Test report

LG Largo4k HU70LS & LG Vivo HU85LS

LG unveils new projectors at IFA 2019!

Ahead of IFA 2019, LG has already announced one of the two projectors mentioned above, the LG Vivo HU85LS. The laser ultra-short throw projector uses 4K UHD resolution and casts an attractive image on the wall with its 2700 lumens. Thanks to its UST optics, it is ideal for use on sideboards where you would otherwise place a TV. In this case, the wall remains "clean". This makes the LG Vivo HU85LS ideal for the living room home cinema.

Content

LG Largo4k HU70LS

Another model has just been announced, the LG Largo4k. The new LG Largo4k HU70LS only has one thing in common with the currently available LG Largo or LG Largo 2.0 at first glance. That is the name. At second glance, the chassis reveals that there is more to it than meets the eye. This is not least due to the larger DLP chip, because it is a 4K projector! With the LG Largo4k, LG is now entering the league of 4K LED projectors. Until now, Full HD resolution was the maximum. Until now, 4K resolution was only used in LG laser projectors.

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The LG Largo4k HU70LS in the new chassis.

New chassis

Compared to the previous projectors, the chassis of the new LG 4K LED projector seems almost too normal. Until now, the designs were always a little more unusual. The LG Largo4k, on the other hand, is a little more neutral. This could be related to the number of LEDs, as it still achieves the 1400 lumens with the 4K resolution, like its Full HD counterpart. Since the LEDs themselves require some space, as does the cooling, the larger chassis is understandable.

LED light source

As already mentioned, the Largo4k is equipped with an LED light source. It brings with it the proven advantages that we have already experienced with the previous Largo models. These include the long life of the light source of up to 30,000 hours. Lamp replacement is therefore not an issue. This also means that the LG Largo4k HU70LS is inexpensive to maintain. In addition, there is no mercury waste from the old lamps.

The second advantage is that the colour representation is on a particularly high level, as the projector works with 4-channel LED technology. The three primary colours are supported by another LED to generate an optimal colour representation on the one hand and to achieve the best possible brightness on the other.

The colour reproduction of the LG HU70LS is so good that it covers 92% of the DCI-P3 colour space. This puts it at an exceptionally high level of colour reproduction.

Another advantage is that it is able to display HDR content. Here, it supports the HDR 10 standard with dynamic tone mapping for a particularly high contrast range.

4K UHD resolution

To ensure that not only the colours but also the sharpness of the picture are at a high level, the LG Largo4k offers 4K UHD resolution with 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is generated via TI XPR technology. With this, it displays the content in excellent sharpness and provides an appealing 4K picture.

HDR technology goes hand in hand with the 4K display. This means that it not only delivers a sharp, but also a very high-contrast image, which ensures a particularly vivid picture thanks to the High Dynamic Range.

To the 4K UHD projectors

webOS 4.5 & Magic Remote

In terms of webOS, the LG Largo4k is well positioned, as it comes with the very fresh 4.5 version. Compared to the 4.0 version, it now includes the popular apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime. Youtube and Co. are also on board as before. The webOS 4.5 interface thus offers significantly more attractive apps than its predecessor.

To make controlling the webOS interface easy, the LG HU70LS comes with the tried and tested Magic Remote.

New lens

One feature that has noticeably improved in the LG HU70LS is the zoom of the optics. Now the projector uses a 1.25x zoom, whereas previously a 1.1x zoom was the maximum. This makes the LED projector the first of its kind to break new ground in terms of zoom. This gives us hope that more LED projectors with a stronger zoom will come onto the market in the future and that they will catch up with conventional devices. The highlight of the LG Largo4k's optics is that the focusing is motorised. This means that focusing on the lens ring is a thing of the past with this projector.

The zoom and focus of the LG Largo4k.

USB-C interface

A small but nice innovation is the USB-C interface of the LG Largo4k HU70LS. It can be used, for example, to connect notebooks, tablets or smartphones directly to the projector with a USB-C cable. Currently, projectors with a USB-C connection can be found like a needle in a haystack. The LG projector is definitely future-proof with this interface.

The connections of the LG Largo4k HU70LS.

Proven features

In addition, the new LG Largo4k offers a number of proven features that have already been used in some LG projectors.

TruMotion

The popular TruMotion technology, as LG calls the intermediate image calculation, is also on board. As usual, the intermediate image calculation ensures a smooth image in different gradations and reduces image jerkiness. The picture itself gains in plasticity.

Smart Share Features

Thanks to the Smart Share technologies in the LG projector, it offers convenient compatibility with various screen share technologies such as Miracast, Wireless DLNA, TV Plus App and many more.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth Out function, popular with LGs, allows the Largo4k to send the audio signal it receives with the video material via HDMI, for example, to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones via Bluetooth. In that case, soundbars are also interesting, as they can be conveniently placed under the screens.

First conclusion

Without giving the LG Largo4k HU70LS too much credit, I have to say that its specs read very interesting. Since it was just presented at the IFA, it remains to be seen what the impression will be when we see it live. Therefore, we are looking forward to the LG Largo4k test. The combination ofLED light source, 4K UHD resolution, a reasonable zoom and the other features promise an interesting future. Now it remains to be seen where the LG Largo4k price will settle.

LG Vivo HU85LS

The LG Vivo HU85LS was announced ahead of IFA 2019. The new LG ultra-short-throw projector offers high-definition 4K UHD resolution in addition to the long-lasting laser light source.

The LG Vivo HU85LS with the front covered by fabric, with the speakers behind it.

Ultra-Short Throw Optics

Thanks to its appearance, the ultra-short distance projector is perfectly suited for use on a sideboard in the living room, in which case it replaces the TV set. The great advantage is that when it is not projecting, the wall remains white, whereas a TV set might detract from the design of the room. Moreover, thanks to the white chassis of the LG Vivo, it does not stand out significantly on lighter pieces of furniture

With a throw ratio of 0.19:1, it achieves an image width of 2 m from the optical system at a distance of just under 40 cm, taking into account the depth of the projector. This makes it ideal for placement on a low cabinet or sideboard.

To the short distance projectors

Laser light source

Like the LG Allegro, the LG Vivo uses a laser light source. Compared to conventional lamps, it offers the advantage of a significantly longer service life. In this case, it is up to 20,000 hours. This eliminates the need to change lamps and the associated costs

Another plus point can be found in the contrast display. When you look at the LG Vivo's data sheet, the contrast value smiles at you. It is 2,000,000:1, but whether this is always achieved is another question, since the room light also plays a role in the display. Without the laser, however, this value would be impossible to achieve. Thanks to the laser diodes, the individual image areas are supplied with light selectively, or not. This is how it achieves this strong contrast value. A lamp would have to contend with much more stray light here.

This results in an excellent basis for HDR display, which the LG HU85LS supports. The LG projector uses HDR 10 for the supported High Dynamic Range format. The fine contrast gradations make the image appear even more vivid, as the individual areas receive much better gradations in contrast, which also has an effect on the colour representation

In terms of colour representation, the LG Vivo HU85LS achieves 100% of the Rec. 709 colour space. This provides an attractive basis for films. The colours are displayed particularly naturally and thus provide a true-to-life picture.

webOS 4.5 & Magic Remote

In terms of user interface, the LG Vivo is equipped with the latest webOS 4.5. The big advantage of the system over its predecessor is that the popular apps Netflix and Amazon Prime are now on board again. Youtube and other apps are also included.

Here, too, the operation of the webOS user interface is easy thanks to the Magic Remote. Users who already own an LG TV with the same requirements will find their way around particularly quickly.

Thanks to the internal Quad Core processor, the Smart TV features can be operated smoothly.

USB-C interface

Like the LG Largo4k, the LG Vivo also has a USB-C interface. This allows you to connect notebooks, tablets or smartphones in no time at all and play back content. Since USB-C is the connection of the future, especially in the PC and notebook segment, you are well equipped for the coming years with it.

The multiple interfaces of the LG Vivo.

Proven features

As with the Largo4k, the proven features of the LG Vivo include TruMotion inter-screen calculation, screen share in the form of Miracast and other WiFi features, as well as the Bluetooth Out interface for audio transmission to external Bluetooth speakers

Although the LG HU85LS has an internal 2 x 3 watt stereo speaker, an external surround system or soundbar is recommended for good sound quality. Since many speakers have Bluetooth, the Bluetooth Out interface is a good choice for the connection.

First conclusion

So far, we have not had the opportunity to test the LG Vivo. However, since we have been able to examine many LG projectors, we expect a good result. The technical features give us hope for a very interesting projector

If we look back a few years, LG had a comparable device with the Hecto, which was the first of its kind in this segment. Since they had enough time for improvements from 2013 until today, the image will be convincing. In addition, there are of course all the new features that we have seen in LG projectors in recent years. We are definitely looking forward to the first LG Vivo test to see for ourselves how it performs. We will stay on the ball!

Tobias Berg and Oliver Stenzel - contact persons in Purchasing and Sales - write on glass pane

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