LG AU810PB CINEBEAM 4K LASER PROJECTOR REVIEW – HARDWARE

LG AU810PB 4K UST Business Projector Review - Hardware: Inputs and Connectors, Lens, Control Panel, Remote Control, Menus

The AU810PB is a midsized 4K UHD laser DLP measuring approximately 13 inches wide x 16" deep x 6" high and weighing just over 24 pounds. When facing the unit, the lens located is on the front left. The Zoom and Focus levers are located directly below the lens. On the left side of the chassis are the dials to adjust the horizontal and vertical lens shift.

There are two stereo speakers, one located on each side of the projector. The air intake vent is located on the projector's right side, while the outlet vent is located on the left side. All the inputs and connections are on the rear of the unit.

All of the inputs and connections are located on the rear of the AU810PB. There are three HDMI inputs. There are two 18Gbps HDMI 2.0b inputs and a single HDMI 2.1 input that supports up to 24Gbps which allow playback of 4K HDR content with 12bit color at up to 60FPS. This 24Gbps of bandwidth is more than enough to maximize the full capabilities of the projector.

HDMI#3 also supports eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) to send uncompressed multi-channel audio from the projector to a compatible sound system. The AU810PB can also control connected devices such as an A/V receiver via CEC. This is a very convenient feature because you can use a single remote instead of having to have several different remotes to control each connected device and risk losing or mixing up the remotes.

Other available inputs include two USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, and optical-digital output along with a 12volt trigger for a screen and RS232 control connection.

The LG AU810PB has a manual lens with outer rings on it to control both focus and zoom. With a zoom range of 1.6x and a throw ratio of 1.3:1 to 2.1:1. The throw distances can quickly be calculated based on the width of the screen. For example, on a 100" wide image, the throw distance would be between 113" and 210".

Since screen sizes are often listed as diagonal and to eliminate the need to do algebra, we have provided this chart for easy reference.

Throw Distance for a 16:9 Screen

The AU810PB also offers both horizontal and vertical optical lens shift. This allows placement of the projector at the top or bottom edge of the screen or up to 24% of the width off center. Of course, like all projectors with H&V shift, moving the image in one direction will limit the amount of shift available in the opposite direction.

Maximum shift in one direction comes when the other is perfectly centered. As an example, if you place the projector at the top of the image it would be ideal to center the unit on the width of the screen.

Lens Shift (Horizontal +/- 24%, Vertical +/- 60%)

The horizontal and vertical lens position adjustments are made using two concentric dials on the right side of the cabinet. The image moves as you turn the wheel accordingly until you reach the limits of adjustment. If you hear clicking noises when you turn the dial, that indicates that the dial is slipping and should not be turned further. This will help avoid the damage which could occur from turning a lens adjustment too far.

This ability to move the image location via optical lens shift provides the best image quality as compared to digital geometry adjustments.  For a little more adjustability, the AU810PB also includes vertical keystone correction.

In between the four navigation buttons is a scrolling wheel which makes it easier and quikcker to navigate the menu. To make a selection, it also acts as the Enter button when pressed down. Another convenient button is the Streaming Service button which takes you directly to the AU810PB library of streaming services.

The AU810PB is a very Smart projector so it has a pretty complex menu system. LG utilizes this same menu structure in their lineup of smart flat-panel TVs so it is well organized and easy to navigate. It also has two different menus: one for making picture adjustments and the other for accessing content, apps, and services.

The button that looks like a gear is the Quick Setting button which takes you directly to the basic settings menu. Pressing and holding this button will take you directly to the projector's advanced picture settings.

The Home button, which looks like a house, will allow you to access apps and other entertaining services. Once you are in the projector app menu, you can select a specific input, a streaming app, the web browser, media player, or explore LG's Content Store.