Sega Toys Homestar Flux Review (2024)

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Specs

Scope of delivery

Included in the delivery is everything you need to use your home planetarium. The really stylish box contains the Homestar Flux, a double-sided poster, an instruction manual, two star discs, a USB cable, and a power supply unit.

Compared to the Homestar Original, however, the planetarium does not have a lens cover. Instead, more stars are shown on the posters (10 million versus 3 million). Another new feature is that the power can also be obtained via USB from a power bank or a laptop via the supplied connection.

Start-up

In order to be able to use the device, you only need two to three minutes for initial commissioning. First you have to insert one of the two star discs. To do this you have to pull out the flap on the front and then insert it again.

Furthermore, one has to connect the room planetarium with the cable to a power source. After flipping the Power switch, placing the unit, and adjusting the sharpness, you can enjoy the starry sky.

Functionality

The functionality at first glance does not differ from its predecessor or other planetariums. The exterior is even nearly identical to the Homestar original concerning the shape and the existing buttons.

Since the buttons are arranged in the same way, it also has the same functions as its predecessor. The device can be easily switched on and off via a switch. There’s also a timer. With these, you can set the planetarium to switch off automatically after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. So you can watch the starry sky from your bed while falling asleep.

Another button can be used to rotate the starry sky north or south. As with the previous model, the sound backdrop of the motor is only minimally noticeable. A shooting star function is also available. This has been slightly improved and now looks more realistic. All buttons are illuminated, so you can see which of the functions is active even in the dark.

The big difference in terms of functionality, however, is due to the 5-watt lamp used in combination with the lenses made of optical glass. With this type of lighting, the starry sky appears clearly visible even when the room is not completely dark or when the projector is placed a few meters from the ceiling.

Also, only a minimal focus adjustment via the focus wheel is necessary, since the projection almost always appears extremely sharp. The Flux also has a slightly larger projection.

In this way, a so clear and realistic representation is possible, as with no other home planetarium, which I tested so far here. Even the Homestar Original could leave its competition in this category far behind.

It should also be mentioned that further discs can be purchased online. Thus one can produce further projections than “only” the starry sky. I will explain the whole thing in more detail below.

Quality

How good the quality of Homestar Flux is can be seen already on the packaging. The white box with the silver print looks very solid. In addition it is protected by a black cover, like you know it from books.

Also, the device itself makes a very high-quality impression on me. Although it consists mainly of plastic, it has a high mass and is stable. This is ensured above all by the metal feet. Besides, I could not detect any errors in the processing. The planetarium also looks very good due to its matt colour. The only disadvantage of the color is that dust and fingerprints can be recognized quickly.

Service / Warranty

You can either write to the manufacturer via an e-mail address or reach him by phone. I have had contact with Sega Toys several times. I always received an answer quickly, which helped me with my questions.

If you order the device online, you usually get a 14-day return policy in Germany. Also, the manufacturer gives 2 years warranty on the planetarium. Normally you won’t need my experience, because I haven’t had any problems with my predecessors after 3 years.

Price Performance

The Homestar Flux has a very high price for a home planetarium. Thus it costs a lot more than its predecessor, which was already comparatively expensive.

Nevertheless, I would still consider the price-performance ratio as “good”. This is mainly because the projection is by far the best I have seen in a home planetarium so far. The remaining factors, such as product quality and scope of delivery, are also correct.

Pros

Cons

Besides the two included discs, there are more discs to purchase online. Two additional discs were added for testing purposes – the Sky Disc Aurora Borealis and the Scenic Disc Taiga.

A Sky Disc is used like the supplied discs and shows the sky in a certain form. The Aurora Borealis represents for example Auroras, which arise when the magnetosphere of the earth is disturbed by solar winds.

The Scenic Discs are a new type of disc. They were developed especially for the Homestar Flux and do not rotate with when rotation is switched on but can move the sky into a certain scene. For example, the taiga makes the projection appear as if you were looking from a boreal forest out.

In this way, a wonderful atmosphere is created. It seemed to me as if I was actually observing the sky from a forest. The following picture shows how beautiful the whole thing looks. However, the full effect of the projection unfolds only when the rotation is switched on. I especially like the fact that you can combine the Sky and Scenic Discs freely.

If you want to know more about the discs or want to buy some, you can do so on the following page: https://www.astrial.com/en/public/discs.html. With a price from 15$ to 20$ per Disc / Disc Pack, you don’t do anything wrong in my eyes. Further available motives are for example the solar system, a hot-air balloon festival, a firework, or the total solar eclipse.