This plug-and-play projector made my movie nights cinematic (and it's on sale)

A good projector with easy access to streaming services means movie nights don’t have to be limited to indoors or the only room with a TV. With the help of a screen (or even a sheet slapped on a wall), you can show movies and TV wherever you need — so long as you have access to Wi-Fi.

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The Dongbei Freedo projector is small enough to be portable but not so small as to limit its effectiveness. Although the initial setup does take some time, it’s easy enough that almost anyone can have it up and running in about 20 minutes.

Let’s talk specs.

Dongbei Freedo projector tech specs

• Display – DLP with a brightness of 450, a resolution of 1080P (1920 X 1080 FHD), a color gamut of > 90% DCI-P3, 124% Rec.709, and format support for HDR 10, HLG.
• Projection – Throw ratio of 1.2:1, image size of 40″-180″
• Autofocus, Auto keystone, Intelligent screen fit
• Can be projected from front, rear, front ceiling, or rear ceiling
• System – RAM 2GB DDR3, Storage 16GB eMMC5.1, OS Google  TV
• Battery – 60Wh with a movie playtime of 2.5H in Eco Mode (Can also be plugged into power via USB-C.)
• Connectivity – USB 2.0, HDMI ARC, Wi-Fi 5 (2.4G/5G), 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and Bluetooth 5.1/BLE
• Audio – Single 6W speaker with Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus
• Dimensions – 5.2″ X 4.3″ X 9.4″
• Weight – 3.1 lbs
• Price – $549 on Amazon

My experience

When I first unboxed the Freedo, I was surprised to see that it included a carrying case. But because it’s made of foam, it’s not the sturdiest; you’ll want to take care when packing the projector around. 

Once the projector was out of the box, I was happy to see that it was small enough — think size 8 running shoe — to be used just about anywhere. It also includes a quarter-inch adapter, so you can attach it to a stand, which makes it considerably easier to point it where you need it.

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It took me all of five minutes to have the projector attached to a stand, grab the remote (batteries included), and fire up the device. That’s when time started to slow down a bit. To use the Freedo, you have to connect it to Google Home, and the instructions aren’t exactly correct. 

Instead of scanning the QR code that the projector presents on the screen, open Google Lens and scan it from there. This will then open Google Home and allow you to make the connection. After that, you need to connect the project to your Wi-Fi network. If your Wi-Fi details are saved on your phone, you won’t have to type an SSID or password; however, it does take some time for this portion of the setup to complete, so have patience.

The next portion of the setup allows you to select the apps you want to install from streaming services like Max, Peacock, and more. You don’t have to install apps for services such as Netflix as those are built in (and even have quick access buttons on the remote). Depending on how many apps you add, this process can take up to five minutes. I installed only three apps, which took 10 minutes to complete.

With that taken care of, I was ready to dive in.

Here’s where things can become either very simple or very frustrating.

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Depending on your setup (room lighting, screen type, distance from the screen, etc.), the auto-focus and auto-keystone can be a bit finicky. Down in my studio (where space is limited), the Freedo had some trouble getting the keystone and focus correct. There is an auto-focus option (press the red button on the side of the remote), so that can be easily corrected. As far as the keystone is concerned, if you get the distance and height correct, it should work as expected.

With all that handled, I opened YouTube and played several videos. My immediate impression: Once you get the focus and keystone correct, the clarity of the picture is quite good. I was watching on a black screen, which rendered the images a bit darker than I would have expected (I didn’t have a white screen for testing), but that didn’t detract from the viewing, as long as the room was dark enough. 

Funny thing about that: I quickly discovered the device shipped in Eco Mode (which is dimmer than standard mode but saves on battery life). Once I disabled Eco Mode, the brightness was no longer an issue.

The only real downside of the Freedo is its audio. Yes, it has a built-in speaker, and that speaker is fine for small rooms and viewers who don’t care about sound. However, to get a true movie experience, you’ll want a quality Bluetooth speaker with enough low-end and well-tuned mids to enjoy the experience. Out of the box, the sound was far too tinny and simply not loud enough (especially for a larger room).

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Dongbei Freedo isn’t the cheapest projector you’ll find on the market, but if you’re looking for something that’s plug-and-play, this one is hard to beat. It offers a very responsive UI (thanks to the Google TV OS), solid auto-correct for both focus and keystone (as long as you have the projector far enough away from the screen), and enough apps available to make it very versatile. Sure, it’s $549, but if you want a projector with these features, you’ll have a hard time finding one for less.

As long as you have a Bluetooth speaker with enough oomph, this portable projector can really make movie nights a lot of fun or kick up your presentations a few notches.