Today LG is expanding its Minibeam line of portable projectors with two new products, identified by model numbers “PH450U” and “PH150G”. The company announced the two new models earlier today, describing one of them at least, as the “brightest battery-powered UST projector” – where UST stands for Ultra Short-Thow. LG aims to release the two models starting next month in several regions across the globe, including Europe and North America.
The LG Minibeam PH450U is an Ultra Short-Throw projector (UST), meaning that it is able to project images from short distances and doesn’t require users to find a special place at the back of the room. The unit can project 80-inch images from a distance of only 33 centimeters (roughly 13 inches), and can also be turned upright in order to project images on flat, horizontal surfaces. This allows users to turn tables, desks, and similar surfaces into a projected screen, and given that the PH450U is powered by batteries, it can be a valuable travel companion. Spec-wise the PH450U has enough battery life for 2.5 hours of usage, and features an HDMI cable with MHL capability to allow users to transfer data to the projector. It has a lamp life of up to 30,000 hours according to LG, or enough to cover 1,250 days of continuous playback in 100,000:1 high contrast. Furthermore, with 450 lumens, LG claims that the PH450U is the brightest battery-powered UST projector on the market, and is four times brighter than its closest competitor. On the downside, the 80-inch projection has a resolution of only 1280 x 720 pixels (from a distance of 33 centimeters) so it clearly is in a different league compared to non-portable UST projectors – including Sony’s -, and the price of $649.99 should reflect that.
Moving on to the LG Minibeam PH150G (not to be confused with last year’s PV150G), LG hasn’t revealed too much about the device’s more in-depth capabilities, but according to the manufacturer, the PH150G “offers the same compact, sleek design of other LG Minibeam projectors in a package just half the size and weight as the PH450U”. The unit measures 115 x 115 x 44.5 millimeters, it weighs 450 grams, and much like the PH450U it is powered by “long lasting rechargeable batteries”. LG adds that both the PH150G and PH450U take advantage of Triple Wireless technology for wireless connectivity. The official press release states that the LG Minibeam PH450U will be available in Europe and North America next month, whereas the Minibeam PH150G will hit the shelves in select countries across Europe, North America, and Asia, with other regions to follow. According to The Verge, both models will be released in the US in October at the prices of $349.99 and $649.99 for the PH150G and PH450U respectively.
