SEGA TOYSHomestar Matataki Home Planetarium Star Projector

Thought I'd drop a quick review in here for those, like me, who are unsure as there aren't many reviews for the Matataki.My daughter wanted a planetarium to help her to sleep, I've looked at loads of reviews and the Sega products seem to score highly if you want actual star images. I did not buy this direct from Amazon, it came direct from one of the sellers websites, shop around as there can be large price differences.Here's a few things that I was wondering about before buying:BrightnessLots of reviews mention the 3W bulb over the 5W in the Flux - in a dark room this looks great with both the included discs. I haven't seen the Flux for comparison but it is definitely bright enough for what I wanted, about the same as you would get on a clear night of actual stargazing. Room must be dark though!Twinkling starsThere is a separate disc that you put under the main one that allows the stars to appear to flicker. This effect works really well but is designed to work with only 1 of the included discs. You can still leave it in with the other discs but it's then far more obvious how the effect works.Shooting starCouldn't see this anywhere to start with, thought it was faulty. However once the room was dark enough you could see it. It comes from a separate lens next to the main one and is always shown in the same place. This is definitely a nice addition.Circles on the imageSome reviews have mentioned seeing rings on the image from a distorted lens, I have not seen that issue. Image is perfect on my unit.FocusThe very outside is a little blurry, but a majority of the middle of our ceiling was really clear once focused. This was in a fairly small room with the unit at desk and floor heights - both looked great.SoundThe speaker is a little tinny, but I'd say some of the effects are great to help you fall asleep, especially the ones with cricket\wildlife sounds. The only issue I noticed is that if you turn the sound on there's no way of turning it back off unless you switch the whole thing off or turn the volume down. Maybe I've missed something here.Other discsI've ordered a couple of additional discs, one with the Earth and another with colourful trees & stars. Can't comment on these yet but I think having some colour in there will work really well with this.PriceYeah, it's too expensive for what it is but it works well, looks great and I think daughter will love the twinkling stars & the sound. If you don't need those I'd consider a different model.Overall I was really impressed with this, especially after reading other reviews about how much brighter the Flux is. I can't compare them direct but I'm more than happy with the image this produces.

This is an average product given the level of resolution, brightness and the volume of stars projected. Presumed twinkling star effect resembles more of crawling insects than anything else triggering a confused and a creepy state of mind.... With a price tag of over £200, it is certainly over priced. Nevertheless, even with all its flaws, it is still the best projector in the market beating its competitor Sega Toys Homestar Flux for offering a more peaceful and quiter projection experience.