Home projectors are becoming popular as more people not only cut the cord but also ditch large screens that take up space on their walls. But while laser projectors offer the flexibility of setting up your viewing experience on any flat surface, including your ceiling, they also have their fair share of obtrusive designs. The larger kind tends to stay at a fixed spot in the middle of the room, while ultra-short-throw or UST projectors require that you have a shelf next to a wall.
But what if the projector could be disguised as something you might already have inside a room? And what if it can serve some other function when it’s not in use as a projector? These musings might have been the impetus behind LG’s unusual yet also ingenious design, melding not just two but three functions in one, disguising a home projector as a lamp that sets the mood and an odd-looking wireless speaker, helping homeowners save space without looking out of place in your living space.
Designer: LG
To be fair, a home projector these days usually comes with a built-in speaker, so that 2-in-1 functionality might not sound that special. Then again, most of the time you can’t use that speaker independently without the projector, giving this combination of three devices in a single design a unique and unmatched value. Even better, that design blends seamlessly into your room’s decor, and you wouldn’t guess it to be anything other than a lamp until you start using its other functions.
The LG PF600U definitely looks like your typical floor lamp with a stand-pole design, albeit one with an unusual circle for its head. The lamp actually shines most of its light from the back, and it can show off nine colors in five different levels of brightness. That head, however, can be tilted at 110 degrees, allowing you to set the mood you want in the area you want.
The real surprise happens when you tilt that head up with its side facing forward, revealing the projector that hides within. With a resolution of 1920×1080 and a lamp with 300 ANSI lumens of brightness, the projector can theoretically perform well in a dark room. The cone that makes up the bulk of the head’s shape also houses the stereo speakers with passive radiators completing the trio, offering a versatile set of functions for whatever entertainment or mood you need.
Granted, combining all those functions into a single, space-efficient design might mean compromising on some performance, especially on the projector side. To satisfy more discerning consumers, LG is also launching what it claims to be the smallest 4K UST (ultra-short throw) projector that also minimizes its footprint and presence in your home. With a minimalist metallic finish, the LG CineBeam S (PU615U) also tries to blend with your decor, looking like a nondescript metal box sitting in the middle of your shelf.
