Why you can trust Live Science
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.
With a price tag of $129.99, the LaView Galaxy Projector places itself among the most expensive star projectors on the market, meaning it competes directly with the much-loved Sega Toys Homestar Classic projector. But while there’s a lot to like about LaView’s offering, there are some features that make it feel like a cheap imitator, and we can’t help feeling it’s at least $50 too expensive.
It isn’t all bad, though. The LaView Galaxy Projector ships with multiple discs, all offering sharp, crisp images. Some of these are scientifically accurate views of space, others are more fun-loving, such as a giant T.rex that appears to be busting out of a wall, giving it plenty of variety and making it a great choice for kids. The projection quality is also great, and it’s packaged very well.
But some less-than-stellar features, such as its cheap laser stars and a disappointingly narrow reach, hold it back from greatness, and ultimately mean the LaView Galaxy Projector probably won’t earn a place on our round-up of the best star projectors currently available.
LaView Galaxy Projector review: Design
- Nicely packaged
- Great build quality
- Stylish, well-thought-out design
It may be made out of plastic, like practically all star projectors, but the LaView Galaxy Projector really feels like a step above most. It’s solid and premium-feeling, with a glossy finish that makes this look every bit the expensive piece of technology that it is. It’s in the build quality that you really feel like you’re getting value for money, considering the unit’s $129 MSRP.
Its functional design is great, too. This circular projector can rotate through 90 degrees, making it very easy to choose between projecting onto a wall or onto the ceiling. No matter where it’s pointed, the projector will remain steady on its purpose-built stand.
While the LaView Galaxy Projector comes with a remote control, it also has a limited number of buttons on the side of the unit, allowing for basic control.
It’s available in a choice of colors, too, which will doubtless appeal to children. The unit we reviewed was blue, but it’s also available in pink, black and white. The blue is certainly eye-catching, but if you want something a little more understated, you’d be better off opting for black or white.
LaView Galaxy Projector review: Performance
- Narrow projection coverage
- Clear, sharp images
- Laser stars cheapen the experience
One of the great things about the LaView Galaxy Projector is that, just like the Sega Toys Homestar range, it uses interchangeable discs. This makes it more versatile than most projectors. Even better, while the Homestar Classic only comes with a disc of the Northern Hemisphere, the LaView Galaxy Projector features 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 rather impressive. Its images are sharp, clear and bright, and when we compared its Northern Hemisphere projections to those from the HomeStar Classic, the results were very similar indeed.
Where the LaView falls down, however, is in the reach of the projector. Placing the unit roughly 5 feet (1.5 meters) away from a surface gives a relatively narrow projection, one that is noticeably smaller than most other units we’ve tested. Of course, if you’re able to place the projector farther away, you’ll get wider results — but the quality may suffer as a result.
Narrow projection field aside, the other thing that lets down the LaView Galaxy Projector is its use of laser stars. These cheapen the experience and, in our opinion, are completely unnecessary. Thankfully, they can be turned on and off independently from other projections — we’d recommend leaving them off.
LaView Galaxy Projector review: Functionality
- Comes with interchangeable discs
- No built-in speaker
- Has a sleep timer
The LaView Galaxy Projector has no built-in speaker: This unit is all about visuals. This isn’t a huge loss since most built-in Bluetooth speakers don’t have great sound quality anyway, and it’s easy enough to use a secondary speaker if you do want music or sound to accompany your projection experience.
There is a built-in sleep timer, however, which is one of the main functions that we often see in star projectors. This can come in handy if you intend to use the projector as a sleep aid — you don’t need to worry about it being switched on all night.
As we’ve mentioned before, the LaView Galaxy Projector comes with interchangeable discs. Four are included in the box, and more can be purchased separately, costing around $50 for a set of four. They’re quite pricey, and not all that easy to find, but having a selection available out of the box at least means there’s plenty of variety without necessarily needing 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 let down, however, by its limited reach. This badly affects the sense of immersion it can create, particularly when gazing at something like the Northern Hemisphere.
If you were thinking of buying the LaView Galaxy Projector at MSRP ($129), you should perhaps look elsewhere. At that price, it’s competing with the Sega Toys Homestar Classic, which is a much better projector with a well-known brand behind it.
But we have quite frequently seen the LaView Galaxy Projector on offer — and if you get the chance to grab this for $50 or less, it’s a bit of a steal!
