriend could see the difference and she usually pays no attention to things like this. The sound also took on a turn for the better, sounding more lively and detailed. It is obvious that the old saying “you get what you pay for” rings true here.

My next test would be the most crucial. Would the player really sound better than the CD player I was so keen to consign to the scrap?

Instant joy! Playing my “Visual Audio Sensory Theater” CD immediately displayed that the praise heaped on this machine for it’s CD duties had not been false. The difference in resolution was astounding and very noticeable. A much wider dynamic range and tighter control of the music made the CD seem revitalised. A few more discs were spun and whatever music was thrown at it, the OSE handled with aplomb.

I sat back comfortable in the knowledge that my investment had not been in vain like so many upgrades can seem to be.


But “wait” I hear you cry. You said at the front of this that the machine wasn’t perfect, that you had found problems with it. This glowing testament shows no sign of disappointment.

Well, I can now let you know. After living with the machine for several months, there are a few niggles that I just can’t shake. Firstly, that whenever there is a scene on a disc with a multiple angle option, the player displays the angle icon in the top left of the screen. You can’t turn it off. At all. This was most apparent watching the R1 version of Mallrats, which features a multiple angle video commentary track. At various points throughout the movie, the icon would appear for 5 or 10 minutes, even if you’re not watching the commentary.
Annoying, although I guess only a problem is you have many discs with multiple angles. However, I gather this is a hereditary defect from the fact it uses Phillips menu software and affects Phillips DVD players too, so maybe I shouldn’t be too harsh on Marantz for this.

The second problem I do blame Marantz for though. The damn layer change. When I owned my Wharfedale I never noticed a layer change. Not once. Never. This 4100 like to make the change as apparent as possible. Why can’t the top manufacturers overcome this problem when my far-eastern cheapie had no problems with it?

Apart from these two niggles, I’ve never been happier with an upgraded item of AV hardware since I moved from Pro Logic to Dolby Digital. Worth every one of the 370,000 pennies I paid for it, (although these days it’s available for around £155 - £200).

Highly recommended.

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