As we have mentioned in a few reviews this year, we have been very impressed by some television manufacturers who have released new projectors such as LG and Samsung. These television manufacturers are doing incredibly well incorporating the technologies found in their flat panel offerings into their projectors with outstanding results.

The AU810PB is one of these great new offerings and part of the LG CineBeam line-up of projectors. This series is designed to make projection more accessible and appealing to a broader range of consumers. We have reviewed a couple of other projectors in this line-up. Check out the HU85LA ultra-short-throw review here:

I have always been a fan of the LG projector line-up, but I was really hoping they would start offering more traditional home theater options.  Well, they have come through with the AU810PB. This model has many features that you would expect in a more traditional home theater projector and is absolutely PACKED with a ton of new features!

For example, the AU810PB is the first projector that I have encountered that offers eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) and WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio) support.

The AU810PB is designed for conventional front projection applications, but it uses the same multi-channel laser light source as their award-winning HU85LA, which should deliver a bright, vibrant image and years of maintenance-free operation.

Like all of the projectors in LG’s CineBeam line-up, the LG AU810PB utilizes the same ThinQ AI webOS. This projector can be voice-controlled and offers a massive variety of apps.

The LG AU810PB is a 4K DLP Laser Smart projector with a suggested retail price of $3999. This projector offers a great deal of performance and numerous advanced features for its price. The LG AU810PB has a rated brightness of 2700 Lumens, and its Laser-light source is rated to last up to 20,000 hours.

AU810PB is a 1920x1080x4 pixel shifter – using a DLP (0.47″ DMD) chip. DLP XPR technology leverages the immense speed of the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) to process pixels faster than the rate of the video signal. The XPR chip tilts in 4 directions and operates fast enough for our eyes to see all the pixels and perceive the entire image all at once.

While the newest 0.47″ DMD chips only have about 2.1 million mirrors, they can deliver a perceived resolution of 8.3 million pixels. This system works so well that it would be difficult for any viewer to see a difference in resolution from a native 4K UHD (8.3 megapixels) imager.

Often when comparing projectors against flat-panel TVs, the projector can fall short in certain areas such as a lamp in a traditional projector dimming over time and needing to be changed after a few thousand hours. This not only adds to the cost of operation but can be inconvenient to the owner.  Because the AU810PB uses a Laser-light source, this is no longer an issue when considering projection over a traditional TV and this type of illumination can provide years of maintenance-free operation.

The AU810PB's dual Laser-light engine uses both a red and blue Laser which increases the projector's color gamut and eliminates the need for a spinning phosphor wheel. This feature reduces the rainbow effect that is common on many DLP projectors.

The AU810PB is one of a small number of projectors that is capable of Dynamic HDR Tone Mapping when viewing your HDR10 content. What this feature does is automatically adjusts both the dark and bright levels to ensure the best picture and optimize the HDR performance.

The projector is one of the first projectors that supports several advanced HDMI 2.1 features including ALLM (auto low latency mode), eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel), and bandwidth up to 24Gbps.

LG also offers a less expensive model with similar performance called the HU810P ($2999 SRP). Stepping up to the AU810PB ($3999 SRP) adds WiSA, custom integration features, auto CalMan calibration capability, and a longer warranty.

The AU810PB offers a 1.6x zoom lens with horizontal and vertical lens shift, which is not commonly found on DLP projectors, especially at this price point. When this is combined with vertical keystone correction, it will reduce the image distortion and allow for precise alignment with the screen.

The AU810PB has LG's webOS, which is what is found in their latest flat-panel TVs. This feature makes the projector very smart so you have all the apps and capabilities also found in a Smart TV. It includes Google Assistant, which allows you to control not only the projector, but a wide variety of compatible smart home devices, like your lights, or blinds, using only your voice.

As I have mentioned throughout this review, the LG AU810PB combines all the Smart capabilities of flat-panel TVs but with the high-quality, maintenance-free Laser-light engine and 4K resolution to make it a true flat panel TV replacement.

The LG CineBeam HU85LA made its first appearance at CES 2019, where it won an Innovation Award. LG is known for their smart TVs and smart projectors, the most recently reviewed being their CineBeam HU80KA. LG fans are eagerly waiting for the arrival of this 4K UHD ultra short throw projector, with new comments popping up on LG’s page for the HU85LA every day. I, too, am keen on this projector, as 4K capable UST projectors are a rare breed indeed. The projector is slated to drop “later in 2019,” and we are hoping to see a demonstration at InfoComm 2019.

Before we get into it – what is a First Look Review? Our First Look Reviews are one-page, simple reviews based on the projector’s specs, features, and our thoughts based on those aspects, before we get the projector in for review – these First Looks are a mixture of insight and common sense. We won’t know if the projector lives up to our expectations until we get it in for testing, but we can make assumptions from what we know about similar projectors from the manufacturers, in addition to those specs/features. Now, on with our First Look Review of the LG CineBeam HU85LA!

The LG CineBeam HU85LA does not currently have a published MSRP. Looking at the specifications, and the price point of the HU80KA, we’re probably looking at around $3K or higher. This 4K UHD LG can project an image from 90” and up to 120” – not bad. Many UST projectors I’ve seen tend to project up to 100” only.

It’s a laser based DLP projector claiming up to 2,700 lumens. If I recall correctly, the HU80KA didn’t meet its claim, but that doesn’t mean this one won’t! Even if the projector measures under claim, like most projectors do (up to 25% under, in fact), we’re still looking at a projector that is capable of handling a fair about of ambient light.

The LG CineBeam HU85LA comes with built-in, dual 5-watt speakers, with Bluetooth capabilities for connecting external speakers. Nice. This LG is a good size – 26.8” wide, 13.7” deep, and 5.0” tall, weighing in at 26.9 lbs. It has plenty of inputs and connectors, as well as some awesome special features that we’ll get into in the – you guessed it – Special Features section of this First Look Review.

The LG CineBeam HU85LA brings the best of LG Smart TVs and 4K UHD projectors together to create one awesome machine. This is what immediately attracted me to this projector. I had been researching the newest projectors announced by manufacturers that will be at InfoComm 2019 for another article when I came across the HU85LA. Arriving at LG’s sales page for the projector, I was instantly intrigued by the sleek design, the brightness, and all of its special features.

The first of which to mention is obvious – the 4K UHD resolution and its support for HDR10. I haven’t seen anything about this projector tackling the BT.2020/P3 expanded color space, so I can neither confirm or deny at this time. I already let Art know to ask LG about this at InfoComm this year. Information has also not been released as to whether or not the HU85LA has an 18 Ghz HDMI, so we don’t yet know if the projector is suitable for 4K gaming with HDR.

The LG CineBeam HU85LA has built-in, 5-watt stereo speakers and compatibility with Bluetooth speakers. In addition to your standard Bluetooth speakers, you’ll also have the choice of using a Bluetooth soundbar. The projector also has wireless capabilities! Using Miracast or a WiDi Supporting Device, you can screenshare your iOS or Android devices.

What sets this projector apart from other 4K UHD ultra short throw projectors on the market are the LG Smart TV features. This is something that LG has been including on their projectors for years, and, of course, have been making improvements over time. Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, Channel Plus, Accuweather, and Hulu, all come standard with this feature. LG also has an App Store, as well as LG ThinQ and Google Assistant.

The LG CineBeam HU85LA has two HDMI inputs, one regular and at least one HDCP 2.2 for processing 4K signals. There are two USBs – a Type A and a Type C. HID (Keyboard/Mouse/GamePad) can be connected via one of those USB ports. There’s a Digital TV Tuner, as well as an RJ-45 LAN connector. As mentioned, the projector can send Bluetooth audio out, and, if you want to hook up wired external speakers, there’s an Audio Out for that, too.

The projector comes with a Magic Remote, battery included. The Magic Remote is a fan favorite, as it is intuitive and has several options for navigating your content. You can click. You can scroll. And, you can use voice control with LG’s Voice Mate speech recognition technology. If you’re interested in reading more about this remote, Art wrote about it in his full review of the LG HU80KA.

The Sony VPL-VZ1000ES is a 4K ultra short throw home theater projector. It is one serious projector, which claims 2500 lumens, at a hefty $24,995 list price. That's not exactly chump change. In addition to being true 4K, it supports HDR which stands for high dynamic range. It also supports a wider color gamut (BT2020)  than we are used to with HDTV or Blu-ray disc (REC709). The short story: this Sony projector is similar in most ways to Sony's flagship, but less than half the price, exactly half the brightness.  It has an ultra short throw design, which is significant.  It is a three chip (panel) LCoS projector - which Sony trademarks as SXRD.

This review is a bit different than most of my other home theater reviews.  My goal is primarily to describe the experience, rather than go over the top focusing on details.  That's due to the nature of most people likely to buy this projector.  Other than those "hobbyists" who will sell their first born for a great projector, the rest of you, I figure are mostly reasonably well heeled folks who won't quibble about the price tag, or worry about the cost of calibrating it, in fact, they are most likely people who will end up spending far more on their theater or other room's furniture, than they will spend on this projector.

Sony VZ1000ES looking great on scene from Lucy, in my living room. Note however, this was not taken when the patio behind, and the room itself are drenched in sunlight. (See other images.)

Some of these projectors will end up in a room and system costing $50K, but others might spend $250K or more!  (Think those fancy themed theaters, $3,000+ each for good leather seats, a first class surround sound system, etc.  If you have the bucks, it's easy to spend a ton creating a theater. Most likely this projector will be just a small part of many people's system, at least financially, but a huge part of the enjoyment!

The Sony is also intended, thanks to its ultra short throw design when paired with the right screen, to leave the dedicated theater, and play in other rooms, but ones with at least reasonable lighting (unlike my own living room, as you will see later.)

I really loved it in my home theater.  When I moved it downstairs into my ridiculously bright living room, paired with a Screen Innovations Black Diamond UST screen, I found my bright living room's ambient light on sun-drenched days to be just too much for its 2500 lumens to handle, but it worked well in the same room under less strenuous challenges (i.e. at night with a lot of lights on, or on any not overly bright day like the one in the image above.