Best LG Projectors

LG PF50KA — the Battery-Powered LED 1080p Projector with Smart TV and Bluetooth

This LG PF50KA review is all about a middle-class Full HD projector that fits well for watching TV, streaming, browsing the Web, or making presentations. It’s highly portable and can be used almost anywhere, thanks to the built-in battery. It supports a standard throw distance, with the ability to display a 100-inch picture. The image is contrast and balanced, with a rich color palette. The low brightness parameter is limited, as the large bright screen is available in the dark room only.

Design

This model — LG – PF50KA 1080p wireless smart DLP projector – white is performed in the minimalist design. The casing is a smooth white square box with curved corners, 6.7 inches wide and 1.9 inches high. Weighing slightly more than 2lbs, it’s highly portable.

The front panel contains only the bulging metallic funnel with the lens inside. The back panel features the HDMI, USB, LAN, antenna, DC in and headphone ports, and a small On/Off slider. The antenna jack is protruding for about an inch, which should be considered if placing the projector close to the wall or inside a cupboard. The top panel has the focus switch and the activation button surrounded by the navigation arrow buttons. On the bottom, there are three feet (front one is regulable) and the tripod connection in the center.

Features

The device implements the LED technology and is stated to last for 30,000 hours without replacement. It produces a 1920 x 1080 image with 2.1 million pixels. The LG PF50KA has the peak brightness of 600 lumens and the contrast ratio makes 100,000:1. The color gamut counts 1.07 billion hues. The maximum screen size is 100 inches (at 9.8ft) while the unit forms a balanced image at 3ft already (the display, in this case, has the diagonal of 25 inches).

The projector has the built-in battery lasting for 2.5 hours at the average load. The connections comprise two HDMI (one is ARC-enabled), USB type-C and type-A, Ethernet, Cable In, the headphones jack.

The screen sharing is supported for mobile devices on Android, Windows, and iOs (with the app installed). The integrated Bluetooth pairs with the wireless acoustic gear for audio signal output. The operation noise makes 30 dB. Built-in speakers have 2W capacity. The keystone regulation is available but without zooming.

The PF50KA supports the LG Smart TV platform with access to the most popular streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, UFC.TV, etc.).

Performance

At a short distance, the LG – PF50KA produces a bright sharp picture with the diagonal about 20 inches, even in a well-lit room. With the display growing bigger, the colors might become washed out, but the contrast is well preserved in a dark room. The detail is clear all over the screen. The colors are saturated, the peaks are distinct and bright. The LED lamp neutralizes the rainbow effect and other DLP negatives but might cause some spectrum irrelevance at displaying the various types of content.

The battery support varies from about 45 minutes at the maximum brightness settings and about 1.5-hour at the medium load. The projection with the minimal settings in the Eco mode can last 2.5 hours. Besides, the device comes with the charging adaptor and can be connected to the constant electricity supply through it.

The projector produces little noise. Its sound output is good but loud enough for a small room only.

LG PH550: Inbuilt Tuner, Battery, and HD Picture Quality

The LG PH550 can be used completely without wires due to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection. Its own battery allows the projector to work for 2.5 hours. The PH550 throws a 55-inch image from the 5.5ft distance and can be used for different tasks (movies, presentations, games, etc.).

Design

The LG PH550 review from the standpoint of the design allows seeing that the device is compact (1.7 x 6.9 x 4.3) and lightweight (1.4 pounds), so it’s easy to move it around in a special soft bag. It has a glossy white case and rounded covers; moreover, the unit’s lens is placed in a copper-colored ring. The focus lever can be found right behind the lens and such an element makes it easy to bring the device to a decent focus. The 4-way controller is located on the top, the same as the Power button. Pay attention that the Off switch is on the rear side. The back part also contains the HDMI port, USB Type-A port (suitable for USB thumb drive), AV-in jack (for DVD hooking up), and audio out jack for headphones. Here I also see a slot for Kensington lock (for safety) and VGA port for connecting to a PC.

Features

The LG Minibeam PH550 has a built-in tuner, which makes the device a good substitution for classic TV. Moreover, the resolution of the picture is HD (1280 x 720) and it’s easy to control the channels via the remote. Its rechargeable battery is decent as it takes only 3 hours to recharge it (that’s really fast when compared with other similar models). The audio output can be performed both via wire or Bluetooth. The inbuilt two 1W stereo speakers are enough to hear all the sound details, so there’s no need to purchase additional amplifiers (if the device is used in a mid-sized room). The LG Electronics PH550 accepts HD 3D input, moreover, it can be switched to/from a 3D mode at the request of the user.

Performance

The LG Electronics PH550 Minibeam projector boasts 550 lumens, so the picture is bright and clear (even when changing the image size). It has 5 modes for perception convenience (Standard, Sport, Game, Cinema, and Vivid) and almost all of them are pleasant-to-eye (besides the Cinema one, as it provides too bright colors, which can be hardly called natural). There’s a small rainbow effect, but it doesn’t bother the viewer while watching the video or presentation material. The fan noise isn’t perceptible even when the projector works under heavy load. It’s hard to hear its noise from more than 2-3ft away.

LG HU80KA: Laser Type 4K/HDR Projector with Wireless Connectivity

This high-end LG HU80KA 4K UHD projector is innovative and full of features including the native 4K UHD image quality, HDR support, wireless streaming, and so on.

The unit is versatile and can be installed upright on any surface. It has an unusual design, can provide a crisp colorful picture from different distances to the screen, and supports the share function with smartphones and tablets.

The HU80KA has an intuitive and simple setup and supports the LG smart platform. Its only disadvantage is the non-serviceable laser appliance, which, however, should serve five times more than regular DLP projectors with lamps.

Design

The first thing to describe in the HU80KA review is its unique design. The long rectangular box with the vent grills and the handle doesn’t remind of anything projector-like. The lens is situated in the upper part of the box and can project the picture directly onto the screen or via the mirror reflection. The mirror is built-in, the lens cap can be removed.

On the side of the projector are the zoom and focus dials, and all connections are located on the bottom part. The carrying handle is adjustable and can serve as a prop for the projector installed on the tabletop.

Features

The LG HU80KA produces native 4K resolution and formats with lower resolution as well (e.g. 1080p). It’s HDR10 compatible but doesn’t support HLG or Dolby Vision. The integrated DLP technology enhanced by the laser CineBeam technology enables the contrast ratio up to 150,000:1.

The connections include two HDCP 2.2-compliant HDMI ports, one of which is ARC-enabled. There’s no VGA input, but the projector is fitted with the Ethernet port and wireless options. The projector sends the sound to the wireless speaker through Bluetooth or perform screen sharing via WiFi. The audio inputs and outputs enable connecting the soundbar, the speaker set, or the AV receiver.

The LG HU80KA review would be incomplete without mentioning the WebOs platform implementing the smart TV in this projector. The Smart TV and browser access are operated easily through the Magic Remote having the mouse function.

Performance

The image produced by LG CineBeam HU80KA remains contrasting and full of colors. and shades in both dark and lit environment. 8 million pixels of 4K resolution projected with the 2,500 lumens provide bright peaks and subtle color transition, with natural skin tones. The blacks are deep and the greys and whites are uniform. The color accuracy is high, while the yellows might be a bit oversaturated in the semi-lit environment.

The projector has the built-in stereo speakers with a decent sound, rated at 7W each. The set is enough for watching TV shows or conducting the presentation, but the music doesn’t sound impressive due to thin bass.

The device works quietly, with 30 dB of maximum volume, which is unnoticeable when watching the movie. The adjustment options include the throw regulation and zooming for 1.3X. The screen can reach as large as 150 inches in diagonal without affecting the picture quality.

LG Electronics PF1000UW: Full HD Image and Smart TV Apps

The LG PF1000UW review of specs makes it clear that the projector can be connected to various smartphones, tablets, DVD players, and computers. It has the ability to share the content (music and video) wirelessly.

Design

The LG Electronics PF1000UW has a shape of an elongated block. The body of the projector is made of plastic with a white or black matte finish. The coating is not easily soiled and resistant to scratches. Internal cooling air takes in through the grilles on the right and left sides and is blown forward through the front grill. There is one small loudspeaker behind the side grilles surrounded by damping pads of soft porous material. Two small blowing fans are located behind the front grille. There are two HDMI and USB connectors, a power connector, and an antenna input, all of which work seamlessly. The device itself has small dimensions (4.3 x 5.1 x 12.2 inches) and weighs 4.2 pounds, so it can be easily transported in a bag.

Features

The LG Electronics PF1000U ultra short throw smart home theater projector is easily placed next to a wall and can project a Full HD image up to 100 inches. It is equipped with a built-in TV tuner and Smart TV apps such as Netflix and YouTube. Its LED lamp has a lifespan of 30.000 hours, so it seems that such an element is able to work for about 10 years in a case of everyday use. The Eco mode reduces an image brightness in two steps (Medium and Maximum) by 20% and 42%, respectively, and also alleviates the noise level of the cooling system. The remote control works without problems and lays comfortable in the hand. The cooling system noise is average. The buzz comes from the front of the projector, which is facing the wall, so such a sound doesn’t distract me. The noise from the fan becomes fully unnoticeable in the presence of a surrounding speaker system or just a powerful sound source, but in quiet scenes, I can barely hear the projector’s noise.

Performance

The presence of stray light negatively influences contrast. It’s recommended not to use the LG PF1000UW in a room with side lighting and an abundance of white reflective surfaces. Contrast and color saturation are fine up to 80 inches, but the image fades up to 100 inches. The colors look natural and don’t require fine-tuning while using the device in a default Cinema mode, so the projector is ready to go straight out of the box without the need for calibration. The rainbow effect is absent. The sound LG Electronics PF1000UW review demonstrates that 6W speakers aren’t really good (the sound isn’t loud and clear during action scenes), but they can back you up in case you don’t have a speaker system or a soundbar.

LG HF85JA — Full HD Laser Projector with Bluetooth Connectivity

Want to find out about the laser cinematic projector with advanced technologies? Here goes the LG HF85JA review. This device incorporates multiple features of the high-end projector including wireless connectivity, high contrast ratio, ultra-short throw, a consistent set of the physical ports to hook up multiple HDMI devices including Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, tuners, dongles, etc.

The projector incorporates a powerful lamp with considerable lifespan and average luminosity. This makes it a good option for dark room movie watching, gaming, or presentations.

Design

The look of the LG HF85JA reminds of anything but the projector device. It’s a rectangular box with taller one side holding the mirror and the notch near it. The large lens is hidden in the notch, covered with the curved glass and facing the mirror.

The main body of the device is smooth, with the ribbed lower part. Above the front speaker, numerous ventilation holes serve for heat dissipation. The size of the box is 13.90 x 4.70 x 7.50 inches, and it weighs 6.6 lbs.

Controls are minimal, with the focus switch and the power button on the top panel. The latter also performs navigation functions. The back side features the HDMI, USB, digital audio, and Ethernet ports.

The remote has the oval ergonomic shape with the thickened lower part, ball-like navigation button, and convenient grouping of the buttons.

Features

The HF85JA is based on the DLP technology and is equipped with the powerful laser lamp having the 1,500 lumens capacity and serving up to 20,000 hours in the Eco mode. The resolution of the display makes 1080p, with 2 million pixels. No 3D support. The color gamut contains over 1 billion hues, the contrast ratio makes 150,000:1. The TruMotion technology is used in the Gaming and Dynamic modes.

The device implements the ultra short throw technology, with a 120-inch display projected at 8 inches. The display is rectangular, with 16:9 orientation. The keystone can be regulated for all four corners, via manual correction. The zoom technology isn’t available.

Stereo internal speakers are 3W each. The noise produced by the projector varies from 26 dB to 30 dB. The input lag makes 58ms.

Connections are represented by two HDMI ports (one is ARC-enabled), two USBs, optical audio out, headphones jack, the LAN port, cable antenna connection. The projector also supports DLNA, wireless screen sharing, Bluetooth connection, including the Bluetooth speaker hookup, and LG Smart TV interface (powered by WebOS 3.0). The remote is enhanced with the mouse cursor feature.

Performance

The picture produced by the LG HF85JA ultra short throw laser smart home theater projector is vivid and features high brightness uniformity on a flat screen. The contrast in a dark room is high in each of 6 settings available, with uniform blacks and consistent whites. The grays are fine, without the muddy effect. The color palette is wide enough with distinct peaks. Still, the presence of the ambient light deteriorates the image quickly making the blacks and colors look washed out and the contours go blurry.

The projector has the full functionality of LG TV, with Smart TV and browser, multiple options for audio connection. The built-in speakers are audible and interference-free in a small room but don’t suffice for the large ones. The lag is noticeable in the dynamic video games while being OK for presentations and PC monitor function.