LG's latest addition to its CineBeam line of projectors isn't its usual home cinema format. The PU700R is a super portable, 4K HDR projector that may give those acquainted with Samsung's The Freestyle a serious case of deja vu. Either way, this new LG projector should liven up your al fresco movie nights; however, there is a catch.
The CineBeam PU700R is capable of projecting images up to 120 inches in 4K UHD resolution and supports HDR10 with Dynamic Tone Mapping, HLG and HGiG, which is a major step up over The Freestyle's 1080p image. The portable CineBeam uses an LED light source with a claimed brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens which LG says should last for up to 30,000 hours of use, which is leagues ahead of The Freestyle's roughly 230 ANSI lumens which seems rather pitiful in comparison.
LG also highlights the versatility of the PU700R, with its stand that can rotate 90 degrees and Auto Screen Adjustment feature that, as the name may suggest, will automatically adjust the picture to correctly fit on the surface you are projecting on. That stand does more than position the projector, however, as it also includes a colour-changing LED which can be set with the new Mood Lighting options.
The PU700R features LG's webOS smart platform built in for streaming the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and more; however, LG hasn't confirmed whether this is the latest webOS 2023 version that's found on its G3 and C3 OLED TVs.
You'll also find Apple AirPlay 2 and Android Screen Share for wireless device mirroring, as well as a USB type-A, and USB type-C inputs and an HDMI 2.1 for connecting an external streaming device or game console or even a soundbar over HDMI eARC. Bluetooth Dual Sound Out is also onboard, meaning you can connect the projector to two wireless speakers or pairs of headphones at once, which you'll likely want to do as the PU700R only has a 5W mono speaker built in.
The big catch is that currently, the PU700R is only retailing in the United States with no word on when we can expect British and Australian retailers to start carrying it. You can buy the CineBeam PU700R in the US now for $1699 (around £1370 / AU$2585) and LG is currently running a promotion that means you get an XBOOM 360 wireless speaker free with the purchase of the CineBeam PU700R (worth $300) if you order before 11th of June.
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