Video

Video Like the Filmmaker Intended

Reviewing the LG HU810P CineBeam Projector

By Jeremy Glowacki

I’ll cut right to the chase. I love the picture quality of the LG HU810P 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector so much that it makes me sad that I’ll have to send it back after completing this review. The combination of the projector’s dual laser light source and much-heralded Filmmaker Mode (thank you Tom Cruise) is everything that I’d hoped for from a premium 4K laser projector (MSRP $2,999).

You really can’t beat the efficiency, lifespan (20,000 hours), and color accuracy of a laser light source. The 2,700 ANSI lumens brightness output and 2,000,000:1 contrast of the HU810P was the first indicator that I was experiencing a step up in video performance. It’s also a firm reminder of how much video technology has improved in the relatively short seven years since I bought my current projector.

But brightness, alone, is not the entire story, of course. The accuracy of colors and picture quality has to be there, too. Because I have a dedicated, light-controlled home theater, I was able to experience the HU810P in both a darkened room, where image brightness could be toned down a bit, as well as with full-on overhead lights to test the ability of the projector to adjust.

Through the HU810P’s Iris Mode, brightness and black level are optimized to the lighting levels in the room. In bright rooms, since lighting prevents deep blacks, the iris widens to increase the range of brightness. In dark rooms, since excessive brightness can hurt the eyes, the iris narrows to decrease the range of brightness without ruining the screen brightness.

The projector’s Adaptive Contrast capability also works to optimize brightness and black levels according to the image brightness. According to LG, this gives deeper blacks in addition to brightness range for each iris mode. With Adaptive Picture Pro (Iris Mode and Adaptive Contrast), it physically adapts to the display’s brightness and darkness range, while Dynamic Tone Mapping optimizes the image for that range.

Depending on the lighting in the viewing environment, a user can change the iris mode. Dark Room (Standard) mode is recommended for optimized images with balanced brightness and black level, while Bright Room mode is recommended for bright environment viewing with the projector’s iris fully open. This capability is unique to LG projectors. In what I can imagine would be a perfect use case for a bright room, I found live sports video in Bright Room mode was not washed out yet was bright enough to come closer to the experience of watching a large TV. Conversely, the Dark Room mode in a dimly lit room provided the high contrast ratio and black levels required of a more subtly lit cinematic movie.

The way that LG’s Adaptive Contrast has been explained to me is that it gives more depth to an image by adaptively adjusting the laser output to the image, creating a high contrast ratio. Bright scenes appear brighter, while dark scenes remain detailed with deep blacks and shade detail. The best endorsement that I can give for this feature is that at no time was I distracted by the image quality on the screen nor was I frustrated by a dark movie scene appearing too dark or a bright scene washing out or looking unrealistically “sharp.”

Clearly my experience was aided not only by the features I just described (and the dual laser light source), but also the projector’s 3840 x 2160 (2160p) resolution with 8.3 million discrete pixels projected with XPR (Expanded Pixel Resolution) video processing. LG says that this combination provides a picture that is four times denser and more detailed, which was obvious with my 110-inch diagonal, anamorphic screen.

The LG HU810P 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector from all angles

Even on 1080P content, the upscaling provided by the HU810P offered a noticeable step up from the picture quality that I’m used to from my 1080p 3LCD projector. I noticed no jaggies or other picture anomalies when in the proper calibration setting for the style of content that I was watching.

I’m not a calibration professional, so rather than muck things up in Expert Mode, I trusted the pre-calibrated setting for my review. My favorite setting for most content was Filmmaker Mode, which eliminates the frame-rate goofiness and brightness that leads to the dreaded hyperreal “soap-opera effect” (despised most by the aforementioned Mr. Cruise). Filmmaker Mode turns off motion smoothing and other video processing settings with an eye toward approximating what the content creator sees in the final grading suite. Choosing this setting essentially turns off Motion Interpolation, Sharpness Enhance, and Noise Reduction.

There were times, however, when a brighter image was required. In these instances, I found that either Cinema or the Cinema Home setting was preferred. Depending on the content, Cinema tended to be the brighter and less “sepia” of the two.

Expert Bright Room and Expert Dark Room were also effective picture settings for their respective applications. I would lean toward Expert Bright Room for live sports, and Expert Dark Room as a nice alternative to Filmmaker Mode for movies.

Interestingly, there were times when the HDR game mode created by HGiG (an HDR gaming consortium) for Xbox and Play Station’s HDR games worked great for live sports, depending on the quality of the source. I’m not a gamer, but I could see where the setting could really draw out the details in artificial gaming action. The example that LG provided in their literature was a road racing game where details in the upcoming curve in the track were much more defined than without the mode. For live sports, it seemed to provide the correct balance of brightness and image detail without skin tone discoloration or sparkly edges.

For access to streaming material, I connected the HU810P to my Wi-Fi network via the projector’s webOS 5.0 and logged into my Amazon Prime account directly through the projector (other apps included YouTube and Disney Plus.) I also connected my Roku streaming device to one of the HDMI inputs, to access additional content. Switching sources was easy to find in the projector’s menu, which was very familiar to me from my experience owning an LG smart TV.

You may also choose to stream or share video, photos, or music from your iOS device via AirPlay2, without the need to buy an Apple TV. In fact, LG CineBeam projectors like the HU810P are the only projectors with Airplay casting and mirroring that are certified by Apple.

Speaking of HDMI, the HU810P supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which is the next generation of ARC. eARC delivers up to 32 channels of audio, including 8-channel, 24-bit/192KHz uncompressed data stream at speeds of up to 38Mbps. The projector displays high-resolution and highinformation images via the HDMI 2.1 connection and can output 10-bit images with 444RGB specifications.

The HU810P is also Dolby Atmos compatible and supports Miracast and Bluetooth, as well as WiSA for reliable low-latency uncompressed surround-sound.

Having covered most of the technical capabilities of the HU810P, it’s important to note that the external look of the projector is elegant, and its dials are well disguised and ergonomically agreeable. Its rectangular matte white plastic case provides a modern aesthetic, which is particularly useful when placing the projector on a table in the middle of a room or mounting it overhead. To fit my 110-inch anamorphic screen, I placed the HU810P approximately 13 feet from the screen, which is about seven feet closer than my back-of-theroom mounted 3LCD projector). Fortunately, the fan noise of the HU810P was minimal, which is important to consider when sitting relatively close to it.

I particularly appreciated the focus and zoom levers placed just below the projector’s lens, which is overset to the left front of the box. Rather than fingertip “serrated-edge” dials that one might find on other projectors with mechanical zoom or focus controls, the levers on these dials were much more conducive to finer tuning, particularly when focusing the image. Likewise, the pan and tilt dials on the left side of the projector are seated one inside the other, eliminating the need to fish around in the dark to find the one you’re looking for. The lens can shift +/-24 percent horizontally or +/-60 percent vertically and zoom x1.6.

I’d be happy to own an LG HU810P 4K UHD CineBeam for my next projector. I’d also recommend it highly to anyone, whether they have a dedicated home theater or not. With a 20,000-hour laser light source and 4K resolution, it should serve you well for many years to come. x

Crestron Flex Phones are the new portfolio of Microsoft Teams certified desk phones for organizations seeking a dedicated collaboration experience for their employees. The Crestron Flex Phones bring high-quality audio and video conferencing capabilities, one-touch connectivity, and enterprise-grade security, along with a host of additional features to help users maximize productivity, whether deployed in a home or office, at a rotating “hot desk” station popular in hybrid workplaces, or in a conference room.

The Reserve Series from Polk Audio is a versatile loudspeaker line designed to deliver serious performance for music, movies, and gaming. The line is well suited for an array of applications, including immersive multichannel home theater systems and classic stereo listening. The series consists of nine models, including three floor standing models, three center channels, two bookshelf speakers, and a wall- and speaker-mountable height module, all designed to give listeners flexibility in terms of configuration by incorporating matching transducers and consistent voicing.

The Hisense L5F Laser Cinema ultra-short throw TV features a 4K color range, a new 120-inch ambient light rejecting screen, built-in speakers with dbx-tv cinematic sound, and an Android TV platform. Through the L5F Laser Cinema’s Android TV platform, viewers can choose from more than 5,000 apps and games. Android TV also comes with built-in Google Assistant. The L5F’s Laser Engine features a blue laser light source that produces a sharp, precise, natural viewing experience, while avoiding unwanted light dispersion. The L5 can reach nearly 2,700 lumens and span over a billion colors.

The JBL 4309 loudspeakers from HARMAN’s Luxury Audio Group were modeled on the award-winning JBL 4349s. They are equipped with a 2410H-2 1-inch compression driver mated to the latest High-Definition Imaging horn and feature a 6.5-inch, cast frame pure-pulp cone woofer. The retro-styled 4309 is a smaller bookshelf version of the recently released 4349 12-inch two-way monitor loudspeakers and features many of the same patented JBL acoustic technologies. While compact in size, the 4309 packs the signature power, dynamics, and accuracy.

The On-Q Dual-Purpose In-Wall Enclosures from Legrand-AV are now available in 9-inch (ENP0900-NA) and 17-inch (ENP1700-NA) form factors. They can be used for AV storage behind a TV or as enclosures for structured wiring. When placed behind a TV, the Dual-Purpose In-Wall Enclosures are designed to house cable boxes and streaming players. The 17-inch solution is also compatible with the 4K and 8K Samsung One-Connect Box, while its split cover was designed for use with split-rail TV mounts, allowing integrators to access components after the TV mount is installed.

The URC TKP-8600 in-wall touch screen builds off the popularity of the company’s TRC-1480 Amazon Alexa integration but adds new privacy features that were previously unavailable. Unlike its predecessor, the TKP-8600 clearly indicates if its microphone is activated. It also allows the consumer to choose whether to initiate voice commands via push-to-talk or through a wake word. The TKP-8600 features an 8-inch high-resolution LCD screen, which is sized an inch larger from the previous model but under the company’s largest 10-inch offering. The RTI VX44-18G-Kit, VX88-18G, and VRX70-18G add to the expanding company portfolio of video distribution solutions to support the HDBaseT 18Gbps standard. RTI is now shipping these new HDMI 2.0 full-bandwidth video matrix solutions. Built on the latest HDBaseT 18Gbps standard – and featuring advanced color space conversion (CSC) technology – the 4x4 VX44-18G-Kit, 8x8 VX88-18G, and matching VRX70-18G receiver integrate with the RTI control system for faster installations and enhanced user management.

Nooie has released a new Doorbell Camera and Base Station with Chime. The 5G capable Doorbell cam packs advanced motion detection, 2K resolution with wide angle view, and 2-way audio. It is also Alexa and Google Home enabled. It is battery powered with a 10,000mAh battery for wire-free installation and extended use. The Base Station enables a chime feature while also extending the connectivity range by being a Wi-Fi extender for the system.

The Songs of Summer:

A Retrospective

By Anthony Elio

Summertime. So many memories. Dad taking me to the dog track. Dad taking me to the horse track. Good times. But, as a musician who has been called everything from “derivative” to “hardly a musician,” the popular songs of the summer have always resonated with me.

The summer song has been a long-time tradition dating back to the 1930s, with hits such as I Met My Baby in an Iron Lung and Never Stop Partyin’ (ft. Benny Goodman). With this yearly phenomenon in mind, let’s take a look at the summertime hits we’ve all been bumping throughout the years.

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot (1992)

Lyrical Highlight: “A lot of simps

won’t like this song” Penned by Sir Mix-A-Lot (born Tony Lorenzo Mix-a-Lot), 1992’s Baby Got Back introduced a generation to a new genre of fastpaced lyrics honoring rear ends, one that will hopefully see a resurgence in the coming years. The hit has the singer waxing poetically about booties, combining a catchy beat with introspective lyrics to immerse the listener.

Sadly, Mix-A-Lot was notoriously stripped of his knighthood when anti-booty comments from his past surfaced.

MMMBop by Hanson (1997)

Lyrical Highlight: “In an mmmbop they’re not there/until you lose your hair, oh” Hanson was undoubtedly one of the breakthrough summer bands of the 90s, hitting the mainstream with MMMbop in 1997. The group derived its name from Hansen’s Disease, an infectious skin ailment each member reportedly suffers from.

Hanson’s popularity has remained in the years since their major hit, with their 2021 tour featuring stops at the Winslow Mall in Arizona and the Eureka Springs Pie Festival in Arkansas.

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO Lyrical Highlight: “Party Rock/Yeah/

Woo/Let’s Go”

An uncle and nephew wrote this song and now have a net worth of $8 million.

Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie (2004)

Lyrical Highlight: “We’ll play jacks and Uno cards.” Big Girls Don’t Cry was the 2004 hit that brought emotion to the dance floor. The song was written and performed by Fergie, known for her other hits Fergalicious, Ferganometry, and Incurable Fergal Infection.

While I enjoy the song as much as anyone else, I personally find the title and theme to be inaccurate, as my own mother just cried last week when I showed off my new nipple piercings to her book club.

Savage by Megan Thee Stallion (2020)

Lyrical Highlight: “Classy, bougie,

ratchet, yeah.” In a year where it was illegal to leave your house, have parties, or dance, 2020’s Savage faced some stiff competition for song of the summer. Along with Megan Thee Stallion, the song features contributions from Carissa Thee Thoroughbred, Charlotte Thee Clydesdale, and Anna Thee Horse.

While the original song was popular, it was the summer remix featuring someone named Beyoncé that put it over the top. Must be a newcomer to the scene.

Anthony Elio is a writer and Cutco sales rep located in Denver, CO. He currently plays drums in the band Television Generation, which has as many as 20 Spotify streams at the time of this writing. His other interests include dining at 7/11. Elio’s further editorial work can be found on PigeonSushi.com.