LaView Galaxy Projector review | Live Science
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With a price tag of $129.99, the LaView Galaxy Projector ranks among the most expensive star projectors on the market, meaning it directly competes with the highly rated Sega Toys Homestar Classic Projector. But while there’s a lot to like about LaView’s offering, some features make it feel like a cheap copycat, and we can’t help but think it’s at least $50 too expensive.
But it’s not all bad. The LaView Galaxy Projector comes with multiple discs, all of which deliver sharp, crisp images. Some of them are scientifically accurate views of space, others are more fun, like a giant T.rex that appears to be coming out of a wall, which gives it a lot of variety and makes it a great choice for kids. The projection quality is also excellent and everything is very well packaged.
But some less-than-stellar features, such as its cheap laser stars and a disappointingly narrow range, keep it from achieving greatness and ultimately mean the LaView Galaxy Projector probably won’t earn a spot in our roundup of the best star projectors currently available.
LaView Galaxy Projector Review: Design
- Beautifully packaged
- Great build quality
- An elegant and well thought-out design
It may be made of plastic, like virtually all star projectors, but the LaView Galaxy Projector really seems to be a cut above average. It’s sturdy and has a premium feel, with a glossy finish that makes it look downright expensive. The build quality is where you really feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, considering the unit’s $129 MSRP.
Its functional design is also excellent. This circular projector can rotate 90 degrees, making it very easy to choose between projecting on a wall or ceiling. No matter where it is pointed, the projector will remain stable on its specially designed stand.
Although the LaView Galaxy Projector comes with a remote control, it also has a limited number of buttons on the side of the device, allowing for basic control.
It also comes in a choice of colors that are sure to appeal to children. The unit we reviewed was blue, but it also comes in pink, black, and white. Blue is certainly eye-catching, but if you want something a little more muted, you’re better off opting for black or white.
LaView Galaxy Projector Review: Performance
- Narrow projection coverage
- Clear and sharp images
- Laser stars devalue the experience
One of the best things about the LaView Galaxy projector is that, just like the Sega Toys Homestar line, it uses interchangeable discs. This makes it more versatile than most projectors. Better yet, while the Homestar Classic only comes with one Northern Hemisphere disc, the LaView Galaxy Projector offers several: its own Northern Hemisphere, a close-up of the Earth and Moon, an underwater scene and even a T.rex, just for fun.
In terms of projection quality, the LaView Galaxy projector is pretty impressive. Its images are sharp, clear and bright, and when we compared its Northern Hemisphere projections to those of the HomeStar Classic, the results were very similar indeed.
However, where the LaView falls down is in projector range. Placing the unit about 1.5 meters from a surface gives a relatively narrow projection, noticeably smaller than most other units we’ve tested. Of course, if you can position the projector further away you’ll get wider results, but the quality might suffer.
Aside from the narrow projection field, the other thing that lets the LaView Galaxy projector down is its use of laser stars. These cheapen the experience and, in our opinion, are completely unnecessary. Fortunately, they can be turned on and off independently of other projections. We recommend leaving them disabled.
LaView Galaxy Projector Review: Feature
- Comes with interchangeable discs
- No built-in speaker
- Has a sleep timer
The LaView Galaxy projector does not have a built-in speaker: this device is entirely focused on visuals. This isn’t a huge loss since most built-in Bluetooth speakers don’t have great sound quality anyway, and it’s pretty easy to use a secondary speaker if you want some music or sound to accompany your projection experience.
There East a built-in sleep timer, however, which is one of the main functions often seen in star projectors. This can be useful if you intend to use the projector as a sleep aid: you don’t have to worry about it staying on all night.
As we already mentioned, the LaView Galaxy projector comes with interchangeable discs. Four are included in the box, and others can be purchased separately, costing around $50 for a set of four. They’re quite expensive and not that easy to find, but having a selection readily available at least means there’s plenty of variety without necessarily needing to to make an additional purchase.
Should you buy the LaView Galaxy Projector?
It’s a yes and a no. There’s no denying that this is a good projector: it’s sharp and clear, its use of interchangeable discs makes it very versatile, and the unit itself is sleek with good build quality. The LaView Galaxy projector is, however, disappointed by its limited range. This seriously affects the feeling of immersion it can create, especially when looking at something like the Northern Hemisphere.
If you’re considering purchasing the LaView Galaxy Projector at MSRP ($129), you might want to look elsewhere. At this price, it competes with the Sega Toys Homestar Classic, which is a much better projector backed by a well-known brand.
But we’ve seen the LaView Galaxy projector on offer quite often – and if you’re lucky enough to snag it for $50 or less, it’s a steal!
