LG’s UST projector beams bright 120-inch images from 7 inches away
The TV maker’s new 4K laser projector should give the largest OLED and LED sets a run for the money
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LGis getting ready to launch an addition to its family of4KLaser TV ultra-short throw projectors.
The forthcoming HU915QE is the company’s brightest offering yet, spec’d to produce a 120-inch image with 3,700 ANSI Lumens when placed 7.2 inches from a wall-mounted screen and a 90-inch image from 2.2 inches away. The projector’s prodigious light output makes it a compelling alternative to ultra-large 4KOLEDand LED TVs, most of which top out at 88 inches before vaulting up to an astronomical price tier.
The three-channel laser engine used for the HU915QE devotes a separate laser to each primary color (red, green, and blue), ensuring broad color gamut coverage when displayinghigh dynamic rangeimages. It also eliminates the need for the DLP color wheel that can create “rainbow” artifacts in projectors like the HU915QE, which employs DLP projection tech. Like most other laser-based models, the new LG boasts a 20,000-hour lamp life, which should yield approximately 12-13 years of daily primetime viewing.
Big-screen alternative
A key benefit the HU915QE brings is HDR Dynamic Tone Mapping, a feature that analyzes video on a frame-by-frame basis to optimize both shadow and highlight detail with high dynamic range content. Additionally, Brightness Optimizer II processing can automatically adjust overall image brightness based on room lighting conditions, while Adaptive Contrast modifies the laser light engine’s output on a dynamic basis to optimize individual movie scenes.
When used as a big-screen TV alternative, LG projectors like the HU915QE provide the same WebOS smart platform found in the company’s TVs, providing onboard access to streaming services such as Netflix,AmazonPrime Video, Disney+,YouTube, andAppleTV. The projector features a built-in 2.2-channel 40-watt audio system, and can also route soundtracks to an external speaker system via its HDMI eARC and optical digital ports, or a Bluetooth wireless link.
LG says the HU915QE will ship “in the first half of 2022” to North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Markets in Latin America and Asia should follow later in the year. Pricing hasn’t yet been officially announced but online retailers in the U.S. currently have the projector available for pre-order at $5,996.
For reviews of top ultra short throw and other premium projectors, check out our collection ofbest 4K projectors
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Al Griffin has been writing about and reviewing A/V tech since the days LaserDiscs roamed the earth, and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine.
When not reviewing the latest and greatest gear or watching movies at home, he can usually be found out and about on a bike.
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