ZDNET's key takeaways Valerion's VisionMaster Pro 2 retails for $2,999.
This premium-built laser TV projects up to a 300-inch screen.
It's still not ideal for brightly lit rooms (like all projectors). $2,999 at Amazon
I chose the word "glorious" in the headline for this review because that word sprang to mind when I first laid eyes on the VisionMaster Pro 2 projector from Valerion -- and that was before I even plugged it in.
Valerion, a sister company to Awol Vision, is just over a year old, and it's already helping to redefine what's possible for big-screen entertainment at home. In fact, Valerion's packaging promises to "bring Hollywood to your home" with professional-grade specs and features. Granted, this level of quality doesn't come cheap.
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But how does the Pro 2 perform, and is it worth the hefty price tag? I was eager to dive right in and find out.
First impressions on design and build
Honestly, I'd have to award the Valerion Pro 2 with the "Best looking" superlative over any projector I've reviewed. Its design features metallic fins that wrap around a black chassis, giving it a distinctive, modern, high aesthetic. Behind those reflective fins, the left and right sides house both heat dissipation vents and speakers, with neither being a conspicuous part of the construction. The facade of the model I tested gleams in both bright and dark environments, and the whole thing looks as if it's made of smoked glass.
The Pro 2 measures 10.2 x 7.3 x 8.5 inches and is compact, somewhat rectangular, but mostly cuboid. Despite its glossy exterior, the build is stalwart and dense, weighing over 15 pounds. In its nifty, galvanized polyethylene foam carrying case, the Pro 2 weighs 22 pounds. Portable and well-protected, yes, but not super lightweight. Here, I should mention that this is not an ultra-short-throw (UST) projector.
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