LG’s smart projector is the square cousin of Samsung’s cool The Freestyle
>
Compact portable projectors, previously confined to a company’s boardroom, are becoming a popular option for those who want to temporarily set up a large screen both inside and outside their home for movie night or gaming. And with many new models featuring built-in streaming, it’s now easier than ever to get things going once you’ve found a blank wall to beam images to.
We saw some innovative new ones projectors at CES 2023including models from Xgimi, Formovie and of course Samsung, which are a new and improved version of The freestylethe top model on our list of the best portable projectors. Following on from the Las Vegas tech fest, LG has announced its own new portable device, the PF510Q, and while the new LG isn’t quite as flashy as Samsung’s offering, it still looks like a substantial addition to the on-the-go compact projector scene.
Frankly, the PF510Q actually looks like it stumbled right out of the IT department. But aside from the standard square white body, there are a number of attractive features that should make using this 1080p HD resolution projector a fun ride.
The first is LG’s webOS 22 smart TV interface, which offers built-in streaming from apps like Disney Plus, PrimeVideo, YouTube and AppleTV Plus. AirPlay support is also on board, allowing you to stream directly to the projector from your iPhone or iPad. If you are not an Apple person, you can use the Screenshare feature to wirelessly cast content from an Android device.
LG’s projector has a built-in 2 x 5-watt speaker system, but more interesting is the dual Bluetooth audio output. This allows you to stream sound to a pair of Bluetooth speakers for enhanced audio, or to two separate Bluetooth headsets for private listening while watching.
On the hardware side, the PF510Q’s LED light source is rated to output 450 ANSI Lumens and last for 30,000 hours. You can beam an image from 30 inches to 120 inches, and there’s automatic keystone adjustment to make the image perfectly rectangular after installation, plus manual focus adjustment. Two HDMI inputs are provided for connecting sources such as a game console or Blu-ray player.
Analysis: compact projectors are the new TV in the bedroom
While we were surprised by the number of cool compact projectors shown at CES, in some ways we shouldn’t have been – this category has been gaining popularity for some time now and manufacturers are jumping at the chance to put their unique tech spin on it.
I got my daughter a portable projector to use in college and when she’s not playing games Xbox game pass on the Xbox Series S with that she streams movies directly from one of the best streaming services. (And also studying and doing well in class, I hope.)
Since I’m a video and movie nerd, of course I made sure she got a 4K projector, though that’s probably overkill for dorm room use. But the gaming angle is the most important one to discuss here, as gaming seems like the most obvious and better use for compact portable projectors.
At CES 2023, Samsung announced that the new version of The Freestyle would get the same Gaming Hub as on the best samsung tvs for cloud-based gaming through apps such as Microsoft Xbox, Utomik and Amazon Luna. Two Freestyles can also be linked to create an ultra-wide 21.9 display, an aspect ratio that works best for immersive gaming.
LG’s new PF510Q doesn’t appear to be similarly equipped with gaming features, although it is TV Lineup 2023 announced at CES features a Game Optimizer menu that allows users to easily select and switch between game-related functions. We may see the same introduced on the company’s portable projectors, but in the meantime, the $599 PF510Q, which is available now, looks like a good, affordable option for console-based gaming.