LG CF181D – Performance Posted on February 20, 2010 By Art Feierman 1. LG CF181D Projector Review - CF181D Projector Highlights - LG CF181D Projector Overview2. CF181D Projector – Special Features - Creative Frame Interpolation: TruMotion - Color Management System (CMS) - LG CF181D Projector: Dynamic and Manual Iris - Overscan Feature, and Edge Masking Issues3. LG CF181D Physical Tour - LG CF181D Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output4. LG CF181D Menus - LG CF181D Menus - LG CF181D Remote Control5. LG CF181D Lens Throw - LG CF181D Lens Throw - DLA-CF181D Lens Shift - CF181D Anamorphic Lens Support6. LG CF181D Projector – Image Quality - LG CF181D Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones7. LG CF181D Black Levels & Shadow Detail - LG CF181D Black Levels & Shadow Detail - The over large image from 5thelement starship in LG_CF181D8. LG CF181D Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance9. LG CF181D Shadow Detail Performance – 2 - Bottom line LG CF181D Blacks and Shadow detail10. LG CF181D Overall Color & Picture Quality - Overall Color & Picture Quality - LG CF181D Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports11. LG CF181D – Performance - LG CF181D Brightness - LG CF181D Projector - Uncalibrated12. LG CF181D: Sharpness - Sharpness13. LG CF181D: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - LG CF181D Image Noise - LG CF181D Audible Noise14. LG CF181D Projector Calibration and Settings - LG CF181D Projector Calibration and Settings - LG CF181D Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration) - LG CF181D Basic Settings15. LG CF181D Post Calibration Grayscale - LG CF181D Post Calibration Grayscale - Gamma settings - Regarding the CF181D Iris - LG CF181D RGB Settings16. LG CF181D – Projector Screens - LG CF181D Projector Screen Recommendations17. LG CF181D – Competitors - CF181D vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB - LG CF181D vs. BenQ W600018. LG CF181D vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - LG CF181D vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - LG CF181D vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - CF181D vs. JVC DLA-RS1519. LG CF181D Projector – Warranty20. LG CF181D – Review Summary - LG CF181D Projector - The Bottom Line - CF181D Brightness - LG CF181D Color Performance21. LG CF181D – Review Summary – 2 - Sharpness22. LG CF181D – Review Summary – 3 - The very bottom line23. LG CF181D Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - LG CF181D Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - LG CF181D Projector: Pros - LG CF181D Projector: Cons - LG CF181D Projector: Typical Capabilities24. LG CF181D Projector Specifications LG CF181D BrightnessThe LG CF181D is one of the brighter 1080p home theater projectors out there. Immediately below are the measured lumens of each of the preset modes, (and also the color temperature they produced at 100 IRE) (white) LG CF181D Projector - Uncalibrated Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE (mid zoom) Vivid 1064 @ 7356, 1380 with Iris fully open (Manual 32) Standard 608 @ 9523K lamp on low, 852 lumens with Lamp on High Cinema 503 @ 7031K (note that’s with the default iris setting of manual, 3) Sport 763 @ 11690K Game 852 @ 8998K Expert 1 and 2 503 @ 7045K After doing our calibration of “best” mode, we measured Cinema (set up as Expert 1) at an awesome 898 lumens. That would be with the Iris set to Auto 1, for the best blacks the LG can achieve. In the very “brightest” mode, (Vivid), we measured 1380 lumens. However, I played with several other “bright” combinations including Sports and Vivid, with color temp set, usually, to natural. The point is, you can have excellent color in a brightest mode, and still get 1100 to 1380 lumens depending on how good you want the color. For much of my sports viewing I used Expert 2 The Effect of zoom lens positioning on brightness: Our standard measurements reported for the LG CF181D are done with the zoom at its mid-point as with all reviews. Here are relative numbers based on Cinema mode (lamp on high, auto iris 1), for different lens positioning. From a percentage standpoint, the differences will be the same for any mode, as you change the lens angle. Basically wide angle is about 5% brighter than mid-point on the zoom, and telephoto would be about 13% dimmer than mid point. Considering the zoom lens is a 1.8:1 zoom, that would indicate very good optics as the total drop is only about 18%! With many 2:1 zoom lenses (Panasonic, Epson…), the drop is about 40% from full wide, to full telephoto, and the LGs drop is less than half of that. Zoom lens positioning on brightness Zoom out (closest position – wide-angle) 526 lumens Mid-zoom 503 lumens Zoom in 437 lumens (furthest from the screen – tele) Note: Mike measured the effect of lens position, while the Cinema mode still had the iris at Manual 3 (about as dim as the LG is capable of), thus the low lumen numbers. The 18% drop from wide angle to telephoto lens settings should be the same, regardles of what mode you choose. The Effect of low lamp (eco) mode on brightness Low lamp power, Standard mode 608 lumens High lamp power, Standard mode 852 lumens That translates into a drop of approximately 29% when going from full, to low power lamp setting. That’s a slightly bigger drop than average. Most home theater projectors drop about 20 – 25% brightness going to low power. The LG CF181D, by comparison, definitely has the lumens to spare. It easily fills my screen, with enough extra horsepower to make me happier, when viewing sports, than I ever have been with my JVC for sports. Click Image to Enlarge 1. LG CF181D Projector Review - CF181D Projector Highlights - LG CF181D Projector Overview2. CF181D Projector – Special Features - Creative Frame Interpolation: TruMotion - Color Management System (CMS) - LG CF181D Projector: Dynamic and Manual Iris - Overscan Feature, and Edge Masking Issues3. LG CF181D Physical Tour - LG CF181D Physical Appearance - Control Panel - Input/Output4. LG CF181D Menus - LG CF181D Menus - LG CF181D Remote Control5. LG CF181D Lens Throw - LG CF181D Lens Throw - DLA-CF181D Lens Shift - CF181D Anamorphic Lens Support6. LG CF181D Projector – Image Quality - LG CF181D Projector: Out of the Box Picture Quality - Flesh Tones7. LG CF181D Black Levels & Shadow Detail - LG CF181D Black Levels & Shadow Detail - The over large image from 5thelement starship in LG_CF181D8. LG CF181D Shadow Detail Performance - Shadow Detail Performance9. LG CF181D Shadow Detail Performance – 2 - Bottom line LG CF181D Blacks and Shadow detail10. LG CF181D Overall Color & Picture Quality - Overall Color & Picture Quality - LG CF181D Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports11. LG CF181D – Performance - LG CF181D Brightness - LG CF181D Projector - Uncalibrated12. LG CF181D: Sharpness - Sharpness13. LG CF181D: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - LG CF181D Image Noise - LG CF181D Audible Noise14. LG CF181D Projector Calibration and Settings - LG CF181D Projector Calibration and Settings - LG CF181D Color Temperature - Color Temp over IRE Range (Best Mode, Pre calibration) - LG CF181D Basic Settings15. LG CF181D Post Calibration Grayscale - LG CF181D Post Calibration Grayscale - Gamma settings - Regarding the CF181D Iris - LG CF181D RGB Settings16. LG CF181D – Projector Screens - LG CF181D Projector Screen Recommendations17. LG CF181D – Competitors - CF181D vs. Epson Home Cinema 8500UB - LG CF181D vs. BenQ W600018. LG CF181D vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - LG CF181D vs. Panasonic PT-AE4000 - LG CF181D vs. Sony VPL-HW15 - CF181D vs. JVC DLA-RS1519. LG CF181D Projector – Warranty20. LG CF181D – Review Summary - LG CF181D Projector - The Bottom Line - CF181D Brightness - LG CF181D Color Performance21. LG CF181D – Review Summary – 2 - Sharpness22. LG CF181D – Review Summary – 3 - The very bottom line23. LG CF181D Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - LG CF181D Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - LG CF181D Projector: Pros - LG CF181D Projector: Cons - LG CF181D Projector: Typical Capabilities24. LG CF181D Projector Specifications LG CF181D Overall Color & Picture Quality LG CF181D: Sharpness