LG’s New Lamp-Projector Is the Kind of Device Only a Moth(er) Could Love

LG asks an important question: What if your lamp was more than a lamp? Its latest projectors include a 3-in-1 design with a speaker and projector lens disguised inside a circular lamp. Just remember to turn down the lamp’s brightness to see the projected image dancing on your living room wall.

LG said in a release it was “inspired by a floor lamp” for the design of its 3-in-1 PF600U. If that wasn’t obvious, the actual lamp part of the design is a simple LED bulb capable of multiple colors for “mood lighting” in your home or during movie time. It doesn’t look like your typical lamp with its glowing orb center.

What you really should care about is the quality of the projector and speakers. Even then, you may come away disappointed. The projector has a mere 300 lumens of brightness and can project a screen size between 30 and 120 inches at FHD (1,920 by 1,080) resolution. The stereo sound is from two passive radiators, which doesn’t exactly sound like theater-quality audio. It only stands around 38 inches tall, so you can expect it to shine and project from chest height at best.

You’ll need to flip the lamp head vertically on a hinge to use the projector end housed along the rim. The lamp head can tilt 110 degrees, so don’t expect to watch movies on your ceiling easily unless you want to lay the pole down on your lap. This kind of device won’t replace your television. Its low brightness relegates it to nighttime viewing or the more dreary parts of your home. Instead, it may offer a secondary screen and a little extra light outside your den, whether in the bedroom or bathroom. If you never want to be without a screen, the 3-in-1 may offer a way to conceal your screen obsession from visitors.

For a projector you want to watch content with, LG also shared a new compact 4K projector called the CineBeam S. This device can do 500 ANSI lumens (still not very bright) and supports a wider color gamut than the lamp. Unlike the lamp, it only projects up to a 100-inch screen size on your wall through its top lens. The benefit is that it can project to a wall without sitting across the room. It supports Dolby Atmos and includes Auto Screen Adjustment features to adapt your particular wall’s image size and color.

There are plenty of small, soda-can-sized projectors like the Xgimi MoGo 3 and Anker Nebula Capsule Air, which all benefit from a design that allows you to project on the ceiling and the wall. Despite its relatively small size, the CineBeam S is positioned more as a TV replacement than a portable device. It can project to a wall even when sitting directly in front. Its square body doesn’t scream “projector” in the typical sense so that it may disguise itself as an oddly shaped candle holder on your TV cabinet.

Still, I’m more partial to last year’s CineBeam Qube, which looks more like an old-timey film projector than the CineBeam S’ modern decor aesthetic. All devices are connected to LG’s webOS to access your streaming services. LG didn’t offer a hint about the release schedule or pricing, so we may need to wait until CES to get a better idea.

There’s a growing class of products meant to hide your speaker or projectors in other typical products you see around the home. Last year, Samsung debuted a speaker housed in a picture frame. The $400 Music Frame blasted loud, quality sound, though it was limited by its size and its restrictions on Samsung’s Q-Symphony for surround sound setups.