Like the selfie-attracting center-piece at the latest hip boutique gallery, the LG HU80K was a piece that was difficult not to pay some attention to at the CES 2018. The attention-hungry black box gradually built up enough buzz during the expo, and eventually won the coveted CES® 2018 Best of Innovation Award. We're unclear of the selfie count, but industry insiders, journalists, and even the competition saw something extraordinary, and as innovation goes, it was not just about the numbers, but a combination of right nudges and attractions that compelled visitors on the show floor to think about building their own lux man cave perfect for flicks.
LG's new 4K UHD/HDR laser projector HU80K is an eyeful. The subtle design features a square footprint just over six-by-six inches and stands by the knees at about eighteen inches, like many a man's best friend. The unit can be set on the floor, laid on a desk, mounted on the wall, ceiling, or just about anywhere, or held by the torso or on the shoulder a la Rocket's style from the Guardians of the Galaxy, for no real reason other than the fact that you really can with the HU80K. A swiveling tote-handle allows for easy carry along while a discreet power cord that retracts under the panel housing. No matter how you put it, the thoughtful and stylistic monolith design comes in at half the size of competing 4K projectors while hitting hard where it really counts.
The 4K Ultra HD HDR10 laser projection unit offering 8.3 mega pixels utilizing XPR technology is also quite a mouthful, because it literally throws in everything, topped by an extremely competitive price of 2,999 USD. Anything else on the market tagged with 4K, UHD, laser also has a price tag of 5K USD or greater, usually with extra zeros at the end. No other competition in this price bracket features such wildly affordable laser projection, nor do they have any business being near your tastefully chosen sofa or carpet.
The HU80K is a versatile black box with no buts about it. Punchy one-two 7 W speakers that you can choose to hook up to external speakers and sound bars via optical or Bluetooth. In terms of weight-class, this compact package comes in at about 14 pounds, but delivers far above its competition with a stunningly sharp laser engine that projects up to 2,500 lumens, allowing crisp viewing even in bright conditions. Coupled with LG's innovative Trumotion Technology, the compact box paints an amazing 150" screen (74″ by 132″) on your wall from 14.1 feet. We did the math, and a screen 70" or greater can be projected directly on the ceiling. Not only can you watch your favorite childhood movies or recent favorites while in bed, but also enjoy moments of mindful relaxation as the deep soothing hues of a rainforest canopy or the vivid glistening emerald blues of the tropical ocean is projected over your place of rest.
The HU80K has ports for USB(3.0 and 2.0) and Ethernet and fully supports wireless connectivity, running on LG's Smart TV platform. This means that Netflix, Hulu, VuDu, YouTube, and other industry standard contents are available for streaming. LG's Smart UX features Multi-View, which projects multiple screens simultaneously, and with a laser lamp engineered to last up to 20,000 hours without compromising its original lumen (20,000 hours is 14 years on 4 hours daily Good news especially if you're the type to keep the fridge door open at night.) Keyboard, mouse, and other external devices connect easily, making HU80K a powerful and versatile multi-media platform that ultimately gets everything "just right".
