Projectors Tests Reviews

Dangbei Freedo: test / review

Published on: 11-03-2025 / Modified: 11-03-2025

Dangbei is a brand I didn't know two years ago, and now I'm on my third test of this brand. The Dangbei Freedo is a battery-powered portable projector that is undoubtedly a direct competitor to the XGIMI Mogo 3 Pro. It's a good thing I've also tested this projector, so I'll be able to compare them more easily.

This type of projector is designed to be used just about anywhere, so you can enjoy your films and TV series in any room in your house or on vacation. Just bear in mind that this type of projector must be used in the dark. This projector is not intended to replace a television, nor to transform any room in your home into a cinema

Where to buy?

The Dangbei Freedo is available from NothingProjector, and there's a coupon code for a 149€ discount:

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Site where I have bought or received the Dangbei Freedo: https://nothingproje...

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Not yet available / tested

Timeline

10/03/2025 Receipt of the projector, the test can begin. It will probably take me a week to finish the written test, and if I have time I'll make a video the following week.

Why this projector?

Not many brands have ventured into the world of battery-powered portable projectors, and success stories are even rarer. XGIMI's Mogo range has been a success since its launch, and is now in its third generation at the time of writing. This third generation has taken a step backwards with regard to the battery. The Mogo 3 Pro no longer has a battery, which is where the Freedo will be able to play the total autonomy card, as it is equipped with an internal battery. From a technical point of view, these two projectors are almost identical. They use the same DMD chip, they have more or less the same brightness level and they will no doubt share other features that I'll let you discover in this test.

Unpacking

The Dangbei Freedo is delivered in a polystyrene suitcase covered with a cardboard illustration to describe the product. The case is almost completely anonymous, but it does protect the projector very well. The case contains the projector, a carrying pouch, a 65-watt USB-C power supply, a manual, the remote control and two AAA batteries

Operating system

The Dangbei Freedo runs on Google TV, which at the time of writing is the most advanced Android interface for projectors. Initial setup is simplified by using the phone, as the projector will use your active Google profile on the phone to configure the projector. You also have the option of choosing pre-installed apps, I think these choices are partially ignored because I ended up with apps I hadn't requested. After the initial setup, you'll have to wait a long time before you can use the projector. Installing applications takes a long time; I had to wait more than 15 minutes. It's not the first time I've experienced this slowness with Google TV

Google TV's interface is very similar to the previous version (Android TV). The most striking difference is the ability to connect applications so that you can search for content in several applications and display it all on the main screen. Customization according to your use will therefore be more advanced than on previous versions. I find this rather useful if you want to be influenced by recommendations. The system works quite well because even before I started using the projector, the main screen recommended my latest YouTube video in the main suggestions

If you're a Netflix subscriber, you'll no doubt be delighted to learn that Netflix works natively on this projector. So you'll be able to use the official app and display content in the right resolution for the projector. This projector is not a 4k projector, so you won't have access to this resolution.

Finish

This projector is installed on a tilting stand that can be oriented vertically. This means you can easily project it towards the ceiling, whereas the Mogo 3 Pro was limited to a 135° angle. I felt a bit silly when I tried to plug it into the charger because I couldn't see where the USB connector was. For the first time in my life, I had to open a manual! The connector is located below one of the stand's rotation axes; it's well hidden!

The back is completely covered in fabric to conceal the 6-watt speaker that delivers 360° sound. The speaker's position suggests that the projector is designed for front-facing use.

A rubber strip provides access to the projector's limited connectivity. You can connect both an HDMI and a USB source. This port is a full-size HDMI port, whereas the Mogo 3 Pro used a micro HDMI port. However, there is no cable included with the projector.

The Dangbei Freedo is attached on both sides, whereas the Mogo 3 Pro is attached on one side only, which may make the mount seem more fragile. It's under this rotating axis that you'll find the USB-C input to power the projector. The power LED uses different colors to indicate the battery level.

Underneath, you'll find the usual screw thread for mounting the projector on a tripod. The projector weighs just under 1.5 kg, so any camera tripod will do the trick.

The optical block looks very similar to that of the Mogo 3 Pro; it's powered by the same DMD 0.23 chip. This chip has a native resolution of 960x540 pixels, which can be extrapolated to 1080p. With this type of chip, you'll have to limit the maximum screen size to avoid the grid effect. Indeed, if the image is too large, you'll see the separation between pixels quite clearly.

So, there are many similarities with the Mogo 3 Pro. I'd say the Dangbei stands out for its built-in battery, flexible orientation, and HDMI port. The Mogo 3 Pro has the advantage of closing completely, and in the closed position, the lens is completely protected.

Projection room

My projection room is rectangular, 4.6m by 2.9m (height 2.2m). I have two projection walls, one white wall 2.9m wide with just white paint with a possible 4m setback. I then have a 133 inch ALR screen on another wall with a possible setback of 2.8m. I mainly use the ALR screen except when the layout or type of projector is not suitable for this situation.

Battery autonomy

This projector is equipped with a battery, but the official site gives no indication of its capacity. In theory, it should allow you to watch an entire film (2.5 hours) and can be recharged with a 65-watt usb charger

I still need to test the autonomy to see if what is advertised corresponds to reality.

Power consumption

This projector is a champion when it comes to power consumption, and I think it's one of the least power-hungry projectors I've ever tested. With maximum brightness and a totally white screen, I measured power consumption fluctuating around 45 watts. By activating the eco mode, consumption drops to ... 18 watts! Obviously, the image is much darker in eco mode, but 18 watts is exceptional.

Operating noise

The Dangbei Freedo emits a slight hum when powered on, but it's very low. If I measure the operating noise near the projector, I'm already at a level that my measuring device can't detect.

Image quality

I've been using this royalty-free video for a few months now to compare projectors under equivalent conditions. Unfortunately, I hadn't yet used this video with the Mogo 3 Pro, so I can't compare them directly.

What I've noticed is that the image is still a little too cool, but that's acceptable for a projector of this type. What's also quite noticeable is the loss of detail. I have predefined locations in my projection room for placing the projectors. Placing this projector in the usual white screen location, I get an image just over 2 meters wide, which is clearly a bit too wide. This projector isn't a 4K projector, so it lacks detail, and this is more noticeable on a large screen. If you look at the fall foliage scene, you'll notice that the leaf detail isn't as sharp as it would be on a 4K projector.

With HDR, it's the same thing. In addition to the lack of detail, I also have some gaps in color coverage. Nothing serious for a projector of this type; the goal isn't to faithfully reproduce a film like Dune.

Colorimetry

More explanations on colorimetry

Measuring color fidelity (colorimetry) is not a subjective question, it is something completely measurable. This measurement is carried out with a device (colorimeter, spectrometer, ...) which measures the difference between the real color and the displayed color. This difference is expressed in delta E (abbreviation: dE). A dE greater than 3 indicates a deviation perceptible to the human eye.

The dE must therefore be as low as possible but projectors rarely have a dE lower than 3 out of the box. They are often between 5 and 10, only a calibration can correctly adjust the colors.

For a perfect calibration, you must call a professional. I give you my parameters which correspond to my situation. These settings might work for your situation but it is not a guarantee, so take them as an indication of the direction to follow.

I measured the colorimetry of all the available configurations and I'll take the two extremes to illustrate my measurements. I took these measurements on my neutral white screen:

Configuration "Games":

I obtain a delta E of 12.48 with white at 15.5 and a white temperature above 8000 Kelvin. The image here is clearly too cold and the deviations are significant

Film" configuration:

This configuration is already much better, with a delta E of 8.67 and a white temperature of 6.8 and 7177 kelvins. It's still not ideal, but it's already much better

Suitable configuration:

I can't really talk about calibration for this projector, because the settings are very limited. I started with the "film" configuration and modified the red, green and blue balance. I sharply increased the red (11), slightly decreased the green (-7) and sharply decreased the blue (-11). The delta E for white falls to 1.9, which is excellent, and the color temperature drops to 6641 Kelvin, which is also much better, but the improvement in other colors is rather anecdotal.

Colorimetry is therefore not one of this projector's strengths. I achieved better results with the Mogo 3 Pro.

Brightness

More explanations on brightness

The brightness for a projector is absolutely crucial. The brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the values provided by the manufacturer are very often higher than reality.

I measure the brightness with a lux meter and I convert my measurements into ANSI lumens in relation to the projection surface. You thus obtain a real value.

A video projector, even if it is bright, cannot compete with a television. The contribution of light (natural or artificial) will have the effect of drastically reducing the contrast of your image. With a brightness lower than 1000 ANSI lumens, the projector must be used in total darkness.

The image below shows the difference between a completely dark room and a semi-lit room.

This projector has a theoretical brightness of 450 lumens, which is very low and will require you to use it in complete darkness.

I measured a brightness slightly lower than this value, with a brightness between 320 and 340 lumens depending on the chosen configuration. There are two lighting modes: standard mode and eco mode, which reduces brightness to around 130 lumens.

The Mogo 3 Pro offers a similar level of brightness.

I also measured the brightness with the battery and obtained exactly the same brightness, so using the battery won't force you to sacrifice brightness.

Sharpness

With a DMD 0.23 chip, you shouldn't expect miracles in terms of sharpness. The native resolution will quickly reveal its limitations when you project the image onto a large surface, as is the case in this test.

The lack of sharpness is less visible on faces, as in my example above, but for vertical lines, it's harder to distinguish the differences. I also see a problem with purple ghosting (probably purple fringing) on the contours of defined shapes, as in my example.

The sharpness adjustment is automatic and quite fast, sometimes even too fast, I find. It's very interventionist. If I walk in front of the screen, it refocuses, sometimes with less than optimal results.

Contrast

More explanations on contrast

Contrast (on/off) is used to measure the difference between white and black. This measurement gives an indication of the ability of a projector to produce a good rendering in dark scenes.

A contrast lower than 500:1 should be considered as a very low contrast and the consequence will be especially visible in dark scenes where you will lose details. This is less of a problem for sports, bright films or even cartoons.

A low contrast ratio does not mean that a projector is not usable, you just have to be aware that for films like Aliens, dark scenes will no longer allow you to distinguish details.

The contrast level is quite low, like most projectors of this type. I achieved a contrast ratio between 200:1 and 230:1, depending on the chosen configuration. This is roughly the same as the Mogo 3 Pro. This is not surprising; it's the same hardware and it's the same weakness found in most projectors of this type. This won't prevent you from using the projector, just be aware that watching dark scenes won't allow you to see all the details.

Motion compensation

Image size and projection distance

More explanations on the projection distance

The projection distance determines the size of the image and the size of the image is determined by the projector's throw ratio. If a projector has a throw ratio of 1.2, it will have an image width of 83 cm with possibly a gray border.

The distance also plays a role in the brightness because the brightness decreases with the square of the distance. A projector placed at 4 meters will therefore lose 4 times more brightness than a projector placed at 2 meters.

Keystone image correction does not modify the projection cone, it resizes the image inside the projection cone. This means that in the event of a significant correction, you will see a large gray border appear around your image.

The Dangbei Freedo has a throw ratio of 1.2, meaning you get an image about 83 cm wide for every meter of distance from the projection surface. With a brightness of 420 lumens, you can consider an image size of 90 inches to stay within the brightness standards. To achieve this image size, you need to place the projector about 2.4 meters from the projection surface.

Brightness is one thing, but you also need to consider resolution. I don't have a magic formula to tell you how far you can use this projector before you notice the grid effect. I can tell you that with a 90-inch image, the grid effect is clearly visible on very bright images.

Screen choice

With this type of projector, a screen isn't absolutely essential because, at this price point, a good screen will cost as much as the projector itself. Even if budget isn't an issue, I still don't recommend buying a €500 screen because you won't notice a significant difference compared to a less expensive screen.

If you really want a screen, you should definitely get a white screen (possibly with a gain greater than 1). There are many screens on Amazon (and elsewhere) for less than €100 that will do the job very well. I have a 130-inch Vevor screen that cost me a little over €100. This type of screen is too big for this projector, but the screen material is perfectly suited.

Audio quality

More explanations on audio quality

I use several types of music tracks to illustrate the sound quality of the projector but the rendering will always be limited by the recording device. Since I always use the same device, you will be able to compare the difference on the same basis.

I regularly use well-known songs protected by copyright to illustrate the sound quality of a video projector. It therefore sometimes happens that YouTube decides to block my videos for these reasons. In this case, you can listen to the soundtracks directly on YouTube and hope that YouTube has not completely blocked my channel.

Not yet available / tested

Video games

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

ALR/CLR Projection screen

Are you looking for a good ALR/CLR screen for your projector? I may have what you need:
ALR/CLR NothingProjector Screen

Test / Review conclusion

Not yet available / tested

Strengths

Not yet available / tested

Weaknesses

Not yet available / tested

LAURENT WILLEN
Head of myself on this blog

I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.

My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.