Projectors Tests Reviews

Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 : test / review

Published on: 20-10-2024 / Modified: 20-10-2024

I've been keeping an eye on crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo for years, I regularly buy products through them, sometimes with good surprises ... and sometimes with situations where I've never received the product I bought. Over time, I've developed a list of things to check to reduce the risk of running into a scam. There is no such thing as zero risk but I haven't been ripped off for 2 years now.

Why start an article on a video projector by talking about crowdfunding? Quite simply because the Valerion VisionMaster projector is available on Kickstarter before its official launch and it's exactly the kind of new product I like to test. On paper, it all looks too good, so my alarm bells go off and I go through my checklist one by one. The first is to contact the manufacturer to see if they respond and if their answer holds water.

I very quickly received a reply to my request and Valerion agreed to send me a sample of the Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2. They've seen the type of articles I write, so they agreed to send me a projector with full knowledge of the facts. I have an objective test protocol, I never hide the defects I encounter.

Launch offer

The interest of crowdfunding campaigns is the price and Valerion announces a 40% reduction compared to the final price. I don't know if the final price will really be 40% higher, it's probably a good way to generate sales. If I compare the Kickstarter price with the price of an equivalent projector from another brand, the price positioning on Kickstarter is really very interesting!

If you want to take advantage of it:
Valerion VisionMaster / Kickstarter

Purchasing through this campaign gives you a price reduction without a reduction in warranty, you are covered for 2 years for your purchase. I will try to publish my test results as soon as possible to help you make a decision. My speed will depend on the delivery time and I also have a week of vacation at the beginning of November.

Why this projector?

Valerion is a new brand but behind Valerion, there is an existing manufacturer: Awol. This probably explains why a new brand manages to launch 4 projector models in a single operation with many accessories already available.

The four models available are:
Valerion VisionMaster Max (3000 lumens, optical zoom, 4000:1, vertical shifting, dynamic iris)
Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 (3000 lumens, optical zoom, 4000:1)
Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 (2000 lumens, fixed optics 1.2:1, 3000:1)
Valerion VisionMaster Plus (1500 lumens, fixed optics 1.2:1, 3000:1)
In common: Dolby Vision, 110% REC 2020, Google TV, max 15 input lag.

The Max model will only be available after May 2025. The others should be delivered from December 2024.

On paper, the features are very attractive. These projectors (even the "Plus" range) include everything you can expect from a projector. I think the reality will be a little less attractive, this was also the case for the JMGO N1 Ultra that I tested but in the end even with weaker features, this projector was still a very good projector.

Manufacturer web site:
https://www.valerion.com
Site where I have bought or received the Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2: https://valerion-vis...

Timeline

October 21, 2024: shipment of the Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2

November 4, 2024: I've received the projector, and the test can begin. For those who still have doubts about the product's existence, I can confirm that not only does it exist, but it works!

Why this projector?

Unpacking

The Valerion Visionmaster Plus 2 comes in a two-tiered box. First, there's the box illustrating the product and its features. The bottom of this box is not very sturdy, so remember to place a hand on its base or put the box on a table before taking the projector out. Inside this box, you'll find the second package, which is of a completely different nature. The second packaging has an almost military style and it's a good thing it provides a thick layer of protection for the projector. I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can kick the box, but it'll stand up to transport just fine.

The box contains the projector, a large manual in several languages, a power supply and a remote control (without batteries).

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Operating system

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 videoprojector (and other models) runs on Google TV. The start-up procedure is therefore the same as for all projectors using the same operating system. Valerion has added a few questions specific to this projector at the end of the initial setup. These questions allow you to choose the projector's orientation, audio output and other Valerion-specific settings

The interface is therefore exactly the same as on the Formovie Theater Premium, and the Valerion natively supports Netflix, PrimeVideo and Disney+. Integration with Google Assistant goes further than with other projectors, as you can also activate the microphone for Google Assistant on the projector. An on/off button on the projector's top panel puts Google on active listening, so you can execute voice commands without using the remote control.

The strength of Google TV lies in its integration between the search engine (voice or text) and the applications. No need to go into each app to find a movie or series, the search engine can search through the catalogs of all compatible apps. I just think it's a shame that the PlayStore isn't easier to access, because to install new apps, I find that voice or text search isn't always the most appropriate.

Finish

Like everyone else, I had seen the presentation images of the projector on Kickstarter and these images implied that the projector was going to have a nice level of finish. I was quite surprised when I opened the box because I thought the projector was going to be black, it's actually white. There may be several versions. The Valerion Visionmaster Plus 2 is a very beautiful object, it's without doubt the projector with the most sophisticated aesthetics I've been able to test so far.

The projector is massive and quite heavy, composed of metal and plastic with a rather unique aesthetic. The projector's format reminds me a little of the Hisense C1, but the similarity ends there.

The projector is encased in a series of metal ridges that hint at a plastic mesh. The edges are smooth and rounded, much like those found on high-end smartphones. The depth sensor and optical unit are integrated into a perfectly smooth glass-effect front panel, again a feature I often find on high-end smartphones. It's also the kind of surface that allows fingerprints to show through easily

The optical compartment is quite imposing and partially covered by a black cover stamped with the Valerion brand. I don't think this cover is there for aesthetic reasons. I think it's there to prevent light from reflecting on the inside of the optical compartment and then creating a halo around the image. In fact, I can see a slight halo outside the image on the sides but not underneath.

The bottom of the image corresponds to the bottom of the optical compartment. You therefore need to place the projector in the bottom position to match the bottom of the screen, or in the reverse ceiling position to match the top of the screen.

The rear panel is almost the same as the front; you need to open a flap to access the connectors.

The connectors are very comprehensive. There's a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an SPDIF audio output, 3 HDMI ports, one of which is eARC, a headphone output and an RJ45 Ethernet port

The remote control is a little more complex than those I've tested recently. All the essential buttons are there, along with a whole series of shortcuts to the best-known streaming platforms (YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+). This probably indicates that these applications are natively compatible, which is not always the case with Formovie or XGIMI.

The remote control is backlit; it's been a long time since I've tested a projector with this type of remote control. This will help you find your way around in the dark, as some of the buttons have exactly the same relief and you could get confused trying to find your way around by touch

Projection room

My projection room is rectangular, 4.6m by 2.9m (height 2.2m). I have two projection walls, one white wall 2.9m wide with just white paint with a possible 4m setback. I then have a 133 inch ALR screen on another wall with a possible setback of 2.8m. I mainly use the ALR screen except when the layout or type of projector is not suitable for this situation.

Battery autonomy

Power consumption

I measured a power consumption of around 140 watts, and even when playing with the brightness settings, this consumption remained stable, so this projector is quite energy-efficient.

Operating noise

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 is very discreet, with a noise level of less than 40 dB if I place my measuring instrument on the projector. The cooling system is not always active, which means that when the projector isn't hot, it's very discreet because the ventilation is off. My fan will switch on and off according to heat dissipation needs. The noise emitted by the fan is not likely to disrupt your cinema session, but irregular noise is much more noticeable than constant noise.

Image quality

Not yet available / tested

Colorimetry

More explanations on colorimetry

Measuring color fidelity (colorimetry) is not a subjective question, it is something completely measurable. This measurement is carried out with a device (colorimeter, spectrometer, ...) which measures the difference between the real color and the displayed color. This difference is expressed in delta E (abbreviation: dE). A dE greater than 3 indicates a deviation perceptible to the human eye.

The dE must therefore be as low as possible but projectors rarely have a dE lower than 3 out of the box. They are often between 5 and 10, only a calibration can correctly adjust the colors.

For a perfect calibration, you must call a professional. I give you my parameters which correspond to my situation. These settings might work for your situation but it is not a guarantee, so take them as an indication of the direction to follow.

In principle, this projector is calibrated correctly out of the box, and is ISF-certified. This isn't the first time I've seen this kind of argument, as it was also the case with the JMGO N1 Ultra, and in the end, color fidelity was a mess. Is this also the case with this Valérion? Yes and no. No, because the basic colorimetry is no lower than a delta E of 3, and yes, because the default colorimetry is better than what I'm used to testing. The discrepancy between the certified calibration and reality can be explained by the fact that the calibration was done when the projector came out, without taking the projection surface into account

I measured color fidelity in all available configurations (standard, sport, pc/game, eco, cinema, film maker), each time modifying the color temperature (standard, cold, warm 1, warm 2). I took these measurements on a neutral white screen and then on an ALR screen. Each configuration has a different level of color fidelity, and for each configuration, I obtained the best results using the "warm 1" color temperature. The "cold" and "standard" temperature settings are too cold for all configurations, and the effect is accentuated by colder configurations such as "sport"

On a white screen I obtained a color delta E between 5 (cinema mode) and 13 (sport mode).

On a gray screen, I obtained a color delta E between 9 (cinema mode) and 18 (sport mode).
Cinema mode was the winner in all configurations.
Here's the result obtained with the best configuration (Cinema / Warm 1):

dE colors: 5.33

dE white: 9.1

White temperature: 7740

dE gray: 5.35

In all configurations, the REC2020 color space is achieved:

This may not mean much to you, but color space is the amount of color a projector is capable of displaying. This projector is the best color space projector I've tested so far, exceeding REC2020!

Note: the values of my measurements are not scientifically accurate because my measuring device is not precise enough, but they provide a realistic reflection of reality

Calibration

I didn't spend much time trying to calibrate the projector from cinema mode, there wasn't much left to do to improve the situation

I obtained the following result on a white screen:

Delta E colors: 1.51

Delta E white: 1.3

White temperature: 6453K

Delta E gray: 2.16

This projector is therefore capable of producing an image with a high level of color fidelity!

Brightness

More explanations on brightness

The brightness for a projector is absolutely crucial. The brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the values provided by the manufacturer are very often higher than reality.

I measure the brightness with a lux meter and I convert my measurements into ANSI lumens in relation to the projection surface. You thus obtain a real value.

A video projector, even if it is bright, cannot compete with a television. The contribution of light (natural or artificial) will have the effect of drastically reducing the contrast of your image. With a brightness lower than 1000 ANSI lumens, the projector must be used in total darkness.

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 has a theoretical brightness of 2000 lumens, and if I measure the brightness at the projector's output, I get a brightness of between 1286 (eco mode) and 2083 lumens (standard, laser 10), which is more than advertised. Brightness is often misleading, because projectors that reach their theoretical brightness produce a poor-quality image. This is not at all the case with this projector: with its 2083 lumens, the image is perfectly watchable, without the excessive green tint that is often the case.

After calibration, based on the cinema mode, I obtained 1545 lumens on a white screen and 881 with an ALR screen (gain 0.6). These are very comfortable values for watching your films on a large screen. I'll come back to this point a little later in the test.

Sharpness

Image sharpness is excellent in the center and periphery. I can easily distinguish lines separated by a single pixel. The red tint comes from the REC2020 color space, which my phone isn't able to capture; in fact, the background is white

Contrast

More explanations on contrast

Contrast (on/off) is used to measure the difference between white and black. This measurement gives an indication of the ability of a projector to produce a good rendering in dark scenes.

A contrast lower than 500:1 should be considered as a very low contrast and the consequence will be especially visible in dark scenes where you will lose details. This is less of a problem for sports, bright films or even cartoons.

A low contrast ratio does not mean that a projector is not usable, you just have to be aware that for films like Aliens, dark scenes will no longer allow you to distinguish details.

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 has a theoretical native contrast of 3000:1 and a dynamic contrast of 10000:1. Most of the time, when I see this kind of specification, I smile a little, because these values are often exaggerated... except that this projector is a real eye-catcher: the contrast is simply incredible. It's clearly one of the best contrast projectors I've tested.

I measured the contrast on my ALR NothingProjector screen and obtained a contrast between 2500:1 and 3000:1, depending on the chosen configuration. If I activate dynamic contrast, I get a contrast of over 9000:1 - I've never seen anything like it! These values are lower than the technical specifications because I measured the contrast on my screen, whereas others test the brightness at the projector's output. The projector also has an option to accentuate the depth of black and this enabled me to obtain a black at 0.02 cd/m², which is also enormous.

Well, I'll stop boring you with numbers, the best thing is to show you the impact of contrast on the Batman trailer. Don't pay too much attention to the colors, filming with a triple laser projector doesn't render all the colors correctly

All the dark scenes are perfectly rendered, and I even noticed details I hadn't seen before. So you can revisit great classics like Aliens, Batman, Pitch Black, Matrix, ..

Motion compensation

Image size and projection distance

More explanations on the projection distance

The projection distance determines the size of the image and the size of the image is determined by the projector's throw ratio. If a projector has a throw ratio of 1.2, it will have an image width of 83 cm with possibly a gray border.

The distance also plays a role in the brightness because the brightness decreases with the square of the distance. A projector placed at 4 meters will therefore lose 4 times more brightness than a projector placed at 2 meters.

Keystone image correction does not modify the projection cone, it resizes the image inside the projection cone. This means that in the event of a significant correction, you will see a large gray border appear around your image.

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 has a projection ratio of 1.2:1, which means that for every meter of distance from the screen, the image expands by 83 cm in width. With a 2-meter distance between the projector and the screen, you'll get an image 166 cm wide, with a slight gray border. This projector is not equipped with an optical zoom, so distance will directly determine image size. The Max and Pro 2 models are equipped with an optical zoom, offering greater freedom of positioning

The projection distance also plays a major role in brightness, which decreases with the square of the distance. Fortunately, this projector is very bright.

With the maximum measured brightness of 2083 lumens, you get the following graph for the projection distance:

This means that you can place the projector about 1.8 meters from the screen in a bright room, 2.5 meters for a semi-light room and 3.4 meters for a dark room. This gives you an image width of 282 cm

And with 1545 lumens after calibration:

If you prefer screen size to color fidelity, you can use the first graph as a guide, otherwise this second graph will give you the best combination of screen size and color fidelity.

Screen choice

This is a very bright projector, so you shouldn't use a screen with a gain greater than 1. If you opt for a white screen, the contrast will be good, but the black won't be as deep. The best solution would be to combine it with an ALR screen, which would deepen the black, as was the case with my screen, where I obtained a black at 0.02 cd/m². If you opt for a gray screen, you'll probably have to play a little with the ratio between red (to be increased) and blue (to be decreased), as this type of screen tends to cool the temperature of the white.

Audio quality

More explanations on audio quality

I use several types of music tracks to illustrate the sound quality of the projector but the rendering will always be limited by the recording device. Since I always use the same device, you will be able to compare the difference on the same basis.

I regularly use well-known songs protected by copyright to illustrate the sound quality of a video projector. It therefore sometimes happens that YouTube decides to block my videos for these reasons. In this case, you can listen to the soundtracks directly on YouTube and hope that YouTube has not completely blocked my channel.

The Valerion VisionMaster Plus 2 is equipped with 2 x 12-watt speakers that deliver a fairly powerful, good-quality sound. The video below will probably be blocked on my blog because I'm using copyrighted songs. If that's the case, just watch it on YouTube directly.

I've used songs of quite different kinds to illustrate the audio quality of this projector. The sound is of good quality, the projector is at ease in all frequencies and voices are very well rendered, but I find it gets a little lost when too many sounds get mixed up. The XGIMI Aura 2 delivers a better sound, with a more powerful tone and greater depth of low frequencies.

Video games

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

ALR/CLR Projection screen

Are you looking for a good ALR/CLR screen for your projector? I may have what you need:
ALR/CLR NothingProjector Screen

Test / Review conclusion

I haven't finished this test yet, as I need to shoot some footage. I've also got a few measurements to make, but as the Kickstarter campaign is coming to an end soon, I'm already going to post my first impressions. My conclusions are generally fairly balanced, because I try to be as factual as possible. That's going to be more complicated with this projector, because it's quite simply the best projector I've tested. The image is sublime, I can't put it any other way. Colorimetry out of the box is acceptable, but you can quickly bring it up to a very high level. Contrast is extraordinary, brightness is strong (a little too strong, in fact), sound quality is good, sharpness is good.

The asking price for the Kickstarter campaign defies all competition; you won't find anything better in this price range. If you were considering buying one of the other models, I think the conclusion would be the same for the image, so it's the additional features (e.g. optical zoom) that should influence your choice. The price difference is unlikely to justify the small gain in image quality.

Strengths

Impeccable level of finish

Colorimetry

Exceptional contrast

Sharpness

REC2020 color space

Brightness

Motion compensation

Sound quality

Low latency for gaming

Google TV

hey Google integrated into projector

Backlit remote control

Weaknesses

Halo of light outside the projection area

High brightness and not adjustable when dynamic contrast is activated

Netflix not working yet (should be solved soon)

Some buttons on remote control not illuminated

Projector quite heavy (7 kg!)

Irregular ventilation

No rollover detection for ceiling placement

LAURENT WILLEN
Head of myself on this blog

I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.

My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.