Compact, portable projectors that were previously confined to the corporate boardroom are becoming a popular option for those who want to temporarily set up a large screen at home or outside the home for a movie night or game. And with many new models with built-in streaming, it’s now easier than ever to get started when you find a blank wall to stream images to.
We saw many innovative novelties projectors at CES 2023including models from Xgimi, Formovie and of course Samsung, which showed a new, improved version of its Freestyletop model on our list best portable projectors. Following a tech event in Las Vegas, LG has announced its new portable PF510Q, and while the new LG doesn’t get as much attention as Samsung’s offering, it nevertheless seems to be a significant addition to the compact. scene with a moving projector.
Honestly, the PF510Q looks like it just came out of the IT department. But beyond the basic square white casing, there are plenty of attractive features that should make using this HD 1080p projector a fun ride.
The first is the smart interface of the LG webOS 22 smart TV, which provides built-in streaming from apps such as Disney Plus, PrimeVideo, YouTube and AppleTV Plus. AirPlay support is also built in, allowing you to stream directly to the projector from your iPhone or iPad. If you’re not an Apple fan, you can use Screen Sharing to wirelessly stream content from your Android device.
The LG projector has a built-in 2 x 5W speaker system, but more interesting is the dual Bluetooth audio output. This will allow you to stream audio to a pair of Bluetooth speakers for better sound, or to two separate Bluetooth headsets for private listening while watching.
On the hardware side, the PF510Q LED light source has an output of 450 ANSI lumens and will last for 30,000 hours. You can transmit an image from 30 to 120 inches, and auto keystone adjustment makes the image perfectly rectangular when positioned, as well as manual focus adjustment. There are two HDMI inputs for connecting sources such as a gaming console or Blu-ray player.
Analysis: Compact projectors are the new TVs for the bedroom
While we were surprised by the number of cool compact projectors shown at CES, in some respects we shouldn’t have – this category has been trending for some time now and manufacturers are jumping at the opportunity to put their unique tech on it.
I gave my daughter a portable projector to use at university and when not playing games Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series S with it, it streams movies directly from one of them best streaming services. (And also, I hope, to learn and do well in class.)
Being a video and movie geek, of course I made sure he had 4K projectoralthough that’s probably overkill if you’re using a dorm room. But the gaming angle is important to discuss here as gaming seems like a more obvious and better use for compact portable projectors.
At CES 2023, Samsung announced that the new version of The Freestyle will gain the same Gaming Hub as on best samsung tvs for cloud gaming via apps such as Microsoft Xbox, Utomik and Amazon Luna. You can also pair two Freestyles to create an ultra-wide 21.9 display, an aspect ratio best suited for immersive gaming.
LG’s new PF510Q doesn’t seem to be similarly packed with gaming features, although it is TV schedule for 2023 announced at CES features a Game Optimizer menu that allows users to easily select and switch between gaming-related features. We may see the same in the company’s portable projectors, but in the meantime, the $599 PF510Q is out now and looks like a good, affordable option for console gaming.