It's starting to get a little warmer in the Northern Hemisphere, which means you might be looking to the yard for after-dark movie nights. Many portable projectors still need to be plugged in, but Dangbei's Freedo caters for cable-free watching for up to 2.5 hours.
This projector actually launched last year, but has only recently become available in my neck of the woods so I welcomed the opportunity to take one for review.
Visually, with its rear tipped upward, it kind of looks a little like an oversized studio microphone. Dangbei has gone for a more angled body than, say, Samsung's cylindrical Freestyle model – but both sit on a nifty gimbal stand.
In the case of the Freedo, this allows the main body to tilt vertically over 165 degrees, so the business end can point toward a wall/screen or be tipped up for ceiling viewing, or anywhere within that tilt range. The base doesn't swivel on its horizontal axis though, so the unit will need to be positioned manually on a flat surface.
However, the portable projector does posses smart setup capabilities courtesy of a front-facing CMOS camera, ToF (time-of-flight) sensors and built-in software – a useful addition considering the price point. Add in autofocus, auto keystone, obstacle detection and resizing, and fit-to-screen, and you're looking at pretty stress-free setup.
Where the Freestyle projector needs to be plugged in to function – which could mean trailing long cables through the yard – the Freedo benefits from a built-in 60-Wh battery. This is reported to offer 2.5 hours of movie watching in eco mode or 6 hours when the unit is just being used as a Bluetooth speaker.
In use, I got around the published up time – give or take a few minutes either way – when streaming at 30% volume in the eco setting. In standard mode at the same volume, the projector's battery managed a little short of 2 hours.
Increasing speaker volume did impact per-charge battery life, as did running at the high performance setting, but I didn't test the speaker-only battery life during this review. Charging is undertaken over USB-C, with the port located on the underside of the left hinge. A 65-W power adapter is supplied, and a PD 3.0 65-W power bank (not supplied) can be used for extended portable play.
Embracing the darkness
The DLP projector is capable of 1080p visuals with support for HDR10 and HLG content. The largest recommended image rectangle size is 100 diagonal inches, though you can pull it right back for up to 180 inches at the risk of losing crispness and brightness. Either way, it's said to manage 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and 124% of the Rec.709 space.
The Freedo's LED light source puts out 450 ISO lumens, which is about right for this kind of projector (though the Freestyle only peaks at 230 ANSI lumens). So, if you're thinking that its brightness chops won't be enough for daytime use, you'd be right.
I tried daytime viewing with the blinds open on a sunny day – though my living room rarely gets direct sunlight streaming in – and I couldn't make out very much at all in eco mode on battery power. Bumping that up to standard brightness was slightly better, but the visuals were still pretty washed out.
There is a high performance mode, which did at least make imagery visible, but I didn't enjoy the experience at all – particularly with the noisy fan accompanying my watch session. The autofocus and smart setup tech also seemed to struggle in a well-lit space, requiring manual intervention.
Pulling the blinds helped a little, but the visuals on screen or wall were still not bright enough for enjoyable viewing. Plugging into mains power was also disappointing, though output did seem a little brighter.
To be fair, watch parties as daylight fades or when the starry sky provides the movie theater backdrop are where this projector shines. As such, the viewing experience was much improved after dark – both indoors and out.
Going the distance
This isn't the first 1080p Dangbei projector I've reviewed, and the laser light source of the company's Atom model provides much more satisfying after-dark viewing. The Freedo's LED light source – which is rated to last up to 30,000 hours – is not nearly as bright, but the Atom needs to be plugged in.
Battery power liberates the Freedo from the living room, and when ambient lighting conditions are favorable, the Full HD visuals were sharp, detailed and color-rich enough to make for enjoyable watching inside or out.
Serving up streaming entertainment is the job of Google TV here. The Google account used during setup can bring in favorite apps and services, plus users can hit the Play Store to install more if desired. The unit comes with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and 16 GB of eMMC 5.1 storage, so there's plenty of room onboard. And Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video have direct launch buttons on the Bluetooth remote. Screen mirroring is also possible through Google Cast.
The fabric-covered dome at the rear is home to a built-in 6-W speaker system that pushes out 360-degree sound and supports immersive Dolby Digital and Digital Plus. When sat behind the unit, the unit pumped out enough volume to fill my modest living room with about 40-50% remaining on the level gauge.
I had to push the volume higher via the remote for a similar setup outdoors though. The speaker system was pushed a little harder when positioning the projector a few feet behind me for larger visuals. That said, given the overall size and price point, I'd say that the Freedo's sound system rocked pretty well. The projector lacks an audio out jack for headphone listening, but it is possible to pair with an external Bluetooth speaker.
Portable entertainment hub
Other things of note include a HDMI port with audio return and a USB 2.0 Type A port hidden behind a pop-out silicone panel on the left side of the body. This allows users to feed in media from a thumbdrive or external device – which could be handy if at camp and you're unable to get a signal for your mobile hotspot.
The projector's power button is located at the center of the right hinge, with a long press bringing the unit to life when on battery, and a short press when cabled to the power adapter. This button also sports a colored light for a quick glance at battery status, though a more accurate reading is available by pressing the button on the side of the remote to bring up a settings menu over top of the projected visuals.
The Freedo measures 5.2 x 4.3 x 9.4 in (132 x 109 x 238 mm), and weighs in at 3.1 lb (1.4 kg). It ships with a lightweight expanded polypropylene (EPP) carry case that's claimed shockproof and waterproof. The unit itself isn't sealed against water or dust ingress though, but it can operate in temperatures running from 0 °C to 35 °C (32-95 °F).
The bottom line
I don't have a big-screen TV at home, but if I did then the Freedo wouldn't compete for daytime or lights-on viewing in the living room. However, I wouldn't want to heft a huge gogglebox into the yard for a movie watch party with friends. And hauling one on a weekend camping trip? Forget it.
The compact and lightweight Freedo makes for quick and easy setup outdoors. Once it doesn't have to compete with other light sources, it does a great job of providing Full HD Google TV sound and vision – though I'd recommend investing in some sort of portable outdoor screen to get the best from the experience.
The build quality here makes the Freedo look and feel like a more expensive entertainment machine. The supplied EPP carry case is feather light yet sturdy, and can serve as something to plonk the projector on when in the garden or in the wild.
The Dangbei Freedo is priced at US$549, which makes it cheaper than Samsung's Freestyle 2 model and will likely be about the same as the brighter XGIMI Play 6 if it gets international release. Highly recommended.
Product page: Freedo
