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LG GRU510N Laser Projector Review - Performance 2

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Diane and Phil Jones

LG GRU510N Projector Review – Performance: Brightness, Contrast, Audible Noise

BRIGHTNESS

A large amount of brightness helps overcome ambient light. Combining a bright laser projector like the GRU510N with an ambient light rejecting screen would allow the system to be used anytime, whether day or night. The GRU510N cranked out nearly 5000 lumens in its brightest picture setting. The projector was still able to produce over 3500 lumens in Expert Bright, one of its more accurate picture modes.

LG BU50NST Brightness: 4810 Lumens

Color ModeLumens
Presentation4810
Standard3724
Cinema1551
DICOM3040
Game4577
HDR Effect3724
Expert (Bright Room)3522
Expert (Dark Room)2715

LG GRU510N has a rated brightness of 5,000 lumens. I took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the lens center, which usually gives a pretty good approximation of ANSI lumens. At full wide angle I measured the GRU510N in its brightest picture mode, PRESENTATION, with the lamp ENERGY SAVING set to Minumum.

LG GRU510N Brightness: 4810 Lumens

At wide zoom, High-Bright mode, the GRU510N measured 4,810 lumens which was slightly below LG's brightness claim. I also measured the other seven available picture preset modes.

CONTRAST

LG has specified a contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, which is quite remarkable. However, it is important to recognize the reality of results vs. specs. The projector can modulate its light source from scene to scene, which is why its rated dynamic contrast ratio is so high, but it was evident that the GRU510N native contrast is much lower when viewing a static scene. Blacks were closer to a dark grey with negatively impacted shadow detail in darker scenes.
The GRU510N would not be my first choice for a dark home theater because several projectors in its price point are better suited for that type of environment.

If the GRU510N were utilized in a room with ambient lighting, its lower native contrast would be much less noticeable, especially if paired with an ambient light rejecting screen. Everyone who experienced this projector in my media room during the day was impressed by the large, bright, vibrant image delivered by the GRU510N.

SOUND QUALITY

The ProBeam GRU510N has dual 5-watt built-in speakers located on the back of the projector. These speakers can provide adequate sound in a pinch and even play loudly enough for use in an average-sized room. While the sound quality may be fine for soft music or narration, the placement of the speakers and the position of the projector in the room will often lead to the recommendation of a separate audio system to get the full experience.

Hopefully, anyone buying a home entertainment projector at this price point would have an external audio system connected to it. The projector provides flexible audio connections including the option of ARC over HDMI. When you use the included remote to adjust the volume, the level is conveniently displayed onscreen.

AUDIBLE NOISE

For a projector capable of producing 5000 lumens for a compact chassis, the GRU510N was very quiet. The fan noise produced by the GRU510N was at 26dB, 27dB, or 29dB, depending on Energy Saving mode. The highest energy saving also being the quietest.

Specifications and measurements are of little value in the real world, where the timbre and placement of the cooling noise is often more influential than the rated volume. I found the sound to be unnoticeable in my environment.

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