When it comes to video projectors, Valerion is not a brand that is widely known. In fact, they’ve just arrived on the scene with a massive Kickstarter project that raised over $10 million in 2024, making it the highest-funded projector project in crowdfunding history. But this is not to say that they’ve come out of nowhere. In fact, they’re a sister company to AWOL, whose UST projectors have been available in the U.S. for the past few years.
At CES 2025, Valerion spotlighted its flagship VisionMaster Max projector along with the rest of its product line. And what we saw at the show was impressive enough for the projector to earn our coveted “Best in Show” award for best lifestyle projector.
Valerion VisionMaster Max
Valerion claims that the VisionMaster Max incorporates advancements that “set a new standard” for cinematic-quality projection in the lifestyle category. For those unfamiliar with the term, lifestyle projectors are those that come in a fairly small chassis, can be mounted or installed a number of different ways, and include built-in speakers. They’re normally not considered for “serious” home theaters as their compact designs can sometimes sacrifice performance. But this does not appear to be the case with the Valerion VisionMaster Max.
Product Design
The Valerion VisionMaster Max measures in at a svelte 10.2 x 7.3 x 8.5 inches, identical in size to the rest of Valerion’s current projector offerings. The chassis features 14 electroplated metal strips, engineered to endure up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of pressure, but we wouldn’t recommend standing on it. The company says that this advanced structure delivers “superior strength and reliability” while maintaining a sleek, modern visual appearance.
To provide a wide breadth of content access and ease of use, in addition to three HDMI and two USB ports, the VisionMaster Max incorporates Google TV+ with access to all the top streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, AppleTV+ and Disney+. It also includes support for Airplay 2, Chromecast & Miracast wireless streaming, and works with Google Home, Apple Homekit, and Amazon Alexa. It even offers Control 4 compatibility for integration with CI (Custom Installation) systems.
The VisionMaster Max offers IMAX Enhanced certification and supports HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG high dynamic range formats. It also supports Dolby Atmos sound.
Lens, Imaging and Optics
The VisionMaster Max incorporates a professional-grade OpticFlex lens system, supported by an optical engine featuring the commonly used 0.47-inch TI DLP Chip paired with the latest generation XPR module. As with most 4K DLP projectors, the VisionMaster Max uses pixel shifting on the 1080p DLP chip to produce 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels) at 60 Hz. It can also support a 240 Hz refresh rate at 1080p resolution. The integrated triple laser RGB laser light source enables the VisionMaster to support 110% of the BT2020 color gamut.
Keystone and Lens Shift
Designed with flexible placement options in mind, the VisionMaster Max includes a number of manual and automatic picture adjustments to assure proper screen geometry. The projector’s automatic image correction system includes tilt, keystone, and digital zoom correction, with the image processor performing the necessary scaling of the image to create a perfectly rectangular 16:9 screen shape.
But the VisionMaster Max is different from most lifestyle projectors – even some home theater projectors – in that it also includes optical lens shift as well as optical zoom. Lens shift is superior to keystone adjustment in that it can adjust the position of the image on the wall or on the screen without losing any image detail. This can allow you to place the VisionMaster Max on a coffee table or mount it on the ceiling and still hit your projection screen in an optimum viewing position with perfect screen geometry. The VisionMaster Max vertical lens shift range is a full screen height (+/- 50%) which is a greater than many dedicated home theater projectors. There is no horizontal lens shift, so you will need to make sure that the projector is centered on the screen in order to avoid any keystone adjustments.
The projector’s 0.9-1.5:1 throw ratio and optical zoom lens also increase installation flexibility, allowing the projector to throw a 200-inch diagonal image from approximately 18.5 feet away or a massive 300-inch image from 22.5 feet away. We have heard that additional lens options may be offered in the future.
Improved Dynamic Contrast with Enhanced Black Level
Perhaps the most impressive feature on the VisionMaster Max is that, when the Enhanced Black Level mode is activated, a special algorithm adjusts various parameters such as the intensity of the laser light engine, the gamma curve, and the RGB levels for each IRE of the grayscale dynamically on a frame-by-frame basis. This can result in improvements in overall dynamic range and contrast by lowering the black level and boosting the highlights.
Valerion offers other options in the VisionMaster series, but none can quite match the performance and installation flexibility of the VisionMaster Max.
Comparison with Other Valerion Projectors
| Max | Pro 2 | Pro | Plus 2 | Plus | |
| Price | $3,999 | $2,999 | $2,499 | $1,999 | $1,499 (not currently available) |
| Imaging Chip TI 0.47-inch DMD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RGB Triple Laser Light Source – 25,000 use hour life | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4K UHD Display Resoluition (via pixel shift) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brightness (ISO Lumens) | 3,000 | 3,000 | 2,500 | 2,000 | 1,500 |
| Contrast Ratio | 15,000:1 | 15,000:1 | 10,000:1 | 10,000:1 | 10,000:1 |
| Dynamic IRIS | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Vertical Lens Shift | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Optical Zoom | 0.9-1.5:1 | 0.9-1.5:1 | 0.9-1.5:1 | 1.2:1 | 1.2:1 |
| 4:3, 16:9, 21:9, 32:9 Aspect Ratio Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 110% REC 2020 Color Space | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ISF Certificated | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 40 to 300-inch Image Size Range | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IMAX Enhanced | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Filmmaker Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HDR Support (HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Tone Mapping | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active 3D | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Output: 2x12W | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DTS Virtual:X | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dolby Audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google TV OS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gaming Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI | 2×HDMI 2.1 1×HDMI 2.0 (eARC) | 2×HDMI 2.1 1×HDMI 2.0 (eARC) | 2×HDMI 2.1 1×HDMI 2.0 (eARC) | 2×HDMI 2.1 1×HDMI 2.0 (eARC) | 2×HDMI 2.1 1×HDMI 2.0 (eARC) |
| USB | 1×USB 3.0, 1×USB 2.0 | 1×USB 3.0, 1×USB 2.0 | 1×USB 3.0, 1×USB 2.0 | 1×USB 3.0, 1×USB 2.0 | 1×USB 3.0, 1×USB 2.0 |
| WiFi 6e | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth 5.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Audio Output (1 x S/PDIF) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analog Audio Output | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fan Noise | 28dB | 28dB | 28dB | 26dB | 26dB |
| Dimensions (10.23″ x 7.3″ x 9.2) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weight (15lbs/8oz) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The Bottom Line
Valerion is staking out new ground here by offering the performance of a dedicated home theater projector in the compact elegant chassis of a lifestyle projector. We’ve never seen a lifestyle projector with the performance and installation flexibility of the VisionMaster Max and, for these reasons, it earned our “Best in Show” award for Best Projector at CES. Valerion received quite a bit of buzz and attention at the show, and if what we saw was any indication, their projector line-up is poised to stake a significant claim in the marketplace.
The other projectors in the Valerion VisionMaster series include many features in common – but do have some significant differences in light output, contrast and lens shift capability. Also, while the VisionMaster Pro, Pro 2 and Max offer an optical zoom lens, the entry-level Plus and Plus 2 include a fixed focus lens assembly, which can limit placement options.
The success of the VisionMaster Max is not guaranteed. With the proliferation of inexpensive TVs sized at 98 inches and beyond, some prospective buyers may choose a flat panel TV instead. However, the Valerion VisionMaster Max offers a strong value proposition for those who want to replicate that cinematic viewing experience at home, without breaking the bank.
Price & Availability
The Valerion VisionMaster Max is available for pre-order for $3,999 at Valerion’s website, with deliveries expected to start February 2025.
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