Please note that this is a meta-review prepared by the Simple Home Cinema team. Our meta-reviews analyse and cross-check data across multiple sources including professional reviews, user reviews and user forums to arrive at our analysis and review scores, and are useful to get an overall – and hopefully balanced – picture for a specific product. We will specifically state if we had the product tested by one of our team. Please do let us know, should you find any errors.
The LG CineBeam PU700R is not your typical projector. It stands out with its unique swivel design, compact form factor, and advanced features tailored for casual home entertainment. Offering 4K UHD resolution, HDR10 and HLG compatibility, and an RGB LED light source rated for 30,000 hours, LG markets this projector as a stylish, portable, lifestyle device for modern homes. But does it check all the boxes for its considerable price of $1,699? Let’s dive into the product’s strengths, weaknesses, and how it stacks up against the competition.
Why Consider the LG CineBeam PU700R? Key Highlights
The LG PU700R targets users seeking more than just a home projector—it promises versatility, style, and technical sophistication. Here are some highlights:
Allows you to pair multiple Bluetooth speakers or headphones for immersive audio.
Stunning 4K UHD Resolution
Uses Texas Instruments’ 0.47-inch DLP chip with XPR pixel-shifting to project 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, delivering crisp and detailed imagery suitable for screens up to 120 inches.
RGB LED Light Source
Rated for an impressive 30,000 hours, this 1,000 ANSI lumens engine promises vibrant colors, low maintenance, and eco-friendly operation without replacing lamps.
Rotating Swivel Design for Versatile Use
Its 90° pivoting projector head allows projection anywhere—from walls to ceilings—ideal for small spaces or unconventional setups like lying in bed projecting onto your ceiling.
Smart TV Capabilities with webOS
Includes Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube pre-installed via LG’s webOS platform, but surprisingly omits popular platforms like Netflix and HBO Max.
Support for HDR10 and Dynamic Tone Mapping
Frame-by-frame tone mapping ensures highlights and shadows are automatically adjusted for more realistic contrasts.
Bluetooth Dual Sound Out
If you are into high-end home theater, check out our Display and Audio Calibration Guides to maximize your experience.
Performance Review: Strengths and Weaknesses
Let’s move past the specs and into real-world performance, breaking it into categories like brightness, color accuracy, usability, and gaming readiness.
1. Picture Quality: Mixed Excellence
Strengths:
The LG PU700R excels with color reproduction powered by its RGB LED light source. Colors appear natural and saturated, making this projector suitable for vibrant animations and HDR-ready films like Coco or The Fifth Element. The Filmmaker Mode ensures movies look exactly as the director intended, preserving cinematic color tones and eliminating artificial smoothing (e.g., the soap opera effect).
Weaknesses:
Despite its 150,000:1 contrast ratio, the projector struggles to showcase deep blacks or nuanced shadow detail. In darker scenes (like Dune or Blade Runner 2049), you’ll notice blacks appearing more like dark grays—a common weakness of DLP projectors in this price bracket. Competitors like the Epson Home Cinema 3800 outperform it here, providing better black levels for home-theater enthusiasts.
Recommendation: Pair it with an Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen if you plan to use it in dim or moderately bright settings to reduce the washed-out effect in dark content.
2. Brightness and Usability: Where It Fits Best
The 1,000 ANSI lumens brightness rating places this projector squarely in the casual-use category. During daytime viewing with blinds drawn or ambient light present, the image is watchable but slightly washed out. For optimal quality, this projector works best in low-light or nighttime environments on screens smaller than 120 inches.
Users seeking a brighter projector may need to consider alternatives like the BenQ GP500, offering 1,500 ANSI lumens, or the Epson 5050UB, which reaches a whopping 2,600 lumens.
Scenarios Where It Excels:
- Ceiling Projection: Thanks to the 90° swivel mechanism, lying on your bed becomes a unique cinema experience.
- Outdoor Movie Nights: Though not the absolute brightest, its portability and long-lasting LED make it suitable for outdoor use at night.
3. HDR10 Performance: A Compromise
While supporting HDR10 and HLG, the PU700R struggles with dynamic range. Bright scenes during HDR content look fantastic, particularly with tone mapping enabled, but details in shadows and highlights can sometimes feel underwhelming compared to brighter, laser-based systems like the JMGO N1 Ultra (2,500 lumens).
4. Gaming: The Input Lag Letdown
Gamers beware! Despite a dedicated Game Optimizer Mode, the 180ms input lag makes this projector unsuitable for competitive gaming or fast-paced FPS titles like Call of Duty or Apex Legends. However, casual gaming with RPGs or adventure titles like Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still enjoyable due to the vibrant colors and large screen real estate.
For gaming enthusiasts, projectors like the BenQ X3000i provide far superior performance with sub-16ms input lag at 1080p/120Hz.
5. Streaming Features with webOS: A Mixed Bag
The webOS platform simplifies access to major streaming apps like Disney+, Prime Video, and YouTube, but notable absences include Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu. While this omission is bothersome, it can be remedied by pairing the projector with a Roku Stick, Apple TV, or similar external streaming device.
Pro Tip: The Magic Remote makes navigating webOS apps effortless, thanks to its intuitive motion-pointer controls.
6. Audio Quality: Passable but Best with External Sound
The built-in 5W mono speaker is adequate for personal use in small rooms but lacks both depth and volume for a fully immersive experience. However, the Bluetooth Dual Sound Out feature makes it easy to pair external speakers or headphones, solving most audio limitations.
For the best experience, pair with a soundbar or LG’s optional XBOOM 360 Bluetooth speaker, which adds fuller, dynamic sound for movies or music sessions.
PRICE CHECK
Use the below links to check the most up-to-date product price.
| Retailers |
|---|
| Amazon.com |
| ProjectorScreen.com |
LG PU700R vs. Competitors
Let’s see how the LG PU700R compares to similarly priced offerings:
| Projector | Resolution | Brightness | Best Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG PU700R | 4K e-shift | 1,000 lumens | Versatile swivel design, portability | $1,699 |
| Samsung Freestyle | 1080p | 234 lumens | Battery-powered portability | $699 |
| BenQ GP500 | 4K e-shift | 1,500 lumens | High brightness, robust color accuracy | $1,699 |
| Epson 3800 | 4K e-shift | 3,000 lumens | Superior black levels | $1,599 |
While the LG PU700R excels in style and portable usability, other projectors like the Epson 3800 or BenQ GP500 may offer better technical performance for similar or lower prices.
PRICE CHECK
Use the below links to check the most up-to-date product price.
| Retailers |
|---|
| Amazon.com |
| ProjectorScreen.com |
Pros and Cons
Key Pros:
- Stylish and unique swivel design adds versatility.
- Long-lasting 30,000-hour LED light source requires no lamp replacements.
- Crisp 4K resolution with vibrant colors for well-lit content.
- Excellent smart features with intuitive webOS navigation.
- Highly portable and ideal for casual use in small spaces.
Key Cons:
- Netflix and popular apps missing; an external streaming device is required.
- Poor input lag makes gaming impractical.
- Limited black levels and HDR range in dim settings.
- No tripod mounting option, hindering setup flexibility.
- Only one HDMI port, restricting simultaneous device connections.
Final Thoughts
The LG CineBeam PU700R delivers on its promise of versatility, portability, and 4K-ready entertainment. It excels as a lifestyle projector for those who value convenience, aesthetics, and moderate performance over home theater-grade output. Its design focus and swivel functionality make it stand out in its category, ideal for flexible use cases like ceiling projection or casual outdoor movie nights.
However, its price point feels steep compared to competitors that offer better brightness, contrast, and gaming performance. For users seeking top-notch image quality or competitive gaming features, options like the BenQ GP500 or Epson 3800 may be better choices.
Would I recommend the PU700R? Yes, but with one caveat: It’s best suited for casual users who want a stylish, portable projector for everyday scenarios, not for enthusiasts prioritizing image precision or hardcore performance.
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