Pros
-
Innovative design -
Novel interactive functionality -
Can be used in any room
Cons
-
No battery for wireless playback -
Touch trickery is temperamental -
Not as bright as we’d like -
No standard HDMI connection
Key Features
-
Touch Interaction mode
Theoretically transforms table surfaces into interactive touchscreens -
Triple-laser UST design
Can project images up to 100 inches from just 63cm away -
SmartThings & AirPlay 2
It’s ready to integrate into your smart home
Introduction
The compact Premiere 5 triple-laser ultra-short throw (UST) projector is not your typical home entertainment product.
It’s designed to merge entertainment with creative interactivity, able to turn any wall into a canvas for films and games, or a tabletop into a touch-based display.
Novel? Certainly.
Useful? Now that’s more debatable…
Price
The Samsung Premiere 5 sells for £1499 in the UK. It’s yet to launch in the US, but when it does expect a price of around $1500.
This is a high end price tag for a compact HD projector – by way of comparison, the stablemate Freestyle 2nd Gen is just £399 – but then, it does aspire to be something more.
Design
- Micro HDMI inputs
- Touch display functionality
- Solar powered remote control
The Premiere 5 (sans its interactive stand) stands just 13.6 x 20 x 13.6 cm (WHD) tall and weighs only 1.7kg. It’s small enough to live unobtrusively on a sideboard or low table, and the tubular, rubberised, chassis and subtle touch controls lend it a premium aesthetic.
If you don’t want to project up onto a wall, the two-part stand attaches via magnets at either end, angling the protected image downward, to facilitate its novel interactive touch function.
Connectivity comprises two micro HDMI ports, plus two USB-C (one for power). I’d have preferred at least one single full size HDMI input, but I guess most users will source content wirelessly.
On the plus side, the solar-powered SolarCell Remote doesn’t need batteries, instead charges via indoor light or radio frequency harvesting.
There’s Auto Keystone correction and a Screen Move function to fine-tune image position. While versatile, I found geometry correction to be fiddly, and I was never entirely happy with the result.
Operating noise is audible but consistent. While noticeable it’s not intrusive, especially when watching a film with the volume up.
While the Premiere 5 is both compact and transportable, there’s no built-in battery provision, so you’re always tethered to a power supply. So don’t plan to take it camping…
Features
- Triple laser light engine
- Dual projection mode
- IR Camera and laser
This DLP projector uses a triple-laser light engine, offering Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution with support for HDR10+ and HLG.
It’s compatible with AirPlay 2, and SmartThings, and even has Dolby Atmos support, although that’s not without caveats.
By pairing the projector with its optional Touch Stand, a built-in infrared (IR) laser and camera system, located top and bottom of the front facing stand, tracks motion and gestures.
Most obviously, the touch integration is not about watching a big image, rather it’s about interacting with a small one.
I found it frustrating to use though. Not only is it picky about what surfaces it’ll work with, it’s also not entirely clear just what content it expects to interact with. Theoretically, this is a tool for creativity, education and fitness. Now I’ve played several games on the Premiere 5, and been vaguely creative, at various shows, but I couldn’t get it to work with anything offered on the Tizen platform, straight out of the box.
The Tizen smart TV platform looks much the same here as it does on the company’s TVs. It features all the familiar streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Prime Video and Samsung TV Plus. There’s also a dedicated Ambient Mode, which lets the projector display art, patterns or animations when not in active use.
Audio, too, gets welcome attention. Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite) offers expansive sound processing. When paired with a compatible Samsung Q-Symphony soundbar, the projector integrates its internal speakers with the soundbar’s drivers, creating a larger, more dramatic soundstage.
The Premiere 5 includes a variety of smart convenience features to make setup and operation simpler: Auto Keystone correction straightens the image automatically, while Auto Scale and Screen Move allow the projected frame to be resized or repositioned without physically moving the device, which is handy for smaller or irregular spaces.
In many ways, The Premiere 5 can be thought of as a bridge between traditional projection and a next-generation smart display. The big question is – do you need it?
Picture Quality
- 560 Lumens output
- Full HD resolution
- Triple Laser Light engine
Image quality depends on size and environment. To be clear – this is a 1080p unit, despite the price tag, so that should temper expectations. This is not a high-lumens beamer, but a lifestyle solution. So expect a mixture of polish and compromise.
The triple-laser light engine beneath the hood, partnered with a NQP AI processor, certainly provides a clean, colour-rich image with decent sharpness and moderate (the official spec quotes 1000:1) contrast. While HDR support is limited in real-world performance, colour gradation and motion handling is reasonably smooth.
An Ultra Short Throw design, it can cast a 60-inch image from just 22cm, or a 100-inches from 63 cm. I wasn’t aware of any DLP rainbow artefacts at either size.
Picture quality is at its best in a dimly lit (or preferably dark) living room, with the image held to around 60-inches. The results can appear splendidly cinematic. Full HD resolution isn’t overly limiting at this size, and the laser illumination provides appreciable sharpness across the frame.
While Samsung’s gift of HDR10+ and HLG support should be read conservatively, I noted a tangible lift in contrast and colour nuance when streaming HDR material from Netflix or Disney+.
Watching action TV show Twisted Metal, I found the Premiere 5 provides adequate contrast in darker scenes; reds appear slightly muted, but greens and blues have welcome pop.
Inevitably, deep blacks tend to hover closer to charcoal grey, and fine shadow detail can get lost, particularly at larger screen sizes or under ambient light. Stretch the picture to 100-inches, and brightness dips significantly, a reminder that this projector isn’t really about home theatre.
Conversely, constrain the image to 50-inches of less, and you’ll make the most of its quoted 560 lumens output.
The projector keeps movement coherent. Auto Clarity mode helps stabilise edges and reduce judder, although it does introduce a hint of soap opera sheen.
To make the most of the Premiere 5’s picture performance, project onto an ambient light reflecting fixed screen. Of course, that plays against the casual nature of the projector itself. Most users will simply want to blast pictures onto a clear wall space.
In interactive mode, with a much smaller projected image, brightness and colour vibrancy all get a boost. Weirdly, I’m struck that this is a projector designed for (relatively) small, rather than, large, projection.
Sound Quality
- 10W stereo sound
- OTS Lite processing
- Q-Symphony compatible
Sound quality is a pleasant surprise. The 10W stereo system delivers ample volume for most small rooms, aided by Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound Lite post processing, which I found created the illusion of sound emerging from the projected image, rather than the projector itself.
Dialogue is crisp and intelligible, even at low volume, while music and effects have a decent sense of width. Partnering the projector with a soundbar would undoubtedly bring greater sonic benefits, although the form factor of the Premiere 5 doesn’t exactly make that a natural pairing.
Should you buy it?
If you can take advantage of its nouveaux interaction
Coupled with a stylish design, and smart streaming convenience, the Premiere 5 delivers a uniquely creative take on projection, particularly suitable for small room use
If you want a UST projector for home cinema viewing
Care just about home cinema? and don’t give a fig about touch screen tech, this probably isn’t the model for you. You’d be better off with a Samsung Freestyle…
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Premiere 5 is definitely an outlier in the projection space, outré even by the standards of lifestyle displays. It may not aim for cinematic precision, but it counters with unique versatility and admirable ambition: you can drop it in any living space, power it up, and enjoy either a big-screen experience or a more intimate interactive one (if you have compatible content and a tabletop that’s suitable).
In truth, I’m not exactly sure which of these two angles is the clincher – it may be both, it may be neither. Portability is also hampered by the lack of a battery, be it built-in or optional extra, which strikes me like a missed opportunity.
Still, if you want to watch telly, but don’t want an actual TV screen cluttering up your apartment, it might be just the ticket.
Trusted Score
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- Tested for more than a week
- Tested with real world use
FAQs
Technically yes, but there’s no built-in battery, so you’ll need a power source. Also, there’s no weatherproofing, so watch out for splashes.
No, it’s designed for casual use on any flat wall or table surface, although an ALR projection screen will improve brightness and contrast.
Full Specs
| Samsung Premiere 5 Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £1499 |
| Manufacturer | Samsung |
| Size (Dimensions) | 136 x 200 x 136 MM |
| Weight | 1.7 KG |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Projector Type | Ultra Short-throw |
| Brightness Lumens | 560 |
| Lamp Life | 25000 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Max Image Size | 100 inches |
| HDR | Yes |
| Types of HDR | HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Ports | Two micro HDMI |
| Audio (Power output) | 10 W |
| Colours | White |
| Projector Display Technology | Triple Laser DLP |
| Throw Ratio | 0.25:1 |
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