TechRadar Verdict
The LG PW800 is the perfect projector for traveling salespeople, teachers and anyone who wants to watch movies at a modest volume in a small room. It's tiny, attractive and powerful – and you can't beat the price. There are a few minor flaws, but nothing too alarming.
Pros
- +
3D-ready
- +
Stellar picture quality
- +
Small and light-weight
Cons
- -
Screen sharing on Android only
- -
Manual focus
- -
No zoom
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The LG PW800 ($599.99, £385.24, AU$738.45) is small, lightweight and attractive. But, unlike other projectors that compromise image quality for hardware aesthetics, the PW800 is an ideal combination of brains and beauty.
It is a great tool for the traveling businessperson or for the consumer who wants a small projector that can perform very well in a small room. It weighs an amazing 1.3 pounds (0.59 Kg) – much lighter than most projectors in this field, especially those that produce images as stunning.
If you are looking for something a bit bigger as a permanent solution for a conference room or lecture hall, the Epson EX7235 Pro might be right up your alley. The EX7235 Pro weighs 5.29 pounds (2.4 Kg) and is a good device for heavy-duty use, whereas the PW800 is built for smaller gatherings at various locations.
A cheaper comparable option is the Vivitek Qumi Q5, which would be well-suited for someone who really only cares about portability. The Qumi Q5 costs $555 (£360.88, AU$708.59) and weighs (1.1 lbs, 490 grams). However, the LG PW800 outperforms the Qumi in most aspects, so keep reading if both size and performance are crucial for you.
Design and specs
At first glance, you would think that the LG PW800 was just a basic projector incapable of handling the needs of a working professional. But, you would be wrong.
The LG PW800's dimensions are 5.5 x 2.0 x 5.5 inches (13.97cm x 5.08cm x 13.97cm). It comes with a beautiful DLP LED projector bulb and an 800 lumens lamp, which feels even brighter than its stated power. The default resolution of the PW800 is WXGA (1280 x 800) and can display an image from 25- to about 100-feet in size. The native projection ratio is 16:10 but does support the older 4:3 and 16:9 ratios seamlessly.
The PW800 has a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and has a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours. The projector's bulb is 3D capable and supports DLP Link glasses.
You can connect to the LG PW800 via VGA, HDMI (MHL-Ready), RGB in, composite AV in, and an audio out port. Outside of that, you can also connect to the PW800 projector using its WiDi (Wireless Display) technology. The LG PW800 creates a wireless display function to connect Android devices and other Intel WiDi-ready devices.
Below is the LG PW800 configuration sent to TechRadar Pro:
- Projection system: DLP LED
- Resolutions: 1280 x 800
- Brightness: 800 Lumens
- Contrast ratio: 100,000:1
- Projection distance: 25" - 100"
- Video inputs: VGA, HDMI, RGB, WiDi
- Audio outputs: 3.5mm jack
- Dimensions:** 5.5" x 2.0" x 5.5"
