Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 4K RGB Laser Projector Reviewed

[Dylan Seeger]

Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 4K RGB Laser Projector Reviewed

By Dylan Seeger

If I can be candid for a second, and I think anyone who’s been following the home theater space for a while now will agree, most DLP models marketed towards high-end home theater over the past decade or so have been disappointing, especially for their price relative to what else is out there from competing display technologies. To be honest, it’s been really hard lately to recommend DLP in the $3000+ space, unless you’re willing to spend tens of thousands more.

And it’s been particularly embarrassing to see some of these DLP projector manufactures go backwards in both measured and subjective image quality, to the point where it feels like the design of them is more about making sure they look good on a spec sheet instead of making sure the image actually looks good when watching movies. Suffice it to say, the DLP home theater market needs a shake up and I think the slap to the face has finally come.

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After an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, making theirs the most funded campaign of 2024 and the most funded campaign for a projector ever, Valerion’s new VisionMaster series of direct RGB-laser projectors have a lot of people talking. With the performance and features promised, the new VisionMaster Pro 2 ($2999), and soon to be released VisionMaster Max ($3,999), appear to have the chops to take on competing models costing far more.

Valerion has designed their VisionMaster series projectors around a customized direct-RGB laser light engine OEM’d by Hisense. This light engine is based around an XPR-enabled 0.47” DLP DMD to achieve 4K resolution on-screen. Thanks to the direct laser design, Valerion claims the Pro 2 can hit an impressive 110% of the REC2020 color space, which is especially useful for today’s 4K HDR videos, all while providing up to 3,000 lumens of light output and high native (4,000:1) and dynamic contrast ratios (15,000:1) for a DLP projector.

Complementing the advanced light engine design, the Pro 2 is using the state-of-the-art MediaTek Pentonic 700 MT9618 SoC, which is generally reserved for high-end flat panel TVs. This brings a whole slew of features to the Pro 2 not typically found in home theater projectors. Most important among these features is compatibility with HDR10+, Dolby Vision and dynamic tonemapping for HDR10 video sources.

Dolby Vision support, in particular, has long been a thorn in the side of projector owners since the format’s inception over a decade ago. To the best of my knowledge, the VisionMaster-series projectors are the first traditional long-throw home theater models to fully support Dolby Vision. It’s nice to see some movement on this front, finally giving owners more of a set-and-forget type of HDR experience home theater enthusiasts have been begging for. This eschews the typical static tonemapping solution found in nearly all other home theater projectors out there today that requires constant tweaking in order to get a watchable image when playing back HDR video sources and, in my opinion, is one of this projector’s stand out features.

Another standout feature the VisionMaster-series brings is the company’s Enhanced Black Level (EBL) laser dimming dynamic contrast software. This advanced algorithm dynamically adjusts laser output, gamma, and other picture settings to transform this projector’s relatively weak black level (by today’s standards compared to other display technologies) into something that feels immensely better than what the projector would be capable of without it. More on this later.

The MT9618 SoC also brings the Google TV smart operating system to the Pro 2, another feature not traditionally included with home theater projectors. Owners will be able to install and use pretty much any app compatible with Android 12. This means you’ll be able to use media server playback apps, such as Plex, Emby or Kodi directly on the Pro 2, giving owners a Kaleidescape-like experience included in the cost. Additionally, you’ll be able to install games or stream your favorite shows and movies directly to the Pro 2 with full 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support.

The MT9618 SoC includes a whole set of AI enhancement features meant to help upscale and refine the image. While I generally avoid using such software, simply because most content nowadays doesn’t need it, if you’re playing back low resolution or poorly mastered sources, the AI enhancement tools can be a useful tool in making these sources appear better than they actually are.

Gamers will be happy to hear the Pro 2 is compatible with ALLM and HDR10+ gaming. However, due to hardware limitations with the 0.47” DLP DMD, 4K gaming is limited to 60hz. Opting to use this DMD’s native 1080p resolution instead, the Pro 2 can accept an input signal up to 240hz with input lag coming in at an impressive 4ms. If you’re trying to render games at 240hz, you’ll more than likely need to run most games at 1080p anyways.

It’s worth mentioning that the Pro 2 is 3D compatible. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you factor in that support for this in recent years has dwindled in the high-end space, it makes the Pro 2 all the more tempting for fans of 3D. Keep in mind, though, that there’s no 3-pin DIN port for use with external 3D emitters, so you’ll want to grab compatible DLP Link glasses in order to take advantage of 3D. Valerion recommends their sister-brand’s AWOL DLP Link glasses for use with the Pro 2.

I think it’s also worth noting before we go any further that, while I keep making comparisons against other home theater projectors, Valerion makes no such claim that the Pro 2 is one. In fact, they actually market the Pro 2 as a lifestyle projector that just so happens to have the performance and features that make it great for home theater too. If you look at the size, weight and power requirements for the Pro 2, you’ll quickly realize this is the kind of projector that can pull double duty at home and on-the-go should you need a projector capable of this. The included hard-foam case should protect the Pro 2 as you travel to anywhere you might find yourself needing a high-quality image.

Setup
Initial setup of the Pro 2 is going to be a little different than most home theater models near it in price. That’s because the Pro 2 features a fixed offset to the light leaving its lens and the lens itself is located off to one side of the chassis. On top of this, the Pro 2 has no lens shift and a somewhat short throw range to its lens, specified as 0.9-1.5:1. Suffice it to say, you’ll want to do your homework before you decide to purchase this projector to ensure it’s going to work in the room you’d like to place it in.

Valerion is fully aware of these limitations in setup and has implemented a number of features to ease that process. If you’re going to be shelf mounting the projector, you can utilize the adjustable feet on the underside of the projector to help vertically shift the image. However, opting to shift the image this way means you'll run into trapezoidal image geometry on-screen due to the subtle difference in throw you’ve created between the top and bottom of the image.

To address this, the Pro 2 has auto and manual keystone correction. While I always recommend trying to install a projector so you don’t have to rely on keystone correction, I realize this isn’t always possible. Luckily, if you do end up using it, the high resolution nature of the image and high quality scaling the Pro 2 has for its keystone correction should mean little to no noticeable loss in image detail from normal viewing distances back from your screen.

While the lens lacks any shift capabilities, it does include motorized zoom and focus. At the Pro 2’s asking price, you don’t usually find this included. So hats off to Valerion for adding in this premium functionality. There’s also an auto-focus option which, in my testing, worked fairly well. However, I would recommend owners still check the focus manually at least once just to be sure it’s set correctly. I found I had to adjust the focus manually one click past what the auto feature set it to for optimal focus.

For I/O the Pro 2 features three HDMI 2.1 ports, with one dedicated as an eARC port should you need to send audio back to a receiver, for instance, if you’re using the built-in media player or the Android OS to use apps or play video games. You’ll also find a pair of USB ports to power and connect external devices, an RJ-45 ethernet port, and optical SPDIF and 3.5mm analog ports for audio output. WiFi is also bult in.

Lens quality is excellent for a projector at this price point. This is certainly the sharpest and most detailed looking 0.47” DLP DMD projector I’ve come across. Pixels were well delineated across the entire screen, not just in the center like you find on a lot of DLP projectors using this DMD.

For the best digital resolution capabilities, I found that Game mode for SDR and Game HDR mode for HDR sources offered the best performance. It appears that all of the other picture modes switch to a different video processing scheme which reduces chroma resolution. For 2D content, you’ll also want to make sure DLP Turbo mode and Ultra Sharp Mode are enabled in the menu system. To get 3D to work, however, you’ll need to manually disable DLP Turbo Mode.

The Pro 2 offers several preset White Balance modes to choose from. But these modes dictate more than just white balance. Depending on which mode you choose, it also dictates the color timing scheme used to present colors sequentially, a necessary step for single-chip DLP projectors. This is directly related to the amount of color breakup artifacts (aka rainbows) one may or may not notice when using the projector. Warm1 offers a basic 3x equivalent color wheel timing scheme, so unless you’re not prone to seeing rainbows, I would avoid using it. Warm2 mode offers a 4x scheme and Standard mode offers a 5x scheme. These last two modes create both primary and secondary color(s) by turning on two of the primary color channels at the same time (eg. green + red = yellow, blue + green = cyan). This expands the color palette capabilities of the projector and yields better color performance overall, so I would highly recommend using either of these modes.

Warm2 offers better out-of-the-box performance, so unless you’re calibrating the projector, this is the mode I would recommend using. Standard is better for visible color breakup due to the faster color timing scheme though it definitely is cooler in color temperature and will require more calibration to get the desired D65 white balance.

On top of basic and more advanced calibration settings typically found in home theater projectors including Brightness, Contrast, gamma, and color management options, owners also have access to a whole slew of AI-based processing options in the menu system meant to enhance the image in terms of sharpness, color and contrast. If I’m being completely honest, most video content available today, be it streamed or played back on disc, doesn’t really need to be enhanced. However, if you’re watching low quality content (on YouTube for instance), the options are there if you feel the video needs some help. Otherwise, I’d say leave most of these options disabled.

Another divisive feature most home theater projectors come with nowadays is smooth motion frame interpolation, with the Pro 2 being no different. Owners will find this feature listed in the menu system as MEMC. Overall, I found MEMC to be very versatile in terms of customization of how you’d like motion to be enhanced. With that said, I didn’t find a combination of settings that completely removed the Soap Opera effect, so outside of a few specific use cases, I would normally leave MEMC disabled. Those who like smoother motion and don’t mind the negatives associated with these types of software will find MEMC useful.

For HDR, you’ll want to be sure that you have Dynamic Tonemapping enabled in the menu system to take full advantage of the HDR video processing capabilities this projector has to offer. When the projector detects Dolby Vision content, it automatically switches to one of its Dolby Vision modes, which can be further customized like all of the other picture modes should you choose to venture past the default settings.

Performance
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this positive about any single-chip DLP projector that has come through here for review. If you’ve been reading some of the discussion online and are wondering if this projector is really worth your time and, more importantly, your money, I’ll simply say that I can’t recommend the Pro 2 enough. The overall image quality this “lifestyle” projector has been throwing on my screen over the past few weeks is nothing short of amazing. And while I have a few complaints, they are very minor in the grand scheme of things.

Let’s start with light output. Valerion claims up to 3,000 ISO lumens (aka 2,400 ANSI lumens) and I’m happy to report that even after calibration these numbers are indeed accurate. In fact, I measured the Pro 2 at a maximum of 2,540 ANSI lumens when the lens was set to maximum zoom. This means the Pro2 can easily accommodate screens up to around 150” with ease while still providing an adequate amount of image brightness needed for today’s HDR video sources, and screens even larger if you’re okay with using the projector in one of its uncalibrated modes for the additional light output.

I’m also happy to report that native on/off contrast performance is state-of-the-art among 0.47” DLP DMD projectors. Valerion claims a 4,000:1 native on/off contrast ratio for the Pro 2. However, after a D65 calibration, I measured native on/off contrast in Game and Game HDR mode anywhere from 1,455:1 to 2,005:1 going from maximum zoom on the lens to telephoto respectively. If you’re using one of the other picture modes, laser dimming engages on an all-black screen, even with EBL disabled, artificially lowering black level, which I found doubled these aforementioned native contrast readings to meet the 4,000:1 claim. But because the laser dims for the black level reading and not the white level reading, I do not consider these numbers to be “native” performance.

With EBL enabled, Valerion claims a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for the Pro 2. I’m happy to report that both of the EBL modes available (Low and High)  yielded a maximum dynamic contrast ratio of 15,350:1 on my review sample, also meeting the performance claimed.

These contrast numbers are mighty impressive for a single-chip DLP projector in this price class and, other than the small caveat in terms of native performance, it’s refreshing to see a single-chip DLP projector actually meet the specified claims in contrast performance in a calibrated picture mode one would actually be using to watch content with.

Unlike most of the DLP projectors that have come through here recently, the Pro 2’s dynamic contrast solution actually makes for a huge difference in the amount of perceived contrast and dynamic range this projector possesses, easily punching well above its asking price in terms of subjective performance relative to other home theater projectors out there. I would recommend using EBL Low mode over High simply because it introduces less gamma compensation artifacts in the image, like blown out highlights due to clipping, and less instances of flickering and pumping typically associated with a projector with a contrast multiplier this high (ie 2,000:1 → 15,000;1+).

In general, I found the Pro 2 to have one of the better HDR implementations out there, be it from HDR10 or Dolby Vision video sources. This is one of those make-it-or-break-it features in my opinion when it comes to home theater projectors these days. Compared to competing LCD-based models near the Pro 2 in price, HDR processing is on another level. Both HDR10 and Dolby Vision titles are tonemapped well, with the image always appearing subjectively bright enough, while still providing excellent shadow detail and colors that appear desaturated enough to look natural in tone. On some content, I did notice some mild bright highlight clipping, but overall, the built in tonemapping is easily good enough where outside help from Lumagen or madVR is not required in order to get a great looking image, adding to the excellent value proposition the Pro 2 already offers.

One of my favorite scenes to test out subjective contrast performance is the Mines of Moria sequence in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. This sequence has it all from fade to black moments as they enter the mine, to moments of extreme dynamism in terms of dark and bright elements on screen at the same time as they fend off a Balrog. EBL on the Pro 2 did a remarkable job at enhancing the image’s black level, with it pretty much always looking inky and appropriately dark as the story progressed through the dark mines. Suffice it to say, I can’t remember the last time a DLP projector this bright looked this good on this sequence.

Checking out the car chase scene in No Time To Die, I was reminded of how well rounded this projector is. This scene moves from naturally lit interiors, to a bright outdoor car chase through downtown Matera, Italy. The high light output the Pro 2 possesses, combined with DLP’s excellent motion handling and detail retrieval helped to make me feel closer to the action happening on-screen. The wide shot of downtown Matera looked insanely detailed and pristine, while the car chase that ensued looked punchy and highly detailed while in motion, with the performance offered in this scene on a level few other home theater projectors out there can match.

As you’re probably guessing based on the RGB laser light source used, color performance is top notch as well. In particular, I found that the dynamic range in color is outstanding both measured and subjectively. Colors feel incredibly natural and tonally correct thanks in part to DLP’s highly accurate 10-bit gradation, the Pro 2’s high quality video processing and full coverage of the REC2020 color space the lasers provide.

With that said, not all 4K HDR video content takes full advantage of REC2020, but when you do find a title that does, viewers are going to be in for a treat. This means movie titles that go ham on deep, punchy colors, like Pixar’s Inside Out or the recently remastered Matrix Trilogy greatly benefitted from this extra color performance and was easily visible when I tested these titles out through this projector.

While I didn’t get the chance to game on the Pro 2, I did test a lot of 3D movies. With 3D support being more difficult to find on projectors these days, it’s nice to see Valerion continue to support this video standard. They sent me their official AWOL 3D glasses that paired perfectly with the Pro 2. As expected from a DLP projector, I found that 3D performance was top notch. There was zero visible crosstalk and, at default settings, the parallax effect was rendered extremely well, offering up some of the most natural and easy-to-watch 3D I’ve seen in ages.  Thanks to the high lumen output the Pro 2 possesses, 3D content looked bright and punchy behind the glasses. Best of all, EBL works in 3D mode, ensuring that even 3D movies look great in terms of contrast and dynamic range, something most DLP projectors struggle with in 3D mode.

Before we get to the next section, I also want to talk about the Pro 2’s power consumption and noise output. Even with the laser level set to max in the menu system, I measured an average power draw of only 130 watts and, even with the lasers maxed out, the projector remained whisper quiet. This is incredibly impressive given the light output capabilities and when you factor in how small the chassis is. So if you’re planning on installing the projector close to you, you won’t have to worry about hearing the projector over dialog or the projector heating up the room while you watch in any significant way.

The Downside
While most of this review has been glowing so far, the Pro 2 is not a perfect projector. Before I list a few of the negatives, I want to say that the Pro 2 I received is running an early firmware version. Though, from what I’m told, the Pro 2 will continue to see updates and improvements, so some of these issues may be resolved in time.

While I feel EBL is definitely in a state where the pros greatly outweigh the cons, the algorithm still needs some refinement in my opinion. Mostly stability types of improvements where in a single scene there are fewer instances where fluctuations in brightness and color temperature are noticeable. Sometimes it feels like EBL is making micro-adjustments to the image when it's not necessarily needed and these micro-adjustments can be seen from time to time.

As this is a single chip DLP projector, it's also worth mentioning that those sensitive to seeing color breakup artifacts, otherwise known as rainbows, may still see them with the Pro 2. With that said, I consider myself pretty sensitive to seeing rainbows and I'm happy to report that as long as you're using the recommended white balance modes to increase the color timing speeds, rainbows are relatively mild compared to other projectors with this much light output. For instance, I have a Panasonic single chip DLP projector here with a similar level of light output and on that model I notice rainbows far more often than I do with the Pro 2.

Another potential issue with the Pro 2 has to do with laser speckle. This is the same phenomenon seen when pointing a laser pointer at a wall and seeing dancing noise around the focal point of the light beam. Thankfully, Valerian has implemented some laser speckle reduction technologies inside the Pro 2 that make it far better than some of the other direct RGB laser models I've reviewed in the past. On my Stewart StudioTek 100 screen I do notice laser speckle occasionally, particularly when there are bright white highlights in the image where those highlights look like they have shiny noise in them, almost as if my unity-gain screen has turned into a 1.5 gain screen. I also noticed speckle around white subtitles where it looks like there's a red halo around the subtitle text.

Pairing the Pro 2 with the right screen is paramount in reducing laser speckle. You want to avoid anything high gain unless there are technologies built into the material designed to reduce laser speckle. A general rule of thumb is, the lower the gain, the better. Valerion sells a high-gain ALR screen with anti-speckle technology built in and were kind enough to send me one to view the Pro 2 on. I won’t say that speckle is completely removed, but compared to other high-gain screen materials, speckle is kept to a minimum and the fresnel texture on the screen is far smoother than I’m used to seeing from other ALR screen types, like lenticular screens. If you’re looking to place the Pro 2 in a room with uncontrolled  ambient light, be sure to check out Valerion’s ALR options as they will pair nicely with the Pro 2.

One last complaint that I have with the Pro 2 has to do with its built-in media player accessed through the Google TV operating system.. It appears that 24p media will be played back with forced 3:2 pulldown due to the operating system requiring output at a fixed 60hz. This means the majority of movies and TV shows, that are normally shot in 24fps, won't have the proper motion cadence during playback. You may notice judder added into motion that shouldn't be there. Those sensitive to this will want to make sure that they're using the HDMI input instead because that appears to be the only way to get proper 24p playback.  I’m hoping this can be addressed through a firmware update.
EDIT: I've received word from Valerion that this 24fps bug has been identified and will be fixed via a future firmware update. 

Conclusion
It’s been a long time since a projector has caused this much stir in the high-end home theater space and I think it’s clear why. Valerion has listened to the pleas of home theater enthusiasts in the era of HDR and have implemented software that makes it so watching HDR video is both effortless and high quality in its presentation, something most home theater projectors have utterly failed to do since the format’s inception over a decade ago.

The picture the Pro 2 produces is incredibly clean and honest. It’s also incredibly bright, color-rich and dynamically impactful when needed. It finally feels like we’re on the cusp of a resurgence of DLP projectors that can truly compete with today's LCD-based competition who’ve essentially been in a class of their own when it comes to measured performance for decades now in the high-end space. When you factor in all of the other cool features the Pro 2 has, like its built-in Android operating system, portability and low power consumption and noise, this projector has set the bar very high for future home theater projectors. The Pro 2 is highly recommended and I can’t wait to see what Valerion has in store for us with their VisionMaster Max model that releases later this year.

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Other Measurements:

[DLCPhoto]

Thanks for a very interesting and informative review! I've been reading about this at AVS, as it seems to be breaking some new ground, which is always refreshing.

On the DTM - how would you compare it to JVC's most recent capabilities? And how did you find its Dolby Vision performance relative to plain old HDR10?

[David Vaughn]

Great review Dylan. 

[Craig Peer]

Good to see you review this. Thanks. 

[Alex Solomon]

Excellent and well detailed review. Can't wait for the Max to be released!