Back in January, we got quite excited about LG's new 4K projector, the LG CineBeam Qube HU710PB – now called the CineBeam Q – but there was one crucial bit of information missing: the price. "If LG can get the price right," we said, "we could be looking at the new king of portables". And now we know what the price will be, is it time for a coronation?
The short answer is "maybe". At $1,299.99 / £1,299.99 / AU$2,499, the LG 4K CineBeam Q Portable Projector costs a lot more than our top pick for portability out of the best 4K projectors, Samsung's $799 / £649 / AU$1,299 The Freestyle 2nd Gen. But in some key areas it has a better spec.
Is the LG CineBeam Q the best portable projector?
The first and most obvious difference in spec is that the Samsung's The Freestyle projectors (both the first and second generations) are full HD, while LG's CineBeam Q is 4K. It's also capable of projecting a bigger display. Where The Freestyle has a recommended maximum of 100 inches, the LG CineBeam Q beats that by 20 inches to take the maximum up to a whopping 120 inches.
That's not all. The LG has higher contrast – 450,000:1 compared to 100,000:1 – although it has similar light output at around 500 ANSI lumens. But LG reckons that the increased contrast means you'll get better results in darker scenes.
Some of the other differences are much smaller, but no less important. While The Freestyle and CineBeam Q both have HDMI ARC, Samsung's version is a micro-HDMI port whereas the LG has a standard sized one, so that's one less kind of cable or adapter to worry about.
The software here is LG's well-liked webOS, and like the Samsung it comes with a raft of smart TV apps including Netflix, YouTube, Disney Plus, Apple TV and Prime Video. You can stream via Miracast or AirPlay 2. The CineBeam Q projector also boasts automatic screen alignment and focus so it should be nice and simple to set up too.
The LG CineBeam Q is available for preorder today, March 18, with some special offers online. If you register for preorder notifications at LG.com between now and March 31, you can get a $100 / £200 voucher off that $1,299 / £1,299 selling price during the preorder period. In Australia, you can save 20% if you pre-order, bringing the price down to AU$1,999. In the UK, LG has sweetened the deal even more by adding a free leather protector cover.
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