Following a trade show preview last month, Valerion has now launched a funding campaign on Kickstarter for a triple-laser long-throw projector. The VisionMaster Max boasts high-brightness 4K visuals, Google TV and support for super-wide IMAX.
Startup Valerion is the sister brand of AWOL Vision, which was itself founded by Andy Zhao and Steven Shulman in 2022. Where AWOL models snuggle close to the wall, this new entity will focus on the long-throw projector segment.
The VisionMaster Max was originally launched at IFA 2024 in Berlin last month, where Zhao said: "With the Valerion VisionMaster Max, we have developed a product that takes the home theater experience to a new level. With our advanced technology and outstanding design, we offer a new dimension of film enjoyment accessible to everyone from movie fans to gamers. We are excited to share this innovation with the world and allow everyone to bring cinema quality right home." Now the smart projector has now gone live on Kickstarter.
Wrapped in high-style housing featuring 14 electroplated metal strips, the Max's projection engine throws 4K UHD imagery that runs from 40 diagonal inches right up to 300, depending on how far the unit is positioned from the vertical display surface.
Its red, green and blue triple-laser light source puts out 3,000 ISO lumens and covers 110% of the Rec.2020 color gamut, with an ISF-certified calibration mode available for optimum colors straight out of the box. The projector also delivers 15,000:1 viewing contrast (4,000:1 native), with a dynamic iris automatically adjusting the aperture for optimized black levels.
There's support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG plus there are IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker modes as well – "transforming your living room into a personal theater." And an AI-enhanced Super Resolution mode is included that upscales lower-res content to 4K in real-time. Optical zoom and vertical lens shift, along with autofocus, keystone correction, screen fit and obstacle avoidance, also help make positioning and setup a breeze.
The Max's system has Mediatek MT9618 smart TV SoC brains supported by 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. HDMI 2.1 inputs make for low-lag connections, which gets latency down to 4 ms at 1080p/240Hz or 15 ms at 4K/60Hz – promising zippy response for big-screen gamers. Other ports shape up as HDMI 2.0 with eARC, USB 2.0 and 3.0, Ethernet LAN, S/PDIF and 3.5-mm audio out.
Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi6e are also cooked in, along with Google TV for access to streaming entertainment – including Netflix. Wireless mirroring is possible too, over AirPlay 2, Chromecast or Miracast. The big ol' cube rocks a pair of 12-W speakers with support for Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X. And the unit is compatible with Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa for integration into the smart home.
The VisionMaster Max has launched today on Kickstarter, where pledges start at US$2,199. The usual crowdfunding cautions apply, but if all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start from May next year. The video below has more.
Interestingly, Valerion is also making another three models in this series available at launch. The Pro 2 is a very similar offering to the Max, but lacks lens shift and dynamic iris – pledges for this one start at $2,099 and shipping is estimated for December this year. The 2,000-lumen Plus 2 and the 1,500-lumen Plus variants have lower contrast, and lack optical zoom, lens shift and dynamic iris. They're pitched at $1,499 and $1,199, respectively.
Source: Valerion