Audio Advice is the world’s largest retailer of madVR Envy video processors and the leader in remote setup and calibration. Our team has completed more madVR installations than anyone in the U.S., giving us unmatched expertise in optimizing its performance. We recommend speaking with our specialists before placing your order to ensure seamless compatibility with your system and to establish a tailored calibration plan for the best possible results.

Core MK2 – Advanced Processing, Price/Performance Leader, 8K Ready

The Envy Core MK2 builds on the popular Core MK1 and delivers major hardware advances, including a powerful NVIDIA 5060 GPU, a more robust CPU, and doubled RAM. It is 8K-ready, with support for HDMI 2.1 and full 48 Gbps input and output bandwidth for the highest-quality signals today and into the future.

For users seeking full 8K input/output upscaling and processing and the most aggressive low-latency gaming, the Core MK2 Premium package (*additional charge) unlocks these capabilities, adds other advanced features such as patent-pending Dynamic Subtitle OverlayTM, and doubles the warranty from 2 to 4 years - delivering unmatched power, performance and price in its class, helping to make reference-level video processing more accessible than ever.

Despite its aggressive price, the Core MK2 offers full HDMI 2.1 capabilities alongside the award-winning feature set that defines Envy, including patented HDR dynamic tone mapping, instant aspect ratio management, bi-directional patent-pending Non-Linear Stretch (NLS+) for scope and 16:9 screens, AI upscaling, and DeinterlaceAITM, the world’s first AI deinterlacing engine in a video processor.

Like the Core MK1, the Core MK2 is well-positioned to continue as a popular choice to pair with projectors, UST projectors, and high-end flat-panel TVs, popular on such displays for industry-leading AI upscaling, dynamic tone mapping, and non-linear stretch to reduce black bars without cropping content - and now enhanced with its new gaming performance.

madVR Envy Core Features

Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) for HDR Content

So, what are all the great things that make the Envy such a unique piece of gear? First, you have probably heard about High Dynamic Range, or HDR and Wide Color Gamut. These two new processes, coupled with 4K resolution, can deliver an entirely new level of realism and visual impact when done right. But doing it right in our homes has one very big challenge.

Most HDR mastering is done based on having a very high amount of brightness available on the display device. This can range from 1000 to 10,000 Nits. The problem is the best current televisions are usually only able to produce 600-1000 nits and most front projectors are delivering in the 50-150 nit range.

This was addressed by the display manufacturers with Tone Mapping where the output is adjusted based on the actual brightness range available on the display. The first attempt at this used static tone mapping for the entire HDR movie which resulted in a very dark image, which you’ve likely experienced.

The Envy products have you input the nit level of your display and use that to perform Dynamic Tone Mapping where every single frame is independently analyzed and sophisticated algorithms are used to produce the best looking image.

For the vast majority of people, Audio Advice or another great dealer will handle setting all of this up for you. However, for those of you who are really into playing with your settings, you can tweak to your heart's content.

The image on the left is from a very high-end front projector but without the Envy in the signal path. The one on the right is with the Envy. Just take a look at the bottom left area where a lightning bolt is striking Harry's hand. Without the Envy, it is just completely white, with no detail or color. But with the Envy, the full detail and color are clearly seen, providing a much more exciting image. The same can be seen in the faces at the upper left and right sides. Without the Envy, you can just barely make out that these are faces, and are mostly whited out. But with the Envy, they are clearly seen, with full detail and color. Similar examples could be used where the Envy provides the same benefit on the darker end, preserving shadow details.

Aspect Ratio Management

Another feature we really love and use a lot is the Aspect Ratio Management. There are many different aspect ratios in the content we enjoy. From 16:9, to 2.00:1, used a lot on Netflix, to 2.40:1 for most movies, there is a huge range of ratios.

If you have a 16:9 display and watch a widescreen movie, you’ll see black bars at the top and bottom of your screen. The Envy allows you to automatically move the entire image up or down, eliminating one of those black bars. But the big deal is for those of us with scope or widescreen front projection systems. If you have a system like this, you are probably using lens memory on your projector to switch between the aspect ratios, which can take 10-20 seconds, and those set points can drift a little over time if you move between them a lot.

The Envy can be set to scale the image for the full height of your screen automatically and instantly. Think how much more fun Christopher Nolan movies that use multiple aspect ratios are with this feature!

Non Linear Stretch

If you are a sports fan with a widescreen front projector, you will probably love the nonlinear stretch feature. Almost all sporting events are broadcast in 16:9, leaving big black bars on the sides of your widescreen. You can set up the Envy to smartly remove the black bars. In many of the theaters we set up, we have the Envy slightly crop off part of the top and bottom, which is usually unused content. Then we have it ever so slightly stretch the image towards the outer parts, which are less important than the center. The end result is that during a Super Bowl party, the screen is totally filled and incredibly immersive. Once you have things set up, they will be recalled and used instantly and automatically.

Subtitles

If you watch a lot of foreign films on a 2.40:1 widescreen, you have likely run into the issue where they put the subtitles below the image. When you adjust the image to fill your widescreen, the subtitles disappear and you have to switch back to 16:9 to see them, which drastically shrinks your image. Well the Envy allows you to have it ever so slightly shrink the image so you can see the subtitles as you can see here. This is a huge benefit, and it works quite well. And even better, it does this automatically, needing no button pushes!

Upscaling

As all video enthusiasts know, HD content has to be upscaled for your 4K projector or TV. This can take place at the source, your AVR or Pre-Pro, or the display. These can do a decent job but have nowhere near the processing power of the Envy. To my eyes, the Envy makes HD content look almost as sharp and detailed as a true 4K image.

The Envy also has a whole host of settings to further improve the image. These include options for sharpness and edge enhancement as well as other features. We find that adding just a little Sharpening to Upscaled HD material provides a significant improvement in image quality. And a little noise reduction makes watching older, grainier movies more enjoyable.

Anamorphic Stretch

If you happen to be using an anamorphic lens with your scope screen, you know your projector only gives you two modes. Well, the Envy takes care of this with an infinite number of possible modes, letting you take advantage of your lens's advantages — and it’s all automatic!

As you might imagine, there are a bunch of other amazing things the Envy can do. However, in our opinion, most people purchasing the Core are going to get it because it takes the picture quality in their room to a whole new level and because of the features we just covered.

Operation & Setup

You would think that with so many sophisticated features, the Envy would be a challenge to set up. It's actually the exact opposite. You simply plug the Envy in, connect your network cable, plug in an HDMI cable between your receiver or processor and the Envy, and then HDMI out from the Envy to your TV or projector. That’s it. Your dealer will then configure the Envy based on your system and personal preferences. Your dealer can then nail all of the settings in person or can establish a Remote connection to your Envy, and walk through the Settings, as if they were in the room with you, and quickly fine-tune your setup. We have numerous customers with vacation homes in remote locations and have become incredibly adept at remotely setting these up for them.

madVR Envy Core Premium Pack

One of the reasons is that madVR Labs did something really smart in the design of the Core. There are a handful of features that some people may want but there was simply no way to offer such an aggressive price point with everything. Therefore, madVR Labs has added the ability to unlock additional features for more advanced users through the purchase of the Core Premium Package directly from madVR Labs, which currently costs $995. The primary features added by this Premium Pack are dynamic subtitle overlay, automatic activation of JVC and Sony lens memory over IP, some AI-based artifact and noise reduction, some advanced test patterns, unlimited profiles, and upgrading the warranty from 2 years to 4 years. In addition to the normal firmware updates that the Core will receive, the Premium Pack will also receive additional advanced features in the future. In our opinion, especially with the Core Premium add-on, most people on a budget can confidently choose the Core over the Pro and not worry about leaving much on the table, even though the Pro will gain more features over time. Again, if you really want to get into the details, talk to your dealer or check out the full side-by-side comparison. The smaller, lighter-weight design of the Core makes it way more flexible in terms of installation for all media rooms and theaters. With the Nvidia 4060 GPU, and the superb Envy processing, the Core is going to set a new standard in the world for video processor price to performance. For many of you, this is pretty much all you need to know, and it's probably clear the Core is the right model for you if the Pro and Extreme are beyond your budget. The Envy has so many bells and whistles that we could spend well over an hour discussing them. But let us just cover a few more, particularly for those of you who love to tweak your system

Profiles

madVR Envys all use a system called Profiles, for grouping and recalling a set of configurations and settings. For example, our primary use of profiles is that we have the system use its aspect ratio and nonlinear stretch capabilities to fill a 2.4 screen for all content for daily viewing. But when we want to watch a 16:9 movie exactly as it was produced, we hit one button, and it removes all stretching and other adjustments to give us the perfect 16:9 picture.

Additionally, every setting in the Envy can be active, temporary, or base. Once you make a change, it goes into temporary. If you decide you like the changes you see you can save them to a profile or to your base settings. The unit backs itself up every day, so you don’t need to worry about messing anything up when playing with the options. Our team at Audio Advice has set up enough Envys now, that we can really quickly figure out through a few questions what a customer wants, and then we implement our best practices that we use in our homes to achieve that.

Firmware Updates

Now, let’s talk about firmware updates. For the vast majority of people, your MadVR Envy will just get installed, and you’ll set it and forget it. However, if you are really into this stuff and want to experience new features as they roll them out, the Envys have an update system that is super easy! The Envy updates the firmware in 15 to 30 seconds, all online, in one simple button press. You can also choose whether you want to implement experimental or beta firmware to really be on the bleeding edge, and should you want to revert back to any prior firmware version, it’s the same simple 15 to 30-second process.

We’re here to help!

If you have further questions, contact our experts via chat, phone, or email. Or simply visit one of our world-class showrooms to experience speakers, projectors, TVs, and everything in between for yourself before you make a purchase!

If you’re planning your home theater or media room, check out our Home Theater Design page, where we have everything Home Theater related, including our FREE Home Theater Design Tool.

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