LG has announced that its suitcase TV, the StanbyME Go, will be released globally starting in the US in August and will roll out to major markets in Europe, including the UK, from next month (no Australian date yet) confirmed ).
When the StanbyMe Go was first revealed, its striking appearance was hard to deny: a TV in a suitcase. At its core, it has a 27-inch 1080p LED touchscreen, built-in battery with up to three hours of charging and 20W speakers. But looking further into the specs there are some surprising but welcome features that made this new TV has more than you would expect at first glance.
The StanbyMe Go not only supports HDR10, but also Dolby Visionsomething that is common in the best tvs. Dolby Vision, a sought-after HDR format among movie buffs and gamers, isn’t even supported on much larger, premium TVs.
Plus, this bizarre TV’s speakers do a form of virtual Dolby Atmos, which is something people often look for best sound bars. The TV will also feature LG’s webOS smart platform, as well as Airplay 2, screen mirroring, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s a very well equipped albeit small TV.
LG has also put the TV through its paces, with the StanbyME Go successfully passing 11 tests that meet the U.S. military’s stringent MIL-STD-810G standard. The TV was tested under various conditions, including low and high pressure and temperature and even accidental falls.
So is this LG suitcase TV the start of a future beyond the living room or a new piece of tech that will fade into people’s memories almost as quickly as it arrived?
Analysis: An intriguing TV with a few shortcomings
While it’s surprising how well-specified and seemingly durable the StanbyME Go is, there are two main things to look out for if you’re considering buying one. The first is price and the second is battery life. With a battery life of just three hours, the StanbyME Go will get you through a lot of movies, but if you’re caught without power, you won’t have any movie marathons unfortunately.
The StanbyME Go costs just under $1,000 – we don’t have pricing for other countries yet. In comparison, you can buy a very good laptop or tablet for such a price, which will give you a longer battery life. Admittedly, the 27-inch screen is a nice size, but how many people will be looking forward to traveling with them, for example?
However, that doesn’t mean that the StanbyME Go isn’t a nice idea. The eye-catching case design is sure to make this stand out in the tech market and while this isn’t going to be the next big thing in the world of TVs, it’s sure to draw a few glances if you pull this out while on a campsite. Despite its shortcomings, it’s certainly a TV to keep an eye on.