BlissLights Starport USB star projector mini review - Space.com

The BlissLights USB Starport prima projector is 1 of the smallest prima projectors we've ever reviewed and tested. In our BlissLights Sky Lite 2.0 Star Projector review earlier this year, we concluded that the 2.0 is simply a useful instrumentality that creates a amusive mode to spot and make lights that are comparable to heavy abstraction imagery and stars, albeit not scientific.

It gives the idiosyncratic originative power implicit the colors, lasers, velocity and patterns acknowledgment to its app functionality and this is somewhat paralleled successful the USB Starport. We were intrigued erstwhile investigating the BlissLights Starport USB prima projector. It didn't look to connection overmuch astatine each successful the mode of functionality but inactive boasted implicit 6000 reviews connected Amazon (opens successful caller tab) earning it a respectable 4.5 retired of 5 stars, with galore of the reviews raving astir however bully it is. We wanted to effort it retired for ourselves.

BlissLights Starport USB prima projector: Design

• Tiny device
• Comes with a flexible gooseneck cable
• Simple enhancements would beryllium welcomed

If you were to spot the BlissLights Starport USB prima projector lying connected a table, you could beryllium forgiven for reasoning it was a flash drive. That is precisely however it looks. Small, discrete, inoffensive. It's conscionable 2.5 inches (65mm) agelong and weighs 2.4oz (68g). It comes with a gooseneck cable, extending it by 7.2 inches (185mm). There are nary buttons. One extremity is the USB (2.0, benignant A connector), and the different is the laser. To crook it on, you plug it in, and to crook it off, you propulsion it out.

We deliberation it would person been a bully plan thought to person a keyring attachment truthful you tin permission it with your keys to instrumentality it retired and astir with you, to stock with friends astatine their parties/movie nights, etc. That mightiness adjacent service arsenic a word-of-mouth promotion for BlissLights to merchantability much devices if much radical spot it successful enactment for themselves.

The instrumentality is made retired of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a worldly communal successful 3D printing and often recovered to location electronics. It has precocious absorption to interaction and abrasion to support the components within. We've dropped it (rather than thrown it) from assorted heights, which had nary detrimental interaction astatine all.

The laser is Class 2, which is considered harmless for mean operation, provided you don't look into the beam. It isn't harmless for children oregon susceptible radical to beryllium near with the instrumentality unattended for this reason. The exemplary we are investigating is simply a bluish laser, but it is besides disposable to acquisition successful bluish oregon red.

BlissLights Starport USB prima projector: Performance

• Lasers are precise bright
• Uses adjacent to nary power
• Plug it into immoderate USB instrumentality to powerfulness it

We were beauteous nonchalant astir trying this device. After all, it is simply a plug-in laser pointer with conscionable 1 laser output, nary customization options, azygous coagulated colour and nary movement.

However, aft we'd waited for it to spell wholly dark, we plugged the USB 2.0 into an Anker powerfulness slope 325 (opens successful caller tab) and turned the powerfulness on. We were really pleasantly amazed astatine the ambiance it instantly created crossed 2 full rooms. The walls and ceiling were wholly littered with bluish dots of varying brightness, immoderate bright, pinpoint and sharp, others a small dimmer and fuzzier. The projection sum is up to a important 30 x 30ft / 10 x 10m.

In the daytime, the resulting show is somewhat lackluster but of course, it isn't meant to beryllium utilized erstwhile it's light. Because it's charged by USB, we tested it successful a laptop, powerfulness bank, and USB partition charger. The instrumentality itself is limiting positioning-wise arsenic it lone points successful 1 absorption straight from the USB device, but erstwhile you adhd the gooseneck cablegram you tin presumption it astatine whichever space you please. The cablegram isn't rather beardown capable to enactment successful presumption erstwhile holding the instrumentality without support. We utilized a peg to pinch the cablegram unneurotic and support it successful position. If utilizing a powerfulness slope you tin evidently besides spot this wherever you spot acceptable to set the presumption and space of the laser beam accordingly. 

We had immoderate amusive moving the powerfulness slope with the laser pen attached to make immoderate dilatory shutter photos, arsenic good arsenic teasing the cat...who loved it.

With vigor costs inactive rising, we are each reasoning of ways to 'switch off' wherever possible. So it whitethorn look to beryllium counter-productive to person other things plugged successful conscionable to make a spot of atmosphere. However, with the starport utilizing little than 1mW of power, the outgo to tally it is negligible. We bash wonderment wherefore BlissLights didn't conscionable opt for it to beryllium battery-powered, fixed adjacent a tiny fastener artillery would tally the lasers for hundreds of hours! 

BlissLights Starport USB prima projector: Functionality

• It could person been made to beryllium much functional
• Other devices connection much features astatine a little cost
• Does what it is meant to and thing more

The strapline connected the container reads 'Portable USB Star Projector'. Compared with the likes of the Sega Toys Homestar Flux, oregon the National Geographic Astro Planetarium Star Projector, the differences are clear. In nary mode does this instrumentality connection a realistic practice of the nighttime sky, truthful calling it a 'star projector' isn't wholly accurate. 

It does capable the country with an awesome show of bluish (or green/red depending connected the model) lasers. The superior intent is to make a chill situation to heighten the ambiance successful a room. Suitable spaces we tin deliberation of see parties, games rooms, euphony studios, location cinemas oregon spa rooms.

Given the affordability of memory/storage, it would person been a bonus if this instrumentality could person been utilized arsenic a flash drive/memory instrumentality to springiness it an further purpose. 

We'd besides similar to person a fastener connected the broadside of it truthful we could crook the lasers connected and disconnected without having to physically unplug the instrumentality from the USB 2.0 powerfulness source. You could plug it into a astute plug and usage dependable activation to crook the plug itself connected oregon disconnected to halt powering the device.

We would person besides liked the quality to conscionable the brightness of the lasers. They are precise bright, truthful if it's a relaxing ambiance you're trying to create, the brightness mightiness beryllium 'a spot much'. You could marque them look dimmer by utilizing a wipeable marker and drafting onto the solid itself oregon covering it with translucent tape.

Should I bargain the BlissLights Starport USB prima projector?

This is simply a elemental plug-and-play instrumentality to heighten the ambiance of a room. It lacks versatility and has minimal functionality, but if you're looking to flood a spot with laser lights, this fits the bill. It covers a ample country with precise agleam points of light, and the terms is reasonable. It's champion suited to those connected a choky fund oregon who aren't fussed astir moving lasers oregon close prima projections. We ideate this would beryllium astir enjoyed by younger abstraction enthusiasts and gamers who privation to spice up their country with immoderate ambient lighting.

If the BlissLights Starport USB prima projector isn't for you

For devices that service a akin intent — to make ambiance — that bash let immoderate originative control, see the Encalife Atmosphere Smart Galaxy Projector that we reviewed previously.

For adjacent greater functionality, successful the signifier of an inbuilt Bluetooth speaker, the Encalife Ambience Galaxy and Star Projector mightiness beryllium a bully option.

For a much acquisition and technological experience, you can't spell acold incorrect with the Segatoys Homestar Flux oregon the somewhat cheaper National Geographic Astro Planetarium. Check retired our reviews of some devices to spot which would beryllium amended suited for you.

If it's lone the existent nighttime entity that you're funny in, you'll privation to instrumentality a work of our round-ups of the best binoculars for stargazing, best cameras for astrophotography and the best telescopes for seeing planets.