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Home / News / LG’s portable projector puts big-screen thrills in your pocket

LG’s portable projector puts big-screen thrills in your pocket

80 inches of HD from a battery-powered box the size of your shoe

What’s this, a tiny glowing box?

Pretty much, yes. It’s the newest addition to LG’s Minibeam lineup and, despite its size, can do some serious projecting – from really, really close, thanks to UST tech.

UST? Like the milk?

No, that’s UHT. UST stands for Ultra Short-Throw, and it means the PH450U model can push out an 80in HD image at a distance of just 13in (33 centimetres) from the screen, for wall-side watching without the wasted space.

What’s more, it can be turned on its side for table-top TV straight out of Minority Report. The bulb also happens to brilliantly bright at 450 lumens, with a life of 30,000 hours – which should be plenty long enough for several box sets in the sun.

What about the wires? I hate wires.

Don’t we all. Not content with cramming big-screen smarts into a compact container, LG has somehow stuffed 2.5 hours of battery life into the 450’s cell – so you can go cable-free to your heart’s content (or for a feature film, at least).

You don’t need to trail an HDMI lead across the carpet, either: LG’s box of tricks will play nice with USB drives for direct content transfer.

This all sounds good and nifty, but what if I want something even tinier?

Then you’re in luck. LG has also announced the PH150G, a package that’s smaller still – if a little less bright.

Weighing in at a leaf-like 450g, the baby brother of the Minibeam family is an 11.5cm square of projection prowess.

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Is it just as powerful, though?

Not quite. Whilst it only packs 130 lumens into its pocket-sized shell, though, it can throw an HD image across a sizeable 100 inches – making it a portable powerhouse for those who like to go big.

It also offers the same 2.5-hour battery life and Wi-Fi Screen Share smarts as the PH450U, as well as Bluetooth connectivity.

I want both! Where can I get them?

Nowhere, yet: there’s no word on pricing so far, but a UK release is penned for September – and both Minibeams will be on show at IFA 2016 in Berlin next month.

Profile image of Chris Rowlands Chris Rowlands Freelance contributor

About

Formerly News Editor at this fine institution, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on coffee kit, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

Areas of expertise

Cameras, gear and travel tech