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.
Chris Rowlands
Freelance contributor 
