Verdict
This transportable LED projector delivers massive display screen enjoyable with the minimal of fuss. The photographs are vivid and punchy, the sound surprisingly good, and the built-in apps provide loads of streaming alternative. Cloud gaming is a helpful addition, whereas the picture mixing characteristic may be very intelligent.
Execs
- Problem-free massive display screen photographs
- Surprisingly good sound
- Intensive streaming apps
- Good for informal gaming
Cons
- Restricted to Full HD decision
- Risk of seeing rainbows
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LED gentle supply550 Lumens and 30,000 hours lifespan -
Single-chip DLPFull HD decision of 1920 x 1080 with help for HDR10 and HLG -
Constructed-in Tizen-powered good platformStreaming apps, SmartThings app, built-in Bixby, and works with Amazon Alexa
Introduction
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen is the newest model of the Korean producer’s transportable LED projector. This new mannequin retains all of the options discovered on the primary era, akin to auto set up, 360˚ sound, Tizen good system, intensive streaming apps, and Good Calibration.
Nonetheless it additionally provides some new options, whereas additionally tweaking the efficiency in just a few areas. The headline enchancment is Good Edge Mixing, which seamlessly combines two 2nd gen Freestyles to create a single large widescreen picture for taking a look at images or watching movies.
Samsung has additionally added its Gaming Hub for cloud gaming and not using a console, together with the eco-friendly SolarCell distant. The processing pace of the Tizen working system has additionally been improved with expanded reminiscence, and the LED gentle supply now has a lifespan of 30,000 hours.
Design
- Compact and nicely made
- Adjustable stand
- Dimensions: 104 x 173 x 95mm
- Weight: 0.8kg
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen seems equivalent to its predecessor, with a cylindrical chassis and adjustable stand. The latter might be angled from 90 by means of to 180 levels, permitting you to mission on a wall or a even a ceiling, and it doubles as a deal with when carrying the beamer round.
The matte white chassis stays fashionable and solidly constructed, guaranteeing the Freestyle 2nd gen is each transportable and sturdy. Behind a gap array on the rear is similar built-in 360˚ speaker system, mixed with a warmth sink, invisible fan, and spiral air duct for cooling with minimal noise.
On the entrance the place the lens is situated you’ll discover some fundamental contact delicate controls for energy, quantity and casting. Farther down, on the best hand aspect, is a change for activating the built-in microphone, a USB-C port for energy, and a Micro-HDMI port for bodily attaching any exterior gadgets.
Options
- Micro-HDMI enter with eARC
- Constructed-in Bixby; works with Amazon Alexa
- Good Edge Mixing
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen sports activities a alternative of connectivity that emphasises its extra cell nature. For these seeking to make a bodily connection there’s a Micro-HDMI enter that helps model 1.4, with options like CEC, HDR and ARC. There’s additionally a USB-C port, however that is just for connecting the included USB energy adapter or an exterior battery.
By way of wi-fi connectivity there’s Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2 and help for Apple AirPlay 2. The Wi-Fi not solely connects the projector’s Tizen-powered good platform, but additionally provides built-in Bixby and the power to work with Amazon Alexa, offering a alternative of good assistants.
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen comes with the model’s SolarCell distant. It’s completed in white to match the projector, makes use of a wise design that’s snug to carry, and has an intuitive button structure that makes setup and management simple. The rechargeable batteries additionally assist the surroundings.
As with all of Samsung’s gadgets, the Freestyle helps the SmartThings app, which is obtainable for Android or iOS, and gives all of the management choices discovered on the included distant, plus entry to further options akin to Good Calibration and the brand new Good Edge Mixing.
There have been no issues operating the SmartThings app, which paired to the Freestyle with none points, and set up was easy, with the app taking you thru connecting the Samsung to your wi-fi community and organising all of your favorite apps on the house web page.
The Tizen-powered good system gives all the primary streaming companies like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and the UK TV catch-up companies, together with Samsung TV Plus, and even an internet browser. The house web page is sensibly laid out, and all of the options appeared to work with none points.
There’s no built-in tuner, however suitable Samsung TVs provide TV Entry, permitting customers to stream dwell TV broadcasts to the Freestyle in one other room by way of Wi-Fi. When the TV is on you may mirror content material to the projector, and when the TV is off you may management the TV content material from the Freestyle.
The Ambient mode lets you mission from a alternative of photographs or your personal images, which is useful for holding events or creating a soothing surroundings. You’ll be able to even depart the lens cap connected, should you fancy turning your Freestyle projector into a classy, if slightly costly, LED lamp.
New options for the second era Freestyle embrace a Gaming Hub that permits cloud gaming with no downloads, storage limits or console required. Though you’ll in fact want a reasonably quick web connection, a gaming service subscription, and a suitable third-party controller.
The opposite massive new characteristic is Good Edge Mixing, permitting you to mix two Freestyles right into a single widescreen picture that’s greater and brighter. Utilizing the SmartThings app and the digicam in your cell gadget, you mix the 2 beamers to have a look at images or watch streaming movies.
Lastly, the Freestyle is suitable with exterior batteries which can be USB-PD and 50W/20V output or above, though Samsung additionally gives an non-obligatory battery base with a claimed most cost of three hours. There’s even an non-obligatory weather-resistant carry case for these on the transfer.
Efficiency
- Easy to setup
- Quiet in operation
- Glorious massive display screen photographs
- Affordable enter lag
- Surprisingly good sound
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen is a cinch to setup because of its computerized keystoning, levelling and focusing. Level the unit the place you wish to mission and it’ll do the remainder. This labored very nicely in testing, however you may also manually wonderful tune the keystoning, levelling and focus if obligatory.
The picture ranges between 30 and 100 inches diagonally, and you modify dimension by bodily transferring the projector nearer or farther from the wall. You’ll be able to mission at any angle, even upwards if you wish to beam onto the ceiling so you may watch your favorite present whereas mendacity in mattress.
The Freestyle is fairly quiet in operation, with a noise flooring of solely 25dB from two ft away. It’s additionally extremely simple to setup because of the SmartThings app, which connects the projector to your Wi-Fi, and hundreds in all of your favorite apps and different settings out of your Samsung account.
It’s very simple to function, with a alternative of management choices and a house web page and menu system that’s sensibly laid out and intuitive to navigate. I discovered all of the streaming companies labored with none challenge, and the platform itself is now extra responsive on the subject of navigation or loading apps.
The projector makes use of single-chip DLP with a decision of 1920 x 1080, and an LED gentle supply. This has a claimed brightness of 550 lumens, and lifespan as much as 30,000 hours. Whereas fairly vivid, the Freestyle will battle in daylight, so for the most effective outcomes pull the curtains or use it at evening.
Basically the image high quality is superb, with photographs that seem clear and detailed. For the reason that projector is restricted to a decision of 1080p it might’t show 4K (3840 x 2160) natively, however larger decision content material is expertly downscaled with out introducing any annoying imaging artefacts.
The Freestyle helps HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ by way of its inner apps and HDMI, however the color house doesn’t cowl the total DCI-P3 color gamut. Nonetheless the tone mapping on the projector is extraordinarily good, leading to HDR photographs with loads of pleasing pop when in comparison with SDR.
Whether or not I used to be watching SDR or HDR, the picture is correct, and the movement dealing with is great because of the usage of DLP. Sadly the Freestyle suffers from the standard limitations of DLP, with weak blacks and distinction, plus attainable color fringing (rainbows) for sure folks.
Samsung’s new Good Calibration characteristic permits the Freestyle to be rapidly and simply calibrated with a supporting smartphone. Utilizing the SmartThings app, the characteristic will measure correct photographs in a matter of seconds with the smartphones digicam, making it very helpful when projecting on to off-white partitions.
Good Edge Mixing permits two Freestyle 2nd Gen projectors to be paired and their footage seamlessly blended into an ultra-widescreen picture. The minimal advisable display screen dimension is 130 inches, permitting customers to get the total good thing about 21:9 content material when streaming movies.
I examined this characteristic and it labored flawlessly because of the whole course of being defined within the SmartThings app. Level the 2 Freestyles at a display screen or wall, align their take a look at patterns, and utilizing the digicam in your cellphone the app seamlessly combines them right into a single widescreen picture.
The method labored with out challenge, and I couldn’t see the be part of between the 2 projectors when taking a look at images or watching movies streamed from a cell gadget. At current solely the Android model of SmartThings permits video streaming, however the iOS model does help images.
The Freestyle 2nd Gen is an honest projector for gaming, whether or not linked to a gaming console utilizing the Micro-HDMI enter or cloud gaming by means of the built-in hub. Within the recreation mode enter lag is 40ms, which is a bit excessive for severe avid gamers, however wonderful for most individuals who simply fancy a cheeky gaming session.
When you can’t take pleasure in latest gaming options like 4K, 120Hz and VRR, the actual fact you may rapidly and simply set the Freestyle up means you may recreation nearly anyplace. You may as well nonetheless profit from HDR and 60Hz, and in consequence take pleasure in a enjoyable and hassle-free massive display screen immersive expertise.
The built-in speaker system sounds surprisingly good contemplating the projector’s compact dimension. The mixture of 5W of amplification, a 360˚ speaker configuration and two passive woofers produce a sound that’s a lot bigger than I’d have anticipated based mostly on the Freestyle’s dimensions.
The audio spreads out in all instructions, and is able to going loud with out distorting or shedding its composure. When pairing two models the audio system from each projectors are used, and HDMI ARC means you may ship the audio from the built-in apps again to a soundbar or sound system.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
You need hassle-free massive display screen enjoyable: This achieved transportable projector can produce enormous photographs nearly anyplace and with the minimal of fuss. Constructed-in Wi-Fi and a wise platform offers you entry to your favorite content material, together with cloud gaming, the sound is sweet, and if in case you have two Freestyles you may mix them right into a single immersive image.
You wish to use a projector as a substitute for a TV: The Freestyle helps HDR, however in contrast to most TVs it’s restricted to Full HD, and the color gamut isn’t that vast. There’s no built-in tuner, and whereas the LED gentle supply can produce a fairly vivid picture, it lacks the general luminance to deal with daylight, and shouldn’t be thought of a substitute for a TV.
Closing Ideas
The Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen is a superb transportable LED Full HD HDR projector that’s gentle sufficient to be moved simply, and sturdy sufficient to not get broken. It’s attractively designed, has loads of connectivity, and intensive options that embrace a wise platform with all the primary streaming apps. It’s additionally versatile and easy to setup, with computerized focus, levelling and keystoning.
You’ll be able to rapidly and simply mission massive photographs on any wall, and the Good Calibration characteristic ensures these footage are correct no matter the place you level the projector. They’re additionally vivid and detailed, with glorious movement dealing with. Whereas the help of HDR provides some advantages, as with all beamer the Freestyle’s brightness is restricted in comparison with even the dimmest TV.
The good platform is sensibly designed, intuitive and responsive, whereas the solar-powered distant, SmartThings app, and brace of good assistants provide a alternative of management choices. The sound high quality stays surprisingly good contemplating the dimensions of this beamer, and the mixture of a fairly low enter lag and cloud gaming makes the Freestyle an awesome alternative for informal avid gamers.
The brand new Good Edge Mixing is a enjoyable characteristic for anybody who occurs to have two 2nd Gen Freestyles, producing an impressively blended widescreen image – though at current you may’t take pleasure in video with iOS gadgets. Finally, the Samsung Freestyle 2nd Gen is a fascinating and versatile transportable beamer that delivers hassle-free massive display screen enjoyable anyplace, and comes advisable from me.
How we take a look at
We take a look at each projector we overview completely over an prolonged time period. We use trade commonplace exams to match options correctly. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to overview a product.
Discover out extra about how we take a look at in our ethics coverage.
Examined with actual world use
FAQs
The Samsung Freestyle 2023 helps resolutions as much as Full HD (1080p), so it can’t mission in native 4K. It dos help HDR although, because it options HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+.
