It’s not easy to stand out on the projector battleground of lumens, contrast ratios, and HDR specs that is the global projector landscape. But one company, Valerion, last year managed to make headlines with a Kickstarter campaign that saw the sister company to AWOL Vision raise a record $10 million in funding for its VisionMaster series of projectors. Now, making a huge leap from crowd-funding to the hallowed halls of CES 2025, the Shenzhen-based company is using the Las Vegas tech event to announce its most advanced projector to date: the Valerion VisionMaster Max, a $4,000 triple laser projector that is currently available for preorder.
Adding to its already robust lineup of VisionMaster projectors that includes the $3,000 Pro2 and Pro models and $2,000 Plus2 and Plus models, the Valerion VisionMaster Max trumps them all with 3,000 ISO lumens of brightness beamed from its RGB triple laser light source that can project an image from 40 inches to a massive 300 inches.
Anyone who’s familiar with projectors will tell you that one of the biggest challenges is finding one with the brightness and contrast to adapt and perform well in a variety of room-lighting situations — we all can’t have perfectly dark, dedicated home theater dens. Projector tech has been getting better in that area lately, and the VisionMaster Max is proof positive.
With an impressive 15,000:1 contrast ratio — which, for the uninitiated, contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks on the screen — the Max should do well in moderately bright rooms. The Max also features an Enhanced Black Level mode that Valerion says “enhances the depth and richness of black tones, ensuring that both the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows are more vivid and lifelike,” which, in my experience with other projectors with a similar feature, such as the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro, means improved contrast performance in rooms with more ambient light.
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Additionally, the VisionMaster Max feature Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) automatically adjusting brightness and contrast in HDR content in real time, preventing highlights from washing out while maintaining sharp shadow and dark details as well as color.
OK, so it’s got some specs in the contrast department, but what about color? All of the Valerion VisionMaster projectors feature a 110% coverage of the BT.2020 (REC.2020) color standard, making sure that (ideally) what you’re seeing on screen is what the director or filmmakers wanted you to see. But even if you like to go your own way and prefer to tweak it to suit you, then there are customization options to dial it in, too.
Under the hood of the Max is Valerion’s AI-SoC Platform, MT9618 processor that does a lot of the heavy lifting, including AI-driven FHD to 4K upscaling with something Valerion calls AI-Super Resolution. The Max features picture modes aplenty, including IMAX Enhanced mode, Filmmaker mode, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ HDR, and Active 3D. Gamers will also be in luck for gaming with a speedy 4ms input lag and 1080p gaming at 240Hz, with custom modes for RPG, SPG, FPS, and more.
While the VisionMaster Max feature a pair of 12-watt speakers, it’s likely you’ll need to add a soundbar for better sound. However, when you do, there’s a nice spread of audio support that includes not just Dolby Atmos and DTS but also virtual sound effects standards including Dolby DAP and DTS: Virtual X.
If setting up a projector is a daunting idea (because it is), then the Max might ease your mind. While it’s not an ultra short throw projector that requires only inches from the screen to setup, the short-to-medium throw Max needs just feet, and it has an optical zoom adjustment feature so you don’t have to rely on moving the projector around to fit an image. Additionally, there’s also vertical and horizontal lens shifting for more precise image adjustment, too.
Love it or hate it, the Valerion VisionMaster Max runs on Google TV OS that’s built in, granting access to all the most popular streaming services and apps you need like Netflix, Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, and more. But if you prefer to run your own streaming device, like an Apple TV 4K or Roku, then you can connect via one of three HDMI inputs (2 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x HDMI 2.0 (eARC). The Max also features two USB ports (1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0), two digital audio outs, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6e.
But like a lot of TVs on the market now, projectors can also act as a hub for the home. The VisionMaster Max supports smart connectivity with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Miracast wireless streaming, as well as Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Amazon’s Alex, and Control 4 for a wide range of integrations with your smart devices.
The Valerion VisionMaster Max can be preordered now at the Valerion website for $4,000
