Public Viewing in the Garden: AWOL Valerion Pro 2 and 120-Inch Outdoor Screen Review

The AWOL Valerion Pro 2 (Valerion VisionMaster Pro2) made a good impression in our hands-on test—but didn't quite inspire as much enthusiasm as the VisionMaster Max. However, according to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the Pro 2 is $2,000 cheaper.

In terms of sound output, power consumption, and fan noise, there are only minor criticisms when compared to the more expensive flagship model. Especially in a darkened room, however, the AWOL Valerion Pro 2 also impresses with a great picture featuring deep blacks and vibrant colors. Even with the room lights on, the result is more than acceptable.

In daylight or even direct sunlight, however, the Valerion Pro 2 runs out of steam rather quickly. For outdoor use, it’s suitable at the earliest from dusk—not to mention its high-gloss design. At night, though, it delivers great public-viewing moments even under the open sky. For example, if you want to watch the late World Cup matches with family and friends in the garden, the Pro 2 paired with the 120-inch outdoor screen from AWOL Valerion offers a suitable solution for under $3,500.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the AWOL Valerion Pro 2 (Valerion VisionMaster Pro2) is $2,999. It is available in three colors—black, red, and purple—among other places directly from the manufacturer as well as on Amazon.

A while back, we presented the Valerion VisionMaster Max in a hands-on review and were particularly impressed by its image quality. However, with a suggested retail price of around $5,000, the projector is certainly not cheap.

Recently, the manufacturer—which has always been part of AWOL Vision and is now called AWOL Valerion—introduced the VisionMaster Pro 2 (which, as part of the rebranding, is now called the AWOL Valerion Pro 2) positioned below the Max in two new colors: wine red and dark purple. With the World Cup currently underway, this is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the Valerion (VisionMaster) Pro 2.

In keeping with summer and the World Cup, Valerion provided us with its 120-inch foldable outdoor screen, which we also tested as part of this hands-on review.

Visually, the AWOL Valerion Pro 2 (or VisionMaster Pro2) features the same sleek design found in the other models in the series. The sides are dominated by cooling fins in a silver-colored stainless steel design, while the front and back of our test unit are finished in dark red high-gloss paint. However, this finish shows every fingerprint and is also highly reflective.

The AWOL Valerion Pro 2 displays a (non-native) 4K resolution and, with its throw ratio of 0.9–1.5:1, can project an image up to 300 inches. It generates its brightness using an RGB laser, which, according to the manufacturer, achieves a maximum brightness of 3,000 ISO lumens. That’s slightly less than the Max, but still a remarkable figure.

When used indoors, even lighting—provided it isn't turned up too bright—doesn't pose any major problems, as long as you can live with some loss of image quality. This is due not only to the impressive brightness, but also to the high contrast and the rich blacks (especially in a darkened room), which we had already noticed positively with the VisionMaster Max. In a dimmed room, the Pro 2 shows its full brilliance. In fact, the brightness is so high that, depending on the screen, it should be turned down so that the image isn’t too glaring, especially in bright scenes.

In daylight, however—and especially in sunlight—the picture is noticeably paler and is no longer really enjoyable. As a result, using it for public viewing in the garden under the open sky (as was to be expected) is only feasible from dusk onward. In an area more sheltered from sunlight, such as a covered patio, it might work earlier (with some limitations).

The settings offer many options for customizing the picture to suit your environment and personal preferences. In addition to various picture modes (Standard, Dynamic, Sports, Cinema, Filmmaker Mode, Power Saving Mode), you can adjust settings such as laser brightness (in 10 levels), color (hue, color temperature, color space, dynamic color enhancement), clarity (sharpness, noise reduction, etc.), and calibration settings.

You do have to do without the 6-level iris, speckle reduction, and vertical image shift (lens shift) of the VisionMaster Max. However, the AWOL Valerion Pro 2 also offers fully automatic image optimization with automatic keystone correction, autofocus, and obstacle avoidance, which performed well in our test. The projector can be aligned with the screen using an adjustable foot on the bottom.

For audio output, the manufacturer has included two 12-watt speakers. These support DTS Virtual:X, but to my ears, the sound is a bit muffled. The Pro 2 is by no means alone in this, though. The sound quality is certainly sufficient for soccer and other sports. If you just want to watch a movie quickly and don’t have particularly high expectations, you should still be able to live with it. But you’ll only get a true home theater experience with an external sound system.

It can be connected to the projector via eARC on HDMI 3 (HDMI 2.0) or via the S/PDIF port. A 3.5-mm jack is also included. In addition, there are two more HDMI 2.1 ports for game consoles and similar devices, two USB-A ports (one 3.0 and one 2.0), and a 100 Mbit/s LAN port. They are all hidden on the back under a flap that opens downward.

Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth 5.2 are available for wireless connectivity. In addition, the laser projector supports Google Chromecast and AirPlay for wireless streaming from smartphones, as well as Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa for smart home integration.

A projector without a projection surface is only half the battle. With a high-end model like the AWOL Valerion Pro 2, a screen is definitely recommended over a white-painted wall in order to benefit from the image quality described above.

Ultimately, any screen can be used for this purpose—whether it’s from AWOL Valerion or another manufacturer. For those who want to use the device flexibly outdoors in time for the World Cup, the Valerion Portable White Screen for Outdoor Use is one option. The manufacturer offers this screen in four sizes with diagonal measurements of 120, 150, 180, and 200 inches.

For our test, the manufacturer provided the smallest 120-inch model, which is quite affordable at a suggested retail price of $399—and, with a diagonal of about 305 cm, isn’t actually that small. It is covered with a high-quality PVC fabric featuring a matte white projection surface (1.3 dB gain and a 170-degree half-gain viewing angle).

The quality is also evident when you open the zipper. A sturdy aluminum alloy frame is revealed, with poles measuring 3 x 3 cm—a far cry from many cheap outdoor screens. The frame that holds the screen taut is closed all the way around and is unfolded using hinges with locking mechanisms. The fabric—white on the front and black on the back—is then attached to the frame with 40 snap fasteners. This requires a bit of force, especially at the corners, to ensure the fabric is sufficiently taut. Finally, the two fold-out feet are screwed into place.

Overall, the setup went smoothly, thanks in part to the multilingual instructions included. At first, I was a bit skeptical about whether the fabric would stay securely attached to the frame with the snap fasteners. In practice, however, there were no problems at all—neither when carrying the screen around nor in slightly windy conditions.

In any case, it’s advisable to use the included mounting solutions—that is, to secure the screen with the two straps attached to the eyelets screwed into the top of the frame, as well as four tent stakes driven into the ground. In addition, there’s a hole in each of the feet into which a stake can be inserted. Based on my experience, this makes the portable outdoor screen quite stable. That said, the wind definitely shouldn’t be too strong—after all, it acts like a sail measuring over 4 square meters.