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LG finally priced its quirky 4K projector that looks like a hamper

By Kris Wouk June 4, 2018

Even a mammoth 77-inch OLED is dwarfed by a 150-inch picture, and that’s exactly what the new LG CineBeam HU80KA 4K UHD projector brings to the table. Even better, the CineBeam is available now for a price that is close to what you’d expect to pay for a 75-inch 4K TV — not bad for what promises to be one of the best home theater projectors around.

Not only can the HU80KA deliver a huge picture, but it does so in a compact, portable form that doesn’t require you to find a table or stand for setting it at the exact right height. Not sure you want to spare the space on the floor? That’s not a problem, says LG, as the projector’s mirrorless I-shaped engine allows the projector to display without problems whether it’s mounted on the wall, hung from the ceiling, or placed on the floor.

This is also LG’s brightest projector yet, able to display a 150-inch picture at 2,500 lumens, while its HD projectors top out at 2,000 lumens. To take advantage of this extra brightness, the HU80KA also supports high dynamic range via HDR10, though unfortunately, Dolby Vision doesn’t appear to be supported. Two built-in 7-watt speakers provide enough audio power in case you’re bringing the projector with you, but you can easily connect it to an external speaker system or sound bar using the optical output, HDMI, or wirelessly via Bluetooth.

LG HU80KA 4K UHD projector

When it comes to content, you can obviously plug external streaming devices or Blu-ray players in via HDMI, but as the projector runs LG’s webOS 3.5, plenty of streaming apps are built in. Netflix, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu are just some of the apps available for the platform, with 4K streaming available for apps that support it. The projector can also play media off of a USB drive, giving you plenty of portable options.

The LG CineBeam 4K Laser Projector is available now at select retailers across the United States at a suggested price of $3,000, which is less than you’d pay for LG’s own C8 65-inch OLED. If you’re still not sure whether a TV or projector is the right pick for you, we have put together a guide to help you choose.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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Optoma’s CinemaX 4K laser projectors now have faster response times for gamers

People using the Optoma CinemaX D2 outdoors.

Optoma is expanding its 4K UHD home theater projector line by introducing the CinemaX D2 Series. Optoma says this is an upgrade from the previous CinemaX P2 projector, and the improvements are based on user feedback. The series includes the CinemaX D2, a 4K UHD ultra short throw laser home projector, and the CinemaX D2 Smart, which adds smart TV features courtesy of an included Android TV dongle.
Ultra short throw projectors are ideal for people with limited space in their room as they can cast an image on the screen from small distances. Traditional short throw projectors need at least four feet to eight feet of distance from the screen to be able to produce high-quality images, but not all rooms have this much area to spare. That's where ultra short throw projectors can help. The CinemaX D2 Series, for example, can cast up to 100-inch images from less than a foot away from the screen. If you increase the distance a bit more, you get up to 120-inch images.
The CinemaX D2 Series features 3,000 lumens and a 1,800,000:1 contrast ratio, which, oddly, is a bit of a step down from their predecessor, the CinemaX P2 projector, which offers the same brightness, but with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The biggest boost this series offers is an Enhanced Gaming Mode that claims "blur-free visuals and low lag" with the help of its 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz. The 30,000-hour life span (same as its predecessor) seems to be slightly higher than other ultra short throw projectors in this price range as well. Both D2 models have three HDMI 2.0 inputs, instead of the P2's double-HDMI 2.0 and single HDMI 1.4 inputs.

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This stunning, folding 4K TV now costs 50% less, but you still can’t afford it

C Seed N1 folding 4K MicroLED TV.

MicroLED technology promises to one day give us absolutely huge TV screens at accessible prices. But that day is not today. Instead, it is being used to create some of the most dazzling -- and exorbitantly expensive -- TVs on the planet, like the stunning, folding 4K M1 TV from Austrian brand, C Seed, which will set you back $400,000. But we've got great news for those who simply refuse to spend more than $200,000 on a folding TV: C Seed has just announced the folding 4K N1 TV, which you can add to your home (or superyacht) for the miserly sum of just $190,000.

But just to keep your expectations in check, $190,000 is the starting price for the N1. For that amount, you're looking at the smallest screen size of just 103-inches. It's available in two larger sizes too (137- and 165-inches), but as they say, if you have to ask how much those sizes cost ...

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YouTube TV in 4K: Everything you need to know

YouTube TV 4K streams settings and user options.

When it comes to streaming live TV in the United States (or streaming any kind of video anywhere, for that matter), resolution and bit rate remain as important as ever. And you're now able to enjoy YouTube TV in 4K. Some of it, at least. And if it seems like it's taken forever for that to happen, you're not wrong.

The basic fact is that it takes a lot of bandwidth to stream video — and that's even more difficult when you're talking linear TV, (and more so still if it's a live event like sports). So it's not really that much of a surprise to learn that most live channels stream at 720p resolution — or maybe 1080p if you're lucky. (We'll leave frame rate out of the equation for a minute, but it's a thing, too, especially for sports.)