Big Picture, Small Footprint
Everyone loves having a movie theater-like experience at home. A huge screen at home allows you to skip the sticky floors and chatty texting teens. But installing a traditional projector and screen can be a bit complicated. You usually need to run multiple wires across the floor or inside the walls up to the ceiling and install a wall or ceiling mount for the projector toward the back of the room.
A new wave of projectors has been making its way to the market which turns the traditional projector paradigm on its head. Instead of mounting the projector at the back of the room, an Ultra Short Throw (UST) projector can be mounted on a coffee table, small shelf or stand at the front of the room and still create a huge, geometrically perfect image on your wall.
LG Electronics just unveiled its latest UST projector: the CineBeam HU915QE. It features native 4K UHD resolution and can create a bright and detailed image placed just a few inches from the front wall. The projector can create a 90-inch image from 5.6 cm away (2.2 inches) or a 120-inch image from 18.3 cm (7.2 inches). This allows you to keep the projector up front where your other gear like cable box or streaming set top box are located and eliminates the need to run wires through walls or drill holes in the walls or ceiling.
The HU915QE uses a three-channel laser-based light source, rated to last the life of the projector (approximately 20,000 hours). This means you won't have to replace a bulb every few years (or few months). The projector has a brightness rating of 3700 ANSI Lumens which should make it bright enough for just about any room. To further enhance the picture quality in bright rooms, the projector uses LG's Brightness Optimizer II processing to adjust the image brightness based on the current room lighting. It also combines HDR dynamic tone-mapping and dynamic contrast to optimize the brightness and contrast on screen based on the specific content you're watching.
Unlike most projectors which are nothing more than silent visual display devices, the HU915QE includes both a smart streaming platform and built-in speakers. As with LG Smart TVs, the projector includes LG's webOS smart platform with access to all the major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and Apple TV+. The unit also houses a 2.2 channel 40 W speaker system that will get you by in a pinch. Of course, we'd recommend adding an external receiver and speakers, or at least a soundbar, for big sound to match that big picture.
In a nod to the environmentally (and stylistically) conscious crowd, the projector features "Re-wool" grilles on the sides. Designed by renowned Danish textile company, Kvadrat and made from 45 percent recycled wool, this material adds an organic warmth to the sleek high-tech cabinet.
The LG CineBeam 4K laser projector (model HU915QE) is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2022. Pricing has yet to be officially announced, but retailers are listing it for right around $6,000.
You can buy one from ProjectorScreen.com here:
| Resolution: | UHD 4K (3840x2160 pixels) |
| Brightness: | 3700 ANSI Lumens |
| Light Source: | 3-Channel Laser |
| Lamp Life: | 20,000 hours |
| Brightness Optimizer II Details: | Auto Brightness + Adaptive Contrast + Iris Mode |
| Throw Ratio: | 0.19 (100 inches @ 9.8cm) |
| Screen Size: | 90-120 inches |
| Keystone Correction: | 4/9/15 Point Warping |
| WebOS: | Yes (Global) |
| Wireless: | Android / iOS |
| Integrated Speaker: | 2.2 Channel, 40W |
| Inputs: | HDMI x 3 with eARC / USB 2.0 x 2 |
| Dimensions: | 680 x 347 x 128 mm (26.7 x 13.66 x 5.04 inches) |
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