Taking your movies to go is easy these days. Making them interactive? That’s a new one, and something a new Samsung projector can accommodate.
You can take your entertainment where ever you want with your phone or tablet, and probably your computer, too, but there are other gadgets that can assist with that.
Portable projectors are one such gadget, and there are quite a few available, so much that you simply need to have something you want to watch and a surface to shine it on, and you’re good to go.
But what if you want more? What if you want to touch your entertainment?
Samsung is trying something in this category with an “interactive projector”, a breed of projector that can be equipped with a special stand that includes an infrared camera and laser to turn a surface into a touchscreen of sorts.
It doesn’t have to be used with that special interactivity stand; the Samsung Premiere 5 can be used as an ultra-short throw laser projector and just show a screen of between 40 and 100 inches using Triple Laser technology against a wall.
However, when equipped with the stand, a combination of infrared tracking and a laser unit on the stand changes the surface into a screen of sorts, providing up to a 20 inch display. You probably won’t be playing a heap of games with this thing, but the touchscreen design could mean controlling videos or using the apps built into the smart TV are easier with your finger than the remote, which comes with the projector.
Think of The Premiere 5 as like a modern evolution of the previous Freestyle projector, only with a little more technology on-board. And like other Samsung TVs and projectors, The Premiere 5 runs on Samsung’s Smart Hub, and even includes an ambient mode, projecting images inside the home.
It can also be used as a wireless speaker without the projector needing to be on, with a 10 watt two-channel speaker system built in. Support for AirPlay 2 is also a part of the package, so iPhone owners can just stream their content from phone to projector with ease.
“By combining Samsung’s big screen picture quality with a compact design and user-centric functionality, we are providing Australians with more screen options that enable them to use their screen tailored to the way that suits their needs,” said Simon Howe, Director of Audio Visual at Samsung in Australia.
One thing that might throw you is the price, with a $2999 price point for the Full HD almost-touchscreen projector that is The Premiere 5. Granted, that’s more than most other portable projectors, especially since this model doesn’t have a battery. It’s only portable if you bring with a power pack or are near a power point.
However, it’s also one of the only interactive projectors we’ve seen in recent memory, and could make using a projector that little bit more fun than yet another way to watch your movies and shows.
Samsung’s The Premiere 5 is available across Australia, priced at $2999.
