LG PF1500 Full HD Portable LED Smart TV Home Theater Projector with Magic Remote

I don’t normally write reviews, but occasionally a device comes along that is too good to keep secret. The LG PF 1500 is one of those products.My quest for a projector started innocently enough. I converted a small utility building that had previously been used as tool shed into a home office. There was a small loft area above the main floor big enough for a couple reclining chairs and maybe a small fridge, but that was it. I had about 11 feet to the outer wall, which looked sufficient for a 100-120 inch screen. I wanted a screen size larger than a similarly priced LCD, so I began looking at projectors since the prices have come down significantly. Lamp based projectors were out, due the need to replace bulbs somewhat frequently. Given that I was really trying to fill a small space, it seemed that an LED projector, even with typically lower lumens, would fit my purposes.I am not an audiophile or a videophile. I am an average-joe user. I need a device that works in the real world; a reasonably viewable picture at a decent size. To this end, I initially looked at the LG PW800, due to its price point and the fact that it has a built in TV tuner, as my primary use was going to be watching football and the local news. While a lower resolution unit on paper when compared to the PF 1500, there are a number of Youtube videos that demonstrated what appeared to be great picture quality. The PF1500 output was also on Youtube and the results were even more impressive. But the PF 1500 was priced about twice that of the PW800. More than I wanted to spend for what was initially going to be a casual use item.For some reason, the cost of the PW800 went up on Amazon about the time I was ready to purchase it. This narrowed the price difference between the PW800 and PF1500 enough that it made sense to spend a little extra for the significantly better, at least spec-wise, PF 1500. I wasn’t sure how this projector was going to perform, but I had 30 days to return in the event the reviews and Youtube videos were wrong. I happened to pick up the PF1500 at a local retailer for about $250.00 less than Amazon (come on Amazon, you’ve got to be more competitive). Basically, I was able to buy the PF1500 for what the PW800 would have cost on Amazon.Screen OutputConsistent with the throw calculators available on line, the PF1550 puts out slightly larger than 10 inches for every foot from the screen. As for specs, I’m not going to delve into detail. That information is readily available on LG’s website. Suffice it to say, the PF1500 is a full HD projector with WIFI, HDMI and other inputs, as well as Bluetooth. You pretty much can plug any device into the unit that you would need to access content, or simply use the projector as a standalone. WIFI connectivity was flawless, as was Bluetooth. Miracast was also simple and I was able to stream content directly from my phone. This is a handy feature where WIFI and/or a network connection are lacking. The PF1500 has a Netflix app preinstalled. There is no Amazon Prime, but I was able to plug in a Fire stick and stream away.Forget Set-up and CalibrationBecause anticipation got the better of me, I took the unit straight out of the box and turned it on. I was waiting to test the output size prior to ordering a screen, so I projected it onto the wall of my loft, which was a light purplish grey color. I was amazed at the output right away. At about 10 feet, the PF1500 completely filled the wall space. I started with Netflix. The clarity of the projection even on the off-colored wall was impressive. It was highly watchable. The TV projection was even better. Football will never be the same. There was some ambient lighting in the room coming from an uncovered window, but it only had a minor effect on image quality.Not to be deterred from my approximate 110 inches of HD bliss, I took the unit inside the house, to see how far I could push it. LG claims that the PF1500 can project an image up to 120”. Again, I put the projector on a flat surface about 14 feet from a beige colored wall and turned the unit on. No calibration or adjustment. Just using the built in TV tuner, the projector put out a clear image 11 feet wide and 6.5 feet high. I have to say the picture, again, was highly viewable. Streaming Nexflix produced similar results. The attached photos which were taken with a cell phone, but the quality is there.Later in the evening, I moved the PF1500 into a bedroom, without ambient lighting. The unit put out a solid 125 inch picture. I paired the projector with a Bose Soundlink portable Bluetooth speaker and the sound quality was good enough for a small room.The following day, I moved the projector into a room with walls painted medium blue. I was not expecting to get any decent results, but figured I would give it a try anyway. The projector displayed a 150 inch image. The wall color did not produce the brightest image, but the picture was still watchable. For just casual use, even this wall color would be ok.The next day I went back to the beige colored wall. The time I hooked up a Blu-ray player via HDMI and over the course of the next two days watched a variety of movies on standard DVD and Blu-ray. As the attached photos will attest, the output was approximately 150 inches and was clear. Depending upon the movie, the screen format will adjust slightly, but the unit was consistent in its output. Admittedly, the screen size was pushing the PF1500 to the limit, but the picture remained clear. No one in the family complained. The sweet spot of this projector seemed to be between 125-135 inches. The more ambient light, the more the picture appears washed, but I was able to obtain decent output even with some minimal ambient lighting.Arrival of the Office ScreenThe following day, the screen for my office area arrived. I purchased a simple 100 inch DIY screen from Amazon for $34.99 (Excelvan Portable Projector Projection Screen 100 Inch, 16:9 PVC Fabric, Matte White with 1.1 Gain). I wasn’t thinking that it would be much, but I only needed it for occasional viewing. I was surprised the screen seemed to be well constructed. I took the advice of some other reviewers and bought some heavy duty Velcro. The screen was up in about 10 minutes. As expected, the output of the PF1500 was excellent. Again, I streamed a variety of content via Netflix and Amazon and the results were consistent. TV output was also excellent. The attached photos are a good example of the output onto a white screen. It should be noted that even though there was a fair amount of ambient light present in the room when the photos were taken, the output was still great. If the ambient light was removed, the picture would only get better.Arrival of the House ScreenWhile I initially purchased the PF1500 with the idea of use only in my office, my family had threatened mutiny if it’s not used for movie nights and other events. Even my wife did not complaint when she saw the image quality for the first time. I soon realized the projector was going to take up permanent residence in the house.I spent some time considering the optimum screen size and finally settled on 150 inches. This is outside the maximum sixe recommended by LG, but after testing the image quality between 120 and 150, just on painted wall, the 150 inch picture seemed to fit better in my room. There is some loss of sharpness and detail at 150, compared to 120, but to me, the difference was hardly noticeable. I figured that I could always scale down the image to 120 or 135 with the 150 inch screen if I needed to and reserve the larger screen size for televised events. Over time, I’m sure the PF1500’s successor will have higher lumens and will probably be able to handle the larger screen without difficulty, although I really don’t see any problem with the PF1500 at this size.I ordered an “Elite Screens Manual, 150-inch 16:9, Pull Down Projection Manual Projector Screen with Auto Lock, M150XWH2 and hoped for the best. I opted for a manual pull screen since it was half the price of a motorized unit. It’s about a five second process to pull the screen down. On paper the screen appeared much smaller than when it actually arrived by freight carrier. At over 10 feet wide, this unit had to be delivered by truck. Depending upon your room configuration, you may need to have some assistance mounting the unit. I was able to position the screen directly above my existing entertainment unit, using some 1x4 spacers anchored to the studs.Again, the image produced by the PF1500 did not disappoint. The image was clear (at least to me). The screen image was noticeably brighter that the image projected on the wall, but that was to be expected. The attached photos speak for themselves.ImpressionsAll projectors have the same issues in common. For the most part, they are not designed for high ambient light conditions and you need the right screen and sound system to pull all of the potential out of a projector. But when was the last time you went to a theater and they kept the lights on during the presentation? Projectors are designed to mimic the theater experience, so you have keep in mind the units perform best under theater conditions of low ambient light. Needless to say, the PF 1500 did fine with some ambient light and its output was consistent with a variety of source materials.Also, source input is important; the better the quality, the better the result. This held true for the PF1500. Blu-Ray appeared to be the sharpest, but Netflix was not far behind. Again, the TV output was consistently great. You can push the output size of the PF 1500 beyond its rated limit and still have an enjoyable movie experience. Scale down the picture size and the quality of the output increases, but for me I did not notice enough difference at 100 inches vs 150 inches to want to scale the picture down.What started out as simple office upgrade, has morphed into a new home theater that everyone in the house seems to enjoy. If the LED actually lasts close to the 30,000 hours rated by LG, this device is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Does the unit have its flaws? Probably. But I think any negative points are far overshadowed by it solid output, especially for the price. For the average user, this a great unit. I was able to purchase the PF1500, screen and new surround sound all for under $1,000. Seems like a pretty good deal.For now, if you are considering the PF 1500 run, don’t walk, and buy one today.Now I have to get a replacement for the office!

Regrettably, I had to return this projector. I have been waiting SO long for a 1080p LED projector with a nice clear picture and sufficient lumen output. I started by trying out the Optoma ML 500 a few years ago, but the picture had a "soft" appearance. I thought this was the one, and it was in so many ways, but it has a fatal flaw.This projector has great reviews and amazing features. When I got it out and set it up, I was extremely pleased. Sharp, beautiful image. Impressive lumen output for an LED projector. Long lasting LED bulb. Lightweight. Portable. Even a TV tuner! Amazing....and then I tried gaming on it. I'm saying this as someone who has never noticed input lag on any TV or projector that I've owned. I'm not picky or hypersensitive. It was unplayable. Yes, I had it in game mode, which, according to Projector Central, reduces the input lag on this projector to 70 ms. I'm not sure what 70 ms looks like, but if this was 70 ms, I'm going to have to look for 20-30 ms response time MAX.I tried playing Borderlands 2 through my laptop's HDMI connection, and I simply couldn't play the game well because the input lag was so extreme. I would have to try to predict where I'd want the reticule in the next second because it would take seemingly a quarter of a second to actually move where I wanted it. I'd look at my laptop screen, which was being mirrored, and everything was responsive. It wasn't just the game. It noticeably lagged just using the mouse.There was some judder in panning sequences while watching a movie. TV was great though. I didn't notice any issues there. It was smooth, crisp, and clear on over the air HD channels.I think this is the nature of a breakthrough product, and I hate to give it two stars, but for all the groundbreaking features of this projector, it's unacceptable to perform this poorly in such an important area (to me). I'm going to have to wait until the next generation.My planned use for this was 50% gaming and 50% movies/TV, so I had to send it back. If you don't plan on gaming, you might consider this.UPDATE 10/15/15REVISED: 2 stars to 4 starsI can't say the input lag is as bad as I thought it was. It seems that my Macbook Pro's HDMI connection is what lags, as it does the same thing on my new TV. It also did so wirelessly to my TV through an Apple TV box. So while I suspect this projector has some lag issues due to the tests at projector central (170 ms lag), I imagine it's not nearly as bad as I thought it was. It's too bad I don't have it to test with my PS4. If I knew then what I know now, I don't think I would have returned this.

This is a truly outstanding projector. The features and image quality put it in a class far above the price point that it is being sold at here in the US. If you want to get into home theater without spending a fortune, start with the PF1500. The environment that I am using this in is not light controlled, and the screen is a custom built 120" medium grey. For daytime use it is fine although the colors and blacks do take a hit. It's not unwatchable, but you won't be giggling at the newscaster for not using a lint brush before the broadcast, or watching CSI:Whatever. That's not a fault of the projector, during any other time you can perceive the thread patterns on black cloth. Shadows are excellent, and individual pixels are discernible. The built in tuner has excellent reception, the available apps work well, although they are limited to Netflix, Youtube, and a lot of things nobody cares about. Paired with a computer, or Firestick, or AppleTV, or another smart appliance you really won't notice what's missing. Even with 1 app it has more than any other projector in its class and the one for Netflix works perfectly. The fans do make noise on high brightness, but it isn't annoying when mounted 6 feet directly overhead.The PF1500 does have a few minor limitations. The app list is very limited, and you will need other devices if you want anything besides Netflix. There is a 170ms frame delay so you will need a home theater audio system capable of that correction. The last annoyance is the 1.1x zoom. For that 120" screen I need every last bit of zoom and 12' to get edge to edge.Even with those limitations, I would buy this projector again, although if the bulb life estimate is correct, I won't need to until my infant is in middle school.