AWOL Vision, the Florida-headquartered/China-manufactured projector company, has announced that its AWOL Aetherion Pro ultra-short-throw (UST) smart laser projector has moved from Kickstarter status to full commercial availability. The UST projector, which has become the most funded projector ever on Kickstarter, with 7,050 backers, is now available at retail for $3,499/£2,449.
Comprehensive Specs
The Aetherion Pro features 4K UHD resolution with a native contrast of 6,000:1 and supports Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, HDR10/HDR10+ and HLG high-dynamic-range formats. Based on a DLP chip, AWOL says it features anti-RBE technology to reduce the dreaded rainbow effect for more stable images.
When placed flush against a wall, the UST design can generate a huge 200-inch diagonal image at 57cm, 100 inches at 15.8cm, and 80 inches when placed flush up against the wall.
With a laser light engine for near-instant-on and built-in Wi-Fi 7 and Google TV for integrated streaming services, allows the projector to effectively replace a TV. The Aetherion Pro offers a healthy 2,600 lumens, but those looking for even more can opt for the $4,499 Aetherion Max, which boasts 3,300 lumens.
Early-Bird Bargains
Early backers were able to pick up the Aetherion Pro for a mere $1,999, though, inevitably, for a Kickstarter, this meant waiting for the product to ship and effectively acting as a beta tester. Buyers of the product at retail will benefit from a mature product with immediate availability.
Other Offerings
AWOL also announced the availability of its Valerion Max Theater Package, which includes its flagship home cinema Valerion projector. Designed for dedicated viewing rooms, the Valerion Max offers 4K UHD projection with 3,500 lumens and speckle reduction to reduce the unwanted artifacts caused by laser projection.
Meanwhile, AWOL’s Valerion Pro 2, which, with its 4ms response time and 240Hz capability, is aimed primarily at big-screen gamers, is now available in new red and purple variants for that all-important overall room color co-ordination. This is priced from $2,699
Finally, ahead of the summer of sport, with the football/soccer World Cup coming up, AWOL says that Valerion-branded inflatable outdoor projection screens will be available in July. The company says that these are designed for quick, flexible hosting and can be set up in as little as 10 minutes, in time for the game, and then packed down into compressible, portable storage after the final whistle.