Portable projectors have grown in popularity and quality in recent years with the Samsung Freestyle and LG CineBeam ranges duking it out for popularity. They’re great devices, perfect for watching the footy outside at a barbecue, setting up a romantic date night in the backyard, or movie night in a blanket fort.
The LG CineBeam Q is a 4K portable projector that looks beautiful on a shelf. It also casts a great picture that holds up reasonably well in soft daytime light. It’s a great little gadget.
LG CineBeam Q review
First impressions
When I first set up the LG CineBeam Q, I was parenting a very fresh newborn, and was hurriedly trying to set up a projector so that my wife could watch TV in bed while breastfeeding and recovering. I was operating on approximately one-and-a-half brain cells. And yet, (once I had put it the right way up), it was so easy to use and set up that I barely even needed said brain cells.
It also helped that the unit was so obviously attractive. It’s something you could keep on the shelf as a decorative object until needed, and then surprise your guests with what it can do. It’s the kind of thing that is attractive enough that you’ll get away with having one, even if you have a partner who doesn’t like having the house filled with gadgets.
LG CineBeam Q specs and price
| Native resolution | 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) |
| Brightness (ANSI Lumen) | 500 |
| Contrast ratio | 450,000:1 |
| Projection image | Screen size: 50 – 120 inches Throw ratio: 1.2 |
| Projection lens | Fixed zoom Motorised / auto-focus |
| Sound output | 3W Mono |
| Dimensions | 1.49kg 80mm x 135mm x 135mm |
| Compatibility | Apple HomeKit Screen share Airplay 2 LG sound sync Bluetooth Dolby Atmos |
| Power consumption | Max 65W Power supply: Adapter 65W |
| Price (RRP) | $2,499 |
| Warranty | Three years |
| Official website | LG Australia |
The biggest thing to note here is the lack of battery option, so it’s not super portable anywhere you don’t have access to a power outlet. Also the lack of brightness; there isn’t a lot of power here.
Picture quality
This is really the part that matters most in any projector, and it’s clearly where LG put all the CineBeam’s skill points. I don’t normally expect much from mini, portable projectors because the form factor is limiting.
I was impressed, though, with the contrast ratio. LG claims a 450,000:1 contrast ratio, and you would be extremely lucky to actually create the conditions required to see that. To give you an idea of the conditions, I’m talking about a completely pitch-black room – not so much as the light from a smartwatch screen – and a pristine, quality screen. In these conditions, the contrast does indeed look excellent.
Looking good on a proper screen is great. But most people who are buying the CineBeam will likely be buying it so they don’t have to have a section of their wall dedicated to a screen, or so they can have a portable 4K projector able to be used against a sheet or wall. I also tested it on a textured wall (painted white) and primarily tested it on medium-grey blinds.
Obviously, it looked a lot better on the wall, but I was impressed with the quality of the picture and brightness on the grey blinds. It showed that almost any neutral colour backdrop would work, so it’s great for projecting onto the fence at a barbie during footy season.
The smooth motion was great for watching the soccer, with no judder on anything we watched. The accurate colour tones meant shows like Selling Sunset really popped with the house tours looking better than any part of the trashy reality show has any right to.
Getting a 4K picture this good out of a projector this small in this price range seems like witchcraft.
Audio quality
The LG CineBeam Q is excellent at a great many things. Audio quality is precisely none of those things. The projector features a token gesture of a 3W speaker, which makes the speaker in a budget Chromebook sound amazing in comparison. The speaker is bad. There is no sugarcoating it.
It almost would have been better if they hadn’t included any speaker at all. Instead, people who get this projector need to also have a Bluetooth speaker or headphones for a good experience.
Portability
It is said that you can never have three sides of the triangle. That triangle is usually “good – fast – cheap”, but here it’s “small – ultra-portable – high resolution”. Other portable projectors have gone for batteries and FHD resolution. LG has forgone the battery (which adds heat and bulk) and needs to be plugged in to work.
So, it’s small (and pretty), with 4K resolution, but you need to have a way to plug it into a power source to enjoy movies on the go. It uses roughly the same power as a medium laptop, so a high-capacity battery pack might do the trick (depending on variables).
As long as you have power, though, you could take this thing anywhere. It’s small enough to fit into a decent handbag. You could get really creative with where and how you enjoy shows, sports and movies.
Remote
I really liked the remote for the LG CineBeam Q. It’s a solid remote. It is, perhaps, lacking in buttons. A couple of customisable ones for apps would be ideal, in addition to the ads for streaming services that have paid to have placement on the remote. But it’s a decent size, and there are enough buttons to get the job done, without there being too much to overwhelm.
Who is the LG CineBeam Q for?
The LG CineBeam Q is for people who want a projector they can take with them, which also looks beautiful in the home. It’s perhaps not as portable as others in the category, but it does have a better picture and the portability shortcomings are easy to overcome.
It’s also a great choice for people who want to look like they don’t own a TV most of the time, but can still enjoy a drama (or trashy reality show) on the big screen when the mood strikes them. It’s a beautiful decorative item, in addition to a capable projector.
While $2,499 seems like a high RRP for it, I’ve seen it at discounts bringing it below $1,300 multiple times, making it a far more attractive solution.
The post LG CineBeam Q 4K review: Portable and beautiful appeared first on GadgetGuy.
0 (mga) komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento