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LG's compact portable 4K laser projector comes with a handle

Half the size of competing 4K projectors, the slick HU80KA stands on its own. Literally.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
2 min read
lg-4k-uhd-projector-hu80k-1

Save us LG HU80KA, you're our only hope.

LG

LG wants to take 4K projection where it's never gone before.

The LG HU80KA has higher resolution than typical 1080p projectors, but the most interesting thing about it is the physical design. Billed as half the size of competing 4K projectors, it weighs 14.3 pounds. There's no battery, but a handle lets you tote it anywhere easily, and the little cutie looks more like a modernist rectangular mini trash can -- complete with open lid shooting out an image -- than a projector.

It uses a laser light engine that can get nice and bright: 2,500 lumens at 150 inches. There's an "Auto Cord" (I'm guessing that means "retractable") and the unit can be set on the floor, mounted on the wall or attached to the ceiling. It has built-in speakers, HDR capability (HDR10, not Dolby Vision), LG's Web OS smart TV system and optical, HDMI and Bluetooth connectivity. So far, so good.

But about that "4K" resolution. A footnote at the bottom of LG's press release says "4K UHD resolution with more than 8 million discrete pixels by XPR (Expanded Pixel Resolution) video processing." To me that says this isn't true 4K, as found on Sony's high-end SXRD projectors for example, but lower-than-actual 4K, as found on units by Epson, Optoma and JVC.

I've asked LG for additional details and will update here if I hear back.

Pricing and availability were not announced.

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