Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 Full Review

After my acquaintance with the Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2, which not only left me with the best impressions, but even made me question my preferred UST setup in my living room, I was very curious to try out its bigger brother, the VisionMaster Pro 2.

Endless discussions, countless sponsored reviews and forums bursting with activity — what’s going on? Is it really that good? Or are the reviewers just “cashing in” and finding “everything perfect”?Especially when I see reviewers testing 10, maybe even 20 projectors together in just 15 days and drawing conclusions, while I need 3–4 weeks to thoroughly test a single projector before I can confidently share my opinion.

Valerion graciously responded to my request and sent me the Pro 2, allowing it to take its turn in the Projectorjunkies “interrogation room.” This review aims to satisfy not only your curiosity about its performance, but mine as well.

In this article, you won’t just be read a review of the VisionMaster Pro 2. You’ll witness about a series of “torture tests” I put the Pro 2 through, as well as its performance in direct comparison with the Plus 2 and my favorite UST projector, the AWOL LTV-3500 Pro.

Want to find out what the VisionMaster Pro 2 is really capable of? Just read on…

 

Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2

The Pro 2 comes in the same excellent packaging as the Plus 2, complete with a beautiful, clever and practical protective case.

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This contains the projector, a box with the remote control and power supply and the manual, which is considerably thicker than that of the Plus 2 as it contains several languages and not just English like that of the Plus 2.

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In terms of appearance, the VisionMaster Pro 2 won’t disappoint any lover of high esthetics and modern design. With electroplated metal strips on the housing and the gray glass surface on the front and back, it’s a feast for the eyes even when switched off , like a work of art.

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The days when projectors like this were just unsightly plastic boxes are over thanks to Valerion. I believe that from now on all manufacturers will also pay special attention to this area.

There is a single hole on the underside for attaching a ceiling mount and an adjustable arm that allows you to tilt the projector around the vertical axis when you place it on a table.

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The dimensions are identical to those of its smaller brother, the Plus 2 (260x186x216mm / 10.2×7.3×8.5 inches) but it weight 7.4kg.

The Pro 2 is undeniably stylish, dare I say, it exudes a more luxurious feel compared to its smaller brother, the Plus 2.

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In terms of connectivity, the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 is well equipped to meet modern requirements. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one HDMI 2.0 port, one of which supports next-generation eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) for seamless audio integration.

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In addition, the Pro 2 has two USB ports, one USB 2.0 and one high-speed USB 3.2 port (5 Gbps), as well as optical and analog audio outputs. A Gigabit Ethernet connection (Limited to 100Mbps due to Google TV limitations) rounds off the wired connection options and ensures fast and reliable network access.

When it comes to wireless communication, the Pro 2 goes one step further, offering robust and flexible wireless connectivity for all your streaming and devices needs with bi-directional Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6E.

The remote control has remained the same, a really practical and well-designed remote control with illuminated buttons.

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Interestingly, the Pro 2 uses the exact same external power supply as the Plus 2, a 36V unit with an identical power output of just 180W.

 

 

Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 Specs & Features

Valerion advertises a brightness of 3,000 ISO lumens and provides two on/off contrast values for the Pro 2: a native contrast of 4,000:1 and a “viewing” contrast of 15,000:1. These contrast values will be analyzed in greater detail in the upcoming sections.

The Pro 2 features a zoom lens with a throw ratio ranging from 0.9 to 1.5:1. This means that, to project a 2-meter-wide screen (78.7 inches or 6.6 feet), the projector must be placed at a distance of 1.8 meters (71 inches or 5.9 feet) to 3 meters (118 inches or 9.8 feet) from the screen (or wall).

The lens is motorized and equipped with autofocus, capable of handling screens with a diagonal size of up to 300 inches. It also has a 100% offset, meaning the bottom of the projected image aligns precisely with the height of the lens.

The Pro 2 is a DLP projector with the well-known 0.47-inch chip from Texas Instruments at the heart of the optical engine. In combination with the latest generation XPR module — which is impressively quiet — it delivers a razor-sharp UHD resolution of 3840×2160 pixels at 60 Hz and an ultra-smooth refresh rate of 240 Hz at 1080p.

The optical system is based on a state-of-the-art pure RGB laser light source. This revolutionary design enables the Pro 2 to achieve an outstanding 110% coverage of the BT.2020 (REC.2020) color space, pushing the boundaries of color reproduction in home projection.

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The Pro 2 is fully 3D-capable, supporting all known 3D formats with the use of active DLP Link glasses.

It’s worth noting that the Plus 2 fully supports Dolby Vision & HDR 10+ and also is able to reproduce the 24FPS and 48FPS movie formats without converting them to 60Hz, maintaining the original cinematic frame rates.

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At the heart of the Pro 2 like its little brother Plus 2 is one of the most advanced smart TV SoCs on the market — the Mediatek Pentonic 700 (MT9618)—  which to my knowledge is being used for the first time in a laser home theater projector series.

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This state-of-the-art SoC features a powerful quad-core processor based on Arm’s Cortex-A73 architecture and clocked at 1.4 GHz, as well as an Arm-based Mali-G52 MC1 GPU. It also has 4 GB of DDR4 RAM and a generous 128 GB of internal memory, ensuring smooth performance and plenty of space for apps and media.

The MT9618 chipset powers the Pro 2 with impressive AI capabilities, thanks to the integrated MediaTek DLA AI processor. Its standout features include:

• AI-Super Resolution 2.0: Enhances images with edge smoothing and detail reconstruction.
• AI-Picture Quality Scene Recognition 2.0: Optimizes settings based on scene analysis.
• AI-Picture Quality Object Recognition 2.5: Introduces depth enhancement for more immersive visuals.

The chipset also supports MEMC (motion estimation and motion compensation) for frame interpolation at up to 4K120Hz. However, the Pro 2 utilizes MEMC only up to 4K60Hz due to limitations of DLP technology. Furthermore, it supports the latest video codecs, including AV1, AVS, AVS2, H.264, HEVC (H.265), VVC (H.266), and SHVC.

The Pro 2 is also a gaming powerhouse, supporting 4K at 144Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), Dolby Vision/HDR10+ Gaming, and boasting an input lag of just 4ms at 1080p240Hz and 15ms at 4K60Hz. This makes it a top choice for gamers seeking smooth and responsive gameplay.

Additionally, the projector supports all modern HDR video standards, such as HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, alongside cutting-edge audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS. It also features virtual sound effects like Dolby DAP and DTS: Virtual X, ensuring an immersive cinematic and gaming experience.

Finally, I saved the integrated sound system for last! The Plus 2 has two internal drivers, each delivering 12 watts of power and supporting DTS Virtual for a truly immersive sound experience. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that this is just a standard audio system added to the Pro 2 as a gimmick. Once you’ve heard it, you’ll probably be left speechless!

I won’t spend any time analyzing the Google TV smart interface or the tools it offers on the Pro 2, as I’ve already covered these extensively in my review of the Plus 2. In the case of the Pro 2, nothing has changed, it features exactly the same interface and menus as its smaller brother.

 

Measurements

The Pro 2 comes exceptionally well-calibrated from the factory. To verify whether my unit hadn’t any special adjustments before being sent to me, I performed a full reset before starting my measurements.

In Standard mode, with Warm 1 selected as the white temperature setting and gamma set to 2.2, we achieve a relatively good average grayscale temperature of around 6,750 Kelvin, along with an ideal gamma correction, as shown in the graph.

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In Theater mode, which is the mode I would recommend using, the measurements are similar but with a slightly cooler average white temperature, as the blue is significantly better balanced compared to the Standard mode.

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The effectiveness of the Pro 2’s controls can be seen in the following graph, where I simply selected a gamma setting of 2.4 instead of 2.2 in the picture settings. The response is outstanding, with perfect gamma correction precisely matching the setting chosen in the menu.

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With a few simple adjustments, such as slightly lowering the green in the 2-point white balance adjustment setting, the grayscale on the Pro 2 achieves near perfection.

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The Pro 2 covers 94.6% of the BT.2020 color gamut and comes exceptionally well-calibrated, not only in terms of the hues and saturations of the primary and secondary colors but also in their brightness levels.

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And now we come to the measurements that might interest most of you: brightness & contrast.

Let me mention here that my measurements for a projector’s brightness and contrast are always conducted with the projector calibrated and always with a light meter directly from the lens, never by measuring the screen or the reflected image. These specific measurements were taken using two different light meters to ensure accuracy.

Brightness

• 2,790 ANSI lumens: Measured with the projector lens set at a 0.9 throw ratio (the widest setting), fully calibrated. This value is the average of five measurements: one at the center of the frame and one at each of the four corners.

• 3,240 ANSI lumens: Measured similarly to the above but with the “Brightness Enhancer” set to low. (I wouldn’t recommend this setting as it significantly increases the power of the green laser, causing the image to turn green.)

Contrast

• 4,449:1: Measured using full black and full white patterns.

• 1,619:1: Measured with a full white pattern and a black pattern containing a bright spot to bypass any hidden laser dimming (which proves that the Pro 2 has). This measurement was taken with the lens at its widest position (throw ratio 0.9).

• 2,240:1: Measured the same way as the above, but with the lens in the “tele” position (throw ratio 1.5).

Further contrast measurements were conducted with EBL enabled. As you understand, when a dynamic contrast is active, there’s no need to use specialized patterns with a bright spot. On one hand, we want to determine the absolute dimming capability of the laser and the true black level. On the other hand, the black level (and contrast) varies based on the brightness of the bright spot (from 10 to 100 IRE) or the size. Therefore, it makes no sense to choose a pattern with a bright spot arbitrarily and present that measurement. Later, in the section analyzing the behavior of the EBL, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the black level and contrast performance.

• 12,625:1: Measured using full black and full white patterns with EBL enabled and the lens in the widest position (throw ratio 0.9).

• 17,800:1: Measured the same way as above, but with the lens in the “tele” position (throw ratio 1.5).

 

It’s worth highlighting the difference in contrast depending on the position of the Pro 2’s lens. Additionally, the brightness of 2,790 ANSI lumens when fully calibrated is an incredible level of brightness, allowing the Pro 2 to fill screens of any size, even exceeding 200 inches easily.

Another measurement I took was the power consumption of the Pro 2. The reason for this test was its use of the same 180W power supply as the Plus 2. Here’s what I found:

Power Consumption:

• Full laser power (white pattern): 136W
• Minimum laser power (white pattern): 69W
• Brightness Enhancer Low: 164W
• Brightness Enhancer High: 169W
• Full laser power (black pattern): 69W
• Full laser power with EBL on (black pattern): 49W

The average power consumption during movie playback is less than 100W. Incredible, isn’t it?

Now, how does a projector manage to produce such a high level of brightness with a maximum power draw of only 136W? I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t have an answer for that. However, for those of you who are environmentally conscious or looking to keep your electricity bills in check, the Pro 2 seems like a fantastic choice.

But who are we kidding? We all know why we’re here, so let’s cut to the chase and dive straight into the main event!

 

Dark Scenes Performance & EBL Function

Like its smaller brother (the Plus 2), the Pro 2 also features this amazing algorithm called EBL (Enhanced Black Level). I spent countless hours measuring, testing and comparing to fully understand how it works.

EBL is an algorithm that analyzes each frame and scene, adjusting the ADL (average display luminance) and automatically fine-tunes various parameters, most notably the laser power and gamma correction of the input signal.

 

How It Works

The logic behind EBL is simple. Imagine your projector delivers a maximum brightness of 100 nits and a black level of 1 nit with a laser power of 100%. If you now play a dark scene that ranges from pure black (0 nits) to, let’s say 20 nits at the brightest point, the maximum brightness of 100 nits is unnecessary for this scene.

In such cases, the EBL reduces the laser power, say by 50%, while simultaneously applying gamma correction at the same time. This drops the black level to 0.5 nits, a twofold improvement, while all bright points in the scene retain their correct brightness levels, with the brightest remaining at 20 nits.

This is achieved by recalibrating the gamma correction to compensate for the overall brightness reduction that laser dimming causes. For example, a highlight that drops from 20 to 10 nits due to EBL laser dimming is recalibrated back to 20 nits by the gamma adjustment.

The net result is a doubling of the contrast ratio, as the black level is halved, but the bright details remain unaffected. Genius, right?

All these happen fast, really fast, so fast that you can not even notice that the EBL do its things in the background while you are watching a movie.

 

Contrast & Black Level Enhancement 

I spent hours testing and measuring to get accurate results. To evaluate the EBL, I created a pattern with an ADL value between around 0.25% and 2.5% , a typical ADL value for dark or semi-dark movie scenes. The pattern is essentially a black frame with 2.5% of its area varying between 10 and 100IRE.

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My goal was to measure the contrast, i mean the difference in brightness between this 2.5% area at all possible IRE levels compared to black (0IRE) at the same frame. All these measurements were, of course, taken with the EBL enabled.

Below you can see the difference in contrast between EBL on and EBL off (EBL on – on red)

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For these measurements, I used an i1 Display Pro colorimeter with the diffuser attached, which I pointed directly at the projector’s lens from a distance of 1 meter. I concentrated on measuring the light, nothing else.

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Starting at 10 IRE, the contrast improvement with EBL on is dramatic, nearly tenfold up to 40 IRE, with this significant improvement lasting up to 90 IRE.

To visualize this, here is an example with a classic low ADL scene taking overexposed (exactly same expose on both images) with my camera:

EBL off

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EBL on

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Without EBL, the contrast ratio between black and a 20 IRE highlight for example is 55:1.

With EBL activated, this ratio rises to an astonishing 524:1 at the same points of this scene, a tenfold improvement!

This phenomenal improvement in contrast is achieved through a combination of laser dimming (lowering the black level) and gamma correction (maintaining the brightness of highlights).

The following graph illustrates how the black level improves at different IRE values in my 2.5% ADL pattern. The blue curve shows the black level with EBL off, while the red curve shows how EBL keeps the black level improved even when the pattern reaches a brightness of 90 IRE (EBL on – on red).

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This dramatic improvement in black level is not only measurable, but also clearly visible when watching a movie.

 

Brightness Consistency

I measured full screen patterns from 10 to 100 IRE, both with and without EBL. The EBL algorithm perfectly maintains the brightness on the whole grayscale.

EBL off

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EBL on

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That practically means that you going to see the bright spots of a dark scene at exactly same brightness as if you have the EBL off.

 

Practical Implications

And here comes the one million dollar question.

How does the Valerion (with EBL on) compare to other projectors with native contrast ratios of 5,000:1 or even 10,000:1 on dark scenes?

Let’s assume that both projectors deliver the same peak brightness (e.g. 1550 fl, as in my measurements).

With a 5,000:1 projector, the black level would be 0.31 fl (1550 ÷ 5000). Comparing this to the Valerion, we find that with EBL on, Valerion rivals the 5,000:1 projector and even surpasses it in dark scenes containing up to 50 IRE brightness, with better contrast performance and deeper black levels. Here’s the contrast chart up to 60IRE (Valerion on red).

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Even when compared to a 10,000:1 projector with a black level of 0.155 fl (1550 ÷ 10000), the Valerion holds its own in scenes containing brightness up to 40 IRE (Valerion on red).

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This is the black level compare to a native 10,000:1 contrast projector when in the same frame exists bright spots up to 40 IRE (Valerion on blue).

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Real-World Viewing

These measurements are basically for “projectorjunkies” like me, the rest of you should only note the following: The Valerion’s performance in dark scenes most of the cases is comparable to that of a projector with a native contrast ratio of 5000:1 or even 10,000:1, even though it only has a native contrast of 1600:1.

However, in dark scenes with bright highlights above 70 IRE, projectors with a higher native contrast have the edge, as EBL is less important here.

To be fair, however, the ANSI contrast (usually not higher than 500:1) plays a more important role in such scenes than the on/off contrast. Therefore, we cannot say with certainty that the differences we observe in such a dark scene exactly match the figures given for a projector with a native on/off contrast of 1600:1 compared to a projector with 10,000:1. The differences will undoubtedly be much smaller than we thought in first place.

Also, how many dark scenes in a movie actually contain 100IRE bright spots? One? Two? Maybe none at all. This makes it rare to find a scene where the Pro 2 would struggle compared to a projector with a native on/off contrast of 5,000:1 or even 10,000:1.

In 99% of a movie, the Pro 2 performs like a projector with a native on/off contrast exceeding 10,000:1, this is my conclusion.

Essentially, the dark scenes that present a big challenge for projectors with low native on/off  but high ANSI contrast (like most DLP-based models) are those typically between 1 and 3% ADL, with gradations usually between 0 and 40-50 IRE. In these scenes, the Valerion shines with its impressive EBL algorithm, outperforming even much more expensive models with significantly higher native on/off contrast.

Here is a good example of not so low ADL dark scene, look again how amazing job the EBL did again. Both image overexposed with the same exactly settings on my camera. Also the images are jpeg strait out of my camera without any processing.

EBL off

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EBL on

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In my opinion, the Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 and Pro 2 surpass by far the dark scene performance of any DLP projector on the market today. They can confidently stand shoulder-to-shoulder with home cinema models from Epson and JVC.

 

Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 Overall Performance

Dolby Vision & HDR

I’ll start with the Dolby Vision and HDR performance by saying this: If anyone thinks, or has a projector they believe can outperform the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 on HDR content, please, be my guest. You’re invited to my home to set it up next to the Valerion and let’s see how it stacks up.

The Pro 2’s immense brightness, combined with its incredible EBL algorithm, creates what I call the “indirect contrast” phenomenon.

This effect is partly about how our eyes perceive contrast between scenes but also heavily reliant on the Pro 2’s capability to deliver such a vast dynamic range between different frames.

You know, it’s not just the contrast within a single frame that matters, it’s also the contrast between frames.

Imagine watching a movie with outdoor scenes under the blazing sun—you’re almost blinded by the Pro 2’s dazzling brightness in those moments. Then, suddenly, the scene transitions to darkness, and it feels as though you’ve fallen into a black hole. The EBL shuts down the laser light source, and in front of you unfolds a dark scene with “black hole” levels of black (or how you perceive it in that moment), yet every detail remains visible to your eyes. This shocking brightness difference between those scenes that makes you think you’re looking at a super-bright huge OLED TV, is what I’ve coined as “indirect contrast.”

The Pro 2 possesses the remarkable ability to deliver this massive “indirect contrast.” While watching HDR or Dolby Vision content, you’re practically blinded during bright scenes and plunged into a black hole during dark ones. I’m not sure if I’m explaining this clearly, but this phenomenon is less intense with its smaller brother, the Plus 2, due to its lower brightness and does not even exists to the light cannon AWOL LTV-3500 pro. I’ll illustrate my point with a couple of screenshots to help you better understand what I’m describing.

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Another feature that many people tend to overlook is HDR tone mapping. Essentially, tone mapping is an algorithm that evaluates the incoming signal to ensure it can be properly displayed according to the projector’s capabilities (contrast, brightness, black level, gamma) and adjusts it as needed.

The absence of tone mapping on a projector—or even a TV—is something most of you have likely noticed at some point when watching HDR content. This often results in underexposed scenes, crushed blacks, blown-out whites, and a lack of detail overall.

It’s truly commendable that Valerion included such an important feature in a projector at this price range. Typically, tone mapping is found in much more expensive models, like those from JVC.

And it’s not just the fact that they added this crucial feature, it works flawlessly! If you toggle the tone mapping on and off while watching HDR content, you’ll clearly see the outstanding job it does in optimizing the image.

 

SDR

As you can imagine, a projector with such high brightness, an expanded color palette, and impressive contrast, is a true oasis when it comes to watching sports events or regular TV content in SDR.

But the Pro 2 doesn’t impress only in that area. With its menu option to enable or disable the Ultra Sharp Mode, it can effectively transform into a native 1080p projector. Additionally, the HDR Enhancer feature brings extra dynamic range to SDR content, simulating true HDR and breathing new life into your old 1080p Blu-ray discs.

If you also select the BT.2020 color profile from the color menu, you might even feel like you’re watching many of your favorite movies for the first time all over again.

 

Dark Scenes Performance

Okay, Nikos, enough with the Pro 2’s “incredible” dark scene performance—bla bla bla, we get it!
No, guys, I’m not finished yet!

Earlier, we analyzed the EBL feature in detail and how it gives the Pro 2 its outstanding performance in dark scenes. But now, let’s shift gears and talk about something different: what we actually see in these dark scenes.

The Pro 2 comes with a very powerful feature, in my opinion, called “Dark Detail.” Even without it, the Pro 2’s gamma behavior in dark scenes—with the EBL enabled—is already ideal preserving the image perfectly without compressing it or losing any detail. But with “Dark Detail” activated, we take things to the next level of shadow detail.

The combination of “Dark Detail” and EBL ensures that even more details are revealed while maintaining the same contrast and black level and at the same time the existing details in the shadows are even more visible and pronounced.

Typically, features like this in projectors with low to moderate contrast do more harm than good. But with the Pro 2, it does exactly what it promises without any “side effects.”

The result is quite remarkable: excellent black levels, great contrast in dark scenes with EBL, and enhanced visibility of every detail with the Dark Detail. It’s a true win-win scenario!

 

3D

Dust off your 3D Blu-ray discs, all you 3D enthusiasts, because a new 3D king is here! Or… not quite yet. Sorry to disappoint, but you’ll need to wait for a firmware update. On my unit, the 3D functionality isn’t working at all. I tried everything, but my Blu-ray player simply doesn’t recognize the Valerion as a 3D-capable device. Even when I forced frame packing through the 3D menu, the image would split for 2–3 seconds before the screen went completely black. I am hoping the firmware update resolves this soon, otherwise I’ll be forced to return my free sample unit and demand a refund for the money I didn’t pay! Hear that, Valerion?

 

Sound, Noise & Thermal Performance

The Pro 2’s integrated sound system is exactly the same as that of its smaller brother. Its performance is, as I described in my review of the Plus 2, a true revelation. I would describe it as a powerful sound system with impressive volume capabilities, yet expertly pre-calibrated. No matter what you throw at it, it consistently handles it with no discernible distortion or change at any volume. And believe me, I pushed it to its limits by asking it to fill a large, really large room with sound, as you’ll see below if you have the patience to read on.

As for operating noise, it may sound like a joke, but the Pro 2 is even quieter than its already whisper-quiet smaller brother, the Plus 2. Honestly, you wouldn’t even know it’s running unless you stalked up close, like a doctor listening to a patient’s heartbeat. Plus, its much larger cooling system dissipates heat better than the Plus 2’s, so it runs cooler. Of course! The fact that it consumes an average of just 100W while you’re watching a movie naturally means it generates hardly any heat at all.

 

And now we come to the big question: how close are these two models to each other in terms of their performance?

I’ll be quick and clear: if you don’t need the extra brightness or the zoom lens of the Pro 2, then the Plus 2 is genuinely a smart choice. In other words, if you want to project onto a screen smaller than 120 inches and can easily position the projector with its fixed throw ratio of 1.2, then the Plus 2 is the right choice for you.

On the other hand, if you want to fill a 150-inch screen in your basement or you’re a 3D enthusiast (although 3D still doesn’t work), then the Pro 2 is the better choice for you.

The differences are minor. The Pro 2 is brighter, but the Plus 2 performs slightly better in dark scenes with EBL enabled — despite what the numbers and measurements, I’ve seen them side-by-side for hours. Honestly, both deliver excellent performance, and even if you choose randomly, you won’t be disappointed.

Okay, now let me be honest with you, none of the above really matters! The Plus 2 has that iconic white Apple-like finish, and that’s it. Case closed!

Here’s a video with a side-by-side comparison between the two of them! Both on 100 inch Celexon Dynamic Slate ALR screen.

 

Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 vs AWOL Vision LTV-3500 pro

This is a true battle of giants, my beloved 3500pro versus a newcomer trying to snatch the crown from the veteran.

The LTV-3500pro is an absolute light cannon, and not even the super-bright Valerion Pro 2 can compete with it in this regard. It’s no coincidence that I’ve nicknamed the 3500Pro, for simplicity, “the WOW projector.”

However, the Pro 2 offers sharper image, with its lens delivering razor-sharp clarity, while the AWOL Vision boasts the best 3D performance I’ve seen to date.

When it comes to dark scenes, though, the poor 3500pro doesn’t stand a chance. Once the EBL is activated on the Pro 2 (and even without it), the contrast difference is what I’d call dramatic.

The AWOL Vision’s EBL doesn’t significantly reduce the laser power like the Valerion, which results in much worse black levels but brighter details within dark scenes. It’s a classic case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” as the old saying goes.

Which one would I choose? Honestly, I don’t have an answer, and I feel lucky to have both of them and i don’t have to choose.

Here’s a video showcasing a shootout between these two titans! In this video, you’ll see only dark scene comparisons, as I couldn’t capture the bright scenes with consistent settings on my camera. For some reason, the different laser driver frequencies interfered with the AWOL’s image when I tried to use the same camera settings (basically the shutter speed) for both projectors.

AWOL Vision on 100 inch Vividstorm floor rising screen and the Valerion on 100 inch Celexon Dynamic Slate ALR screen.

 

What I Didn’t Like About the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2

• EBL & Laser Power Output: The EBL feature works only when the laser is set to 100% power. Considering how incredibly bright the Pro 2 is, it becomes nearly impossible to use on smaller screens like mine (100 inches)—the brightness is overwhelming. I know Valerion’s engineers are working hard to provide a firmware update that will enable the EBL to function at lower laser power settings. However, until then, if you plan to use a screen smaller than 120 inches, I would recommend looking at the Plus 2 instead of the Pro 2.

• Bugs: I encountered some minor software bugs, such as the digital zoom malfunctioning—rather than resizing the frame, it acted like keystone correction and distorted the image’s shape. This was resolved by disconnecting the projector from power and restarting it. Another issue, which I also observed with the Plus 2, occurs when you press “back” in the projector’s menu. Instead of taking you one step back, it exits the menu entirely. 

• Laser Speckle: The brighter an RGB laser projector, the more prominent the speckle effect, especially on traditional ALR screens. To reduce speckle with the Pro 2, I recommend using a white gain 1 screen, a Fresnel screen, or a Vividstorm Fusion-style screen, never a simple ALR screen.

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What I Liked About the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2

• Brightness: While such high brightness is not particularly useful for my 100-inch screen, it is undeniably impressive. On my screen, the Pro 2 was significantly brighter than my 55-inch TV, for example. For fans of large screens (over 150 inches), this projector offers a serious solution for their huge personal home cinema.

• EBL: The Pro 2’s performance with EBL enabled in dark scenes is unmatched. It’s almost unbelievable that this level of black depth and shadow detail comes from a DLP projector.

• Noise and Operating Temperature: The Pro 2 operates so quietly and coolly that you can barely notice it running.

• Colors and Out-of-the-Box Calibration: The Pro 2 is a projector that owners might never feel the need to calibrate. Even without adjustments, the factory settings deliver impressive color accuracy and excellent gamma/grayscale performance.

• Dolby Vision, HDR & Tone Mapping: With exceptional tone mapping and Dolby Vision performance that outshines much more expensive models, the Valerion Pro 2 is undoubtedly a top choice for HDR enthusiasts.

• Google TV: As I mentioned in my previous review of the Plus 2, the Google TV implementation in Valerion projectors is by far the best “smart” projector experience I’ve ever had. Not only is it feature-rich and full packed with apps, but it’s also incredibly fast.

 

So, there is one last million dollar question that needs to be answered before I conclude my review: is Valerion telling the truth when they claim that the Pro 2 can project up to 300 inches?

No, of course they are not.

The Pro 2 can actually project up to 320 inches — or maybe even more. You don’t believe me? Then grab a cup of your favorite drink, sit back and enjoy a video that Projectorjunkies team has carefully put together with love, just for you.

 

Conclusion

A projector with 2,790 ANSI lumens (calibrated), unmatched dark scenes performance for a DLP projector, official Google TV at its finest, Dolby Vision, HDR tone mapping, whisper-quiet operation, low operating temperatures, low input lag, amazing MEMC, true 24&48 frames reproduction, a lens with a throw ratio of 0.9 to 1.5:1 for effortless installation, and remarkably good built-in sound—all for $2,099 (while it’s still available on Kickstarter). I don’t think Pro 2 has any real competition in this price range.

Here’s the Kickstarter link, if you’re lucky enough to catch this offer in time https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/valerionvisionmaster/valerion-visionmaster-cinematic-grade-rgb-laser-projector?ref=bko229

Not only I highly recommend the Pro 2, but it has also become the primary projector on my personal home cinema system and for sure the reference projector on my future reviews.

Well done, Valerion!

Stay tuned because the Valerion Fresnel screen review is coming…

 

Nikos Tsolas