Home Theater Review

I recently raved about another Sanus universal projector mount, the VMPR1 tilt and swivel universal mount, calling it, "a rare find...that has little to no faults." The VMPR1 had been my go-to mount of choice until I reviewed SIM2's Mico50 LED projector, which proved to be too large and cumbersome. Following my review of the Mico50 and the news that other, larger DLPs were on the way, I commissioned an industrial designer to build the ultimate front projector mount, one that was truly universal in that it was capable of holding everything from an Optoma HD33 to a Digital Projection TITAN. Since having that custom mount installed I let go of my trusty and beloved Sanus VMPR1. As it turned out my wanting to be prepared proved to be overkill as many of the before mentioned larger than life DLP based projectors never saw the light of day, thus leaving me with a very large, very cumbersome, rig dangling from my ceiling.

Additional Resources
• Read more rack and mount reviews by the staff at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore projectors to mount in our Projector Review section.

I knew what worked for me in the past so when I pulled up Sanus' website to order the VMPR1 again I was taken back by the presence of another universal projector mount, the VP1 reviewed here. The VP1 is, in many ways, is eerily similar to the VMPR1 in that it utilizes a similar spider leg like mounting system, allows for micro adjustments and features a quick release like system that makes installing any projector a relative breeze even if you're flying solo on the day. The biggest difference between the two mounts, besides price, is that the VP1 is rated to 35 pounds where as the VMPR1 is rated to 50 pounds. As for the price, despite its lower weight capacity, the VP1 retails for $249.99 or $100 more than the VMPR1.

Having already had a great deal of experience with the VMPR1 I went ahead and called Sanus and ordered up the VP1, if for no other reason than to try something new. Having now installed two different projectors (Anthem LTX 500, Optoma 8300) on my ceiling with it I'm glad I did. You see one of the things I always had a problem with when it came to the VMPR1 was that it seemed to have too many moving parts that at times could become and/or feel fussy, especially when attempting to make small, minor corrections either in the spider leg positioning or in the mount itself once everything was attached to the ceiling. Also, I never really liked the way the VMPR1 looked for even with its plastic caps it never blended in for it was the wrong color or shade for seemingly every projector. Don't get me wrong, from a functionality standpoint the VMPR1 is superb, but I found the VP1 to be better in virtually every way.

For starters the universal leg mounting system on the VP1 is far and away superior in that it has fewer moving parts yet still accommodates a wide range of mounting hole configurations. Because there are fewer moving parts on the VP1's "legs" finding a center point where the weight of your projector is evenly distributed is also easier. Where the VP1 really makes good is in its attachment design, where by the mounting plate meets the pole section of the mount via four holes. From there the plate can literally be locked into place via a small lever. For further security Sanus provides a key lock (think safe deposit box) on the mount itself to prevent unwanted tampering or theft -a nice touch for those of you thinking of buying a mount for your office. Once the projector is mounted and locked into place making the necessary tilt and pitch adjustments is way easier for there are only two points of adjustment on the VP1 versus the VMPR1's four, yet the VP1 enjoys the same range of motion and control as the VMPR1. The VP1 comes with all the necessary hardware for mounting including two extension poles, one two and a half inches the other seven inches. Another nice thing about the VP1 is that it looks rather upscale without having to use plastic add-ons like the VMPR1 and is finished in a semi-gloss black.

Read about the high points and low points of the VP1 projector mount on Page 2.