Samsung SP-H03

Look at this little Samsung projector! The SP-H03 is a mini type model with a Texas Instruments DLP chip. Samsung has announced a veritable concentration of power in the palm of the hand. Lets check it out!


Hardware and handling: very compact and quiet


As always, it's impressive to see how a projector of this type can be held in one hand. With its battery (2h battery life in eco mode), it is a good deal bigger but remains nevertheless compact.

The SP-H03 has a 1W speaker that should be reserved for use as a fallback solution. It comes without a remote but makes up for this with backlit touch buttons on top.

It's very quiet. We measured it at just 25 dB. In terms of connectors, this projector doesn't do quite as well as the Optoma PK301 as it doesn't have a mini HDMI in. It does have: a proprietary in onto which you can connect a cable with a VGA adatpor, an AV in (audio, video), a headphones out and a mini USB. Internal memory is much bigger than on the Optoma model: 1 GB with a micro SD slot that accepts cards up to 16 GB.

No lens-shift or zoom, which is hardly surprising.


Image quality: deep blacks but lack of brightness


The black level is very deep. This is because of the projector's lack of brightness. Between the 22.5 cdm/² you get on this model and the 36 cd/m² on the Optoma PK301, there's a world of difference. The choice is over to you. We prefer a little less depth in the blacks but a brighter more lively image.

Video noise is highest in the dark zones in films. You tend to notice it less as you get further from the projection wall. Step back a bit and all will be fine.

Bright areas are well handled. At least better than by the Optoma. Details aren't erased in the lightest areas.

Image sharpness: the main problem with this product is that it's difficult to get a totally sharp image. We never really managed it.

Picture smoothness and 3D: neither one nor the other.

Rainbow effects: unfortunately LED projectors are subject to these effects. Those sensitive to them will continue to notice them. The good news is that they have however been greatly reduced.

Image visibility: the same goes for all mini-projectors. If the room is entirely in darkness, the image is nice and visible. As soon as there's any light in the room, you have to reduce the projection area to concentrate brightness, particularly when the projected images are dark. With a film like Matrix, for example, it's best to reduce the projection area right down.

Plus points:

Unlike with the Optoma, there's no conversion software in the bundle. You have to make sure yourself that your video files are compatible with the device. You can find the list of supported formats on Samsung's site.