What features of the Samsung 30–100 Freestyle smart portable projector are good? There has a potent built-in speaker, smartphone mirroring abilities (with Apple’s AirPlay 2 support), and a variety of accessories. With the Freestyle, you can watch large-screen videos inside a small capsule. The space is filled with 360-degree audio produced by it. Reveal more in Samsung 30 – 100 the Freestyle smart portable projector with HD & HDR review.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Sleek design and lightweight
- 360° speaker
- 180° tilt/swivel
- Auto keystone/focus
- Bright, sharp, colourful pictures
Cons
- Sluggish navigation
- Tizen OS not supported sometime
- Auto keystone does not work sometime
Specs
- Dimensions 17 x 10 x 9.5cm
- Native resolution: 1,920×1,080
- Screen size Up to 100 inches
- HDR-compatible: Yes
- Input in game mode 44ms
- Projector type DLP/LED Pico lighting
- Lumens spec: 550
- 4K-compatible: No
- Lamp life (Normal mode): 20,000 hours
- 3D-compatible: No
- Zoom: None
- Lens shift: None
Price
The Freestyle is offered at a price range of £999, $900, or AU$1299, and it comes with an attractive, understated white finish. It weighs little under two pounds, uses the same Tizen operating system as Samsung’s TVs, tilts 180 degrees for flexible viewing, and includes autofocus and auto-keystone for a projection that fits any wall. It also has a 180-degree tilt.
Samsung 30 – 100 the Freestyle smart portable projector with HD & HDR review
Build & accessories
It is simple to project an image on almost any surface thanks to the projector’s strong metal cradle stand with a flat base and well over 180° of tilt.
In addition to a variety of coloured “skins,” a water-resistant carrying case, a matching base with a battery, and even a “socket adaptor” that allows you to screw the projector into a light bulb mount for power, Samsung offers a number of extra accessories.
Design
The projector may easily fit in a suitcase for travel or camping trips because of its small size. It has a cylinder shape. Its dimensions are 95.2 x 171.4 x 95.2 mm, or about the size of a can of dog food, and it weighs only 0.8 kilogramme.
Ports
You’ll find a physical mute switch for the built-in speech mics on the projector’s side, as well as a Micro HDMI input and a USB-C connector for charging. You may utilise either Amazon’s Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby. The Freestyle includes a socket adapter and a lot of venting on the back to keep it cool.
- HDMI inputs: 1 (micro)
- PC input: No
- USB port: USB-C (for power)
- Audio input and output: Microphone (for voice assistant features)
- Digital audio output: None
- Internet: Wi-Fi 5
- Remote: Not backlit (also an app)
Control
Capacitive controls for power, volume, and another for connecting The Freestyle to Samsung’s SmartThings mobile app on Android or iOS are located on the front above the lens. A distance sensor and remote control sensor are located to the left and right of the projection lens, respectively. Two sizable screws are used at the pivot point to secure the projector to the base cradle.
Adjustment
To maintain a sharp and level image, Samsung’s Freestyle has autofocus and auto-keystone correction functions. The Freestyle lacks zoom or lens shift, like the majority of portable projectors, but you can always physically move the projector closer or farther away from the wall or screen to change the size of the projected image. When that happens, the projector will automatically keystone correct so that your images are always square.
Display
Depending on how you’re standing The projected image size for the Freestyle can range from 30 inches (when 2.6 feet from the wall) to 100 inches (at 8.7 feet from the wall or projection surface). The projector produces a 1080p resolution with acceptable contrast and colour reproduction, however occasionally the edges can look a little soft.
Resolution
Surprisingly, the Freestyle’s native resolution is 1080p, and it can stream HDR content in both HDR10 and HLG formats. This works perfectly with streaming services, however we did discover a problem with the HDMI (confirmed by Samsung) where the Xbox Series X would only output its games in SDR since it wouldn’t recognise the projector as being capable of HDR.
Brightness
It has a 20,000-hour lifespan and 550 lumen rating. I obtained 197 lumens, which is about average for this projector class. The Anker Mars II Pro produces 337, in contrast.
Compared to many full-size projectors I’ve used, the colours are incredibly accurate in the Movie Picture mode, and the colour temperature is also more accurate. These elements work against the Freestyle’s total brightness since precise colours and colour temperature reduce light output. However, it is still dimmer than the others and only somewhat brighter in the less precise Dynamic mode.
Lamp life
The Freestyle’s optical system is a DLP system in the style of a Pico projector that is lit by LEDs. The use of LEDs eliminates the need for lengthy warm-up and cool-down times for projectors, and the LEDs are expected to endure more than 20,000 hours. Therefore, unlike most ordinary, full-sized projectors at this price, lights don’t need to be changed on a regular basis.
WiFi
Along with the usual selection of Samsung smart TV apps, the Freestyle offers Wi-Fi. In fact, you are already accustomed to the Freestyle’s user interface if you have used a Samsung TV in the recent past. The Freestyle outperforms the majority of portable projectors in this particular area.
Audio
A 5-watt speaker creates “360 sound” for audio. That is to say, it emanates from the cylinder of the Freestyle in all directions. Better and more full-bodied than the speakers on the majority of small projectors, it is finely calibrated. If the built-in audio doesn’t satisfy you, you may pair Bluetooth speakers or headphones with The Freestyle.
When watching a movie, the Movie mode generates a rich, multi-layered soundscape that is cast sufficiently away from the projector’s body to sound less out of sync with the action than is typical for built-in projector sound systems. Despite The Freestyle having so little power and so little physical space to play with, there is also a respectable amount of bass available.
Setup
Simple setup options include using the projector’s menus step by step or using Samsung’s SmartThings mobile app (with the aid of a QR code projected onto the wall). The first time I set up The Freestyle, the procedure was agonisingly sluggish and jerky. When entering Wi-Fi and account credentials, the remote frequently registered double pushes after a single click, which was more bothersome than necessary.
Alternate of Samsung 30 – 100 the Freestyle smart portable projector with HD & HDR
Anker Nebula Capsule II
True pocket-sized portability
SPECIFICATIONS
- Resolution: HD, 1280×720 (16:9)
- Brightness: 200 lumens
- Contrast: 600:1
- Clear image size (diagonal): up to 100 inches
- Throw ratio: 1.3:1 (short, almost standard)
- Weight: 500g
- Connections: HDMI x 1, USB x 1, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Screen Mirroring
Pros
- Android TV operating system+
- Literally pint sized+
- Sleek design
Cons
- Netflix app must be sideloaded-
- No ability to tilt picture
Another excellent illustration of this is the Capsule II, which has a clean, all-black aesthetic with a simple but stylish finish. Even though it is the size of a huge can, it nonetheless generates a clear picture and 8W of sound. Being able to obtain a fantastic 720p image from a device this tiny is really impressive.
Over the past few years, Anker has quietly established a strong reputation as the go-to brand for high-performance, budget-friendly entertainment gadgets, and this reputation definitely extends to the best portable projector market.
Although the fixed lens means you might need to adjust the position of the device to get the picture where you want it to be, it is definitely designed for ease of use, with good autofocus and keystoning meaning you don’t need to fiddle with settings or menus every time you turn it on in a new place.
A single charge will provide you with approximately 2.5 hours of video, which is more than enough time for a movie or sitcom binge. The original Anker Nebula Capsule(opens in new tab), which has a four-hour runtime, may be found if you want the longest possible battery life, but you’ll have to give up the II’s superior image quality and operating system in exchange.
Even Google Assistant may be accessed via the remote, saving you the time of navigating menus. It is powered by Google’s Android TV platform, which means it offers a vast selection of streaming apps pre-installed or available for quick download. Installing this, however, requires a lot more work or the use of a different device connected to the Capsule because Netflix hasn’t approved the Capsule as an useable device.
