The HU915QB utilizes the same clean monolithic design as other CineBeam UST projectors. At first glance except for its black chassis color, the HU915QB looks identical to the HU85LA that is replacing. While I prefer the black case, for that customer who prefers a white chassis, LG also offers the HU915QE.
The speaker system is hidden behind the grill cloth that covers the entire front of the unit. The LG HU915QB doesn’t have a control panel on the chassis. There is just a power button below the speaker along with an IR sensor.
The lens focus wheel is located on the top of the chassis behind the recessed lens under a small spring-loaded door. There are screw thread adjustable feet on the bottom, which are very, very helpful in getting a perfect alignment to the screen without using the digital keystone correction.
The unit measures approximately 27” inches wide x 14" deep x 5" high and weighs around 27 pounds. This is a little larger than some Laser TVs but the design maximizes the impact of the chassis size.
CONNECTIONS
The inputs and connections are all located on the rear of the unit facing the screen. There are three HDMI inputs. There are two 18Gbps HDMI 2.0b inputs and a single HDMI 2.1 input (HDMI #2) that supports up to 24Gbps which allows 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. This input also supports eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) to send uncompressed multi-channel audio from the projector to a compatible sound system.
Inputs/Outputs
Amount
HDMI 2.1 (24Gbps) Inputs
1
HDMI 2.0b (18Gbps) Inputs
2
USB 2.0 Input
2
Toslink Optical Audio Out
1
RJ45 - LAN port for Network
1
The HU915QB 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.
LENS
The lens is located in a small window recessed at the top of the projector chassis about halfway back. The optical systems of an ultra-short-throw projector like the HU915QB are different from a traditional projector. A UST optical system uses a complex series of mirrors to project images at a steep extreme angle.
The challenge for UST projectors is that by their nature, they spread out the light from the lens, (when used on a tabletop). At the far lower left and right, the light is traveling at only a few degrees above horizontal. But light is also exiting the lens at pretty much every angle from just above horizontal to fully vertical. That means light is projecting over an almost 180-degree arc. Even with the projector is placed only a few inches away, the HU85LS did a good job spreading light evenly across the screen.
It is difficult to maintain good focus across the entire screen especially if the UST projector needs to be utilized with multiple screen sizes. While the HU915QB does not include optical zoom, it does include a focus ring hidden behind a small spring-loaded door. This ensures razor-sharp edge-to-edge focus on screens ranging from 90” to 120”.
The throw ratio of the HU915QB is just 0.19:1 which is one of the shallowest in the industry. This ensure is when placed on top of a standard depth cabinet, the HU915QB is still far enough away for the screen to project a 100” plus image.
Also, keep in mind that the HU915QB sits below the screen. For the smallest screen, the LG supports – the 90″, the top of the projector should be placed 7.1 inches below the bottom of the screen surface. For the largest official size, the LG supports – 120″ diagonal, that distance down from the screen increases to 10.1 inches. That’s not a whole lot of difference.
Screen Size
Distance to Screen from Back
Distance to Screen from Front
90" Diagonal
2.2 inches
15.8 inches
100" Diagonal
3.8 inches
17.5 inches
120" Diagonal
7.2 inches
20.8 inches
While we recommend spending a few extra minutes to get the alignment perfect by adjusting the position of the projector, if you need a little bit more placement flexibility LG offers a 15-point screen alignment. However, remember digital keystone correction will reduce resolution slightly,
REMOTE CONTROL
LG’s been utilizing versions of a Magic Remote on their projector models for years and the LG remote is a gyro-type device. While the HU915QB has a remote that is packed with buttons, most adjustments are done with just the flick of your wrist utilizing the gyro mouse technology. The internal gyro creates a faster, more precise remote-control system than traditional remotes that rely on arrow keys or a joystick for navigation.
The LG Magic Remote can control your set-top box, Blu-ray player, etc., including powering it on, and off. While you may still need to grab the set-top box or video player factory remote to access a 3rd party unit’s setup menu, the Magic Remote has all the buttons needed for day-to-day operation including power, channel, and playback control.
In the middle of the remote is a microphone button for voice control of the projector or compatible 3rd Internet of Things (IoT) device via LG ThinQ. There are also buttons to directly access popular streaming services like Disney Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
The button that looks like a gear is the Quick Setting button which takes you directly to the HU915QB’s basic settings menu. Pressing and holding the button will take you directly to the projector’s advanced picture settings.
To access apps and other entertaining services, you need to press the HOME button which literally looks like a house. Once in the projector app menu, you can select a specific input, a streaming app, the web browser, the media player, or explore the LG Content Store.
MENUS
The HU915QB is a Smart projector so it has a complex menu system, but it is well organized and easy to navigate. There are two different menus – one is for making picture adjustments and the other is for accessing content, apps, and services.
Since the HU915QB is a Smart projector, there are dozens and dozens of menu/entertainment options. The images of the menu shown in this section represent only a small number of all the sub-menus available. The goal is to show a couple of the more notable sections found in the most used sub-menus (app store, image adjustments, networking, etc.).
There is also a dedicated game menu that can be accessed when the HU915QB is set to its GAME OPTIMIZER picture mode. Game Optimizer provides optimized picture settings for various game genres including First Person Shooter (FPS), Role-playing Game (RPG), and Real-time Strategy (RTS).
You have the ability to adjust your gaming Black Stabilizer and White Stabilizer, which essentially adjust visibility to have a better quality of dark and bright scenes in-game.
The AI Game Sound feature uses artificial intelligence to automatically find the best sound settings based on the game you are playing. You can use the Game Dashboard which is a shortened menu to quickly make or check adjustments to some Game Optimizer settings on the go during gameplay.
The HU915QB also supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). This feature allows a gaming console or PC to send a signal to the projector, which will cause it to automatically switch to the HU715Q’s lowest latency mode for gaming and engages the GAME OPTIMIZER picture mode.
